Gustav,ontheotherhand,arguedforatriumviratecomprisingtwoBadenersandhimselfMoreover,GustavfoundthatHeinzenhadincludedinhisprematurelypublishedprogrammean"idea"stolenfromhim。ThisputanendtothesecondattemptatunificationandHeinzen,deniedrecognitionbythewholeworld,recededintoobscurityuntil,inAutumn1850,hefoundEnglishsoiltoohotforhimandsailedofftoNewYork。
VII
GustavandtheColonyofRenunciationAftertheindefatigableGustavhadmadeanunsuccessfulattempttoestablishaCentralRefugeeCommitteetogetherwithFriedrichBobzin,Habegg,Oswald,Rosenblum,Cohaheim,Grunichandother"outstanding"
men,hemadehiswaytowardsYorkshire。Forhere,sohebelieved,amagicgardenwouldflowerandinit,unlikethegardenofAlcine,[43]virtuewouldruleinsteadofvice。AnoldEnglishmanwithasenseofhumourwhohadbeenboredbyGustav’stheoriestookhimathiswordandgavehimafewacresofmoorinYorkshireontheexpressconditionthathewouldtherefounda"colonyofrenunciation",acolonyinwhichtheconsumptionofmeat,tobaccoandspiritswouldbestrictlyprohibited,onlyavegetariandietwouldbepermittedandwhereeverycolonistwouldbeobligedtoreadachapterfromStruve’sbookonConstitutionalLawathismorningprayers。
Moreover,thecolonywastobeself-supporting。AccompaniedbyhisAmalia,bySchnauffer,hisSwabiancanaryandbyafewothergoodmenandtrue,GustavplacedhistrustinGodandwenttofoundthe"ColonyofRenunciation"。
Ofthecolonyitmustbereportedthatitcontainedlittleprosperity,muchcultureandunlimitedfreedomtobeboredandtogrowthin。OnefinemorningGustavuncoveredadreadfulplot。HiscompanionswhodidnotshareGustav’sruminantconstitutionhadresolvedbehindhisbacktoslaughtertheoldcow,theonlyoneandonewhosemilkprovidedthechiefsourceofincomeofthe"ColonyofRenunciation"。Gustavwrunghishandsandshedbittertearsatthisbetrayalofafellowcreature。Heindignantlydissolvedthecolonyanddecidedtobecomea"wet"Quaker[44]ifhewereunabletorevivetheDeutscherZuschauerortoestablisha"provisionalgovernment"inLondon。
VIIIArnold,whowasanythingbutcontentinhisretreatinOstendandwholongedfora"frequentappearance"beforethepublic,heardofGustav’smisfortune。HeresolvedtoreturntoEnglandatonceandbyclimbingonGustav’sshoulders,tohoisthimselfintothepentarchyofEuropeandemocracy。ForinthemeantimetheEuropeanCentralCommittee[45]hadbeenformedconsistingofMazzini,Ledru-RollinandDarasz,Mazziniofcoursewasthesouloftheenterprise。
Rugethoughthecouldsmellavacantposition。InhisProscritMazzinihadindeedintroducedGeneralErnstHaug,hisowninvention,astheGermanassociatebutfordecency’ssakeitwasnotpossibletonominatesuchacompletelyunknownpersonontotheCentralCommittee。RugewasnotunawareofthefactthatGustavhadhaddealingswithMazziniinSwitzerland。HehimselfwasacquaintedwithLedru-RollinbutunfortunatelyLedru-Rollinwasnotacquaintedwithhim。SoArnoldtookupresidenceinBrightonandflatteredandcajoledtheunsuspectingGustav,promisedtohelphimfoundaDeutscherZuschauerinLondonandeventoundertakeasajointventurethedemocraticpublicationoftheRotteck-WelckerLexiconofPoliticswithRugepayingtheCosts。AtthesametimeheintroducedGustavasagreatmanandcollaboratorintothelocalGermanpaperwhichinaccordancewithhisprincipleshealwayshadontap(thistimetheblowfellontheBremerTages-ChronikofthenonconformistparsonDulon)。
Onegooddeeddeservesanother:GustavpresentedArnoldtoMazzini。AsArnold’sFrenchwaswhollyincomprehensibletherewasnothingtopreventhimfromintroducinghimselftoMazziniasthegreatestmaninGermanyandaboveallashergreatest"thinker"。ThecannyItalianidealistatoncerealisedthatArnoldwasthemanhewaslookingfor,thehommesansconséquencewhowouldprovidetheGermancountersignatureofhisanti-papalBulls。ThusArnoldRugebecamethefifthwheelonthestatecoachofEuropeandemocracy。WhenanAlsatianaskedLedruwhatonearthpossessedhimtomakeanallyofsuchabête,Ledrurepliedbrusquely:"HeisMazzini’sman。"WhenMazziniwasaskedwhyhebecameinvolvedwithLedru,amanbereftofallideas,heansweredslyly:
"Itookhimforthatveryreason。"Mazzinihimselfhadeveryreasontoavoidpeoplewithideas。ButArnoldRugesawhiswildestdreamscometrueandforthemomentheevenforgotBrunoBauer。
WhenthetimecameforhimtosignMazzini’sfirstmanifestohesadlyrecalledthedayswhenhehadpresentedhimselftoProfessorLeoinHalleandoldFolleninSwitzerlandasaTrinitarianononeoccasionandasahumanistatheistonanother。ThistimehehadtodeclarehimselfforGodandagainsttheprinces。However,Arnold’sphilosophicconsciencehadbeenenfeebledbyhisassociationwithDulonandotherparsonsamongwhomhepassedforaphilosopher。EveninhisbestdaysArnoldcouldnotentirelysuppressacertainfoibleforreligioningeneralandmoreoverhis"honestconsciousness"keptonwhisperingtohim:Sign,Arnold!Parisvautbienunemesse。OnedoesnotbecomefifthwheelonthecoachoftheprovisionalgovemmentofEuropeinpartibusfornothing。Reflect,Arnold!
