The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-13 00:00:00

A FEW WORDS FOR COUNT BISMARCK.

" Foresight " writes in 7'he Tofles:—

N Europe man In appears to be more misunderstood in
this country than the Prime Minister of Prussia. lie Is sup-
poskd to be deep, designing, unscrupulous, and grasping,
and the preconceived ideas of our countrymen prevent them
from taking au impartial view of the conduct of the Chan-
cellor of the North German Confederation as regards the
political cirmunstancee of the last few years. Our Malik° to
Count Bismar,k and our suspicions of his intentions are no
doubt due in great measure, if not entirely to the course pur-
sued by Germany under his guider,. to 1864 with regard to
the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. We were then
animated by strong z for Denmark, and we were justly so
animated. We had just received as the bride of the heir of
our trawl, one of the most charming and engaging princ,ases
that ever set foot on the shores of Eusland, and Eglishmen
were unanimous In their desire to draw the sword for the
country of her birth without inquiring too logically into the
cause and origin of the quarrel. At the same time we wit-
nessed the whole of Germany united against Danmark, and
our national feelings were, as they alwa)s are, enlisted ou
the side of the weak against the strong. Would it, however,
be totally unfair to try to regard the matter from the other
side, to try to view the circumstanc,s of the case from the
point of view which Was necessarily adopted by a patriotic
German, such as his worst emende, must allow Count Bis-
marck to be?

fly the Germans 1.1 Igfie the Danes were regarded ID exactly
the same light as were the Daum of Northumberland and
Emig by our Saxon ancestors in the days of Alfred or
Harold. They formed a stranger Power, which had by force
established itself on Saxon soil in the hour of Saxon weak-
ness, and were to be expelled therefrom as soon as possible.
The policy of Germany in 1861 was Germany for the Germans,
just as in the days of Alfred the policy of England was England
forthe English. A Prussian Prendercau barely be more blamed
for carrying that policy to a suc .essful termination than can
Alfred fir carrying out the policy which has made him the
darling of the English schoolboy. If at the present moment
a 1 oreign Power were to take advantage of that military in-
efficiency of which your correspondent• so frequently coal.
pixie, and establish itself in Kent and Sussex, would the
Prime Minister of England in the days of our great
grandchildren be considered a monster of Iniquity if he
were to expel its soldiery from those counties and re-unite
their English-speaking population to the rest of the island.
Nay, more, 10 our own day. would a Spanish Premier be
regarded as a designing conspirator who exerted his best
powers to drive the British garrison from the rock of
Gibraltar?

Much has been said of late of the duplicity of Count Bis-
marck in not discloeing at once the famous Project of Treaty
when it was submitted to him by the French Ambassador.
What would have been the result if he had done so He
must at once have plunged Germany, unprepared and un-
sxmed, Into war with the well prepared army of France, and
the position which England has lately essumed with regard
to foreign politics can hardly have led him to suppose that
we should have thared any of the danger. or expenses
of the campaign. Ile would by such • course have
exposed Ms own country to ruin, and imperilled most
terribly the policy of " ibtrmany for the Germans." Thoee
who know Count Bismarck intimately know well what •
conscientious, upright, and honouraiile man he is, and also
whist agood friend he has been to England and the balance
of power in Eurol.e. Had he consented to the French occu-
pation of Ile:glum he could have secured his policy without
Gerard and without war, lie is now lighting our battle as
well as his own, for it cannot he doubted that the possession
of Antwerp by France would be a deadly blow to England,
while a pow erful and united Germany miPt he the best
guarantee of our security and of the peace of Europe.