been presented by the Prussian Government to the Imperial 


Government, and by the Imperial Government to you. 
The undersigned German citizens resident in Cologne protest 
against this armistice, and, considering: 


1. 


w 


that Prussia has concluded this armistice on the basis of an 
authorisation issued by the Imperial Regent* but not counter- 
signed by any responsible Imperial Minister, and hence legally 
invalid; 


. that Prussia has exceeded this authorisation in every point thus 


pursuing only the interests of absolutism and its own, un- 
German plans; 


. that no political agreement may be concluded without previous 


authorisation of the National Assembly; 


. that this armistice forces the victorious German troops to an 


ignominious retreat, instals a Danish Government in Schleswig- 
Holstein and Lauenburg, betrays to Denmark the Provisional 
Government, which arose from the revolution and _ was 
recognised by Germany, and all its decisions; withdraws the 
Schleswig troops from the German High Command and 
delivers Schleswig-Holstein to civil war; 


. that whereas Germany has constantly fought the revolution in 


Italy, Posen and Prague, the Danish war is the only one in which 
Germany defends the revolution against legitimism and ab-- 
solutism; 


Archduke John of Austria.— Ed. 


578 Appendices 


request you: to reject the armistice concluded by Prussia in violation 
of the authorisation and in defiance of the Central Authority and the 
National Assembly, and to defend the revolution in Schleswig- 
Holstein even at the risk of a European war, and never again to 
entrust the present Prussian Government with diplomatic negotia- 
tions on behalf of Germany; and, finally, to declare that Germany 
will on no account force the Danish-speaking North Schleswig to 
become a part of Germany against its will. 


Cologne, September 7, 1848