The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-09-16
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Friday Morning, September 16 1870.
An Hnterview with Risma,c,..

We are permitted to make the following ex-
tracts from letter OF an American gentle
man, giving some account of an interview he
had with Count bismarck in April, 1867, in
Berlin, which we.think may interest our read
ers at this time.
cat two o'clock this p. NJ, had an inter
view with Count Bismarck. Getting near to
him he presented very different appearance
from that he presented the other day in the
Parliament House. He is tall, exceedingly
Well-tormed man, with fine intellectual face
and head, sandy complexion and hair, and
quite bald. He has no other beard than
mollstache.a He was dressed in the UNIFORM of
Prussian Colonel; was very afabe and talk
ative, putting on no airs, and rendering me
entirely at ease. He spoke Of the labors rest.
ing upon him, and said he wanted the dav ex
tended to thirty hours.
The Parliament has lust finished the new
Constitution, but he said there were two pro-
visions in it be could not assent to. He then
went on and explained fully (talking very good
English all the time) the reasons of his dis
sent, and spoke of .ultie, of the great
work before him LING Germany.
III e PariiamehS a. Representatives. OF
the smaller powers would insist upon one
thing and the King, whom he called the "old
gentleman" would declare he would die be-
fore he would yield it,; and so, he continued,
it is my task to bring them together, and rec
oncile their conflicting views.
l alluded to the great number of Germans
we had in our county, and the interest that
had been felt there In regard to the events
with which he is so intimately connected.
He remarked that there had been a large i'm
migration 10 the United States from his own
province, and that a servant who had been in
his family fifteen years had emigrated to MI
waukee, and that he now received from him
two letters in every year, in regard TO Ameri-
can affairs, that he first went into the confec-
tlonery business and wrote to his wife for a
receipt to make ices, and that he had now
turned brewer.
mentioned to him that l knew Baron
Gerolt, the Prussian Minister to the United
States, and that l was glad to state that he
was held in high esteem by all loyal Ameri-
cans, tor the reason that OF ali the representa-
tlves from foreign governments, he was the
flrmest and most outspoken friend of the
Union. He then said, "You like him then,"
l told him we did, because he had been our
steadfast friend during our troubles. He then
SAID, he only fairly represented his govern
ment, Tor although there were partisans here
OF both sections, he had always taken the
ground and had said, whatever might be the
sympathies OF individuals, that the Northern
States and the established government were
alone entitled to the recognition and the
moral support OF the Plussian government,
and that he was glad if our people so under
stood 1t, that cordial good feeling might now
exist between the two governments.
He then spoke OF the pleasure 1t always af-
torded him to meet Americans, for in his
younger days he had been with them good
deai-that one of his best and most intimate
friends was Mr.. Motley, our Minister to Aus
tria, that they were schoolmates and room
mates for years, and that Motley taught HIM
English and he taught Motley German.
He then named several other Americans
whom he had known.
He then went on to speak of things in
France and what had led to the uneasy state
OF affairs there, and among other things he
said the failure of the Mexican movement had
brought back to France large army with it's
discipline broken and strong with the idea OF
failure. That sentiment had communicated
itself to the whole people and hence one OF
the reasons for the present embroglio between
the two countries.