sponsible for the excess of a few; and, it might be said, indirectly, the Grand Duke himself.

In opposition to this denunciation, and many other attacks upon the Wartburg festival, stands a dignified, earnest, and kind report from the Weimar Ministry of State, from which Kieser gives the following

extract:

"The assembly of our students from the various German Universities, at the Wartburg, on the 18th of October, for the celebration of that day, as well as for the jubilee festival for the Reformation, is the subject of so many uneasinesses, and of such various constructions, that a thorough acquaintance with the proceedings, the origin, and the spirit and significance of this assembly is unquestionably desirable and necessary. The undersigned considered it his bounden duty to collect the fullest information upon the occurrence, and to lay it before your Royal Highness. Your Royal Highness will be able to convince yourself, from it, that as this festival proceeded from an idea laudable in itself, and free from any political intention; it was, it is true, undertaken and carried out with youthful enthusiasm; but that whatever seems blamable in it was only accidental, and is to be charged only upon a few individuals. There has been no occasion so well calculated to remind the various German nationalities of the necessity of unity to their common welfare, as that of the 18th of October. From separation proceeded the wretched domination of Napoleon, whose grievous consequences, in the distracted condition of every country, almost every family has felt; and it was the re-establishment of their unity which glorified the victory whose recollection can never be lost from any German breast. All the German Universities yet have among their students youths who took an active part in that glorious victory. Some of these believed the festival of the 18th of October a most suitable occasion for removing also from the universities the divisions which had always been originated and maintained, during centuries, and in spite of numerous prohibitions by the various states and by the empire, by the Landsmannschaften, Orders, and other such societies; and which had been the sources of innumerable and unhappy divisions, not seldom extending to the states in whose service the youths afterward held public positions. With this view, and in this sense, the festival in memory of the great reformer, and in commemoration of the union of people and princes, on the 18th of October, at the Wartburg, was proposed to be used as a general Burschen-festival, and invitations were accordingly sent from Jena to all the universities. A short time before your Royal Highness' return from a journey, and a few weeks before the fulfillment of this before unknown design, the first information of it came here. It was clearly too late to prevent it, and it therefore only remained to prevent, as far as possible, all disorders and excesses. And, indeed, no good reason existed for opposing this praiseworthy beginning of the work of destroying the long-prohibited Landsmannschaften and Orders. With the permission of your Royal Highness, the police authorities of Eisenach were, for this purpose, advised of the expected coming of a number of students, and directed to take measures for their accommodation. It was believed the surest method of preserving good order and quiet, to place confidence in the honorable feelings and expressed intention of the young people, and to let them, themselves, take charge for that purpose. This confidence was not abused. All the eye-witnesses, including the higher authorities of the circle of Eisenach, testify to the religious solemnity, the dignified bearing, and the feeling, with which, on the whole, the festival of the 18th of October was celebrated. It is certainly not a blameworthy spirit which is expressed in the whole order of exercises; for the festival of October 18th, at the Wartburg, afterward in the church, at the second assembly, on the 19th, at the Wartburg, and at the partaking together of the Lord's Supper, the young men vowed to each other brotherly love and unity, and removal of all divisions and orders among themselves; and, as an immediate consequence of

*Kieser, p. 188.

