the story of mankind-第74章

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country；　but　had　turned　it　into　a　hopeless　political　rubbish

heap；　consisting　of　a　couple　of　kingdoms；　a　few　grand…duchies；

a　large　number　of　duchies　and　hundreds　of　margravates；　principalities；

baronies；　electorates；　free　cities　and　free　villages；

ruled　by　the　strangest　assortment　of　potentates　that　was　ever

seen　off　the　comic　opera　stage。　Frederick　the　Great　had

changed　this　when　he　created　a　strong　Prussia；　but　this　state

had　not　survived　him　by　many　years。



Napoleon　had　blue…penciled　the　demand　for　independence

of　most　of　these　little　countries；　and　only　fifty…two　out　of　a

total　of　more　than　three　hundred　had　survived　the　year　1806。

During　the　years　of　the　great　struggle　for　independence；　many

a　young　soldier　had　dreamed　of　a　new　Fatherland　that　should

be　strong　and　united。　But　there　can　be　no　union　without　a

strong　leadership；　and　who　was　to　be　this　leader？



There　were　five　kingdoms　in　the　German　speaking　lands。

The　rulers　of　two　of　these；　Austria　and　Prussia；　were　kings　by

the　Grace　of　God。　The　rulers　of　three　others；　Bavaria；　Saxony

and　Wurtemberg；　were　kings　by　the　Grace　of　Napoleon；　and

as　they　had　been　the　faithful　henchmen　of　the　Emperor；　their

patriotic　credit　with　the　other　Germans　was　therefore　not　very

good。



The　Congress　had　established　a　new　German　Confederation；

a　league　of　thirty…eight　sovereign　states；　under　the　chairmanship

of　the　King　of　Austria；　who　was　now　known　as　the

Emperor　of　Austria。　It　was　the　sort　of　make…shift　arrangement

which　satisfied　no　one。　It　is　true　that　a　German　Diet；

which　met　in　the　old　coronation　city　of　Frankfort。　had　been

created　to　discuss　matters　of　‘‘common　policy　and　importance。''

But　in　this　Diet；　thirty…eight　delegates　represented　thirty…eight

different　interests　and　as　no　decision　could　be　taken　without　a

unanimous　vote　（a　parliamentary　rule　which　had　in　previous

centuries　ruined　the　mighty　kingdom　of　Poland）；　the　famous

German　Confederation　became　very　soon　the　laughing　stock

of　Europe　and　the　politics　of　the　old　Empire　began　to　resemble

those　of　our　Central　American　neighbours　in　the　forties　and

the　fifties　of　the　last　century。



It　was　terribly　humiliating　to　the　people　who　had　sacrificed

everything　for　a　national　ideal。　But　the　Congress　was　not

interested　in　the　private　feelings　of　‘‘subjects；''　and　the　debate

was　closed。



Did　anybody　object？　Most　assuredly。　As　soon　as　the　first

feeling　of　hatred　against　Napoleon　had　quieted　downas　soon

as　the　enthusiasm　of　the　great　war　had　subsidedas　soon　as

the　people　came　to　a　full　realisation　of　the　crime　that　had　been

committed　in　the　name　of　‘‘peace　and　stability''　they　began　to

murmur。　They　even　made　threats　of　open　revolt。　But　what

could　they　do？　They　were　powerless。　They　were　at　the　mercy

of　the　most　pitiless　and　efficient　police　system　the　world　had

ever　seen。



The　members　of　the　Congress　of　Vienna　honestly　and　sincerely

believed　that　‘‘the　Revolutionary　Principle　had　led　to

the　criminal　usurpation　of　the　throne　by　the　former　emperor

Napoleon。''　They　felt　that　they　were　called　upon　to　eradicate

the　adherents　of　the　so…called　‘‘French　ideas''　just　as　Philip　II

had　only　followed　the　voice　of　his　conscience　when　he　burned

Protestants　or　hanged　Moors。　In　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth

century　a　man　who　did　not　believe　in　the　divine　right

of　the　Pope　to　rule　his　subjects　as　he　saw　fit　was　a　‘‘heretic''

and　it　was　the　duty　of　all　loyal　citizens　to　kill　him。　In　the

beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century；　on　the　continent　of　Europe；

