Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1884 — THE GERMAN AUTOCRAT. [ARTICLE]

THE GERMAN AUTOCRAT.

The Official Documents Relating to thrlaaker Matter Sent to this Honfie. Secretary FreUnghaysen Refuses to Receive the Resolution Retimed by Bismarck. All the documents relative to the Looker resolution were transmitted by the President to the House of Representatives on the 10th of March, and tho reading of them was listened to with breathless interest. Mr. Hisoock, of New York, immediately offered a resolution, which wss referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reciting that, ss » friendly sad respectful communication to the Parliament of the German Empire had been intercepted arbitrarily by a “person” now holding the position of Chancellor of the German Empire, the House cannot but express surprise and regret that it should be eren temporarily within the power of a single subject to interfere with such a simple expression of kindly feeling between two great nations; that the House reiterates its expression of sincere regret at the death or Edouard Lasner and its sympathy with the Parliament of the German Empire. Among the doouments sent to the House by the President relating to the now famous Lasker resolution are a number of telegrams which passed between Secretary Frelinghuysen and Minister Sargent relative to the return of the resolution by Bismarck, In which Mr. Sargent said that he had been wholly disregarded. Next is a memorandum of s conversation Maroh 7 between Secretary Frelingbuysen and Herr Von Eisendecker, the German Min‘»ter, in which the latter presented the following dispatch from Bismarck returning the resolution: [Translation.] Fhxbdbxcbsbuhe, Feb. 9, 1894.—'The Envoy of the United States of America has communicated, firitb a note dated the Ist Inst., the text of a resolution of the American. House of Representatives, dated the 9th of January, in which the House expresses regret at the death of Dr. Edouard Lasker,-. — w Every appreciation which the personal qualities of a German may receive in a foreign country con not but be pleasing to our national feelings, especially when emanating from such an Important bodv as the American House of Representatives. 1 should, therefore, have gratefully received Sargent's communication, and should have asked his Majesty the Emperor to empower me to present it to the Reichstag, if the resolution of the 9th of January did not at the same time contain an opinion on the direction and effects of the political action of Representative Lasker which is opposed to my convictions. in the resolution it Is said in relation tothe deceased that "his firm and constant exposition of free and liberal ideas have materially advanced the social, political, and economic condition of those people." From my knowledge of the course that the political and economic development of the German people has taken, I can not regard this opinion sa one in accordance with the facts 1 have witnessed. I would not venture to oppose my judgment to that of an illustrious assembly like that of the House of Representatives of the United States if I had not gained, during an active participation in German international politics of more than thirty years, an experience which encourages me to attach nl*o to my opinion certain competency within these limits, I can not make up my mind to ask his Majesty the Emperor for the necessary authorization to communicate the resolution of the House of Representatives of the United States to the German Reichstag, because I should therewith hove to officially indorse myself, and also to indorse, with his Majesty the Emperor, an opinion which I am unable to recognize as jost. : Voir Bismarck. The last document of the series Is a letter from Secretary Frelinghuyson to Minister Sargent and Is as follows. Department or State, Washington, Marsh 10,1884.—Sir: I incloses oopy of the note of which a copy has boen banded me hr the German Minister, and which states that Prince Bisrmarck declines to be the medium of communication between the House of Representatives of the United States and the Reichstag of the resolution on the subject of the death of Mr. Lasker. The resolution was passed by the House with the most courteous motives, for the single pur-, pose of expressing sympathy with the corresponding branch of government of a friendly nation in the loss of one of its distinguished •members, who died within the national juris{diction of Congress. If any other purpose (has been surmised, the indisposition of this republic, as proven by toe hls>tory of a century, to obtrude upon other nations sound political principles upon which lour own prosperity Is founded should have /counteracted that surmise. In the customary order of transmission the resolution came into the possession of his Excellency, who is pleased to explain the embarrassment under which be conceives be would labor by forwarding it to it# destination. The position anti the personal convictions to which be alludes are matters affecting his Excellency alone, and upon them it Is not becoming that I should moke any remark further than to aay it does not occur to me bow the transmission of the resolution would have involved an indorsement of the political views of Ur. Lasker. My duty of courtesy to the House of Representatives ended with forwarding the resolution through the proper channel to the hands of the officer charged with the administration of the foreign affairs in Germany. This Government is not disposed to inqnire Into the relations existing between the different branches of another. The sentiments of the resolution are now generally known, their merits or demerit# can be judged, and its non-transmission officially, as It was intended and claimed on its face to be of friendly intent, while a matter of regret, is not one of Concern to either branch of the Government of the United States. You will either forEtrard a copy of this instruction to the Minister or Foreign Affairs or read it tp him and leave lira a copy, as you ascertain he prefers. I am. rs., Fkedk. T. Fbelinohotskh. It appears, therefore, that Mr. Ochßtree'S resolution of condolence neither reached the llenran Reichstag, as designed by Congress, nor the American Congress as desired by Autocrat Bismarck, and is to remain in the pocket of the German Minister at Washington. The latter said to an interviewer, in reply to Inquiries in regard to the return of the resolution, that he bad carried out his inptrnctions. His Government's action in the (natter was, he said, two-fold. In the first biace it was compeiicdf or important reasons, feinting to internal |iolftics of Germany, not {c send the resolution to the Kclch-tag, and yet it could not merely retain It, since that plight l:ave implied indifference or discourtesy, and tire course pursued by the Government was certainly the most courteous that tie situation permitted. The Minister felt entirely satisfied, he said, that I here was po disrestect or discourtesy intended on either side.