s indeed little in the Prussian Government.
But Liberalism also meant the overthrow of the old established
institutions inherited from the Middle Ages, especially the destruction
of all privileges held by the nobility; it meant on the Continent
opposition to all form of dogmatic religious teaching; it meant the
complete subjection of the Church to the State; it meant the abolition
of all local distinctions and the introduction of a uniform system of
government chiefly imitated from French institutions. It was in this
sense of the word that, with the exception of the first few years of the
reign of Frederick William IV., the Prussian Government had been
Liberal, and it was this Liberalism which Bismarck and his friends hated
almost as much as they did the Liberalism of the Revolution.

The clearest instance of his attitude on such matters is to be found in
his opposition to the Bill introduced for making civil marriage
compulsory. He opposed it in a speech which was many years later to be
quoted against him when he himself introduced a measure almost identical
with that which he now opposed. Civil marriage, he said, was a foreign
institution, an imitation of French legislation; it would simply serve
to undermine the belief in Christianity among the people, "and" he said,
"I have seen many friends of the illumination during the last year or
two come to recognise that a certain degree of positive Christianity is
necessary for the common man, if he is not to become dangerous to human
society." The desire for introducing this custom was merely an instance
of the constant wish to imitate what is foreign.

"It would be amusing," he said, "if it were not just our own
country which was subjected to these experiments of French
charlatanism. In the course of the discussion it has often been
said by gentlemen standing in this place that Europe holds us for
a people of thinkers. Gentlemen, that was in old days. The
popular representation of the last two years has deprived us of
this reputation. They have shown to a disappointed Europe only
translators of French stucco but no original thinkers. It may be
that when civil marriage also rejoices in its majority, the
people will have their eyes opened to the swindle to which they
have been sacrificed; when one after another the old Christian
fundamental rights have been taken from them: the right to be
governed by Christian magistrates; the right to know that t