The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-28

uals, and we shall not be surprised to find, ere
long both England and the United States
drawn irresistibly into the struggle. We of the
South can lose nothing by such turn in public
affairs.-Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel.
Count Won Bismarck, Prime Minister Of
Prussia.
Otho, Count Won Bismarck-Schonhause
Prime Minister of Prussia, and with the sole
exception of Napoleon I'LL, the most famous
man of the present age, is the descendant OF
long line Of petty nobility, whose origin is
lost in the remotest antiquity. Frederick the
Great, commencing life with almost puerile
tastes, and in condition of abect domestic
subsection to the will of crack-brained, &C.
centric father, built up the Prussian monarchy
a century and half ago. Bismarck, who, by
his eccentricity and irregular mot vicious)
habits, earned for himself the derisive appella-
lation of Mad Bismarck, has outlived the de-
predatory opinions of his youthful critics, and
has, by the strength of his will and the force
of his political genius, torn the prestige of
German leadership from Austria, raised Prus-
sia to rivalry with France for the premiership
of Europe, and realized the dream of great
German empire by the consolidation of all the
German states under the guidance of Prussia
To Bsmarck's towering abilities, and to the
immense strength of his political combina-
tons, is owing more than to any other single or
personal cause the present war. The tradition
of French diplomacy will not admit of a supe:-
rior or even of an equal in the political equi-
librium of Europe Napoleon has found him
self eoualled, if not dominated, by Bismarck's
political maneuyres, and neither the ambition
of the Emperor nor the genius of the French
nation can tolerate such an attaint on the ma
tional honor. Bsmarck's moral courage and
consummate tact have made Prussia what she
is in this generation, and in the accomplish
mcnt of bis high objects it is more than doubt
full whether he did not countermine Napoleon's
own plans. Certain it is that his position of
armed neutrality after Solferino precipitated
the imperfect and unsatisfactory termination OF
the Italian question, and his subsequent splen-
did triumphs at Konigsgratz and Sadowa, were
humiliating counterpolse to the imperial
blunders in Mexico while at home the con-
solidation of Prussian supremacy has been
painful contrast to the concessions of imperi-
alism to liberal institutions for the sake of as
suring itself an extended lease of power. Bis
marcS's predictions, both personal and ances-
trail, led him to identify himself with the cause
of kingy rule in Prussia. He identified the
veal of the nation with the personal govern
ment by King. He is monarchical by in
stinct, and each concession made to liberalism
has been wrung from him as a departure from
the true principles of all government, and as
an attack upon the peoples own happiness.
The theory of his foreign policy was that Aus
trian preponderance was inimical to the well
fare of Germany, and that the general interests
of the Teutonic race would be promoted by the
elevation of Prussia to the first place in Ger
man councils. His antipathy to democracy
was increased by the events of 1S4S, and in
1851 he became member of the Prussian Par
lament where his speeches on the new consti-
tuition and his aristocratic loyalism attracted
the attention of the Court. While on his we'd
ding tour he accidentally encountered the
King at Venice, and personal intercourse so
confirmed the impression he had created that
very soon afterwards he was appointed Prus-
sian representative at the Frankfort Diet.
There is perhaps, no man in Europe of whom
better stories are told than of Bismarck.
Among others one is told of this particular
epoch, showing his sense of his own dignity,
and of the respect due to him as representative
of Prussia The young minister paid cere-
monial visit to Count Thun, the Austrian
Minister and President of the Diet. Count
Thun did not ask him to take seat, but con-
tinued smoking. Bismarck, nothing discon-
certed, took out his cigar case, and drawing
chair forward, asked the President for light
and fairly smoked him into civility In 1859
he was recalled from Frankfort, and sent Am
bassador to ST. Petersburg. In 1862 he was
placed in charge of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. The whole course of Prussan politics
was at this time constant protest at every
point by the liberals and the democratic party
against the crown and its authority. The op-
position to every ministerial plan was viruient
and no success at home or abroad modified the
hostility of the opposition. Even Prussian
successes in the Schleswig Holstein affair
brought no peace to the councils of the nation
The General tendencies Of Europe were towards
an expansion of liberalism. Bismarck and the
King believed that the national welfare lay III
the consolidation of the royal power, in the
control of the press and IN the increase th o te
sprang out of the increasing preponderance of
Prussia in all questions touching the common
interests of Germany. The German principali
ties were being rapidly mediatized into Prus-
sian dependencies. The question of arma-
ments was new jealousy, and her alliance,
offensive and defensive, between Prussia and
the new Kingdom of Italy, led to the warlike
movements by Austria for the purpose of de-
Tending her Venetian dependencies, which led
to Napoleon's appearance on the scene and to
the expulsion OF Austria from Italian soil.
The sudden close Of the Italian campaign at
Solferino, leaving Victor Emmanuels position
only half assured, and transferring Savoy to
France was hardly satisfactory to Prussia. 1t
is generally believed that, in interviews which
Bismarck had at Biarritz with Napoleon about
this time, the Prussian favored the Napoleonic
claims to Rhine frontier as set-of to Prus-
sia's longings for Schleswig- -Holstein and Bal
tic ports. Austria now expressed her disap-
proval of Prussa's aggrandizing views on the