The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-19 00:00:00

ever, reached the King. The Curatorium, ignorant of the
wide circulation that the declaration had obtained, replied to
the Professors that it honoured the free expression of their
opinion and conviction, but put it to them more maturely
to consider the importance of the step, and to retract it.
But the affair had become known ; those who had acted
were not at all inclined to retract, and, besides, there came
a number of answers. There appeared in the Hanover
Zeitung an article (not official), which intelligent persons
attribute to Herr von Leist, in which the step taken by
the Professors was blamed loudly and bitterly, and they
were even threatened with punishment.
An insinuation that the seven Professors had been in
communication with French journals, and had sent their pro-
test to them earlier than to Hanover, embittered their feel-
ings more than all, for it need scarcely be observed that
there was no truth in it ; the protest not having appeared
in any French journal till a later period. It is, however,
quite possible that some hint of the intentions of the seven
Professors may have reached others. The plan was in
agitation for some days previous to its execution, when,
instead of Ewald and Gervinus, two other Professors had
proposed joining their colleagues. Of these circumstances
the friends of Government did not hesitate to avail them-
selves, for the most hateful purposes. The King himself is
said to have alluded to them.

At the same time, whether accidentally or intentionally,
the King went to Rotten-kirchen, within a short dis-
tance of Gottingen ; and an order was sent to the academic
body, as well as to the Magistrates of the town, there to
wait upon his Majesty. The Rector, and the faur Deans
of Faculty, went and had an audience. What happened
there and then it is difficult to say with certainty ; but we
were told that they had been instantly required to sign a posi-
tive declaration of their opinion, of which a third essay
only met with the approbation of the Cabinet. They also
addressed the King in person : what they said, as well as
the declaration of the head of the magistrates, which agreed
with it in most points, was sent from the house of Herr
von Scheele to the Hanover Zeitung, and was inserted after
a previous article had mentioned that the University bad
addressed the King. In consequence of this, Dahlmann
and Albrecht, as Members of the Senate, declared pub-
licly that no address to the King had been agreed to by
that body. The printed speeches caused a general dis-
satisfaction in Gottingen. The Pro-Rector, Hofrath Berg-
mann, into whose mouth words had been put which he
could not acknowledge as his, sent an account of what he
had really said to the Members of the Senate : and also to
the Curatorium of the University, earnestly requesting the
latter to make the truth as public as possible. This re-
quest was civilly but firmly denied ; they feared
to make known the lies of the Zeitung. An open
declaration by Hofrath Bergmann was much wished
for. He felt his honour wounded :he was grieved and
depressed, but came to no decision ; to which, perhaps, his
peculiar situation as Pro-Rector may have contributed.
The other friends of the Seven were, however, deter-
mined to ward off from themselves the suspicion of having
participated in the opinions expressed in the printed
speeches, and of being desirous of separating their cause
from that of their seven friends ; and their declaration to
that purpose, which was inserted in several German
journals, was firm and decided.
In the meantime the Seven had been criminally charged
with quickly publishing their protest. Dahlmann, Grimm
and Gervinus, when they appeared before the University
Court, declared unhesitatingly that they bad communicated
copies of the protest to their friends ; that they were quite
prepared to bear the consequences ; and had been indeed
previously determined, under existing circumstances, and
under the present Government, not to remain any longer in
Gottingen.
This report reached the King. He dismissed the seven
Professors from their offices without trial or sentence ; and by
the arbitrary power of the Cabinet, Dahlmann, Grimm, and
Gervinus were banished from the country. This judgment
they learnt from reading the Zeitung, for the latter part of
the sentence was not mentioned in the communication
of the King ; but the Rector was desired to make known
to the three above named, that the inquiry into the publi-
cation of the protest would be continued with all possible
severity if they did not leave the country within three days.
A second communication said they were to leave the
country within three days, or they would be sent to another
place in the kingdom, and the inquiry there be continued.
It seems Government were afraid of stating the whole
truth, and wanted to make it appear as if the Professors
feared an inquiry, and left the country from a knowledge of
their guilt. But they declared they only gave way to power
and reserved their defence.
This answer was not even mentioned in the Zeitung.
It may be considered natural that a journal should take
the part of the Government, but Government should above
all adhere to truth, while in the present case there
had appeared more than one glaring deception.
The voice of esteem and admiration was heard generally
in Germany towards those whom the will of the King had
now dismissed. Some cities sent addresses to them ; of the
existence of others they became aware only through the
press, because the post-office of Hanover had found means
to prevent many of these from reaching the Professors.
All honoured their fidelity, their firm conscientiousness,
and disinterested self-devotion to duty and to the welfare
of the country. In Hanover itself many would fain have
given similar proofs of approbation, but they dared not.
At that time the act of allegiance occupied all minds; many
doubted whether duty or conscience permitted the taking
of the oath ; that it might be refused no one doubted ; that
it was indispensible to deny it could scarcely be asserted ;
and thus the greater number resolved to lay aside their
doubts and hesitations, and to take the oath. Several cor-
porations, however, reserved their rights by adding pro-
testations.
But it is well known what really was the opinion of the
country, notwithstanding the taking of the oath, and not-
withstanding the splendid accounts which appeared in the
papers of processions, the attendance at which had been
secured in many places by threatening those who did not
attend with fines. Indeed this spirit of disaffection was
known and feared, and a knowledge of it was carefully
prevented from extending beyond the kingdom. In the
country itself the authorities were strictly enjoined to for-
bear expressing any opinion on political subjects, and to
demand the same from all their underlings—they were even
desired to report concerning the opinion of individuals. A
secret police was talked of, and servants were said to have
been employed to learn the opinions of their masters
Certain it is that Government communicated with persons
marked by the contempt of all their fellow citizens
What a change from uur former condition—when every one
said what lie thought without fear or controul, and when
no punishment awaited a mere expression of opinion !
The severest blow was struck at Gottingen. The loss
of the seven Professors threatened the whole University
with ruin. It was well known how generally beloved and
respected they were ; how great a part of the prosperity of
the University was owing to them ; how every one felt for
them, and was agitated by the late events.
Government resolved, for the purpose of preserving the
peace, which seemed threatened, to show its power. Con-
siderable divisions of military marched towards the town.
Colonel Wyneken was named conimmander, and arrived
on the spot. On Thursday, Dec. 14, the seven Profes-
sors were made acquainted with their dismissal, and the
three above mentioned also with their sentence of banish-
ment. " Rather banished than perjured," was the short
answer of Grimm. Within an hour from that time Dahl-
mann and .Grimm communicated the same to their hearers.
The former addressing the students, thanked them for the
love they had hitherto shown him, and earnestly intreated
them to continue showing it for the short period of his stay,
by continuing quiet, and by respecting the laws. The
news spread like lightning through the town all were
astonished, horror struck, and deeply affected—but not the
slightest disturbance occurred.
The commanding officer had laid his instructions before
the magistrates, making them aware that he would go any
and all lengths, eves to the destruction by fire of the whole
city, on the slightest attempt at insurrection. All the
troops between Gottingen and the town of Hanover were
under his command, and stood ready to march.

