登陆注册
15456500000008

第8章 II. THE PRUSSIAN STATE.(2)

Thus it was evident that public opinion was undergoing a great change in Germany. By degrees the vast majority of those classes whose education or position in life enabled them, under an Absolute Monarchy, to gain some political information, and to form anything like an independent political opinion, united into one mighty phalanx of opposition against the existing system. And in passing judgment upon the slowness of political development in Germany no one ought to omit taking into account the difficulty of obtaining correct information upon any subject in a country where all sources of information were under the control of the Government, where from the Ragged School and the Sunday School to the Newspaper and University nothing was said, taught, printed, or published but what had previously obtained its approbation. Look at Vienna, for instance. The people of Vienna, in industry and manufactures, second to none perhaps in Germany; in spirit, courage, and revolutionary energy, proving themselves far superior to all, were yet more ignorant as to their real interests, and committed more blunders during the Revolution than any others, and this was due in a very great measure to the almost absolute ignorance with regard to the very commonest political subjects in which Metternich's Government had succeeded in keeping them.

It needs no further explanation why, under such a system, political information was an almost exclusive monopoly of such classes of society as could afford to pay for its being smuggled into the country, and more particularly of those whose interests were most seriously attacked by the existing state of things, namely, the manufacturing and commercial classes.

They, therefore, were the first to unite in a mass against the continuance of a more or less disguised Absolutism, and from their passing into the ranks of the opposition must be dated the beginning of the real revolutionary movement in Germany.

The oppositional pronunciamento of the German bourgeoisie may be dated from 1840, from the death of the late King of Prussia, the last surviving founder of the Holy Alliance of 1815. The new King was known to be no supporter of the predominantly bureaucratic and military monarchy of his father.

What the French middle class had expected from the advent of Louis XVI., the German bourgeoisie hoped, in some measure, from Frederick William IV. of Prussia. It was agreed upon all hands that the old system was exploded, worn-out, and must be given up; and what had been borne in silence under the old King now was loudly proclaimed to be intolerable.

But if Louis XVI., "Louis le Desire," had been a plain, unpretending simpleton, half conscious of his own nullity, without any fixed opinions, ruled principally by the habits contracted during his education, "Frederick William le Desire" was something quite different. While he certainly surpassed his French original in weakness of character, he was neither without pretensions nor without opinions. He had made himself acquainted, in an amateur sort of way, with the rudiments of most sciences, and thought himself, therefore, learned enough to consider final his judgment upon every subject. He made sure he was a first-rate orator, and there was certainly no commercial traveller in Berlin who could beat him either in prolixity of pretended wit, or in fluency of elocution. And, above all, he had his opinions. He hated and despised the bureaucratic element of the Prussian Monarchy, but only because all his sympathies were with the feudal element. Himself one of the founders of, and chief contributors to, the Berlin Political Weekly Paper, the so-called Historical School (a school living upon the ideas of Bonald, De Maistre, and other writers of the first generation of French Legitimists), he aimed at a restoration, as complete as possible, of the predominant social position of the nobility. The King, first nobleman of his realm, surrounded in the first instance by a splendid court of mighty vassals, princes, dukes, and counts; in the second instance, by a numerous and wealthy lower nobility; ruling according to his discretion over his loyal burgesses and peasants, and thus being himself the chief of a complete hierarchy of social ranks or castes, each of which was to enjoy its particular privileges, and to be separated from the others by the almost insurmountable barrier of birth, or of a fixed, inalterable social position; the whole of these castes, or "estates of the realm" balancing each other at the same time so nicely in power and influence that a complete independence of action should remain to the King---such was the beau ideal which Frederick William IV. undertook to realize, and which he is again trying to realize at the present moment.

It took some time before the Prussian bourgeoisie, not very well versed in theoretical questions, found out the real purport of their King's tendency.

But what they very soon found out was the fact that he was bent upon things quite the reverse of what they wanted. Hardly did the new King find his "gift of the gab" unfettered by his father's death than he set about proclaiming his intentions in speeches without number; and every speech, every act of his, went far to estrange from him the sympathies of the middle class.

