ON THE L A N GUA GE AND C HA RACT E RIS T I CS O F THE PE O PL E IN THE DUCHY O F S L E S W I CK OR S O UT H JUMT L A N D L I O t , ! a 0 fi I T is first during the latest time that a conscio usness / f o f the sig nific a tio n o what is characteristic and peculiar ndwhich to a people a / is found in every real nation , has been properly !wakened This peculiarity has its fou nda in its tion , partly that stamp which a people , from first h a s beginning , / received from the creator , partly in that series o f [nflu enc es which the people during its historical ‘ fo r s been the object , either from the r u n u o r exter1 o nature nder which it has grow p , from the general historical events that have had an influence the reon . Both together form by their Operations what is c a lled the nationality o f a people . This nationality reveals it self in all the different w ays in which the manners and customs of a people express themselves : in habits and customs , domestic life , laws and public institutions , litera ture and language , and particularly in the last , as the o f nearest and most direct expression the public mind . on These peculiarities , the whole , give a certain character to a people , whereby they distinguish themselves from all other nations . M4 8 5 4 1 " T he consciou sness of nationality stands in a near , relation to political freedom , whether this has already o r n o entered exteriorly, is only prese t in the l nging after , n o t and a fitness for it . If a people be yet awakened to any feeling for independence in the political life , they will not trouble themselves much about their nationality . They will only cling by habit to the customs , institutions a n dl n a rticu a guage of their forefathers , but not find it p la rl o a n y m rtifying if y damage be done to them , if only the injury h e not too violent and at the same time brings e l n with? it 1 n c o nv en1eno s the course o f their daily life . But when the citizen lea rns to regard himself as being ’ i n lo n er a ool n the a sta te ma w o f . g t i chine ithout a will o w n me o f his , but as an independent mber the political : o f n community then will the language his ation , its na n a l tio peculiarities and those particular , connexions and institutions arising from its historical development become important and dear to him , because he acknowledges n that they belong to his and his nations bei g , and are the real gro unds in which the freedom o f politica l in stitu u i tions m st take root , if they are to g ain durab lity and become a blessing and just as he himself n o w r espects them as sacred , he will also demand respect for them from others . o f i It is therefore , that a consciousness national ty has entered so late in life . It has come a fter o r w ith freedom , and therefore only in those countries which have o r already either attained freedom are o n the way to it . The first French revolution brought freedom to a conside o f b ut rable part Europe , in most places the enjoyment thereof was confined to the educated middle - classes and o f the more wealthy parts the community . But these belong more to the general European refinement and this o n o f is , just account its generality in several respects , rather inimical than favorable for nationalities . Therefore to it was not be expected , that those classes of society v who gained most by the first French re olution , would o . care much about nationality . Nor did they do s Real popularity must seek its foundation amongst the people themselves . With the second French revolution a further step forward was made , and with the third the freedom f v r o the people gained its decisive icto y , as all classes o f the people who possessed municipal independence , were also acknowledged as entitled to take part in the manage ment of civic a ffairs . It is between the second and third French re v olution that the question o f nationality has developed itself to its f . o w present importance The meaning nationality hich , on contemplations on the future state o f the world hitherto o ut of i lay entirely calculat on , has become an universal o f power , one the great powers that sets the people in motion and leads them forward in their development . It to has shown itself mighty , both to loosen and bind . It has cast a cleft between the Slavo n ic and German tribes u which nothing will easily be able to fill p , and it has bound the Scandinavian nations t o gether in o ne fraternal community that promises a bright future to the North . f a c c o r The question however appeared di ferently , o ding to the differen t conditions f the people . With those nations , for instance the French , who had no danger to fear fo r their natio n ality from an intruded and superior i power , the sympathy for nationality showed tself parti ’ cula rly in a zealous occupation with the peoples history o f and language , in a care for the preservation national buildings and monuments , and bringing them forth from u e e forgetf lness , in an ndeavour to purify the languag from newly introdu ced elements and the employment of ! u e in a number of words from the old vigoro s languag , a respect for old national customs and habits and the representation o f them through th e medium o f writings i u o f and pictures , and in the publ cation of the treas res ancient literature . In many other parts o f Europe where nationality found itself under the pressure of a foreign race , who governed in the land , this question produced one of the most important materials of fermentation for the troubles of the time . Thus in Bohemia and Poland and the many other Slavonic tri b es that are incorporated in Germany Mth e i and Hungary , with the agyars , with Flem ngs and v . with the nati es of Sleswick Here also , as in other l places , they sought to awaken and nourish the nationa liter a rv feeling by and artistic activity , by keeping the r language and the national literature in honour , and labou ing for its diffusion among the people . But here were also questions of a still graver nature . It concer ned the elevation of a degraded n ationality and its rele a s e from that pressure with which a foreign people had insultingly a n dviolently burthened it through centuries . Here the matter be came more serious and penetrated deeper : the d people were moved inwardly , and the combat attaine that stamp of earnestness which always accompanies a . contest where whole nat ions rise to m aintain a sacred right against protracted opp ression . w It is worth hile to regard the position a little closer , which Germany h a s ta ken u p with respect to the national movements that have taken plac e within its territories or in the neighbouring countries . This position has b een i quite singular . However d vided Germany h as . alwa ys e e n t a nd r ff i a a b i c t m . n i self , howeve little e e t y h ve had u o f on the co rse historical events , when it should be determined by exterior acts and deeds for in this , Germany has mostly fallen short , and stopped half way yet it has developed a mighty influence o n the general n cultivatio of mankind , by remarkable discoveries and by going foremost for the development o f religion and im~ portant branches in the domains of the more abstruse matters of science . It has likewise revealed a remarkable power o f extension by propagating its customs and lan guage far beyond its national boundaries . It ha s no colo c o mm oh o f nies , in the acceptation this word , but it has great colonies o f language in the other parts o f the globe . An immense part o f Germany itself is inhabited by Sla : o f ~ o f vonic tribes the East side Holstein , the whole Mecklenburg , Pomerania , East and West Prussia , Bran denb u r o f o f g , a considerable part Saxony , the whole Bohemia , Moravia , Silesia , Lusatia , Carinthia , Stiria and Istria have an original Slavonic p opulation . All these o f tribes have been deprived their language , their laws , v io their national usages , habits and customs , partly by lence and sanguinary oppression during the many centu ries they have been under German rulers . With some the national elements have been entirely rooted out , with others their nationality has only been depressed , not sup u v pressed , as if b ried ali e until the day of resurrection and retaliation came , which showed astonished Germany u that what it tho ght was long since dead and enshrined , was still in full life and invoked Nemesis .