The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-11

Client champion OF German emancipation him
self belonged by birth and nurture to the prv-
Legged classes. Heinrich Frederick Karl Freiherr
Won Stein was born Oct. &c. 1867. II is strongly
marked on his whole career that he belonged to
tho order called tho Imperial KniRhthood.
This was class 10 which nothing similar has
ever been known in England and which even
In Germany was strictly limited to Suabia.
Franconia. and the Rhine land. An Imperial
Knight owed species OF feudnl allegiance to
the German Emperor, but he was no mans
subject, and. within his own small territory. he
was an Independent sovereign. Stein never
seems 10 have shut his eyes TO tho anomalous
and abusive character Of such petty monarchies.
Still in spite Of all that might be alleged against
| the order, these Knights had two merits which
appear conspicuously in Stein and which main
| ly enabled him to achieve what he did. Almost
| alone. for instance. In an epoch OF oppression.
they retained the spirit Of freedom. and although,
owing TO poverty. they might often be induced
TO take service under ono Of tho great Princes of
Germany. ~ the young Stein himself entered
the service OF Frederick the Great they kept an
Independence Of character This wns the So
cret, doubtless. OF tho imperious will which
later assisted the subject OF this memoir TO inn
| pose his legislation upon an absolute mon
arch. rnthor frightened than convinced by his
| vehement injunctions. This explains. too, a
| popularity OF manner which struck his contem-
porarles-the absence OF that tameness and
characterlessnoss Of speech and thought which
marked the attitude Of courtiers at that period.
Nothing distinguished Stein so much as the
fearless frankness. the rigid dehniteness. the
combatveness tho unyielding anRularity with
which he upheld his opinions. With shuddor.
his earlier biogrhphers record the shockinRly
plain words In which no ventured to address
tl..,f
whom he summary set down. and in an inter-
view which Arndt witnessed between Stein and
the Duke Of Weimer. we are told that the former
had throughout the air Of superior while tho
Duke seemed 10 play the second part.
Another capital merit Of the Imperial Knight
| hood lay In this fact, that this class only re-
membored and still priced the unity OF the em-
pire. Continually assaulted by the greater
princes. and often like G0tz Won Borlichingcn.
pushed into the position of an outlaw. these
men we're forced to stand shoulder to shoulder.
and to attach themselves TO the only patron they
could find tho distant Emperor. Organized into
cantons and circles they placed themselves in a
direct relation to the nominal head Of the State.
paid him voluntary tribute lCharitdtlvsub-
sdisnl. while at the same time they sternly ro-
fused TO pay any tax imposed by the Diet. II no
one Of his contemporaries so early. so clearly.
! and so hnbitually ne Stein contemplated the
unit .. Germany. this was unquestcnablY due
IN large measure to his position as o knight
Ii was this status too. which opened his eyes to
what was mlschieyous In tho so-caled
Middle States. and TO the fact that the
necessary alternative 10 their aggrandizo-
ment was the unity OF the empire. In a letter
| to Count Munster. Stein expressly attributes his
! devotion to the cause Of German consolidation
| to tho fact that he had been born lioge man Of
the empire and Of the empire only.
| When after the peace OF Tisit this man nj
| last comes forward rs Prusslan Minister. 1t is
found that the conditions OF his birth and train
ing In no wise isolated him from the mass OF
the people. 1t was impossible to coniound him
with the herd OF German mobiles, with the stiff
necked children OF privilege who supplanied
low born merit. and conceitcd themselves TO be-
| made OF better clay than other men. When he
calls himself Baron and Knight 1t would seem
that Stein avows himself set apart by the acct
dent OF birth to study tho public good. 10 mind
great Affairs. and to protect his neighbors
against the tyranny OF the court. In perform
ing however. this hereditary function. he does
not overlook the change OF times. neglects no
| modern studies. puts forward no antiquated
claims. From tho first step 20 the last OF his
! nnaiai -~e- - "s.>--- - "Oia '.A4-i'"t---
| BILE so to make use Of his precedence as 10 keep
than unbarring restrictions. throwing open
closed doors. cancelling disabilities. In word.
tasks OF government fall 10 him naturally az
| they fell to other aristocrats who have served
| the people-to TimoleOn and Gracious. 10 sgd
| ney and Russell. 10 Washington ana Mirabeau.
| Let us look now at the ends aud methods Of
the reforms begun by Stein. and aiterward con-
tnued by Hardenberg and whose logical re-
suits We see in the existing social and political
structure OF the German empire. On the face
OF II this legislation was similar In its durable
| fruits 10 the work OF the French Revolution. II
accomplished changes OF the same kind and
comparable in extent. though by a perfectly reg
ular process. Indeed. had the privileged classes
Of France not withstood Turgots innovations.
the transformation in that country might. per-
haps, have taken the Same course. II Prussia
did not 90 so far under Stein Ms the French Con-
stitution OF 1901 had gone in creating paria-
mentary Institutions we must remember that
the French attempt had ended in failure and
| the restoration OF absolutism under Napoleon.
| So too. tho Stein HardenberQ movement pro-
| duced nothing similar to the revolutionary law
| OF inheritance on the other hand. reconstructed
| France unluckily could not exhibit anything
equivalent 10 the town ordinance OF Stein.
There Is no easier way Of getting q general
view OF Stems work than to compare it In some
| detail with the parallel achievement In France
which s SO much more generally understood.
In both countries the King was absolute. but
| what was monstrous and immoral In the alb
solutism OF France was not TO be seen In Prussia.
In the former country II was the accepted maxim
that the whole soil and lis DEMONS belonged to
tho King as a landowners estate belongs to
him. IN the latter state tho so-called rights of
man were acknowledged in theory and by none
moro fully than By the despot himself. In tho
code OF Frederick the Great. for instance. It was
expressly laid down that II Is only In order to
perform his duties to the public that certain
revenues are assigned to the Prince. In prac-
tice too. tho difference between French and
Prussian despotism was equally striking nor
can It be denied that by comparison tho Hohen-
zollerns had. on the whole, performed the duties
which absolute sovereigns owe to their subjects
In an exemplary manner. In word the worst
Of them had never been detested or merited
detestation. While. again, there were prlvi-
legged classes in both countries. and while tho
revolution was in a large degree aimed against
thom, yet here. too. there were some
noteworthy points Of contrast. Tho COM
plant against the French nobesse was not