Scene 5. August 8th. -- Third meeting in the Cranbourne Hotel. Discussion of the Tausenau motions. -- Ignoring the agreement, Kinkel/Willich had brought along the "rank and file refugees", le menu peuple, so as to "bind their consciences" this time. -- Schurz moved an amendment proposing voluntary lectures on current affairs and in accordance with a previous arrangement Meyen immediately volunteered to speak on Prussia, Schurz on France, Oppenheim on England and Kinkel on America and the future (since his immediate future lay in America). Tausenau's proposals were rejected. He declared movingly that his only wish was to sacrifice his just anger on the altar of the nation and to remain within the bosom of his allies. But the Ruge/Fickler contingent at once assumed the outraged indignation of beautiful souls who have been swindled.
Intermezzo. -- Kinkel had finally received LLL160sterling from New Orleans and together with other distinguished heroes he had set about investing it for the revolution. The Ruge/Fickler faction, already embittered by the recent vote, now learned of this. They had no time to lose, action was essential. They founded a new cesspool and concealed its foul stagnation under the name of the Agitation Club. Its members were Tausenau, Frank, Goegg, Sigel, Hertle, Ronge, Haug, Fickler and Ruge.
The Club immediately announced in the English press:
"Its aims are not to discuss but to work, it would produce not words but deeds and above all it appeals to likeminded comrades to make donations.
The Agitation Club appoints Tausenau to be its executive leader and its foreign minister. It also recognises Ruge's position in the European Central Committee" (as Imperial Administrator) [68] "as well as his previous activity on behalf of and in the name of the German people."The new combination does not conceal the original constellation: Ruge, Ronge and Haug. After the struggles and the efforts of so many years Ruge had finally reached his goal: he was acknowledged to be the fifth wheel on the central carriage of democracy and had a clearly -- all too clearly -- defined part of the people behind him, consisting of eight men in all.
But even this pleasure was poisoned for him as his recognition was purchased at the cost of an indirect slight and was agreed to only on the condition imposed by the peasant Fickler that Ruge should henceforth cease to "broadcast his rubbish to the whole world".
The coarse Fickler regarded as "distinguished" only those writings by Ruge which he had not read and did not need to read.
Scene 6. August 22nd. -- The Cranbourne Hotel. Firstly, there was a "diplomatic masterstroke" (vide Goegg) on the part of Schurz:
he proposed the formation of a general refugee committee to comprise six members taken from the different factions together with five co-opted members of the already existing refugee committee of the Willich Artisan Club.
(This would have given the Kinkel/Willich wing a permanent majority). Agreed.
