New-York tribune., 1883-03-12
GORTSCHdKOFF,

GORTSCHAKOFF
Julian Klaczko repeats in "Thc Two Cham
celorsn an anecdotc which gives the key to
Prince Gortschakoff's career. In the Austrian
Foreign Office there was an usher who had
been trained by Prince Metternich in the era
of the Congress of Vienna. One Jlay, p" or
Count Buol had been closeted Wit Prince
Gortschakof who was then The Rrssion Min
lister at that Court, tho vi -,,or o,nounced that
"o 10" 0o",''0' adj communication to make
~ WIG '.'0' 50 of the service. Thereupon no
i',io'' .td Count Buol that the Russian envoy
liter leaving the room had appeared to be chok-
ing with rage had asked for n glass OF water
and had paced mp and down the waiting-room'
mutterine to himself in French: "oh, some
day they shall pay me well for that
sba,, nav me we'll for that!" This was in
1855, when the Russian military system had
broken down in tho Crmea and Aus'rla nao
proved false to the ally who had crusiieu 'he
Hungarian revolt The humilatlng experiences
which fell to his lot while he was conducting
the negotiations for the Congress OF Parls icit
n permanent impress upon his minu' "no"
Ncsselrode retired from tho Russian Foreign
Office after the conclusion OF an ignomlniouS
ncace and Prince Gortschakof succeeded him,
there was one dominant thought In the new
Cbancellor's mind. The Austrians had been
guilty of monstrous ingrattude. They should
pay him we'll for that!
Austria was punished by diplomatic COM
binations. Prince Gortschakof looked on with
grim satisfaction when Napoleon Ill. entered
into the Italian alliance and took away one OF
the richest Of her provinces, destroying her
prestige in the peninsula and not long after
ward he acquicsced in the subtleties of Prince
Bismarck's policy, until the leadership of the
German States was acquired by Prussia and
Austrian humiliation was completed by the loss
of the remaining Italian province. They paid
him well for that! But in humiliating and
punishiug the ally who had proved false
TO Russia he contrivcd to make Germany
the strongest Power on the Continent.
In the long gamc of diplomacy in which Prince
Bismarck aud he were partners he was over
reached. for he was not adequately compensated
for the services rendered from 1864 To 1871.
No sooner was the conquest of France, the
traditional enemy OF Germany, completed than
the two Chanceors became estrangcd. Prince
GortschakoiT regretted that he had been so
incautious as to put such incredible successes
as Sadowa and Sedan within the grasp of his
rival. and Prince Bismarck, foreSeelng the
resentment and cnmty of Russia, strengthened
his position on the Continent by forming
a close diplomatic alliance with Austria
and encouraging her to extend her
conqucsts in the Balkan peninsula, where
she would be n rival TO the Northern
Power, which had espoused the cause of the
Southern S.avs. In this way the nation which
had been punished for its ngratitude TO
Russia during the Crimea was rinyigoratcd
hy the diplomatist whom Prince Gortschakoh
had allowed to become the master genius of the
Continent
Ii was not strange, therefore, that Prince
Gortschakof's closing years IN the Foreign
Office were embittcred with poignant regrets
He lived, il Is true, 10 witness the remuneration
of the most humliating clause OF the Treaty
Of Paris; the restoration OF the strip OF Bcs-
sarah,a on the Danube. Of which Russia was
then despoilcd; the victories Of the Northern
Slavs in the Balkan and n triumphant march TO
the gates of Constantlnople; the conquest of
the Armenian strongholds, for which so many
campaigns had been fought and the extension
of the Empire in Central Asia. But he also
lived 10 lament the disastrous collapse OF the
internal policy which he had advised and sup
ported, TO be startled by a long series of NihiIst
outrages and 10 see his Emperor assassinatcd !;
and when he had retired from office he knew
that lac left Berlin and Vienna leagued against
St. Petersburg. and that England was supreme
in Egypt, gaining more prestige IN single
summer than Russia had acquired by a decade
Of intrigue in the Balkan and of desert march
ing in Central Asia.