allyouhavetodoissignamanifestoeverytwoweeks,andasamemberoftheGermanParliament,inthecompanyofthegreatestmeninallEurope。
AndbathedinperspirationArnoldsigns。Acuriousjoke,hemurmurs。Cen’estquelepremierpasquicoûte。Hehadcopiedthislastsentenceintohisnotebookthepreviousnight。However,Arnoldhadnotcometotheendofhistrials。TheEuropeanCentralCommitteehadissuedaseriesofmanifestostoEurope,totheFrench,theItalians,thePolesandtheWallachiansandnow,followingthegreatbattleatBronzell,[46]itwasGermany’sturn。InhisdraftMazziniattackedtheGermansfortheirlackofcosmopolitanspirit,andinparticular,fortheirarroganttreatmentofItaliansalamivendors,organ-grinders,confectioners,dormousetamersandmouse-trapsellers。TakenabackArnoldconfessedthatitwastrue。Hewentfurther。HedeclaredhisreadinesstocedetheAustrianTirolandIstriatoMazzini。Butthiswasnotenough。HehadnotonlytoappealtotheconscienceoftheGermanpeople,butalsotoattackthemwheretheyweremostvulnerable。Arnoldreceivedinstructionsthatthistimehewastohaveanopinion,asherepresentedtheGermanelement。HefeltlikethestudentJobs。[47]Hescratchedhimselfthoughtfullybehindhisearandafterlongreflectionhestuttered:"SincetheageofTacitusthevoicesofGermanbardsandbaritonescanbeheard。Inwintertheykindlefiresonallthemountainssoastowarmtheirfeet。"Thebards,thebaritonesandfiresonallthemountains!ThatwillputabombunderGermanfreedom!thoughtMazziniwithagrin。Thebards,baritones,firesonallthemountainsandGermanfreedomtobootwentintothemanifestoasasopfortheGermannation。TohisastonishmentArnoldhadpassedtheexaminationandunderstoodforthefirsttimewithwhatlittlewisdomtheworldisgoverned。FromthatmomentonhedespisedBrunoBauermorethaneverforallhiseighteenheftytomeswrittenwhilehewasstillyoung。
WhileArnoldinthewakeoftheEuropeanCentralCommitteewassigningwarlikemanifestoeswithGod,forMazziniandagainsttheprinces,thepeacemovementwasragingnotonlyinEngland,undertheaegisofCobden,butevenbeyondtheNorthSea。SothatinFrankfurt/MaintheYankeeswindler,ElihuBurritttogetherwithCobden,Jaup,GirardinandtheRedIndianKa-gi-ga-gi-wa-wa-be-taorganisedaPeaceCongress。
OurArnoldwasjustitchingtobeabletomakeoneofhis"frequentappearances"
andtogivebirthtoamanifesto。SoheproclaimedhimselfthecorrespondingmemberoftheFrankfurtAssemblyandsentoveranextremelyconfusedPeaceManifestotranslatedoutofCobden’sspeechesintohisownspeculativePomeranian。VariousGermansdrewArnold’sattentiontothecontradictionbetweenhiswarlikeattitudeintheCentralCommitteeandhispeacefulQuakerism。Hewouldreply:"Well,thereyouhavethecontradictions。That’sthedialecticforyou。InmyyouthIstudiedHegel。"His"honestconsciousness"
waseasedbythethoughtthatMazziniknewnoGermanandthatitwasnothardtopullthewooloverhiseyes。
Moreover,hisrelationshipwithMazzinipromisedtobecomeevenmoresecurethankstotheprotectionofHarroHarringwhohadjustlandedinHull。ForwithHarringanewandhighlysymptomaticcharacterstepsontothestage。
IXThegreatdramaofthedemocraticemigrationof1848-52
hadbeenprecededbyapreludeeighteenyearspreviously:thedemocraticemigrationof1830-31。Eventhoughwiththepassageoftimemostoftheplayershaddisappearedfromthestagetherestillremainedafewnobleruinswho,stoicallyindifferenttothecourseofhistoryandtheirownlackofsuccess,continuedtheiractivitiesasagitators,devisedcomprehensiveplans,formedprovisionalgovernmentsandhurledproclamationsintotheworldineverydirection。Itisobviousthattheseexperiencedswindlerswereinfinitelysuperiortotheyoungergenerationinbusinessknow-how。
Itwasthisveryknow-howacquiredthrougheighteenyearspracticeinconspiring,scheming,intriguing,proclaiming,duping,showingoffandpushingoneselftotheforethatgaveMr。MazzinithecheekandtheassurancetoinstallhimselfastheCentralCommitteeofEuropeandemocracysupportedonlybythreestrawmenofmuchsmallerexperienceinsuchmatters。
NoonewasmorefavouredbycircumstancestobecometheverytypeoftheémigréagitatorthanourfriendHarroHarring。AndindeedhedidbecometheprototypewhomallourheroesoftheExile,alltheArnolds,GustavsandGottfriedsstrovemoreorlessconsciouslyandwithvaryingsuccesstoemulate。Theymayevenequalhimifcircumstancesarenotunfavourable,buttheywillhardlysurpasshim。
HarrowholikeCaesarhashimselfdescribedhisowngreatdeeds(London1852)wasbornonthe"Cimbrianpeninsula"andbelongstothatvisionaryNorthFrisianracewhichhasalreadybeenshownbyDr。Clementtohaveproducedallthegreatnationsoftheworld。
"Alreadyinearlyyouth"heattemptedto"setthesealofactionuponhisenthusiasmforthecauseofthepeoples"bygoingtoGreecein1821。WeseehowFriendHarrohadanearlypremonitionofhismissiontobeeverywherewhereconfusionreigned。Lateron"astrangefateledhimtothesourceofabsolutism,tothevicinityoftheCzarandhehadseenthroughtheJesuitismofconstitutionalmonarchyinPoland"。
SoHarrofoughtforfreedominPolandalso。But"thecrisisinthehistoryofEuropefollowingthefallofWarsawgreatlyperplexedhim",andhisperplexityledhimtotheideaof"thedemocracyofnations",whichheatonce"documentedinthework:TheNations,Strasbourg,March1832"。ItisworthremarkingthatthisworkwasalmostquotedattheHambacherFest。[48]Atthesametimehepublishedhis"republicanpoems:Blutstropfen[DropsofBlood];TheHistoryofKingSaulortheMonarchy;MalevoicesonGermany’sFreedom"andeditedthejournalDeutschlandinStrasbourg。AlltheseandevenhisfuturewritingshadtheunexpectedgoodfortunetobebannedbytheFederalDietonNovember4,1831。Thiswastheonlythinghestilllacked,onlynowdidheachieverealimportanceandalsothemartyr’scrown。Sothathecouldexclaim"Mywritingswereeverywherewellreceivedandechoedloudlyintheheartsofthepeople。Theyweremostlydistributedgratis。
InthecaseofsomeofthemIdidnotevenreceiveenoughtocovertheCostsofprinting。"
Butnewhonoursstillawaitedhim。In1831Mr。Welckerhadvainlyattemptedinalongletter"toconverthimtotheverticalhorizonofconstitutionalmonarchy"。Andnow,inJanuary1832,therecameavisitfromMr。Malten,awell-knownPrussianagentabroad,whoproposedthatheshouldenterPrussianservice。Whatdoublerecognitionthiswas——andfromtheenemytoo!Enough,Malten’soffer"triggeredofftheideathatinthefaceofthisdynastictreacheryheshouldgivebirthtotheconceptofScandinaviannationality",and"fromthattimeonatleastthewordScandinaviawasrebornafterhavingbeenforgottenforcenturies"。
InthismannerourNorthFrisianfromSouthJutlandwhodidnotknowhimselfwhetherhewasaGermanoraDaneacquiredatleastanimaginarynationalitywhosefirstconsequencewasthatthemenofHambachwouldhavenothingtodowithhim。
