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Why Napoleon Fights The Germans

Why Napoleon Fights The Germans image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
July
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Tlic Gorman raco lias been for eenfuries in thu front of the worlcTa progresa in camee, literata ro and art; but in tlio rear of Christendom in politics; licfore 1860 tho greatost military, power íd Genninv, und tho most nflaetrtial govcrnmnnt, was Austria, :iu empire of wliici) but a small part is Germnny. The rost of the natimt was divided iuto a larga nuinber of povcreignties, caeh ruKil by iteown house; and with divided sympathies and aiins. Of tbeso Germán governments by far ■'lic most important was Priissirt. Originally ono stnong muuy small principalirfi-s, tho Brandenburg monareliy was raised, genera ions ago, by t lic genius of its rulers, to a high tank military nntions - the fiftli of the great potrera of Europe. Butitisonly wilhin a few years that it bas been recognized 'as an cqnal of Austria. This great ndvance has been brought abnut, first, by ts perfect military organizatinn, by rhich it Ji:is becorne, 8 hostile critic says, not so rnuolra natinn that posic-ifes an arniy, ws-an army that popsesses a nation ; next; t líe cducaüou of the people, th-a most genera) and tliorough in the world ; nnd then, perhaps, more thnn al), by commercial caupce. Hér position as the most important manufac'uring and trading nation in tho or.th of IJnrope has bean tho true sourco of tho "P'russian nggrandizement" of trhich Franco compluius. With nn enlightened wisdom in economical affairs, hucIi as nn other nation on tho Continent has shown, Prussia has taken the i'ead in promoting sound commercial and progrees in Germany. alie used all the resources of her statesmansbip to abolieh the restrietions and taxes oa trade which formerly divided Oermany, and succeedod in establishing absolute free trade among all people svho spoak the Germán language in Europe, exoept in the Austrian provinces. By the Zoll-Verein, or cuatoms league, the c immercial frontiersof the Germán kingdoms and principrilities were destroyed, a low revcnue taiifïwaa establislied npoa gooda entering the coinmon territory, nnd tho proceeda equitably divided among tbem all ; and it was this great reform, abovo all military and politieel iuovcments, that first gave praclical meaning and hope to the cause of Ger man nnity. In 1867 it had become evident that Prussia, under tho magnificent administration of Count Bismarck, wan rapidlv acijuiring suoh an iuflueuco over the pmaller Germán States that many of thora would soon be absorbed by ber. Commercial union among tne peoplo wug openiug the way for political union of tho go veramente War broke out bet veen Austria and Prussia ; the courts of tho smaller States werc alarmed at their increasing dependenoo upon Prussia, and at the growth of the "national party" among their people, and hastened to seek protection uuder the I greal military stiength of Austria. This empire did not hesitate to promiao it ; but pledged iteelf to liumiliato Prussia, and to guaranty the integrity of thcir territories. The kingdotns of JJavaria, Wurtemburg, Saxony and Hanoyer, made no secret of their syuipathy with Austria in the conflict. Suddenly tne forces met at Sadowa, nnd the Austrian army wns crushcd. Vienna was at the mercy of Prussia, and Austria had to accept tenns for lierself alone, leaving her allics to the dictation of Bismarck. lianover was formally annexcd lo Pruíiia. Sax ny and all the smaller provinces of North Germany were consolidated in the "Nortb-German League," with their military organizatiou in Pnwsian hands, and their eivïl gorernment depeudent on Derliii. Jlesse and Bavaria were required to cede small patches of territory to Prussia, and they and the oHicr 8outh-German powers, whilo permitted to form a league of their own, were required to sign treaties with Prussia, which practic.'illy amounted to an oiFeneive and defensive allianco ugainst any power which should attempt to inferiere with the afTairs of Germany. Thus AuMri wa excluded from Germán politics, and an immense Mep was made towards tho restoration of the srent Germsn