New-York tribune., 1901-01-06

Two awkward words give in epstone the civil
history of the world at large in the nineteenth
century. They are 'iConstitutioaalisnl' and ''Na-
tionalism." They stand for two great principles
cognate and proceeding pari passu in the evolu-
1ion of the best type of the modern State There
have been. 81 is true, constitutions without ma
tiOns and nations without constitutions. But
these either have been insecure and ephemeral
or have failed 20 realize the reasonable ideal of
civilized community At the beginning OF the
nineteenth century the constitutional theory of
government and the national idea in the fornla-
tion Of sovereignties were stin in embryo. To-
day they dominate the world. And toward this
consumrnation the wars the revolutions and the
great public movements of the century, peaceful
or violent have unerringly made way.
The year 1901 saw the constitutional principle
firmly established IN the United States, bat the
national isea by no means well developed. The
story OF this country is. however. dealt with in
detail elsewhere in these columns; wherefore,
with a mere reminder Of its example 20 and in
1iuence upon other nations. our present atten-
fion is turned elsewhither. The United King
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, which came
into being on the first day of the century.
showed forth she constitutional and national
principles more fully than any other European
land Yet even there some vestiges Of abso-
lutisEn survived, and the popular feeling was
still more clannish and feudal than national.
The wars Of the first two decades. the reform
and emancipation laws. and the vast extensions
Of the franchise and Of local eif-government in
the last two decades Of the century. Rave CON
sistently and effectively made feg perfection of
the British Constitution ana for the best de-
velopment OF a truly national spirit.
GROWTH OF EURoPE's NATIONS
AS Tor Continental Europe. the initial year Of
the century scarcely one consistent nation
Of important rank, and only here and there
faint toreglinmering of constitutional light.
Italy wax a geographical expression" The
Teutcnic States were still nominally within the
reactionary and decadent bonds of that Holy
Roman Empire which has well been described
IS neither holy nor Roman, nor yet an empire.
The frenzy os the French Revolution. with its
visions OF constitution, had sgbsded into the
fional liberties and national aspirations were
ruthless!y crushed. The Iber1an kingdoms were
stin MEDIEVAL. The Scandinavian States had
been shorn OF their earlier importance. And the
eastern part o. the Continent was in the grasp
Of two great despotisns. the Muscovite in the
north ano the Ottoman In the south
The fall OF Bonaparte was followed by period
Of apparent or superficial reaction, under the
nalign portents Of the Hoy Alliance. Beneath
the surface, however, a potent leaven was at
work The constitutional idea had taken root
in France and elsewhere. and not TO be
the status quo ante in boundaries and sovereign
ties promoted the spirit OF distinct nationality.
arbitrary alien domination under Bonaparte be-
gan 70 prize the national integrity which had
been violated and then restored 10 them The
result was that by the end of the first quarter
Of the century the Continent was ready for
reVolutionary-ors rather eVolLticnary-rnove-
nnents ot high import. Such movements began
in the small States on the horGers Greece
struck FIRST for rehabilitation OF her national
status and for its confirmation under con
sututonal system Beactionaries OF the Met
ternich school looked with disfavor upon such
aspirations. end Russia was inclined 70 join
Western Europe. and especially from Great Brit
aln' came aid and comfort however, and at
length the independence of Greece. upon ma
tionai and constitutional basis, was achieved.
Almost simultaneously the national spirit as
serted itself in the Southern Netherlands, and
the new constitutional sovereignty of Belgium
came into being.
THE LEAgEN OF REVOLUTION.
France. TOO. felt the generous impulse, and in
brief but decisive revolution replaced reaction
ary absolut:sm with a liberal constitutional mon
archy. Meantime vigorous national spirit had
begun 70 assert itself in Egypt. and all the
States ot Central and South America had repu-
dated the dependent colonial status for that of
independent corlrnonwealths of national dignity.
Such progress was effected in the first third of
the century.
These things. however We're only the foremut-
terinss OF the storm which few years later
hurst with tllll force upon the Continent in the
revolution year of ls4s. In that epoch OF lux
there were both progress and reaction. felt in
almost every land OF Europe. The immediate
result was, upon the surface. repression and re-
action German Liberals were driven into exile,
Hungary was crushed by Austrian absolutism
with Russian aid and even France bowed her
neck 10 the yoke OF a pinchbeck 6espot. The
word constitution" was, however, writ large
and bol6 in bioodstained letters across the Ger
man Confederation as sure omen Of the future,
while Charles Albert of Piedmont and his son,
II Re Galantuomo." set up standard for the
nations ia the Statute which neither the cajOl-
cries nor the rlenaces OF Austria could prevail
upon them TO lescind.
Thus the leaven continued TO work Despot
though he was, Louis Napoleon professed de-
NOtion to thu doctrine OF nationalities; and
though he more than once violated that doctrine
he also promoted H. -Four strangely assorted
and discordant figures worked strangely together
10 trapsform geographical expression" into
constitutional nation-Nazzni the visionary
agitator: Garbaldi, the heroic free fighter
CavOur. the Ear sighted statesman, and Victor
Emmanuel, tie honest and heroic king. With
the unlamented fall O. "BoYabalino'' the new
Kingdom Of Italy was all but complete a ma
tion with free constitution Meanwhile in Ger
many the trend OF events was unnistakable
Otto Bismarck expressed contempt for par
iiaments and constitutions, yet in developing the
puissant sovereignty and paramountcy OF Prus-
sia he was, whether consciously or unconsciously,
az the same time developing a national spirit
that would make a constitution a necessity. In
the war OF 1866 he OVERRIDE most ruthlessly
some minor nationalties, but in SO doing he
merely opened the way for the establishment a
little later OF the inlreasurably greater national
ity OF United Germany. Nor was Hungary TO
have her aspirations perpetually denied. The
genius Of Deak succeeded the meteoric zeal of
Kcssuth, and, finding sympathy and eo-opera-
iion IN Beust. where Metternch would have
given only resistance and scorn finally erected
the transleithan land into sovereign and con-
stitufional nation. In France Louis Napoleon
found himself constrained through sheer sellsh
aprrehersion 10 move toward constitutional lines
of government, while in Spain and the minor
States OF the Continent the same course was per-