Perhaps another remedy is possible; and it is on this that those who wish to place the Reich above Prussia base all their hope. That is to give to Prussian provinces a very broad autonomy in such a way that their powers being progressively increased, they will join little by little the states whose powers are diminishing. There must be effected a decentralization as complete as possible, in such a way that these provinces while still remaining in the state of Prussia will have sufficient means to be able to live individual lives and to impress their special temperaments on the different acts of their political life. It would be necessary—and it is there that the problem is most difficult—to maintain in these provinces Prussian legislation and at the same time give them the right also to legislate and assure them a sufficiently independent administration.
These are only projects and one cannot tell to what extent they are realizable. We shall see, however, that the Constitution of Weimar has timidly commenced an effort to realize them.
CHAPTER III
THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE
If the National Assembly has not completely realized the unitary state and has allowed traces of the federal régime to remain, it has fully admitted the principle of national sovereignty and has applied it to a greater extent than any other country in the world.
SECTION I
THE PRINCIPLE
The democratic principle was adopted by the majority of the National Assembly without any difficulty. But in the public opinion there became manifest certain tendencies which are either directly contrary to this principle or whose consistency with this principle is debatable; and some of them have received and are still gaining active and influential adherence.
It is important therefore to define in reference to the principle of national sovereignty the theories to which it finds itself subjected in practice.