Year: 1871

How IL isVIevVed In German.
| Worlds Berlin Letter.


It remains for me to explain In what
! light the German nation views the
Kings elevation to the imperial throne
I find that out of Germany the King of
Bavaria's offer is regarded as an express
sion of loyalty and homage, and an in
tended reward for an approved under
taking, and that the nation is in the
same manner supposed to rejoice at
seeing King William thus crowned with
honors for his popular campaign. This
Is erroneous. A great party there is,
of course, regarding the Kings eleva-
ton as his personal triumph; and there
are some who welcome the event as Sc
curing to Prussia the long g-desired rule
over Germany. Button the whole the
matter lies very different. The sover-
eigns of German States are anxious
that King William should assume the
imperial title, not as homage TO him,
but as an excuse for paying him hom-
age. As King of Prussin he is their
equal, to whom it is humiliating for
them to submit. As Emperor he re-
wives q constitutional superiority, and,
by the offer coming from his fellow
princes, even the old form of quasi
election is preserved. The former





Princes; and the traditions of the En-
pire are still too well remembered to
make submission irksome. The last
Emperor abdicated In 1906, and since
then many attempts have been made to
revive the dignity and ofice--the latest
in 1848, when an Archduke Of Austria
was elected Regent. As elected EN-
peror, the most poweriess Prince took
precedence of his former superiors and
equals; the in truth vanquished sover-
eigns viii now pay homage
to the King, not as of force,
but Of choice. The nation, on
the other hand, rejoices not so
much In the elevation of King William
to the higher rank as in the revival Of
an Office that seems at least, and pos
sibly promises, TO establish a common
and general country, the supposed
groundwork for internal development.
It is not the victory of Prussia but the
regeneration of Germany that elicits
such marks Of joy as are exhibited
But, TO say the truth, there are very
few. Disgust at the frustrated hopes
of the South German treaties, and weari-
ness of the horrors of war, damp this
Joy considerably. The empire still
looks more thing of show than of
matter, and perhaps disappointment
at the blessings of unifcation falling
short of what they promised TO be, now
that union is established, contributes to
the discomfort. On the other hand,
while hundreds of thousands are wa
ging war in France, each Of whom
may fall a prey to fight or
illness any day; after thousands
and tens of thousands have been killed
and mutilated, and sadness and mourn
ing have found their way into almost
every German family; while business
suffers, agriculture is at stand still,
taxes threaten to increase, and no
promise of an end is as yet to be dis
covered-there is but one event which
would produce real, heartfelt and gem
eral joy, and that is peace Newspapers
keep up a show Of lightheartedness, but
private life and business plainly betray
the symptoms of impatience and wean-
ness of war, the first and lsudableI
object of which vanishes more and
more out of sight the further the Ger
man battalions advance, and that, thus
deprived of its legitimate excuse, and
as much of German union being estab-
lished as can at present be hoped for,
appears to be conducted for no end but
conquest, which is not worth having In
exchange for all the sacrifices it costs.