The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23

many became nervous and apprehensive
and were everywhere on the lookout for
Jacobinism and for offences against throne
and altar.
VII,
His attitude toward the French Revolu-
ton Is the one fact in the life Of Goethe
which the present biographer is not dis
posed to condone or ~extenuate. He recalls
that Goethe in later years strove TO excuse
his antagonism toward the great popular up
rising In France by saying that at the time
its benef1cent results were not yet 10 be
foreseen. Our authors common on this
apology is: @They were not foreseen, it is
true; but they were to be hoped for, and a
man OF Goethe's keen and profound pene-
tration might have been expected to recog-
nize beyond all the reactions, ~disappoint-
ments. COMMISSIONS and horrors the great
blessings which were latent in the Revolu-
| ton and must therefore OF necessity mani
fest themselves in the course Of time" We
are reminded that there were minds Of
much 'smaller calibre that recognized them
For example. Reinhard, who in his youth
was Schiller's friend and in his old age
a friend OF Goethe, had been an eyewitness
Of the many terrible things that had oo-
CURED In Paris up to November, 1891, and
yet he declared the Revolution to be a
gigantic stride in the progress Of the human
mind and asked whether. even If France
| should be sacrificed in the fight. that
was any reason for believing that the prin-
| ciples Of equality could not be ~transplanted
TO more receptive regions, In the churches
Of Jerusalem no prayers are now intoned
except those Of the Koran, but all Europe
has sworn allegiance to the Cross
How did it happen that Goethe did not
also allow himself to be filed with this
faith and this hope? The present biogra-
pher would find the answer in the fact that
in the political realm Goethe was a pro-
nounced realist. Here he allowed himself
to be convinced only by what was immedi-
ately visible and demonstrable, just as he
grasped only what could be translated i'm
mediately into reality, what he could cal
culate from actual given facts. Likewise,
as a practical man, he had lost all conf
denoe in the ability of the common people
TO help themselves and to make a sensible
use OF a larger measure OF liberty. In any
case ruling, according to an axiom in which
Goethe believed to the end of his life,
should be left exclusively to Sxperts. For,
as he said, ruling is an art, and like any
other art has to be learned Our author
does not fail to note, however, that Goethe
had forgotten that he himself had once
taken up the task Of ruling without any
previous experience in the routine OF gov
eminent and yet had met with greater sue
cess than his senior colleagues. He also
overlooked the fact that liberties which
cannot be abused are Of no value and that
man in a state OF freedom quickly natures
to their right use. Moreover he had, as a
practical man, too little appreciation Of the
moral significance Of general constitutional
principles and too little appreciation OF the
value Of enthusiasm for political ideas. He
did not in general take very kindly to the
thought that ideas penetrate the masses
and that history represents the develop
ment Of ideas among the masses. His
belief was that all progress was dependent
pom the pains and lRbors OF eminent indi-
vidual men, Improvement, not over
throw, OF existing things-reform, not
revolution-was Goethe's further principle,
and he failed to recognize the fact that at
times buildings are 80 ready to tumble
down or are so wrongly constructed that !
nothing short Of rebuilding from the foun-
dation can produce anything OF USE"
Nor was this the poets only oversight.
Dlu putlnet hbhb Ine huJuOr, 1Oetne, 1
who lived in such close communion with
nature, not ZEE that the approach Of spring |
lie marked by storms which break of limbs
hat are dead and decsyed and many a
green branch besides? Had he forgotten
that he himself had once aroused a storm !
in order that spring might come in German
intellectual life7' Yes. he had forgotten. :
He was no longer a young man. Spring
had come and gone and nov that summer !
was here IL was natural for Goethe 20 de-
sire that the harvest should ripen in peace. \
This desire. together with a lack Of political
idealism. caused him at a later important
epoch again 10 retire 10 regions where he
was sheltered from the storms OF political
agitation. One can understand how. with
such a turn OF mind. 1t was impossible for
him 70 discover any good in the French
Revolution. much less TO ascribe 10 IL any
such Significance In the worlds history
as for a moment he had a glimpse Of on
the evening OF the bombardment Of valmy. !
when n sudden inspiration flashed through |
his mind. and then. like a Hash. was gone
forever, On the contrary, in his bosom be