[p. 529]
|529| the archbishopric of Bremen, the bishopric of Verden and the city of Wismar, which according to the theory remained dependent on the German Empire, but according to practice were separated from it and from its interest, so that Sweden, besides the political influence as a power, and this too as guarantor by law, also obtained a permanent legal influence as a member of the Empire itself.
So foolish are human beings, over idealistic visions of the disinterested rescue of freedom of conscience and of political freedom, and in the inner heat of enthusiasm, to overlook the truth that lies in power, and thus to believe themselves secure with a human work of justice and contrived dreams against the higher justice of nature and of truth, which however makes use of necessity to force human beings under its power, in defiance of all conviction and theory and inner heat. This justice, that a foreign power which a weak state lets take part in its internal affairs comes to possession in that state, manifested itself in the Peace of Westphalia also with regard to the duchy, afterwards kingdom, of Prussia; this duke received the archbishopric of Magdeburg, the bishoprics of Halberstadt, Kammin and Minden. Even if the House of Brandenburg had not, like the house that has now entered into the ducal dignity of Pomerania etc., been at the same time a foreign power abroad, the reduction of the number of German estates and their fusion into a power, even if entirely native, would [nevertheless] have had the effect of diminishing the power of the universal, because the parts formerly smaller now form a power capable of opposing itself to the power of the whole.
Sweden lost through the peace settlements which it was compelled to make, after the death of Charles XII, with Hanover, Prussia, Denmark and Russia, the meteoric place among the powers of Europe forced by its brave king, and with it also its power in Germany;
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.