The New York herald., 1878-11-25
LITERATURE.
The German Empire as Viewed by
a Liberal Frenchman.
HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE.
Biography---The Latest Poetry
Chit-Chat About Books.

~
well digested book on the German Empire is very
welcome just now and Of this character from the
pen OF Frenchman is something of surprise. We
have had so much Chauvinism from the French on
the subject of Germany, her affairs and her govern
ment, that the work by Monsieur Cohen. published
In Paris by Calnann Levy, and entitled. "Etudes
sur pEmpire d'Allemagnc." brings some promise OF
wider spread Of common sense relations between
the peoples OF these two great nations OF Continental
Europe. NJ Cohen has qualified himself for his task
by study. observation and experience having resided
in the new Empire and coming frequently in contact
with the leaders of thought and action therein He
writes i'll plain. forcibe style, without special orna
mcnt and but little of the washy sentiment which
to the mind of sober critic weakcns well as
disfgures much French writing. He is a Jew in
religion. a previous work of his. entitled "The
Decides. an Examination Of the Life of Jesus
and the Developments of the Christian Church in
Their Relation to judaism" having attracted
considerable attention. His present volume. while
partaking throughout of the essay, is lib
orally supplied with salient facts. Founded there
fore. upon full information his criticisms OF
events and his definition OF tendencies carry
weight with them. They are pervaded by'a hbcralty
OF tone and breadth Of view which secure them from
the tant of national bias He divides his work into
three parts-namely, "The Developments Of German
Unity" "The Political and Economical Situation
and German Civilization" His opening chapter
Ia devoted to rapid sketch Of Germany from the
tenth to the nineteenth century. That the author
appreciates the vast importance Of Germany in the
movement of European civilization may be judged
from the following passage is impossible to
deny the importance Of the part which Ger
many has played in the world Twice already she
has TO-da for ne third time she
has brnsqucly modified its equilibrium. In the fifth
century she opened the Middle Ages; in the seven
teenth century she founded the modern What
will of her entcrprise. Germany
was the first to rise from the confu
sion that followed the death Of Charlemagne. For
three centuries she was ruled by her emperors max
ing the epic age of Germany. At length the diadem
having passed successfully from the house of Saxony
to those Of Franconia and swaba became fixed in the
house of Austria where it remained until 1905. The
election by the Diet of Charles " contemporary with
the outburst of the Reformation the signal for
war which convulsed Germany and drew into the
struggle all the States Of Europe. just the con-
queror of Francis seemed about to give to Germany
the old rank it held in the tenth century. bestowing
besides its dominating place in the Old World, tho
sceptre of the New, the hour struck when the
Holy Empire was to be attacked by the radical
of revolutions. Luther says the author. 'arose
before Charlesv. The monk of wittenberg dared to
combat him who, at the close of his career. would
become the monk Of st. Just. The Holy Roman En-
pire and the Roman Ponticate entered together upon
their supreme crisis" After three centuries Of
struggle to-day the fall Of the temporal power
and the foundation Of Protestant Empire.
RIsEs.
Tho dukes OF Brandenburg who founded thcir
power upon "the triumph Of the new faith and the
belittling and weakening of Austria come
upon the sccra. Prussia becomes kingdom. Under
Frederick the Great and his successors we the
gradual extension of its frontiera Its national spirit
grows. After the fall Of Napoleon T. the treaty of
Vienna. which gave Europe forty years OF peace,
formulated Austria still held its leadership OF the
German peoples but Prussia was tireless in combat
ing the imperial influence. She gathering her
forces II needed but strong hand to shake Austrian
influence in Germany and at length the man came in
Otto Won Bismarck. The pirations toward German
unity had lived among the peopein the schools and
universities and in the songs OF the poets 1t re-
ceived its first real impulse in the revolutionary out
burst of 1s4S. but democratic Germany i'm
possibility then. Its second impulse came from the
side of monarchy in the Austro Prussian war. that
call ready for the explosion of grand move
ment of revolution and ambition combined" The
occasion furnished by France. and Count Bis
marck grasped it.
On the succeeding chapters Of the first part Of the
book it is not necessary in the limits of this review
TO dwell at length relating "the Austro Prussian
conflict" which excluded Austria from Germany and
founded the Germsn Confederation OF the North and
to 1.-THE faults of France which were primarily
that OF declaring base frivolous pretext
and in not concluding peace at the fall of Sedan.
doubt the author is right in his
but the lsngthcncd struggle secured
France to the Republic and mado German unity more
than certain.
BISMARCK.
Of the virtual ruler of Germany NJ Cohen draws q
portrait hattering in outline but uncomplimantary
in many of ts details Bismarck ho declares great
historic figure and dazzling personality. whether
we love him or hats him cannot hinder ourselves
from admiring him, The work which he has accom-
plished is immense that which remains to be
plished is less But for this powerful mind ap
pears that the word impossible does not exist He
has two mastery qualties-insight and foresight.
He knows how to Judge situation and appreciate
surely how it can comport with the possible. Hence
he does not dream an ideal which clashes with
the reality. He has in high degree the talent of
ing a glance the faults of his adversary and OF TAX
ing advantage of them. Having arranged all his
means the smallest detail he pushes for his object
with ardor and power that nothing arrest. lie
cares nothing for consistency. He has never been
abstract idealst, but positive realist. He may be
absolutst in fact but he has absolute sy stem
He changes opinions and systems with surprising fa
cility During the first forty years OF his career no
was the intrepid defender OF the supremacy of The
Hapsburgs. the energetic champion of the monarchy
OF divine right and feudal privileges implacabe an
tagonst Of tho democracy and obstinate. ad-
versary Of the national aspirations and po.
ltical liberties. In lsi9 he who has made
tho unity Of Germany aud placed tho
imperial crown the brow Of tho successor of Fred
eric the Great, protested against the unitarian pro-
gramme and denounced as the fatal present of radi
casm the sceptre offered to the King of Prussia by
the Parliament Of Frankfort These changes arc
merely the gropings of sn ambition which is seeking
Its way or rather its prey. On this subject bismarck
himself has said 81" is possible that have changed.
but have. never been ashamed to modify my opin-
ions every time that circumstances have brought me