New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-01
The EUROPEAN CONTINENT.
cpIME IN ERLIN TO BE ExTIRPATED. IF
POSSIBLE, BY IMPERIAL DECREE.
n BIBor's sRECH ON ENGLAND IN EGYPT
THE KING Of RUMANIA AT BERLIN -
RUNoRs AIoUT A ROYAL MARRIAGE

copyright: 1879: BY The Tribune Aneefation
Iondor, Oct. Sl-The rescript of the German
Emperor his Ministry Of State touching crime IA
Frrlin is document which Europe has rece'eo
with mixc feelings Even in Germany. wheN
freedom ofcomment on Imperial opinions can oni9
be practsec at the peril of Imprisonment, the pio
venture to criticise this performance ~ n"'
cooled the enthusiasm of his English aoiiiie'0
many in number. 1t has delighted MS encn''e'
n once more PRESENTS him to those who are ne''ne
enemies nor friends, but observers, as iuisi
ruled by his mad impulses. He has prop''DiS
convictions, which the strongest is the o''i ,
ton of his Own infalhbihty. He CANNOT uhoei
stand how it hould be possible for sovereign
who has good intentions and almost absolute
mower to do ANYTHING but good to his suoJec1
and the rest of Lankind. But / suppose no mani
feste ever saw te light more devoid Of all trace
Of real knowledg, Of the business of governing
This young Emperor, with his divine right, has
not berun to Understand what can be done and
what cannot be dne in this world. or that wna1
he wants done sbuld not, as it were, do ITSELF
and that instantl Edicts and DEGREES. sweep
.rg enoughho shaIr the foundations Of the German
Empire, are sent Ct by telegraph. He holds no
council, takes no avice, asks nothing OF expert
enoe. He orders hs Minister Of Justice to take
instant measures" to purge Berlin from certain
crimes. Having doe that, ne feels 1t his duty
70 draw the attention of his whole Cabinet to tine
subject, and to requvt the Cabinet to lay oe1ore
him definite proposal for dealing with a matter
already dealt with il this summary fashion IL
occurs to him that th,re are already laws against
crime, and that it night be worth while TO Try
the efficacy of some OF them for the extirpation
Of these degraded wrdches' Nothing less than
extirpation will do. The police must proceed
against this "hideoW class without mercy
So must the public prosecutor. So must the
courts German courts of justice have heretofore
not always, but often AMI in very difficult ercum-
stances, shown themselves independent Of executive
diotation. There are judges in Berlin is
famous saying. German judges Of the higher class
ere perhaps the only officials in the Empire who
have maintained this honorable indie
pendence They are now to surren-
der it. "The courts cries the Emperor,
must punish even first offences with the highest
possible penalty There Is one Government in
Europe more autocratic thar the German, but it
may be doubted whether even the Gar of Russia
would issue public edict telling Russian judges
that they "must' do this or that The edict
would be issued privately. The decencies of
despotism are respected in Russia, if not in Ger
many.
When the German bench has bowed to this I'm
pera decree, when it has forfeited its independence
and sunk into servihty, it may be assured of It's
masters gracious protection. The bench will
under all circumstances be upheld against the
attacks of the defence the accused, or the public"
But one mouth in Germany is TO open all the rest
arc to be shut. The accused are to be denied
counsel. Any advocate wicked enough to defend
an accused person whom the Emperor wishes to
"extirpatc 4" will do it at his peril Measures
are to he taken" says this WISE just and moderate
ruler to deal with those advocates who blink to
their duty Of helping to elicit the truth, and
make it their business to bring about the triumph
of wrong by frivolous opposition" 1t is for the
Emperor to determine what is wrong and what
opposition is frivolous, or for the courts acting
under his orders, and woe TO any advocate who
shall presume to insist the legal rights OF one
Of the hideous classes
That is his meaning: but half autocra. and
wholly arbitrary as the Emperor is, there is still
IN Germany such thing as law A German
journalist has been found bold enough to point
'ut that the courts of justice in Prussia are an
werable to higher authority than their own
These crude views of the well-meaning young
nan, who probably thought about the matter for
he first time when he sat down to compose this
cscnpt, will have effect on the administration
I justice The decree is countersigned by no
iinister, and is of no legal validity whatever.
NJ Ribot has made speech on Egypt and the
,nglish occupation of Egypt as sensible perhaps,
S circumstances permit the French Minister of
oregn Affairs to make. If circumstances per.
ntted him to make none, that would be the most |
ensibe of all; but In that case, he would be ex.
osed to all kinds of taunts which he now antioi- |
ates French susceptibilities about Egypt are |
enforced in the French press and elsewhere with |
inancial expectations. No Cabinet dare disregard |
'oth NJ. Ripot asks France to note with pride
NAT she is still strong enough to prevent useful
slofm in Egypt, and he cites a recent instance in
'oof Of II. The claim is one which England and
f rest Of Europe know to be well founded.
Ills reference TO England and to the pertinacous
nort Of France to quarrel with England about
.Ept Is novel and peculiar. Il hope" says
hioot, that the English public will take &C
cunt OF our obligation to remind the Government
their country Of the engagements entered into
IT, In that sentence you may hear an echo
MI Gadstones Newcastle speech. The Govern
leht Oh France appeals from the Government of
ngand TO that English public opinion which
u. gladstone has done his best TO represent as
l
pposed on grave international question, to it's
Wn Government. But NJ. Ribot has not followed
" later stages Of that interesting controversy
hch took its start from Newcastle. lie seems
navarro that Mr.. Gladstone has been completely,
almost completely, repuAated, even by his
WI followers. Even Mr.. Morley who probably
vines nearer agreeing with him than any other
= MS colleagues. has repudiated both Mr. Glad
p of
-'sAad as Vulnerable" in Egypt, and of her
S'ss'ent occupation involving great disadvan-
'@ssS but he meant nothing. lie certainly did not
!. -'al' be declared at Manchester on Monday,
'a'' ne was in favor Of handing over
,"' country either 10 barbarism or to France.
.'uch saisitiyeness is often extreme bnt the ,
''nch coald hardly he blamed if they protested
!, s"aSt France being bracketed with barbarism
lat however. is but a phrase. and not every
''nchman knows how important the author OF ,