Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-02-03
BIS NARCK'S HOME LIFE

.I + y vi new Ofk " ora
writes Maurice Busch, once the friend
and secretary Of Prince Bismarck, has pub
! liShed several interesting articles about the
powerful Chancellor, the title of which is
Bismarck in his Dressing Gown We are
, informed that Bismarck notwithstanding
! his outward appearance and reputation of
| hpor has soft heart and qua lities that are
al absolute contradiction Of the opinion in
which he is generally held. He has hours
"f fearful dependency, in which he asks
whether he has not lived in vain, and
whether the advantages he gained for Ger
many are worth the blood spilled for them.
in which he doubts whether he has made
any ole happy. In his younger days he
WAS tond OF humor, and even as late as the
! F.rnch war he often had laugh at his wife's
rArcnse, Of whom he tells the aged Emper-
/ ni SHE would like 10 see all the French
men, women, children murdered aud
| spiked, Just because one of her sons was
wounded during The war. And suppose, :"
adds Bismarck "most mothers think the
samr | should not like them to get at me
jti,l nov. Bismarck WAS Il passionate
hunter in past days and his fuvorite game
was the bear and wild boar which he
hunted in Russia when Minister at the
Court or -. Petersburg. He is fond Of ma.
ture, but he is Indifferent to art, and indeed
there is little 10 show artistic taste
either in his palace at Berlin or in his cas-.
ties and country houses But he likes rnu-
SIC and when sombre thoughts overcome
him he gets Herr Won kendell to play to
bum, and after awhile softly huns the mel
odtcs. II is 81 wcll-known fact that lie has
! few friends but i'll his youth he had many
Among these il one whom he remembers
with loving words even nOw-the American
historian. John Lothrop Motley
In his young days Bismarck was an uthe.
ist, but now he has come to belief in One
whose power is supreme and in whose hand
all things rest He writes TO the Countess
that he cannot conceive how any one can
he really quite happy while hr denies the
existence of the soul and eternal life "l
$honld not he The man ain were not a
true Christian. And indeed it could hard
| " be possible that such lasting faithful
friendship MS that which has sprung up be-
tween the German Emperor and Prince Bis
marc> could exist if their opinions differed
upon this point.
Bismarck is an excellent lingust His
French is equal TO that of u native of Gene
Vi, and he speaks and writes English hu-
emily. He speaks German without the
slightest accent-nut = very common thing
in Germany, strange rs il may seem He
! learned Russian i'll st. Petersburg, and the
Emperor Alexander II was greatly aston
ishrd one day when Prince Bismarck nude
! him quite Il little speech in perfect MuSco-
vite. Eat he has got rid Of all his classic
lore. and once said II dare say no one
would believe me if told them was once
prolicien, in Latin. Now should not be
able TO write n correct letter. and Greek |
have forgotten altogether
! Bismarck is not a rich man if his position
be considered His property, Schonnausen
in the Altmark, was all lie possessed until
the day when Il grateful country voted IO0,.
900 thaers rs Il gift TO recompense him for
his faithful services. This sum was deyot-
ed To the requirement of EarziD, his favor
itc place, and his resort whenever he is fa.
tiGucd by cares OF state or worried by ene-
mics or opponents But landed property in
that part of Germany does not bring much
income, and Bismarck was once heard to
say: ''If | had bought Narzln ouly to walk
and ride about in, it would be all very well,
but rs it is can grow nothing upon the land
bnt clover" There are, however, extensive
forests which are at once the pride and de-
light Of tie Chancellor His salry is 81 900
marks year.
The chief topic of conversation and dis
lNSSlpl III SlHCC lIle new wear las
been the death OF Gambetta The Germans
have had nothing but kindly words to say
about the deceased statesman, whose great
capacity they admit, and especially his
great services to France in the winter Of
1871. Beyond feelings of appreciation and
sorrow, however, it is not to be denied that
the Germans as q class look upon Gambet-
ta's death as an event that clears off the po-
litcal atmosphere, in that with him disap-
pears the leader, the spirit of the agitation
for the reconquest of the lost provinces of AL
SAGE and Lorraine.
1t was feared that if Gambetta should ever
become master of the Republic he would
use his power to get out of home troubles
by declaring a war of revenge against Ger
many, aud his movements were therefore
always watched with deep interest. The
, Frankfort Zsitung says on this point :
"Gambctta's death must be considered more
as a promise of peace than as bringing
danger to it. The idea ofrevengc concealed
itself under veil and came out only very
; warily: but the idea was there and Gam.
BETA was its incarnation. And there Is no
other politician in France to re-embody the
idea when the opportunity offers to force it
upon the nation. This will be felt especially
by German statesmen, whose main object OF
late years has been 10 prevent an active
; alliance between France and Germanys S
best friend in the East
These views are the popular views, but
not those of Prince Bismarck, who has a
clearer head than most German politicians
{ aud newspaper editors in his estimate OF
France aud Frenchmen The Chancellor
entcrtains 10 such shallow idea as that with
the death OF 2 single man the deep-rootcd
desires of q nation could disappear. Bis.
I -.
maker of German unity himself He once
nd that the German horse was saddled be.