Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-22
EsSNAHCk In FRENCH EYES.
What In Scciete dc Berlin Says Of tie
Iron Chancellor.

l EfOh H8nCellOrs
Translated for The Star by NJ J. McKenna
SO much has been already said and written
of Bismarck that approach the subject with
much embarrassment. What can be said or re-
lated of a man who has been successfully the
theme of history, legend and fable? For fifteen
years the chancellor has been presented to US
under every possible and impossible light We
| have been invited to admire the politician. to
! detest the individual. to fear the minister Mr..
Busch has even attempted to introduce us to
the private life of the colossus; to show us a
Bismarck en- neglige, in dressing-gown and
| slirplers. And yet none of these attempts has
succeeded; the prince is still an enigma to those
/ who would form correct idea of his character
! Even the persons placed nearest to him have
! been unable to penetrate the secrets of his
/ many SIDED nature-great from its intelligence
dangerous from its genius, superior to Machiavel
in its astuteness andtO Richelieu in its contempt
/ for humanity.
To speak the truth. the chancellor is in a
measure, mystery to himself: he does not
I know to-day what he will do tomorrow: and
while he has for years directed the events of the
world. he often in reality allows himself to be
guided by the circumstances which accompany
those events The great secret of his strength
lies in the ease with which he changes his
opinions. abandOnS his friends courts his
enemies takes advantage of the bitterness of
one. the hatred of another, the selfishncss of all
His conscience. thoroughly elastic, Is stranger
TO sciupleS; his mind has but one ambition, the
possession Of absolute power over men and
things, over kings and peoples. There is some
thing of the ''T' OF Medea in his life; he has
/! plainly seen the destinies of kings and empires
approach and meet in his person. that he has
ceased to remember that that person does not
represent the whole world That is why he
brushes whateveris not himself whatever serves
him badly or does not obey him blindly, what
ever T2SiStS or opposes him.
! Formerly, and that is a long while ago, Bis
marck felt patriots ambition; was eager to
see Prussia take the first place among European
nations To-day 1t can be boldly affirmed that
/ that ambition has given way to q violent desire
/ for the supremacy of his own individuality. En-
erget;cally as he worked for his king, he devotcs
himself with equal energy, now tEat that king
has become an emperor to prevent him from
taking the least concern in the affairs of state
/ The empire of Germany certainly owes it's actual
existence to the perseverance and holiness of
the prince. who has founded elevated, sOdi-
fed and siren @thened it; hut, this colossal
work competed, he cannot make up his mind
10 consolidate it, to leave il to its natural de-
velorment. He wishes to retain a boundIess
authority over this empire: hence that hesitating
and vacilatng policy coming from this man of
iron which often prOyOkes our establishment
. Everything is worn out by use, ard the energy
. OF the chancellor has turned in the end to
mcre obstinacy and spite He has become so
habituated TO success that he imagines he has
therefore acquired the right to make those
about him the constant victims of his caprice.
Al bottom he possesses highly impulsiye ma
ture, which is often Influenced by the mcrest
WhIm. and which. now that its most cherished
projects have ended in success. has ceased to
form any plans and acts according to the i'm
pulse or eXigGncy of the moment He dominates
over all simply because lie has known how to
make himself feared; frequently his enemies i'm
pute to him the very designs they dread, and
which, sometimes, without suSpectinG 1t. they
are themsclvc:t ne first to suggest. Such as he
IL. the chancellor is not the less grand historic
figure. especially when viewed from distance
! placed by the Imagination on that pedestal from
which he will look down to meet the gaze OF
pOSterity. But. on a closer inspection, we dis
cover at once his pettineSs his meanness and his
forget1ulness OF the great interests intrustfd
to him when his sympathies or antlpathies
stand in the way. The constant ambition OF
Prince Bismarck has been to see the world at his
feet; and to firmly establish his authority he
has refused no means within his reach His
Keen perception OF character is one of his most
dangerous traits AT glance he discovers the
weak side OF man, tiattcrS it, tickleS it and
profits 10y it. Once humanity is despised, it is
in our power: for then we know exactly what
to expect or demand from the cupidity of one
from the envy of another, from the baseness of a
third, from the hypocrisy Of fourth. The Prince
is cynic as well az a skeptic; as soon as he
Z thinks conscience Is Waveriny, he set about
F. II,
ceeds: for men are towards and surrender
without difficulty to him who has fayors to
beStOw
The plans of the chancellor have been the fire..
quent subject OF discussion; even his recently
published correspondence is cited to prove that
all the great events of his career were premed.
Itated. For my part am of the opinion that
he possesses in an eminent degree the tact to
take advantage OF circumstances, and that when
he first came into power he had no higher aim
Than no Str tbav
Later on his ambition developed: then he re-
called to mind the dreams OF his youth. and
after the man had triumphed, was not 10th to
secure the triumph of his country More re-
Gently he has sought to add to his personal
greatness by inspiring the public with the belief
that he owed his success not to circumstances
not to good fortune. but to carefully laid plans
which. fol their successful execution, depended
entirely on the Efforts CT a will as uncOnquer
able as IT was rcSolute.
| Few Statesmen have had o., many pupr,jes
none have shown an equal adroitness in dspos-
ing OF them. Indeed. it is not his enemies only
whom he has pushed to one side; his friends
have experienced the same fate as soon as they
became source of Inconvenience or annoy
ance. One thing is certain, he Is terrible in his
hate, implacable in his resentments and mcrc
less in his vengeance. We all know what his
conduct has been toward Count Arnim and we
nave only to call to mind NJ. Debruck, Count
Stolberg Count Gutenberg all former friends
and cO-wOrkers, who incurred his displcasure
anu. as consequence. were driven into retire
ment, deprived of influence and wholly undOnp
In word. forced to disappear from the political
I or parliamentary arena with marvellous adj
dress. In turn. on good terms with all par
ties he has made use OF each solely for the nur-
pose OF bringing 1t into discredit with the public
10y his alliance. a man of great tact. he is fond
OF arprOPriating the successes of others and
has the shrewdness requisite for SO hazardous
al undertaking. One of his favOrite devices is
To get possession OF some ambitious intripuer
and lead him on to believe that he has the stuff
In hiln TO make 4 great man The victim nva-
r.dbiy falls INTO the trap. and in this way the
prince has provided himself with certain NUN.
Der OF damned souls who serve him with love
and alteration. who are simple enough to believe
themselves Indispensable. While In reality the,
are only tools whom he flatters only to throw
one side when no longer of service
His conduct toward the Emperor is singular
White affecting great respect for his aged SOY
erc!gn, he poses an autOcrat before him
Here as elsewhere. he turns to good account
the weak points of those within his reach He
, plays with a skllifu hand upon the sensitiv,
chords OF monarch, whose love of Prussia Is
real and sincere to the point that he is willing
when necessary. to make sacrifice of himself
When they appear in public together the tai
figure OF the chancellor towering by head owe,
that OF the king. people ask themselves inyol
unfairly which of the two is the master of tn,
other and which has deserved better OF mi,
country. he who had the selt-denlal to remain
III the back ground or he who has enlarged The
area OF his fatherland only to crush it under thu