Cologne, June 2. Post et non propter,* in other words Herr 
Camphausen did not become Prime Minister because of the March 
revolution but after that revolution. On May 30, 1848, in a most 
solemn manner and with many protestations, displaying as it were a 
mysterious carriage of the body to cover the defects of the spirit,” 
Herr Camphausen has revealed this subsequent significance of his 
Ministry to the Berlin Assembly which sprang from an agreement 
between him and the indirect electors. 

The thinking friend of history states that “the Government which was formed on 
March 29 met soon after an occurrence whose significance has not been and will not be 
misjudged by it”. 

Herr Camphausen’s assertion that he did not form a Government 
before March 29 finds confirmation in the issues of the Preussische 
Staats-Zeitung published during the last few months. It may be 
assumed with confidence that a date, which indicates at least the 
chronological point of departure of Herr Camphausen’s ascension 
into heaven, possesses great “significance”, particularly for Herr 
Camphausen. What comfort it must be for the fallen barricade 
fighters to know that their cold corpses serve as visible sign and index 
finger pointing to the Government of March 29! Quelle gloire! 

In one word: after the March revolution, a Camphausen Ministry 
was formed. This same Camphausen Ministry recognises the “great 
significance” of the March revolution, at least it does not misjudge it. 
The revolution itself is a trifle—its significance is what matters! It 
signifies precisely the Camphausen Ministry, at least post festum.’ 

“This occurrence” —the formation of the Camphausen Ministry or the March 
revolution? — “belongs to the most essential contributing factors in the transforma- 
tion of our internal political structure.” 

Is this passage supposed to mean that the March revolution is “an 
essential contributing factor” to the formation of the Government of 
March 29, 1.e. the Camphausen Government; or is it supposed 
merely to say: the Prussian March revolution has revolutionised 
Prussia! Such a solemn tautology may perhaps be expected from a 
“thinking friend of history”! 

“The Government recognises that we stand at its beginning” (namely of the 

transformation of our internal political conditions) “and that we have a long road 
ahead of us.” 

In a word, the Camphausen Ministry recognises that it still has a 
long way to travel, i.e. it is looking forward to a long life. Brief is art, 
i.e. the revolution, and long is life,” i.e. the Ministry that came after. 
It gratuitously recognises itself. Or is one to interpret Camphausen’s 
words in some other way? One would certainly not attribute to the 
thinking friend of history the trivial explanation that nations who stand 
at the beginning of a new historical epoch stand at the beginning and 
that the road which lies ahead of every epoch will be just as long as the 
future. 

So much for the first part of the laborious, grave, ceremonious, 
thorough and considered oration of Prime Minister Camphausen. It 
may be summarised in the following three statements: After the 
March revolution—the Camphausen Ministry. The Camphausen 
Ministry has great significance. A long road lies ahead of the 
Camphausen Ministry! 

Now for the second part. 

“By no means have we judged the situation to be such,” lectures Herr 
Camphausen, “that a complete upheaval has resulted from this occurrence” (the 
March revolution), “that the entire structure of our state has been overthrown, that 
everything that exists has ceased to be legal and that all conditions must be placed ona 
new legal basis. On the contrary. The Government agreed from the moment of its 
initial meeting to regard it as essential for its own future that the then convoked 

United Diet”? meet in reality, regardless of the petitions received opposing such a 
course, and that the new constitution evolve from the existing structure with the 
legal machinery offered by it without the bond which ties the old to the new being 
severed. This incontestably correct policy has been maintained. The electoral law has 
been submitted to the United Diet and passed with its advice. Later on, the attempt 
was made to induce the Government to alter this law on its own authority, in particular 
to change the indirect electoral system into a direct one. The Government did not yield. 
The Government did not act in a dictatorial way; it could not and would not act in such 
a way. The electoral law has in fact been implemented strictly according to the letter. It 
was on the basis of this electoral law that the electors and deputies were chosen. You 
are here on the basis of this electoral law with the power to agree with the Crown ona 
Constitution which it is to be hoped will endure in the future.” 

A kingdom for a doctrine! A doctrine for a kingdom!’ 

First there is the “occurrence’—a bashful euphemism for 
revolution. Afterwards there comes the doctrine and dupes the 
“occurrence”. | 

The illegal “occurrence” turned Herr Camphausen into the 
responsible Prime Minister, i.e. into a creature that had no place and 
no meaning within the old state of affairs, within the existing 
structure. We override the old by a salto mortale and, fortunately, we 
find a responsible Minister. The responsible Minister however is 
even more fortunate in discovering a doctrine. With the first breath 
of life of a responsible Prime Minister the absolute monarchy died and 
rotted. Among the latter’s victims was to be found primarily the 
blessed “‘ United Diet’, that disgusting mixture of Gothic delusion and 
modern deception.” The “United Diet” was the “dear faithful 
follower”, the “pet” of the absolute monarchy. Just as the German 
republic can only celebrate its entry over the body of Herr Venedey, 
so the responsible Ministry can only enter over the body of the “dear 
faithful follower”. The responsible Minister now picks out the lost 
body or conjures up the ghost of the dear faithful “United Diet”, the 
ghost indeed makes an appearance, but unfortunately hovers 
suspended in the air, going through all sorts of bizarre capers 
because it can no longer find any ground under its feet, since the old 
foundation of law and trust has been swallowed up by the “occurrence” 
of the earthquake. The master magician reveals to the ghost that he 
has summoned it so as to settle its estate and to be able to act the loyal 
heir. The ghost cannot find enough praise for these polite manners 
because in ordinary life the deceased are not permitted to issue 
posthumous testaments. The most highly flattered ghost nods like a 
pagod to all that the master magician orders, takes a bow at the exit 

and disappears. The law on indirect elections” is its posthumous 
testament. 

The doctrinal trick by which Herr Camphausen “has evolved the 
new constitution from the existing structure with the legal machinery 
offered by it” develops as follows: 

An illegal occurrence turns Herr Camphausen into an illegal 
person within the meaning of the “existing structure” and of the 
“old state of affairs”: that is into a responsible Prime Minister, a 
constitutional Minister. The constitutional Minister illegally trans- 
forms the anti-constitutional, dear faithful ‘‘ United Diet’’, based on the 
estates, into a constituent assembly. The dear faithful “United Diet” 
creates unlawfully the law of indirect elections. The law of indirect 
elections creates the Berlin Chamber, the Berlin Chamber draws up 
the Constitution and the Constitution produces all successive 
chambers from here to eternity. 

Thus, a goose is transformed into an egg and an egg into a goose. 
Thanks to the Capitol-saving cackling,” the nation soon realises, 
however, that the golden eggs of Leda, which it laid in the 
revolution, have been stolen. Not even Deputy Milde seems to be the 
bright conspicuous Castor, son of Leda. 


Zeitung No. 3, June 3, 1848