The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-20
A LAST-CENTURY SEER
eoTTFRIED GERvISUs AND HIS
PROPHECIES OF AMERICA.
Remarkable and CircumstantiaI Fore
east OF the Great American Ma
lions Rise In the World.
Pittsburg News.

Pfttsburg News
Among the innumerable books inspired
bv recent military and political events Is
one BIZ a young man who printed in it
= prophecy delivered fa- back in the last
century by George GOttfried Gervinus.
who was he? 4 prophet without honor
I'm his own country.
IA, that Is not telling much about him.
for so have been and viii be the prophets
~ ar ages. by the fact that they are
such brought into collision with all the sor-
6fd conservatism and natural lunkheadism
o. their time.
Very true. Well Gervinus was born in
Darmstadt in 1905, educated at the Uni
versity OF Heidelberg. and in 1896 APP
pointed TO the chair OF history and liter
ature in the University OF Gottingen. That
Gown is in Hanover, whence were the
Georges of England. from whom Vic
tor's descended. In 1887 she assembled the
Tqgnsh throne; under the Salic law of
Hanover no female could reign there ex-
cent in default of heir male. There was
q wooden headed male of the royal line.
Ernst Augustus. fifth son of George III,
and so the crowns of England and
Hanover were separated, and he was sent
n rule over the latter kingdom, to the
great delight, as seems. of all the people
OF the former kingdom except the wor-
sinners of the grossest forms of Toryism
and Orangeism His exaltation in Han
over was to the English a good radiance
Of bad rubbish. The first thing he did
was to announce his purpose to abolish
the representative constitution of the
kingdom and he did establishing his per-
sonal government in place OF II. nav
ing wooden head. of course, he had not
learned anything from the results OF MS
Fathers attempt at personal government
in England. He resisted by a pro-
test from the faculty of the University
of Gottingen, in which Gervinus joined
with full strength of lung and with ali
his German obstinacy. Ernst ordered MIN
10 be locked up for four months ana 1e-
prived him Of his professorshp. But
DrODEets were never Silenced In that
/ fashion Thence forward Gervinus was
one of the Liberals. and his influence was
felt in Germany down to his death In 1Sn
His prophecy was in the shape or an
essay serving as preface TO his history
of the nineteenth century, the hrst volume
of which was issued in 1885, and TINS II
was or this is the more important part
of IT:
.sThe resources of the United States, suf-
fcient for their own supply, and their re-
fusing all other nations the right of occupa-
ton in American doctrine will in time re-
strict the amount of emigration from
Europe and limit the commerce OF the
ing decay of the East will invite TO a re-
newal of the old commerce and civilization
of Asia.
As To the restriction of emigration from
Europe by the enforcement of the Mon
roe doctrine, an adequate example was
furnished in the case of Venezuela, VINO
disputed with England the right to $1,000
square miles, or a territory one-1ourtn
larger than that of Pennsylvania. Which
side gained by the arbitration resorted to
under President Cleveland's threat of war
Is a question as in one way or another
both sides claimed to have the victory.
If England could have had her way I'M
impeded in that instance. the emigration IN
consequence may be imagined, especially
in view of the gold to be found in that
territory. An area one-fourth larger than
Il Pennsylvania would accommodate great
many people. coming from all parts OF the
old world. because assured OF the free
B dom under English authority.
IS the imitation ii tho commerce ~
the West, is it not a fact that the need OF
larger markets was felt when Arthur was
President, and that he commissioned an
agent TO visit the South American states
and learn what might be done toward
larger trade with them2 Since then reel
IrOcity has been a feature OF our trade
legislation. except when overthrown IN
the attempt TO establish the Wilson act
What Gervinus prOphesied has come tc
T2ss, only not in exact accordance VIII
his prophecy. His vision did not take In
the marvellous improvements in machinery
which put the productive capacity of the
As 10 the decay OF the East and renewa
of the old commerce and civilization OF
Asia. did prophet ever hit the mark more
squarely? The commerce referred to was
that carried on overland before the sea
farers had found a way around the Cape
of Good Hope and visited India. A quar-
ter OF a century ago Americans saw the
tfnmensc possibilities of wealth in China
which lay unnoticed under the eyes of IL:
cwn statesmen. and began their endeav
Crs 20 renew the old commerce by calling
Tor. concessions. railway and telegraph
rfining and manufacturing. The progress:
j by them and other of the western
world accounts in part for the Boxer up
rising. The dry bones were ratified too fas
and too hard
Gervinus continued to prophesy when hi
thought he merely stating observed
facts. Referring to the Union he said:
This new state by its astonishing
achievements in fortune and power has
suddenly surpassed all others. and the bold
est political ventures have succeeded in
spite OF ali skeptics The government OF
q the people even when scattered over i'm
measurable tracts OF country has shown
itself to be compatible with order and pros
perity. An apparently imprOvised Consti
tuition Is adapted 10 the maintenance OF
old and confirmed usages"
He wrote about six years before the
civil war, which was a thorough test OF
that apparently improvised Constitution
That stood the test fl fine style and prom
tses to stand so the tests which await IL
Clear TO the plainest understanding. il ha:
made the Nation model which the lover:
Of freedom or all nations strive to emu
late. The American Declaration of indie
pendercc OF 1T7G has become the creed o.
the liberalism OF the world"