San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-08-31
Bismarck and Beaconsfleld.

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Prince Bismarck will, as usual, coma
with flying colors out of this Congress
His influence has been irresistible. Hc
has presided over the deliberations with
rod of iron, and yet no one has been
able to take oifense, and no one has re-.
ceived any cause of complaint, unless Il
be the poor Turks. Whenever they At.
tempt to object, the Prince turns to them
with the air of one who is amazed AT
their presumption, and asks them what
they mean by claiming this or that, after
signing away every thing they had under
the treaty of San Stefano. "Is not this
your signatureP" he says, sand does il
not give away all your territory, down
to the very gates of Constantinoplep
What can you be thinking of, then, to
interfere with these good gentlemen
here, who at great Inconvenience to
themselves are trying to get back some
thing for youp For Heavens sake, show
a little gratitude, and let us hear no
more from YOU" This is the line he
invariably takes, and the Turks are ST.
lent, not having, in reality, any thing to
say against so practical an argument.
The treaty of San Stefano made Turkey
bankrupt; the only thing to be done
now is 10 put the estate in the way to
pay dividends at some future time.
Again, Prince Bismarck will allow no
useless talk from any quarter -what
pity he can not preside over the House
of Representatives at Washington, or
the House of Commons at Westminster!
He stands no nonsense. The moment
any serious controversy is begun he says,
Gentlemen, we will adjourn for to-day,
Better talk this matter over out of doors.
Agree among yourselves, and then come
back here. Adjourned till tomorrow.
Lord Beaconsfield will you come home
and take family dinner with me-leg
of mutton and potatoes. Don't dress"
This is literally what goes on. Lord
Beaconsfield has been asked twice to a
family dinner and requested not to dress.
Suppose the great Premier sits down in
his shirt sleeves, the weather being hot
and stuffy in Berlin. Who would notg give
something to hear, fully and frankly, the
opinions of these two men with regard
to each otherP But the day is pretty
sure to come when we shall hear all
about it. The Englishman is doubtless
taking notes-what man who has ever
been Tin literature" could help doing
SOP The Prussian will leave some rec
ord of this Congress behind him. All
that have heard at present is that Bis
marck is immensely taken with "Diz-
zy," and says he is the only man he has
met for some years really worth talking
to. That may be partly because the
said "Dizzy" so seldom does talk that
when he unbosoms himself he is really
worth listening to. 1t lis an odd thing,
but it is true, that no one in London
can really be said to knoa0 this strange
lonely sort of man who has placed him
self at the head of the English Govern
ment. He has no confdants and few
personal friends. asked gentleman
who ought to know him well whether
he talked much to him. "He never talks
to any body" said he; "sometimes,per-
haps, to Monty Cory, but only on mat
ters of business. He will not dine out,
as rule, and when he does 60 any
where, the chances are that he will not
say much" A man, one might have
supposed, after Carlyle's own heart, but
Carlyle detests him. There he is, how
ever, the central figure in English pub
lie life. With all his boldness and con-
fidence, however, it was a dangerous
experiment to 60 to Berlin. Even at
the eleventh hour some hitch may occnr
which will leave every thing where it
was before the Congress assembled. He
may have to return with nothing gained,
nothing settled. What will become
then Of his ''prestigeP" Not even his
quickness of invention or his immense
dexterity would save him. Few men,
seeing the risk plainly before them,
would have dared to face it.-Nea0 York
World London Letter.