The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-04-13
Bismark in Debate.

Blslnark Is by no means finished. not
even ready or natural, orator. The
knightly appearance Of the Prince, his
ease Of manner, and, above ALL his repu.
tation as dipomatist and statesman, would
lead rs to suppose him an orator-either
one who would deliver a profound and
well.arranged speech without hesitation
or effort, or, still more, an orator Of
natural eloquence, whose words and fig
ures would flow from his lips as the crea.
tions Of the moment, and entrance or en-.
kindle the hearts of his hearers. But
this is not the case. Occasionally he may
be seen at his desk winging his way
rapidly with his quill over narrow strip
of paper. while some member is on the
platform. All know what this means,
and at a slight bow Of his head the Presi.
dent announces that Prince Bismarck,
Chancellor Of the Empire, has the floor.
AS he rises there is general demand for
silence all over the House, with the cxcla.
nation. "He is speaking" lie inclines
his body toward the Assembly, winds his
thumbs around each other, and casts an
occasional glance at the House; but he
stops, hcsitates, sometimes even stammers,
and corrects himself; he seems to strug.
gle with his words, which ascend unwill.
ingly to his lips after two or three there
will be short pause, when one can al.
most hear suppressed swallow. He
speaks without gesture, feeling, or en-.
phasis, and often fails in the accentua.
tion Of final syllables, so as to weaken his
thought One wonders if this is the man
with parliamentary career behind him
of more than quarter Of century, dur
ing which period he has been in every
legislative body Of his country, meeting
with bitterest opposition from the Liberal
party in his early career, parrying their
most caustic words in kind, and replying,
with wonderful presence of mind, by the
wittlest impromptus or the most cutting
sarcasm. 1t is the same man, and pres.
emily he will prove it. Gradually his
speech flows with more warmth, and un.
folds its peculiar attraction q series OF
original. fresh, gritty, and significant ex.
pressions, which tell more by their power
than their beauty, His speeches are col.
lections Of sentences rath han the
development of a smooth and logical train
Of reasoning Many Of them have gone
into history as proverbial, such as "Cata
line existence" "Blood and iron,
"Austria must move its center of gravity
toward the Orient" etc. Some months
ago, after listening to long diatrbes abou
the evils Of the recent wars, and thu
burdens which they have brought upon
the people as a nation, he quietly aros,
and said after each one Of the recen
wars the nation has enjoyed greater
amount Of parliamentary liberty thai
before them" This was so strikingl,
true that it was folly to argue that the,
had led to tyranny. And he closed by
saying "But, nevertheless, gentlemen
the German nation has right to eXpec
from us that We shall prevent the return
Of such catastrophe and am convinc
ed that the allied governments desir
nothing so much as TO fleet this purpose.
With this beautiful admonition, simpl
though digniied, and expressed with fer
vor, he electrified the audience as if h
were the greatest orator, and then sa
: down amid deaiening applause from al
parts of the House. Thus, with appar
I emily no oratorial power, he seldom take
r the floor without confirming his nation i
5 the belief that, take him all in all, he
: a statesman such as Germany has nove
: before enrolled in her annals, and wlor
the world at large may well envy her i
. possessing. - Prof. Vim. Wells; 1
p. ScriJner for april.