The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-06 00:00:00

Count B.sniarck's speech.

At the sitting of the Prussian Chamber of De'
puties on the Ist of September, Count Bismarck
delivered the following speech :
The more sincerely a Government is desirous of peace
the more its members feel the obligation of abstaining
from all retrospective criticism, whether in defending
themselves or in making attacks. During the last four
years we have on both sides maintained our respective
points of view with more or less bitterness. In those four
years we have been none of us able to convince the other;
each has believed that he acted rightly in acting as he did'
Even in regard to external relations, a treaty of peace would
never be made if one of the parties had to confess that be
acted unjustly. We desire peace, not because we aro not
in a condition to continue the internal struggle—on the
contrary, the current is more in our favour now than ever,
nor do we desire it in order to escape from some future
accusation based upon the law of Ministerial responsibility.
Many reproaches have been cast upon the Ministry, but
the reproach of fear is somewhat new. (Laughter.) W°
desire peace, because in our opinion the country has more
need of it than ever. We desire it and we seek it especially
because we believe that we can find it now. We should
have looked for it before if we had hoped to find it before,
because you will have recognised that the Government is
not so remote as you think from the aims which the mai°-
rity of you have in view ; not so remote as the silence of
the Government upon many points on which it ought to be
silent, might make you believe. For this reason we believe
that we shall find peace, and we look for it with sincerity.
We have offered you our hand in sign of peace, and the
report of the commission gives us the guarantee that Sou
will accept our hand. We shall then, in common with you,
proceed to settle the questions which remain to be dis-
posed of. Iby no means exclude from those questions the
amelioration of the internal administration, the re--estab-
lishment of the constitutional situation, but we can only
resolve those questions in common by admittting, on both
sides we serve our country with equal good will, and with-
out our suspecting the sincerity of the other. But at the
present moment the questions of external policy have not
yet been solved. The brilliant:successes of our army have
in some degree augmented our stake. We can lose more
than before, but we have not yet secured what we have won.
The more closely we are united at home, the more we
shall be certain of winning now. If you cast your eyes
abroad, if you read the Vienna journals, and especially
those which represent the opinion of the imperial govern-
ment, you will find the same manifestations of hatred and
animosity towards Prussia which existed formerly, and
which not a little contributed to the war, by inllvsiu
upon the Austrian Government a necessity from which 1'
could not shrink, even though it desired it. Look at the
proceedings of the population in the South of Germany
such as we see them in the army. There exist no Sellti;
tuents of conciliation, there is but very little symptom '
the common mission of Germany when Bavarian trope
traitorously fire from railway trains upon Prussian officers,'
Look at the attitude of the various governments tower°
the institutions which we have to create. Amongst sora.e
it is quite satisfactory. Others show repugnance, but it is
certain that you will scarcely find in Europe a power which
receives with favour the constitution of this new Gern°l
union which is not endeavouring to participate in the
formation of this organisation were it only for the purPess
of procuring for one of the most powerful confederates
lrh
Saxony the possibility of playing the same part which she
did heretofore. For this reason then our task is not cc°l'
pleted. It requires the harmony of the whole country 1°
fact, and the impression which this harmony must produce'
It has been often said that what the sword has won the
pen has lost. I have full confidence that we shall not have
it said what the sword and pen have gained has been lost
in this tribune. (Cheers)
The debate was postponed till Monday.