trong light the state of public feeling in
Germany produced by the insulting despotism of Napoleon, and which was the
main cause that ultimately led to his overthrow.

"Every thing here is based on mere force and oppression of every
kind. Napoleon's endeavour is not, like that of Augustus Caesar, to
bewitch the world into the belief that a universal monarchy is the
best thing for Europe; but, on the contrary, he seems anxious to
seize every occasion, by haughty demeanour, rude despotic forms, and
needless irritation of every noble feeling, to make the weight of the
tyranny which he has superinduced as intolerable as possible. This
conduct has a most beneficial effect, for it keeps alive in the
breasts of men a constant indignation--a striving to break the bonds
that confine them. Had his despotism been more mild, Germany might
have slept the sleep of death.

"But the spirit of indignation thus awakened, acts not only against
the foreign tyrant, but against the native princes, in whom the
German people now see either dastardly poltroons, who, intent only on
their own preservation, and deaf to every feeling of honour and duty,
seek safety in their heels; or titled slaves and bailiffs, who, with
the substance and the life-blood of their subjects, purchase a few
years' lease of a beggarly existence. From this arises a general wish
for a constitution based on unity, energy, and nationality; and any
great man who should be able to give, or rather to restore us such a
nationality and such a constitution, would be sure of a hearty
welcome from the great mass of the people. Nor is there any thing in
the character of those who now fill the petty thrones of Germany,
calculated to react against this feeling of dissatisfaction; on the
contrary, every sort of extra vileness, weakness, and low sneaking
selfishness prevails."

The contempt here expressed for the German princes was (as we have said)
very characteristic of Stein--an old, free baron of the Empire; and the
important matter of German _unity_ and _nationality_ here touched on is
more decidedly brought forward in the following extract from a letter to
the same person, dated Petersburg, December 1, 1812:--

"I am sorry that your Excellency should see only a Prussian in me,
while, at the same time, you reveal yourself to me in the charact