Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02


would have TO be garrisonei on an enormous scale
Then, too, it was whispered that Bismarck had
really proposed this Tuns expedition That he had
given his permission for it because he calculated
that it would dispose CT hundred thousand French
soldiers for good many years. and at the time
embroil France with other countries In fact Italy
had already shown strong resentment at the occr
patton of Tunis and there is reason to believe that
only advice from Berlin withheld that Government
from overt acts of hostility Towards thu end of the
year the italian position has indeed beeonle more
emphatically hostile, ard there is some ground for
believing that she Is selling quarrel, for her au
thor.ies have refused to recognize the French pro-
tectorate in Tunis, and an Italian man of-war has
been sent to Susa, apparently uphold the defiance
OF French jurisdiction. Altogether the Tunis eype
dition has been productive OF more embarrassment
than satisfaction, and while the French Government
finds it necessary 10 ndorse the measure and to de-
clare that it has fully answered all the expectations
this assertion is probably no more believed BY
French statesmen than by foreigners. On the
trary it is apprehended that from this Tunis blum
der may spring another gre European war.
GERMANY.
The course of German politics during the past
year Ottu sO.liChiiab IedcIiOndIJ-
spite OF his dangerous concessions to the Socialist
element, and his bold adoption OF the most extreme
Plternalism in the relations OF the State to the
people, found that he could not after all depend
upon the support CT those for whom he was making
these sacrifices. In the struggle over the further
consolidation CT the empire, and the promotion of
Prussan supremacy, feeling was displayed which
suggested doubt whether the union cemer ted in
1871 had indeed become firm, or whether the con.
cting interests aud ambitions of the various States
might not lead to rupture ii the Prussianizng Of
the whole was too much insisted upon. The So
cialsts also made it evident that while they bel eyed
| in Paternasm they were not prepared to accept it
as the function of an autocrat government but
that they associated it with democracy wherein
the State and the people were one. In short, they
would not trust Prince Bismarck, but persisted in
suspecting him Of desire to trap them in some
way, and even when bis programme most resemb.ed
their own they seemed the least disposed to
accept it as substitute for their own. Under
these circumstances the Chancellor was obliged to
look round for other help. He had quarrel ed with
the Catholic Church in order to please the Socialists
and now the latter refused to stand by him. But it
was not too late to make peace with Rome, and
although he had said 'We do not go to Canossa,"
he soon showed that he was quite willing to make
that journey if it would serve his purpose. In
short time it became evident that German diplomacy
was ouce more at work in Rome This was shown,
curiously enough not by any concessions on the
part of the Vatican but by sacrifices on the part of
the German Government Without repeating its
rigorous ticlerical laws it permitted them to be
nullifed. The Pope resumed his control Of German
ecclesiastical sees. He appointed German Bishop
without consulting the Emperor, and the Emperor
and his naughty Chancellor made no sign. Plainly
the crisis must have been severe which justified
such humiliat:ons, and what is most singular is
that the German Catholics have no. yet evineed
much more disposition to reward these concessions
than the Socialists did their part. In fact
Bismarck so badly dealt with in the late cleo
ton that he went the length of rendering his
resignation Of course it was not accepted bu. it
left a bad impression, for it suggested an almost
fatal defect in the German governmental machinery.
A Premier who not resign must, where there are
representative institutions, sometimes be ia in
tolerable position Either he is rendered mpoent by
being put in minority, he must override the
Constitution and carry out his measures despotic-
ally There can be no doubt that Bismarck would
much piSlcf idlbSI tudt IL ne uau
his way he would never call the Reichstag together
His position, however, has fer tine been very
difficult. He has before him an insoluble problem
He is called upon TO devise means whereby country
whose energies and resources being absorbed
and exhausted by militarism. shall be enabled to
develop commercially in such way to furnish
necessary revenues to the State. The truth is that
thetwo things are incompatible. Such prosperity and
development as the United States examples Of
cannot be made to consist with the devotion of half
the national resources to the maintenance OF huge
standing army. The peace footing OF the German
army is now nearly 400, oo0 men. The whole male
population is included in the war footing The vi
tally OF the country is expended in ket ping up its
fighting power. 1t cannot therefore grow in com.
merce and agriculture and manufactures and it is
further hampered by the most extreme Protective
doctrine, and by various Government monopolies
Uader existing circumstances it cannot be expected
that it will display much activity in peaceful indus
tries or that it can compete with less warke nations
in non military enterprises The strange and
shameful anti-Seniitic movement which has swept
over many countries OF Europe has visited
Germany also, and it has been Joined there by
men of the highest education as well by the COM
mon people. In the arguments put forward to JUS
tify the attack upon the Jews the most puerile
reasons have been employed, and it has been made
apparent that the real cause was dcep-rooted and
doubtless inherited prejudice, having its origin in
the ferocious bgotry Of the middle ages That the
anti-Semit;c sentiment is survival cannot be
doubted seriously fer it has all the marks Of those
mysterious and ungoyernable impulses which human
ignorance calls instincts. The movement in short has
acted kind of civilization, gauge, and has helped
to show what nations the thinnest veneerng of
culture. The meeting between the Emperors OF
G, rmany and Austria, and the subsequent announce
ment Of the inter-imperial alliance, was a noti-
feation to France that all attempts to en-
list Russia against Germany would prove futile
The assassination of the Car of Russia at fl st
raised some expec;a.io that his successor would
rrove less friendly to Berlin, but the Nhsts have
given him 50 much to think OF that he has had no
time to rearrange his foreign policy, and he has be-
sides indicated his desire to maintain the most
friendly relations with the G rman Empire.
RUSSIA
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