hitler

191Hitler now took it upon himself to offer instruction inthe principles of legality and democracy to ChancellorBruening:“The Weimar Constitution is the legal basis of the Germanrepublic,” he wrote the Chancellor when asked to endorsethe prolongation of President Hindenburg‟s term inoffice. “Article I states that Germany is a republic derivingall power from the people. Article XLI states that the Presi-. dent shall be chosen by the entire electorate.”Thus Hitler had become a champion of the Constitutionsince his victory at the polls. He wanted to take advantageof the change in public opinion. He hoped thatpower would soon be offered to him on a silver plate andthere was now no sense in trying to pilfer the plate, whichsoon must be his own.In a dramatic exodus the Nazis left the Reichstag as ar protest against Bruening‟s dictatorial measures. This wastheir official version of the event, but rumour was abroad thatthe gesture had another reason. The Reichstag was not theZirkus Krone and bombastic declamations in it sounded hollow.In the house of legislature it was impossible to havethe brass band work up patriotic sentiment. What was moreimportant, the feminine contingent, so essential to the outburstsof enthusiasm, was too small in the Reichstag to makeit a good platform for party propaganda.Among the more discontented young men of the partywhispers were heard that it was on Hitler‟s account that theexodus had to be staged. Hitler was not then a Germancitizen, could not sit in parliament and could not prevent