[p. 610]
|610| people to which the Emperor belongs, be it Austria or Bavaria or Brandenburg, its language and that of the [peoples] surrounding it is not even understood by others. In this respect of confidence the difference of right is an astonishing source of estrangement; [how he] who is less burdened with levies, the freer, exalts himself over the serf, the other [feels] envy and soon hatred, increased by the mutual wars, still more by this war. The South German, plundered, cannot look without envy at the calm of the North German, not without anger at being abandoned by his fellow Germans in such need and misery. The North, seeing that it is so clever, shrewd and so fortunate, looks down on the South German.
E. Progress since the Peace of Westphalia.
Civil wars in England for two royal families.
Estates of the realm, decline of their power …
5.
[The judiciary]
In the German Empire there are no state officials – hereditary stewards etc. The burgher demands security of property and administration of justice, as few levies as possible – he lets the state take care of everything; the official too, his connection, his relation to the whole etc., he seeks his bread. Formerly every free man wanted to share in it. Now one class, in which the duties of the state have become private rights. In this separation from the state lies the possibility of forming a state.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.