This liberalism constitutes the reserve force of aristocracy and plutocracy; liberals of this calibre unhesitatingly vote repressive laws against socialist workers. The old watchwords, liberty, equality, and fraternity, are left to the social democracy.
The old liberalism was national in character, but genuinely liberal, and with cosmopolitan inclinations. But when the national minorities in the historically extant multilingual states had gained strength through liberal constitutionalism and parliamentarism, and when the doctrine of popular sovereignty was given a definite folk-signification, when the nationalist idea became definitely democratic vis-à-vis the state, liberalism swung over to the side of the state, proclaiming everywhere the official doctrine of patriotism. Metternich's reaction had led to an oppression of the nationalities in Austria and Germany. In Austria, after 1848, the liberals followed in Metternich's footsteps, even endeavouring to effect a forcible denationalisation.[1] The liberal capitalists found no difficulty in turning political chauvinism to account economically. In this connection I may quote once more from Ku-Hung-Ming, who refers to a liberal aspirant who betrayed his party and his government to espouse the cause of reaction: "When Kang-Yu-Wei was compelled to take to flight, and when the lives of some of his adherents were forfeit, Tuan-Fang had not a moment's perplexity, for with all the shamelessness of light-hearted youth he exhibited a complete change of front and had recourse to the scoundrel's last refuge—patriotism. Immediately after Kang-Yu-Wei had fallen and the empress dowager had grasped the reins of power, Tuan-Fang composed a popular patriotic song, extolling the glories of the empress dowager and her government. In this wise he saved himself from the consequences of his association with Kang-Yu-Wei."
Open-minded liberals are no longer under any illusion concerning the decay of liberalism.
Intellectually, liberalism has become a dangerous system of dilettantism; ethically it is often lax and positively
- ↑ The idea of nationality was discussed in § 59. It was there shown that the nationalist program is differently formulated in different countries and by divers national stocks. In 1848, for example, the Austrian Germans were less nationalist than the Germans in Germany proper. Individuals, too, changed their views, from time to time. Prior to 1848, Ruge was no less opposed to nationalism than Marx.
