tried to secure internal liberties for Hesse-Darmstadt, while he had
urged his countrymen to look for the model of a free constitution rather
to England and Hungary than to France. During the constitutional
movement of 1848 he had become Prime Minister of Hesse-Darmstadt; and he
seems to have had considerable power of winning popular confidence.
Although he was not able to commit the meeting to a definitely
monarchical policy, he had influence enough to counteract the attempts
of Struve and Hecker to carry a proposal for the proclamation of a
republic; and his influence increased during the later phases of the
movement.

It was obvious that, in the state of Viennese feeling, a movement in
favor of German unity, at once so determined and so moderate in its
character, would give new impulse to the hopes for freedom already
excited by Kossuth's speech; and the action of the reformers now became
more vigorous because the students rather than the professors were
guiding the movement. Some of the latter, and particularly Professor
Hye, were beginning to be alarmed, and were attempting to hold their
pupils in check. This roused the distrust and suspicion of the students;
and it was with great difficulty that Professors Hye and Endlicher could
prevail on the younger leaders of the movement to abstain from action
until the professors had laid before the Emperor the desire of the
university for the removal of Metternich. This deputation waited on the
Emperor on March 12th, but it proved of little avail; and when the
professors returned with the answer that the Emperor would consider
their wishes, the students received them with laughter and resolved to
take the matter into their own hands. The next day was to be the opening
of the Assembly of the Estates of Lower Austria; and the students of
Vienna resolved to march from the University to the Landhaus.

In the great hall of the University, now hidden away in an obscure part
of Vienna but still retaining traces of the paintings which then
decorated it, the students gathered in large numbers on March 13th.
Various rumors of a discouraging kind had been circulated; this and that
leading citizen were mentioned as having been arrested; nay, it was even
said that members of the Estates had themselves been seized, and that
the sitting of the Assembly would not be allowed to take place. To these
rumors were added the warnings of the professors.

Fuester, who had recently preached on