The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-05-01
BIsmarck.s Handwriting.

Desbarolles has never seen Bismarck's
hand, never felt the weight of it, except
as patriotic Frenchman. He has not so
much as seen his handwriting, only
poor facsimile of it, yet on this slight in
dication, aud that of a photograph. he
reads off the German Chancellor like
page of big print. The letter was one
written by Bismarck to his wife during
the war, intercepted oy the French, and
published in fac-simile by the Figaro. 1t
may have contained some few secrets as
Bismarck wrote it, but it contained ihfin-
itely more when subjected to the piercing
gaze of the Seer. Look at this downward
slope of the letter." he cries; 'it means
misery and ruii1--else why did Napoleon
/. always slope up the paper during the
time of his prosperity, and down the paper
when he was down in his luck?" "Ahi"
he adds, 'If could only see the hand of
Bismarck as we'll as the handwriting,
then l could prophesy; then | could tell
you exactly how the cataclysm through
which we are passing is to finish. But,
after all, the handwriting is enough. Look
at the enormous size of it! 1t is just as
big as Wallenstein's, or the ferocious
Swedish warriors, Wrangel, and both of
them died violent death. 1t is an alb
surdly high handwriting, and what does
that mean but a craving for lofty posi-
tion-ambition, love of fame, immense
pride? Why, it is even higher than the
handwriting of Louis XIV, the proudest
of the kings. 1t is an ardent and at the
same time concentrated handwriting
not fiourishes; and what are Hourishes
but the signs of an effervesence without
restraint. 1t is lively, it is brusque, but it
is selfcontained From the way in which
he forms the tall ends of his letters you
can tell there is no particular cunning in
him; still his winding, serpentine lines
show that he is diplomatist.n Those
little curly terminations, it would appear,
are for the weak members of the craft.
The worst sign of all, according to Desba-
ROLES, is the superhuman pride SHOWN in
the crossing of the t's. The rs in fact are
more than eloquent. The Germans, he
says, generally cross the letters low down;
Bismarck crosses it right at the top-just
to have a way OF his own-ssBnreme
pride," After this it will not astonish us to
learn that other parts of the letter to
Nine. Bismarck show him to be "iike a
tiger which throws itself on its prey"
Desbaroues lad discovered all this
when fortune threw the Great Chancellor
himselfin his way. lie did not see much
of fhim-he simply met him taking walk
but he saw enough to recognize "all the
signs of Mars which means, among other
! things, that when he was at the university
he was rather fond of his beer. This
chance meeting, coupled with view of a
photograph, served to finish off the Chan
cellor almost ascompletely as Dumas They
revealed love of music, of poetry, re-
vengefuness, ruse and taste for the
| stage. Destructiveness was added TO the
debit of dread account alter glimpse
of the big Bismarckian ear, and there was
only poor penn'orth oil benevolence for
the credit side Bismarek's IS spirit of JUS
| tice and his savage aptitudes, We are
given to understand. will always be un-
evenly matched.-N y. World.