Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-05-06
Helena, Montana, Thursday, May 6, 1875


From Scribner TOR April.
Bismarck is by no means finished, not
even ready or natural, orator. The knlgnuy
appearance of the Prince, his ease OF manner,
and, above all, his reputation as diplomatlst
and statesman, would lead US to suppose MN
an 0rator-either one who would deliver
profound and well arranged speech without
of natural eloquencc, whose words and figures
would flow from his lips as the creations OF
the moment, and entrance or enkindle 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 a narrow strip of paper, while some
member is on the platform. All know what
this means. and at slow bow OF his head the
President announces that Prince Bismarck,
Chancellor of the Empire, has the floor. AS
he rises there is general demand tor silence
all over the House, with the exclamation,
| .sHe is spcaking!'' He inclines his body
toward the Assembly, winds his thumbs
around each other, and casts an occasional
glance at the House but he stops, hesltatcs,
sometimes even stammers, and cOrrects NM
self; he seems to struggle with his words,
which ascend unwillingly to his lips; after
two or three there will be short pause, when
one can almost hear 6 suppressed swallow.
He speaks without gesture, feeling, or en-
phasis, and often fails in the acccntuatlon
of final syllables, so as to weaken his thought.
One wonders if this is the man with parlla-
mcntarv career behind him Of more than o
quarter of century, during 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 wittiest impromptus or the most
cutting sarcasm. It is the same man, and
presently he will prove it. Gradually his
speech flows with more warmth and unfolds
its peculiar attraction; series OF original,
fresh, gritty, and significant expressions,
which tell more by their power than their
beauty. His speeches are collections OF SEN
tences rather than the development OF
smooth and logical train of reasoning. Many
Of them have Zone into history as provcrbiai,
such as ''Cataline existences," ''blood and
iron" "Austria must move its center OF gray
ity toward the Orient" etc. Some months
ago, after listening to the long diatribes about
cSS the9 e{ hs seSsn %s7 ana ne
a nation, he quietly arose and said: ''Aftc1
each one of the recent wars the nation has
enjoyed greater amount of parliamentary
liberty than before Them" This was sc
strikingly true that it was folly to argue tha
they had led to tyranny. And he closed by
saying: "But, nevertheless, gentlemen, the
German nation has right to expect from u
that we shall prevent the return Of such 8
catastrophe; and l am convinced that the
allied governments desire nothing 50 much q!
to effect this purpose" With this beautiful
admonition, simple though dignified, and ex
pressed with fervor, he electrified the audi
cnce as if he were the greatest orator, ano
then Sat down amid deafening applause from
all parts of the House. Thus with appar:
emily no oratorical power, he seldom takes
the floor without confirming his nation in the
belief that, take him all in all, he is a states.
man such as Germany has never before en-
rolled in her annals, and whom the world al
large may well envy her in possessing.