The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-22
Europe After Napoleon

Just as Napoleon had pursued the 'atal delusion that his power came from hifn- self. rather than from the people, the .nonarchs flattered themselves when they found they were delivered from his thral, that the victory vas theirs. They tor- got that he had been overthrown, m spite of their ignoble submission to hlnn' by the democracy of Europe and the newly aroused power of nationality.
 Swept away by their conceit on wave of reaction, they determined to set back the hands of the clock % years and' ignoring the great Revolution and the awakening of the people, restore the ae- solute rule of kings by right divine. They abolished constitutions and abridged the liberties of their subjects until there was not a rep~csentat tive assembly on the con tinent except in France. They swapped great tracts of lands back and forth among themselves regardless or the wishes of the inhabitants.
 Having remade the map to thelr own taste they decided to initiate Napoleon and make themselves the masters of Eu- rope. sHe had attempted to unite the nations in great federat'on. under hls sole rule. and they determined to re- vive the federation under their joint rule To that end they formed the grand all liance, pledging themselves to combine their forces against any power that should dare aSSalI the DOunudtit5 tiitS ifAH uS fined and to go to the assistance of any ruler who requested their aid to repress an uprising among his subjects
 That grand alliance was supplemented by the celebrated holy alliance. which was inaugurated by czar Alexander ana which was joined by virtually all the sovereigns on the continent. This sec ond compact rested on the solemn, fer vent declaration that all Christian mon- arches were brothers, appointed by God to rule over all Christian peoples, who were only one family. 1t was to be the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of kings.
 With the establishment of those two alliances the sovereigns thought they had secured for all time the reign of peace under their authority Responsible themselves only at the bar of heaven they were to possess the earth as t'e chosen stewards of the Lord. And with this United States of Europe. which they had thus formed. supported by what amounted to great international arTy' there would be no more French Revolu- tions and no more Napoleonic wars.
 But there was a grave structural weak ness in the federation, since it left out Of the alliance the two dynamic forces that had first made the French revolu- ton and next defeated Napoleon-democ- racy and patriotism. In the end the
 
 proved to be leagues not for the protec- tion of the rights for only for the per- petuation of the wrongs of the states and the peoples
 Moreover there were three nations in Christendom where constitutions coulo not be torn up and the people excluded from all part in the government. These were Great Britain. the United States and France The British King could not join with his brother Kings, because he only reisned while Parliament ruled. The United States in due time responded tc the Holy alliance with the Monroe doc Urine, which. in effect, warned the re. actionary monarchies that they must not intervene to restore to Spain the revolted colonies of Spanish America In France although a Bourbon once more sat on the throne, Louis XVIII held his crown on terms strictly prescribed In a constitution, and the people were repre- scented in the Legislature.