CHAP. XXVII. 1823. 42. the internal of Prussia. The next circumstance which tended to deaden, for a time at least, the ardent wish of the people of Northern Germany for free institutions, was the uncommon wisdom and beneficent tendency of the government of Prussia Wisdom of during the quarter of a century which followed the ter- government mination of the war. Her leading statesmen during that period, Hardenberg, Bernstorff, Humboldt, and many others, were men of great capacity and enlarged views, who had learned wisdom and become practically acquainted with affairs in the school of adversity, and who, having seen their country extricated by a miracle from the jaws of destruction, applied their great talents earnestly and indefatigably to the healing of its wounds and the amelioration of its institutions. It is often more easy to do this in a despotic than in a free country, just as it is more easy to do mischief, because in either case the march of government is less restrained by the efforts for good or evil of party. Prussia had suffered so dreadfully in consequence of its conquest by France, and its long occupation by the troops of that country, that social improvement had become visibly to all classes, from the prince to the peasant, a matter of state necessity. This overwhelming pressure, like seasons of adversity upon an individual, produced the most salutary effects, and there is perhaps not to be found in the annals of the world a period when more wise and beneficent internal legislation was applied to a people, or its fruits appeared in a more sudden burst of general prosperity. 43. measures An account has been given, in a former work, of the admirable reforms, the offspring of necessity, which the Specific Prussian government, under the able guidance of Stein introduced. and Scharnhorst, introduced in 1807 and 1808, after the peace of Tilsit, into the civil and military administration of the monarchy, and which, beyond all doubt, prepared Hist. of in silence, beneath the cold shade of adversity, the 1789-1815, glorious resurrection of 1813. The same system was 8-15. continued with unabated vigour after the general peace Europe, c. 51, §§ XXVII. 1823. CHAP. had relieved the government of the crushing weight of the warlike armaments, and left them leisure to attend to the all-important concerns of their civil administration. Everything for the people, nothing by them," which Napoleon described as the true secret of government, was the ruling principle of their administration. Hence the greatest solicitude was evinced for the instruction of the people in all grades, from the humble parish school to the highest departments of science in the universities, which, as already mentioned, was attended with such success that Prussia may now with justice take its place as the most generally educated country in Europe. The peasantry were everywhere emancipated from the remains of feudal servitude, and intrusted, as well as the burghers, with the choice of municipal magistrates, who had the entire direction of their civic and local concerns. Provincial assemblies, though endowed as yet with no real power, gave the people, at stated though distant intervals, a legitimate channel whereby to make known their opinion upon any changes projected by the government in matters affecting their persons or properties. Free trade was established in its most unlimited sense, not only between all the provinces of the Empire, but between all the states of the Confederacy; all restraints were removed from the navigation of the rivers; and hitherto unheard-of markets were opened up in every direction for the productions of industry. New universities were established at Berlin, Breslau, and Bonn, all respectably endowed, and furnished with valuable libraries and museums; and schools to such an extent were set on foot over the whole country, that the wish of George III. in regard to his British subjects was realised: "Every man in the kingdom could read his Bible." In 1821 an extremely useful regulation was published for the division of commons; in 1822, one for the establishment of an extra post. Finally, an admirable system of military organisation drew forth, without oppression, the whole physical XXVII. 1823. 1 Stein's strength of the state in defence of the country. Every CHAP. man, of whatever rank, was bound to render three years' service, between eighteen and twenty-one, in the regular army, and was liable up to the age of thirty-nine to do duty in the landwehr,—a system which, without diverting any individual permanently, except those who chose arms iv. 326, 347, as a profession, from pacific life, trained all to military 300. duties, and inspired all with military spirit.1 Lebens Erinnerung, and v. 247, mate effect changes favoured Social and political reforms of this description, which 44. remove the fetters from industry and enlarge the means The ultiof well-being to all classes, may for a considerable time of these stifle the voice of complaint, and weaken the desire for would have change but their ultimate effect, in an intelligent com-freedom. munity, is to increase them. The reason is, that they create or extend a middle class in society, which, with the acquisition of wealth and independence, inevitably become inspired with the desire to share in or even monopolise the government of the State. Hence it was that the feudal noblesse every where entertained such jealousy of the boroughs which threatened to encroach on their exclusive jurisdiction, and that a natural alliance sprang up between them and the sovereign for defence. against their common enemy. It is probable, therefore, that the rapid growth of population, wealth, and prosperity in Prussia, would have had its usual effect of inducing a struggle for political power much earlier than it actually occurred, were it not for another event which occurred ere long, and for a considerable period totally altered the ideas and prevailing passions of men. That event was the French Revolution of 1830. 