The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-01-10 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

GERMANE.
In my last letter I entered chiefly into the considera-
tion ut the state of Prise's; we resent shall be dedi-
cated to Nassau. Let nut this small State be considered
unimportant on moonlit of its smallness. st has con-
trived to tumule set h an appearance of liberality, that]
in many parts of toonnoly itself this liberality is takes
for reel, and nut liolttions No where has a diabolical
Mackiavelism beets carried to ens 11 a height, and been
made to wear so amiable a first. Many ot those who!
are nut warier& instrueled with respect to the affairs
of this State, wish tie theitiselrea the destiny ut Nassau
het on examining more closely into the subject, we shall
Hid that it ia in every respect' the opposite of what it
er to be. We ought not, in this raw, to threw all
the blame on the Prince (alit has been bat too generally
the fashion to do). The Prince is a very good man;
that is, he would rather see his country happy than us-
happy, if this could be dune without any trouble to him-
self. He has entrusted the whole government of the coun-
try to two men, the Minister Von Marshall and President
Men, toes who, if their hearts only corresponded to ;
their heads, from their distinguished mental powers,
might be the salvation of the country, of which they
are the rein. It is not indeed without a good cause,
that' the Constitution of Nassau remain,' imprinted, for
it would then be seen how wretchedly worthless and is-
significant it Is. How miserable the condition of Nassau
is with respect to rights, may be seen front the follow-
ing account, the particulars of which are not well under-
stood even in Germany. as the censors of two free towisal
would not even allow the mere documents to be copied
into the Journals.
When the estates of the Duchy of NASSAU assembled
tor the first time, the towns of biltratirrg, Herabors.
and Heiger felt' themselves induced to lay some of their
most urgent grievances Wore the F.statra'for the pur-
pose of obtaining relief. With this view they applied
to WilllaM Snell, the then Criminal Judge in Innen-
borg, who drew up a Memorial in their names, which
was presented to the Estates. The Assembly of the Re-
tatea was adjourned immediatele afterward, and M. Von
Prenaehen, -President of the Antic Tribunal, was alit-
mis‘ioned to ascertain from William Snell, why lie, a
irritant oldie SNP , tuck part is rtn Mt egie to his
ittlfee)* Snell answered, that, as a Citizen, he considered
himself not nesely rittitkd but even &void to act as he
had done. Immediately after this was issued the fellow-
ino I'hrree of ItismiasA, arsompanied with the law ac-
cer.lieg to which the dismissal took piece:—
" We William, by the Grace of God, arc. have felt our-
selves most graciuualy induced to dismiss the Criminal
Judge Smell, in Dilleuhurg, agreeably to the Provisions,
sect I. of the Government Edict of the 3.6 Dec.
from the office hitherto tilled by him.
(limed) " WILLIAM.
" Bieberich, July 17, " % 3IANSIIALL.
" We have Decreed,.
" Sec. I. After a per!od of service of five complete
years, the appointment of a Servant of the State in the
i'lass of Civil Service shall become permanent. Before
the expiration of the fifth year of wry's.e the person ap-
pointed may at pleasure be dismissal,
Shortly after this incident, the ruling fluke, and also
his Minister of State, toW the father of the dismissed
William Snell, in private, at Weillirg, that the share of
his seal in the above-mentioned Address had been the
rause of his dismissal ; but that an advantageous career
was open for him in another part of the country, if be
would only renounce his independent principles, sad
sh.w an attachment to the system according to which
the router was administered. The father, a Superior
Coattails:it for Schools, communicated this offer to his
teen, wli however,declared with pruner contempt, " that
he would accept of no office under any other condition
than that which his iluty as a citisen and as a titan
pro
scribed to hien ; that he reserved his claims to the situ.
stint+ of Adoeste, as be could claim this as a right,
having practised as such for six years in Wieebaden.
