Page:Marx - Revolution and Counter-revolution.djvu/148

 27th, 1852. now come to the last chapter in the history of the German Revolution; the conflict of the National Assembly with the Governments of the different States, especially of Prussia; the insurrection of Southern and Western Germany, and its final overthrow by Prussia.

We have already seen the Frankfort National Assembly at work. We have seen it kicked by Austria, insulted by Prussia, disobeyed by the lesser States, duped by its own impotent Central “Government,” which again was the dupe of all and every prince in the country. But at last things began to look threatening for this weak, vacillating, insipid, legislative body. It was forced to come to the conclusion that “the sublime idea of Germany unity was threatened in its realization,” which meant neither more nor less than that the Frankfort Assembly, and all it had done, and was about to do, were very likely to end in smoke. Thus it set to work in good earnest in order to bring forth, as soon as possible, its grand