同类推荐
  • 孙膑兵法

    孙膑兵法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 上清北极天心正法

    上清北极天心正法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 维摩诘经注

    维摩诘经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 損齋備忘錄

    損齋備忘錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 古文约选序例

    古文约选序例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 大明星的总裁女友

    大明星的总裁女友

    大明星钟南的人生几乎是完美的,只除了那个不靠谱的总裁女友。他是人见人爱,花见花开的大明星,凭什么你想甩就甩。萧慕雨气息奄奄的躺在床上无力吐槽,你这么生龙活虎,我有力气甩你吗?钟南危险的眯起了眼睛,还有力气吐槽,随即饿虎扑食。萧慕雨惨叫,救命啊……
  • 虚无雨虫

    虚无雨虫

    一场大雨腐蚀掉了无数平民与高手,带给了人类无比深重的灾难。而这对虫子们来说却是难以想象的改变。强者林立的世界,曾经的辉煌不复存在,只因我这一只在不断进化的虫子。
  • 《魅惑帝王爱》(结局)

    《魅惑帝王爱》(结局)

    嘿嘿,本文将全部继续更新,但根据出版社要求,速度相对慢点,主要是为本书做时间长点的广告,望大家理解!
  • 非典型泰键

    非典型泰键

    出师未捷身先死,长使英雄泪满襟。泰键111111111111111111111111111111111111111
  • 以后,我来宠你

    以后,我来宠你

    幽暗的小路上,路灯照着灯下的两人上,把他们的影子越拉越长。两人谁也没有说话,直到少年开口:“温歆,以后我来宠你,好吗?”一阵风吹过,少女愣住,以为听错,心中却扑通扑通的跳了起来:“你、你说什么?”少年看着少女红彤脸庞,笑意溢满眼中:“我说,我喜欢你,你下半辈子我包了。”少女眼中泛红:“真的?”少年笑着点点头,就换来少女的拥抱,少女埋在他怀里,脸红小声道:“我、我也喜欢你。”少年一脸认真:“我更喜欢你”少女听完,拥的更紧了,少年也回抱,两人在路灯下紧紧相拥,属于他们的爱情才刚刚开始
  • 这一世的行走

    这一世的行走

    我是谁?为什么来到这里,为什么我不会哭,头疼。阴年阴月阴日阴时的公鸡少年从此走上了一条追寻记忆的诡异之路
  • 珍珠爱上了优乐美

    珍珠爱上了优乐美

    此书的书名叫校草架到,现在这个书名不知道是谁写的!大大我的文笔不好,见谅。如果觉得此书不好看的就请绕道
  • 异世不死圣龙

    异世不死圣龙

    有独一无二的血脉,注定了无可匹敌的天赋。千载难逢的机遇,造就了快人一步的成就。主角因为机缘离奇穿越,不但避免必死的命运,还在异世界获得崭新的人生体验,得到独一无二二的个人世界,一路收服极品神兽、冲破束缚、获得顶级神器、神职,这是个弱肉强食的世界,他颠覆了主角之前的世界观、价值观、人生观,在经过漫长的迷茫后,主角终于找到自己的使命,肩负起血脉赋予他的任务。凄美的感情、无法弥补的遗憾,舍不得忘记、却又不敢回忆的往事,这就是人生,无论在那个世界,都是如此,没有遗憾的人生是不完整
  • 灵云雾影

    灵云雾影

    谜一样存在的宝藏,纠缠了数百年的恩怨,怀着尔虞我诈的心思,动着你死我活的心机,想着借刀杀人的计策,做着各自的美梦,到最后才发现:这个世界是有因有果的,既没有无缘无故的爱恨情仇,也没有潇洒自如的心随己动,人生不如意的事是十有八九,命运之神的安排总是难以预测,无论是昨天的风风雨雨还是今天的荣华富贵,一切的一切都将随时光的逝去而成为历史,迎接世人的,仍是那谜一样的未来……
  • 逆天传奇之混沌传承

    逆天传奇之混沌传承

    神秘而悲悯的身世让他从小无依无靠;一场即将上演的千年正魔大战却扑朔迷离;不得已的他也莫名其妙地卷入了其中。贵有绝佳体质却难以修炼。立誓寻母也困难重重。一路的探寻让他发现了惊天阴谋。道貌岸然的仙人正派笑里藏刀,所谓魔人却能肝胆相照。乱世修真,群魔狂舞。何为正道,何为魔道,只为适者生存!古老世家神秘莫测的四大秘境、五大神器惊现世间!绝世功法旷世神脉造就传说的神人境界!天地逍遥,笑傲苍穹!郎郎乾坤覆银雨,天地无极斩河东。僻魔神鞭傲天下,偷天一射穿九穹。金木水火五行残,拾得土木傲群雄。