Marx in Neue Rheinische Zeitung November 1848

The Assembly at Frankfurt

by Karl Marx

Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 150
Translated by the Marx-Engels Institute
1994

Cologne, November 22. The resolution of the Berlin Assembly
regarding the refusal to pay taxes has been declared unlawful and void
by the Frankfurt Parliament. It has thus sided with Brandenburg, with Wrangel,
with specific Prussianism. Frankfurt has moved to Berlin, and Berlin to
Frankfurt. The German Parliament is in Berlin, and the Prussian Parliament
in Frankfurt. The Prussian Parliament has become a German Parliament, and
the German one has become Brandenburg's Prussian Parliament. Prussia was
to have merged into Germany, now the German Parliament at Frankfurt wants
Germany to be merged into Prussia.

German Parliament! Whoever spoke of a German Parliament after
the grave events in Berlin and Vienna. After the death of Robert Blum no
one gave another thought to the life of the noble Gagern. Who cared a hang
about a Schmerling after the setting up of the Brandenburg -- Manteuffel
ministry! The professors who "made history" for their own amusement had
to allow the shelling of Vienna, the murder of Robert Blum and the barbarity
of Windischgratz! The gentlemen who were so greatly concerned about the
cultural history of Germany left the practical application of culture in
the hands of a Jellachich and his Croats! While the professors were evolving
the theory of history, history ran its stormy course without bothering
about the professorial history.

The resolution passed the day before yesterday has destroyed the
Frankfurt Parliament. The resolution has driven it into the arms of the
traitor Brandenburg. The Parliament at Frankfurt is guilty of high treason,
it must be brought to trial. If a whole people rises to protest against
an arbitrary act of a king, and if this protest is made in an entirely
legal way -- by refusing to pay taxes -- and an assembly of professors
declares -- without being at all competent to do so -- that the refusal
to pay taxes, this revolt of the whole people, is unlawful, then this assembly
places itself outside the law, it commits high treason.

It is the duty of all members of the Frankfurt Assembly who voted
against this resolution to resign from this "deceased Federal Diet". It
is the duty of all democrats to elect these resigned "Prussians" to the
German National Assembly at Berlin in place of the "Germans" who have left.
The National Assembly in Berlin is not a "fragment", it is a complete entity,
for it constitutes a quorum. But the Brandenburg Assembly at Frankfurt
will become a "fragment", for the inevitable resignation of the 150 deputies
will surely be followed by many others who do not wish to set up a Federal
Diet at Frankfurt. The Frankfurt Parliament! It fears a red republic and
decrees a red monarchy. We do not want a red monarchy, we do not want the
crimson crown of Austria to extend its sway over Prussia, and we therefore
declare that the German Parliament is guilty of high treason. Nay, we do
it too much honor; we impute to it a political importance which it has
long since lost. The severest judgment has already been passed upon it
-- disregard of its rulings and total oblivion.

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