Year: 1873

A REACTIONARY MAJORITY-ATTITUDE OF THE


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN THE CHAMBER OF


pEPUTIEs-A WEAK POSITION IN REGARD TO


ULTRAMONTANISM


IPRoM THB REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THB TRIBUNE


BERLIN, Jan. SIN reference to Ministerial
affairs in Prussia only say that we are drlfnhg
II is tI1e that as far as official orders can insure
stability we have It, The permanent succeeds the pro-
visonal. A royal order duly signed by HIS majesty
william and stamped with the great seal OF s'a'e,
decrees that General and Field Marshal Won Room sha
benceforh be President of Our Ministry" with rare
variety Of rights powers, and privileges The semi
official press has given the authorized explanations, and
all seems settled The fact however, just the reverse
There doubt and drust on every side ana OF course
dssatisfaction The Conservatives have strong
Junker at the head of the Cabinet but ne
will the semi-onical papers say, only carry
out the radical policy Of his predecessor Inc


Liberals set off against the promises OF the press the act
Of a reactonary majority in the Cabinet. Thus the
change treasures no faction and rather displeases all
1t must be said. however, that primd Jdee the homh
tion of Count Room shows that che Emperor Is not
yet ready break openly and definitely with the Co
servatves and the latter are shewd enough 10 accP'
so much of a triumph real They seem at least VIII
ing 10 wait The Liberals the contrary, are less pa
tient and after the surprise occasloned by the rete
ment of Prince Bismarck had run its course, tey began


to search for Failure in those Efforts ieu lo
specuations about the future and then TO anger and In
yecve They are carrying on a bitter warfare-as
bitter at least as the German language and the German
press laws perm-against the weakness or folly OF thcr
sovereign. curious incident adds to their per-
pexity II will be remembered that the royal
decree OF Dec. 81, relieving Prince Blsinarck'
directed that the duties of MniserPresident be as
sumed by the Oldest minister This was Won Roon VINO
came into office in 1859, three years before Bismarck
himself on Tuesday week. the PrOuiRztdt Correspondents


semoncal sheet, explained tlength that the Cabinet
change involved no abandonment of Prince Bsmarcks
policy and in proof thereof cited the fact that the En-


pror had not elevated Room by name to the post OF
Minister President but had simply established the sue
cesson according to seniority Now, on the very next
day appeared second decree, which not only named
Won Room personally to the vacant post, but compll'
mented him in a way which left no doubt about the
Emperor's sentiments The ground completely cut
away from under the PrOCin-dt Correspondents. lhe
sheet is supposed shadow forth the views OF Count
Eulenburg Minister Of the Interior Yesterday, III
the House OF Deputies there was lively debate over
the Cabinet question, and when Count Eulenburg ap-
peared as the spokeman of the Ministry the Liberals
brought up the incident which have gwen ana covered
him with confusion


1t is singular fact that the official explanation
namely that Prince Bismarck the duties of Min
ister-President because his relations to the Empire
made IL physically impossible for him TO perform them
is the only one which nobody willing accept II is
universally deIided "Is thy servant an IDIOT say the
Liberals that he should be treated TO stories too puere
for children i Either the displacement OF Bismarck
means something it means nothing. II the former
LET us know precisely what in order that we may decide
whether we are to continue the Government party OF to
go into opposition. II il means nothing-it the OLD
Bismarck Ministry is to under different name
then give us a programme and pledges. This was the
tone of the debate yesterday in the House OF Deputies
The speakers hoped and tried TO bring out Roon but
be kept himself in the background. Count Euenburg'
who has been complaisant, now toward the Junkers,


In haa tha
brunt of the Parliamentary storm, and made feeble
repy This minister delights in grand poses both phys
ical and political but he is weak and disagreeable
speaker Perhaps man in the Cabinet Is so widely de
tested In former years he the most violent OF Re
actionsts and fought reform at every STEP But he Is
poor and ambitious his portfolio gives him far sal
ary and he clngs 10 it with tenacity Lately he has
been playing a very ambiguous part. He has in the
MAN. followed Prince Bismarck with docity but he has
tried TO keep good with his old friends 1t is
believed that the Cabinet changes have caused him
some pangs. He had been conducting hmselt IN such
way that he hoped to succeed Prince Bismarck IN any
event-whether as the Liberal representative OF the
Princes policy the representative of Conserya-
tive reaction. The nature of the Prussian system is
such-there is no ministerial responsibility and little
popular spiritthat he depended the Crown to re-
ward his rather dishonorabe fidelity His cruel dsap-
pontment starts no tears but his own.


In the midst this confusion and darkness there





stand IL is made up OF nine Ministers, four Liberal,
four Conservative and mixed The President is the
most determined enemy OF Prince Bismarcks policy yet
the Minister of the Interior declares that the new order
of things simply the perpetuaton OF that policy
This is absurd and unsafe. The two chief elements OF
stability unity within itself and sympathy with the
House, are wanting to such Cabinet. The public
await with confidence its speedy downfall. The field
where IL will be most sorey tried and most sharply
watched is that group of subjects known as the Ecces
astical question Any wavering there will be fatal To
hesitate is to retreat and retreat after much boast
ing is to put the Empire at the mercy OF the Roman
Catholic Church. probable that Bismarck very


little for the Justice OF REFORM but he its necessity
and this is enough Besides, his antiCah0lic policy
struck deep chord of sympathy In the heart OF the
Liberals in South Germany perhaps more noceaby than
In Prussia and the consequence that he to-day the
most popular man In Germany People know very little
about Won Motke still less about Room. To ask the
Liberals who watching and following Prussia to
pin their faith to government presided over by Won
Room is TO ask them suspend the operation OF their
intelligence. Unfortunately, or fortunately the first
acts OF the Cabinet not calculated TO reassure
the skeptcal 1t Is already announced that the bill for
the establishment Of obligatory civil marriage has been
postponed indefinitely This is victory for Ultra
montanism second victory is due tohe stupidity OF
what was intended be act Of hostility. Nothing
is clearer than that the Utramontanists can
not be suppressed by petty acts of persecution.
Great crushing blows, one crushing blow,
must be dealt, and not feeble tricks Of tyranny
which the foe and alienate friends Yet 1t
Just this puerle policy which the Ministry seems
embarking Who can reflect seriously the sagacity
of Minister who replies TO the Pope by forbdding the
publication OF his aocution I Who can forgive the
folly OF trying to crush the Papacy by stopping tele-
grams from German Catholics Now these measures
which have actually been takenand others OF the same
stamp might be ced-form the key to the Ministerial
,.oltc yoffh fheaa Tlpy matt m
brain OF the Minister OF the Interior. 1t is said that
Rsmarck Ia wasting the choicest German Oaths the