New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-14
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OLITlCo
,,,e PART IN THE SAXON REVOLUTION
AND HIS THEORIES OF GOVERNMENTS

lated by William Ashton ems i.on nI Kegan
and and, r T1ench s Trnbnsr & Co. 1895
=, the fourth volume of his translation OF 'he
-. ,,,r,,irgs of Richard Wagner Mr.. Ellis mas
-u,,ad those which deal with poi''ca' anu
-, Questions and appended to them '"o 'O'"
-,,,,oa,iors which. for an unexplained reaso'''
tho author himself omitted from MS |o''.
MEETINGS These communications are an ao"''''
which he delivered before the Nater'a"u'
nearly a wear before the Dresden up' ''"s
1910 and a letter to the Royal lh'enu""'
Ifttichau written two days ai'e' "''
tion OF the address. in which, "h''e "'"e
leave of absence for fortnight III
undergo treatment for gastric "ou''.' ."
planned and. In manner. ex'ehu"''' r..
utterance. Mr.. Ellis four years ae" $500,
,,rd,cation OF Wagner's conduct III 'ne
revolution. the chief purpose OF "ii'n a..
exonerate his hero from the charge Vi ,
amy and cowardice implied by ceT'ai" ''"
uents made by Ferdinand Praeeer III MS ''0"
"Wasner as Knew Him fraeseI' WIZ
.,so an intimate friend OF Wagners fe'io"-'
iutionist Roeckel, was anxious 10 MANI E
near that Wagner's part IN 'he "p' ''o
$1,000 than wagner and his other bographers
seemed willing to admit MT h'''S -
$780,, Ala GOOD service in defence of wagner
.r,.d n minimize Wagners activity. Max Won
Weber. a son OF the composer OF Der
schiitz." had told Mr. Praeger that ne hau s..''
Wagner shoulder a musket-..a not improoao'e
oron, " commented Mr.. Ellis. las wagner was
engaged in escort work. and would heceSsal ny
roor,re firearms for his protection-but shouiuer-
ing IS neither presenting nor firing =,
Tho American friends of Wagner may We"
mitch that so childish plea had never peeh put
forward IN his behalf In their eyes his coi'ouo'
heh,nd the barricades in Dresden needs he''"e'
defence nor extenuation. Aside from thei .! "
nathy with every struggle FOR ireeoo"'' wv
know as Mr. Ellis proved in MS brochure '""'
the conduct OF the Cabinet IN oissoNi'e ~
Saxon Assembly and refusing 10 proc'"'''' ~"
constitution was perfidious in the extreme ~
was due to the ambition ana craft vi N'"
Reust who had the King completely III HIS
rower The Vaterandsverein was one vi ''e
no,,t,ca, clubs which had sprung up all over
Germany under the inspiration or the 'houe"'
Of constitutional government and united e"'-
.,ro wagner,s mind was full of plans for re-
forming the theatres of the kingdom and ne
.s Mr. Ellis said. "a revolutionist for the
sake Of the theatre" but at heart he was also
O fervid lover of liberty and a sincere beheVer
In tho rights of man. The most remarkable par
osranb in his address was that in which ne
gave voice TO the popular demand for saxon
renub,ic but urged that the presidency be ne
reditarv in the existing royal family. In the
nreface 10 the present volume Mr.. Ellis brings
a well-founded charge against the la'e MI
Praeger of having garbled this paragrap" !"
translation The version which MT Ellis p'i"'S
Is better than that Of Praeger. but we prefer u
translate it again. He has been arguing 'ha'
the King ought naturally to be the truest or
all republicans. and that he could eash! re-
nounce the empty show Of court parade l's
superannuated honors. its outlived titles ana
honors" 1t the spirit OF the age WHICH
brought with 1t the right to such an u''erahce
"the unprecedented hap of things as brought by
the present into the light Of day and bestowihG
upon even the humblest man the prophets
range Of vision" All Europe was divided into
two camps. Republic" the war cry of one.
MONARCHY" Of the other determhatio" i"us'
be reached.
A, this time we too recognize the need OF a
decision; a lie cannot endure, and the monarchy.
4 e. the rule Of Idle Alleinherrschafp Is
ljs-rnade such by cOnstitutionalism. Now ne VINO
despairs of all plans Of reconciliation. darihsN
and defantly throws himself into the arms OF the
complete (Mr Ellis translates red repuphc,
while he still hopes. turns his eyes lnqulilheE
for the last time to the peaks Of existing things
He recognizes that II the battle Is with mon
archy II Is TO be waged only in particular IN
arch) but in all against the party which sehshiy
uplifts the banner of the prince and under us
shadow fights for private emoluments or ends.
Literally: Lifts the prince upon shield under
whose shadow etc. This party II is that must
ne conquered Shall the battle be bloody one
IT must be: it must strike party ard prince
al once If there is no longer means Of recon-
Citation. But we conceive this means TO be the
prince himself If he be the real. free father OF
his people he can with single high-hearted re-
solve plant peace where war seems unavoidable
tho he Ki,u hon
declare Saxony to be Free State, and that that
States first act should he to issue an edct de-
claring that the highest executive power rests
in the ROYAL House Of Victim and descends
therein from generation to generation by right
Of prjmogeniture" In his letter to Won Lutti-
chau Wagner urged that the purpose of his ad-
dress to check the growing demand FOR an
abolition of the Kingshlp. 1t was diplomatic
letter obviously written for the purpose Of pre-
venting a rupture Of his relations with the King
Che was Court Conductor). for he embodied In
It the statement that he had promised his wife
"never again to take a personal part in questions
OF the day." and ended it with this prayer for
pardon:
In this anxiety this deep concern l believed
the aforesaid step the reading OF his address)
would ease my mind. In my devotion II seemed
10 me the fttest path to reconciliation. Now. II
my black forebodings were ungrounded-oh.
much the better. II. on the other hand my step
has but stirred up bitterness, II has not fulfilled
its aim. II IL has not reconciled, but only has
wounded at any rate II sDrang only from an
Illusion for which heartily crave forgiveness
from every one may have wounded.
Explanation and apology were equally IN vain.
The address and a letter found on the person Of
one Of the leaders of the uprising were the prin-
c,pal proofs Of Wagners participation in the
eeditious disturbance on which the warrant for
his arrest was issued 1t is. however. incontesta-
BILE that ne took charge Of the bringing Of con-
vows OF peasants within tho barbados and that
IN doing this he carried arms. He had not been
a leader like Bakmin. and had done no more than