CHAPTER XV.

1849-1851.

The new Chamber of Deputies--The king of Saxony refuses to accept the constitution formulated by the federated German parliament--The chambers dissolved by the king--Wagner urges Roeckel to leave Dresden for fear of arrest--Roeckel leaves for Prague--Hainberger, Bakunin, and Semper--The outbreak--Wagner’s incriminating note to Roeckel--Return of Roeckel--Wagner in charge of convoys--Characteristic incident--Roeckel taken prisoner--Origin of the revolt--Its character--Source of the government charge against Wagner--Heubner, Bakunin, and Roeckel imprisoned--Sentenced to death--Commuted--Actual part played by Wagner--He carries a musket; heads a barricade--Wagner not personally brave--His flight to Weimar--Liszt and the police official--Wagner in Paris--Naturalized at Zurich--Proclamation by Saxon government, June, 1853, directing the arrest of Wagner--The government indictment summarized--Richard Wagner amnestied, March, 1862--Important letter from Wagner, March 15, 1851, to Edward Roeckel of Bath, detailing his own share in the Revolution--Attempts of biographers to gloss over Wagner’s participation in Revolution--Wagner to blame--Conflicting extracts from Wagner’s early and later writings as to his precise share--The case summarized.....170