New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-17

was capital specimen of vigorous, fearless,
and honest criticism. There was no question
about the authorship, for he signed his name
in full. In this letter he told the German
people more unpalataBle truths than they had
heard for long time Their manufactures,
he said, were lacking in taste and in evidences
of progress, and were apparently made upon
the principle of cheap and shabby. He even
went so far as to satirize the ridiculous mania
of cffilsiye patriotism that multiples repre-
sentatives of the Emperor, Bismarck, and Won
Moltke in every possible material, from bronze
and marble TO soap and talow. Inc storm
that this letter has raised is incomprehensible
TO people who do not know what colossal and
oycr-sensitiye national egotism has grown up
in Germany since the French war; The concerted
PrussIan bureaucracy was aghast, the manu-
facturers of shoddy goods of all kinds were
euroged. and every shallow patcd GermanO-
maniac from the Baltic to the Rhine, whose
idea of patriotism was to boast OF the military
glory of the Empire and to bawl the Yacht am
Rbcip. was rampant. The excitement spread to
the German citizens of this country. Most OF
them, TO their credit be it said recognized the
irsticc of the Commissioners structures, and
with their own bitter disappointment at the
poyerty of the Fathcrland's display fresh IN
mind, were glad to sec their opinions so forcl-
bly, expressed from such a distinguished ana
weighty source. Not so the importers OF German
goods. Their anger knew no bounds. 1hey even
twitted the Commissioner with his French
name and accused him of French sympathes,
which is among Germans the worst thing that
lIttiQ
letter in "a little newspaper scarcely fourth
rs large as TIE TRIBUNE, grew in a few weeks
TO be a matter not only of national but OF
international Importance. 1t was reprinted III
London as a gratifying evidence of the con-
tinued. infcli0rity Of German manufactures,
and the French journals fairly glOated over It,
The Berlin Government probably had the
sense to see that the Commissioner had
told the unyarnished truth and told 1t,
too, from a pure, patriotic motive, but he had
committed an official indiscretiOn, and now the
news comes that he has been recalled. Inc
dinner in FairmOunt Park was farewell
dinner. Prof. Reueaux turns over his au-
thority to the old Resident Commission, and
goes bacl, to Berlin to face the clamor he has
raised. That he will be in any way dlsSraced,
nobody believes. On the contrary, he Will
probably ne pattcd on the back o.iici lily ana
have an extra bit of ribbon stuck in his button
hole. None the less, however, must his removal
be taken as the result of his outSpOken
criticisms. He will have the consolation OF
knowing that he has done his country a great
service. for the agitation which his letter has
evoked will, there can be little doubt, result
in an effort to improve the quality OF German
goods by stimulating the growth OF public
opinion that will demand excellence before
chcapness. He takes with him. too the respect
and admiration of the American people, who
Ike man that has the courage OF his Opinions
and tells the truth boldly without counting
the cost