the story of mankind-第66节

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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　have　shortened

this　description　of　the　Great　Reaction。　But　it　is　just　as　well

that　you　should　have　a　thorough　knowledge　of　this　era。　It　was

not　the　first　time　that　an　attempt　had　been　made　to　set　the

clock　of　history　back。　The　result　was　the　usual　one。







NATIONAL　INDEPENDENCE



THE　LOVE　OF　NATIONAL　INDEPENDENCE；

HOWEVER　WAS　TOO　STRONG　TO　BE

DESTROYED　IN　THIS　WAY。　THE　SOUTH

AMERICANS　WERE　THE　FIRST　TO　REBEL

AGAINST　THE　REACTIONARY　MEASURES

OF　THE　CONGRESS　OF　VIENNA；　GREECE

AND　BELGIUM　AND　SPAIN　AND　A　LARGE

NUMBER　OF　OTHER　COUNTRIES　OF　THE

EUROPEAN　CONTINENT　FOLLOWED　SUIT

AND　THE　NINETEENTH　CENTURY　WAS

FILLED　WITH　THE　RUMOUR　OF　MANY

WARS　OF　INDEPENDENCE





IT　will　serve　no　good　purpose　to　say　‘‘if　only　the　Congress

of　Vienna　had　done　such　and　such　a　thing　instead　of　taking

such　and　such　a　course；　the　history　of　Europe　in　the　nineteenth

century　would　have　been　different。''　The　Congress　of　Vienna

was　a　gathering　of　men　who　had　just　passed　through　a　great

revolution　and　through　twenty　years　of　terrible　and　almost

continuous　warfare。　They　came　together　for　the　purpose　of

giving　Europe　that　‘‘peace　and　stability''　which　they　thought

that　the　people　needed　and　wanted。　They　were　what　we　call

reactionaries。　They　sincerely　believed　in　the　inability　of　the

mass　of　the　people　to　rule　themselves。　They　re…arranged　the

map　of　Europe　in　such　a　way　as　seemed　to　promise　the　greatest

possibility　of　a　lasting　success。　They　failed；　but　not　through

any　premeditated　wickedness　on　their　part。　They　were；　for　the

greater　part；　men　of　the　old　school　who　remembered　the　happier

days　of　their　quiet　youth　and　ardently　wished　a　return　of　that

blessed　period。　They　failed　to　recognise　the　strong　hold　which

many　of　the　revolutionary　principles　had　gained　upon　the　people

of　the　European　continent。　That　was　a　misfortune　but

hardly　a　sin。　But　one　of　the　things　which　the　French　Revolution

had　taught　not　only　Europe　but　America　as　well；　was　the

rig