On this page
-
Text (5)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
fine may have induced the act of grace I know not , but there -would be nothing surprising if it should turn out to be the prime mover . As a graceful act should never be done by halves , his Majesty Bhould complete the reparation to M . de Montalembert by dismissing Messrs . de Morny and Walewaki ; arcades ambo—Byron's translation , " They would be the first to desert him in his misfortune and to turn their adoration to the rising sun . "
Untitled Article
GERMANY . { From our own Correspondent . * ) December 1 . Dcbxno the past fortnight several versions of a speech said to have been addressed by the Prince Begent to his Ministers have been in circulation . One of these versions I had translated and was upon the point of despatching last week , when I discovered that it was not to be relied upon as authentic . We have now an authentic version of what the Prince really , did sayrather late in the day , it is true , and forced out it would seem by the versions of parts of it Which the Breslau Election Committee made public to influence the elections in favour of the Feudal or Junker party . The speech was delivered on the 8 th of November , and is literally translated as follows : —
being injured by overtrading . The ways of communication must continue to have considerable means placed at their disposal ; but only with a due regard to economy , and in proportion with the requirements of other departments . " The laws have ever made themselves respected in Prussia . It must , however , be our endeavour in the change which has taken place in the principles of the law to propagate sentiments of truth and equity amongst all classes of the population , so that justice may likewise be exercised by juries . _ . " . *• " . mi _ - ¦ : - jtf *
" One of the most difficult , and at the same time one of the most delicate , questions that has to be strictly watched is the ecclesiastical , a subject that has been very much meddled with ( yergriffen ) of late . In the first place , the utmost possible equality must rule between the two Christian confessions . In both Churches it must be the aim of the clergy earnestly to oppose the endeavours of those who are seeking to make religion the cloak of political objects . It cannot be denied that an orthodoxy has crept in which is incompatible with the basis of her belief , and which has hypocrites in its train . This orthodoxy has been an obstacle to the efforts of the evangelical union , and nearly led to it 3 ruin . It is my firm will and resolution to maintain and further the
same with all reasonable regard for the confessional point of view ; according as the decrees bearing upon this point prescribe ( mit alter billigen BerticTcstckti gung des con / essionellen Standpunctes ; wie dies die dahin einscklagenden Decretevor schreiben ) . To perform this task the agents must be carefully ^ elected , and in some cases changed . All hypocrisy , cant , in short * all Church matters ( Kirchenwesen might here be rendered by " Church shams" ) , serving as a means to egotistical objects ; must be unmasked wherever it is possible . True piety shows itself in the whole bearing of men ; this must be borne in mind , and distinguished from outward show and
mummery . Nevertheless , I hope the higher a man s position is in the state , the more disposed he will be to set a good example in attending church . The Catholic Church is confirmed in its rights by the constitution . Encroachments beyond what this allows are not to be tolerated . Education must be guided by the sentiment that Prussia ought to stand at the head of intelligence through her higher academies and through her common schools , which afford necessary instruction to the different classes of the population without , however , raising these classes beyond their spheres . Larger means will be needful to this end . .
" The army it was that created the greatness of Prussia and enlarged her boundaries by victory ; the neglect of it brought about a catastrophe , gloriously repaired , however , by the timely reorganisation , as testified by the victories of the war of independence . An experience of forty years and two short episodes of war have meanwhile opened our eyes to the fact that much has become obsolete and requires alteration ; for this we want a quiet political state and money , and it would be a fault attended by heavy penalties were we to make a show of a cheap army organisation which , when it came to the push , would , consequently , not answer our expectations . The army of Prussia must be powerful and respected , that it may , when need be , prove a heavy political weight in the balance . And
this brings us to the political rank of Prussia in regard to foreign powers . Prussia must stand on a friendly footing with all the great powers without subjecting herself to foreign influences , and without prematurely binding her hands with treaties . With all other powers a friendly connexion is likewise prudent . In Germany , Prussia has moral conquests to make by wise legislation at home , by advancing all the elements of rnorality , and by the adoption of elements of unity such as the Customs Union , which must , however , undorgo a reform . The world must feel that Prussia is at all times ready to protect the right . A firm , consistent , and , if need be , an energetic conduct in politics , combined with circumspection and prudence , must create for Prussia that political respect which by her material force alone she is not capable of gaining .
