During the constitutional
movement of 1848 he had become Prime Minister of Hesse-Darmstadt; and he
seems to have had considerable power of winning popular confidence.
Although he was not able to commit the meeting to a definitely
monarchical policy, he had influence enough to counteract the attempts
of Struve and Hecker to carry a proposal for the proclamation of a
republic; and his influence increased during the later phases of the
movement.
It was obvious that, in the state of Viennese feeling, a movement in
favor of German unity, at once so determined and so moderate in its
character, would give new impulse to the hopes for freedom already
excited by Kossuth's speech; and the action of the reformers now became
more vigorous because the students rather than the professors were
guiding the movement. Some of the latter, and particularly Professor
Hye, were beginning to be alarmed, and were attempting to hold their
pupils in check. This roused the distrust and suspicion of the students;
and it was with great difficulty that Professors Hye and Endlicher could
prevail on the younger leaders of the movement to abstain from action
until the professors had laid before the Emperor the desire of the
university for the removal of Metternich.
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