took in my political life was, in obedience to the Kaiser’s wish, to remain in office.  I brought myself to this decision only because I saw in it a command of my political duty, precisely in the time of trouble, to continue to serve his Majesty the Kaiser and the country (repeated ’Bravo!’).  How long that will be possible for me, I cannot say.

“Let me say one thing more:  at a moment when the fact that in the world much is once again changing requires serious attention to be given to the entire situation, wherever it is matter of concern to maintain our position abroad, and without pushing ourselves forward with quiet constancy to make good our interests—­at such a moment we ought not to show ourselves small-spirited in foreign eyes, nor make out of a misfortune a catastrophe.  I will refrain from all criticism of the exaggerations we have lived through during these last days.  The harm is—­as calm reflection will show—­not so great that it cannot with circumspection be made good.  Certainly no one should forget the warning which the events of these days has given us (’Bravo!’)—­but there is no reason to lose our heads and awake in our opponents the hope that the Empire, inwardly or outwardly, is maimed.

“It is for the chosen representatives of the nation to exhibit the prudence which the time demands.  I do not say it for myself, I say it for the country:  the support required for this is no favour, it is a duty which this honourable House will not evade (loud applause on the Right, hisses from the Socialists).”

Prince Buelow’s speech requires but little comment—­its importance for Germany is the fact that it brought to a head the country’s feeling, that if the Emperor’s unlimited and unrestrained idea of his heaven-sent mission as sole arbiter of the nation’s destinies was not checked, disaster must ensue.  The speech itself is rather an apology and an explanation than a defence, and in this spirit it was accepted in Germany.  It is fair to say that the Emperor has faithfully kept the engagement made through Prince Buelow with his people so far, and unless human nature is incurable there seems no reason why he should not keep it to the end of the reign.  More than four years have passed since the incidents narrated occurred.  The storm has blown over, the sea of popular indignation has gone down, and at present no cloud is visible on the horizon.

Besides the Tweedmouth Letter and the “November Storm” there were one or two other notable events in the parliamentary proceedings of the year.  The Reichstag dealt with Prussian electoral reform and the attitude of Germany towards the question of disarmament.  As to the first, the Government refused to regard it as an imperial concern, though the popular claim was and is that the suffrage should be the same in Prussia as in the Empire, viz., universal, direct, and secret.  This claim the Emperor will not listen to, on the ground that it would