" To follow me in this path , and to pursue our way with honour , I require your aid and your counsel , which you will not deny me . May ve ever prove of one mind for the weal of our country and the monarchy , by the grace of God . " I presume that few of your readers will bo inclined to say , on perusing the foregoing address , that it sounds like the programme of a liberal Ministry guiding their nation to a path of enlightened freedom ; yet it has found great favour among all Liberals in Germany . Judging by tho oxtracts which had somehow or the other got into circulation , most persons imagined that
tho Prince would rule in a more absolutist spirit than tho King , more especially as tho absolutista , or as they term themselves Conservatives , laid particular stress upon that paragraph where tho Regent expresses his firm resolution not to allow any question of a breach of or separation from tho pnat , saying , in other worde : — "Wo shall net very differently to tho former ministers In many things , but for all that we do not intond to tolerate tho least encroachment upon tho kingly authority or Any Infringement upon the privileges of those persons whom we havo raised up to be an aristocracy about the throne , nor do wo intend to permit the Landtag , or Parliament ; to regard itself as the guardian
" For the first time after the serious crisis which we have passed through , I behold you whom my confidence has called to be the chief advisers of the Crown around me . Moments of this kind ( der Ari ) are among the most difficult ( schwersten ) in the life of a monarch , and I , as Regent , have felt them all the more deeply because an unfortunate circumstance ( Verkdltniss ) has called me to my present position . The brotherly duty which I owe to my heavily-afflicted King and Lord caused me long to hesitate as to how the different doings ( Erlebnisse may be translated by *' events , " " occurrences , " or " experiences" ) which 1 had noticed during his Government were . to be conducted into a better course ( Bdhn ) again without wronging ( zu nahe zu treten ) my brotherly feelings , and the love , care , and faithfulness with which our gracious King had carried on his Government .
"If I could now resolve to permit a change in the advisers of the Crown , it was because I found that all whom I selected held the same opinion which I hold , namely , that it shall not now nor ever be the question to break with the past ( von einem Bruche mit der Vergangenkext nun und nimmermehr die Rede sein aoW ) . Naught but the careful and improving hand shall be applied where aught that is arbitrary or contrary to the wants of the age is proved to exist . You are all aware that the weal of the Crown and country are inseparable , and that the welfare of both rests upon sound , strong , conservative , foundations . To discern correctly these wants , to weigh them , and to call them into life , that is the secret of State wisdom , avoiding at the same time all
extremes . Our task in this respect will be no easy one , for an agitation has shown itself in public life which , even if it is partly explicable , yet evinces signs of purposely overstrained ideas which must be opposed by measures on our part as circumspect as they will be legal , and even energetic . What had been promised must be faithfully adhered to ; but without rejecting the hand of improvement , what has not been promised we must courageously prevent ( yer hindern ) , Above all , I warn you against the stereotype phrase , that the Government must submit to be driven onwards and onwards to develop liberal ideas because they would otherwise force an opening for themselves . To this
more especially , that which I before termed state wisdom , refers . When in all the acts of a Government truth , legality , and consistency are evident , then a Government is strong , because it has a clear conscience , and with this we have the right to resist firmly everything evil ( allem Bo sen ) . In the management of our home affairs , which is chiefly tho province of the Ministry of the Interior and Agriculture , we have been tossing ,, since 1848 , from one extreme to tho other . From a communal settlement , which was to have introduced a cnide self-government , we have been driven back to the old state , of tilings without properly taking into consideration tho wants of the time , that would otherwise have led to a correct middle course To this
it will be needful to apply tho hand of improvement at the proper season ; but for tho present we must leave untouched what has just been restored for fear of producing fresh uncertainty and disorder which could only bo hazardous . " Tho finances have recovered in eight years from a very unfortunate state , so that not only is tho budget well balanced , but shows a surplus . Nevertheless , wo are far from being able to meet all tlte demands mado by thq several branches of the Administration . If , two years ago , tho estimates had been moro correctly drawn up , wo might have boon enabled , on thoir being granted , to moot pressing wants for many years to come . How means arc to be found to meet those wants will bo a chief task of the futuro , keeping at the same time the real capabilities of the country for taxation in viow .
