The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-12
PRINCE BIsMARCKs POSITION.
WILL he RETIRE FROM OFFICE PA POLITICAL

WILL he RETIRE FROM OFFICE "A POLITICAL
AND COURT cABAL DIRECTED AGAINST HIM.
Berlin Feo. 2A correspondence OF London
News.l
The remark OF the Berlin papers that they are
obliged to keep standing at the mead OF their col.
umns the line, ''The retirement OF Prince Bis.
marck," Is at the same time a complaint, The
first rumors OF the kind were published in the
rural press, and the sensation has been industri.
ously fed by Berlin correspondents. who are more
ingenious than accurate. Some OF them have
simply mentioned the possibility OF Prince Bis.
mack's ultimate withdrawal. which Is safe
enough experiment. The Prince is not eternal in
sfice, no more than he is immortal in physical
lie. Others have gone step further and assigned
dates and causes for his Withdrawals; and third
class. more adventurous than either have APP
pointed MS successor or arranged system OF sue
Ce>son.
Let us now pass to the assumed motives OF this
Hypothetical retirement OF Prince Bismarck.
what mas lately occurred, Will not say OF nature
TO cause his retirement, but OF a nature to sug.
gest the probability Of his retlrements Three
events are assigned-one political, two personal.
The first is the defeat OF the Ministry in the Lower
House on the Vrchow motion. have already ex.
planned the tendency OF this motion. as you al
feady know, the "Kreisordnung," or counties re.
form OF two years ago, was not applied 10 the
the province OF Posen were, Tor prudentia rea-
sons, excluded from It's benefits; and at the time
ton. But this season. on the introduction OF the
scheme OF provincial reform, the liberals deter
mined 10 insist on the extension OF the previous
county reform to the western provinces. Pro-
lessor Virchow was chosen to present motion TO
that effect. This gentleman Is one OF the pro-
ioundest physicists OF Germany, whicn does not
prevent him from being one oil the most capable
legislators. and he enjoys the further honor of
period that ushered In Sadowa. He presented
the resolution; there was debate, In which the
ministers made Stubborn resistance and were
ANONYMOUSLY defeated. In strict system or
parliamentary government this might have neces-
stasd the rersat 81 tne entire Cabinet but IN
the Interior. In Prussia, as Prince Bismarck him.
self has often complained and as have often ex-
planned In this correspondence. there is no Pre-
mer In the English sense who IS responsible IN
the name OF his colleagues for policy, and no
lnective solidarity between the Ministers as a
Cabinet.
THE PERSONAL REASONS
are OF more serious character. Ii Ia said that
the physicians OF Prince Bismarck have informed
HIM that his health absolutely requires the aban-
donment OF his political labors ana that they
cannot otherwise be responsible for his life. /
see no reason to doubt that this Is true Physi-
tha nnh ~ % S pa e are not Ia
but rather the contrary. The Emperor himself
would long since have abdicated II he had oDeyed
the doctors, and, In the case OF Prince Bismarck,
his medical attendants have given him more
trouble than all the parIamentary opposition
sent him into retirement long before the
French war: they wished to get rid OF
osede But s'S Cannot ean ns aas SaS s
Prince Is In q worse condition this winter than he
mas Deeu lOr many years. On the contrary, ne Is,
pei haps better on the whole, Tor his participation
In the earlier abors OF the Relcnsrag was frequent
and effective. He receives lew visitors, indeed,
and cannot bear fatigue or excitement; but ne
was able, two days since, to spend several hours
with His Majesty IN oricial work. This is not the
conduct OF dying man. IL Is not denied, iurtner-
more, that the police OF Berlin have repeatedly
warned the Chancellor against plots OF assassina-
ton. and that alter his return from kissngen they
advised him not to walk in the public streets or
TO rlde IN I'm open carriage. IL does not appear
that he has paid much attention to these warnings
have seen him this winter walking alone along
the streets, ana he will OF course, continue walk
Or ride IN the manner most convenient to him.
One does not always escape q real assassin uy act
Ing as II all men were asSassins. Now these three
cooperating reasons are not derived from any
thing That the Prince himself has said, simply
assumed as reasons which are likely TO influence
him. IL either OF these theories were true 1t
would be bad enough. But II the secret history OF
the Imperial Chancelery ever comes light 1t
will DC found, | believe, that the whole excite
ment mas been Iomented by parties at Court and
elsewhere, who are determined to drive Bismarck
from office. They are lagos and something more
They not only play on his jealousy by depreciating
to MIN his influence IN Parliament ana by exag-
gerating the strength OF his rivals, but they seek
to play on his lears with the aid OF reactionary
police and u Court physician.