The Student-Life of Germany

by William Howitt

Sand, on the day following the murder was in a greatly excited state. His features changed rapidly, his eyes now gloomy and wildly rolling, now soft and swimming with tears. His wounds were cicatrized in about a fortnight, but an internal extravasation of blood ensuing, made the opening of the cavity of the chest necessary, which the then Professor Chelius from Heidelberg performed. Sand submitted himself quietly to the operation, and afterwards begged the surgeon to excuse him for some exclamations of pain during the operation. His behaviour during his whole imprisonment was praiseworthy. His frame of mind appeared calm and quiet, and he seemed to wait his fate with resignation. Only twice, in particular, was he seen to break out into passionate weeping; once, as he was conveyed from the hospital to the House of Correction, and the second time, as a letter from his parents was read to him, in which they gave him their blessing; but he sought anxiously to hide these tears, as evidences of weakness. He repented his attempt at self murder, as a cowardly act, and followed the prescriptions of his physician with regularity. He was thus soon so far restored that the trial could take place.

This was entered into with all possible gentleness; and he experienced generally throughout it a mild treatment. A visit which his mother and brother offered to make him he declined, on the ground of sparing to all parties the pain of such a parting.

The trial for the murder went on quickly at first, but afterwards became more complicated, on account of the documents which were found amongst Sand's papers, concerning the Burschenschaft and such matters. These occasioned an especial commission to be named, which put itself in communication with commissions afterwards named at Weimar, Darmstadt, and Giessen, and subsequently with the Ministry of Police at Berlin, so far as their inquiries might have an influence or throw any light on Sand's act. From the report of these inquiries we have drawn the preceding notices of his life, and it may yet be permitted us to say a few words on the force of some actuating causes which could lead so excellent a character, as Sand otherwise was, to such a deed.

Sand's early youth fell in a time when all Germany breathed hatred to its oppressors. From this source he drew the most glowing antipathy to the French, and enthusiasm for his native country. Traits of fanaticism, and a certain touch of religious enthusiasm, all must have remarked in him who have read the foregoing pages, and a degree of vanity which drove him to distinguish himself from the common herd by something peculiar. Thus he subscribed himself, as a genuine German, instead of Karl Ludwig, "Kerl Chlodowig," in the ancient style, and afterwards he used the signature, "German Brother of Fichtelberge." Then he made himself conspicuous in Tübingen by a very singular dress. His desire, however, to serve his country remained ungratified, and he returned from his campaign as so many others, casting his glance forward, to see whether Germany, which had purchased its external peace through so much bloodshed, possessed internal peace and deserved happiness. At the same time, his proneness to mysticism was undeniable. In his speculations upon religion, morals, constitutions of states and laws, one finds many contradictions. Thus, he regarded the Divine laws not so much positive commands as monitory precepts, by which man, according to his conviction, can regulate his conduct. When he, whose favourite reading was the Bible and the writings of Thomas à Kempis, yet felt a certain disbelief in the revealed religion, it was truly a great inconsistency to desire that an immediate revelation from above should be made to himself. Thus, he says amongst other things:--"He prayed to God daily for knowledge and enlightenment. If he, through divine revelation, could learn that his act was wrong, he would repent it every hour; but hitherto nothing of the kind has happened." "My own conviction," said he, "is my law. I act right whenever I follow it. It guides me better than divine or human precepts." According to these principles he would only acknowledge laws except in so far as they seemed reasonable to him. Above all things displeased him, the division of Germany into separate states,--he would have one Germany and one church; but when he demanded--not for himself alone, but for the whole people--this freedom of thought and will, he was in contradiction to himself again, since he would, to a certain degree, force this reform upon all, in opposition to his conceived freedom; nay, held it as allowable, to take out of the way, with the dagger, whoever placed himself as an enemy in the path of this reform; yes, and called upon the people also to do the same. And this he did, without sufficiently understanding the laws and circumstances of his Fatherland, as appears by his declaration. It is to be supposed that the spirit which formerly actuated the Burschenschaft, had an influence upon the developement of his ideas; but it is false, when it is asserted that the Burschenschaft was privy to his deed, or approved it. Sand had misunderstood some doctrines of Schelling's philosophy, and had fitted these misconceptions into his system, as well as many others which he had drawn from the lectures of his teachers, especially those of the historian Luden. All his teachers praised his restless diligence, without ascribing to him either particular talent or great strength of judgment. He entangled himself in a system of sophistry which he regarded as the firmest truth. When a man frequently pronounces any thing to be true, he comes at last to believe it so, however contrary it be to common sense. Thus Sand over-estimated the evil influence which Kotzebue exercised through his writings, without making himself sufficiently acquainted with these writings. Thus he imagined that the governments were not strong enough to repress this nuisance; and that the writers who contended against Kotzebue were powerless against this, literary tyrant. He therefore believed himself called to take the enemy of truth out of the way. He communicated his resolution to no one, and was so convinced of the meritorious nature of his action--which he, moreover, justified by his maxim, the "end hallows the means"--that to his last moment he never repented of it. For the rest, he endeavoured with all his power, to shield others from the evil consequences that might have reached them from his action, and therefore, when for their advantage he stated many things that were not true, he is on that account to be judged leniently. All these circumstances were well weighed by his judges, as ground of excuse so far as they might contribute to the mitigation of his punishment. Sand's counsel on the trial was the Licentiate Rüttger. The final judgment of the court condemned him to death with the sword. This judgment of the 5th of May was confirmed by the Grand Duke on the 12th, and arrived at Mannheim on the 17th of the same month.