Trade and tho handicrafts , and tho means of communication so closely connected with thorn , have progressed to an extent novor anticipated | but oven hero we must keep within compass , to prevent ouwelvoa from
Untitled Article
IMPROVED OCEAN STEAMERS . Isr no department of British commercial enterprise has improvement been so striking , and attended with such important results , of late years , as in the construction of sea-going steam-ships . This kind of improvement is still making rapid progress . From the rate of ten' or eleven miles per hour , at which our first-class steampackets were propelled , they have advanced to twelve , or even fifteen miles , and the Great Eastern is expected to move at least at the rate of seventeen miles an hour . Before she can be sent to sea , however , the intelligence comes to us from Baltimore that Mr . Winans has constructed and launched an iron vessel which can be propelled at the rate of thirty miles an hour . She is formed of two cones , united at their base , which is the centre of the ship , and the two ends are perfect points of solid iron . If she will float , and can be moved with
this velocity and be accurately steered—which seems a very doubtful matter—such vessels will entirely alter naval warfare , and render all onr present outlay for men-of-war of no use . Her bow will be a punch of many hundred tons impelled at a velocity approximating to that of a cannon ball . If she cannot be used as an implement of war , yet for transmitting mails , passengers , and objects of great value , which will bear a high freight , she will be far superior , according to Mr-Win ana ' s statement , to all vessels previously constructed . At home , too , efforts are being made to outdo the promised speed of the Leviathan . The Atlantic Royal Mail Steam Company ( Galway line ) have given their first contract to Messrs . Palmer and Allport , steam-ship builders of Newcastle-upon-Tyne , for three powerful oxpress steamers , which are promised to be " superior to any afloat , " and to have a guaranteed minimum speed of twenty statute miles per hour .
Untitled Article
Post-offctc Dismissals . —The Rev . John E . Cox , and several other gentlemen of high respectability , have Waited upon Lord Colchester to urge the reinstatement of Martin , the letter-carrier , who was summarily dismissed for acting as chairman of a meeting of lettercarriers . The claims of Martin to his lordship ' s generous consideration were very strongly urged by Lord Erueat Bruce and others , but apparently with very little offect . His lordahip , however , stated that a new scale of remuneration for letter-carriers was being drawn up , which he thought would give great satisfaction to the men . What is this but an admission of the justice of their complaints ? Public Hbaotii . —The return of tho Registrar General exhibits a very heavy rate of mortality for the past week . Tho number of deaths was 1802 , being 315 in oxcess of tho previous week , and 537 ovor tho average rate for tho corresponding period . Tho births Ia « t tree * amounted to 17 G 1 . Dr . Lothoby » lao reports the mortality for the City as unusually high , tho death * being 102 , which is 13 more than that of any week daring the preceding three years , and 73 per cent , above th « average *
Untitled Article
or legislative power of the country . The King i : Prussia is King by God's grace , not by the will of th people . " The tendency of this speech is so evident that an ; remarks upon it are almost needless , yet I would direc attention particularly to the observation touching ; tria by jury , and the requirements of the people in th < matter of education . According to the Prince , th ( Prussian people , who in his opinion ought , and in th < a ' J _~ i _ J * —„ __ . — . J& AL j » i i ¦ i Am . ¦¦ ' ¦*!* a } Lf i *| y « m <
opinion of many persons in England do , stand at the head of intelligence , are not quite ripe yet , in this enlightened age , and in intellectual and highly educated Prussia , for trial by jury . The Prince requests his Ministers to exert themselves to propagate correct notions of justice and equity , amongst the people , that some day or other justice may be exercised even by juries . The much bepraised Prussian system of education has not been successful yet in teaching the people a knowledge of right and wrong !
Further , the declaration that the Prussian army needs reorganisation because in the two brief episodes of war many things had been discovered to be obsolete and useless , is well worth the . attention of all who were violent in condemning certain , short-comings of the English army in the Crimea . To hear the Prussian array thus spoken of sounds little less than high treason . It is certain that no Prussian newspapers would have ventured to write thus , and no Prussian would have
been so unpatriotic as to imagine it . The excellence of the organisation of the Prussian army belonged to those accepted facts which to doubt was a sign of folly and ignorance . The Prussian army requires to be reformed , arid to do this political quiet and money are necessary . "No wonder the Prince is considered to have spoken in a liberal sense . ; we might almost fancy we were reading an extract from some English newspaper upon English affairs , instead of a speech from , the ruler of Prussia . The Prince is the boldest Liberal in Germany . ' . The result of the elections is now entirely known . The Constitutional party , in the strictness of the term , counts about 100 members—about 120 new members may be looked upon as adherents of the Ministry .
Untitled Article
I No , 454 , December 4 , 1858 J THE X E A P E R . ia 25 I ^ m^— ¦ ; ^———— MmmB ^^ mm ^*^*^*^*^™*^*^—^*^—^^""^ ~ ¦ I
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 4, 1858, page 1325, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2271/page/21/
-