The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-12
UNHEALTHY SPOTS IN THE GERMAN
SOCIAL SYSTEM
N. Y. Sun,

We do not look with favor or with toll
| GRAFTON on the private assassination of
| monarchs as an advisable or excusable step
to be taken in the progress of Liberty.
| The world will bear witness that nowhere
| was the attempt upon the life of the E NJ
| peror William of Germany, which well
| nigh proved successful, more strongly con
| demned than in this repu ublicau country.
But now, when the Emperor has 80 far
recovered as to be able to resume the reins
of government, which had been, from ne
cessity, temporarily intrusted to the hands
of the Crown Prince, deep interest attaches
| to the explanation which the monarch him
self gives on his triumphal returR to his
capital, of the crime which came 30 near
putting a tragic. end to his reign. The
| shouts of the multitude ring in his care !;
| but he is still suffering from the Injuries
| he received, and bis wounded arm he cay
ries in sling. Addressing the ministers,
generals, aud cnur. dignitarles standing
around hin, tie Emperor spake these
WORDS:
'Yol will feel With me with what mixed
sensations stand before you at:this moment,
for you, like nyeelf, have lived on through the
time taat has elapsed since that painful event
overlook me. Severe as was the bodily suffer
'rs "a6 20 endure, it WAS not 60 torturing as
tie ~ .Hid lntic I'D on my heart by the
",pnls JnaJ L ~as 10 my own capital and
thaE r6 Ens p L. us.!an by ~hom this visitation
was isro niu,. uie "
After yard, tnrning to the Prussian Min
iater* ..nd Lue PIesIuents of both Houses of
The lmpeliAl Legislature, the Emperor
rDaGe the following remark, of deeper Gig
uiicAuce:
'"Cua pa,nfn experiences which have be-
fallen mo personally have aIso disclosed and
plain the unhealthy spots in our whole
syclLi sy stem"
Then there are unhealthy spots in the
German social system. The Emperor
n MAJ ia hind nnf fn than
In spite of all the power and grandeur and
glory of the empire, it is filled with un-
healthy spoLs. The people are not happy
and the rulers do not feel themselves
secure.
If the aged Emperor could see still fur
ther he would perceive it is not spots alone
in the eocial system of Germony that are
unhealthy. 1t ia the system itself that is
unphilosophical and unsound. The Ger
man doctrine is that the individual exists
for the empire, the citizen for the Govern
ment. Everything ia compulsory. The
terribly exacting military service is but
epauletted and uniformed slavery. The
happiness of the man is nothing. Every
thing must be sacrificed to the greatness of
the empire.
Still dwelling on what he denominates
the unhealthy spots in the German system,
the Emperor continues in these words:
''These can only be healed by the strong
hand of the law, the Intervention of which it
was recently sgain necessary to call in. II
these sores also are thereby healed, shall feel
happy at having bled for the common veal,
aud shall rejoice that so many of those who
would not believe in the severity of those
wounds have since bad their eyes opened"
Starting with a wrong conception of the
nature of the disease, the remedy prescrib- |
ed by the Emperor is also erroneous. The
unhealthy system of the German empire
may be tenn porarily supported, but it can
not be permanently cured in this way.
Liberty is the only true touchstone at
which it's woes would depart. The strong
measures for the government to adopt are
measures strong with equality and freedom.
Thus, aud thus alone, can enduring health
be impaired to the whole system. The
German people, less governed, would be
more happy.