"Nearly the whole of Prussia is in the great plain of Northern Europe. It contains no high mountains, the most important range being the Harz, the highest elevation of which is thirty-five hundred feet. The acquisition of Schleswig-Holstein and Hanover has added largely to the extent of Prussian sea-coast. There are but few good harbors on the Baltic, for the water is shoal, and full of sand-banks. There are many haffs, or lagoons, like the one on which Königsberg is situated. Prussia has an immense number of lakes, especially in the eastern part, the largest of which is the Spirding See, with an area of thirty-seven square miles; but all these lakes are too shoal for navigation. The rivers of Prussia flow into the Baltic and North Seas. The principal are the Niemen or Memel, the Weichsel, or Vistula, the Oder, the Elbe, the Weser, and the Rhine, all of which are navigable. These river systems are connected by canals.
"The climate of Prussia is healthy, the average temperature varying in different parts from forty-three degrees to fifty degrees. The soil is generally fertile, though there are some sandy plains, and desolate, hilly regions. The agriculture, fostered by the government, is of the highest efficiency. All kinds of grain are produced in abundance, and largely exported. Two hundred million pounds of sugar were made from beets ten years ago. Thirty million tons of coal were mined last year, and the country is rich in minerals. In its agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, Prussia is remarkably prosperous. The country has a complete network of railroads, about seven thousand miles in all.
"Berlin has a population of seven hundred and two thousand, and is the fifth city of Europe. Next to it is Breslau, with one hundred and seventy-two thousand. Cologne has one hundred and twenty-five thousand; Königsberg, one hundred and six thousand. All the others have less than a hundred thousand. New York has a larger German population than any German city except Berlin.
"The money of Prussia is in thalers, silver, or new grosschen and pfennings. A thaler is about seventy cents of our money. Thirty new grosschen, of two and one third cents each, make a thaler, and twelve pfennings make a new grosschen.
"And now, young gentleman, I will close with a brief statement in regard to the Germanic Confederation, which is a union of states for certain purposes, similar to that of the United States. In modern times the two most powerful members have been Austria and Prussia; but the events of 1866 broke up the confederation, and caused the expulsion of Austria, leaving Prussia as the ruling power. The North German Confederation, consisting of twenty states, was then formed under the leadership of Prussia. The six remaining states, the principal of which are Bavaria, Baden, and Würtemberg, cannot be said to be united. Prussia had ratified treaties with the three states mentioned, by which each of the contracting powers guarantees the integrity of the others' territory. In other words, in case of war, each is to assist the others; but it is stipulated that Prussia is to have the command of the armies.
"A German Parliament, elected by the people, at the rate of one member for every hundred thousand inhabitants, met at Berlin in 1867, and adopted a charter, or constitution, drawn up by the Prussian government, which means Bismarck."
Mr. Mapps proceeded to explain the nature of the constitution, which has again been changed by the events of 1870. After the humiliation of Austria in 1866, and Prussia's consequent increase of power and influence, France, which has always held a commanding place among the powers of Europe, felt that her position was threatened. Prussia had attained a degree of power and influence which overshadowed France. A war in the future was certain, and it came in 1870. The desire on the part of France to check the ambition of Prussia, to cripple her power, and diminish her influence, was the real cause of the war, and the immediate events which led to the conflict are now of little consequence. The attempt to place Leopold of Hohenzollern on the throne of Spain was undoubtedly a real grievance to France. The French and their supporters say he was brought forward to provoke a quarrel; that Bismarck desired a war, in order to complete the unification of Germany. The prince was withdrawn from the candidacy for the Spanish throne, but France was not satisfied without a guaranty, which Prussia would not give. France seemed to be determined to fight, and declared war. Probably Louis Napoleon depended upon the coöperation of Austria and Italy in humiliating a power whose rapid growth threatened the integrity of all her neighbors' territory. But Italy had practically received Venetia from the hands of Prussia, after the struggle of 1866, and Austria was not in condition to carry on another war with her powerful opponent. The emperor counted, too, upon the disaffection of Bavaria, Baden, and Würtemberg, if not Saxony and Hanover, all of which had been hardly used by Prussia in the war of 1866; but the South German states promptly placed themselves on the side of Fatherland, led by Prussia. France was obliged to fight her battles all alone. She was thoroughly beaten, and absolutely crushed, by the vast legions of Germany. France, which had been demanding the Rhine provinces, so that the river should be her boundary line, was deprived of the greater portion of Alsace and Lorraine, lying next to Germany, and on the Rhine.
Bismarck's plan to unite all Germany under one emperor was fully realized, for, while the army of King William was still laying siege to Paris, the King of Bavaria proposed to the sovereign princes of Germany to urge William to assume the title of Emperor of Germany. A bill passed the German Parliament at Berlin, almost unanimously, by which all the states were united into an empire. The king was elected emperor by the Diet, and accepted the honor; Bismarck was appointed chancellor of the empire.
The members of the Diet, or Parliament, are elected for three years by the people. As in the United States, each of the sovereignties is independent in its local government, and exercises all powers which are not expressly delegated to the Diet. All legislation relating to trade, commerce, emigration, colonization, and insurance companies, belongs to the Parliament. The empire also regulates the tariff, coinage, weights and measures, banking, patents and copyrights, navigation, both internal and external, post office and telegraphs, the army and navy, and laws relating to the press.
The legislature consists of two branches, the Federal Council and the Diet, or Parliament, the latter of which has nearly four hundred members. The Federal Council is composed of the representatives of the several governments. Prussia has seventeen votes in this body; Bavaria, six; Würtemberg and Saxony, four each; Baden and Hesse, three each; Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Brunswick, two each; and all the others, one each, making fifty-eight in all. Each state may send as many members as it has votes, but all from one state must vote together, representing but one opinion.