New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
A CONSTTTT TTONALTST CRISIS.

The semi-centcnary Of consttutionalism IN
Europe is being celebrated this year in various
WAYS In one way above I'll others II s being
not celebrated, but marked. namely by crisis
which threatens if not the overthrow at least
the impairment of the system which was estab-
nshed at so great a cost just fifty years ago.
Our contributor "Ex-Attache" in his article on
another page Of this paper reminds us that CON
stitutionasm Is in some countries bitterly de-
nounccd as a bane and In others sorely discred-
tied That is the case. There Is indeed an nm
mistakablc movement for its overthrow. mat
will scarcely prove successful But tho fact
that II exists in some Of the most enlightened
countries of Euroro is Significant ana the FUR
thcr fact that there is not little apparent cause
for II is ono that may well be taken seriously 10
heart by tho friends Of popular rights ALL over
the world Constitu,ionasm in Europe has
reached crisis in its history. II IS to he be
Moved il will pass II safely. But II is not going
to do so lightly. as matter OF course The cas-
against II is on the face Of il. entirely too
serious for that
The Austrian Rcichsrath has long been M
tiona scandal and menace and has not only
done the nation great harm, politically and in
dustrially but has threatened II with revolution.
dissolution and ruin. from which the Eation has
been saved only by the autocratic and extra
constitutional action Of its sovereign. Inc
Rcichstag at Berlin has likewise had some dis
graceful scenes, and it is notorious that much OF
the most important legislation of late years has
been carried through IT, in spite Of it. by the
Enperors cOcrcive power. In Italy the ques-
tjon has for some time been whether the Parlla-
mentarv system would collapse or cause the
Kingdom itself 10 collapse In Spain the Cortes
Is the mrrcst instrument Of governmental ma
nipulation and as such has been the means of
bringing upon the nation many of the woes from
which it is now suffering almost unto death. In
Greece the Roulc Is rightly charged with the
chief responsibility for the recent disastrous
war. In comparatively cool and stolid Scandi-
Dava the Things have been so obstrcpcrous that
the King is wrllnigh sick of trying 10 keep them
/ within bounds. And IN France, the chief hop"
/ of rcpublica nism on the Continent. the Chamber
has for years been 50 capricions and impractical
as to cause dangerous instability Of administra-
ton and at the present time Is so unwOrkable
! as to arouse fears in some not iniudicous quar-
ters Of a revolution or coup detat
| Such is the state of affairs. A convincing ex-
! PLANTATION Of it is not easily to be given in n
! single phrase There are. Of course, those who
| regard II as proof Of the folly and failure OF
! popular government and Of the necessity Of au-
| tocracy for the salvation Of society. We can
! not for a moment cOncede the truth Of that, on
| grounds either of theory or of practice History
| abounds in examples Of the failure Of absolut-
! ism Indeed. the uprising against il fifty years
! ago was much more marked than the present re-
! action toward H. and far more efficient and
lasting in its results than the latter seems likely
to be. Nor are examples lacking Of the distin-
/ gnishcd and enduring success of constitutional
| ISM pariamentarianism republicansm. Not to
! come 10 this side Of the ocean. no one will dis
/ pute that the British system Is working well
and that it enjoys a stability any Continental
government might envy and no one will pretend
that the United Kingdom shows anything like a
reaction toward absoutism.
IT, then the fault Is not in constitutionalism
Itself. II must he either in the manner Of its ap-
plicatiOn or in the character Of those who are
applying II. We are inclined to think il Is In
both There Is certain incongruity in the or
CARNATIONS of most European governments an
inhnrmonous coupling together Of monarchy
| and democracy. In Germany. for example,
there is an hereditary sovereign. who believes.
proclaims and practses as far as possible, the
doctrine Of the divine and absolute right Of
kings. At the same time there is n Parliament
elected by universal suffrage. If the Emperor Is
| right, the Parliament should be abolished II
| the Parliament is right the Emperor should re-
sign his claims TO supreme rulership and be con-