Year: 1867

The secret treaty between Prussia, Bavaria,
and Baden, which we published in full yester-
day. is the latest sensation in the politics of
Continental Europe. Its official publication
took both Germany and France by surprise.
There were some vague rumOrS about the con-
cusion of such a treaty at the close of the
German Italian war; but they soon died out
when the courts kept profound silence. The
opinion gained ground that by the exclusion
of the States south of the River Maine
from the North German Confederation all
bonds of union had for the present been severed
between Northern and Southern Germany,
that thus Germany was further from national


unity than at the time of the old Diet,
and that the South German States were left
at liberty to form anti-Geman alliances
against Northern Germany. The opponents
of the Prussan Government found herein
a powerful weapon for assailing the Prus-
sian policy, while those who fully IecQg
nized the great merits of Count Bis
marck in laying the foundation of new
Germany could give but an unsatisfactory ex-
PLANTATION of the Maine frontier But recently
in the North German Parliament an emphatic
expression was again given to these complaints by
Hem Won Carlovitz, a prominent member OF the
National Liberal party. Then Count Bismarck,
thinking the right moment had at length
arrived, electrified the Parliament by the decla-
ration that the relations of the South German
States to Northern Germany had long since
been secured by treaties The declaration
made profound sensation in Parliament and
in the country. On the next day the official
,.g
text of the treaty.


The surprise in France was no less complete
The diplomatic correspondence published IN the
French yellow Book" clearly shows that the
French Government believed that it had gained
considerable influence over the South German
States by nterceding in their behalf at the con-
clusion of peace. subsequently, the French
Government even attempted to prepare the
way for an alliance with these States, and
felt greatly mortified at the prompt rejec-
ton of its propositions At the recent
debate on the Foreign Policy of France,
VI. Rouher only twcnty-four hours before Count
BiSmarck's official statement, tried TO convince
the Legislative body that Germany was now
much less formidable opponent than under the
old Diet, and that the separation into Northern
and Southern Germany was absolute and likely
to be permanent II is easy to imagine the tri
umph of the Opposition on the next day when
the telegraph brought the news of Count Bis
marck's speech.


The Importance of these treaties is plain, and
there is no difference of opinion on this subject
i'm or out of Germany. TO complete the con
solidation of all the German States into one
commonwealth may yet require many years
and great political struggles, but against any
efforts and NAV we'll produce much excitement
foreign power that might be tempted TO attack
the integrity of German territory, the union OF
all the Germans, with the sole exception of
those of Austria. is already complete. Now
the Military Convention held some months
ago by the PlenipOtentiaries of Bavaria, Wpr-
temberg, Baden, and Hesse- Darmstadt, appears
in an entirely new light IL was in execution
of the secret treaty that the Conference re-
solved 10 reorganzc the South German armies,
and make their new organization entirely con-
form to that of Prussia All the South German
States are now engaged in carrying out the
scheme. and with regard to this point the pOliti-
cal parties appear to be entirely agreed. Thus
the Military Committee in the Bavarian Diet
recognize with entire unanimity the necessity
of Immediately remodelng the military system
of the kingdom on the basis of the Stuttgart
Convention. Soon the armies OF all the Ger
man States, representing population OF nearly
40 100000 people, will be a unit, and will num-
Der several hundred THOUSAND men more than