Be means of the above-sueutioned law, the Ministers of
Kassau have it completely in their power to remove
. every independent man. Rut (bell was nut content with
this ; he wished to effect the complete ruin of my noble
friend, that he might 'tend him the inure easily. The
worthy Baron Von S., formerly Russian and Prussia's
Minister of State, exerted himself eternity for Snell, Os
procure him an appointment in the Prussian Provinces{
en the Rhine. Scarcely had Ibell heard this, when he;
applied to the President of the Upper Tribunal at Co-
laicise, describing Snell as a dangerous and revolutionry
character. However, the Baron von S. at length suc-
ceeded in obtaining for Snell the place of Russian Court
Councillor and Professor of Law iu Dorpat. Full of
joy at his having withdrawn himself from the persecu-
tion of Ibell, Snell set out few Dorpat ; but before he
reached it, a denunciation of Snell from the Court of
Nassau had reached the Russian Ministry, and imme-
diatele after his arrival he received orders instantly to
quit the Russian territories.
I could prove by thousands of examples, that the be-
lief in the goodness of the tievernmettt of Nassau, is
orally the same thing as the belief in the goodness of
the Devil ; hut I am almost ashamed to expose before
the eyes of Englishmen, who, however much they
arse
be oppressed, still possess a completely feral judicial
-erten', such examples of tyranny. 'Even the little
good that actually takes place its Nassau. becomes, from
the way and manner in which it is carried into exec*.
lion, a piece of crying injustice. Thus, for instance,
Nassau boasted that it was the first country in Germany
in which the Lutheran and Reformed Churches were
fraternally united in one Evangelical Church. On a
close investigation, however .it will he found that this
union did sot oriainate in voluntary conviction, but was
extorted from the assembled superintendents by a
Ministerial autadate. By a very dexterous artifice,
Noma has long contrived to appear with this liberal
splendour in the eyes of the uninstructed multitude.
There was published in Wiesbaden a very liberal Jour-
nal (Die Rhettrirehts Natter). which, notwithstanding
its liberality, was apparently favoured by the (covers-'
meet. But I have been informed of the whole of the
circumstances connected with this history, from my
dear friend W.. a very distinguished Nobleman in Nas-
sau. When the Court Councillor Weitzel, the Editor of
the above Journal, first commenced his labours, the Go-
vernment of Nassau entertained well founded apprehen-
sions that he would proceed with as much freedom in
diseussiug the internal affairs of the State, as he did in
discussing the affairs of the rest of Germany. Baron
Von Marshall trembled. It would not do to suppress
the Journal, as that would at once have unequivocally
betrayed the despotism; to allow it to go on would
have 'been equally dangerous, as the true situation of
the Duchy would thereby have been rouiniunicated to
the world. But the enter !bell devised a remedy; he
repaired to the Court Looacillor Weitzel, and told
him, " However ranch the Nassau Government wish-
ed to favour freedom of opinion, yet experience had
proved, that the emotes, opinions frequently pro-
nounced with respect to political affairs in the Journals,
was only calculated to excite discontent in the majority
of men, as, from their not holing themselves in a con-
dition to judge respecting these, they considered every
thing which they saw in black and white to he true.
He, therefore, expressed a wish that the Court Cosa-
allow Mafia w speak with due tenderness of the
roblimes of the Duchy, its which ease no obstacles
timid be throws la the way of his opinions respecting
other Stoles." Flatter promises were added, sad
Rhaheiestes Matter became the trumpeter of all

the *hums of !bell. Hence the vehemence with which
It attacked Snell and the three towns or Regimen, Rai-,
ger, and Dillenberg. Weiner", in the prevent Amadei'
state of th press, has wholly thrown u the editing of
the R. It.r , but this is by no means a 'p efficient atone-
meat for his former sins.
