, 1910-10-08
THE KAISER'S ST EECH.

49, 40 ~A~SAA'
Ia the course of q speech delivered at
Koeuigsberg, Germany, on % Aug, the Kai-
ser snid And here my grandfather by his
own right SGT the kingIy crown Of Prussia
on his head, once again firmly emphasizing
it was conferred upon him by the grace Of
God alone, not by P~arilaments, National
Assemblies, aud popular DEGREES, and that
he regarded himself rs the chosen Instru-
ment of Heaven, and as such fulfilled his
duty as regent and ruler" Gong on to SAY
tint the acts Of hls exalted ancestors would
b8 an example for him rs they had been for
bis grandfather, tho krlsor proceeded: RE
gardIng myself rs Bn instrument of the Lord
aud careless Oh the views ani OpIniOus Of
the day, ! shall go my way. u way that Is de-
voted simply and sOieiy 10 tuo we!l5oing
aud peaceful Development OF our Father
land This extraordinary Grafton, resonant
az it is with the ring of the theories Of Di-
vine Right and medieval depotism, has saiz-
ed thu attention of Germany in n why such
as no imperial action has done since the pub
licatlOn OF the famous Kaiser interview near-
" two wears ago. Here, after "a long period
of silence, is q return to the considered in
dlscretions' Of the early years OF the Empe-
rOr Williams reign. 1t is not too much to
say that the German nation is perfectly be-
wildeFed. Forty mass meetings We're held
iu different pats Of Berlin on one day by
the Social Democratic Party, at which strong
protests We're mate against the kalser's SEN
tjments. The demand WAS made that the
ReichStag shall rs soon rs possible strength
on the safeguards OF the Constitution.
Press comment on the speech is yo.uminous
and bitter. Finally there has appeared in
kbo FL ,,,I N,,tJ L-.n3yy, Ig.aJf3 a ,+,t,
inert which practically constitutes the Kai-
ser's reply to his peoples pra!est. The
statement il a. follows: 1.-The Koemgsberg
speech Of his Majesty the Emperor aud King
has IN q part of the Press evoked strong
protest. The speech IS said to contain Il
declaration of absolutism and au expros-
sion of contempt for the people and
for popular representation. La reply to
this we now emphatirailv state that
the speech was not Il Governmental Act,
but was a statement % the opinions OF the
Monarch. As such / it breathes the spirit of
devotion to C duty based on a foundation of
religion which the Kaiser has repeatedly
svowed and which he has always translated
into action III fulflment of his duty "a a
ruler. The foundation Of these assertions
is that part of the speech which an
nounces that His Majesty will go his way
without regard to the opinions of the day.
He would he d bad King who took the views
of the day as a rule for his course of action.
With this expression, however, the imperial
speaker is said to have placed himself in
opposition to the Constitution. This deduc-
ton could only be based on the fiction that
there exists a parliamentary Government
dependent on vaciIlating votes, or that there
exists absolute government by the masses,
a condition of which the Constitution knows
nothing. just as little is there implied in
the reference to the historical facts that the
Kings of Prussia did not receive the crown
from the hand Of Parliament any disdsin of
the rights or enactments of the people. The
ruler who has given so many proofs that,
standing firmly on the foundations of the
Constitution, he knows how to increase and
to respect the creative power of his people,