Berlin, June 22. The other day, the Spenersche Zeitung? bestowed 
upon itself, since so far no one else has taken on the job, the 
praise which it feels it deserves.'** A “review” of its activity over 
the past six months is sufficient for it to arrive at the important 
discovery that it is the paper which has pioneered the movement 
for a free press. It is amusing to see how, with a solemn air of 
heightened self-confidence, its frock-coat brushed fit for Sunday, 
it steps before its public, before the foreign newspapers, and 
places on its head the civic crown of liberalism. The Spenersche 
Zeitung claims that but for it or rather for the *, which stands for 
the article in question, but for this * no Prussian newspaper would 
to this day have attained the present standpoint of liberalism. For 
as soon as the censorship circular appeared '* the * proceeded to 
sound out how far one might go in the opposition business; it 
knocked, softly, and lo! it was admitted. And naturally so, for 
these quiet, bowing, well-intentioned, humble, tame articles would 
eventually have been passed even before. The* should at least 
trust its censor to be able to tell a domestic animal from a wild 
one. But God forbid! This isolated philistinism is so limited that it 
takes the most trivial idea that crosses its mind for original, 
inspired by genius, unique of its kind. The censorship circular 
appears; now every writer must, of course, instantly change his 
manner of writing, give it freer rein. Our asterisk man, however, 
considers himself the only person in the world with an intellect 
capable of reaching this conclusion, and he wants to rub it under 


* The reference is to the newspaper Berlinische Nachrichten von Staats- und 
gelehrten Sachen.— Ed. 


The Liberalism of the Spenersche Zeitung 301 


the noses of other journalists that they may now write more freely. 
But that is not enough. He thinks himself liberal. He has a certain 
flair for publicity. Perhaps in the most secret, hidden corner of his 
heart slumbers a little thought of the development of estate 
relations.— So what does he do then? He writes a series of articles 
which represent a complete range of liberalism; today the tamest is 
sent in, tomorrow the one which is half a grain less tame, and so 
on. But at the stage where the tameness and the so-called 
liberalism balance, he stops. Our asterisk man calls this “pioneer- 
ing”!? The other Prussian editorial boards will no doubt take the 
trouble to read the Spenersche Zeitung so as to learn from it the 
meaning of liberalism! Moreover, it is odd that our politicaster 
cannot understand why he does not cause as big a sensation with 
his articles as certain newspapers do with theirs; why he, the 
standard-bearer of Prussian liberalism, the great pioneer, finds 
himself nevertheless derided in all foreign newspapers, and must 
console himself with the thought that he is misunderstood.