, 1874-04-11
BTSMARK AND FRANCE.


From all accounts, Prince BiSmark seems to
be doing his best to produce in France the
IMPRESSION that he d~espises. and wishes it to be
known that he despiSes, the French people.
He took great pains, in answering the appeal
of the Alsatian and Lorraine Deputies for the
abolition OF the special restraints under which
the annexed provinces live, to gibe and sheer
at the French Assembly, especially directing
q taunt at its President, NJ. Buffet. Again, in
explaining to a Hungarian, Herr Won Jokai,
his views on the Austrian, Hungarian, Russian,
and Eastern questions, he went out of his way
to speak of the French as barbarianS, in whom
their great accomplishments, as cooks, %tailOrS,
and hairdressers, barely concealed the savage
nature beneath. In the last Avis we gave the
speculationS of the Spectator on the real motive
of Prince Bismark in putting forward with such
cynical frankness these violent criticisms on
France while she is lying Inundated at his feet.
But according to Herr Won Jokai, he spoke to
him of the Pope in language even more
violent, and, from Bismark's character it may
be inferred that it was equally preme-
ditated. Apparently he Identifies France with
the PapaGv, and hopes to irritate them into d
common submission or a common aggression,
which he thinks would be equally fatal
to both. The Spectator in an article
ON that asks the question, off he sue
ceeds in the latter of the two alternatives, can
he be meditatiug Remembering both Powers,
recreating the Old Burgundian Duchy in
France, and starting a new antelope, on the
occasion of Pic Nono's death, in Germany or
Switzerland! e.
Under the heading, On the Way to Canos.
sa.'' the N. Y. Herald of the goth last month
has the following
Some time since Bismarck announced, with
his customary absolutene9s, that he " would
not 20 to Canossa,' meaning that in his war
with the religion Of fourteen millions Of the
Emperor's subjects he would never yield but
if our correspondent who presents the latest
aspects Of Prussian politics, is correctly inform
ed, the Prince is already somewhat shaken in
bis purpose. 1t is a hard thing to fight a whole
people, and this is practically the undertaking
in which Bismarck suddenly finds himself in
volved. Opposition to the arrogance of the
central authority in Berlin is, of course, only
a question of opportunity, and the opposition
has already given its first blow in the defeat of
the military bill All the Church elements
will, of course, rally to the support of the OPP
position. With the Church, the liberal
thought of the country, the natural resistance
of the taxpayers and the conservative hostility
of the Junkers all combined against him, the
Prince would be oyermatched, though he were
forty times Bismarck, unless he could persuade
the Emperor to lay aside all p~retence to any
but military authority. That he cannot do,
and therefore it would not be surprising to find
Bismarck, as our correspondent hints, temper
ing his open fury against the Church in Germa-
nv and endeavoring to man@uvre for an ally
against the Pope in making a bargain for the
restoration Of the imperial dynasty in France
"Why is the letter Dlike a ring2" said