The great firmness of the Professors contributed mate-
rially towards the maintaining at least external peace.
Many vivats were, however, given by the students, and
y.hr,n these were forbidden, several of the young men were
imprisoned for disobedience. Similar scenes were acted
next day, when a number of students, who had been cheer-
ing some of the Professors and hooting others, were re-
peatedly ordered to go home by the military. No resis-
tance was made ; but the satirical observation of one of the
students about the Lieutenant's horse roused his anger,
and caused him to give the command to charge ; one of the
young men received a severe wound on the head, and several
others were more slightly injured. What ever may have
been the orders given to the officer in command, in
this case decency seems to have been overstepped. The
citizens are said to have lodged a complaint against the
officer ; but the students were more particularly offended,
and left the town in a body. About five hundred were
assembled on the Hainberg. They consulted, but adopted
no resolutions, and an attendance at Lectures was not even
thought of.
The departure of the three Professors was fixed for Sun-
day. They had intended to go by• Munden to Cassel, but
they were ordered to proceed to the frontier by the nearest
road, and they had, therefore, to go to Witzenhausen. The
general wish of the stn tents was to accompany them
,thither, and to prevent this, all persons were forbidden
under heavy penalties to give them any vehicles or horses
`for hire. Saturday had passed in anxious fear—all minds
were agitated, the streets full of military, and the Profes-
sors not allowed to show themselves without a ,quard. In
the evening the students again left the town, and then re•
solved at once to precede the Professors to Witzenhauzen,
i and there to take solemn leave of them. Without ;.gain