The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVE IVI NG, MARCH 24, 1848.

GE RMAN Y.

PRUSSIA.

Accounts have been received from Berlin of the
22d instant, at which date the city continued
tranquil.

The Prussian State Gazette of the 22d publishes
the following decrees :

" BERLIN, MARCH
21.

~ ROYAL AMNESTY.

" I have already announced yesterday that I have
cordially forgiven and forgotten everything. In order
that no doubt may remain that I include all my subjects
in this act of forgiveness, and because I earnestly desire
that the approaching eventful future of our Fatherland
may not be saddened by any painful retrospect, I hereby
announce full pardon to all who have been accused or
condemned for political offences, or for misdemeanours
committed against the laws which reeulate the press.
" Tho Minister of Justice, Von Uhden, is charged
with the immediate execution of this amnesty.
" FREDERICK WILLIAM.

" Berlin, March 20."
" All tribunals, and the Procurator-General of the
Royal Court of Appeal at Cologne, are charged with
the speedy execution of the above royal amnesty; and
in conformity therewith to set at liberty all persons who
are under arrest, unless they are at the same time in
custody for other transgressions or crimes.
" VON UHDEN, Minister of Justice.
allowed the petitions fur
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pardon sent in by our Ministers of Justice Von Savigny
and Von Uhden, and also by our Minister Count Von
Stolberg, prior to the amnesty of the 19th instant. I
have appointed Dr. Borneman, Minister of Justice, and
have also summoned M. Camphausen, President of the
Chamber of Commerce, to give me henceforth his
valuable aid as one of my Ministers.
" The functions of the ex-Ministers will be discharged
by them until their successors shall have been defini-
tively appointed.
"FREDERICK WILLIAM.

" Berlin, March 20, 1848."
The State Gazette says—" The royal amnesty for
political and press offences is circulated by thousands,
and is everywhere received with the greatest demon-
stration of joy.
Yesterday evening the following proclamation was
issued :

" His Majesty the King, in conformity with the wish
of the inhabitants of Berlin, has been pleased to allow
the arming of the burghers, and the following pro-
visional arrangements have been adopted by the under-
signed :
" 1. That a burgher guard be organized.
"2. That the burghers and resident foreigners who
have received letters of naturalization take part in the
same.

"3. That the expenses of the equipment be defrayed
by the city.
"4. The Schutzengilde are summoned instanter, and a
given number of burghers are to be armed forthwith.
"5. The necessary regulations respecting the organi-
zation of this force will be issued with all speed in the
course of a few days.
" Vorr MINUTOLL
" HOLL BEIN.
" GLANE.
" HAACK.
"Da. WOENIGER.
" DRORANNE KRUG.

" Berlin, March 19, 1848."
The arming of the students has also taken place
this morning.

In various parts of the city bowls are placed, into
which numerous donations are put by the passers by
for the widows and orphans of those who fell on the
18th and 19th of March.
The Prussian Gazette of the 22d of March says—

" The orphans and widows of the heroes who fell on
the 18th and 19th of March, and many who were
severely wounded and incapacitated from work, are in
the greatest distress. It is a sacred duty to aid them
in this time of need, which will, we are sure, be gladly
fulfilled by their fellow-citizens."

The following narrative of the events of the 18th
and 19th, in Berlin, will be found interesting:—
" The number of troops quartered at Berlin, including
the different detachments called in from the neighbour
hood, was not under 20,000. It was against this large
boly of soldiery that an unarmed population commenced
the struggle. We say an unarmed population, as they
only armed themselves by degrees, as beet they could.
The people defended themselves from behind their bar-
ricades, firing from the windows of the houses, and from
the roof-tops, at times taking the offensive. The fight
raged hottest in the Friederich and Konigstrasse, and
in the intervening space between them. It was also in
these streets that most blood was shed.
" A little after one o'clock on the 18th, an immense
crowd assembled before the King's palace to thank the
King for the concessions he had made to the popular wish.
Thousands of voices were raised in his honour, and
a sentiment of joy pervaded th• multitude, when some
of the people nearest the palace demanded that the
cavalry drawn up in front of it should depart, and the
protection of the palace be intrusted to the Burgher
Guard, which had been organised two days previously.
This demand W Rii not complied with.
" Instead of conciliating the people by compliance, the
cavalry drew their sabres and charged, clearing the

