Saxony (Dresden)
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SAXONY (DRESDEN) Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:52:28, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960116316000075 DRESDEN FO 68/153: Joseph Hume Burnley to Earl Granville, No 4, Dresden, 12 January 1871 [Received 14 January. For: The Queen / Gladstone / Circulate; G[ranville]] Circulation of an absurd report on differences between Crown Prince of Saxony and King of Prussia A most absurd report has been current in Dresden to the effect that grave discussions have arisen between the Crown Prince of Saxony1 and the King of Prussia owing to the way in which the Saxon troops have been exposed and the want of confidence reposed in them; that the Crown Prince had thrown his sword at the feet of the King and that the Prince’s father had gone secretly to Versailles to intervene for his son and finally that there was no reception at Court on New Year’s day and that His Majesty had not been seen for some days. The whole story was too ridiculous to be true and I should hesitate to write to Your Lordship on the subject had not the “Dresdener Journal” found it necessary to contradict it officially in the article herewith inclosed.2 His Majesty, it is true, had no official reception on New Year’s day, but received the salutations of the Civic Bodies and I had the honor, along with the rest of the Diplomatic Body, of dining at the Palace a few days ago, when the King took occasion to mention the foolish tale, regretting that people could be found to credit it. Had such an occurrence taken place, His Royal Highness, like any other officer of the Army, would have been at once court martialled for disobedience. 1Albert. 2Enclosure: undated clipping from Dresdner Journal. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:52:28, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960116316000075 270 DRESDEN FO 68/153: Joseph Hume Burnley to Earl Granville, No 7, Dresden, 16 January 1871 [Received 18 January. ‘Denial (if true) might be sent to all the royal representatives in Germany’; G[ranville]; Treasury, 19 January] Times report that artillery batteries from England have landed in France Dr Russell3 in his correspondence from Versailles in the “Times” of the 14th Instant states “Reports have reached Versailles that batteries of artillery complete in all respects and horsed and harnessed have been landed in France from England, I do not know if it be true or not, but the intelligence has been received and has caused much bitterness.” I need hardly say that what affects the feelings of the Germans at Versailles affects equally the feelings of those who are not there, and none more so than the Dresden inhabitants who catch up the impetus given by the German rulers and ply the English representative with searching questions to which he is not always competent to give a satisfactory answer. The information which Your Lordship is good enough to give one from time to time is of the greatest service and enables me to make head against all such reports where they can be authoritatively denied or where it can be shewn that such acts are permissible according to the law of Nations. FO 68/153: Joseph Hume Burnley to Earl Granville, No 10, Dresden, 31 January 1871 [Received 6 February. For: The Queen / Gladstone / Circulate; G[ranville]] Public apathy towards King of Prussia becoming German Emperor; little excitement about capitulation of Paris; arrest of August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht If addresses from Towns and Councils are any proof of the loyalty of a nation, nothing can be more loyal than the attitude of the Saxons towards the King of Prussia on his assuming the Imperial Title.4 If I am asked, however, whether the masses themselves and society in general evince much interest, I am constrained to say that I fail to perceive it. The same may be said with regard to the very important event of the capitulation of Paris.5 Beyond a display of flags from the 3William Howard Russell. 4King Wilhelm I was proclaimed German Emperor in Versailles on 18 January 1871. 5Paris formally surrendered on 28 January 1871. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:52:28, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960116316000075 SAXONY 271 Public Buildings and Church Towers, there was very little genuine enthusiasm; certainly not to be compared to the manifestation on the fall of Sedan.6 The fact is that enthusiasm was beginning to cool down and that, although there was a certain exultation at the German successes, the feeling predominated that enough had been done and that peace would be very grateful to the soldiers and their families; at the same time the fear that peace might not ensue even after the capitulation of Paris, tended no doubt to check the outburst one would naturally have expected to see. As I have often had occasion to remark, the feeling for the Prussians as the governing Body has never been very marked although nothing could be brought against the Authorities in Saxony, whether Civic Bodies or the Cabinet. All have been very forward in shewing a loyalty of discipline when there was a question of an Address. It will therefore require a good deal of tact on the part of the new German Emperor to weld the whole harmoniously together and to prevent political parties cropping up and discussing the question in an unpleasant way when the war is over and people have time to think of something else. Social Democracy, although existing here as every-where, is too firmly kept under by the Government for it ever to become dangerous as long as Police and Military combine to be what they are, very uncompromising when repressive measures have to be carried out. The start attempted by the Brunswick Democrats7 found a certain echo in Saxony and a meeting on the subject was proposed at Zwickau˘ but an immediate stop was put to it by the Government and nothing more was heard of the meeting or the Democrats. The arrest of the two Saxon Deputies to the Berlin Diet, Messrs Bebel and Liebknecht social Democrats in politics, a short time ago at Leipzig for treasonable proceedings,8 is a stern proof that a German Government knows how to put down what may become a disturbing element unless firmly taken in hand and as the German workman enjoys a greater amount of well being & many more opportunities of rationally passing his time at places of amusement to which both rich 6Battle of Sedan of 1 September 1870 which resulted in the capture of Napoleon III and the capitulation of the French army on 2 September. 7Burnley is referring to the Brunswick Socialists’ manifesto of 5 September 1870,which called for an honourable peace with France and the democratization of the German political system, and was against the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine. 8August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht were arrested on 17 December 1870 for their criticism of the war and their plea for peace without annexation. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.76, on 02 Oct 2021 at 07:52:28, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960116316000075 272 DRESDEN and poor may resort in the greatest good fellowship and harmony, I do not think the labouring classes have much to complain of. The impetus given to socialistic tendencies comes more from abroad through international societies having at their head disappointed Demagogues who try to wreak their vengeance in this way upon a Government by whom they consider themselves neglected. If the workman were left to the natural bias of his own character, he would be a much more peaceable man and less liable to be influenced by the oratory of those leaders who hold out eutopian [sic] prospects which can never be realized as long as the rich and the poor exist as a distinct class. FO 68/153: Joseph Hume Burnley to Earl Granville, No 43, Confidential, Dresden, 1 July 1871 [No date, by Professor Gruner. Copy with No 36 to Home Office; G[ranville], 12 July] Activities of International Workingmen’s Association in Saxony On receipt of Your Lordship’s confidential Despatch No 18 of the 20th Ultimo I enquired of the Head of Police9 whether anything was known of the doings of the International Society10 in Saxony. He informed that he received some time ago an anonymous letter from a German in London initialed F.H.11 calling his attention to a correspondence from Dresden of the 14th & 17th March in the columns of the “International” the French organ of the Society published in London. These articles were shewn to me and appear to be such as a newspaper correspondent would write as to the reception given to the Crown Prince of Saxony and his Brother on their return to the Capital.12 The writer indulged in a great deal of scurrilous falsehood relative to persons high in office here and made equally false statements as to the treatment of the French prisoners.