The New York herald., 1874-10-18
The Won Arnfm Case.

The quarrel between Count Won Arnim and
Prince Bismarck has assumed an extraordi-
nary phase. 1t is o national and, we may say,
an International question. It is always
scandal when two diplomatists, and especially
two noblemen as highly placed as the Chan
cellor and his French Minister, have mis-
understanding. The peace of Europe is
closely associated with the maintenance of
good relations, or what can as nearly ap-
proach good relations as possible, between
France and Germany. Any event calculated
to disturb this cannot be too gravely con-
sidered. There were certain features about
the quarrel, as reported by cable, that
were hard to understand. We could
not comprehend how nobleman
and diplomatist who held as important
q station as the Ambassador to Paris could
be guilty of crime like stealing On the
other hand it seemed impossible that in a
country as free as Germany such man could
be suddenly sent to prison and kept there
unless there was some grave charge affecting
his honor and fidelity.
The explanation we elsewhere print, COM
ing, as it does, from the highest available
sources of information in America SO far as
upon German affairs, gives an intelligent idea
of the trouble. We can understand Won
Arnim when we remember. Catacazy. It is
the old story of man of fair talents, but
with extraordinary vanity and self-conscious-
ness, placed by circumstances in q position
far beyond his ability, who seeks
to supply the paucity of talent by
intrigue, deception and strife. Bismarck,
naturally sedulous to avoid scandal, and
especially where the relations of Germany
were as delicate as they were with France,
seems to have petted and coaxed his unruly
subordinate. Even this was misunderstood,
for it is the nature of men Of the Won Arnim
stamp to mistake patience and candor for
weakness. So the quarrel continued until the
vanity of the diplomatist threatened to i'm
peril the peace Of the State. Whereupon Bis
marck crushed him as with his boot heel.
This is, in brief, the substance of our nara
|. tive. tt
This narrative is also plausible in all re-
spects Prince Bismarck is playing too high
q game, he is matched with too powerful and
wary antagonists to lose point or to permit
the great purposes which fate has awarded
him to be for moment set awry
by subordinate. Won Arnim seems
to have invited his fate. It is o
mistake to magnify his misfortunes into a
State quarrel with the Roman Church. It is
only vast and painful scandal-like what we
have seen at home in reference to Mr.. Beecher
and Mr.. Colfax-great because of the famous
names involved, and painful because it leads
us to question human nature. Even giving
Won Arnim the benefit of all the explanations
his friends have offered, this one fact stands
out that diplomatist, like soldier, must re-
main at his post until he falls. The reputa-
ton of diplomatist must be forfeited at times
as the lives of soldiers are forfeited. Won
Arnim's duty was to silently obey his chief,
not to question, demonstrate or complain. He
failed in this His failure led him to repre-
hensible transactions. and he now lies under
the ban of the law and public opinion as an
unworthy servant who had been weighed in
the balance and found wanting