WithalltheseeventsbehindhimHarro’sfortunewasmade。VeteranoffreedominGreeceandPoland,theinventorof"democracyofnations",re-discovereroftheword"Scandinavia",poetacknowledgedbythebanoftheFederalDiet,thinkerandjournalist,martyr,agreatmanesteemedevenbyhisenemies,amanwhoseallegianceconstitutionalists,absolutistsandrepublicansviedwitheachothertopossessand,withallthat,empty-headedandconfusedenoughtobelieveinhisowngreatness——whatthenwasneededtomakehishappinesscomplete?ButHarrowasaconscientiousmanandashisfamegrewsodidthedemandswhichhemadeuponhimselfWhatwasmissingwasagreatworkthatwouldpresentinanentertainingandpopularformthegreatdoctrinesoffreedom,theideaofdemocracy,andofnationalityandallthesublimestrugglesforfreedomonthepartoftheyouthfulEuropearisingbeforehisveryeyes。NonebutapoetandthinkeroftheveryfirstrankcouldproducesuchaworkandnonebutHarrocouldbethisman。Thusarosethefirstthreeplaysofthe"dramaticcycle"ThePeople,ofwhichthereweretwelvepartsinall,oneoftheminDanish,alabourtowhichtheauthordevotedtenyearsofhislife。Unfortunatelyelevenofthesetwelvepartshave"hithertoremainedinmanuscript"。
However,thisdallyingwiththemusewasnottolastforever。
"Inthewinterof1832-1833amovementwaspreparedinGermany——whichwasbroughttoatragicendintheskirmishinFrankfurt。Iwasentrustedwiththetaskoftakingthefortress(?)inKehlonthenightof6April。
Menandweaponswereattheready。"
UnfortunatelyitallcametonothingandHarrohadtoretiretothedepthsofFrancewherehewrotehisWordsofaMan。FromtherehewassummonedtoSwitzerlandbythePolesarmingthemselvesfortheirmarchonSavoy。
Herehebecame"attachedtotheirGeneralStaff",wroteafurthertwopartsofhisdramaticcycleThePeople,andmadetheacquaintanceofMazziniinGeneva。Thewholebandoffire-eatersconsistingofPolish,French,German,ItalianandSwissadventurersunderthecommandofthenobleRamorinothenmadetheirfamousattackonSavoy。[49]InthiscampaignourHarro"discoveredthevalueofhislifeandstrength"。
Butastheotherfreedomfightersfelt"thevalueoftheirlives"nolessthanHarroandnodoubthadjustasfewillusionsabouttheir"strength"
theexploitendedbadlyandtheyreturnedtoSwitzerlandbeaten,dishevelledandindisarray。
Thiscampaignwasallthatwasneededtogiveourbandofemigrantknightsacompleteinsightintotheterrortheyinspiredinthetyrants。
AslongastheaftermathoftheJulyRevolutioncouldstillbefeltinisolatedinsurrectionsinFrance,GermanyorItaly,aslongastheyfeltsomeoneorotherstandingbehindthemourémigréheroesfeltthemselvestobebutatomsintheseethingmasses——moreorlessprivileged,prominentatoms,tobesure,butinthelastanalysistheywerestillatoms。Butastheseinsurrectionsgraduallygrewfeebler,asthegreatmassof"lackeys",ofthe"half-hearted"andthe"menoflittlefaith"retiredfromtheputschistswindlesandasourknightsfeltincreasinglylonely,sodidtheirself-esteemgrowinproportion。IfthewholeofEuropebecamecraven,stupidandselfish,howcouldourtrustyheroesfailtogrowintheirownestimation,forweretheynotthepriestswhokeptthesacredfiresofhatredforalltyrantsburningintheirbreastsandwhomaintainedthetraditionsofvirtueandloveoffreedomforamorevigorousgenerationyettocome!Iftheytoodesertedtheflagthetyrantswouldbesafeforever。Solikethedemocratsof1848theysawineverydefeataguaranteeoffuturevictoryandtheygraduallytransformedthemselvesmoreandmoreintoitinerantDonQuixoteswithdubioussourcesofincome。
Oncearrivedatthispointtheycouldplantheirgreatestactofheroism,thefoundationof"YoungEurope"whoseCharterofBrotherhoodwasdrawnupbyMazziniandsignedinBerneon15April1834。Harroappearsinitas"initiatoroftheCentralCommittee,adoptivememberofYoungGermanyandYoungItalyandalsoasrepresentativeoftheScandinavianbranch"
whichhe"stillrepresentstoday"。
ThedateoftheCharterofBrotherhoodmarksforHarrothegreatepochfromwhichcalculationsaremadeforwardsandbackwards,thusreplacingthebirthofChrist。Itisthehighpointofhislife。Hewasco-dictatorofEuropeinpartibusandalthoughtheworldknewnothingofhimhewasoneofthemostdangerousmenalive。Noonestoodbehindhimbuthismanyunpublishedworks,afewGermanartisansinSwitzerlandandadozenpoliticalspeculatorswhohadseenbetterdays——butforthatveryreasonhecouldclaimthatallthepeopleoftheworldwereonhisside。Foritisthefateofallgreatmennottoberecognisedbytheirownagewhereasthefuturebelongstothem。AndHarrohadtakencareofthefuture——hehaditinblackandwhiteinhisbagintheformoftheCharterofBrotherhood。
ButnowbeganHarro’sdecline。Hisfirstsorrowwasthat"YoungGermanysplitofffromYoungEuropein1836"。ButGermanywasdulypunishedforthat。Becauseofthesplit"nothinghadbeenpreparedforanationalmovementinGermanyearlyin1848"andthisiswhyeverythingendedsomiserably。
ButamuchgreatersorrowforHarrowasthegrowthofcommunism。
Welearnfromhimthatthefounderofcommunismwasnoneotherthan"thecynicJohannesMüllerfromBerlin,theauthorofaveryinterestingpamphletonPrussianpolicy,Altenburg1831"。MüllerwenttoEnglandwhere"theonlyavailableopeningforhimwasinSmithfieldMarketwherehehadtotendswineatthecrackofdawn"。
CommunismsoonbegantospreadamongtheGermanartisansinFranceandSwitzerlandanditbecameaverydangerousenemyforHarroasitcutofftheonlymarketforhiswritings。Thiswasduetothe"indirectcensorshipofcommunism"fromwhichpoorHarrohassufferedtothisverydayandindeeditisnowworsethaneverashesadlyconfessesand"asthefateofmydramaTheDynastyproves"。ThisindirectcommunistcensorshipevensucceededinexpellingHarrofromEuropeandsohewenttoRiodeJaneiro(in1840)wherehelivedforatimeasapainter。"Usinghistimeconscientiouslyhereaseverywhere"hebroughtoutanewwork:"PoemsofaScandinavian(2000copies)whichhasbeendistributedsowidelyamongsea-faringpeopleastohavebecomeanoceanicbest-seller"。
However,his"scrupuloussenseofobligationtowardsYoungEurope"
unfortunatelyledhimtoreturntotheOldWorld。
He"hastenedtoMazziniinLondonandsoonperceivedthedangerthatthreatenedthecauseofthepeoplesfromcommunism"。
Newdeedsawaitedhim。TheBandierabrothers[50]werepreparingfortheirexpeditiontoItaly。TosupportthemandtodiverttheforcesofdespotismHarro"returnedtoSouthAmericawhereinunionwithGaribaldihededicatedhimselftofurtheringtheideaofaUnitedStatesofSouthAmerica"。
ButthedespotshadgotwindofhismissionandHarrotooktohisheels。HesailedtoNewYork。
"DuringthevoyageIwasveryactiveintellectuallyandwroteamongotherthingsadrama:ThePowerofIdeas,whichbelongedtothedramaticcycleThePeople——thistoohasremainedinMS。uptonow!"
FromSouthAmericahebroughtwithhimtoNewYorkaprogrammefromagroupallegedtobeaffiliatedwithHumanidad。
ThenewsoftheFebruaryRevolutioninspiredhimtoproduceapamphletinFrench,LaFranceréveilléeandwhileembarkingforEurope"Idocumentedmyloveformycountryonceagaininsomepoems,Scandinavia"。
HewenttoSchleswig-Holstein。Here,afteranabsenceoftwentysevenyears,he"discoveredanunheardofconceptualconfusioninthesphereofinternationallaw,democracy,republicanismsocialismandcommunism,achaoswhichlaylikerottinghayandstrawintheAugeanstablesofpartyfactionsandnationalhatred"。
Nowonder,forhis"politicalwritings"likehis"wholestrivingandactivitiessince1831hadremainedalienandunknowninthosefrontierprovincesofmyhomecountry"。
