The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-14
PEACE IN EUROPE.
A General Review of the
Situation as It Is.
WHAT THE GERMANS SAY.
Pen Pictures Of Bismarck and
the Kaiser.
Religion in the Empire and Condition of the
Churches in Prussia.

BERLIN Feb. a. 1874
"Yes," said q famous general, who was speaking
10 me, with an earnestness and gravity peculiarly
German, 'yes we desire to have peace with
France and with all other countries. We Germans
have no love OF military glory. We look upon war
as hard necessity. which takes US from our
studies ana our interests, ana which brings moth
ing worth having in return We conceal our
trophies OF victory even, and put them out Of the
way; for in sober truth we are ashamed OF them
We have said to ourselves over and over again,
is this world SO constituted that the race
through 1t is really to the swift and the battle to
the strongr We were unworthy Of victory, yet
we won 1t. If success had come to us in after
years, when we had done enough for mankind to
deserve 1t, we should have understood aud appre-
cated our triumph. We do not understand it now.
1t cOnfuses our ideas of right and wrong. We
were cupriis and yet we have been rewarded
thought that the old warrior looked very noble
as he spoke, and that as he humbled himself he
was exalted.
"Yes,n he resumed sadly, 1--WE wish for peace
and 1t is very far from us. France is again arming
She is seeking for allies France has allies IN all
the Catholic States Of Europe Austria, too, is bid
ding high for the support OF Russia. We are sur
rounded upon all sides by doubtful friends or open
enemies. Our army is one that fights WELL but which,
from the nature of its organization, cannot fight
often without putting a complete stop to our
social machine. leaving our fields untitled and our
workshops untenanted. We are determined to put
end to this state of things. We will not be kept
in state Of perpetual ALARM France must either
conquer us or we will have her friendship, or we
will erase her name from the worldly map What
we are determined to have Is
PEACE PERMANENT PEACE.
''Our people do not like military government, but
they will submit to it till France and Austria
reasonable and quiet or dead. All sensible and
honest persons dissatisfied with the terms OF
peace granted to France. They say we should have
taken no money. We did not want it. 1t has all
gone and must go to the army, and now We are
still SO frightened Of the French that we are
obliged to keep up military establishment alto
gether beyond our resources. The expenditure
necessary to maintain it leaves us nothing for
Schools nothing for science, nothing for art, and
the standard of our education Is already materi-
ally lowered. We cannot, we will not, keep up so
large an army. We will make friends with France
or Will destroy her, and Austria too, II she In
terferes on religious grounds. What we should
have done at the close Of the last war with France
and what we will do next time France troubles US,
is to take away from the country and export TO our
own every sheep every OK, every fowl, every horse
she possesses. We will blow up every French
bridge, we will tear up every French railway, and
| then France must spend fifty or hundred years
in repairing the damage we have DONE"
PRINCE BISMARCK SEEN FACE TO FACE.
The mightiest statesman in the world is q tall,
bald man, with some white hair. He wears mill
tary uniform to please the sovereign though he is
| rather inclined to ease and lOoseness, having
| certain nabbiness of flesh aud stomach not easy
in tight clothes But the man is very upright,
| ,tto
wonderfully elastic in his movements that he
might be an India rubber man. He looks in robust
health till examined closely, and then an observer
begins to notice painful spasms and contractions
OF the face, which reveal over-excited nerves. In
manner he is rollickng, overbearlng man. Wife,
children and friends stand in ofIhim. He will
not even listen to remOnstrance, still less TO con-
tradiction. He strides over his enemies ana ac
quaintances, nodding 70 the latter as he puts his
foot upon the former. The man is Of giant appe-
tire for work and food he eats cold sausages
and black bread served without tablecloth, for
breakfast His dinner is OF mighty meats In plenty,
/ washed down or noated in large goblets Of strong
burgundy. He smokes and works and talks per-
| petually. HIS home Is like a volcano IN constant
eruption. His secretaries cannot stand his work
long; they are obliged to give in from sheer ex-
haustion. Prince Bismarck is very funny when
pleased; very formidable, very rash. very impu.
dent at all times. He is not far-sighted man or
he would not have rushed into a religious war SO
| abruptly. He is rather an astonished man, who
has become mighty in spite Of errors; often be-
cause OF errors and who believes that everything
may be done by courage and opportunity. He is,
so to say, a man who has stunned himself with his
own noise, and who keeps on bawling because it
seems to bewilder other people and to make every
body shut his ears and give in to him.
BIsMARcK's CHARACTER.
He is man OF very bold and ready wit. Some
learned professor, member OF the German Diet,
told the House that the German Ambassadors were
too highly paid, and quoted the anecdote OF poor
Ambassador of Frederick the Great who COM
planned of the smaness of his salary. "Ten
those who laugh at your poverty that you have
100000 armed men behind it," II have
heard of that dead nonsense" answered
Bismarck, "and I even thought had been
present at It's funeral." Up jumped the Professor
again. and maintained, with some heat, the his.
torical accuracy OF his story. "Ah," observed
Prince Bismarck. with rollicking laugh, 81 dare
say you believe 1t to be true, but my doubts about
it first arose when was an Ambassador myself"
THE EMPEROR KING.
Every one whose opinion is worth having agrees
that more respectable man than the present EN-.
peror OF Germany never sat UPON a throne. He
mas SO rigorous an idea of his duty that it lately
nearly killed him; for O few months ago he con-
sidered 1t right TO receive so many people who had
come to him for audience that he took his alter
noon drive for fresh air somewhat later than usual
and caught cold; but he would not rest, and then
he caught cold again and had Inflammation OF the
lungs He is better now, but still very feeble, and
the old warrior will probably never mount his
horse again. For some years past he has not rid
den save when obliged TO do so; but last summer
he passed eight hours in the saddle at review.
He cannot walk easily now; but he is still able to
receive his Ministers standing, and, when he
does 80. he looks not unlike chained lion. His
physicians have been recommending him
warmer climate, which is another form OF death
warrant, but he hesitates to take their advice, be-
cause he is jealous OF his power and unwilling to