New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-19
FREDERICK AT WASHINGTON,

In view of the increased cOrdiality OF Amer
lean feeling toward Germany-typifed by the
expected arbitration treaty between the TWO
nations-it is a happy ordering OF events mat
the unwilling at Washington Of the statue Oh
Frederick the Great has been delayed until the
present hour when there are Few Americans
who Will fail to welcome the appearance or
the new statue at Washington Il token of
sincere international friendship and good will.
The placing of the statue on the esplanade OF
the War College is appropriate, because Fred
erick the Great is best known to the world as
q warrior Whatever may be thought of the
ethics of the Seven Years War tor of war i'll
the abstract, for that natter, those who have
followed, even specifically, his heroic cam
paigns against overwhelming odds hardly
know which to wonder at the mOre-the T.. p'
development of his strategic insight or the
logged persistency and unrivalled pluck dis
played by him and his unspared armies. Owing
in part to Russia's withdrawal from the con-
test, consequent upon the accession OF the
Grand Duke Peter TO the throne, Frederick was
enabled TO emerge from the long struggle sue
cessful; but at what cost, To-day we are de-
Dloring the havoc caused by the great and
seemingly needless war in the Far East but
our Imagination still be stimulated by the
scenes which met Fredcricks eye he took
up the works of peace. The security and sta
bty of Prussia were indeed secured. Freder-
lex had coded nothing and had gained Silesia
permanently But in the words of Macaulay:
almost every province had been the seat of
war and Of war conducted with merciless
"ferocity. The fields lay uncultivated.
THE very seed corn had been devoured in the
madness Of hunger. Famine and contagious
"maladies produced by famine, had swept away
the herds and focks. sixth of the
males capable Of bearing arms had actually
persisted the field of battle. In some dis
"tricts no laborers except women were seen in
the fields at harvest time. In others the trav-
'eller passed shudderng through a succession
of silent villages in which not a single inhabi-
"tant remained 1t was hardly to be hoped
that thirty years of repose and industry would
repair the ruin produced by seven years of
havoc"
1t is well, however not to concentrate our
ideas Of Frederick upon his greatness as a gen.
eral. Indeed, the militarism of Prussia which
he at once converted into mighty prestige and
which modern Germany has inherited to so
marked q degree, was really established by his
father Frederick a ruler also challenges
our attention, and in many respects our admi-
ration. Freedom Of speech and the freedom of
the press are scarcely more perfect in America
at this moment than they were in Prussia under
Frederick the Great, far at least as lese
majesty concerned Again, partly because
of his own Skepticsm. perhaps. Frederick foS-
tered religious liberty in most sweeping man
ner. Like many other statesmen, be probably
looked upon sectarian questions from the point
Of view Of domestic policy, and having the
power, determined to use it in this matter TO
enforce liberality and tranquility within his
realm. But whatever his motives he is en-
titled to high regard from posterity for what
be did accomplish in behalf of religious free
dom. II is needless o say he gdnir9
protected the persons and property of his sub
jects, and that, if he committed errors of ad-
ministraton allowed his autocratic vigilance
TO degenerate into n minute direction of his peO-
pies affairs, he aimed throughout at the wei
fare Of his kingdom and presented notable ex-
ample of what Is termed benevolent deSpotiSm
1t would be equally ungraciOus and unDrOft-
able upon this occasion 10 dwell upon the vari-
Gus proved or alleged defects and eccentricities
III fredorcks character as they appear in his
tory. Suffice ii TO say that Of such weaknesses
as appear credible some were serious and
many grotesque. But in the strong points of
his character and personality whether he be
considered as an individual or as n type Of the
Old Teutonic race, he presented at once CON
trast TO ana an interesting affinity with latter
day Amerlcanism His personal frugality, as
we'll as his persistent economy as a prince. seems
much at variance with the individual and the
public ideals Of the average American citizen
But he possessed one quality which is nowhere
more admired than in this democracy of Ours-
the quality summarized by the slang word
sand IL IS hard exactly to define that word
III couples the succeed-Or-die idea with the
ldea OF an often prolonged effort Of the staying
power OF the VIII under almost hopeless crcum-
slahccA' YET h"tAinG precisely fanatical is sug-
geSted- II Is true we read that Frederick had