TheAugustenburgParty[51]hadsuppressedhimforeighteenyearsbymeansofaconspiracyofsilence。Todealwiththishegirtonasabre,arifle,fourpistolsandsixdaggersandcalledfortheformationofafreecorps,butinvain。AftervariousadventureshefinallyarrivedinHull。HerehehastenedtoissuetwocircularstothepeoplesofSchleswig-Holstein,ScandinaviaandGermanyandevensentanote,ashasbeenreported,totwocommunistsinLondonwiththismessage:
"FivethousandworkersinNorwaysendyoufraternalgreetingsthroughme。
DespitethiscuriousappealhesoonbecameasleepingpartneroftheEuropeanCentralCommitteeagain,thankstotheCharterofBrotherhood,andhealsobecame"nigh/watchmanandemployeeofayoungfirmofbrokersinGravesendontheThameswheremytaskwastodrumuptradeamongships’
captainsinninedifferentlanguagesuntilIwasaccusedoffraud,athingwhichthephilosopherJohannesMüllerwasatleastsparedinhiscapacityasswineherd"。
Harrosummarisedhisaction-packedlifeasfollows:
"ItcaneasilybecalculatedthatapartfrommypoemsIhavegivenawaymorethan18,000copiesofmywritingsinGerman(varyingfrom10
shillingsto3Marksinprice,andhenceamountingtoaround25,000Marksintoto)tothedemocraticmovement。Ihaveneverevenbeenreimbursedfortheprintingcosts,letalonereceivedanyprofitformyself。"
WiththiswebringtheadventuresofourdemagogicHidalgofromtheSouthJutlandManchatoaclose。InGreeceandBrazil,ontheVistulaandLaPlata,inSchleswig-HolsteinandinNewYork,inLondonandinSwitzerland:
therepresentativeofYoungEuropeandoftheSouthAmericanHumanidad,painter,nightwatchmanandemployee,peddlerofhisownwritings;amongPolesonedayandgauchosthenext,andship’scaptainsthedayafterthat;
unacknowledged,abandoned,ignoredbuteverywhereanitinerantknightoffreedomwithathoroughgoingdislikeofordinarybourgeoishardwork——
ourheroatalltimesinallcountriesandinallcircumstancesremainshimself;withthesameconfusion,thesamemeddlesomepretensions,thesamefaithinhimselfHewillalwaysdefytheworldandneverceasetosay,writeandprintthatsince1831hehasbeenthemainspringofworldhistory。
XDespitehisunexpectedsuccesseshithertoArnoldhadnotyetarrivedatthegoalofhislabours。AsGermany’srepresentativebythegraceofMazzini,hewasundertheobligationontheonehandtoobtainconfirmationofhisappointmentatleastbytheGermanemigrationand,ontheotherhand,topresenttheCentralCommitteewithpeoplewhorespectedhisleadership。HedidindeedclaimthatinGermany"therewasaclearlydefinedpartofthepeoplebehindhim"butthishindportioncouldscarcelyinspiremuchconfidenceinMazziniandLedruaslongastheycouldseenothingbuttheRugefrontportion。SufficeittosaythatArnoldhadtolookaroundamongtheémigrésfora"clearlydefined’’tail。
AtaboutthistimeGottfriedKinkelcametoLondonandtogetherwithhimorsoonafterwardsanumberofotherexilespartlyfromFrance,partlyfromSwitzerlandandBelgium:Schurz,Strodtmann,Oppenheim,Schimmelpfennig,Techow,etc。ThesenewarrivalssomeofwhomhadalreadytriedtheirhandatformingprovisionalgovernmentsinSwitzerland,infusednewlifeintotheLondonemigrationandforArnoldthemomentseemedmorefavourablethanever。AtthesametimeHeinzenagaintookovertheSchnellpostinNewYorkandsoArnoldcouldnowmakehis"frequentappearances"ontheothersideoftheoceanandnotustinthelocalBremenpaper。ShouldArnoldeverfindhisStrodtmannthelatterwouldsurelydeclarethemonthlynumbersoftheSchnellpostfromthebeginningof1851ontobeapricelesssourceofinformation。Onehastoseethisinfinitelyfeeblemixtureofgossip,sillinessandnastiness,thisant-likeself-importancewithwhichArnolddepositshisdung,forotherwiseonewouldnotbelieveit。WhileHeinzenportraysArnoldasaEuropeanGreatPower,ArnoldtreatsHeinzenasanAmericannewspaperoracle。HetellshimthesecretsofEuropeandiplomacyandinparticularthelatesteventsinthehistoryofworldemigration。
ArnoldsometimesfiguresastheanonymouscorrespondentinLondonandParisinordertokeeptheAmericanpublicinformedofsomeofthegreatArnold’sfashionablemovements。
"OnceagainArnoldRugehasthecommunistsbythethroat"——"ArnoldRugeyesterday(datedfromParissothatthedatinggivestheoldjokeraway)madeanexcursionfromBrightontoLondon。"Andagain:"ArnoldRugetoKarlHeinzen:DearFriendandEditor……Mazzinisendshisgreetings……Ledru-RollingiveshispermissiontotranslatehispamphletontheJune13th"andsoon。
AletterfromAmericahasthiscommenttomake:
"AsIseefromRuge’slettersintheSchnellpostHeinzenmustbewritingRuge(privately)allsortsoffunnystoriesabouttheimportanceofhispaperinAmerica,whileRugeseemstoactasifhewereamajorEuropeangovemment。WheneverRugeimpartsamomentouspieceofinformationtoHeinzenheneveromitstoadd:Youcanaskothernewspaperstoreprintthis。AsiftheywouldhesitatetoprintnewsregardlessofRuge’sauthorisation。
Incidentally,IhaveneverseenthesemomentousreportsactuallyappearanywhereelsedespiteRuge’sadviceandpermission。"
FatherRugeemployedboththispaperandtheBremerTagesChroniktowinovernewarrivalsbyflattery:Kinkelisherenow,thepatriotandpoetofgenius;Strodtmann,agreatwriter;Schurz,ayoungmanasamiableasheisbold,andawholearrayofdistinguishedrevolutionarywarriors。
MeanwhileincontrasttotheMazziniCommitteeaplebeianEuropeanCommitteewasformedwiththesupportofthe"inferiorrefugees"
andtheémigrédregsofthevariousEuropeannations。
AtthetimeofthebattleofBronzellthiscommitteehadissuedamanifestothatincludedthefollowingoutstandingGermansignatories:Gebert,Majer,Dietz,Schärttner,Schapper,Willich。ThisdocumentwascouchedinpeculiarFrenchandcontainedtheinformationthatatthatmoment(10November1850)theHolyAllianceofTyrantshadassembled1,330,000soldiersbackedbyanother700,000armedlackeysinreserve;that"theGermanpapersandtheCommittee’sowncontacts"hadrevealedthesecretintentionsoftheWarsawConferences[52]andthattheseweretomassacrealltherepublicansofEurope。Thiswasfollowedbytheinevitablecalltoarms。This"manifeste-Faneron-Caperon-Gouté"asitwasdescribedbythePatrie(towhomtheysentit)wasoverwhelmedwithridiculebythereactionarypress。ThePatriecalledit"themanifestoofthediiminorumgentium,writtenwithoutchic,withoutstyleandequippedwithonlythemostbanalclichés,’serpents’,’sicaires’and’égorgements’"。
TheIndépendenceBelgestatesthatitwaswrittenbythemostobscuresoldiersofdemocracy,poordevilswhohadsentittotheircorrespondentinLondoneventhoughtheirpaperwasconservative。
Greatlyastheylongedtogetintoprint,theywouldneverthelessnotpublishthenamesofthesignatoriesasapunishment。Despitetheirattemptstobegfromthereactionthesenoblepeopledidnotmanagetoobtainrecognitionasdangerousconspirators。
TheestablishmentofthisrivalfirmspurredArnoldontoevengreaterefforts。TogetherwithStrave,Kinkel,R。SchrammandBucher,etc。
hetriedtofoundaVolksfreund,or,ifGustavweretoinsist,aDeutscherZuschauer。Buttheplanfellthrough。Partlybecauseour"good-humoured"GottfrieddemandedpaymentincashwhereasArnoldsharedHansemann’sviewthatinmoneymattersthereisnoroomforgoodhumour。
Arnold’sparticularaimwastoimposealevyontheReadingCircle,aclubofGermanwatchmakers,well-paidworkersandpettybourgeois,butinthistoohewasfrustrated。
ButsoontherearoseanotheropportunityforArnoldtomakeoneofhis"frequentappearances"。LedruandhissupportersamongtheFrenchémigréscouldnotlet24February(1851)[53]passwithoutcelebratinga"FraternalFeast"ofthenationsofEurope。
InfactonlytheFrenchandtheGermansattended。Mazinididnotcomeandexcusedhimselfbyletter:Gottfriedwhowaspresentwenthomefumingbecausehismutepresencefailedtoproducethemagicaleffectheexpected;ArnoldlivedtoseethedaywhenhisfriendLedrupretendednottoknowhimandbecamesoconfusedwhenhearosetospeakthathekeptquietabouttheFrenchspeechhehadpreparedandwhichhadbeenapprovedinhighplaces;
hejuststammeredafewwordsinGermanandretreatedprecipitately,exclaiming:
Àlarestaurationdelarévolution!totheaccompanimentofageneralshakingofheads。
Onthesamedayarivalbanquettookplaceundertheauspicesofthecompetingcommitteereferredtoabove。AnnoyedthattheMazzini-LedrucommitteehadnotinvitedhimtojointhemfromthebeginningLouisBlanctookhimselfofftotherefugeemob,declaringthat"thearistocracyoftalentmustalsobeabolished"。Thewholeloweremigrationwasthusassembled。
ThechivalrousWillichpresided。Thehallwasfestoonedwithflagsandthewallswereemblazonedwiththenamesofthegreatestmenofthepeople:
WaldeckbetweenGaribaldiandKossuth,JacobybetweenBlanquiandCabet,RobertBlumbetweenBarbèsandRobespierre。ThatcoquettishapeLouisBlancreadoutinawhiningvoiceanaddressfromhisoldEeyorebrothers,thefuturepeersofthesocialrepublic,thedelegatesoftheLuxemburgof1848。WillichreadoutanaddressfromSwitzerlandthesignaturestowhichhadpartlybeencollectedunderfalsepresences。Laterhewasindiscreetenoughtopublishtheaddress,whichresultedinthemassexpulsionofthesignatories。FromGermanynomessagehadarrived。Thenspeeches。
Despitetheeternalbrotherhoodboredomcouldbeseenoneveryface。
ThebanquetgaverisetoahighlyedifyingscandalwhichliketheheroicdeedsoftheEuropeancentralmob-committee,unfoldedwithinthepagesofthecounter-revolutionarypress。IthadstruckobserversasverystrangethatduringthebanquetacertainBarthélemyshouldhavegivenanextremelygrandioseeulogyofBlanquiinthepresenceofLouisBlanc。Thepuzzlewasnowelucidated。ThePatrieprintedatoastthatBlanquihadsentfromBelle-Îleinresponsetoarequestfromtheoratoratthebanquet。Inthetoastheaimedsomeroughblowsatthewholeprovisionalgovernmentof1848andatLouisBlancinparticular。
ThePatrieexpressedastonishmentthatthistoasthadbeensuppressedinthecourseofthebanquet。LouisBlancatoncewrotetoTheTimesdeclaringthatBlanquiwasanabominableintriguerandhadneversentsuchatoasttotheBanquetcommittee。ThecommitteeconsistingofMessrs,Blanc,Willich,Landolphe,Schapper,BarthélemyandVidil,announcedsimultaneouslyinthePatriethattheyhadneverreceivedthetoast。ThePatrie,however,didnotallowthedeclarationtobeprinteduntiltheyhadmadeinquiriesofM。Antoine,Blanqui’sbrother-in-law,whohadgiventhemthetextofthetoast。BeneaththedeclarationoftheBanquetcommitteetheyprintedM。Antoine’sreply:hehadsentthetoasttoBarthélemy,oneofthesignatoriesofthedeclarationandhadreceivedanacknowledgementfromhim。WhereuponMr。Barthélemywasforcedtoadmitthatitwastruethathehadlied。Hehadindeedreceivedthetoastbuthadthoughtitunsuitableandsohadnotinformedthecommitteeofit。Butbeforethis,behindBarthélemy’sbackhisco-signatory,theFrenchax-captainVidilhadalsowrittentothePatriesayingthathishonourasasoldierandhissenseoftruthcompelledhimtoconfessthatnotonlyhebutalsoLouisBlanc,Willichandalltheothersignatoriesofthefirstdeclarationhadlied。Thecommitteehadconsistedof13membersandnot6。TheyhadallseenBlanqui’stoast,theyhaddiscusseditandafteralongdebateagreedtosuppressitbyamajorityof7votesto6。Hehadbeenonewhohadvotedinfavourofreadingitinpublic。
ItiseasytoimaginethejoyofthePatriewhenitreceivedBarthélemy’sdeclarationafterVidil’sletter。Theyprinteditwiththispreface:
"Wehaveoftenaskedourselves,anditisadifficultquestiontoanswer,whetherthedemagoguesarenotablemorefortheirstupidityortheirboastfulness。
AfourthletterfromLondonhasincreasedourperplexity。Theretheyare,wedonotknowhowmanypoorwretches,whoaresotormentedbythelongingtowriteandtoseetheirnamespublishedinthereactionarypressthattheyareundeterredevenbytheprospectofinfinitehumiliationandmortification。Whatdotheycareforthelaughterandtheindignationofthepublic——theJournaldesDébats,theAssembléerationaleandthePatriewillfindspacefortheirstylisticexercises;toachievethisnocosttothecauseofcosmopolitandemocracycanbetoohigh……Inthenameofliterarycommiserationweincludethefollowingletterfrom’Citizen’Barthélemy——itisanovel,and,wehope,thelastproofoftheauthenticityofBlanqui’sfamoustoastwhoseexistencetheyfirstalldeniedandnowfightamongthemselvesfortherighttoacknowledge。"
XI"Theactualforceofevents",touseoneofArnold’sall-pervadingbeautifulforms,nowtookthefollowingcourse。On24February,RugehadcompromisedhimselfandtheGermanémigrésinthepresenceofforeigners。Hencethefewémigréswhostillfeltinclinedtogoalongwithhimfeltinsecureandwithoutanysupport。Arnoldputtheblameonthedivisionintheemigrationandpressedharderthaneverforunity。Compromisedashewas,hestillreachedeagerlyforthechancetocompromisehimselffurther。
HencetheAnniversaryoftheMarchrevolutioninViennawasusedtogiveaGermanbanquet。ThechivalrousWillichdeclinedtheinvitation;ashebelongedto"citizen"LouisBlanchecouldnotcollaboratewith"citizen"Rugewhobelongedto"citizen"Ledru。Likewisetheex-deputiesReichenbach,Schramm,Bucher,etc。,recoiledfromRuge’spresence。NotcountingthesilentgueststhereappearedMazzini,Ruge,Struve,Tausenau,Haug,RongeandKinkel——allofwhomspoke。
Rugefilledtheroleof"thecompletefool"asevenhisfriendsadmitted。TheGermanpublicwashowevertoexperienceevengreaterthings。
Tausenau’sclowning,Struve’scroaking,Haug’smeanderings,Ronge’slitaniesturnedthewholeaudiencetostoneandthemajoritydriftedawayevenbeforethatflowerofrhetoric,Jeremiah-Kinkel,whohadbeensavedforthedessert,couldbeginhisspeech。"Inthenameofthemartyrs"forthemartyrs,Gottfriedspokeasamartyrandutteredlachrymosewordsofreconciliationtoall"fromthesimpledefenderoftheconstitutiondowntotheredrepublican"。
Atthesametimeasalltheserepublicans,andevenredrepublicans,likeKinkel,groanedawayinthisfashion,theyalsokneltdownbeforetheEnglishconstitutioninhumbleadoration,acontradictiontowhichtheMorningChroniclepolitelydrewtheirattentionthefollowingmorning。
ThesameeveningRugesawthefulfilmentofhisdesiresascanbeseenfromaproclamationwhosemostbrilliantsectionsweofferhere:
"TotheGermans!
"BrothersandfriendsinGermany!We,theundersigned,constituteatpresentanduntilsuchtimeasyoudecidedifferently,thecommitteeforGermanaffairs"(irrespectivewhichaffairs)。
"TheCentralCommitteeoftheEuropeandemocraticmovementhassentusArnoldRuge,theBadenrevolutionhassentGustavStruve,theVienneserevolutionhassentusErnstHaug,thereligiousmovementhassentusJohannesRongeandprisonhassentusGottfriedKinkel,wehaveinvitedthesocial-democraticworkerstosendarepresentativetoourmidst。
"Germanbrothers!Eventshavedeprivedyouofyourfreedom……
weknowthatyouareincapableofabandoningyourfreedomforeverandwehaveomittednothing"(inthewayofcommitteesandmanifestoes)"thatmightaccelerateyourrecoveryofit。
"Whenwe……whenwegaveourguaranteeandoursupporttotheMazziniloan,whenwe……whenweinvokedtheHolyAllianceofpeoplesagainsttheunholyallianceoftheiroppressors,weonlydid,asyouknow,whatyouwishedwithallyourheartstoseedone……Thetyrantshavebeenarraignedbeforetheuniversalcourtofmankindinthegreattrialoffreedom"
(andwithArnoldaspublicprosecutor,the"tyrants"cansleepinpeace)
"……arson,murder,pillaging,hungerandbankruptcywillsoonbewidespreadthroughoutGermany。
"YouhavetheexampleofFrancebeforeyoureyes——Smoulderingwithfuryitismoreunitedthaneverinitsdeterminationtoliberateitself"(Iaskyou,whoonearthcouldhaveforeseenthe2December!)——
lookatHungary,eventheCroatshavebeenconverted"(thankstotheDeutscherZuschauerandRuge’swood-shavingcoats)——"andbelieveus,forweknow,whenwesaythatPolandisimmortal"(Mr。Daraszconfidedthispieceofinformationtothemundersolemnoathofsecrecy)。
"Forceagainstforce——thatisthejusticethatisbeingprepared。
Andweshallleavenothingundonetobringintobeingamoreeffectiveprovisionalgovernment"(aha!)"thantheVorparlament[54]andamorepotentarmofthepeoplethantheNationalAssembly"(seebelowwhatthesegentlemenbroughtintobeingwhentheyattemptedtoleadeachotherbythenose)。
"Ourdraftproposalsconcerningthefinancesandthepress"(Articles1and2ofthestrongprovisionalgovernment——theCustomsOfficer,ChristianMüller,istobegiventhetaskofimplementingthismeasure)"shallbepresentedseparately。WewishonlytosaythateverypurchasefortheItalianLoanwillbeofimmediatebenefittoourCommitteeandtoourcauseandthatforthemomentyoucanhelpinapracticalwayaboveallbyensuringaliberalsupplyofmoney。Weshallthenknowhowtotranslatethismoneyintopublicopinionandpublicviolence。(WithArnoldastranslator)"……Wesaytoyou:Subscribe10millionFrancsandweshallliberatetheContinent!
"Germans,remember……"(thatyousingbaritoneandlightfiresonthemountains)"……Iendusyourthoughts"(whichweneedalmostasbadlyasyourmoney),"yourpurse"(yes,don’tforgetthat)"andyourarm!
WeexpectyourzealtoincreasewiththeintensityofyoursufferingsandthattheCommitteeshallbeadequatelystrengthenedforthehourofdecisionbyyourpresentcontributions。"(Ifnot,theywouldhavetoresorttospirituousliquorwhichwouldbeagainstGustav’sprinciples。)
"Alldemocratsareinstructedtopubliciseourappeal"
(theCustomsOfficer,ChristianMüller,willtakecareoftherest)。
"London,13March1851
TheCommitteeforGermanAffairsArnoldRuge,GustavStruve,ErnstHaug,JohannesRonge,GottfriedKinkel"
OurreadersarenowacquaintedwithGottfried,theyarealsoacquaintedwithGustav;Arnold’s"frequentappearances"havelikewisebeenrepeatedoftenenough。Sothereremainbuttwomembersofthe"effectiveprovisionalgovemment"whomwehavestilltointroduce。
JohannesRongeorJohannesKurzwegashelikestobeknowninhisintimatecircle,iscertainlynottheauthoroftheBookofRevelations。Thereisnothingmysteriousabouthim,heisbanal,hackneyed,asinsipidaswater,luke-warmdish-water。AsiswellknownJohannesbecamefamouswhenherefusedtopermittheHolyMantle[55]inTriertointercedeforhim——thoughitiswhollyunimportantwhointercedesforJohannes。WhenJohannesfirstmadehisappearancetheelderlyPaulus[56]expressedhisregretsthatHegelwasdeadashewouldnolongerbeabletoregardhimasshallowwerehealiveandheaddedthatthelatelamentedKrugwasluckytobedeadashetherebyescapedthedangerofacquiringareputationforprofundity。Johannesisoneofthosephenomenaoftenmetwithinhistorywhoonlybegintounderstandamovementcenturiesafteritsriseandfallandwhothenlikechildrenreproducethecontentofthemovementasifithadjustbeendiscovered,regurgitatingitinthemostfeeble,colourlessandphilistinicmannerimaginable。SuchcraftsmanshipdoesnotlastverylongandsoonourJohannesfoundhimselfinadailydeterioratingsituationinGermany。Hiswatered-downversionoftheEnlightenmentwentoutoffashionandJohannesmadeapilgrimagetoEnglandwhereweseehimreappear,withoutanynotablesuccess,astherivalofPadreGavazzi。[57]Theungainly,sallow,tediousvillageparsonnaturallypaledbythesideofthefiery,histrionicItalianmonkandtheEnglishbetheavilythatthisaridJohannescouldnotbethemanwhohadsetthedeep-thinkingGermannationinmotion。
ButhewasconsoledbyArnoldRugewhofoundthattheGerman-CatholicismofourJohanneswasremarkablysimilartohisownbrandofatheism。
LudwigvonHauckhadbeenacaptainofengineersintheImperialAustrianarmy,thenco-editoroftheConstitutioninVienna,laterstillleaderofabattalionintheVienneseNationalGuard,wherehedefendedtheBurgtoragainsttheImperialarmyonOctober30withgreatcourage,abandoninghispostonlyafterallwaslost。HeescapedtoHungary,joinedupwithBem’sarmyinSiebenburgenwhereinconsequenceofhisvelourheadvancedtotherankofcolonelinthegeneralstaff。AfterGörgysurrenderedatVilagosLudwigHauckwastakenprisoneranddiedlikeaheroononeofthemanygallowsthattheAustrianserectedinHungarytoavengetheirrepeateddefeatsandtoexpresstheirfuryattheprotectionRussiahadextendedandwhichtheysobitterlyresented。InLondonHaugwaslongthoughttobetheincarceratedHauck,anofficer,whohadsodistinguishedhimselfintheHungariancampaign。However,itnowseemstobeestablishedthatheisnotthelateHauck。JustashewasunabletopreventMazzinifromimprovisinghimintoageneralafterthefallofRome,sotoohecoulddonothingtostopArnoldRugefromtransforminghimintotherepresentativeoftheVienneserevolutionandamemberofthestrongprovisionalgovernment。
Laterhegaveaestheticlecturesabouttheeconomicfoundationsofthecosmogonyofuniversalhistoryfromageologicalstandpointandwithmusicalaccompaniment。Amongtheémigrésthismelancholicmanisknownas"thepoorwretch",orastheFrenchsay,"labonnebête"。
Arnoldcouldnotbelievehisgoodfortune。Hehadamanifesto,astrongprovisionalgovernment,aloanoftenmillionfrancsandevenahomunculustoproduceaweeklymagazinewiththemodesttitleKosmos,editedbyGeneralHaug。
Themanifestocameandwentunread。TheKosmosdiedofmalnutritioninthethirdnumber,themoneyfailedtorollin,theprovisionalgovernmentdissolvedintoitscomponentsoncemore。
Atfirst,theKosmoscontainedadvertisementsforKinkel’slectures,fortheworthyWillich’sappealsformoneyfortheSchleswig-HolsteinrefugeesandforGöhringer’ssaloon。ItcontainedfurtheralampoonbyArnold。TheoldjokerinventedacertainhospitablefriendcalledMüllerinGermanywhoseguest,Schulze,hepretendedtobe。MüllerexpressesastonishmentatwhathereadsinthepapersaboutEnglishhospitality;
hefearsthatallthis"sybaritisrn"maydistractSchulzefromhis"affairsofstate"——buthedoesnotgrudgehimthisaswhenSchulzereturnstoGermanyhewillbesooverwhelmedbystateaffairsthathewillhavetodenyhimselfthepleasuresofMüller’shospitality。Finally,Müllerexclaims:"SurelyitwasnotthetraitorRadowitz,butMazzini,Ledru-Rollin,CitizenWillich,Kinkelandyourself"(ArnoldRuge)"whowereinvitedtoWindsorCastle?"