a　man　who　did　not　believe　in　the　divine　right　of　his　king　to

rule　him　as　he　or　his　Prime　Minister　saw　fit；　was　a　‘‘heretic；''　and

it　was　the　duty　of　all　loyal　citizens　to　denounce　him　to　the　nearest

policeman　and　see　that　he　got　punished。



But　the　rulers　of　the　year　1815　had　learned　efficiency　in

the　school　of　Napoleon　and　they　performed　their　task　much

better　than　it　had　been　done　in　the　year　1517。　The　period

between　the　year　1815　and　the　year　1860　was　the　great　era　of

the　political　spy。　Spies　were　everywhere。　They　lived　in　palaces

and　they　were　to　be　found　in　the　lowest　gin…shops。　They

peeped　through　the　key…holes　of　the　ministerial　cabinet　and

they　listened　to　the　conversations　of　the　people　who　were　taking

the　air　on　the　benches　of　the　Municipal　Park。　They　guarded

the　frontier　so　that　no　one　might　leave　without　a　duly　viseed

passport　and　they　inspected　all　packages；　that　no　books　with

dangerous　‘‘French　ideas''　should　enter　the　realm　of　their

Royal　masters。　They　sat　among　the　students　in　the　lecture

hall　and　woe　to　the　Professor　who　uttered　a　word　against　the

existing　order　of　things。　They　followed　the　little　boys　and

girls　on　their　way　to　church　lest　they　play　hookey。



In　many　of　these　tasks　they　were　assisted　by　the　clergy。

The　church　had　suffered　greatly　during　the　days　of　the

revolution。　The　church　property　had　been　confiscated。　Several

priests　had　been　killed　and　the　generation　that　had　learned　its

cathechism　from　Voltaire　and　Rousseau　and　the　other　French

philosophers　had　danced　around　the　Altar　of　Reason　when

the　Committee　of　Public　Safety　had　abolished　the　worship　of

God　in　October　of　the　year　1793。　The　priests　had　followed　the

‘‘emigres''　into　their　long　exile。　Now　they　returned　in　the

wake　of　the　allied　armies　and　they　set　to　work　with　a　vengeance。



Even　the　Jesuits　came　back　in　1814　and　resumed　their

former　labours　of　educating　the　young。　Their　order　had　been

a　little　too　successful　in　its　fight　against　the　enemies　of　the

church。　It　had　established　‘‘provinces''　in　every　part　of　the

world；　to　teach　the　natives　the　blessings　of　Christianity；　but

soon　it　had　developed　into　a　regular　trading　company　which

was　for　ever　interfering　with　the　civil　authorities。　During　the

reign　of　the　Marquis　de　Pombal；　the　great　reforming　minister

of　Portugal；　they　had　been　driven　out　of　the　Portuguese　lands

and　in　the　year　1773　at　the　request　of　most　of　the　Catholic

powers　of　Europe；　the　order　had　been　suppressed　by　Pope

Clement　XIV。　Now　they　were　back　on　the　job；　and　preached

the　principles　of　‘‘obedience''　and　‘‘love　for　the　legitimate

dynasty''　to　children　whose　parents　had　hired　shopwindows　that

they　might　laugh　at　Marie　Antoinette　driving　to　the　scaffold

which　was　to　end　her　misery。



But　in　the　Protestant　countries　like　Prussia；　things　were

not　a　whit　better。　The　great　patriotic　leaders　of　the　year　1812；

the　poets　and　the　writers　who　had　preached　a　holy　war　upon　the

usurper；　were　now　branded　as　dangerous　‘‘demagogues。''　Their

houses　were　searched。　Their　letters　were　read。　They　were

obliged　to　report　to　the　police　at　regular　intervals　and　give　an

account　of　themselves。　The　Prussian　drill　master　was　let　loose

in　all　his　fury　upon　the　younger　generation。　When　a　party　of

students　celebrated　the　tercentenary　of　the　Reformation　with

noisy　but　harmless　festivities　on　the　old　Wartburg；　the　Prussian

bureaucrats　had　visions　of　an　imminent　revolution。　When

a　theological　student；　more　honest　than　intelligent；　killed　a

Russian　government　spy　who　was　operating　in　Germany；　the

universities　were　placed　under　police…supervision　and　professors

were　jailed　or　dismissed　without　any　form　of　trial。



Russia；　of　course；　was　even　more　absurd　in　these　anti…

revolutionary　activities。　Alexander　had　recovered　from　his　attack

of　piety。　He　was　gradually　drifting　toward　melancholia。　He

well　knew　his　own　limited　abilities　and　understood　how　at

Vienna　he　had　been　the　victim　both　of　Metternich　and　the

Krudener　woman。　More　and　more　he　turned　his　back　upon　the

west　and　became　a　truly　Russian　ruler　whose　interests　lay　in

Constantinople；　the　old　holy　city　that　had　been　the　first　teacher

of　the　Slavs。　The　older　he　grew；　the　harder　he　worked　and　the

less　he　was　able　to　accomplish。　And　while　he　sat　in　his　study；

his　ministers　turned　the　whole　of　Russia　into　a　land　of　military

barracks。



It　is　not　a　pretty　picture。　Perhaps　I　might　ha