New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-17
THE DYING CHANCELLOR.

TIE DYING CHARCELLOH
The career of the Russian Chancellor, now
drawing to close, marks the changes wrought
by quarter-century Of diplomacy. That
career does not belong to the Europe which he
knew when he was serving his apprenticeship
at q petty German court-a Europe which had
found rest during the forty years of peace fol-
lowing the Treaty of Vienna-but to the Europe
which lie has helped to make, that vast circle
of camps where nations stand under arms
awaiting the signal for war. Nearly all the old
figures have disappeared. Cavour and Victor
Emanuel, Palmerston and Russell, Napoleon
III. and Plus TX. have already gone, and when
GOrtschakoff follows them Bismarck, Garibaldi,
Gladstone and Lord Beaconsfcld will be left
behind on stage crowded with new men-
Gambetta and De FIeycinet in France, An
Grassy - Haymerle in Austria, Castelar, in
Spain, Leo XIII. in Rome, Ignatieff and Nell
koff in Russia and Lord Harrington in England.
New tendencies are felt, new forces arc at work,
but a generation of wars and national arma-
ments, of cabinet intrigues and dynastic coali-
tons, of treaties made only to be broken, of
diplomatic dOuble-dealing and Ceaseless change,
has left its impress upon the Europe Of to-day.
The long retrospect Of GOrtschakOil's career
goes back to the reign of Nicholas, when the
prestige Of the Russian infantry was menace
to Europe, when NesselrOde had settled the
Danish succession by proposing the London
conference and when the Austrian monarchy
was saved by help from the North 1t was
then that GOrtschakOf, himself nearly fifty
years old, and still an obscure diDlOmatist, met
at Frankfort that madcap of Bismarck, who
was scarcely known out of the Universities
where he had led a FOSTERING life, and the
estate where he had been hard rider, light
reader and q dissipated country squire. The
scene suddenly shifted to Vienna, where the
first European conference in which GOrtschaliOff
took part was held. Russia was overwhelmed
with disgrace; the military system had broken
downs Sebastopol WAS besieged; Austria had
proved false to the ally who had crushed the
Hungarian revolt. 1t was there that he met
Earl Russell, Count BuOl and NJ. DrOuyn de
Lhuys, and discussed with them the conditions
of peace and it was there a year afterward
that he consented to the Congress Of Paris
where Austria threatened to renounce neu-
trality and join the allies. Those humiliatng
scenes left q permanent impression upon the
mind of the future Chancellor When Nessel-
rode resigned after the Treaty Of Paris was
concluded, the policy Of his successor was
already defined. 1t followed two rigid lines
the humiliation Of Austria and the reinstate-
ment of Russia. He was silent partner of
Napoleon Ill when Austria was despOiled Of
an Italian province, and an interested spectator
in 1866 when she lost second province and
the leadership of the German States While
Austria was punished by diplomatic cOmbina-
lions, Russia was regalninR her prestige by
more direct means. When Europe was in con-
fusion after the campaign in Alsace-Lorraine
the most humiliating clause Of the Treaty of
Paris was renowned. In Central Asia great
conduests we're made In the direction of India,
and the British were finally entrapped in
Afghanistan. The campaign against the Turks
gave the Northern Slavs an ascendancy over
the struggling natiOnalites Of Southeastern
Europe. The strip of Bessarabia which had
been taken away in 1856 was given bnck. The
Armenian fOrtresscs for which three campaigns
had been fought fell into the hands Of the con-
querors One of the allies was Indifferent to
these results, while the other, Ru6sia's rival In
Asia, was forced to accept them. The rising
diplomatist who wa snubbed by Count Buol
and patrOnized by Earl Russell and NJ. DrOuyn
de Lhuys, has lived to see the disgrace of the
Crimea retrieved and the Treaty of PARIS torn
into shTeds at Berlin.
Such are the great triumphs of Gortschakoff's
ChancellOrship. They have been won, how
ever, at the high cost of making Germany the
strongest Power on the Continent His &C
quaintance with Bismarck begun at Frankfort
was renewed at st. Petersburg, and in 1864
working partnership was formed by which the
Continent was changed from end to end The
protests of Great Britain, France and Austria
against the barbarities of the Russian troops in
Poland were brought to naught; the invasion
of Denmark was permitted in opposition to the
very Treaty which Russia had induced the
Powers to sign; and the incredible successes Of
SadOWa and Sedan were rendered possible, II
may be that GortschakOFs later years have been
embittered with regrets for putting such great
opportunities within the grasp of his rival. 1t
may be that be suspects that, in the long game
of diplomacy which he has played, Bismarck has
Overreached him and failed to compensate him
for his great services from 1864 to 1871. Ger
tain it is that since 1876, when Russia showed
so much zeal in preventing renewal of hostii-
ties between Germany and France, the two
ChancellOrs have been estTanged, and the
Power which was Inundated ut Solferino and
Sadowa has been brought into closer relations
with Germany and enabled to replace in Bosnia
the provinces lost In Italy.
If Austria was punished, she has been rein
vigorated and given the position Of a rival IN
the Balkan peninsula and if the Western
Powers have been put to shame by the prestige
Of Rus1ia In the East, Germany has been made