empire, with the Hohenzollerns on the throne. Trance was at this time unready for war. The enormom expenses of the empire had exhaus'ed her treasury, the utter failure of the Mexican expedition had injured lbo Kmperor'a standing at Lome and abroad, and her army, under tho passiou fjr eooaotny which had seized her goverunieut, had fallen off in efficiency. AH these great changos in the map of Europe, including the loss of Venice by Austria, had been made without Consulting lier, and when sho con ld liot interfere. But Napoleon's claim to kis people's eupport was bis leadership in the affairs oí líurope ; the glory which his military and political power brought to his country. To seo u power rapidly groning on her border?, wbich she could uot check, and actively dictating chnngessucb as no ruler out of France Ld dared for inany years to undertake, was intolerablo io the Emperor. It was not merely tbat his ambition was moriitied. but his poeitiou threatened to be eome untenable; for, with the loss of glory abroad, cnme the rapid growth of a liberal opposition at home, tbrcatcuing Lis crown. Imincdiately the Fronch government begnn to incrtase ts army snd navy, and steadily to prepare lor wnr. Por three ycars nll that science could devise or moncy procure lias bccn. usrd to Btrengthen the military power of France. Tlio presa lias been ooDBtantly employed to stir the peoplo ngainst Orerrr.any; and as the political struggle at home grew liereer, it has been evident that Napoleon III. must soon innke war for his empire, either ngainst Germany or against France. Hur. no pretext appeared on whicli a foreign war oould bc declared, and hia woll known irresolution and the paciGc policy of all the othor great puwc:s wero confident'y expeeted to maintain peace for a time. Spain, tncanwliilc, was looking about for a king. Several pripces had refusud to bc caiididates, when Prirn fixed upon the young Prince of Ilolieu.ollcrn 88 a Buitable man. Thero is no evidenco whatevor thal he was prompled in tliis by any foreign influence; but as the prinec in uuestion is a member cf a royal house retircd from busiriesg, and nearly related to Napoleon hiniself as well ,as to. "Williain of Prussia, whilo he is not in the line of EucccsHion to any throne, it was reasonable to snppoae that he would ba accisptable to all. If any intrigue wan employed to induce the Spanisli regency to seleGt liitn, it ia far more like'ly to bave bciin from Paris than from Jicrlin, since t is evident that the French Eroperor was rcady for war, and ouly wrnited to fiad a pretext for it, while the Pruesian governmeut wks resolved to hnve peaoe, if it were possible without diphonor. However, on the first remonstrance frotn France, the King of Prueni rc!us(,d to coDeeDt to the caadidacy, tbc Princcof Hohenzollèrn witïdrew lis name, and Spain ncuepted tlio w-ithdrawa!. ïhe qoestion was seülod, .vul tho (Iemand of Franoe, tlioui;h mad" wi : 1) suoh mpetuonitj and with such threats ns seenied desined to provok war, was qiiietly yieided. Vvt tiiis was prccisely wliat Pronos did not want., and Napoleon's n inhalador at oiicd offered a gross personal insult tn tbe T'niásian sovereign, rudelv nml in a pnbüo phicn, at a social pntlierins, domanding ooncessions wbiofa no king coukl mko with"ont forftiling the respect of his own poojilü mul of tlio norld. Ho was pronptly and propcrly diímisscd, and lus dismissal wa tuado by Napoleon tlie pretext for declaring war. Tlni3 tlio war now beginiiing Jias it." origin in tlie personal ambition of the nsurpcr who rules Kraace, sceondcd by French jcalousy oL tlie. growiug power of Germany, undor the combinod cotumercial and poli t.ical influenccs wliich aro rapidly consolidaúng tlio whole Germán penple in ono empire It is an aUack by Napolooü III. upon Germany, to win, f possible, glory by military oxpluits, to divert llio atteution of tbc Frencb people from tlieir own bad govoriinicnt, aml to prevent thu people of Germany from efïeoting a complete anion among thoinsclves. On tlio part of tlie Gcrraans, it is :i doiSOOG ngainst foreign aggresaiou ; anti their caue d' serves, even more tully tban it receives, the sympatliy of tlie world.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus