I am apprehensive of widespread mischief if the German Parliament does not forthwith determine the following: first, the hitherto existing Federal Diet to be dissolved, Parliament thereby concentrating the constitutional power solely in itself, with authority to nominate the executive power from among its own members, provisionally and exceptionally; second, the immediate introduction of the system of arming the people, according to the method accepted amongst us; third, an offensive and defensive alliance with France. These three measures would be sufficient to give direction to the inevitable struggle. In every town the two parties would be clearly and sharply divided, the German party and the party of the special regime, and thus the matter would come to an issue.
The fourth step would then be to deal with the territorial question of the German States. If the task of embodying the conception of a united Germany is to fall to the Frankfort Assembly, it must first of all tackle the problem of the inequality of the States comprising it. It must appoint a commission, which, working upon the principle of allowing no State of under four or over six millions of inhabitants, must bring forward a proposal for the re-establishment of the stability of the German States upon a reasonable and natural basis. That is, after all, the critical point without which all our doings would be simply so much patchwork.
The princes will now determine their own lot by their own behaviour. If they begin by being inimical, if they protest, they are one and all to be placed in the dock, and the accusation brought against them will be established on a perfectly historical basis. Not until these questions have been settled and these fights fought out can the Assembly proceed to the work of constitutional government. This cannot be undertaken until we have cleared the ground. How useless a constitution would be to Germany in its present condition! Parliament must first thoroughly revolutionise the individual States and that is to be done by its first decree, for through this decree the parties will get the support which they now lack.
If you could share this view of mine and exert every power to influence the Assembly in this direction you would do a deathless service. No more gentle means can lead to the goal.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 138