The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-02
BIsMARK's EARLY HISTORY.

vi WIiLCI VIM udo bClOub ulSllhC W Lue man
whose story he tells:-
BIsMARK's EARLY HISTORY.
Charles Otto Won Bismark aut Schonhausen
und Kniephol comes OF one OF those old Prus-
sian families which have a reputation tor know
ing how to spend their slender revenues with a
large dose OF noble seltConsciousness He was
born at Brandenburg in the year 1918, aud
studied law at the universities OF GOttingen,
Greiiswalde, and Berlin, with the object OF
qualifying himself Tor the civil service, not
from any love for Jurisprudence or the desk,
which is looked upon by the Prussian Junkers
with noble contempt, but tor want of sufficient
means to open to hum another career.
He would have preferred the army, for which
indeed nature had fitted him bv her richest gifts !;
handsome, well formed person, great courage,
an iron constitution, considerable amount OF
pugnacity and an overflow of animal spirits
combined with intellieence and determination,
such as are required for a good leader in the
teld. That with such natural qualities he should
have greatly relisheo the study of the Roman
law and the pandects, and spent the modest
| income he received from his father In buying
heavy books, is not probable. When in his col
ege days he saw the dawn before he crept into
he'd, the reason was to be found in anything but
an Unsuitable thirst for knowledge. He was
what the Germans call "ein tiotter Bursche;n
| fought, after the manner OF German students,
| several OF those battles in which more beer than
blood is split; and at least so far distinguished
himself that he at length succeeded in proving
| 70 his father, who was famous huntsIndn, that
he was the deeper drinker ofthe two.
HE ENTERS POLITICAL LIFE.
He first stepped out OF the subordinate posi-
| ton with which on entering the service he was
forced 70 content himself the was Superintendent
OF Dykes IN tue AltmaTk), in 1877, when. after
having become known III the small circle OF his
nelghbors as q supporter OF the Junker party in
the Diet of the Prussian province OF SaXony he
aC once assumed prominent place ID the United
Diet (Veremigter Landtag). 1t was year before
the Paris revolution which drew both Prussia
and the whole OF Germany into its vorteX-a
time of effort and hope, but OF quiet and pas
following year. The convocation of this United
Diet was not eytorJed from King Frederick
William ~ by main force, as the Constitution
was later on; he had summoned ii OF his own
Tree will, and had so stnctly confined its sphere
OF action that 1t scarcely afforded any scope for
the development OF dangerous passions.
The liberals came forward with great modera-
tIon in the Diet, and the debates would have
been equally moderate, II Herr Won Bsmark
had not appeared, completely armed, and lance
in hand, as the chant DION of the ieudal party,
ana by his unbrdled aggressiveness provoked
his opponents to a lively opposition.
Bsmark was then thirty-four. years old, and
he attacked the opposition with as much reck-
lessness as when he afterwards became Minister.
The ideas which the members OF the teudal
party only expressed to each other in the
strictest confidence he spoke out unblushlngly
in public, and gave undisguised expression to
reactionary views, which, though shared by his
colleagues, they tmidly kept to themselves.
His medieValism, however, was not nearly so
for the stohd JuDkers, whom he despised in his