New-York tribune., 1876-02-28
PRINCE BISMARCK.
HIS RECENT SPEECH ON THE PRESS.

GERMAN PRESs-URGENI NEED FOR REFORM.
IrRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENTS or THO TRIBUNE.I
LONDON. Feb. 12.-Prnce Bismarck has perhaps
seldom done boder thing than when on Wednes-
day of this week, he attacked the German Press.
The Prince has often before shown that he had
in him the making of good journalist. No doubt
he might lave founded newspaper had he not
occupied himsef with founding an Empire. The
Empire he has kept in pretty good order, but TO
keen the Press in order has proved too mnch even
for his unequaled energy don't say it boastingly;
quite TIE contrary, for 1t would he difficult TO
push esprit de cOrps far to admire the spirit III
which Prussian newspapers are. as rule, conducted
still, the new penal provisions which tho Govern
ment proposed against them were unwise. The
Reichstag did well to reject them, and it is possible
that the Press may be kept in better order by the
lecture they have had to listen to- and to publish,
from the Chancellor IIo s q man who desplscs no
weapon he finds ready to his hand. II he cannot
have a law to punish, he will try moral suasion-
in the form Of invectiye. Perhaps it would be
nearer the truth TO say that when he found there
was no chance of carrying the penal amendments
against the Press-wnen they had been decisiyely
II jected--ne felt impelled to free his mind on the
subject The Princes wrath is OF an explosive kind;
vent IL must have somehow. IC II rule OF the
Rcichstag that clause rejected on the second read
ing cannot again be discussed unless on the motion
Of 30 members. Tie Press clause brought for
ward again under this rule, neither Prince Bismarck
nor anybody else expecting carry it, but solely "
enable the Prince TO say what he wanted TO.
Iii, speech il, III the first place, notification tO
all Europe that there more official OF semi
Official papers in Is, Rim. II any Berlin newspaper
chooses in iuture to str up wars, rumors of war,
Europe will take notice that the Government IL III
no way responsible for them. For his part lie
he is for neace he
Spring when the Berlin Press was crying ITO armsW
So we all understood at the time your Excellency.
Il was the military party which wanted war, or
,hould say caste rather than party; the Prussian
otfccr eItel aiming "A sincere belief that war Is the
natural and proper relation between Prussia ami
other nations, and q Of, IL no cause exists one
should be provided. TLis was what the Post Of Bcr-
I'm undertook to do ih its to- famous article,
"War in Sight" The Prince says lac did not blame
tins article for if people III any country feel that
a minority n nstigatIng war, they should make an
outcry that the majority may be on the alert; for
the majority Lave commonly 40 inclination for war"
lie who hrst cries Fire u is certain not guilty of
the conagratiou says the Prince, omi,tingto remark
that if the alarm be false, such one may he guilty
of much n tedcss terror, disturbance. and p ssibly
very grave catastrophes. lr.nce Bismarck must
certainly be understood to mean that to Berlin
it perhaps sought 10 ADVANCE and corainly brought
to hgh-the responsibility of the panic which shook
every Exchange in Europe last Spring.
All that the Chancellor Gays this point IL jrst as
applicable TO future panics tO the Last one, aud lie
ser, es To be borne in mind against the ncxtfor next
there VIII surely be loGg there are soldiers IN
l:erlin and Stockholders all over the Con inent.
War, ho assures us, is not made on newspaper
articles thougj peace may be haraased ny them.
lie even acquts tho French Ministerial Press IN
Is7O-which lied with u steadincss remarkable
even ia that Jaussary gang-of having occaSioned
the war which broke out in July of tnat year II
lid mischief, no doubt, but the real authors OF 1t
were the Imperial Frcnch Camarilla- which
responded in some measure to what We call
Kitchen Cabinet, but included the whole set Of all
ventnrers who surrounded the late Emperor, NJ
stairs and down. II n German Minister should
want 10 make war. he would have TO be-in by per-
s,iAdlng his Sovereign. Tie Lmperor Of Germany
has hren forced To make wars. He has made them
mwillinCly-w,th difficulty making up his mind Ia
them. he has earned great fame IN them. lis
Majesty is al an agu when people do not generally
seek busin 'ss nobody viii believe that he ~ dis
posed b. war. This beng So all the talk about war
loving Ministers il huubug.' That SENS pretty
frank aud nnybody vino knows anything Of the
interior history of 1896 knows that il was with ex-
trcne pains that the King of Prussla was induced to
mako war on Austria. In 1870 he was not less
driven Into it though then by influences Of diff
.erent kind external rather than internal for then
II was q defensive war. Tie panic of 1870 is de
rided by Prince Bismarck:
Think ~ the po>l'icu n year ago had before
you and ~ planned TO you ~ IN 1870 when we werc
Threatened with the +. cnch arack g We must mnk'
war. cannot give yOJ any very definite ground Tor
We not msnted, Dur the situation Il ngerouS We
"a multitude Of powerful arincs ~ n'rShb"fsi tue
Fr ncn army heinz Zi ~ sucb way as to De
really "isluiclins hsh you ior loan %. .VoUoOonu
order 10 arm ourselves Mom lon not Dc IN
rliurd io scnl Tor "a d";Drf llaughi'l 10 ash in"
how, after NY long poIn cal exp rene '"nld onln
the colossal stupidity coming D" orc luu aud saying:
" II In IsslDe Ne may In iew ears b" again ait.r~
10 anticipate IT, h.. quickly fall nelghbors and
thcm 10 pieces b. fUio tbcy arr per ecy ready IL
rtn. aud ttut IN qits cuu.ortgbc "ni tan un stu
iion In iIch noDovy s tinhing OF war II yon looa
of cspOrlsiJlo Chancellor urung thus toward peace
loving Ue,ic, the Germans arc whcu net attacked.
entcd wt we hay, and IL Ia ca.unIy 10 accIs'
of thirst Tor cVpuU0ht or tcirtOiia cN''S"h
Loud ciirerA
There are plenty Of people who will eagerly dis
credit such declarations these people who think
the fact that thing is ,aid by Bismarck is proof of
.ts being false. la Frenchmdn who has not re-
covered his mental balance snoo 1877 this state OF
niud may be eXcusabe IN Others It seems Ia me
contenlptible, and might borrow the words Mr.
Disaeli used in the House on Tuesday respecting
the assurances Of the Northern Powers " | tin not
ashamed 10 say believe them to bo sincere"
To this extent. then. Prince Bismarck exonerateS
the Berlin Press, but tie les does he accuse II
of love of pcrncous gossip, caroessness about facts,
and proneness to inventilg news without u shadow
If truth. Hence il is he has resolved to have moth
ing more 10 do with 1t; that not Only slal there w
in future no semi-olicil paper hut no journalist
has any longer any direct COMMUNICATION with any
,.o .,f ,bo Eo-.;f-n O1i.. The pfesa kur.au