The ministers simultaneously a.s.sented.
"I should resign," continued the king, "authority over, and the command of, my army in time of war--the army of Minden, of the Peninsula, of Garcia, Fernandez, of Waterloo--and this army would then be compelled to march against the united German forces who have taken the side of Austria. I ask you, my ministers, before G.o.d and your consciences, and upon the oath you have taken to me and to your country. Can I accept this proposition? Can I as the defender of the royal rights of my family? Can I as the defender of my country? Can I according to the const.i.tution of the kingdom? Answer first, Count Platen, as minister of foreign affairs."
Count Platen rubbed his hands gently together, rocked himself slightly to and fro, and replied: "No, your majesty. It would perhaps----"
"And you, Herr von Malortie, as minister of my household?"
The chamberlain, who sat huddled up more than usual in his black neckcloth and frock-coat, said in a low voice, "No, your majesty."
"And you, my minister of equity?"
Leonhardt answered shortly, in a clear, firm voice, "No!"
"The minister of the interior?"
"No, never!" replied Bacmeister.
The ministers of war, of education, and of finance gave the same answer.
The king rose, the a.s.sembled ministers with him.
"I perceive with great pleasure, gentlemen," said George V., "that you all give the same answer to the Prussian proposal which I, from regard to the rights of my crown and of my country, immediately gave to Count Platen when he first read me the ultimatum. It is a great comfort to me to find myself at one with my a.s.sembled ministers on so important a question; not, gentlemen, that I shun the responsibility, or wish to lay it upon your shoulders"--the king raised his head proudly--"but this unanimous answer from you all, I regard as a pledge that the sufferings which my country may have to bear, from refusing the Prussian proposition, are unavoidably and inevitably sent from G.o.d. If, however, we are all of one mind that I cannot accept the alliance on the basis proposed, we must all immediately take the measures our very serious position requires. I shall lead the army into south Germany, and I must, therefore, concentrate it at once in the south of the kingdom. I must immediately arrange the details with my generals. The queen and the princesses will remain here, and will share the fate of the country!"
A murmur of applause was heard.
"Your majesty," said Bacmeister, "I must ask you to decide at once on a relevant question."
"What is it?" asked the king.
"General von Manteuffel is at Harburg," said the minister, "and demands railway carriages in which to transport the Prussian troops to Minden.
The railway directors want to know what they must do."
The king gnashed his teeth.
"When war is declared he will be in the centre of the country!" he cried. "Order all the carriages to be sent here at once. We shall require them for the transport of the troops."
"Further," continued the minister, "we must dissolve the States a.s.sembly under these circ.u.mstances. When Count Platen confided to me our position, I drew up the order of dissolution."
"Produce it," cried the king.
The minister laid the order upon the table.
"The secretary-general is without," said he.
"Let him come in!"
Bacmeister hastened out, and returned with the secretary-general of the ministry, in whose presence the king executed the order for the dissolution of the States a.s.sembly.
"And now, gentlemen," he exclaimed, "you will all go to work in your different ways, to struggle against these evil times, and may the triune, almighty, and just G.o.d grant that I may once more see you here again, happily a.s.sembled around me. I beg Count Platen and General Brandis to remain."
The other ministers bowed gravely and silently, and left the cabinet.
"You will now, Count Platen," said the king, "give Prince Ysenburg his answer, as clear and decided an answer as you have all p.r.o.nounced!"
"I will obey your commands, your majesty," said Count Platen. "You do not, however, command a form which will entirely exclude all possibility of future negotiations?"
"You still believe in negotiations?" exclaimed the king. "Let the reply be friendly and courteous," he added; "let my desire for neutrality be again expressed, but on the subject of the reform project let there be no doubt."
"If it be your majesty"s pleasure," said Count Platen, "I think Herr von Meding should draw up our reply. He will be sure to use no harsh expressions, and from his talent in the choice of words----"
"Let Meding draw up our reply by all means," interrupted the king, "but I fear the best words will have no result. Send Meding to me with our answer as soon as it is ready."
"I will obey your commands, your majesty," said Count Platen, as he hastily withdrew.
"You, my dear general, must remain here," said the king, turning to the minister of war, "in order to discuss with me, the adjutant-general, and the chief of the staff the best means of concentrating the army."
