New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03


their respective rulers as their forefathers did
under the old feudaI conditions OF the Middle
Ages.
In sIeclllenIurz- Strelltz. for instance, the
grand duse insists on knowing everything that
goes on in lis Comuions and in his capital;
rot even a house may be built or a tree
cut down without his royal consent while Al
The theatres the members OF the nobility enjoy
tie be~cdftar,- right 10 the best seats the Tner-
chant classes and She bourgeo-sie, although abe
and wiling 20 pay more than the aristoc.acy
Tor the best places, being debarred therefrom by
reason q their Inferior birth. The grand duke
l.arrowly ESCAPED the loss OF his throne in loOo.
in fact he had arranged TO march his dinlinu-
tive army consisting III those days Of about two
regiments all told 30 the support OF Hanover
ard % Austria against Prussia but delayed the
dispatch OF his troops in order to await the de-
livery OF the rainproof coverings which he had
ordered for the shakos OF his officers and SOL
ders. BY the time these rainproof coverings
had arrived and been distributed the battle OF
I.angenzalza had been fought the King OF
Hanover driven 10 flight and the victoTy OF
Prussia over Austria assured. Realizing that
there was no further use IN taking UP hope
less fight, the grand duke OF Mechenburg-
Strelitz kept his army at home. thereby escap-
ing the fate that befell the King Of Hanover, the
Dake OF Nassau and the Elector Of Hesse-
Cassel.
Whole volumes could be written OF equally
strange Cand, 20 American IDEAS wellnigh In
crea!ble) sUrvivals OF meGi8valism in these petty
States OF the German Empire as those Whlch
I have described above in connection WIN
N7ecklenburg-Strelit Thus. for instance "Een
Duke John Albert announced his assumption %
the grand duchy Of MecblenhuTg-Sch on
the suicide OF his elder brother pending 1he
minority OF the latters son. he issued a proc
lOOk
lutte LOYALTY and blind obedience in every posi-
tle particular. as is only right and fitting on
tbe mart OF subjects, vassais and servants tow
ard the master OF their lands and or their per
sons" A previous sentence shows that Il Is
the territorial aristOcracy who Gre meant by
the terms .vassals' and subjects While the
qualification Of servant IS reserved lot ue
merchants, the manufacturers, the professional
men. the peasantry-in one word, for all the MID
die and lower classes. exactly as IN the MldoLe
Aces when the masses were looked upon as
mere serfs and cattle and treated as such
or course such snachronisms as these are
hound TO disappear ere long. In fact, each year
witnesses the RELOCATION TO oblivion Of one or
- snotber Of these anomalies. thanks to the IN
nuence Of the Kaiser. who stands for progress
enlightenment and reform, though opposed ps
the petty rulers. who naturally resent the cur
rsilroent Of their prerogatives and what they are
rights as independent sovereigns by their any,
she King OF Prussia. Thus. since Emperor
-,a-,,,i,v, has beea on the throne the empire mas
t,ae, -,rovided not only with a postal ana Gus
toms union common to all the States comPi'seN
q, the confederation, but likewise with a re-
,ise5 cose Of criminal and civil law. which mas
taken the place Of the antiQuate0 cooes WIN
which each State was formerly PROVIDED Now
- % The clauses Of this code to which each
r,e-t- sovereign has been obliged TO give MS
sanction STIMULATES that every German clu~eh
,,s tt,e right TO a share in the government not
- only of the empire. but likewise Of the state 10
which he belongs by means OF a vote Inns
statute has thus far not been enforced IN '''O
cases az NIecslenburg- Schwerin and MecAieh-
,,,rr-Strelitz But there IS ground for oeneNlhs
that rs soon as ever the, old Grand Duke OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, now in his elghIy-HIt41
wear ana exceedingly infirm is gathered TO his
n fathers the law in question VIII be appheo' anu
that the Mecllenburgers will receive the same
civic rights with regard to the affairs OF their
own Grand duchies as those that are enjoyed oy
the other ana more up to date States OF the Ger
man Empire.
7, order 70 show how preposterou5 Is the
argument put forward by the petty soverelghs
Of Germany, 10 the effect that they are not vas
sails but allies OF the Kaiser. it need merely De
ro,rted out that according to the constitution OF
bodied German between the ages Of eighteen ana
fortv-fve virtually belongs to the imperial army
either with the coors the reserve, the LandEVehr
or the Iandsturm. Now. the land and naval
forces Of the empire form, according to Artlcle
I.xIII OF the constitution, en- army and navy
which in war and in peace are under the orders
OF the Kaiser. All German troops are bound by
the constitution to obey Internationally the
commands OF the Kaiser. and must swear &C
cordingly the oath Of fidelity not to their petty
rulers but 10 him, an exception being MADE In
favor OF the Bavarian troops, who are required
10 take this oath TO the Emperor only in times
OF war. but not IN those Of peace. The rulers OF
bavaria Saxouy and Wurtemburg have the
right TO nominate the lower grade Of officers
but the approval Of the Kaiser must be obtained
10 all appointments and nothing affecting the
superior direction Of the troops IN any State Of
the empire can be done without his consent.
lie can order The erection Of fortresses in
any portion OF the empire that he sees TT
Article LXVIII invests him with power to de-
clare any country OF district In a state of siege.
10 establish there military law and to suspend
civil law without regard to the views or wishes
OF the ruler Of the State. Thus, II one OF the
petty soveregns displeases him. he is at per
feet liberty TO dispatch several regiments TO the
offending potantates capital. TO quarter them
there and to direct them TO abstain from
oording any OF the honors tokens OF respect
70 the unfortunate prince. whose prestige in
the eyes OF his subjects is. OF course. seriously
impaired thereby Nor is this all. Every petty
sovereign holds some military rank in the army.
and is as such subordinate to the generals
simo-namely. the Kaiser. To such an extent
IN this carried that when the late Grand Duke
OF Hesse wished to annul his morgsnatic union