"Neue Rheinische Zeitung" – Saedt

["Neue Rheinische Zeitung" No. 225, February 18, 1849]

*
Cologne, February 17. Every market town has its esprit fort <Freigeist>; the Cologne parquet has one too. The esprit fort of the Cologne parquet is a certain –
Saedt.
Homo novus atque ignotus <an unknown upstart> (in German: a deep thinker).

There is a two-fold audacity, an audacity of superiority; there is an audacity of mental limitation, which draws its strength from its official position, from the consciousness that it fights with privileged weapons, and the like. Which of these two superiorities the esprit fort of the Cologne parquet displayed in his requisitoire yesterday afternoon against Kinkel, the public will decide as soon as the proceedings are before it. It will at the same time take into consideration that Herr Saedt is still young.

We, however, could not reconcile it with our journalistic task to withhold any longer from the European public an utterance of our esprit fort. We are aware that the Demosthenes of the Cologne parquet sought to make good the passage to be quoted by means of an after-the-fact interpretation. But we hold the original inspirations of the surging genius in too high esteem to allow them to be marred for us by the weakening commentary of an after-born reflection.

Herr
Saedt
, substitute of the state prosecutor, spoke:

In German: “You may refute everything I say, but you are not to criticise my speech.”

In French:
M.
Saedt
, substitut du procureur du roi, addressing the accused:

“Libre à vous de réfuter tout ce que je viens de dire, mais il ne vous appartient pas de critiquer le réquisitoire d’un substitut du procureur du roi.” (Avis à la “Réforme”, à la “République” et à la “Révolution”. <(For the attention of the “Réforme”, the “République” and the “Révolution”.)>)

In English: The queen’s counsel, Mr.
Saedt
, to the defendant:

“You may refute all I say, but you have no right to criticize my speech.” (N. B. Our English contemporaries, principally the “Northern Star”, are requested to publish the above.)

In Italian: Sig.
Saedt
, accusatore publico, replied:

“Dite quanto volete in rifutazione di questo che ho detto, ma vi è difeso di criticare il mio requisitorio.” (Avviso all’ “Alba”, al “Contemporaneo” ed alla “Concordia”. <(For the attention of the “Alba”, the “Contemporaneo” and the “Concordia”.)>)

In Spanish: El fiscal, Sennor
Saedt
, dijo, hablando al acusado:

“Sennor, Vmd puede refutar todo que ho dicho; pero el que vengo de decir por requisitorio, es defendido de tocarlo.” (Pregarnos los jornales radicales de Madrid de publicar esas lineas.) <(We ask the radical newspapers of Madrid to publish these lines.)>

In Danish: “De kunne gjensige alt hvad jeg siger, men De have intet Ret at kritisere mit Requisitoire (Angreb).” (De danske demokratiske Tidender ville vaere meget glaedt at meddele det danske Publikum den foregaaende Bewiis af de preussiske Magistraters Sundhed.) <(The Danish democratic newspapers will take pleasure in communicating to the Danish public the above proof of the well-being of the Prussian judicial officers.)>

Herr Saedt may himself decide in which language his utterance sounds the most amusing.