"Are the generals here?" he inquired of Lex.
"They await your majesty"s commands," he replied.
"Let them come in."
"I feel young again," said General von Brandis, "at the thought of taking the field with your majesty and the army. My heart beats, as in the time of the great Wellington!"
"Then Germany was united," said the king, with a deep sigh.
The generals sat in consultation at Herrenhausen, the aides-de-camp galloped to and from the town, the telegraph conveyed orders to all the commandants of troops in the kingdom, and the city of Hanover was in a fever of excitement. Small crowds a.s.sembled in the usually quiet streets, and the position of affairs was loudly discussed. Immense was the excitement when one of the initiated imparted the great news--the army is to march into South Germany, the king goes with it. For some time past the feelings of the people had been extremely anti-Prussian, the king had been openly blamed for allowing the Kalik brigade and General Gablenz to go, every possible ovation had been given to the Austrian troops, and now--when a war was inevitable, when the gravity of the position was apparent to every one, the people felt overwhelmed with disquiet and care. And that the king himself was to go, seemed completely to stun the good Hanoverians.
They may take the line of opposition, they may blame and criticize what had been done, and what had not been done,--but the capital without the king,--the idea was horrible and beyond belief, and already voices were raised bestowing blame. "The king leaves us alone; the enemy will have no restraint, we shall be given up to pillage."
But then the reply was heard, "The queen remains here with the princesses; they will protect the capital by their presence, a royal lady must be respected," and this intelligence rea.s.sured many.
All sorts of notions were discussed, the most timid hastened to the burgomaster and the burgher superintendents, to stir them up to take some step to prevent the king from leaving the city; others urged the concentration of the troops in the capital; others proposed the destruction of the railways; in a word endless advice, political and military, was given away in the streets, and each adviser thought his plan the only one which could save the city and the country. In the meantime the troops in garrison at Hanover marched to the station, and were sent off by railway; other battalions and squadrons arrived, and after a short delay were also dispatched, but everything was done so quietly that the crowd standing about the railway station never perceived the military proceedings.
In the large square before the station stood a group of citizens in earnest conversation, whilst a small dark man with a pale face and brilliant eyes endeavoured to calm them. They were large powerful men of the old Saxon race, who may be relied upon to act, under circ.u.mstances which they understand, but who lose all their courage and presence of mind if they find themselves in an unusual and unexpected position. The North German and Saxon character always requires time to accustom itself to new and unforeseen events, before it can show all its worth; everything new, sudden, and unusual, stuns it, and cripples its powers.
So it was now; these strong powerful men, with their large characteristic features, stood looking depressed and puzzled, an expression of great discontent and displeasure upon their faces, and their displeasure they were quite ready to pour out upon the government, for they were accustomed to hold the government answerable for everything, and to sulk with it, if the calm routine of their daily life was disturbed.
"But do be reasonable," cried the small pale man, gesticulating energetically; "you are no longer children, and you surely might have foreseen that they would not go on for ever in Germany, speechifying and resolving over their beer, but that in the end they would _do_ something. Besides, you know nothing as yet for certain."
"That is what is so wrong," interrupted a large corpulent man, with a deep ba.s.s voice; "that is what is so wrong; we know nothing; we might at least be informed of what is about to take place, then every citizen might set his house in order, and provide for the future."
"But wait," cried the little man vehemently; "you have heard that the generals are now at Herrenhausen with the king, and that the ministers have only just returned. How can you be told of things until they are decided upon? I suppose," he said, laughing scornfully, "the king should call the whole town and the suburbs to his councils."
"Sonntag is right!" said a thin old man, in a plain burgher dress, and speaking in the Saxon Low German, still commonly used by the middle and lower cla.s.ses in town and country. "Sonntag is right; we must wait and see what will happen; the king will tell us all in good time; he certainly will not leave us without saying what we are to do; he is the son of Ernest Augustus," he said soothingly to the other burghers, who evidently listened to him with much greater confidence than they had bestowed on the small, pale, animated merchant, Sonntag.
"Look!" cried the latter suddenly; "there is Count Wedel"s carriage at the railway station!" and he pointed out an elegant open carriage which had drawn up before the large entrance to the station, whilst the beautiful horses pawed the ground; "let us wait for the count, he will know what is going on."
He hastened to the carriage, the others following him.