The misery of the country is inconceivable. AU the
subjects curse lbell, bat there is no prospect of any alit-
'junto of their sufferings. A terrible catastrophe
teacbed, but did not destroy lbell, and be fled to Italy,
as his evil conscience would not allow him to enjoy
p. see of mind in (Jemmy. In the month of May, •
Hector Lolling announced himself to the President lire%
and conversed a lung time with him on unimportant
fanny affairs. After they bad been nearly half an hour
together, laming drew a dagger from his sleeve, and
endeavoured to plune it in Ibeßs heart. As lbell suc-
ceeded in averting the blow, he received only a slight
wound in the fare. Both now fell n the ground. lbell en-
deavoured to wrest the dagger from Doctor Lolling, and
the latter endeavoured constantly to stab lbell. The noise
brought in the servants, and before Losing could stab
himself, he was taken prisoner. Prom fear lest he might
have risen about him, be was compelled to change his
clothes ; hut resolutely bent on death, be (witty de-
ntatided a glass of water, and while the servant was in
an adjoining room, be broke the glass, opened an artery
with the fragments, anal iumieiliately swallowed then'.
When the attendants entered, he was mond dead. Scarce-
ly had this happened, when M.M. 'tombola sad Snell.
parish clergyusen, and two of our most esteemed preach-
ers, friends of Losing, were arrested, and thrown, like
thieves or mord , into a dungeon for criminal', for
no other reason, for no suspicion attached to them, hut
because they had been friends of Lolling. It was with
difficulty that their congregations could be restrained
from acts of violence. for they wished to liberate their
Ministers by force. At last, there was not the slightest
ground for complaint against them, they were set at
liberty ; but so far from giving them the necessary tes-
timony to their honour, a promise was rutted from
tbein to appear if ever they should again be summoned.
What is all this but irritating tlie people ? If indivi-
duals of an ardent disposition have embraced the dread-
ful idea, that a Revolution, with all its horrors, is not
worse than such a monarchial anarchy, arth at e the
the y to ver
o y
Prit affirm whle

disposition, that, adder the blessings of andisbarheel 1 the c..,.
tranquillity and order, the welfare of the public and of characters
individuals may daily increase. : apprehended,
" By the laudable exertions of the late Previsional As. ', House
semblies of the States many important affairs have been '
put in a train for further discussion; it will be fur you,
lientlemen, to contplete what they have begun.—Among
all these suisjects. one of the highest importance to the
welfare of all the inhabitants of the country is the es-
tablishment of a general system of taxation. adapted to
' the wants of the State, and the situation of the various
parts of the kingdom.
I "The necessary previous measures are orderetl,awl the
I results will be laid before you in due time. and partly.
it is hoped, in your first Session; meantime the existing
taxes must continue, that the wants of the State may
not be unprevided for.
His Royal Highness proceeded to observe, that the
Prince Regent. desiring to alleviate the public burdens
as much as possible, had ordered very considerable re-
ductions in the army, and extended them as far as his
obligation to the Confederation, and the maintenance of
internal order, allow. Some changes will be made in
the military organisation, which will be communicated
to the States. Several subjects connected with the ad-
ministration of justice, kr. will also be laid before the
States in this and the following Sessions.
" Any proposals which you may he
make on
' the subjects submitted to you, will he willingly teceired
1 and
.tßoyale f
s,
it The
i i Order
l attended
tta'rsoenr h Members,doll
maaif nlwiytaroopijubcire:lnwh' whichetethiirr Ils' will be
prescribes.
containsn Princei
actingdi e ssHear
constantly
. place communicated
oents :tholnecessaryonfe takettyfiy the
at
lirhsu Heredi-
taryl powers
e sYwo
mind, tafehutrbers
and the blessing of Heaven, with imploring which we
began the solemnity of this day, will crown your labours
with a sure and happy result."
' His Royal Highness then rose, and returned to the
Palace in .the same state as he came to the Assembly.
A great number of spectators attended the ceremony,
according to invitation. Yesterday and to-day his
Royal Highness has invited the Deputies to dinner at
his Palace.

stables,
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