IfafterallthistheKosmosfoldedupafterthethirdissuethefailurecouldnotbeputdowntolackofpublicity,forateverypossibleEnglishmeetingthespeakerswouldfinditpressedintotheirhandswiththeurgentrequesttorecommenditastheywouldfindtheirownprinciplesspeciallyrepresentedinit。
Scarcelyhadthesubscriptionsfortheten-million-FrancloanbeenopenedthantherumourwentaroundthatalistofcontributorstoafundtodispatchStruve(andAmalia)toAmerica,wascirculatingintheCity。
"WhentheCommitteeresolvedtopublishaGermanweeklywithHaugaseditor,StruveprotestedashewantedthepostofeditorforhimselfandwishedthejournaltobearthetitleDeutscherZuschauer。HavingprotestedheresolvedtogotoAmerica。"
ThusfarthereportintheDeutscheSchnellpostofNewYork。Itremainssilentaboutthefact(andHeinzenhadhisreasonsforthis)thatasGustavwasacollaboratorontheDukeofBrunswick’sDeutscherLondonerZeitungMazzinihadstruckhisnameoffthelistoftheGermanCommittee。
GustavsoonacclimatisedhisDeutscherZuschauerinNewYork。Butsoonaftercamethenewsfromovertheocean:"Gustav’sZuschauerisdead。"Ashesays,thiswasnotforthelackofsubscribers,norbecausehehadnoleisureforwritingbutsimplybecauseofadearthofpayingsubscribers。However,thedemocraticrevisionofRotteck’sUniversalHistorycouldnotbepostponedanylonger,sogreatwastheneedforit,andashehadalreadybegunitI5yearspreviouslyhewouldgivethesubscribersacorrespondingnumberofissuesoftheUniversalHistoryinsteadoftheDeutscherZuschauer。Hewouldhavetorequestpaymentinadvanceforthistowhichinthecircumstancesnoonecouldobject。
AslongasGustavhadremainedonthissideoftheAtlanticHeinzenregardedhimalongwithRugeasthegreatestmaninEurope。Scarcelyhadhereachedtheothersidethanagreatscandalarosebetweenthem。
Gustavwrites:
"Whenon6JuneinKarlsruheHeinzensawthatcannonwasbeingbroughtupheleftforStrasbourgwithfemalecompanions。"
WhereuponHeinzencalledGustav"asoothsayer"。
ArnoldwasbusybroadcastingthevirtuesoftheKosmosinthejournalofhisfaithfuldiscipleHeinzen,whenitfailedtoappear,andataboutthetimewhenthestrongprovisionalgovernmentwasdisintegratingRodomonte-Heinzenwasbusyproclaiming"militaryobedience"towardsitinhisjournal。Heinzenisfamousforhisloveofthemilitaryinpeacetime。
"ShortlyafterStruve’sdepartureKinkeltooresignedfromtheCommitteewhichwastherebyreducedtoimpotence。"(DeutscheSchnellpost,No。23。)
WiththisthestrongprovisionalgovernmentdwindledstillfurtherandonlyMessrs。Ruge,Ronge,andHaugremainedinit。EvenArnoldrealisedthatwiththisTrinitynothingatallcouldbebroughtintoexistence,letaloneacosmos。Neverthelessthroughallthepermutations,variationsandcombinationsitremainedthenucleusofallhissubsequentattemptstoformcommittees。Anindefatigableman,hesawnoreasontothrowinhishand;afterallhisaimwasmerelytodosomethingthatwouldhavetheappearanceofaction,thesemblanceofprofoundpoliticalschemes,somethingthat,aboveall,wouldprovidematterforself-importantconsultations,frequentappearancesandcomplacentgossip。
AsforGottfried,hisdramaticlecturesforrespectablecitymerchantsdidnotallowhimtocompromisehimselfButontheotherhanditwasaltogethertooevidentthatthepurposeofthemanifestoofMarch13wasnoneotherthantoprovidesupportfortheplaceArnoldhadusurpedintheEuropeanCentralCommittee。EvenGottfriedcouldnotfailtorealisethis:butitwasnotinhisinteresttograntRugesuchrecognition。Soitcametopassthatshortlyafterthemanifestohadbeenpublished,theKölnischeZeitungprintedadeclarationbythatdamaacerba,Mockel。Herhusband,shewrote,hadnotsignedtheappeal,hewasnotinterestedinpublicloansandhadresignedfromthenewly-formedcommittee。WhereuponArnoldgossipedintheNewYorkSchnellposttotheeffectthatKinkelhadbeenpreventedbyillnessfromsigningthemanifesto,buthegavehisapproval,theplantoissueithadbeenconceivedinhisroom,hehadhimselftakenresponsibilityfordespatchinganumberofcopiestoGermanyandheonlyleftthecommitteebecauseitelectedGeneralHaugpresidentinpreferencetohimself。ArnoldaccompaniedthisdeclarationwithangryattacksonKinkel’svanity,callinghim"absolutemartyr"and"theBeckerathofthedemocrats"andaffirminghissuspicionsofMrs。JohannaKinkelwhohadaccesstosuchprohibitedjournalsastheKölnischeZeitung。
Inthemeantime,Arnold’sseedhadnotfallenonstonysoil。Kinkel’s"beautifulsoul"resolvedtoturnthetablesonhisrivalsandtoraisethetreasureofrevolutionalone。Johanna’sstatementdissociatinghimfromthishare-brainedschemehadscarcelyappearedintheKölnischeZeitungwhenGottfriedlaunchedhisownappealinthetransatlanticpaperswiththecommentthatthemoneyshouldbesenttotheman"whoinspiresthemostconfidence"。AndwhocouldthismanbebutGottfriedKinkel?Forthetimebeinghedemandedanadvancepaymentof500poundssterlingwithwhichtomanufacturerevolutionarypapermoney。Ruge,nottobeoutdone,hadtheSchnellpostdeclarethathewasthetreasureroftheDemocraticCentralCommitteeandthatMazzininoteswerealreadyavailableandcouldbepurchasedfromhim。Whoeverwishedtolose500poundssterlingwoulddobettertotaketheavailablenotesthantospeculateinsomethingthatdidnotevenexist。AndRodomonte-HeinzenroaredthatunlessMr。Kinkelabandonedhismanoeuvreshewouldbebrandedpubliclyasan"enemyoftherevolution"。Gottfriedhadcounter-articlespublishedintheNew-YorkerStaatszeitung,thedirectrivaloftheSchnellpost。Inthiswayfull-scalehostilitieswereinprogressontheothersideoftheAtlanticwhilekissesofJudaswerestillbeingexchangedinthisside。
ByissuinganappealforanationalloaninhisownnameGottfriedhadshockedthedemocraticrankandfile,ashesoonrealised。Tomakegoodhisblunderhenowdeclaredthat"thisappealformoney,foraGermannationalloandidnotproceedfromhim。InalllikelihoodwhathadhappenedwasthatsomealltoozealousfriendsinAmericahadmadefreewithhisname。"
ThisdeclarationprovokedthefollowinganswerfromDr。WissintheSchnellpost:
"ItisgenerallyknownthattheappealtoagitateforaGermanLoanwassenttomebyGottfriedKinkelwiththeurgentrequesttopubliciseitinalltheGermannewspapersandIamreadyandwillingtoshowthislettertoanyonewhoisindoubtonthispoint。IfKinkelhasnowreallyallegedthecontrarytheonlyhonourablecourseforhimtopursueistoretracthisstatementspubliclyandtopublishmycorrespondencewithhimfromwhichitwillbecomeplaintothePartythatIwasquiteindependentandcertainlythatIdidnotexhibit’anexcessofzeal’。ShouldhenothavebeenguiltyoftheseallegationsitwasKinkel’sdutytodenouncethejournalistresponsibleforprintingthemasanevilslanderer,oriftherehadbeenamisunderstanding,asanirresponsibleandunscrupulousgossip。FormypartIamunabletobelieveKinkelcapableofsuchunmitigatedperfidy。Dr。C。Wiss。"(WeeklysupplementoftheDeutscheSchnellpost。)
WhatwasKinkeltodo?Onceagainhethrusthisaspradonzellaintothebreach,hedenouncedMockelasthe"irresponsible,unscrupulousgossip",heclaimedthathiswifehadpromotedtheloanbehindhisback。Itcannotbedeniedthatthistacticwashighly"aesthetic"。
