Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-29
Our European Letter.
BEBLIS, GERMANY. Jan. IS Is;

courts have been compelled to forego the
society Of philosophers lest encourage
ment should seem TO be given 10 men
whose theories are dangerous. Ten wears
ago you could Say or write almost any
thing you pleased in the small German
states: because princes, themselves being
smitten with the craze for absiruse specu-
laiions. thought there could be no harm in
turning over new ideas Just 10 see wha,
was in them. Some princes of the old
sort did, indeed, shake their heads, affirm
ing that the worship OF God was being
replaced by that Of man in these our times.
and all this BODIED 10 good for the stability
Of thrones; bat they were ashamed to in
ierfere before they saw signs of sedi;ion.
And they saw none. When professors and
students, officers and trsdesmen. had be.
wiiiered themselves with beer. pipe
smoke. and metaphysics in the braneries,
they would to.ier home singing Of the
grand age OF reason that was coming. bu.
quite content, meanwhile. to let existing
institutions be. Why shonld they have
been dissatisfied, seeing that these small
duehies were all pleasant places TO dwell
in, having their universities. gymnasiums,
free libraries, and museums. 10 say nothing
Of theatres and musical societies, hich the
dukes took pride in pstronizing lavish
ly? 1t was sad day for the population: OF
the dnchies when, after Sadowa. they saw
" friendly " Prussisn garrisoEs enter their
gates; for they mus. have begun to feel
then that the ha!cyon days of home rule
were coming 10 an end. Matters OF course
I became worse afler the Franco. German
war. for then Prussian generals came to
Dust native officers from all posts of COM
mand, snd ST the same time to keep an
eye upon newspapers. The press hss been
growing less and less free since then. and
from Darmstsdt 10 Lichtenstein wri,s Of
the imperial chanceliery have been flying
about-and are now fying-io implead
for high treason the editors of journals no
bigger than sheets of notepaper. O7e Iced
not dwell on the disseminating pic;urr
further than to say tha, particularism mas
no; yet said its last word in Germany.
/ Although evil times have fallen upon th,
/ IAN !, the populations Of the once happy
duchies can still look back gratefully tothe
good years that sre past, and with hope
iulness to pleasanler epoch to come.
when the socialist agitator shall have
ceased from troubling, and when, perhaps,
good natured grand dukes shall no more
be bnlied By kaiserliche- konigliche func.
ii nayies in spiked helmets who exhibit
I pereulptory orders from Berlin or Var;in
4 very great question is being forced
upon the attention of the people of E
rope, and in another sense Of tile world a,
large, and in Germany particularly a, the
present time, very thoughtful minds ar,
directed 10 the conflict between the rela-
tons Of the producing and non. producirg
classes. The conflict has received ID,
maine OF militarism, which is only true :,
far a it indicates the animo.i.y Of pol,i
cisns Of liberal csst 10 the prevailing
order OF government. The politicians
"ho see deeper into causes, and who.
above and beyond all excitement Of The
hour, look for the seat OF tie disease, fnt
j. not in the military spirit, which i
merely the outcome OF the situation
crested by the great and successful wars
which Germany has waged. The seat o.
the disease which has row PRACTICAL,
caused German cities TO be placed in
stat. Of siege is to be found in economical
causes. The maintenance Of large army
IS a tax Tor which it Is impossible 10 con.
ce.vc Any economical compensation. II
hali = million OF able-bodied men are 10
be fed, clothed, housed ana paid at the
expense Of the state, it is obvious tina. the
funds for snch charges can only be derived
finn taxes laid upon the people, minus
the halfmillion ab!e-bolied labo.ers.
Europe now appears 10 the observer as
one great armed camp. We have five
millions Of men, each man capable OF
producing, say the value Of TWO hundred
dollars 4; least, withdrawn from Industry.
This vast body OF men is animated by OILY
one spirt-military glory. The soldier
cares lille for The arts OF peace. the prog.
ress Of science. unless it is in the form Of
an extension OF he science OF destruction,
or Of literature and the fine arts. We
have five millions of men Withdrawn from
agriculture. from manufactures. and from
distribution. all Of them devoted to idle
purposes in peace. which, bad rs il is. is
happily better than the war. 10 which the
military spirit is determined always to,
lead. A soldier in his trade looks for prof.
for promotion, for prize money. and for
glory. All the families interested in the
army are equally likely to assist in de-
velopment OF what is called national
spirit, which may tend TO get up war. Il
does not necessarily follow tina, such Al.
Temps are wicked, because they are only
natural. As, however, We have so many
armies in Europe. all OF them differed BY
men of good families, i, follows that there
will be from time to time an appeal 10 the
statesmen of the day for increase Of psv
or more beneficial regulations in some
form or other. The existence Of \ great
army is source of disq1ct 10 4 nation AS
well as protection. Il is a disquieling
source Of taxation at home, even if it is q
protection against external invasion. The
Americans, it is true, when they disband-
ed their great armies of federals and con-
frderaies in 1865. did the wises. thing tina;
ever happened after great war. If the
United States had KEEP; up that great army
they would not have been able TO return
TO specie payments on New Years Dav,
1879, nor would President HAYES have
been able to report to congress 1.-The in
creA'ng exports" Ii jns; made all the
difference that half Il million of men re-