The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24


meaning authority, was haiIei with 10.
hy the great majority. Tho ;nhabitantl
OF schleswis.~I Io'steln appeared, outwardly, per
fcctly tranquil. as though tboi- country had
been for centuries under Prussian dominion
Although, however. about q .h!rd OF the popu
lation welcomed with genuine pleasure tho
union with Prussia, o., AZ least, did not oppose
It, tho great majority, with silont enn,ity aud
the tenacity peculiar to thott race, clunR Ia
their feeling Tor tho House OF AugustcnbuSs
even after tho representative G. that family
Ind absoiTcd tbem from their oath OF nilc.
glance. In the frontier districts of North
SchleswiR the people wore beginning TO cast
longing glnnccs toward Copenhagen, and 10 do
mand that the article of the Treaty of Prague,
according to which they themselves were 10 do
eide their political future, should be carried into
effect. In Frankfort, the ancient free city OF tho
Main. the upper classes werc filled with sullen
rage. The Frankfortcrs had always been
Austrian In sentiment, and could nevor tolerate
the arrogant Prussians. Now their town. which
had been the scene of the ancient elections of
tho Emperor. and which had been the scat OF
government Of the most celebrated German
union, was to be degraded to n place amonr tho
common municipalities Of Prussia, nay, almost
to a level with the rural communities. Although,
however, Senators and citizens wero intensely
enTAHCU. JntN ltit. ~ thO o"h tluC, tnClr
utter impotency. especially rs tho journeymcn,
peasants, and lower classes, generally. though
not inclined toward Prussia, were yet not i'm.
hued with the spirit Of ancient Frankfort. Not
30 pnssively did the disafTected elements in
Hanover. the largest of the annexed coun.
tries, intend to submit to the new regime.
Except in East Friesland, where the pros
perity enjoyed under Frederick the Great and
the maltrcatment endured under George V.
wero still wildly remembered, only a NAL
minority Of the Hanoverians would have con.
scented to annexation willingly. Now that this
was an accomplished fact, however. a consider.
able section Of the people not only accepted it
with resignation. but welcomed it as the first
step toward the approaching German union.
Nevertheless. at least one-half Of the population
of Hanover refused to be brought to this way of
thinking. Their recalcitrant attitude could be
traced to a combination Of causes. The aversion
to all that was Prussian, or. as the phrase ran.
that savored of Berlin, was as general among
the Low SaXons as among the South m
On the other hand, the inclination to particu-
larism accorded we'll with the loyalty felt for
the King, whose tragic fate mad blotted out the
remembrance of the day when he had broken
his word and violated the law. To these general
motives were added others affecting industrial,
local, and class interests. Even in the origin
tTuSSldn DOMAIN Gil WIS not as the government
could wish. In the representative assembly
which resumed it's sessions on Nov. IL. 1866.
the rupture in the former majority between the
nationally inclined and the radical elements.
led to the formation Of the National Liberal
party. whose programme was to support the
German policy OF the Government. but in in
ternal affairs to follow liberal principles with
unyielding energy. In matters OF detail there
was no end to the friction excited between this
new party and the Party of Progress. 1t was
evident that there was but one method
BY which the diverginR paths Of opinion
could be made to reach a central point of view;
this was advance upon the way leading to-
ward nationality. which meant. first OF all. that
the completion Of the North German Federal
Constitution must be hastened. Such were
some Of the numerous and diverse problems
which awaited Bismarck on his return to Der.
lin on Dec. l. 1866.