Published unsigned (“From our own Correspondent”) in The Democratic Review (London), March 1850, pp. 397-398; letter dated Cologne, February 18th, 1850; attributed to Friedrich Engels by MEGA² (I/10). Text from the original magazine (facsimile reprint, Merlin Press, London 1968, Internet Archive). Traducción al español.
(From our own Correspondent.)
The Prussian King swearing to the Constitution and “Serving the Lord!”—Grand conspiracy of the Holy Alliance—The approaching onslaught on Switzerland—Projected conquest and partition of France!
Cologne, Feb. 18th, 1850.
At last His Majesty, the King of Prussia, has taken the oath to the so-called “Constitution.” Had it not been for the occasion of making a speech, there is no doubt but that royal farce would never have taken place. But his speech-loving majesty, for the sake of the speech, resolved to swallow the oath, quite as humbly as he has been seen to swallow so many unpalatable things before, such as the celebrated “Hat off!” shouted to him by the people of Berlin on the 19th of March, 1848. The oath is of no consequence. What is the oath of a king, and particularly of a Frederick William IV.! The speech is the principal feature, and a precious speech it is. Think of his Prussian Majesty declaring most seriously, and neither him nor any one else in the assembly bursting forth in laughter, that he is a man of honour, and that he is about to give what is dearest to him—his royal word! But, he continues—after a series of most whimsical oratorical efforts—he gives his word on one condition only: that it be made possible for him to govern with this constitution, and to fulfil the promise he made three years ago, viz., “I and my house will serve the Lord!”
What this new-fashioned “man of honour” means by governing with the constitution and serving the Lord, is already becoming pretty clear. His Majesty’s ministers have come out since that swearing farce; firstly, with two laws, doing almost entirely away with the liberty of the press and the right of association and of public meeting; secondly, with a demand for eighteen millions of dollars (two millions and a half sterling) for increasing the army. The meaning of this is evident. First destroy in detail the few sham liberties left to the people by the precious mock-constitution, and then raise the army to the war footing, and march with Russia and Austria against France. There is no doubt of the bourgeoise chambers agreeing to all this, and thus making it possible to the king to govern with the constitution, and serve the Lord with his house.
This Prussian credit for the army “to meet eventualities which might present themselves during spring,” must be taken, together with the other measures of the Holy Alliance, in order to make us see clearly through their plots. Prussia, besides these eighteen millions, is already treating for a loan of sixteen millions—ostensibly for the purpose of constructing the great Eastern Railway. You know, too well, since the Russian loan affair, what a splendid pretext for raising money railways are made by the governments of the Holy Alliance. Prussia, thus, will soon raise five millions sterling, the whole of which will be at the disposal of the war-office. Russia, besides the five millions sterling already raised, is about to contract for another loan of thirty-six millions of roubles silver, or five millions sterling. Austria alone, after the shabby result of her late effort to raise money, must be satisfied with what she can get at home. Her deficit, as I stated in my last, really amounts to two hundred million florins (twenty millions sterling) in one year! Thus, while Russia and Prussia raise money to make war, Austria must make war in order to raise money!
There is no doubt that if there are no untoward events in France, the “holy” campaign will be opened next month against Switzerland, and perhaps Turkey. Russia keeps in Poland, and its vicinity, an army of 350,000 men, ready to march at a moment’s notice. She has already contracted for large supplies of victuals, to be delivered next month, not in Poland, but in Prussia, at Dantzic. The Prussian army—about 150,000 now—can in a month be raised to 350,000, by calling in the reserve and the first class of the Landwehr. The Austrian army—about 650,000—has never been diminished, but, on the contrary, increased by the Hungarian prisoners. The whole of the forces, which may be disposable for a foreign war, may be something like a million; but two-thirds of the Prussians and Austrians are infected with the democratic disease, and would most likely pass to the other side, as soon as an opportunity presented itself.
The first pretext for attacking Switzerland is the German refugees living in that country. This pretext will soon cease to exist, as the cowardly persecutions of the federal government directly or indirectly force all refugees to leave Switzerland. There are now perhaps 600 German refugees in that country, and even they will soon have to leave it. But then there is another pretext—the demand of Prussia to restore the Prussian king’s authority in the ex-principality of Neufchatel, which made itself a republic in 1848. And if even this be complied with, there will be the question of the Sonderbund raised again, in connection with the new federal constitution, which, in 1848, replaced the old reactionary treaty of 1814, guaranteed by the Holy Alliance. Thus, there will be no chance for Switzerland escaping war and foreign occupation.
But the final aim of the Holy Alliance is the conquest and partition of France. The plan designed to finish at once this great revolutionary centre, is as follows: France, once conquered, will be divided into three kingdoms—the South-west, or Aquitania (capital, Bourdeaux), will be given to Henry, Duke of Bourdeaux; the East or Burgundy (capital, Lyons), will be given to Prince Joinville; and the North, or France proper (capital, Paris), will be awarded to Louis Napoleon, for the signal services he has rendered to the Holy Alliance. Thus France, reduced to the old state of division it was in some centuries ago, would be utterly powerless. What do you say to this pretty scheme, which no doubt originated in the “historical” head of the king of Prussia?
But, be assured, the People—without whom the Holy Alliance have reckoned—will very soon put a stop to all these plots and schemes, and that as soon, too, as the Holy Alliance commence to put their plans into execution. For the people are wide awake, both in France and Germany, and, fortunately, they are strong enough to put down all their opponents, as soon as matters are brought to a general, decisive, and open contest. And then the enemies of democracy will, to their terror, see that the movements of 1848 and ’49 were nothing, in comparison to the universal conflagration which will burn up the old institutions of Europe, and light the victorious nations to a future—free, happy, and glorious.