New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-09


"na'e' er ltcrary mcrit this work may possess in
,''e vi dlsi German land it cannot be very great
mas Jcen sadly maued in the translation. Neyerthe-
IS St the present moment, when 1he Prussfan Min
sister is becoming as he has been once before, the
1ozemost man in European diplomacy, it has an in
terest which faults OF style, blunders of
grammar, obsoarites of purpose, and loose
ness of arrangement caunot extinCuish. Be
sides il has some remarkable merits. IL is
evidently the production of who per
fccty understands his subject. It embOdes partlcO-
lars Of Bismsvcs private life, explanations of bis
purposes ard transcripts of his domestic correspond
Cnce which could only Dave been obtained from She
very bosom of the Bismarck family It's authentic
ity is unQucstiOnee, and its value. therefore,
as Illustration III contemporary European politics,
is very aigh There a. modern statesman " bo has
been SO much misunderstood, Il least upon
WHOM the oTiuigls of careful observers have
undergone such remarkable change, as the
present Prussia Premier. Belonging by birth
20 the mirsr aristOcracy, but lnheriting
parimony o. poverty, he entered pubic life after
rather wild youth, a sturdy supporter of the
royal preroqaHves, in the spirit apparently of the
knights Of old, with whom loyalty To the feudal SOW
eIcign article OF religion IL was by slow de-
ees that 81 attracted the NOTICE of tue late King as
aman remarkable equally political astuteneSs and
long in rrccavng-certainly she people did pot per
ceivc for many years-the broad foundation Of iber
asm uy III which rested his attachment to the crown
The h1k Of his aspirations always for the unity
and greatness OF the German people, and 1t was be-
cause Be believed that end could be accomplished
only Iy making the monarchy n nucleus around
which the scattered elements Of German
nationality should gather that he de
voted himself 10 the strengthening of the
u, Odd aFrs
maligned Until the days OF the late war lie was
hated by the German Liberals a most formida-
bio enemy TO popular progress, and the most bigoed
OF conservatives; and even now the amnesty of
1873 aud subsequent years survives i'll many breasts
the rccollections of k0uicsqatz and Sadowa
The present volume will serve to prove that Bis
marcl far as his thoughts may be from the genuine
liberty of Repubhcanism, is no mere absoutist' but
q thorough friend Of NatiOnalism. " Nit GOHJar
FJ7ig md TQterlQad -" With God for King and
FatheIland has been his motto, it the royal
battle-cry of ancient times.
Most readers. perhaps will be interested chiefly in
the stories Of his student life and idle youth. 1t was
not specially decorous period of his career-yet
far from q dsgraceful one There much
drinking of beer, and rather more than the
customary fighting of duels Dr. Hesekiels
stories however not all very entertaining, and
the best Of them have already been abundantly
copied by the newspapers. Perhaps the German
mind finds hunor in incidents which are not anus
ing 10 less privileged races; incidents such as this,
quoted to Illustrate young Bislnarcks fondneSs for
preparing curious surprises y
on one occasion. Kuephof he was in deep converse
ton with his cousins when the door sHdaeny Gpehe e
terror they jumped upon the sofas and chairs IN they
them 10 The company after thelr hrst sur
p,i>e could not help bursting into of laughter.
That is certainly, however good story of duel,
in which Bismarck was wounded i'll the leg, and his
adversary suffered amputatiOn of pair of specta-
clcs There are some comical scenes also
between the scape-grace student and the
G0ttingen professors, but most OF them
have been repeatedly published. From college he
went to his half-uined patenal estates in POmeTa-
MIA and by hard work saved them from the result Of
long announcement, but his remote bachelor
establishment was the subject of many scan
dalOus stories; there were tales of wild
carOuse, and among the quiet Pomeranian gentry
"Mad Bismarck had no very enyiable reputation
These were only the momeutaTy ebutlOns OF a
spirit which had not yet found its proper sphere Of
activity. The young man was studying hard IN the
midst Of his reyelry, and developing also that
sturdy independence and proud dignity for
which be soon became remarkable. There is a
weI-known story OF his early official career, when
ealing upon the chief of the bureau to which he
was attached, he was kept cooling his heels an hour
i'm the ante-chamber, and then grutiy asked
when he entered the august presence, What do
Won want ~ Il came here was the re-
DIV "to beg for leave OF absence. and now
demand leave 70 resign Something like this
his interview at the beginning Of his diplomatic
life with Count Thun, the Presiding Deputy at
the Frankfurt Dict. The Count thinking it safe
and perhaps, polidc to snub the unknown young
Prus,ian Envoy. received him with brusque
familiarity and went on smoking his cigar
without even offering Bismarck chair. What
YVES his as.onishmcnt when the young man
pulled ont his cigar case, said in easy tone
MAY bec a light FXccllcncy." and having got it
drow u9 a chair and lea the way to a conversation!
He saved the life of drowning man once under
circumstances Of peculiar gallantry, and received
fo1 it the PIuss&u SAFETY Medal, OF which he
always very proud For q long time it the only
decoration hc wore, and much badecd and jewcled
diplomat one day asked him sarcastically what
meaning his medal conveyed. lie answered with
stern look / ann in the habit sometimes Of saving
mans LIE lie married in 1871 nj the age of 81. and
tie record Of his life ever since has been of
charming domestic happiness. Letters to his wife
Astounding in affection. in shyowdncsS, and in humOr
compose from this time large part of the biogra-
ply. Hero is a specimen of one:
FRANKFURT 18th May, 81.
Franklin: IS wrctchcdy wcarisaiac; 1 a,n . spoilt
win having 20 much affection about me- aud great
d.al O. 90; and now first perceive how uutAaHAiul
We been towards many people On be-ln-tr VIII not
take and your, iuto tar gu -iOu Even tine GOODNESS
liz is an intimate lion compared with he relations
cakes hcrc being Ia fact nothing more than mutual
tect 10 conceal! The people here worry themselves
about the meIe-t TRIES; and these GpOHatists with
tuan deputy Of the second Chhnner IN bIs ull
blown dignity. Uucss olCward events take pace-and
those we members Of the Diet neither guide
nor prcdeteiuiuC-i now know accurately what shall
have done ID one two OF nye {taIs' ana .oulu .lus