There next followed a period during which there was an end of innocent songs and singing; a period during which one part of the young men was absorbed in troubled melancholy and gloomy brooding over the future of the country. During this appeared, in 1819 and 1820, A. Follenius' "Free Voices of Bold Youth." These songs mark a turning-point. On one hand, they belong to the past, the period of the war of freedom; as, for instance, a number of songs by Körner, Schenkendorf, and Arndt. On the other hand, the writers, despairing of the present, turned their eyes toward a presuined better future, for whose introduction they called enthusiastically, and with a demoniac force in their poetry. There is no more despair about foreign dominion. Chivalry, empire, revolution, popular republicanism, freedom, and equality, rush confusedly about together in their enthusiastic compositions, elements most various, and even most inconsistent. Even Christianity is drawn into the elemental storm; that is, the name, for the thing itself is distorted and deformed beyond recognition. Excellent melodies doubled the influence of these songs; their wretched convulsive perplexities were, as it were, thus gilded over.* While this collection had a character in part only too distinct, that which succeeded it was without one. It contained songs of the most various periods, and most various and even opposite character. After the year 1830, however, new elements are found in the songbooks; radical songs, namely, by Herwegh and similar poets, marked, not by the earlier stormy poetical power, but by a profoundly bitter, and even malicious character. The confusion was increased by the addition to the previous enthusiastically patriotic songs, characterless cosmopolitan ones were added. We find Arndt's "What is the German Fatherland ?" and "What do the Trumpets sound?" Körner's "This is no war to which the Crowns are knowing, And in the same collection we find the Marseillaise! Did not these catholic-minded editors, then, know who are meant, in the Marseillaise, by the by the "horde "féroces soldats (Qui) viennent jusque dans vos bras, d'esclaves, de traîtres," &c.? And if they did know, what is the name which their insertion of it deserves? * For a correct opinion as to these songs, see the account of Karl Follenius and his friends. ante, pp. 111, 125, &c. With patriotism disappeared also lofty purity of morals and piety. The ancient vulgar songs which the Burschenschaft had driven away, make their appearance again in the modern song-books, with additional ones of the same kind. The beastly indecency of the ancient ones is, however, most prominent; and becomes doubly reckless and bad. At a very recent period have been put forth, by students' societies, song-books which adhere to Christian and to strict moral principles. In some incomprehensible way, however, have crept into these books, among songs of the most beautiful character, a few stray ones of a diametrically opposite character. It is much to be wished that this error could be cured in a new edition, and the appearance of evil removed. FAREWELL. A heavy responsibility rests on every writer on pedagogy; a responsibility which increases if his book has any influence on actual life. May this work of mine, and especially the latter part of it, give pain to no reader. I have written nothing without consideration and reflection; yet I can say, with the psalmist, "Lord, who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults." And I say this, even in reference to those busy years of inquiry which I passed at Breslau and Halle, after the war of freedom; especially during that wretched period which came upon the universities after Sand's unrighteous deed. And still, during the most friendly and open intercourse with loved students, I was obliged to keep silence respecting many bitter truths, which, however, if said, would only have awakened or increased ill-feeling. I hope that that severe discipline taught me moderation and religious modesty, which will prevent me from inconsiderate haste, even in statements most interesting to my heart. It was my repulsive and troublesome task to describe the frightful condition of the life of the students, as it appeared, especially during the seventeenth century, in the most frightful period of the history of our country. With correspondingly greater pleasure I considered the many efforts which, at the beginning of this century, and during and after the war of freedom, were made for good purposes, by the students. During the first part of this time, there prevailed an active and laborious attention to science, and in the ancient and modern classics; and the young were also deeply interested in the profound and poetical study of natural philosophy. Love of their country, however, was asleep, although afterward only too sadly awakened; Christianity wore the color of a poetical romance, its moral side being more out of sight; and the life succeeding that at the university, was thought of only unwillingly. During the second part of this period, prevailed the powerful patriotism and strict morality kindled by the war of freedom. The romantic element, on the other hand, decreased; and Christianity appeared no longer in the character of romance, but rather suffered the chlorosis of a moralizing rationalism. During about the last twenty years, the youth of the universities have passed into a third stage; I refer to the associations which have been founded under the name of Christian. A holy courage is needed to serve and contend under that name. "A coward knave, who still doth stand, When Forward!' doth his chief command." A students' association which professes that Christianity is its chief aim, has indeed aimed high. But the higher its purpose, so much the more earnest and efficient does its life become. May they always be thoughtful of the warning words: "Let our thoughts still watchful be, If our hearts for truth shall care, If we seem, or if we are." This is not said in the sense of a false pietism; it is an urgent admonition to do the truth (John iii. 21). It should not be supposed that the previous noble aims of the youth of the universities have entirely perished, or that they are to be reckoned of a grade inferior to the magnificence of Christian enterprise. This would be altogether to misunderstand Christianity. Love of country will never be repressed, but sanctified and enlightened by Christianity. For my love of my country is the first element of love to my people; to the people among whom God has caused me to be born, to be useful and helpful to my neighbor; it is my preparatory school for eternity. In like manner it would be a pseudo-pietistic barbarism to reject science and art; they should be purified and sanctified and made an acceptable offering to the Lord, from whom come all good gifts, and likewise all natural endowments, so far as they are good. My love to many members of these Christian associations at the universities, upon which I heartily ask God's blessing, would not suffer me to refrain from these observations. May He preserve them, in this world of investigation, preserve them from vanity and love of life, and grant them heroic minds in the difficult age in which we live, and strengthen and establish them. To those dear young men who preserve, in the depths of their hearts, a love to their fatherland, I would say, preserve this love, and labor with reference to the nation. But should iniquity so increase as to force us to take up arms, then fight bravely to the death for your beloved fatherland, as the German youth fought in the war of freedom. But remain ever mindful, that after this brief life, you must journey to another fatherland, a heavenly. Love not, therefore, the temporal fatherland, as if it were eternal. As you have been instructed in Christianity from your youth, you know what is requisite to attain the heavenly citizenship. Youths who, like myself and my student companions, devote themselves especially to science, should apply themselves with such industry as Bacon requires from those who devote themselves to philosophy. A superficial study of philosophy, he says, leads from God; a thorough one, to Him. Toward Him, because it leads not only to knowledge of divine things, but to self-knowledge; to perception that our knowledge is only a fragmentary collection. Every right-minded investigator must sooner or later humbly confess, "How vast is that of which I know nothing!" Then awakes the longing, with winged speed to comprehend those secrets which the most laborious application will not enable us, within this temporal life, to comprehend. Weary of our earthly tabernacle, we long for the freedom of the children of God; and sigh, with Claudius, O thou land, the truthful and the real, Thou that dost eternal be, How I long to see thy bright ideal- |