On May 9th Herr Bebel, the " Socialist" leader—he is
more like an English Radical—fiercely attacked the Government for the failure of its foreign policy, which, he said, " had isolated Germany," and roused a general antipathy ; and for the muddle visible in South-West Africa, where, as Herr Bebel contends, all the native tribes, being cruelly treated, are on the verge of insurrection, and the Hereros are still not defeated. Count von Billow replied to the latter charges by grave admissions of misconduct on the part of men intoxi- cated by unaccustomed authority and made irritable by the African climate, but maintained that the majority of German settlers behaved well. He did not deny the charges brought by missionaries, but declared them unpatriotic for bringing them. With regard to external dislike, he doubted if it was as general as Hen. Bebel supposed ; but if it was, he knew of no remedy except to keep the " German sword sharp." The speech was ill-received in the Chamber, and it is said that the Centre, irritated in particular by some new affront to the Poles, is about to discontinue its support of the Government. It is believed that there would soon be a new Chancellor but that there is no statesman of sufficient mental power and general repute to take up so great an office. It is the old story. Personal government pushed to a certain length ex- tinguishes original ability near the throne. The shade of the big tree is so deep that smaller trees cannot grow beneath it.
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