POTTER United Families

be put into practice. Grand ideas must - unfortunately - be qualified
and adjusted by a compromise between the aspirations of individuals
and a due concern for the general tranquility. Values must - alas - be
subdued and chastened by reason and experience, before they can be
directed to a lean and mean purpose.
The liberal German journalist Gorres knew Lamennais, editor of
L'Avenir. Louis was also further intimately connected with the Italian
Vieusseux. It would be interesting to study the interlocking
relationships between the various editors of the liberal journals of
revolutionary Europe at this time.
After 1838, back in Belgium, Louis returned to his role of loyal
opposition. While he spent the second part of his life as a private
citizen, he remained an active critic of the Belgian government. Louis
never withdrew from the mainstream of progressive European
activism and that made it difficult, for future historians, to make any
"revisited" analysis whatsoever !
He kept and corresponded with his German, Italian, and French
friends, and encouraged the many Italian expatriates who found a
haven in Belgium. Within Belgium, he retained his elder statesman
role, and was even proposed, but declined the honor, as a candidate
on the Catholic party's ticket in the 1850' s, a tribute to his enduring
unionism.
The Belgian and European “intelligentsia”, including de Lamennais,
Colins de Ham, Constant de Rebecque, Stendhal, Vieusseux,
Buonarotti, Jottrand, Juste, Rogier, Rodenbach, Devaux, Nève de
Roden, de Merode, Vilain XIIII, Jolly, de Coppin, Gendebien,
Nothomb, de Gerlache... owed much to Louis de Potter of Belgium.
Maybe it is not a coïncidence that the College of Europe is now
located in the former house of Louis in Bruges…!? Let’s work on a
better Europe every day.
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