But the German princes cannot bear independence and liberty; they had rather themselves become slaves, the underlings of the Czar, than allow that their people should enjoy some liberty.  An alliance was therefore formed, which they blasphemously called the Holy Alliance,—­with the avowed purpose to keep the people down.  The great powers guaranteed to the smaller princes—­whose name is Legion, for they are many,—­the power to fleece and torment their people, and promised every aid to them against the insurrection of those, who would find that for liberty’s sake it is worth while to risk their lives and property.  It was an alliance for the oppression of the nations, not for the maintenance of the princely prerogative.  When the Grand-Duke of Baden, in a fit of liberality, granted his people the liberty of the press, the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia abolished the law, though it had been carried unanimously by the Legislature of Baden and sanctioned by the prince.—­The Holy Alliance had guaranteed to the princes the power to oppress, but not the power to benefit their people.

But though the great powers interfered often in the principalities and little kingdoms of Germany, indeed as often as the spirit of liberty awoke, yet they themselves avoided every occasion which would have forced them to request the aid of their allies, and especially of Russia.  They knew too well, that to accept foreign aid against their own people, was nothing else than to lose independence, and was morally the same as to kneel down before the Czar and to take the oath of allegiance.  A government which needs foreign aid against its own people, avows that it cannot stand without foreign aid.  Take that foreign aid—­interference!—­away, and it falls.

The dynasties of Austria and Prussia were aware of this.  They therefore yielded, as often as their encroachments met a firm resistance from the people.  When my nation so resolutely resisted in 1823 the attempt to abolish the constitution, Prince Metternich himself advised the Emperor Francis to yield, and even humbly to apologize to the Diet of 1825.  The King of Prussia granted even a kind of constitution rather than claim the assistance of the Czar.  Herein you may find the explanation of the fact that the continent of Europe is not yet republican.  The spirit of freedom, when roused by oppression, was lulled into sleep by constitutional concessions.  The Czar of Russia was well aware, that this system of compromise prevents his intruding into the domestic concerns of Europe, which would lead him to the sovereign mastership over all; he therefore did everything to push the sovereigns to extremities.  But this did not succeed, until by a palace-revolution in Vienna a weak and cruel youth was placed on the throne of Austria, and a passionate woman got the reins of government in her hand, and an unprincipled, reckless adventurer was ready to carry out every imperial whim, regardless of the honour of his country and the interests of