The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-08
MISCHIEF AHEAD.
TuE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT I'm
EUROPE-SEGNS OF COM
ING TROUBLE,
[LoDdon Standard.I


convinced that if they do SO they will be salts
fed that the allusion made to the period OF
1848 by Herr Sonnemann in his reply to Prince
de Bismarck in the German Reichstag was
far from Irrelevant or inopportune. We are
divided from that memorable date by thirty
years, Il period which is usually considered
equivalent to q generation in the history Of
men and communities. Yet will any one
have the courage to assert that the opinions
aspirations and projects, which for a
time emptied Europe of half its thrones
and seemed likely to revolutionige the
organizations Of society, have been aban-
doncd, or that the horizon is free from the
threatening theories which then gathered to
q head and burst upon governments unpre-
pared to withstand them! No doubt the ruI-
ing powers are better armed than they were
then to resist insurrection against their au-
thorty.e They remember what occurred at
that date, and they are not likely to trust
themselves a second time to the chapter OF
accidents. But opinions that do not change
and ambitions that are not abandoned, never
fail to find at length opportunities for their
assertion, and we hold ii to be morally Ger
tain that, If what are generally known as
revolutionary opinions are not extlrpated by
conviction, all the precautions in life will not
prevent them from being translated into ac-
Europe, it is idle to deny, is more COM
plletely permcateod with the doctrines e
Of discomfort than at any former
most alarming of the phenomena it produces
is to be seen in the fact that statesmen OF so
much experience, penetration and resource as
Prince de Bismarcf! can discover no better eH-
pedirnt for remedying it than repression and
defiance. Prince de Bismarck says that more
victims may yet fall before the barrel of the
assassin, but that they will fall martyrs to
God and fatherland. Herr Sonneman retorts
upon him, with perfect proprety, that he is
personally averse from appeals to violence;
but that il it needs must come to fighting he
and his will know how to fight, and that he
will esteem it an honor to perish on the
battlefield. Prince de Bismarck will in
vain labor to revivfy the old Junker spirit,
and to make believe that the nobility
of Germany alone know how to die in
arms In these days no class can
claim q monopoly of heroism or martyrdom.
or bravado. The question is, What is to be
done with the profound dissatisfaction enter
tanned fUT tf1itft55 99 hey are by the GO 900 So
calists of Berlin, of whose existence the
capital, they are 600, 900 throughout Germany
But what are their numbers in Russia
Trustworthy statistics do not reach us from
the semi-barbarOus territories; but the evil
dence is abundant that it's population is be-
coming sufficiently conscious OF its barbarism
and sufficiently ashamed of it to be heartily
weary Of despOtio monarchy and a servile
and corrupt bureaucracy. The same spirit OF
radical discomfort which causes men to call
themselves Social Democrats in Germany
makes them dub themselves Nihilists in Rus
Sla.
Russia we are told, is flooded with pam
phlets in which war to the knife is preached
against the existing system OF government.
One favOrite argument with these publica-
tiOns is O comparison between Russia and
Turkey, to anything but the honor of the
former. No doubt the language employed is
the language OF exaggeratiOn, as Is invaria
bly, the case with eXhOrtatiOnS addressed to
large bodies of men to rid themselves of their
wrongs. But that such language should be
used circulated and enjoyed, constitutes a
most significant fact. The ancient reverence
for the occupant OF the throne which was the
one conspicuous feature OF Russian society," is
on the wane. cit is to the czardom," the
people of Russia are told by one Of these Sc
Grctly circulated prints, that we owe all our
lnisf0rtunes, It has made us slaves, depriv-
ing us of all moral dignity, and degrading us
to the condition Of an ensayed people, with
out individuality or liberal aspirations. ii we
wish to recover our rights we must eXpel the
Romanoffs, and cxtornlinate root and branch
the system they have introduced" No doubt
these are the phrases Of exceedingly raw revO-
lutionists, but they Indicate that precise con-
dtion OF mind which leads to desperate &C
tion.
In educated Germany the methods pursued
L
to ilatter himself that, though his countrymrn
read more than Englishmen or Frenchmen,
they understand less Of what they read. The
theory Is q curious one; but we lose our sur
prise at the paradox when we reflect that it is
the only possible way of accounting for the
fact that though the Germans read SO much,
they still are not Of the opinion OF Prince de
Bismarck. His remedy is to prevent them
from reading anything that does not represent
their opinions. We cannot conceal our opin-
m bat revolutionary sentiments GERMANY
have been and still are greatly fostcred by
mistaken methods OF government; and il
Russia were tomorrow to be transformed
into political volcano, no one would have any
right to be surprised.
But there are other communities more hap
ply CirCumstanced, which, nevertheless, are
not free from the disease OF political and
social discomfort OF which we have spoken. In
spite of the boast of it's Minister Of the Inte-
rior, France Is not without its Social Demo-
Gratis Revolution in France ripens almost
insensibly; but when It natures the world Is
rudely admonished OF its existence. We do
not doubt that the wider liberty whichTrench-
men have been for some years enjoying is do
ing much not only to limit the area Of revolu-
tionary theories, but to moderate their in
tensity. But the fact should not be lost sight
OF that the harvest Of revolution which ripen
ed in France in 1871 was reaped in the Com
mune, and there has hardly yet been time for
the springing up Of fresh crop. The coup
detut of Napoleon LII was trfling in its effects
compared with the last days OF May, twenty
years later, when Paris was stormed by the
orders OF Theirs But we should be 1attering
oyer-much If we fancied that the
opinions which gave birth and strength to the
Commune are more than scOtched.
> Italy is no more free from the danger we
are indicating than France. Underneath the |
mock agitation that has for it's ostensble cry |
the Holia hrcdenin lurk.the purposes of Social
Democracy. What is to be the remedy? The
only possible resource is to be found in Justice
and liberty. II these fail nothing will sue |
cecd Prince de Bismarck is doing Europe, |
as we'll Germany, an i'll turn by fostering and
fomenting just discomfort. 1t spreads and
ramies into other countries; for it is the ma
ture OF men to sympathize warmly with the
members of their own class. When, there |
fore, English writer's invent excuses or urge |
argumentative palliatives for Prince de Bis |
marcks wrongheadedness, they forget that
they are apologizing for mischief whose re-
suits cannot be localized.
Infantry and Artillery.
Some curious experiments have been made
in Eng land for the purpose Of demonstrating
the value OF infantry as opposed to artillery.
The result was not such as was anticipated.