On receipt of the Honorary Citizenship of Potsdam.
141.
HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN.
POTSDAM, _November 4th, 1849_.
What pleasure you have given me, dear friend, by so agreeable a
communication from England! But on account of my brother’s memory, and
in order to reply to those who calumniate me for remaining at this
court, I am very anxious to see my response to the deputies of Potsdam
correctly printed in a liberal journal. I would like to send it to the
“Constitutionelle Zeitung,” which has not yet mentioned the subject. I
have no copy, however—nothing but the bit of paper I sent you. Have the
goodness to send it back to me soon.
How important is the news from Paris! The forward one may attain the
consulate for life (to which the words _durée et stabilité_ seem to
refer); but he will fall, nevertheless, and awake the sleeping lion.
Liberty will lose nothing by it, and the German statesmen (are there any
such besides Herr von Gagern?) will then understand, that in the centre
of Europe is the France of 1789, the same, about the nullity of which so
many sarcasms have been uttered. The centres of gravity change.
With cordial friendship, yours,