The Mineral argus., 1884-05-22
Prince Bismarck,s Position

1t has been recently that
Prince Bismarck has retired from the
mead OF the Prussian Ministry. and will
hencetorth devote himself exclusively 10
the duties of the German Chancellor.
ship.
In Order to understand this change
OF official position, we must remember
that Prussia, though the principal state.
IS only of nearly thirty states which,
combined, form the German Empire.
That empire is like the United States in
this respect, that it consists of a num-
Der OF states, each with its local govern
ment, which for their common and gen
eral interests, are united in a central
system.
Before the German Empire was es
tablished, as q result of the Franco
German war of 1870, there was no such
common political bond between all the
German states. When the Empire
came into existence, Prince Bismarck
was made its Chancellor, or principal
executive officer under the Emperor.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the
head of the Prussian Cabinet since 1862.
He retained this office, and added to it
the larger and higher office of Chancel-
Tor. He has thus, for fourteen years,
carried the burden of these two offices,
conducting both the local affairs of the
Russian Kingdom and the broader pol
icy of the German Empire.
At the age of sixty-nine, and with far
from robust health, he now rids himself
OF the cares, perplexities and annoyan-
ces of the less important post, and
will confine his energies to the interests
OF the imperial government, which are
more to his taste.
His duties as Prussian Minister COM
PEELED him to settle the details of meas
ures and administrative acts applicable
to the kingdom alone. His du-
ties as Chancellor are, in the
main, the broader ones of guiding the
foreign policy of Germany, and direct
ing the relations of Germany with
foreign powers.
Prince Bismarck's public career has
extended over a period of nearly forty
years. He entered public life as a di-
plomist, and was Prussia's representa-
tive successfully at Frankfort, Vienna,
st. Petersburg and Paris. During the
twenty-five years that he has been at
the head of the Prussian ministry, he
has accomplished greater things as a
statesman than has any other man of his
time.
1t was he who, step by step, carried
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kingdom of the second rank to the
height of European ascendancy. His
was the bold spirit which inspired the
wars with Denmark, Austria and France,
each of which added to Prussian infu-
ence and glory; and to him, more than
to any other, was due the successful re-
vival of the German Empire.
When he became the head of the
Prussian ministry, Austria was the
leader of Germany, although the States
were Independent. He first broke the
power of Austria, then organized the
North German Confederation, and final
lv brought all the states of both North
and South Germany, excepting Austria,
into a single Empire, with Prussia at it's
head.
But in glancing over this long and
cOnquering career, we cannot fail to re-
mark that while Bismarck has done
everything to make Prussia and Ger
many great and strong, he has done
little or nothing for the political adj
vancement of the German people.
Even when he had nominally be-
longed to and led the so-called social
party, he has always been despotic and
aristocratic in his opinions and his poll
cy. He has been a devoted servant of
the crown, and has in every way striv-
en- to strengthen and to increase its pc
negatives. This has been a compare
lively easy task for him, since the res
pect and love of the Germans for their
old Emperor is almost unbounded.
1t may be well, therefore, that Bis e,
marck's retirement from the Prussian
ministry will leave the way open for
more liberal statesmen in that king
dom to propose and carry reforms which
will give the people a larger share in,
and enable them to exercise a more di-
rect and potent influence on the govern
ment of the country.
irniIa,-i%v of Nanas