Most excellent, most powerful King, 
Most gracious King and Lord, 


The High Royal Ministries in charge of censorship have or- 
dered, by a rescript of January 21 of this year, the closure as from 
April 1 of the Rheinische Zeitung, published here in Cologne, and 
thereby threatened with ruin a concern which was founded by the 
undersigned, not without a considerable financial sacrifice, in 
order first of all to meet an urgent need of their native city, but 
was also meant, with Your Majesty’s protection and trusting in 
Your Royal Majesty’s noble-minded intentions, to act as a free and 
independent mouthpiece of public opinion fearlessly and un- 
selfishly for the honour and interests of the Fatherland. 

The undersigned believe that they have proved in a memoran- 
dum, which they lay in the most profound submission on the steps 
of Your Majesty’s throne, that this decision of the high censorship 
authorities is impaired not only by a formal defect, but also that it 
is contrary both to the spirit of all previous legislation pertaining 
to the press and to Your Majesty’s lofty intentions. 

In order to meet the desires of the high censorship authorities, 
Your most humble subjects, the undersigned, will use the influ- 
ence accorded to them by the stipulations of the Statute which 
they humbly enclose to ensure that the tone of the newspaper is 
moderate and dignified and that every possible offence is avoided, 
and therefore they all the more confidently express the following 
most respectful request: 

May it please Your Royal Majesty, by rescinding the ministerial 
rescript issued by the High Ministries in charge of censorship on 


726 Appendices 


January 21 of this year, to order the unhindered continuance of 
the Rheinische Zeitung. 

We remain most humbly Your Majesty’s loyal subjects, the 
shareholders of the Rheinische Zeitung Company. 

Cologne 


February 12, 1843 
[Then follow the shareholders’ signatures]?