Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 397, November 1848Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 397, November 1848
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
No man--says Dunshunner--who has this year visited Germany, could
believe that it is the same country which he knew in the days of its
tranquillity. In former times, the tourist, if his opinions happened
to be extra liberal, or slightly savouring of republicanism, would
have done well to abstain from proclaiming them over loudly in the
streets. I have myself seen a dirty Frenchman, of the propaganda
school, ceremoniously conducted from the hotel to the guard-house
of Mayence, by a couple of armed police, in consequence of a tirade
against royalty; and I recollect that, for some time afterwards,
there was considerable speculation as to the place of his ultimate
destination. Now, the danger lies the other way. The more radicalism
you can muster up, the better you will be appreciated in such cities
as Cologne and Frankfort,--the former of which places, if I had my
will, should be deliberately devoted without mercy to the infernal
gods. Always a nest of rascality and filth, Cologne now presents an
appearance which is absolutely revolting. Its streets are swarming
with scores of miscreants in blouses, belching out their unholy
hymns of revolution in your face, and execrating aristocracy with a
gusto that would be refreshing to the soul of Cuffey. The manners
of the people even in the hotels, which I was glad to find nearly
deserted, are rude and ruffianly in the extreme. The very waiters
seem impressed with the idea that civility is a failing utterly
inconsistent with the dignity of regenerated patriots; and they take
such pains to show it that I could well understand the apprehensions
of a timorous countryman, who confessed to me in the steam-boat that
he had been so alarmed at the threatening aspect of a democratic
_kellner_ as to take the precaution of locking himself up in his
bed-room, lest haply, in the course of the night, his weazand should
be made an offering to Nemesis, and his watch and purse transferred
upon the communist principle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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