My King,
As recently as yesterday I thought I could henceforth leave you without any further advice on my part. Following the latest unfortunate experiences which I made in the course of the day I am now resolved to ask you today to issue no further instructions concerning me either to your cabinet or to the theatre, at least until such time as fundamental changes have taken place here, since the resultant confusions have finally risen to an unbearable pitch for me. - Today, after a sleepless night spent in worry and a restorative sleep this morning, I feel sufficient strength returning to offer you one final piece of forceful advice, which I am moved to give you out of my love for you and my conscience concerning your country. -
Consider, my august friend, in terse outline the state of affairs in which you have become enmeshed.
With the removal from office of your minister von Neumayr you have been rendered a grave disservice. He was the only liberal man in your ministry who, as long as he remained there, would have been able to restrain the most extreme of factions. There were two reasons for persuading you to remove him: a purely personal one, inasmuch as he was a conscientious minister who proved unwilling to tolerate Pfistermeister’s demands that the latter’s creatures be appointed to office; and then a political one, - since blind reaction has of late become Prussia’s watchword. The fact that your cabinet, in collusion more especially with Herr von der Pfordten, is of a mind to give in willingly to Bismarck’s wishes I have gathered from open remarks made by Herr Lutz, just like the reasons first given for his annoyance when friends of his were not appointed to office. The country openly attests to the inherent importance of the measure which has here been enforced: whereas only the most squalid of parties shows itself more or less satisfied in the unspeakable paper a copy of which I am enclosing herewith, the great general party of hope considers that the welfare of your government is threatened. The storm has turned against the real evil-doers, who have rightly been recognized as such: during my visit to Hohenschwangau you discovered how severely critical liberal opinion is now becoming as a result of its growing indignation. A way has now offered itself for Herr Pfistermeister to divert this sense of indignation away from himself, by abandoning your friend, indeed - by disparaging your own royal inclinations and actions, and to save himself by exposing me to popular resentment. In the enclosed article from the “Volksbote”, a paper which is fortunately held in general contempt, you will find a clear account of his plan to mount such a rescue attempt. You will see that the most monstrous indiscretions contained in this article could issue only from your private cabinet itself, and so I refrain from offering any proof of this; the tissue of lies bound up with these indiscretions you will in any case see through without difficulty: and yet I confirm once again, in explicit terms, that I was totally ignorant of the Ruf affair, that I never in any way suggested writing a newspaper article, including that of the Nuremberg correspondent, and that, since living in Munich, I have never lodged any visitors in my house, least of all Herr “Eckart”, whom I do not even know. But I do not think I need reassure you on this point. -
The question now is whether, in such aggravated circumstances, your friend should leave you without advice in the face of such shameless treachery on the part of your most trusted servants. - I admit that I now consider it dangerous to do so, whatever the circumstances, since certain revelations have been made to me following my return which concern Pf. especially and which fill me with genuine horror. The difficulty you would have in appointing a new cabinet gives this man the brazen confidence to mock you openly, since he believes himself to be indispensable. And so you should not delay for a moment longer in depriving him of his confidence. Since I have already discovered in the case of Riedel, whom I suggested to you, how awkward it is for me not to have known the man personally, I have been obliged to consider how best to advise you in choosing someone whom I do not know but who would be the right man for you.
I pride myself on having found such a man, and would advise you therefore, in all seriousness of conscience and of my love for you, to summon back, by means of a hand-written letter unknown to your secretaries, your former minister v. Neumayr, and charge him with the task of forming a new cabinet.
Do not be alarmed! In this way you will achieve all that needs to be done at present. In view of recent events and the reaction which Neumayr’s removal from office has met with in the country, everyone will realize that you have, entirely spontaneously, seen through the trick that had been played upon you in his regard, and a splendid, all-inspiriting impression will be left upon the entire country if you appoint the very man whom you had previously been misled into dismissing, in order to surround yourself with servants of greater loyalty than before. At the same time, Pfistermeister’s plot to divert on to me the hatred which is at present directed towards him will be most fittingly destroyed, in that the course of the intrigue will be traced back to the actual source from which it issued. —
I would also draw your attention to the fact that Herr v. Neumayr would presumably seek to guard himself against my “influence” upon you: he, too, will be unable to form any real idea of the relations which bind us together, and he will think he has to regard me as a kind of favourite against whom one must protect oneself. Do not allow yourself to be deterred by this, but acquaint him of our true relationship, as far as he can comprehend it, and remove any suspicion he might entertain that I know anything of the step you have taken. This is necessary: for we are dealing here with people whom we must be glad if they are honest, loyal and obedient, but who will never be able to fathom our innermost selves. -
This, my King, is my final piece of advice, my final word on the matter. I hope you will not shy away from taking the step I advise you to take: it is the only swift and successful way to find salvation. In this instance you must see to it that Neumayr’s arrival comes as a complete surprise to Pf.: for the step must succeed; if thwarted, it will cause you only renewed embarrassment. Despatch your most devoted groom with the letter! -
Oh heavens! My King, how I suffer! And yet how proud I feel in the consciousness of having performed so important and loyal a service, and of finally being able to prove myself entirely worthy of your love and trust!
I have nothing more to say now. I must lock myself away in my innermost self, and truly hope that I may see my glorious friend freed from the snares of ignoble men! -
God be with you! Bavaria for ever!
From the truest of hearts
Your own
Richard W.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 337