As has been said, no
German with a German heart, placed at the head of a government, has
ever diminished this essential pledge of the continuance of a German
nation; and even though, in view of other primitive decisions, what
the higher German patriotism must desire was not invariably to
be effected, yet at least there was no direct opposition to its
interests; no effort was made to undermine that love, to eradicate it,
and to replace it by an antagonistic love.
But if, now, the original guidance both of that higher culture and
of the national power--which should be used only in behalf of that
culture and to further its continuance--the employment of German
wealth and German blood is to pass from the supremacy of the German
spirit to that of another, what would then necessarily result?
Here is the place where there is special need of applying the policy
which we outlined in our first address, namely, to be unwilling to
be deceived in regard to our own interest, and to have the courage
willingly to see the truth and acknowledge it. Moreover, it is still
permissible, so far as I know, to talk with one another in German
about our fatherland, or at least to sigh in German, and, I
believe, we should not do well if we ourselves precipitated such an
interdiction and wished to lay the fetters of individual timidity on
the courage which, no doubt, will already have considered the risk of
the venture.
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