At this latter period, the health of the culprit had so much improved that, according to the official medical report, he was in a condition to rise from his bed with help of his attendants, to continue some hours up, and to take his meals sitting in his room.

On the morning of the 17th of May, at half-past ten o'clock, the sentence of death was formally read to Sand, in the presence of two officers of the court, whereupon, permission being allowed, he dictated the following protocol:--"This hour, and the honourable judges with the final decision, were welcome. He would fortify himself in the strength of his God; since he had often and clearly made known his opinion, that amongst all mortal sorrows, none could so much afflict him as to live on without being able to serve the Fatherland, and the highest aims of humanity. He died willingly, since he could no longer work in love for the Idea--since he could no longer be free. So approached he the portals of eternity, with a glad mind, and with the most thorough internal conviction, which he had always entertained, that the true good upon earth can only come forth from the strife of conflicting passions, and that he who will work for the highest and divine, must be a leader and a member of a party. He cherished the hope through his death, to satisfy those whom he hated and who hated him; and again, to content those with whom he agreed in opinion, and in whose love consisted his earthly happiness. Death was welcome to him, since he yet felt the strength in him necessary, by the help of God, to enable him to die like a man."

The 20th of May was appointed for the execution, and till this period the governor of the House of Correction was instructed to admit all proper persons that the prisoner might desire to see, especially the Protestant ministers, and to comply with all reasonable wishes of the condemned.

Sand displayed the same fortitude as on the publication of the sentence of death. He made the request that day, that it might be ordered that no clergyman should attend him to the place of execution, and gave as his reason, that the attendance of criminals to the place of doom, was a degradation of the clerical order and of religion. That religion must lie in the heart, and could not, especially amid such a tumult, proceed from external things. As all the representatives, even of the clergy present, could not alter his opinions on this point, it was conceded, and his request allowed.

At five o'clock of the morning of the 20th, Sand was placed in a low open chaise, within the court of the Bridewell, the door being still closed. He was attended by the superintendent of the prison, at his own request, that he might help to support him, particularly in mounting the scaffold. Two other masters of the House of Correction were ordered to keep near the carriage. Sand was clad in a dark-green great-coat, linen trousers, and laced boots, without any covering on his head. The carriage in which he sat, as well as the one following with the officers of justice, was surrounded by the officials of the House of Correction, and the squadron of cavalry ordered for the occasion. The train proceeded to a meadow lying a little without the city gate, in which the scaffold was erected, and which was guarded by a detachment of infantry.

The government deemed these precautions necessary in order to frustrate any attempt at liberation of the prisoner on the part of the students. In fact, it is yet often related, that a great number of the Burschen rode, in the early morning, from Heidelberg, well provided with swords and fire-arms, with the intent to snatch Sand out of the hands of justice; that the keeping secret the day fixed for the execution, had made it impossible for them to obtain sufficiently early intelligence; and that in consequence, though riding the whole way at the highest speed, they arrived too late on the spot, where, cursing their evil star, they discharged their pistols into the ground. The whole story, however, is a fable, and it is certain, that by the wiser, and probably the greater part of the Burschenschaft, even as little as by the rest of the public, was Sand's murder-deed approved; and if at the moment he was generally pitied, and it was wished that a better fate had awaited him, yet none but a few political fanatics could pronounce the punishment unjust.