St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-02
FIGHT HARD BATTLES

fI1f Ill HARD BATTLES
for our national Independence. The
prologue was the Holstein war. We
had to embark in the Austrian war
in order to arrive at a definite
entente with Austria, and to obtain,
so to speak, judicial separation from
her. After Sadowa every one fore
saw war with France.
1T was, however, advisable not to
undertake such a war too soon. but
to wait until the fruits of the North
German union had been duly gar
nered. After that war there was
talk that in five years more another
war would follow That was to be
feared, but I used every endeavor to
hinder it. We had no ground for it,
We had what we wanted, and to
continue fighting out of sheer desire
for conquest appeared to me to be
Bonapartist instability, and not our
German way.
Since our house was built / have
always been a friend of peace, and
to that end have not Stunned small
sacrifices. 1 yielded in the Carolina
and Samoa islands questions, in spite
Of the great value attached to colon
ial expansion, in order not to have
to make war.
THERE LIES THE ADVANTAGE
of the German misunderstanding
satisfaction in the value of our pos
sessions, without seeking dominion
and privilege in political affairs.
1T is much easier to say what one
should avoid than what one should
do. Certain principles, honor and
courage, forbid one to do several
thinks, just as during army maneu-
vers one is forbidden to touch GER
tain specified fields.
But as to the resolutions regard
ing what is to happen in the future,
there is no exact provision. They
were dependent upon the decision
of others. If your friends alter their
opinions the whole plan often mis-
carries. Positive undertakings are
very difficult in politics, if they sue
ceed, one should thank God, and not
find fault because they fail in trif1ing
points. Man can neither set in
motion nor control the stream of
time. He can only steer his boat
upon it with more or less skill. If
we have come safe into harbor, as
we may gather from the sounds of
overwhelming approval, we must
be content, and keep what we have
gained for the empire, the empire
as it now is, and not as many wish
it to be, with additional institu-
tons. We want to preserve scrupu-
lousy what we have. Germany
was a mighty empire under the
Carlovingians, the Saxons and the
Hohenstaufens. When this position
was lost, 500 or 900 years passed be-
fore Germany got again upon her
legs. Political development is slow,
like geological strata, which lie one
on another, and form new mounds
and mountains.
Il should like, above all, to ask you,
young gentlemen, not to give your
selves too much to the German crav-
ing for criticising. Cloud laughter)
Accept what God has given you and
what we have laboriouSly won before
threatening with guns the rest of
Europe. That was no light matter.
If we had been in those days cited be-
fore a conclave of the elders of Europe
we would not have come out so well.
1t is true that there still remain justi-
fable claims worthy of effort, but not
too soon nor too hasty.
LET Us HOLD FAST
to what we have The greatest sacri-
fees made for the re-esta bliShment of
the German empire were made by the
German princes, the PruSsians not eX-
Guided. My old master hesitated long
before he consented to give up the in
dependence of his state to the empire.
Let us be thankful to these princes for
having made sacrifices to the empire,
which must have come hard to the
reigning dynaSties after their history.
Let US also be grateful to science and
to its devotees for keeping alive the
fire of unity on the hearth of knowl-
edge. Then the time came when the
flame burned high.
'Then you will see that I am an old
Conservative, but l repeat, let us keep
together what we have. Let us not be
afraid of those who begrudge us what
we have. There have always been con-
f1icts in Germany, and today's party
divisions are the after effects of the old
fights in the peasant war. Without
fighting there is no life. Without our
internal conflicts we should eventually
come to the. condition of the Chinese
and lapse into a fossilized state But,
in all our struggles, we must have a
rallying point for our services, and
that is the empire, not as some wish
it, but as it is. l ask you, therefore, to
join me in the cry, Long live the en-
peror and the empire. " Oeafening
cheers.) After the cheers for the en-
peror had been given by the students
and the throngs beyond hearing of the
speakers voice the students sang the
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