square. Two shots were fired from behind. The rage
of the people at this wanton act knew no bounds. They
rushed down the Konigstrasse, and in an incredibly
short space of time every man had a weapon in his hand.
The armoulers' shops were ransacked, the pavement
torn up, barricades erected. A revolution bad com-
menced. The tocsin sounded, and all Berlin was up and
stirring to a man.
" Meantime, detachment after detachment of troops
took possession of the principal points in the city.
A large body of infantry and artillery was drawn
up in regular line of battle before the palace. A
murderous fire of musketry was opened upon the people
in the different streets, to which they responded as
vigorously as they could. Platoon firing, the sweeping
sound of grape and heavy artillery, mingled with the
rattling of the drums, was heard from ono end of the
Prussian capital to the other. The city had all the
appearance of a field of battle. The city remained lit up
all through the night, notwithstanding it was a splendid
moonlight. Many of the officers of the troops were
picked off by the people, who deliberately singled them
out from the windows. The splendid discipline of the
Prussian troops, which is perhaps inferior to none, kept
them together, aided to which was a feeling for their
own safety. Some ocular witnesses, however, affirm
that some detachments refused to fire on the reople,
unless first attacked by them.
"To add to the general confusion, it was reported that
the royal foundry was in flames. A body of armed stu-
dents, followed by the burgher militia, now forced the
prisons and sot the inmates at liberty.
"The insurrection gradually took a moat formidable
character. The whole of the population joined in it.
Some heroic acts of courage are reported to have taken
place on the barricades, the height of which was extra-
ordinary.
" On the morning of the lath the city presented a
very warlike appearance. The pavement was taken up
in nearly :every street; heaps of bricks and rubbish
thrown on the heads of the soldiery made the streets
nearly impassable. The Imperial colours, black, red,
and gold, and here and there the blood-red flag, floated
from the top of every barricade.
" The troops were resting on their arms, by no means
vanquished, though the people claimed the victory, as at
eleven orders were issued for the troops to withdraw from
the city.
" The people showed the greatest respect for life and
private property. No excesses were committed. The
loss on the part of the soldiery was considerable; the in-
surgents had the advantage of fighting under cover. One
thing is certain, fighting would have continued if the
soldiers had not been withdrawn, as the concessions an-
nounced by the King were not known to one half of the
people, nor did the other attach much faith to them.
"At about two o'clock an immense multitude, bare-
headed, followed an open cart containing the bodies of
those who had fallen in the Konigstrasse. The cortege
advanced slowly, the men all joining in the chant, Jesus,
thou art our trust.' The funeral procession halted be-
fore the palace. The King stepped out on the balcony.
The people requested him to descend, which he complied
with, uncovering himself as a tribute of respect to the
men who had fallen. The dead bodies were then de-
posited in the lower rooms of the palace.
" A few moments afterwards another imposing scene
took place. A large multitude, headed by the Presi-
dent of Police, had entered one of the courts of the
palace in deep silence. Suddenly, as if by common
accord, they struck up the hymn, ' Let us render thanks
to thee, 0 God!' After which they raised a tremendous
shout of triumph, and demanded the King to appear. The
King, however, was at that moment in another balcony,
announcing to the people that he had granted a national
guard, and entrusted his person to their protection.
" The civic guard was soon organized, and tranquil-
lity was gradually restored. Some acts of retaliation
occurred. The house of a Major Priesz, an unpopular
man, was sacked, as also the house of M. Keshore,
director-general of contributions. The royal iron
foundry and the riding-school are burnt down, and one
of the barracks is a heap of ruins."
In Rhenish Prussia the events of Berlin have
created a terrible commotion. A meeting of the
people, at which the three Deputies who had the
night before returned from Berlin took part, was
held on the 20th at Cologne. A fresh address was
drawn up, and presented to the President of the
province. It was couched in these terms :--
" Sire—The letters patent of the 18th do not in any
way answer the wishes of the people—wishes as just as
they are necessary, and which have been admitted
already by the greater part of the Princes of the other
German States. The inhabitants of Cologne claim—
" The right of meeting for political purposes.
" A representation of the people (not an assembly
of the States) with power of voting—responsibility of
Ministers.

"An armed force from amongst the people, not to
replace the landwehr,' destined to act solely against
foreign enemies, but to take the place of a civic guard
for supporting the constitution promised, and the per-
sonal rights of the citizens.

" A general amnesty for political offences.
" Right of trial by jury in all political offences and
offences of the press. .

" Equality, civil and political, for all citizens, without
reference to creeds; the realization of these wishes; the
immediate dismissal of the present Ministers, and the