Sever 11 was filled last evening for another of Professor Cohn's brilliant lectures on political questions of the day.
When, about a year ago, Professor Cohn lectured on the "Career of Bismarck," he had refrained from prophesying on the events following the fall of the great statesman. His lecture was an anticipated funeral eulogy. From the German standpoint the removal of Bismarck is a mistake. But Bismarck fell struck by the weapon which he had himself forged-the weapon of all powerful monarchical government. The great statesman had brought up the young emperor to reverence this idea, and when the views of the two men (the giant and the youngster) differed, the former fell a victim to the strength that he had given the latter.
The young emperor, conscious that he was the fount of all wisdom, began at once to assert his superior knowledge over that of his various ministers: and it mattered not that a minister happened to be master of his own specialty. Emperor Wilhelm's notion of monarchy is that all whom the monarch condescends to notice are thereby greatly honored and should in return be entirely submissive to the monarch's bidding. Thus did Emperor Wilhelm turn out Minister Gosler. So suddenly does the emperor indulge his whims that the Berliners call him Der Ploetzliche.
"Be good, my children," says this all caring father of thirty-one, "do as I tell you, and you will come out all right." Have the emperor's trusting children come out all right? Instead of helping to solve the problems of socialism, the emperor's chancellor is raising appropriations to carry on a socialistic civil war. The foreign policy, which under Bismarck took the firm form of the Triple Alliance, and an understanding with Russia, has not been weakened by the emperor's clumsy visit to Rome. Germanic ideas are losing ground in Austria and the Pope has practically gone over to France.
The struggle between France and Germany is one of democratic with monarchical principles. Bismarck did not attempt a reconciliation which he knew to be impossible. The French will never be reconciled to a separation with Alsace-Lorraine, for that would mean a recognition of the monarchical form of government over French subjects. The visit of the empress Friedrick to Paris was marked by respect on the part of the French. But when it appeared that this visit was merely to give Wilhelm a chance to say, "There you see reconciliation," Frenchmen said, "No, we will not have reconciliation."
France and Germany are changing places; France is becoming more stable; Germany is being racked with Socialism. Germany has yet to learn by defeat the lesson that a hereditary government cannot stand firm in modern times.
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Communication.