, 1881-06-15

was q great statesman who had so many
facilities for making Parliament useful. or
one to whom the work would have been
so easy.BThe German Reichstag, resting on
the whole people, was, when in harmony
with the Emperor, quite absolute, and for
years its FIRST idea was to help on Prince
Bismarck and his plans. It was Mortified
at the idea of his resigning. 1t voted him
anything he wanted, up to that terrible
Seven Years Military Bill. 1t taxed its
own constituents with a will. 1t was
ready, if asked, to sweep all Particularist
Governments away, 1t had throughout
the ten years no single favourite whom it
was not ready to abandon at the Princes
bidding. It would have liked nothing
better than to furnish the Chancellor with
a group of colleagues whom it would have
compelled to obey his direction, just as
the French Assembly compels Ministers,
who. nevertheless, are responsible, to obey
AZ. Gambetta. Yet Prince Bismarck finds
this body, though at first SO submissive to
himself, and elected even yet by con-
stituents devoted to himself, SO unman-
ageable, that he proposes to haIve its
sittings,is always taunting it as an obstacle
to his plans, and does not ask its help on
any serious undertaking, but rather with
draws from the undertaking himself. II
should like" he says" UniversalAssurance,
but 1 cannot stand the speeches In opposi-
tion,"-the speaker himself being one of
the readiest and certainly the weightiest
orator who speaks German.
Prince Bismarck cannot be said to fail,
for he maintains himself, be is master on
many great subjects, and he is most
formidable in Europe; but still less can
he be said to succeed, for he does not
advance towards his objects. The Empire
TO which he is devoted continues, and is
strong, but it rather recedes than add
vences, is less rooted in the affection of the
people, less able to bear great sacrifices,
less secure against internal explosions
than it was ten years ago TIA use OF
Prince Bismarck for those ten years,
despite his powers, his courage, and his
immense resources, has been, on the whole
worse than infructuous, and though it still
believes in the instrument. it has ceased to
expect the out-turn. That, If it is not
failure, is not success; and if we were
writing of any ore else, we should say it
was proof that Prince Bismarck, though a
great dlp!omatlst, was not a great admin
~istrator. We are slow to say it of him,
because the end is not yet, because
his genius lies in great cOups, and
we do not Know exactly how far
he has been fettered by his master, or by
irresistible circumstances. But we hold
it to be clear that except as regards the
work of perfecting military organisation,
which is far from entirely his, the labour
of ten years has been to an Incredible
extent thrown away, and that the ulti-
mate government of Germany, the %iustitu-
tions which are to keep her "united, strong
and durable" have still, if not TO be made,
at least to be set in movement. Ger
many is like o factory 10 which one mar
possesses the needful secret of the trade.
There are the orders in heaps, there is the
material in profusion, there are the
machines all bright and ready, but, in
the absence'.of one workman, nothing can
go on. Such a factory may do wonderful
work, and yield for a time o wonderful
dividend but while the situation lasts,
and one mar j~ealously guards the secret
neither solidity nor permanence can Justly
beattributed to its shares.
PTTSCTA