The Shasta courier., 1866-10-20
Bismarck.

George Alfred Townsend, one of the most
graphic war correspondents of the Rebellion,
was, few weeks since, sent out by the
World, as a special correspondent for that
paper, to the seat of war in Germany. His
first letter is just Published, from which l
extract his account of an interview with Bis
marck, and personal description of that
remarkable diplomat:
$40 day, Governor Wright, Ambassador
at Berlin, took your correspondent to Count
Bismarck, to ask, for pass into Bohemia.
The Count, who speaks English fairly, re
piled that he had resolved at the beginning
of the war, to leave all such business at the
discretion of field commanders but said
be, smiling, when one has come so far, and
from a people zoe like so aceU as the Ameri-
cans, he shall haze It,"
1t is proper to add that the first pass ever
written for newspaper correspondent by
Count Bismarck, was at the request Of
another American some time before.
The Prussian people are now so transport
ed that they match their Bismarck's astute-
ness with Louis Napoleon's In Berlin, the
man who could get no friendly hand two
months lago to disarm his assassin is the mira
Gle of to-day. And this brings me to central
parsonage of Europe, who has risen by sue
cess from detestation to fame. His picture
is by this time in all your shop windows :;
but they do not convey the height of the
man with his proportions, nor make him
speak as | have h card, him to day. Bar.
barrie in stature as in method, measuring
evenly six feet two inches in height, and
weighing not less than two hundred and
fifty pounds, Count Bismarck is entirely a
Prussian in physlognomv, and his port and
strength are feudal in their mperiousness-
Seated in an Office chamber of the great
Schloss, or Kings palace, with clerks in the
ante rooms, couriers in spurs at the hall,
ready to carry his orders, a table before
him filled with blanks, reports, and news
papers, and the light from the screened
windows falling fairly on his seated figure,
you behold. in common business DRESS
man who might pass for fifty years of age.
half bald, smooth of face, save short and
heavy moustache of grayish brown, that
quite overlocks the hard shut, ponderous
mouth and a nose of insignificant length, but
broad and proud nostrilled. His flesh is in ex-
cess, so that around the eyes it is puffy and
creased. and his short, stony, and undimpled
chin drops huge double fold upon his breast
his eye brows are Jagged II they were
heavier over those blood shotten eyes he
would be terrible. At the back of his deep
cheeks pair of stiff bulldogs ears stand
out to stop all the winds and their rumors
and his hands and feet that are determined
even in rest, are large enough to win
womans censure. So dark that he looks
freckled away from the light; so lstful and
yet so massive that he looks like panther
in granite, this man would better beft
baron's trencher where his vassals eat and
.rembe, than set here on the waxed floors
of modern palace doing desk duty
| expected that he would remind me of
Stanton but he much resembled Butler
Stand General Butler on chair to help his
stature, prop his eyes open and give him
power, and you have the nearest resemblance
to Count Bismark that can think of among
American leaders. Near by him on rose
wood table, lay Prussian officers helmet,
and if he had put it on l think that Front de
Boeuf would have been before me in armor