The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-19 00:00:00

GEI iIIAN Y

AND
THE NORTHERN STATES.

PRUSSIA.

The Berlin State Gazette of the 16th, contains the
following proclamation of the King of PRUSSIA :
" To my People,—Under the pretext of the German
cause the enemies of the country have raised the standard
of rebellion in the neighbouring kingdom of Ssxony and
in several parts of southern Germany. To my great
sorrow, a few blinded individuals have even in our terri-
tory allowed themselves to be seduced to follow that,
standard and to overthow Divine and human order in
open rebellion against the legal authorities. In so serious
and dangerous a moment I teed the necessity of speaking
a few sincere words to my people. I have not been able
to consent to the offer of a crown on the part of the Ger-
man National Assembly, because the Assemby bad not
the right to give away the crown it offered me without
the approval of the German governments, and because it
was offered me under the condition of accepting a Con-
stitution which was irreconcileable with tho rights and
the security of the German States. In vain I have tried
and employed every means to come to an understanding
with the German National Assembly. I strove in vain
to bring it back to the limits of its mandate and of right,
which did not consist in the absolute and irrevocable es-
tablishment, but in the conciliation of a German Consti-
tution; and even after all my efforts had proved vain, I
did not break with the Assembly in the hopes of a final
pacific solution. But after the Assembly had entirely
abandoned the ground of right, law, and duty by
votes, against which honourable men had struggled
in vain, alter it had accused us of having broken
peace, because we had given our neighbour in
trouble victorious assistance, after it had appealed to
open resistance against me and the governments, who,
like me, had refused to accept the di, estrous conditions
of the Constitution, it is the Assembly that has broken
with Prussia. Its majority is no longer composed of
those men to whom Germany Las looked up with pride
and confidence. A large number seceded freely when
the path of ruin was begun, and I have recalled, by my
yesterday's ordonnance, all the Prussian deputies who
still belonged to it. The same will be done by other Go-
vernments. In the Assembly a party now reigns which
is in coalition with those men of terror, who assume the
unity of Germany for a pretext, but, in reality, excite
the struggle of impiety, perjury, and rapine against
thrones, in order to overthrow with them the protec-
tion of right, freedom, and property. The atrocities
which have been committed at Dresden, Breslau, and
Elberfeld, under the hypocritical cry of German unity,
give melancholy proofs of it ; other atrocities have
been committed, and are still being prepared. These
enormities have caused the hope of effecting the unity
of Germany by the National Assembly of Frankfort to be
lost; but I have not yet despaired of it, as I declare
sincerely and according to my royal conviction. My
Government has taken up, in conjunction with the
plenipotentiaries of the great German states who have
joined me, the task commenced at Frankfort, of forming
a German Constitution. This Constitution will shortly
give to the nation what it has the right to expect and
enact—its unity manifested by an executive unitary go-
vernment, representing worthily and powerfully abroad
the name and interests of Germany ; and its liberty
guaranteed by a national representation with legislative
power. The constitution drawn up by the National
Assembly has served as the basis of this, and only the
clauses which, arising from the struggles and conces-
sions of parties were injurious to the welfare of the
country, will be modified. This constitution will
be submitted to the approval of all the States
which shall join the Federation. Let Germany
have confidence in the patriotism and-probity of the Prus-
sian Government—its confidence will not be disappointed.
Such is my policy. Madness or falsehood alone can, in
presence of such facts, have affirmed that I have re-
nounced the cause of German unity, and that I had be-
come faithless to my former convictions and promises.
Prussia is called upon in these difficult times to protect
Germany against her internal and external enemies. She
is bound to perform this duty, and she will perform it.
I therefore now call my people to arms. We must re-es-
tablish order and law in our own country, and in the other
countries of Germany who have need of our support.
Tho object to be attained is the foundation of German
unity, and to protect its liberty against the terrorism
of a party who would sacrifice to its passions mora-
lity, honour, and good faith—of a party who have
succeeded in deceiving and misleading a portion of the
people. The danger is great, but deception will not
stand against the good sense of my people. Old Prussian
fidelity, the ancient glory of the Prussian arms, will re-
spond to the appeal of the King. It my people are with
me as I am with th, m, with sincerity and confidence,
the benediction of God and a magnificent victory wilt
not fail u;.

" Chariottenburg, May 15.
(Signed) " FREDERICK WILLIAM.
(Countersigned) 6. Count DE BRANDENBURG."
A Berlin letter of the 13th says :—" It, appears
certain that a Constitution of the Empire, to be
granted by Prussia, and other royal Governments, is
already printed, and will be sent to all the Govern-
The preamble is in the following terms :
'To put an end to anarchical and democratic tenden-
cies, &c.'"
The Cologne Gazette of the 17th contains a letter,

dated Hagen, the 13th, from which it appears that the
whole of Brandenburg is in open insurrection. The
people of Tserlohn have pillaged the arsenal of the
Land wehr, and carried off the arms. Barricades have
been erected in the streets, and all the male population
is under arms. At Hagen and the other environs,
every thing convertible into weapons was seized, and
the inhabitants rushed to the assistance of Tserlohn.
A deputation was sent to the latter city by the com-
mandant of Munster, commanding it to capitulate :
one of the condidons was the restoration, within 48
hours, of all the arms carried off from the arsenal,
under the threat that Tserlohn would otherwise be
most rigorously dealt with, and the city declared in a
state of siege.
A popular assembly was immediately held at
Tserlohn, by about 1,000 armed men from Heigen,
Minden, and the other environs. The propositions
were rejected, and a declaration made that no arms
should be returned until the KING had dismissed his
present Ministry, and recognised the constitution of
the empire.
All the defiles were occupied by the Rifle Brigade,
and the country people have rim-n.