[p. 513]
More important, however, is that a main resolution should have been preceded by not merely two speeches scarcely touching the matter, that in general the unanimity of the resolution, instead of being able to count as an advantage, had rather to redound to the assembly’s greatest reproach and blame. One sees an assembly of estates, according to the great majority, already agreed beforehand about its resolution and the matter settled in private. Another part shows later partly an opposition, but above all it shows complete indifference towards the nerve of the resolution, namely towards the old constitution; this part makes for itself neither a claim to the formal right nor to the content of it, but wants only a good and therefore rather a better constitution than the Old Württemberg one. – One sees, therefore, an assembly still new in its situation, which has been brought to reserve and dumbness by ignorance of its components, by uncertainty as to what is to come about, by unaccustomedness and inexperience, and which is overawed by the contrivedness and concealing decisiveness of some members. If the assembly had grasped its position and concept more clearly and courageously, it would rather have had to make the greatest openness and fullness its law and, instead of being dumb, to hold it for the greatest thing to have the word, since this had been conceded to it. Even if the unanimity had been present according to the real intention or had arisen from intimidation and want of self-confidence, it had in all cases to make it its duty, if one wants to call it so, to choose an Advocatum Diaboli – and this name seems not too unsuitable considering the animosity shown against the royal constitution -, it had itself, ex officio, to have all the grounds that could be found for the acceptance of the royal constitution developed and set in the brightest light, and then likewise to let an unreserved statement of its real opinion
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