of the Baltic. At the same time the insurrection in the Grand Duchy of Posen, and the state of Galicia, might seriously endanger the internal tranquillity of our own provinces. Under present contingencies, and especially under such circumstances, the most com

mon prudence calls for preparation. We have, therefore, concentrated our army on the frontier, in order to ward off those damages which may suddenly arise from the present and still precarious state of Europe."

on the occasion he thus alluded to the lowering aspect of the political horizon.

"Providence has caused events to arise which threaten the disarrangement of the basis of social order. German and Prussian hearts, and men animated with sentiments of honour and of loyalty, know what duties are imposed upon them by the present circumstances. No people on earth have given a more striking example of their virtues than ours. But at present we must not relax in our efforts, for we do not wish to be less faithful, less courageous, or less persevering than were our fathers or ourselves when we were young men. Express, gentlemen, in your domestic circles that which every intelligent mind will comprehend, and that which is felt by every noble heart. Tell this incontestable truth to every body. Leave aside all party quarrels, and think only of that which is necessary if we wish to escape with honour and success from the storm which cannot be conjured, with the grace of God, otherwise than by our union, our attitude, and our example. Stand round your King, who is your best friend, like a wall of brass, with perfect confidence. Far from having any idea of interfering in the internal affairs of any foreign nation, I am doing all in my power to secure, by the assistance and the energetic voice of the great Powers, but particularly by the consolidation of the Germanic Confederation, an honourable peace, which is necessary to the nations of Europe if we can prevent the career of moral and material progress into which they have so well entered from being destroyed for centuries. If my people give the German race the example of love

and of force, they will have done much towards the preservation of peace. But if God, in his inscrutable wisdom, should decide otherwise-if the treaties on which the political edifice repose were violated -if an enemy dared to attack my territory, or that of our allies of the Germanic Confederation— then, following the dictates of honour and of duty, I would prefer the dangers of war to a shameful peace. In such case I would call my warlike people to arms. They would rally round me as they did thirtyfive years since round the flag of my father, of glorious memory, who was likewise the father of his people. My confidence in the heroism of the years 1813, 1814, and 1815 will not fail me. As soon as the measures which I am obliged to take for the honour and the safety of Germany shall require the assistance of my faithful states, and if, at a later period, a general cry of to arms should resound, I would again assemble the United Diet that they might assist me by their counsels."

soon

On the

The revolutionary wave reached Berlin, and the news of the popular movement that was going on in the Rhenish provinces and smaller states of Germany stimulated the inhabitants of the capital to demand fresh concessions from their fair-spoken, but vacillating, monarch. 13th of March a great meeting was held at Berlin in the open air, to petition for reform, when a tumult arose, and a collision took place between the military and the populace. During the ensuing week Berlin was the theatre of much disorder, and it was obvious that the people would no longer be pacified by ambiguous promises, of which they had hitherto seen a

very scanty fulfilment. King Frederick was not slow in reading the signs of the times, and on the 18th of March a royal proclamation was issued, whereby it plainly appeared that that monarch wished, if possible, to outstrip the march of revolution and place himself at its head. He demanded the transformation of Germany "from a confederation of States into a federal state" as loudly and eagerly as the most noisy of the demagogues, and spoke of the violent scenes at Vienna as events which, on the one hand, essentially facilitated the execution of his projects, and, on the other, rendered their prompt execution indispensable." The following are the most important passages in this significant document, which appeared in the form of an ordinance, convoking a meeting of the United Diet:

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"Above all, we demand that Germany be transformed from a confederation of states into one federal state. We acknowledge that this plan presupposes a reorganization of the federal constitution, which cannot be carried into execution except by a union of princes with the people, and that consequently a temporary federal representation must be formed out of the Chambers of all German States, and convoked immediately, We admit that such a federal representation imperatively demands constitutional institutions in all German states, in order that the members of that representation may sit beside each other on terms of equality. We demand a general military system of defence for Germany, and we will endeavour to form it after that model under which our Prussian armies reaped such unfading laurels in the war of liberty. We demand that the

German federal army be assembled under one single federal banner, and we hope to see a federal commander-in-chief at its head. We demand a German federal flag; and we expect that at a period not far remote a German fleet will cause the German name to be respected, both on neighbouring and far distant seas.

We demand a German federal tribunal for the settlement of all political differences between princes and their states, as well as those arising between the different German Governments. We demand a common law of settlement for all Germany, and an entire right for all Germans to change their abode in every part of our German Father-land.

"We demand that in future no barriers of custom-houses shall impede traffic upon German soil, and cripple the industry of its inhabitants.

We demand, therefore, a general German union of customs (Zollverein), in which the same weights and measures, the same coinage, and the same German laws of commerce, will soon draw closer and closer the bond of material union. We propose the liberty of the press throughout Germany, with the same general guarantees against its abuse.

"In order that the accomplishment of our intentions may experience the least possible delay, and in order that we may develope the propositions which we consider to be necessary for the interior constitution of our States, we have resolved to hasten the convocation of the United Diet, and we charge the Minister of State to fix that convocation for the 2nd of April."

To this proclamation was annexed a decree providing for the liberty of the press. It stated that the censorship was abolished, and