Prince Bismarck and his Policy. 



87 



ITeiderwald comfortably in one day, stop five or six hours, 

 and return here in the evening. As yet I have not 

 gone much about, but shall do so, that I may take you 

 about when you come. Eoehow started yesterday for 

 Warsaw, leaving at nine o'clock in the evening; the 

 day after to-morrow he will be there, and probably back in 

 a week. As to politics and people, I cannot write much, 

 as most of the letters are opened here. When they 

 know your address or mine, and your hand writing on 

 your letters, they will very likely find out they have no 

 time to read family letters." 



The unity of the Diet was merely dictated by self pre- 

 servation of the smaller states, and was based upon the 

 competition of Prussia and Austria. 



United, the small states could exist; a connection with 

 either Prussia or Austria could give them some import- 

 ance, which would enable them to co-reign over Germany. 



The only bond of union was the custom-union ; it was 

 the regulator of the Diet, and touched the most vital in- 

 terests of all the states. 



The storm burst forth at last. In October, 1852, the 

 members of the Holy Alliance met in Warsaw for the last 

 time. The first electric shock already made the gentle- 

 men in Frankfort tremble. By a plebiscite Louis iTapo- 

 leon became emperor of France. The bloody play of can- 

 non ended the republic. The emperor's marriage with 

 Eugenie van Montijo indicated an alliance of the empire 

 with Jesuitism : he became aliomanist of the purest water. 

 He broke on December 2d with all liberal elements, which 

 from henceforth became his enemies. He could only hold 

 himself by his bayonets, Rome and the clergy. The con- 

 science of France was governed from the Vatican. 



As an instance of the animosity of all the states against 

 Prussia, one example may sufiice. On the 24th of April 



