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

* Cologne, February 17. Every market town has its esprit fort; the Cologne parquet has one too. The esprit fort of the Cologne parquet is a certain — Saedt. Homo novus atque ignotus? (in plain English: a deep thinker).

There is a twofold audacity: an audacity of superiority; there is an audacity of narrow-mindedness 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 yesterday afternoon in his speech for the prosecution against Kinkel, the public will decide as soon as the proceedings are before it. It will also consider that Mr. Saedt is still young.

We could not, however, reconcile it with our journalistic task to keep a pronouncement of our esprit fort from the European public any longer. We know that the Demosthenes of the Cologne parquet sought to make good the passage to be cited by a subsequent interpretation. But we value the original inspirations of the surging genius too highly to let them be stunted for us by the weakening commentary of a later-born reflection.

Mr. Saedt, substitute of the state prosecutor, said:

In German: “You may refute everything I say, but you may not criticize my address.”

In French: M. Saedt, substitut du procureur du roi, s'adressant à l'accusé:

“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”.)

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, replicò:

“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”.)

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

“Señor, Vmd. puede refutar todo lo que he dicho; pero lo que acabo de decir como requisitoria está prohibido tocarlo.” (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).” (The Danish democratic newspapers will be very pleased to communicate to the Danish public the preceding proof of the sound health of the Prussian magistrates.)

Mr. Saedt may decide for himself in which language his pronouncement sounds most amusing.

Notes: esprit fort: freethinker. Homo novus atque ignotus: an unknown upstart.