this agreement, there now prevails among the students at Jena a grade of morality, and a strict observance of the laws of the land, the enforcement of which has heretofore been vainly striven for by the authorities. While this praiseworthy design, and the inspiring idea of a beautiful unbroken unity influenced the body of the assembly, it could not but happen that there would be some present who would fail to comprehend the true significance of the occasion, and who, not controlled by their more intelligent fellows, would be guilty of wanton acts. And thus it did, in fact, happen, that in the latter part of the evening, when the minds of all the young people were excited by the flames of the festival bonfire, that a few strangers, apparently not all of them students, were guilty of the wanton act of burning certain books, with many unseemly expressions. It is certain that but very few of the students had any previous knowledge of this auto da fé, so called; and that most of the books burned were unknown to them, from which facts many misconceptions arose, which spread rapidly, and as usual, have become much magnified. It is altogether false that the Acts of the Congress of Vienna, and of the Holy Alliance were among the works burnt. It must be confessed, with concern, that Professor Court Councilor Fries has printed an address to the students, which, although his personal character forbids any suspicion of wrong intentions, by its entire want of good taste, as well as by its unseasonable mystical ambiguities, is reprehensible, and has deserved the disapprobation of your Royal Highness; and that the same gentleman, carried away by love of his pupils, and intending to oppose a damaging calumny, has expressed himself, in the public papers, upon the occurrence, with less than the proper calmness and dignity. He has well expiated the hastiness of his unwise proceedings, by having received an intimation of your Royal Highness' displeasure, and by having been subjected, from various quarters, to the lash of satire. The statement is, however, due to him and to the other instructors who were at Eisenach, that they were not present at the bonfire on the mountain; an unfortunate occurrence, for it may be added that their presence would, perhaps, have restrained the petulance of the young people. This was the plain course of the affair, which, through misunderstandings and lack of official accounts, which have only now been received of a reliable character, has been much distorted, and represented in the public papers as of importance. Your Royal Highness will herefrom be enabled to conclude that the anxieties which have sprung up are without a foundation; and it remains with your Royal Highness' wisdom to determine, whether, besides the investigation already ordered for the originators and participants in the burning of Von Kamptz' collection of police ordinances, the prohibition already issued against the proposed Burschen Gazette, and the renewed severe admonition to the editors of the Opposition paper and the People's Friend, any further measures to prevent ill consequences are needed. As several of those present at the ceremony at the Wartburg were from Berlin and the Royal Prussian States, and were not students, it would not be improper to request the co-operation of the Royal Prussian Government, so far as is compatible with the Constitution of the Duchy, as fixed and guaranteed by the guarantee of the German Union.

"WEIMAR, Nov. 10, 1817."

“KARL WILHELM, BARON VON FRITZ.

However bad these immediate consequences of the festival, the storm was appeased by the publication of this dignified and truthful report, as is more especially evident from the following circular, of December 19, 1817, issued by Count Von Edling, to all the residents and agents of the Grand Duke:

"I hasten to inform you that his Highness the Prince Von Hardenberg and his Excellency Count Von Zichy have been here, and have performed the commission intrusted to them. As I desire to anticipate all false conjectures, I have the honor of sending you the details of the same, of which I beg you will make immediate use. The Prince Von Hardenberg and the Count Von Zichy presented to his Royal Highness the Grand Duke the letters of their respective

sovereigns. These letters have, throughout, called for the grateful acknowledgments of his Royal Highness, as giving him indubitable proofs of the confidence and good wishes with which he is honored by his Majesty the Emperor of Austria and his Majesty the King of Prussia. The request that he will adhere to the measures which may be taken at the Diet of the Union, for the purpose of establishing a just and liberal freedom of the press, entirely coincides with the wishes of his Royal Highness the Grand Duke, who has always considered that a general regulation of this matter was necessary and indispensable for the maintenance of order, and the commercial weal in Germany.

"As Count Von Zichy desired to convince himself, personally, of the spirit prevailing in Jena, I had the pleasure of accompanying him thither; and although the writings of a few extravagant individuals, in reference to the festival of the 18th October, have with justice attracted the animadversions of the better part of Germany, yet, on the other hand, the order, discipline, and good feeling which prevail among the students at Jena, and particularly among the subjects of his Majesty the Emperor of Austria there, have convinced his excellency that matters are not there as they have been reported.

"This result must be gratifying to all those who take a lively interest in the occurrence; and we may congratulate ourselves that the affair was intrusted to the experience and wisdom of Prince Von Hardenberg, and the well-known rectitude of Count Von Zichy. Their mission must, if possible, knit still more closely the bonds which have so long united his Royal Highness with their sovereigns.

"With the assurances of my distinguished consideration, &c., &c."

This paper shows both how much excitement was caused by the Wartburg festival, and how important it appeared to the governments of Prussia and Austria.

b. Founding of the General German Burschenschaft.

On the anniversary of the Wartburg festival, October 18, 1818, delegates from fourteen universities met at Jena,* and founded the General German Burschenschaft, whose statutes are given in the Appendix.t

They determined (§ 2), upon equality of right and duties, in all Burschen, and that their purpose was, "Christian German education of every mental and bodily faculty for the service of the fatherland." No duels were to be fought between members of the Burschenschaft (§ 20). Foreigners could not become voting members.

The Constitution of the Jena Burschenschaft goes more fully into principles and details. It gives full definitions of the executive and legislative powers, for each separate office in the Burschenschaft, and for the order of business in their meetings. The place of exercising (Turnplatz), is taken under their protection (§§ 15 and 229). Those admitted into the Burschenschaft must be Christians, Germans, and honorable (§ 168). The Burschenschaft is called "Christian German."

