dical change
in Prussia, he yet recognized the truth that a king's duty is to act as
the servant of the state; and, in spite of the sternness with which, in
many relations, he exercised his power, he introduced some changes which
may be regarded as the earnests of a permanent establishment of a
constitutional government. These changes consisted specially in the
increase of freedom which he allowed respecting the press, religion, and
the administration of justice. But, as we have seen, nothing like a real
limitation of the royal power was undertaken until the War of Liberation
seemed to make it a national necessity. The changes which Frederick
William's ministers made in the social and political condition of the
people were in themselves of vast and permanent importance. They were
made under the stimulus of a more or less clear recognition of the truth
of natural, inalienable rights. Fighting against a people whose
frightful aggressions were the product of this principle abnormally
developed, they yet had to borrow their own weapons from the same
armory. Or, if the republican principle was not at all approved, the
course of the Government showed that it was so far believed in by the
people that certain concessions to it were necessary as a matter of
policy. But these changes were yet by no means equivalent to the
introduction of republican elements in the Government. An approach was
made toward the granting of equality of rights; but this was only
_granted_; the Government was still absolute; strictly speaking, it had
the right, so far as formal obligations were concerned, to remove the
very privileges which it had given. But the _promise_ of something more
was given also. Besides the already-mentioned renewal of that promise,
the king, June 3, 1814, in an order issued while he was in Paris,
intimated his intention to come to a final conclusion respecting the
particular form of the constitution after his return to Berlin. In May,
1815, he issued another edict, the substance of which was that provision
should be made for a parliamentary representation of the people; that,
to this end, the so-called estates of the provinces should be
reorganized, and from them representatives should be chosen, who should
have the right to deliberate respecting all subjects of legislation
which concern the persons and property of citizens; and that a
commission should be at once appointed, to meet in Berlin on the first
of September, whose b