Mr. Wright to Mr. Seward.
Sir: The treaty between Prussia and Saxony was concluded and signed a few days since. A statement of the points settled by the treaty is herewith enclosed. The nationality and sovereignty of Saxony in the future exist only in name. As soon as a full copy can be procured of the various Prussian treaties it will be forwarded to the department. A late geographical work, published in Berlin, furnishes the following interesting facts relative to the growth of Prussia:
“At the death of the elector Frederick I the territory belonging to the Prussian state embraced an area of 535 square miles; at the death of Frederick II, 726 ; at the death of Albert Achill, 768; of John Sigismund, 1,472; of the Great Elector, 2,013; of Frederick the Great; 3,540; in 1815, 5,050; in 1861, 5,067; and in 1866, 6,395 square miles. The population of Prussia is now 23,590,543, 4,285,700 of which belongs to the countries annexed to it since the last war. Of the inhabitants of Prussia, 2,504,719 do not speak German. (This does not include the Danish population of Schleswig.) 64 per cent. are Evangelicals, 32 per cent. Catholics, and 2 per cent. of other religions. As for the North German Bund, its territory embraces an area of 7,540 square miles, with 29,220,862 inhabitants, 70 per cent. of whom are Evangelicals, 26 per cent. Catholics, and 2 per cent. of other religions. The mercantile marine of the Bund consists of 7,167 ships, of 1,336,719 tons, and is larger than that of any other country in the world, except England and the United States.”
We are to have, on Sunday, the 11th of November, in Berlin, a “solemn thanksgiving and great national féte,” in commemoration of the conclusion of peace.
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I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Page 52]The following are the principal points of the treaty of peace which has been concluded between Prussia and Saxony:
Saxony will enter the North German confederation.
The Saxon army will be reorganized as soon as the conditions have been arranged by the North German confederation.
Konigstein and Dresden will have mixed garrisons.
Prussia will furnish garrisons for the other Saxon towns, until the organization of the army takes place.
The Saxon troops about to return home will be placed under the command of the chief Prussian general in Saxony.
The war indemnity to be paid by Saxony is fixed at ten million thalers, from which one million will be deducted on account of the cession to Prussia of the railways of Labau and Gôrlitz.
The Prussian military governors and civil commissioners will cease to exercise their functions.
The former Zollverein treaty will continue in force, subject to a notice of six months, should either of the contracting parties desire to withdraw therefrom.
Prussia obtains exclusive possession of the Saxon telegraph wires.
Persons politically compromised during the war will not be molested on that account.
Saxony will regulate her diplomatic representation in conformity with the general bases to be laid down for the whole of the North German confederation.