No difference of birth is recognized among the members of the Burschenschaft, and they call each other "thou" (§§ 194, 195). Only "greater or less experience" is a basis of distinction (§ 197); and it is on this principle only that students are eligible to the committee after their second term at the university, and to the managing board

* Haupt, p. 52. +Ib., p. 257. Appendix IV.-(A.) Ib., p. 264. Appendix IV.-(B.)

after their third (§ 198). "But these distinctions shall not occasion any younger member to be reckoned inferior to an older; for it is only individual excellence, not years' standing which can be alleged in favor of members" (§ 199). This paragraph is a most distinct declaration against Pennalism, which, as we have seen, extended down to our own times.

The statutes of the General Burschenschaft, and of that of Jena, seem to have been drafted by students at law, and with a judgment and breadth almost unyouthful. But any one who knew the youths who, in the first innocent period of the Burschenschaft, lived in freedom and unrestrained vigorous exercises within the limits of these laws, will make no objections to this characteristic. And if any person is disposed to criticise them sharply, and find them too mature and strict, he will, upon a comparison of them with the Comment (also in the Appendix), find reason to change his opinion, and to look favorably upon them.

E-BRESLAU. (1817-1819.)

The influence of the Wartburg festival and of the foundation of the Burschenschaft spread like wildfire to all the Protestant universities of Germany, and to Breslau among the rest. Here, the members of the Burschenschaft were also the most active Turners. The history of the Breslau Turning-ground, already given, is actually that of the Burschenschaft of that place, except that the former, as recognized by the government, comes more into the foreground. The opponents of the Burschenschaft, and of the Turning system, accused the young men, especially, of premature and ill-regulated political action. The reader will learn the nature of the various accusations made from the following dialogue, in which I endeavored to delineate them :

Turning and the State. (Otto-Georg.)

O. Dear Turners'-defender, will you answer me again to-day! G. It will be sure to be once more "Complaints, nothing but complaints!"

O. What we are to become very fond of, a profound writer says, we have first to fight stoutly against.

G. A beautiful sentiment! You will give me good hopes that you will become a true adherent of the Turning system. But what are your new objections?

* As found in Haupt. I do not know that they have been printed elsewhere.

+ Gymnasts.

This dialogue first appeared in 1818, in the Silesian Provincial Gazette. I reprint it verbatim, as a contribution to a picture of the patriotic ideas, aspirations, and struggles of the period.

O. One man said to me that the system was only a coarse system of bodily exercise, which neglected the mind. Are children to be made tumblers and rope-dancers? And a little afterward, another complained that the Turning was well enough, if it were only confined to bodily exercises; but that all manner of mental instruction was connected with these; a useless plan. What is your answer to these? G. As an advocate, I ought not to have to make any answer at all to two objections so diametrically opposite; but I will endeavor to il lustrate the point to which both relate. Jahn by no means confined himself to a comprehensive description of and instruction in the various bodily exercises, their mutual relations, and influence in the development of the body. He felt, very clearly, that what the ordinary masters of fencing, swinging, riding, &c., had taught, as matters of bodily application only, must be illustrated by an intellectual element.

O. Can you not describe this element more fully?

G. It is difficult, at the beginning of a great development, to fix upon the germ of a powerful principle which is to live and work in manifold forms and deeds for coming centuries. It can only be imagined. Its efficiency through Jahn and others was not its only efficiency. Its most marked development was in the recent Turners, in whose hearts it dwelt and worked, chaining them to the Turning-ground with an attraction more powerful than could have been that of merely bodily exercises.

O. But its adversaries say that this was a revolutionary spirit.

G. As was Luther's; as are all to whose renovating power humanity owes eternal youth.

O. That is not what they mean. They refer to a Jacobinical revolutionary spirit.

G. Many things may be misunderstood. But this misunderstanding could not happen to any one earnestly seeking to comprehend the Turning system or the future of Germany. But for this is necessary the unprejudiced reading of works on Turning and related subjects; and still more, thorough observation of the system itself, friendly intercourse with the Turners, and, most of all, a comprehension of the errors and sins of the times, and a heartfelt desire to help them.

O. Can you, then, really disprove this accusation of Jacobinism?

G. Jacobinism! These opponents should consider what words they use. Even if they believed that the friends of Turning were in an error, they would have to do them the justice of admitting that they meant honorably. And they compare them with the Jacobins, those most abominable productions of hell that ever appeared in human form!