New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-19

II Is not exactly hard work that has impaired the
health Of Bismark and made i advisable for him to
abstain altogether from business for some time. The
state Of nervousness frcT which be is suffering Is
raider the effect "s never ceasing struggle with little
difficulties, obstacles and arnoytnces, with smiling
enemies, adversaries who require management clumsy
friends and stupid subodnates. Happily the most
important questions are settled for the present and
for a couple Of months the engine will 60 on trailing
by It's OWE els or its own inertia. 1t is true, win
Saxony not even a base has been concerted; but et
King John Lakeland be as heads,rong as he likes
Prussia can afford 20 wait profit OF the luii 70 say
word or two on the character Of that extraordinary
man who is since YESTERDAY longing at some ancient
manor in Pomerania.
From his first appearance in pablo life, in the con-
Nenton Of oil the provincial estates IN 1o4I the cpl
fhet.i uHker was thrown az him and stuck. word
or two on this term may not be amiss. Etymologi-
Caly II is connected with young, youngSter 6yuOny-
really with a word grown obsolete, until Byron hGd
set il in course again, the word chllde IL meant
stripping of a noble family and IN some parts OF Ger
many Is still used in this sense by servants attending
upon the children of squire as long as the officers
OF the armies were drawn exclusively nom the ranks
Sf the nobility il followed by itself that every young
officer was a iunker; aud in this way junker became
the official title of tie lowest grade OF otheer some
thing ike cOrret. So II was il TIE army OF FREEZER
ick the Great and down 10 the battle OF Lena: bY
H..
cant Of the qualities usually 10 be met with IN those
yonug fellows: pride Of family and profession, over,
bearing petulancy vet not without tinge OF love OF
sport and DASH 1t expressed disapprobauon, Dut no
UpprObrium. II referred 20 society
In lS4s it became political term the designation
Of a political party. While in Berlin O national as
Sem6ly returned by universal suffrage was busy VITA
destroying seignona rights and other remnants OF me-
dieval times, az the same place knd OF convention
or caucus assembled composed of landed propnetoS
and their connections, with the purpose OIL defending
their privileges. That conyentiOn-not few OF It's
members had handle TO their Games-was chustenea
hy the people Junker Parliament, ard with the grow.
ing heat OF the struggle the term became more ana
more odious.
Bsmark has sprung from family who have given
many junkers 10 the PruSsian army, and. when
young fellow, the social qualities CT Junker above
described were fully developed IN him, but with de'
ded circumference Of the better part of them. When
a student he was forward with the tongue and win
the sword and the tOwnfolks at Gottingen remember
well his praukS Having entered the civil service re
would not comply with is pedantc ways Threw on
his employment with the declaration THAT he Gd not
like 10 become as dull his superOrs. and retired 10
the countryto farm his estate How different he is
from the junkeTs of the Junker Parliament may be
shown bv a little anecdOte that has oozed out Dut
lately Beside Scheswig and HOlstein, familiar Ike
household words another little duchy had been united
TO Denmark by the treaties Of 1915 called LauenOuTg,
situated somewhere between Hamburg and Lubec,
and never mentioned in history except for that (oy-
the-by calumnious) story that Francs OF LauenOmg
had assassnated Gusayus AdOlphus in the battle OF
Llzen in future, perhaps, TO be remembered as the
native soil Of MOke tie now celebrated chief OF the
staff Of the prussian army, who has been falsely
designated as a Dane. This Duchy Of Lauenburg
comprising 20 German square miles, with $1,000 IN
habtants BY the death OF King Frederic VII
of Denmark in 1863, became virtually res nHht"s
no mans land. Not even the Prince OF Augusten-
burg SO ingenious in manufacturing titles OF success
zion, was able TO invent title TO Lauenburg which
would not have provoked the smile of his most de.
voted adherents. BY the treaty Of Vienna in 1864,
also, this little territory coded TO Prussia aud
Austria and 10 the Convention of Gastein, in 1865.
Austria sold her share to Prussia for ready money,
the population having expressed their assent. In
September last, King William went down TO receive
homage and fealty from his new subjects.
Ii happened that LanenbuTg, owing 10 aconeatena-
ton Of circumstances too long 70 follow mp here had
preserved its medieval constitution perfectly unim-
paired As gentleman OF present officially connected
with that country described it to me- Lauenbure was
the Pompei Of German constitutional history; i was,
which comes 10 the same, the paradise OF summerdom
Every succeeding sovereign had confirmed the mon
strons privileges of the nobility set forth IN certain
parchment ycept the recess. The day preceding
the ceremony Bsmark is enjoying the evening breeze
on the beautiful lake Of Ratzeburg in company with
Que BalOt, hereditary war-steed OF the Duchy and
speaker of the estates model OF lnnker, IN the
political sense Of the word. Not having heard any
thing about the confirmation Of privileges this lime,
Bdlow at last musters mp courage 10 ask How aOout
our recessi hope the king will confirm IT l;iore
y
Bismark. Then" says Bdlow, Eve shall refuse
20 swear tomorrow in the very church. Then"
says Bsmark, lyon will be incorporated into the
nearest Prussian province tomorrow, IN the very
church" And on they 60 discOursng on the arms
of the scenery. Returned 70 his quarters Bi.nark
indites royal decree proclaimiDg the incorporation
of Lauenburg with the province OF Brandenbd z, 70
be read IN case the mobiles should refuse 10 and
to be wound up with an appeal u the audience TO
swear mGsse, an appeal which, no doubt would
have been enthusiastically responded TO. He assured
the consent Of the king TO the decree and with ns NICE
little torpedo in his pocket he entered the church next
morning Sermon being over, the Geges were called
upon 10 swear BGlOw advances hestating, stops
moment, looks at Bsmark, but meeting stern and
somewhat cOntemptuOus glance, walks up TO he altar
and swears All the rest follow. No confirmation of
the recess II seems after this there should Oe no
more talk Of Bsmsrk being lunker
But there is something more TO besad on thathead,
explain atory not much of the character OF Hat man
as of political life in Prussia. Many OF tLOse who
used most eagerly TO handy the cry junker very
well that they were saying the thing that is rot. The
leaders of the misnamed party of Progress accounted
Cor his proud sometimes disdaiDiu bearing toward the
Chambers by saying: He is junker. This e1plana-
ton served them double purpose: TO excite the pub
Tic against him and 10 prevent them from hndrg ont
the true cause of that conduct which this,
that Of al the leaders of the defunct party Of Progress
there was not one with any claim TO craftsmanship,
nay with any aptitude for real political business and
that consequently, the line so Obstnaey pursued ny
the majority of the House of Representatives DUNG
the last three wears was 10 say the TRUTH ridicuOuSy
wrong OF this the people who obstinately returned
the same men in three consecutive elections have be-
come aware by this time: but the Liberal papers, OF
course say nothing about IT, and other nations there
fore, have some difficulty in perceivng it. Yet what
sag Is lncOntestaby true, and admits OF ready ex'
planation Political life IN Prussia is still in it's baby
hood. Before lc4S il did not exist; and when born IN
the throes OF that memorable year. il found deal Of