ver
thought of excluding Austria from a new confederation; even Prussia
itself did not think of it.

We know, therefore, that the "German question" was even then hopeless,
and we do not regret that the old Empire under its Emperor was not
restored.

But easily as we can now understand how invincible were the
difficulties, to contemporaries the feeling of disappointment was
bitter, and an unprejudiced estimate of their position difficult. Among
the patriots of 1813, a small minority were then full of enthusiastic
sentimentality; they contrasted their poetical ideas of the old
splendour of the German Empire with the bad reality; these
_Deutschthumler_--Teuto-maniacs--as they were called after 1815, had
been without influence in the great movement Jahn's great beard was
seldom admired, and the worthy Karl Mueller found no favour when he
began to banish all foreign words from military language. Now after the
peace these enthusiasts, for the most part not Prussians, collected
together in small communities at the German universities. They sorrowed
and hoped, expressed violent indignation, and gave zealous advice; they
were agreed together that something great must happen, and they were
ready to stake life and property upon it; only, what was to be done was
not clear. Between varying moods and wavering projects they came to no
conclusion. Politically considered this movement was not dangerous,
till the odious persecution of the governments goaded them into hatred
and opposition, and throwing a gloom over the minds of some, led to
fanatical resolves.

It was not the fault of the Prussian government that the hopes of the
nation for a new German State were disappointed. But it had incurred
another debt. The King had promised to give his people a constitution.
If ever a nation had acquired a right to a participation in the
government, it was the Prussian; for it had raised the State from the
deepest depression. If the greatest State in Germany had, by legal
forms, obtained the possibility of a political development of its
power, every sensible Prussian would have been contented. The press and
a parliament would gradually have given the loyal nation a feeling of
prosperity and safe progress, opposing parties would have contended
publicly, and those who demanded more for Germany than could at present
be attained, would have been restrained by Prussia. The character of
the Germans was now freed from the weakness which had pervade