Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-11
MOItke e, bismarck and King william
af the q rand Waters sfuVersailIes

MOItke e, bismarck and King william
at the Grand waters rsfDversailIes.
From DR.. Russelps Correspondence with the
London Times.l
While his armies are thus facing toward
Paris, and looking out toward all France,
the king of Prussia, commander of the
armies Of the German States, does. what
every king who visits Versailles must do
he goes to see the fountains play"
His majesty had seen them before more
than once, think, and eachtime under
very different circumstances.
For some time there was nothing to do
but to walk about and enjoy the sun,
which broke out of the clouds all hot and
fervent as if in midsummer The foliage
now is in its greatest beauty, but the
slightest touch of the invisible fingers of
the wind scatters the leaves in showers
and thins the screen Of rich russet,
orange, red and brown which yet hides
the trunks and branches of the forest
trees. There was living margin to the
two parterres, clear of people, to whom
the fish were an attrection, and the Alice
de pOrangerie and the Alice des Trois
Fontaines were filed with isaunterers.
Another mass, tolerably compact, grew
up along the front of the terrace, enjoy
ing the spectacle Of their fellows below,
and looking out on the Tapis Vert of the
grand canal in placid enjoyment of a
scene not often to be met with
amid the realities of war. These be-
came animated and excited, par
ticularly the French, when some great
people arrived, just dropping in without
formality or attendance, no aids or off
GERS of ordinance or orderlies, and
walked about or stood chatting with their
friends. Is that really Won Moltke?"
"Where2" You see that tall, thin
man, without any mustache or whiskers,
his hands behind his back, the officer
with the grayish hair, very short, and a
face cut with many fine lines, his head
slightly stopped, the eyebrows pro-
nounced and the eyes deep set2 There
is the man whom the Junkers of Berlin
called the old school master What
lesson he has taught lAustrians and
French.n Is that the strategist who
caught Benedek in a vice at Konnig-
gratz, mousetrapped. Bazaine at Metz,
and netted an Emperor, Marshal of
France, and 100000 men at Sedan, and
who is now angling for such an enor-
nous prize as the capital Of France? "
He looks very grave. ',,i He is always
so; but there, you see, striding through
the crowd is very different looking
person. " Yes who is that frank,
smiling major of dragoons2 He comes
this way-the officer in the white cap
and yellow band, dark blue or nearly
black double-bressted frock coat with
yellow collar, taller than the tall officers
around him. THAT is Count Bismarck.
There is a stir wherever he goes-caps
touched and hats raised. He makes
straight for little Knot of Americans
General Burnside in plain clothes, Gen.
Sheridan, Generals Husen and Forsyth
in uniform, but without, swords, You
hear his laugh above the murmurs Of the
crowd and the wave of sound in which
his name, Bismarck" is borne. How
heartily be shakes hands with them,
buoyant and FREQ, elated as some officer
might be who had inst won promotion
on a battlefield All the world knows
the soulless likeness out of which even
photography has failed, however, to take
all expression; but one must have actual
experience of the peculiar vivacity, or
rather penetration of his glance as it is
emitted from under those tremendous
shaggy eyebfoge, to measure the power
of his face-the one grand overwhelm-
ing force of which is, TO my miad, iptre-
pidity-an immense audacious courage,
physical and mental and will before
which every obstacle must yield or be
turned. The people were never tired of
looking at him, aud grand dukes and
princes were of small account rs long as
he was 10 be seen; the Prince of Hohea-
zollern being. however, an exception to
the .remark-" the fair pretext Of the
war, as a lady called him, alludipg 10
his blonde complexion aud hair; aud,
indeed, to use SCOTS words of ClaYer-
house, his face is such an ona, as lin
ners love 10 paint and ladies to look
upon Men Of note were there, too, gene
rails Of renown, and she owners OF namas
which history viii make famous; and
there we're princes, grand dnkes and
dukes waiting for the King and his staff
the reigning DHkA af CObnrg, the
Prince (heritier) Of Wurtsmbura, the
young Erbprinz of Meeklonburg-Strel-
itz, two Royal Dukes Of Wurtenburg-
the Dukelof Augustenberg and some
thing or other-I believe the Erbprinz
of Weimar, Prince Adalbert and Prince
Albrecht, General KeigtRhatz, General
Won Kirchbaeh, Colonel Won ccttberg
and hosts Of others coming " to see the
waters play before the King" Amid the
galaxy OF uniforms and orders you looked
IN vain, however for a spider-waisted,
brosd-backed guide; you missed the gor-
geous .cuirasEier, affecting extra ponder
business as he changed along the gravel
the martial foppery Of the krsssrs of the
Empress-the splendid drsgOn-yerl, with
his leopard-skin fronted helmet, the per
feet turnout Of the horse artillerymen Of
the guard; y0D sought in vain for the ele-
giant extracts Of Paris which were TO be
seen on band Sundays, the grisettery
and soubrettery Of the metropolis Of
pleasure, and its beaux, mingled with
the delegations of all the nations Of the
earth. Men in blouses, mob-capped
women, nurses aud children, small
sprinkling Of gentlemen, ladies and
l. - IL