45. Great effect of the volution in Calamitous in every quarter to the interests of freedom, that great èvent was in an especial manner fatal to Teutonic liberty. It gave a new direction to men's French Reminds, and in the end for a course of years substituted checking the terror of French conquest for the sturdy spirit of German German independence. Exciting the revolutionary passions in the very highest degree in the smaller states and freedom. XXVII. 1830. CHAP. free cities of the Confederacy, and occasioning, as has been already seen, tumults in many, revolution in some, it proportionably augmented the alarm of the great military monarchies in which the power of the sword was really vested. The diplomatic relations between Austria and Prussia were immediately, upon the fall of Charles X., drawn closer, and military preparations on a great scale commenced in both countries to meet the expected invasion of the French. The Austrian army was raised to 360,000 men, of whom 80,000 men were sent to Italy, and 40,000 stationed on the Gallician frontier; while in Prussia two armies were formed, one of 80,000 men under Prince William, and one of 75,000 under General Borstel, whose headquarters were at Aix-laChapelle. The warlike spirit became universal in the Prussian youth; it entirely and at once supplanted that of internal discontent. "A national sentiment," says the annalist, "then got entire possession of the Prussian youth. Terror at the thoughts of the conquest xiii. 620, 1 Ann. Hist. of 1814 and 1815 slipping from their hands, and a jealous dread of the tricolor flag, formed an effectual barrier against the revolutionary contagion." 1 625. 46. the Belgian and These sentiments, so natural in a country in which the Increase of national feelings had been recently so strongly roused, this feeling and which had only been delivered by a unanimous and unparalleled effort from the grinding tyranny of French volutions. domination, were greatly increased and worked up to a perfect climax by the Belgian and Polish revolutions. When the cabinets of Vienna and Berlin beheld Belgium revolutionised, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands dissevered, Italy in a general revolutionary convulsion, Switzerland shaking to its centre, and Poland in the throes of mortal struggle for recovery of its independence, they not unreasonably supposed that a general war was approaching, and took their measures accordingly. When the people saw the French republicans indulging in visions of universal conquest, and the clubs XXVII. 1830. resounding with declamations about advancing their CHAP. eagles to the Elbe, the Vistula, and the Danube, they were seized with the old dread of French conquest. They knew, by dear-bought experience, what followed the victories of the republicans. They had not forgotten what ensued after the battle of Jena. Merciless requisitions, grievous taxes, they were well aware, stalked in the rear of the tricolor flag. The landwehr was now called out in all the states of the Confederacy, and the people everywhere joyfully obeyed the summons. They repaired to their several rallying-points singing the songs of Körner, recounting the victories of the Fatherland. The querulous discontent of the journalists and students in a few towns was drowned in the loud shout of national exultation. Severe measures were enacted by the governments against the licence of the press and the machinations of the secret societies, but they did not require to be put in execution. The recreants to the cause of Germany had already. been gibbeted on the scaffold of popular indignation. Such were the effects which followed the triumph of the Barricades in the cause of liberty on the right bank of the Rhine! If the demon of tyranny had been given his choice of the event which was most effectually to serve the cause of despotism in Europe, he could not have selected any one which would answer his purpose so xiii. 623, effectually as the triumph of the three glorious days in 455, 461. Paris. 1 1 Ann. Hist. 625, xiv. siege of 1832. Still greater was the impression produced in Germany 47. by the entente cordiale which ensued between France Effect of the and England in consequence of the Reform revolution in Antwerp in the latter country. When the reality and sincerity of this new and unprecedented alliance were evinced in the union of the two kingdoms to support the pretensions of Belgium against Holland, and the junction of the fleets of the one power with the armies of the other to effect the reduction of the citadel of Antwerp, a universal consternation seized the whole of Germany. It seemed impossible |