The Shadow of Great Britain

Capítulo 1200: Chapter 135: Heine’s Patriotism

Despite being early morning, the Academic Director’s office at the University of Gottingen was already bustling with noise.

Arthur gazed apologetically at Professor John Herbart, the angry Assistant Director before him, maintaining only a polite smile.

In Herbart’s view, the new Academic Director presented himself exceedingly well upon assuming office. Not only did he relax campus academic restrictions and promote the local liberal atmosphere, but he also kept everything within reasonable limits.

However, with the recent arrival of Heinrich Heine, Herbart felt that the orderly, controlled atmosphere of gradual reform had been disrupted. Students were brazenly gathering in the square, tossing their hats high into the air, and cheering for various slogans strictly prohibited by the German Confederation Council.

Yet Sir Arthur Hastings, a police expert known in London as a conservative lackey, had no intention whatsoever of stepping up to cool down the situation.

Though Professor Herbart was also a liberal, he considered himself a conservative among liberals, not an extreme liberal. He believed that if the situation were allowed to spiral out of control, there might soon be a recurrence of the Frankfurt garrison incident on Gottingen’s campus.

Therefore, Professor Herbart had come to the Academic Director’s office early this morning to express face-to-face to Arthur: He hoped His Excellency could muster the determination he showed under the Tower of London last June, even if only half of it.

Arthur certainly understood the old professor’s concerns, but the problem lay in the differing perspectives of professors who lived long-term on campus and the police chiefs who fought on the front lines against revolutionaries.

In Arthur’s view, compared to last June’s events in London, the actions of Gottingen’s students were almost like child’s play.

They lacked a sufficiently influential leader…

Oh, perhaps they now have one, but that leader is Heinrich Heine.

Furthermore, even with a leader, they had no clear organizational structure.

Hmm… No, now they have organization too, but that organization is the Gestapo.

Finally, even if they had both, would these students really be dangerous?

Hiss…

Arthur knew of such an organization, with a clear leader, Giuseppe Mazzini, and a well-organized party called Young Italy. They even collaborated with malevolent foreign forces.

And the result?

Ha!

They indeed accomplished something big!

They significantly boosted the performance of the publishing industry within the Italian states.

Regrettably, due to concerns about protecting national secrets, Arthur couldn’t reveal all the details to Professor Herbart.

He could only subtly say: “Mr. Herbart, please believe that things are not as bad as you imagine. I am a liberal, no doubt, but like you, I am a liberal with German characteristics. If things really reach the point of a critical bottom line, whether it’s confinement or expulsion, I will not hesitate.”

Professor Herbart was clearly still uneasy: “What about Heinrich Heine? Are you just going to let him spout nonsense across the campus?”

“Actually, regarding Heine, you should have more say than I do.”

Arthur stood up, paced back and forth in front of the window with his hands behind his back, saying: “We all know that Heine completed his undergraduate studies at Bonn University, the University of Gottingen, and Berlin University. In these three schools, he was taught by Savini, Hegel, Thiold, Schlegel, and I don’t think…”

Unexpectedly, before Arthur could finish, Herbart interrupted: “Your Excellency, you are being sophistical. Every law student at these three schools would receive their instruction. I hope your focus should be on why he transferred between three different schools during his undergraduate years.”

Arthur didn’t directly counter Herbart but instead asked: “If he was truly such a problem, why did the academic committee allow him to ultimately complete his law doctorate at Gottingen?”

Herbart shook his head and sighed: “Your Excellency, I never said Heinrich was problematic; rather, he is quite remarkable. His talent prompted Gustav Hug, the esteemed representative of Gottingen’s treasured historical law school, to exclaim that Heine is not only an endearing candidate for a law doctorate but also a poet who has written numerous acclaimed poems. In Heine, literature and law are closely intertwined. It was precisely Hugo’s admiration that led us to reluctantly readmit this former undergraduate expelled from Gottingen.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but return to his desk and note it down: “You should have told me these things earlier. But since Professor Hugo can vouch for him, shouldn’t I also be allowed to vouch for him?”

“It’s not the same.”

Professor Herbart insisted: “As Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor Hugo has the freedom to choose whichever students he wants. I, as a Philosophy Professor, have no right to intervene. But Heine is not currently enrolling at Gottingen University as a student, especially during such a sensitive period; allowing him in is absolutely detrimental to the school’s overall development.”

“So, you mean as long as he operates outside the campus, there’s no issue?”