Druckschrift 
The Letters of Faraday and Schoenbein : 1836 - 1862 ; with Notes, Comments and References to contemporary Letters
Entstehung
Seite
298
URN (Seite)
  
Einzelbild herunterladen
 

i

r

-— 298 —

ättempted to change some fundamental principles of our Con-stitution and your friend being a staunch conservative, he con-jointly with his political friends of course opposed that tendency,and the consequence was, that in our senate we had somebattles to fight, in which I could not help taking some activepart, both within and out of doors.

You will no doubt smile at Mr. Schoenbein's acting apolitical part and you are quite right in doing so, for I willand cannot deny myself, that he is by no means the properman for dealing in politics and may add, that the bias of hismind does not go that way neither. You must be aware,however, that the Citizens of a small rcpublic, such as our'sis, are not always allowed indulging their private taste; theyare now and then, as it wcre, forced to handle things, whichthey have not the slightest mind to touch, and such is Mr.Schoenbein's case. Our many-headed sovereign (the people)proves in general to be more imperious and exacting thanyour monarchs even, so that very often very little choice isleft us between following and disobeying his pleasure andcommands.

I teil you all these things, indeed very insignificant inthemselves, to account for and justify my long taciturnity, foryou may easily imagine, that the mind being seriously occupiedwith such matters, is little apt for any thing eise, even notfor letter-writing.

Now, after having carricd a most signal and decisivevictory over our antagonists, we belong again to ourselves, sothat nothing prevents us from re-assuming our wonted peacefulwork and I hasten to make use of the very first moment ofthe leisure-time regained to pay old debts to my friends.

First of all permit me to cxpress you my most gratefulthanks for the very numerous proofs of kindness and bene-volcnce which you have of late been pleased to bestow uponmy daughter. She was really overhappy in having been