ThusdidGottfriedswaylikeareed,nowadvancing,nowretreating,nowlaunchingaproject,nowdissociatinghimselffromit,alwaystackingtoadjusttothewindofpopularity。WhileheofficiallyallowedtheaestheticbourgeoisietofeteandfeasthiminLondonasthemartyroftheRevolutionbehindthebacksofthesamepeopleheindulgedinforbiddencommercewiththemoboftheEmigrationasrepresentedbyWillich。WhilelivingincircumstancesthatcouldbedescribedasluxuriousincomparisonwithhismodestsituationinBonn,hewrotetoSt。Louisthathewaslivingasbefittedthe"representativeofpoverty"。Inthiswayhebehavedtowardsthebourgeoisieasetiquetterequired,whileatthesametimehedeferredhumblytothetasteoftheproletariat。Butasamanwhoseimaginationfaroutweighedhisunderstandinghecouldnothelpfallingintothebadmannersandthearrogantposturesoftheparvenuandthisalienatedmanyapompousbonhommefromhim。WhollycharacteristicofhimwasthearticleontheGreatExhibitionthathewroteforKosmos。HeadmirednothingsomuchasthegiantmirrorthatwasexhibitedintheCrystalPalace。Theobjectiveworldreducesitselftoamirror,thesubjectiveworldtoacliché。Underthepretextofseeingonlythebeautifulsideofthingsheaestheticiseseverythingandthisprocesshedesignatespoetry,self-sacrificeorreligion,astheoccasiondemands。Fundamentally,everythingisusedtoexalthimself。Itisinevitablethatinpracticetheuglysideshouldmakeitsappearance,asimaginationturnsintoliesandenthusiasmintobaseness。InanycaseitwastobeexpectedthatGottfriedwouldsooncastoffhislion’sskinwhenhefellintothehandsofold,experiencedclownslikeGustavandArnold。
XIITheGreatIndustrialExhibitioninauguratedanewepochintheEmigration。ThegreatthrongofGermanPhilistinesthatfloodedintoLondonduringthesummer,feltillateaseinthebustleofthegreatCrystalPalaceandintheevenlargertownofLondonwithitsnoise,itsdinanditsclamour。Andwhenthetoilandthelabouroftheday,thedutifulinspectionoftheExhibitionandtheothersightshadbeencompletedinthesweatofhisbrow,theGermanPhilistinecouldrecoverathiseasewithSchärttnerattheHanauorGöhringerattheStar,withtheirbeerycosiness,theirsmoke-filledfugandtheirpublic-housepolitics。
Here"thewholeofthefatherlandcouldbeseen"andinadditionallthegreatestmenofGermanycouldbeseengratis。Theretheyallsat,themembersofparliament,thedeputiesofChambers,thegenerals,theCluboratorsofthehalcyondaysof1848and1849,theysmokedtheirpipesjustlikeordinarypeopleanddebatedtheloftiestinterestsofthefatherlanddayafterday,inpublicandwithunshakeabledignity。ThiswastheplacewhereforthepriceofafewbottlesofextremelycheapwinetheGermancitizencoulddiscoverexactlywhatwentonatthemostsecretmeetingsoftheEuropeancabinets。Thiswastheplacewherehecouldlearntowithinaminutewhen"itwouldallstart"。InthemeantimeonebottleafteranotherwasstartedandallthePartieswenthomeunsteadilybutstrengthenedintheknowledgethattheyhadmadetheircontributiontothesalvationofthefatherland。NeverhastheEmigrationdrunkmoreandcheaperthanduringtheperiodwhenthesolventmassesofGermanPhilistineswereinLondon。
ThetrueorganisationoftheEmigrationwasinfactthistavernorganisationpresidedoverbySilenus-SchärttnerinLongAcrewhichexperienceditsheydaythankstotheExhibition。HerethetrueCentralCommitteesatinperpetualsession。Allothercommittees,organisations,party-formationswerejusttrimmings,thepatrioticarabesquesofthisprimevalGermantavernsocietyofidlers。
InadditiontheEmigrationwasstrengthenednumericallyatthetimebythearrivalofMessrs。Meyen,Faucher,Sigel,GoeggandFickler,etc。
MeyenwasalittleporcupinewhohadcomeintotheworldwithoutanyquillsandwhounderthenamePoinsinet,wasoncedescribedbyGoetheinthisway:
"Inliterature,asinsociety,oneoftenencounterssuchcuriouslittlemannikins。Endowedwithsomesmalltalenttheyendeavouralwaystoclaimtheattentionofthepublicandastheycaneasilybeseenthroughbyalltheyarethesourceofmuchamusement。However,theyalwaysmanagetoprofitsufficiently。Theylive,produce,arementionedeverywhereandareevenaccordedafavourablereception。Theirfailuresdonotdisconcertthem;
theyregardthemasexceptionalandlooktothefutureforgreatersuccess。
PoinsinetisafigureofthissortintheFrenchliteraryworld。Itgoesalmostbeyondbelieftoseewhathasbeendonewithhim,howhehasbeenfooledandmystifiedandevenhissaddeathbydrowninginSpaindoesnotdiminishtheridiculousimpressionmadebyhislife,justasafrogmadeoffireworksdoesnotattaintodignitybyconcludingalengthyseriesofsputterswithaloudbang。"[58]
Writerscontemporarywithhimpassonthefollowinginformation:EduardMeyenbelongedtothe"Resolute"groupwhichrepresentedtheBerlinerintelligentsiaasagainstthemassstupidityoftherestofGermany。HetoohadaMaybugClubinBerlinwithhisfriendsMügge,Klein,Zabel,Buhletc。Eachofthesemaybugssatonhisownlittleleaf[Blättchen——"leaf"and"newspaper"]。EduardMeyen’spaperwascalledtheMannheimerAbendblättchenandhere,everyweek,afterenormousefforts,hedepositedasmallgreenturdofcorrespondence。OurMaybugreallydidprogresstothepointwherehewasabouttopublishamonthlyperiodical;contributionsfromvariouspeoplelandedonhisdesk,thepublisherwaitedbutthewholeprojectcollapsedbecauseEduardaftereightmonthsincoldsweatdeclaredthathecouldnotfinishtheprospectus。AsEduardtookallhischildishactivitiesseriouslyhewaswidelyregardedinBerlinaftertheMarchRevolutionasamanwhomeantbusiness。InLondonheworkedtogetherwithFaucheronaGermaneditionoftheIllustratedLondonNewsundertheeditorshipandcensorshipofanoldwomanwhohadknownsomeGermantwentyyearsbefore,buthewasdiscardedasuselessafterhehadattemptedwithgreattenacitytoinsertaprofoundarticleaboutsculpturethathehadhadpublishedtenyearspreviouslyinBerlin。Butwhen,lateron,theKinkel-emigrationmadehimtheirsecretaryherealisedthathewasreallyapracticalhommed’étatandheannouncedinalithographedleafletthathehadarrivedatthe"tranquillityofapointofview"。Afterhisdeathawholeheapoftitlesforfutureprojectswillbefoundamonghispapers。
ConjointlywithMeyenwemustnecessarilyconsiderOppenheim,hisco-editorandco-secretary。IthasbeenclaimedthatOppenheimisnotsomuchamanasanallegoricalfigure:thegoddessofboredomitisreported,camedowntoFrankfurtonMainandassumedtheshapeofthissonofaJewishjeweller。WhenVoltairewrote:"Touslesgenresventloons,excepté
legenreennuyeux",hemusthavehadapremonitionofourHeinrichBernhardOppenheim。WepreferOppenheimthewritertoOppenheimtheorator。Hiswritingsmaybeavoided,buthisspokendelivery——c’estimpossible。ThepythagoreanmetempsychosismayhavesomefoundationinrealitybutthenamebornebyHeinrichBernhardOppenheiminformeragescannolongerbediscoveredasnomanevermadeanameforhimselfthroughbeinganunbearablechatterbox。Hislifemaybeepitomisedbyitsthreeclimacticmoments:
ArnoldRuge’seditor——Brentano’seditor——Kinkel’seditor。