The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-01-30
MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 3O 1902

everything Prussian was so great that
people there even said: Rather French
than Prussian. Tho these ebulitions
must be taken with grain of salt, it
shows the general feeling; great deal
of this feeling must undoubtedly be
put down too as owing to religious
differences, for the greater part of
south Germany is Catholic, while north
Germany is mostly Protestant.
But if the people in general did not
cherish the idea of being Prussianized,
as they called it, the. princes liked
this idea much less, for Prussia,
or more properly speaking her kings,
were considered by most of them as
upstarts Since a Bavarian, Ludwig,
had worn the imperial diadem from
1922 to 1347, prince of the LillipuUian
house of Schwarzblrg, Guenther, had
reigned as emperor, and also a Saxon
duke, Lothar, in the long by-gone days,
kept SWAY, they considered the Hohen-
zollerns mere parvenues, as they held
their country for only some $50 years.
All this goes to show what difficulties
Bismarck had to overcome to build a
united and strong Germany.
If we now look upon this war of
1866 as merely war, we must certainly
regret it, as it was a war among
brethren; but there arise situations in
the lives of nations when even this has
to be faced. Had not even the then
"Disunited States" to go through the
same experience? But if we look
upon the results If this war, nobody,
at least-no Germah, can regret it, for
ny the expulsion of Austria from
Germany the foundation for the new
empire Was laid. Aud tho this war
had proved that King William and
Bismarck were right in carrying
through, in spite of all obstacles, the
reorganization of the army, they never
theless lai before the parliament bill
asking pardon for the illegal raising of
money, which was freely granted, for a
revulslon of public feeling had set in
and Bismarck rode proudly on the
crest IF the wave uf success. People
began to understand his far-reaching,
and above al, German pnlicy;-tho
Germany was not yet united, but ap-
parently h"pelessly split up by the
Main Line-a kind of Mason & Dixon
line. BY the Main Line was meant
that all states north of the Main
belonged to the newly formed "NOrd-
deutscher Bund," North German Con-
federation-whie all territory south Of
it was excluded But the Main line
did not trouble Bismarck at all; he
knew better, for he had concluded the
famous treaties with the south German
states, binding them in case of war to
north Germany; and With him it was
only a matter of time when all Germany
would be united, and this unificatiOn
effected upon the battlefield as he had
predicted. For France was growing;
she could not forgive Prussia for
having proved herself Frances equal,
or perhaps even her superior, 10y having
crushed Austria in war of seven days
Austria, one of the bes' military
powers of Europe In Is France
tried to acquire from the XII, : of the
Netherlands, the father of TIE present
young Queen Wilhemina, tt; German
grandduchy Luxembourg, VIII SO grand
duke was the king of the Netherlands,
just as the King of Denmark had been
the Duke of Holstein; but Bismarck
intervened, and told the French en-
perOr i'm the name of King William,
that not one inch of German soil would
be given up, no matter for what con-
sideration. After this war was certain.
MEMO.