New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-21
THE MODERN PROTEUS.
Kapp on Bismarck

THE MODERN PR0TEUS.
Frederick Knapp on Bismarck.
From the Nation.
Ihaye never known n man who is 80 full
of resources as he. 1t is az if half dozen
intellects had served to compose his head.
PHYSICAL and moral courage, shrewdness
and an indomitable will, Wit and humor,
sagacity and recklessness, certain in
tuitive comprehension OF mems characters
and calm steadiness, do not know which
of these qualities il most wonderfully de-
yeloped in this modern Proteus, this per
sonifcation-to finish the Greek simiie-of
both Ulysses and Ajax. He knows no
practical nor theoretical difficulty, and if
there were still q proof required that he
really is o great statesman, it would be
given in the fact that he handles the OBJ
stacles thrown in his way as the most etii-
Gent weapons for attaining his ends.
Besides this, he possesses frankness
Sloubly surprising, as it always hils the
point. and expresses itself sometimes in
rough but always significant terms. Bis
marck speaks English with a foreign ac-
cent. but likes to use it with his English
visitors, and never misses the right word or
the right expression, OF fails to give sharp
point to his sentence. He enchants all his
visitors with the affable manner i'll which
y
rcser, el state dignitary, and they find a
ready talker, a witty companion, who laughs
as heartily as they do, and with the same
irreverence, at the official and unofficial
nonsense which rules this worldwide
likes and makes a good joke, and chats
with them as if they were old chums.
In his use of strong expressions, Bismarck
can not be surpassed by the reddest radical.
To a friend of mine he said: " LII you have
some business with high Prussian func-
tionary, a privy councillor. you must be so
rough that to beat him would appear to be
the next resort; then he will be polite and
Obliging." And On another occasion: You
have no idea of the selfconceit of the
whole royal race" When he returned from
his first interview with Napoleon, at
Biarritz, he gave his opinion OF the En-
peror, who was almost deified at the time,
in the few words: "A good fellow, but a
poor stick!" To the Austrian minister,
when this gentleman rather incredulously
received one of Bismarck's assertions. he
said. o few weeks before the outbreak of
the war Of 1866: 81 never make false
statement Whenever l can avoid it. In
your case it is not necessary. Therefore,
have no earthly interest to deceive you, and
Won can believe my words" When l saw
HMM May last, Bismarck gave me some very
interesting details about his endeavOrs to
bring about the war against Austria. ~
expected" he said, Ito have been ready in
the spring Of 1863, but our Niebelung
treasure means the mobilization of 1000
men, and it is difficult to raise it, to obtain
the order from the King. On account of
the secret and open opposition of the court
dragons, and of the intrigucs and cotillOn
influences of princely and noble old women,
it took three years before the King signed
the order of mobilization and declared war.
I la hmm for A
get shot at the game, but finally struck
it after enormous pains and efforts. When
ever thought had conquered all resist
ance, new difficulties sprung up. TO this
court rable am indebted for my sickness,
not to my own and secret enemies. knew
beforehand that in 1866 we should be at the
Austrians. Our generals, with the eX
ception Of great Moltke and bulldog
Steinmetz, were asses (ESel), but our fight
ing material was excellent; each soldier
thought for himself, and the subaltern
officers can not too highly be praised for
their intellect, education and bravery.
II we had been defeated at koniggratZ, ]
should have been obliged to leave the cOun-
try, for to the hatred richly enjoyed on the
part of the Liberals, was added the bitter
luminosity of the court rabbe An old
friend and general, who met me On the bat
tle-field Immediately after the victory was
WI, was IiSHb III SHY my IUt.
''This time, Bismarck our soldiers, with
their needle-guns, have fought you out of
the scrape, which is much better than if the
old women, with their sticks, had driven
you ont Of the country" In the Luxembourg
question, in 1867, / tried with all my power
to avoid war with France, for war is al
ways poor, losing business, and great ma
tiOns have better things to do than to strive
for military laurels: Once go to war, and
where will it end? Each year gained
considered an immense profit. The French
had also threatened England, and neverthe
less it did not come to q war. i therefore
thought it nv duty to avoid it. If the
French insist upon war, they shall haveit,
but apprehend that we shall have repe-
tition of wars, succeeding each other, like
those at the end of the last and in the be-
ginning of the present century"
When Bismarck spoke these words all
Europe was in deep peace, and no one could
have foreseen the thorough thrashing which
the Germans would give the French.
"These diplomatists at small courts"
bismarck continues, taking up another sub
lect, care an uninitigated nuisance; shall
low, lazy fellows who do not see and observe
public affairs, but pick up court gossip from
the chlmbcrmaids or ladies in waiting.
What can you do with these good for
nothing cosmopolitan loiterers? / can not
act rs should like to- hut since have been
at the head of the foreign department |
have at least cut down the list of the father
landless excelencies to one half Of their orr
ginal number" In this way he went on for
an hour with scarcely an interruption.
The popularity, however, which he has
won by two successful wars, will, appre-
hend. wither in the time of peace. Bismarck
has neither interest for nor understanding
of civil freedom, seli-government, and con-
stitutionai liberty. His is a despotic char
acter. he is an ingrained legitimist, who
considers it II special calling to hold down
popular development if it does not directly
serve his purposes What Germany next
needs is Bismarck for its home policy, a
man who knows how to develop more fully,
Or rather to give free scope 10 those rich re-
sources and qualities of character by which
Germany has just won the admiration OF
the civilized world and earned the hatred OF
the French and the Feniins. In her days
Of misfortune and national degradation she
had such a man in the great Baron Stein.
Will she DO less productive in the success Of