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An exercpt from the Landtag's debate regarding Polish Policy,

Junker Georg Von Vincke: It is all well and good that we discuss Poland. The continued existence of the Prussian state is, after all, and I make no apologies about saying this, contingent upon its absence. But we must cease this pretense, that we are not arguing on borrowed time. Time which, when compared with the overall length of German civilization, grows very short.

Allow me to recall the days of East Francia, when all or nearly so of our homeland answered to Ludwig, whose [i]very epithet[/i] was "the German". Since then we have progressed through various stages, each serving to divide us. From the Holy Roman Empire gradually devolving excessive power to the petty feudal lords (from which we as Prussians benefitted, but we as Germans have not), to interminable wars of religion and succession, to a good number of us being annexed and a greater number almost so by Napoleon, to the present day. 1848 and since have been an abberation. If we do not act, then this happy tide of German unity will die, and slowly these wealthy lands and we industrious people will slowly be absorbed into the orbit of this state or that, eventually becoming as the poor South Slavs, who much rather kill each other in uprisings than unite against their Austrian oppressors.

Junker Gerhardt Schimmel: The gentleman will remember the subject of debate!

Junker Georg von Vincke: I am content to let the gentleman continue his shouting, and am not bothered in the slightest. May I continue if you are finished?

Therefore, if immediate action is to be taken, the German people have two choices. Austria, or Prussia

In Prussia, we see all the good of the German People. We are very industrious, in fact, the most so on all the continent if not the world. We are modern. We are wealthy. We are ascendant. Our army is strong, our state is stable. A Germany with Prussia as its model will do well.

Or, they can choose Austria, and choose all our vices. Austria is greedy for territory, decadent, weak, dynastic, backwards, declining, and dare I say Feudal. An Austrian Germany would merely delay our partition, not avoid it. As we have done to Poland, Russia and France will eventually do us. 

Fortunately they know this immutable truth. Germany shall be a great power, or it shall not be. And as in 1848, they will choose us again, and we shall be united as one people as is our right. It is my nightly prayer that it is our destiny as well. Else, my grandchildren's grandchildren, likely in Koln as I have been, will have more in common with the French than their brothers in Brandenburg. We must do all we can to avoid this fate."