The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-11-07
GERMANT.


warning to the effect that the opini ons lately
offered by the German press on the Eastern
Question were not in any way inspired, ana oiu
mot represent the seeret LhouG nsh - +hat thesa
oninions OF suggestions were i'll conceived as
that there was no opening for them at all. The
blank as to all that concerns Turkey. 1t is in
terested not in Jerks or Slavs, but in the pre- |
servation of the great alliance of the Three
Powers; and to think at all about Turkey, ex-
cent in unison with Russia and Austria, seems |
quite unofficial and wrong. As 1t is difficult
even for German editors to treat the only sub
ject of present political interest day after day
without saying q word about it, the press was
kindly allowed for short time to trespass
beyond the limits of sheer vacuity; but it has
had its little holiday, and must now settle
everything with it's accustomed experiences and
dociiity. Some of the papers to which this
warning was addressed used to be considered
as not only semi-ofacial, but as having still
more sacred character, and being as nearly
official as possible. But now they too are
treated as outsiders, and their utterances are
proclaimed to be as worthless as those OF the
rest of the world. Under the system of jour-
nalism which used to prevail under the Second
Empire, and which is now triumphant In Ger
many, no one can pretend to say for moment
what the Government means by allowing any
opinion or set of opinions to be expressed
What is written may be meant to stimulate
Germany or to terrify Europe, but it can always
be disavowed at the last moment. When, last
May, the German papers began to thunoer
against France, it was difficult to believe that
the real Jupiter was not the great Prince Bis
marck himself. At any rate these shltts OF the
German press its sudden animations and It's
sudden coll pses, are quite in keeping with
the character of Prince Bismarck, as it is being
gradually revealed to his contemporaries.
Keenly conscious of the greatnt 81 of his ability,
and of the eminepce of the position he has won,
violent By nature, a bitter hater, Indifferent to
the claims of friends dependr"'s contempt
uous of the rules by which 'ordimary people
in nd and heHy. and haunted by the
thought that assassination or disease may cut
short an astonishing career, be leads, and loves
to lead, compositions life; He has always
thousand schemes on hand, q Thousand irons
in the fire. He longs to use for great purposes
the enormous machinery at his disposal. and
finds in the qniet routine of German politics
Insufficient room for it's action. Like Alexan-
der, he does not feel quite himself upless he
has new world to conquer. On the other
hand, he has singular width of political
grasp. He sees European politics as 8 whole,
and forbears from running great combinations
in order to crafty temporary aud trivial freaks.
He has also a curious readiness to accept COM
promises, and is perfectly willing to get what
he can rather than get nothing. When ne is
beaten, he does not trouble himself He merely
sets himself to work at something else. He
has only taken one of his thousand irons out
of the fire and found it colder than he expect
ed. Last May he thought the iron of new
French war was hot; but he found he was mis-
taken, and pa: it back again. He has too much
confidence a himself not to believe that the
next time he tries iron he may be more
lucky. 1t is not surprising that press which
has to reflect the changing sentiments and
projects or such a mind should be a some
what hazy, speckled and uncomfortable sort of
mirror.
Since the close of the French war Germany
has been going on in some respects we'll, and
in some respects not so well. Its military
power has been increased aud consolidated.
Its strength, compared with that of Austria
or France, IS far greater than in 1866 OF 1870
pose to do, Enormous sums and unrivaled
military skill have been freely expended on the
perfecting of fortresses. Metz, Strasburg and
Ulm bristle with new works on the most mag
nifcent and extensive scale. The German
artillery is now muoh superior to the German
artillery of 1870 the German artillery of
that date was superior to the artillery of
France. The reserves of the army have been
largely augmented and made more easily avail
able, and the army is really popular with the
people The army and the people are felt to be
one, and the men present at the Silesian name l.
Vres have been treated as the guests, not the en-
cumbrances of those on whom they were quar-
tered. Great progress, too, has been made In
the extinction of separatist feeling. An cleo
ton in Wurtemberg in the last few days has
shown that, there at least, a candidate to be
successful must be national. Even in Bavaria,
which of all parts of Germany is least within
the national fold, there is growing feeling
mat 1t is of no use to think of resisting Ger
many and Bismarck, and that the lot which
mas 1allen 20 Bavaria must be accepted. In
Aisace Itself time and despair are working for
germany The population is rapidly getting
over the pang of separation from France. 1t
Is acqulescing in the necessity of being Ger
man, and TO retain French sympathies is begin
nlng to be regarded by the mass of the people
as one OF the luxurious fancies of the rich,
Lastly, the Church question has not produced
SO much internal discord as might have been
expected 1t has, doubt, excited much
painful feeling. In some districts the power
OF the priests is unbroken; and many Germans
who approve of the general tenor of the eccle-
sastioal laws think that they have been shaped
and executed with needless and imprudent
rigor. But, on the whole, the German notion
OF the State, and the passion for o united Ger
many, have stronger control over the general
GUlnd than ecclesiastical sympathies. The
Germans of the present day have not, indeed,
many of the qualities which make ecclesiastical
rsSityEs. They think it is as unnatural to
20 oSlst the State as Red Indian would think it
tr IN wear evening clothes. They have been
snS I neS INTO acquiesoence from their cradles,
that they accept.
IN Ea the 10 other hand, there are points to
E Mnion IL may be said that Germany has not
S Seen going on lately very happily. The com
Rii nI Is general that the country of the mil
llAIQ8 Is poorer ;A Lafo h n