New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-13
GERMAN OPINION or ENGLAND.

The Author Of" German HOmt Life" in The PaH Mall
Gazette.
That the feelings and opinions OF Germans with
regpect to England have undergone marked and
material change during the last three years. no one
who is acquainted with the spirit abroad IN the
Fatherland at the present day can deny. In old
DAYS AngOmania was CHARACTERISTIC OF German
Liberal society English ladies and gentlemen,
English dress and manners, English law and order,
English loyalty, English enterprise, and even the
poor old British Constitution, all enjoyed Their
share of kudOs. Then came the Frahco-Prussan
war and Germany, which stood aloof from US dur
ing our Crilnean campaign, was outraged ny oul
passive attitude in tho hour OF her supreme sue
coss Generosity to her fallen foe our former aliy'
forbade that we should rccch0 her exaggerated eN'
pressl0ns of triumph; and, in return, an il-con-
cealod contempt for our insularity our selfish con
tractedness disgust at our want OF martial ard0r
a repreheusOn OF our tame turning of the cheek,
already smitten, to the smitcr, began 10 mark the
public utteranCes of our cousins-German with re-
TnGljshmcn after the Franco Prussan epoch be-
gan by degrees to realize that they could no longer
sw aggel over the Continent as had been their wont
in the post atcrlOO days and during the halcyon
period of tho PalneTstOn Premiership. Disagree
able truths on the part Of Germany began to be told
TO us in language such as would not for moment
be tolerated III cur official press; and every bunder
or disaster on our SIDE treated with the ludl-
cial severity usually reserved Tor crime. fctty
Prnssian officials, with all the inflated Importance
of triumphant red-tapesm, afflicted the British
traveller and even the privileged neutrality Oi tho
embassies was not exempt from the sneerS, stu
diously civil, and the phrases ironically polite,
with which bureaucracy conveyed It's estimate OF
British pretensious. "The patriotism Of the Ger
man saws llcine consists herein, that his heart
grows narrower, contracts like leather with the
cold and hates all that is foreign. lie Is longer
n citizen of the world, q European, lac is only
mar uw-minded German"
In civil life il was lin the old days the pride OF
tbn prnssian official that he lived narrowly; pars-
mony was his pride his private economies went To
enrich the Golfers of the State, and his patriotism
was of the type Of which Virgil says, Its noblest
native was the public good For him dinner of
Snortan broth favored with the mems c0nsctd rect,
was better than all the eshpOts OF the Fatherlnnd
unseasoned 10y the antique virtues. But that IL al
changed The pauper- prolific four mllllards OF
French gold the fostering Teptile-fundi the I'M
Incnse military burthcn which has to be pad in
purses as we'll as person the eyer-increaslng TAXA
ZION fine higher prices and the bad times render the
noaitinn Of the modest German official one OF eX-
trc,nc and anxious care GeTmany-that ~ nOnnln-
fairy GerInany-is beginning to realize the blttcf
tIufh that glory Is often gltternR than golden
and thai, however great Germany may ne as q
Military nation sho can only become abidlngiy
Great when peace shall have permanently CONSOLE
dated her political position. Commerce. tho chlld
of peace and the mother OF plenty, cannot nonIlsh
~, fer rho Dresent conditions of life in Gcrmanyi
b"t thof The statesmen Of the Fntherhnd are reaz-
inc daily more and more tho Importance OF an eG-
tension of commercial relations in DOtn henlI-
snLeros there is ample evidence TO show. We nave
os nation. taken Germany's bitterness anu CON
TEMPT on the whole good humorediy, ana tne VIZ
Ience of German journalists has, IN the man, Deen
ans weyed bX our own press with moderation ana
eminently dispassonate. ferhaps our
udiciai tone has proved more eXaBporatng than
more personal methed OF retOrt might nave zone.
Whether that las 30 or 10, the question must sooner
r later pubicly arise @WhY is 1t that Hermany
nd England arc not aillesF