Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-03-19
Herr LAsk@.

1 lne L19ker IeSoiuttous 3uo tuc 3uCiuenss
arising from them have caused not . little
attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The
interest they have enlisted in our national
House of Representatives. and the trouble
they have caused Bismarck, viii give them a
place in the diplomatic history of Germany
and the United States. A glimpse of Herr
Lssker himself may not be without interest
TO the readers of the Kennebec Journal. Some
months prior to his death the writer had the
opportunity to make his personal acquaint-
ance. Having engaged passage on the new
and splendid steamer Werra, of the North
German Line, which runs from Bremen to
New York, passing through London where
We wished to make brief stay, we went to
Southampton to commence our sea voyage
While resting quietly at hotel at the latter
port on beautiful June day. awaiting the
signal Of the Vera, when the tug would take
US to the ocean palace which was 10 bear us on
our welcome home journey. we observed the
arrival Of q small party whose manifest in
tention was the same as our own. One Of
these soon struck our attention by his earnest.
intelligent face, AMI his quiet, unpretending
modes,y. Simply aud plainly dressed, short
and compact in person, uuobtrusive in man
ner, he would scarcely have been taken for
one who had acted a conspicuous part in the
political struggles of powerful empire and
disturbed the equilibrium of the great Ger
man Chancellor. Passing on board the
steamer with the rest of US, he was little seen
on deck the first two days out of Southamp-
ton. time when many passengers find it
more convenient th an otherwise to seek soil
tude and all the repose they can get The
brother ofthe German member of Parliament,
naturalized American citizen, long
resident in this country. now a merchant in
Galveston, was also on board the Werra
We were not long in making his acquaintance.
and soon he introduced US to Herr Lasker,
of whom we had heard much through the
able correspondence of the London Times
from Berlin and other sources of informa-
ton. He had been for some time conspIc-
uous member of one Of the five groups into
which is divided the Parliament of Germany,
where thus far political action and response
BILE government are not carried on as in Eng
land and the United States, mainly through
two compactly organized and disciplined par
ties. Ia the repeated conversations we had
With him, we were struck with his apparent
sincerity, his directncss, prudence, and self
restraint. 1t was not little difficult to i'm
agine from casual observation, that person
so modest. quiet, and cautious in speech
could be one who had ventured to antagonze
such leader as Bismark, with all his prestige
and imperial backing. And yet more care
full reading of his physognsmy and prudent
words indicated that persistent, calm determ
ination which the audacious and imperious
will of the iron Chancellor could not ntimi
date nor break.
To improve his shattered health and visit
the vast aud teeming land where so many of
his countrymen have found homes and pIos-
on the Atlantic. He had long desired to
make this voyage, to study more closely our
people, institutions, statesmen,
government. We conversed on what he in
the routes he purposed to travel and these
seemed well chosen for the aims he had
in view. Speaking to him of New
England and what he might here observe
the chiet agencies of intelligence, industry
commerce and power, of which it is the cen
trail city In reply he said that was what ne
intended 10 do. Landing in New York. he
travelled in the South and West. had employ
ed the months ut summer and autumn to the
best advantage he could. and had reserved
his visit to New England to the last. He
had engaged his passage in the steamer in
advaace, and was about to take the train to
Boston and thus close his observation and
experience in the new world, which he had
seen with such keen interest. when he was
suddenly struck down in New York. That
one so unobtrusive in manner. so restrained
in language, so exemplary in personal char
aeter, should have awakened such bitter an
imosities among the great and powerful
while living, and that, dying in = foreign
land. becoming respect 10 his memory should
have resulted in an important event in our
diplomatic history, furnishes an interesting
and suggestive commentary on the nature
and functions of human governments. With
out assuming to say who has been hasty, un-
duly sensitive, or bungled in the public incl
dents which have followed his death, we
wish to paw our humble tribute Of respect to
the memory of Herr Lasker. a foreign states
man of broad and liberal sympathies-our
fellow passenger on the sea.
J. l.. =.