St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-28
BISMARCK.
His Manner of Speaking and Mode
OF Showing Anger.

OF showing Anger.
Berlin Letter to London Paper.
He is no elegant orator, rather the con-
trary, but he can lead debate like no one
else. Only few days ago he spoke seven
times in one afternoon, each time with more
energy and spirit, proving that his health is
indeed restored. Several members had al
ready spoken and the house was still empty,
when suddenly members filed in from all
the doors, and the benches began to fill A
rumor had been circulated that Bismarck
would appear, and shortly afterwards anar-
row door near the presidents chair opened,
and the tall figure entered. Suddenly soft
bells are heard in all parts of the house.
The electric bells in the reading-room, in
the committee rooms, and in the Journalists
rooms are sounded to announce the arrival
of the chancellor, who has shown that he
will speak presently, for with one of his
pencils, more than foot long, he has noted
down something on the loose quarto sheets
before him, with letters not less than an
inch deep, and this is safe sign that he in
tends speaking.
The president bows to him, and Prince
Bismarck rises to s'take the word" He is
certainly more thar six feet high; over his
powerful chest and broad shoulders rises
strangely rounded. well-shaped head of
enormous dimensions, and with no hair
upon it, so that it looks like dome of pol
ished ivory. Thick, white brows hang
over his eyes like two icicles. These brows
give his face dark and frowning express
sion, and the look which glistened from his
eyes is cold and somewhat cruel-at least
in parliament. His mustache is also thick
and gray and conceals his mouth entirely
The whole face is covered with folds and
wrinkles, broad rings surround his eyes,
and even his temples are covered with small
wrinkles.
When he begins to speak the color of his
face changes from pale to red, and gradually
assumes a light bronze shade, which gives
his powerful skull the appearance of a pol
ished metal. Iti is surprise to hear Bis
marck speak for the first time. The soft,
almost weak voice, is out of all proportion
with his gigantic frame. 1t sometimes be-
comes so soft that we fear that it will die
out altogether, and when he has spoken
for awhile it grows hoarse. The chancellor
sometimes speaks fast, sometimes very
slowly, but never in a loud tone. He has
no pathOS whatever. Some of his most re-
markable words, which in print look as if
they had been spoken with full force, as if
they must have had the effect of sudden
thunderbolt on the audience, are in reality
uttered in an ordinary tone of Well-bred
conversation.
Personal attacks upon his enemies are
spoken by Bismarck with ronical polite
ness, and in an obliging tone, as if they
concealed the kindest sentiments. But if
his anger cannot be heard, it can be seen;
his face gradually grows red, and the veins
on his neck swell in an alarming manner.
When angered he usually grasps the collar
OF his uniform, and seems to catch for
breath. His brows lower still more, so that
his eyes are almost invisible. His voice
grows shade louder, and has slight me-
talic ring in it. The sentences drop from
his lips in rapid succession. He throws
back his head, and gives his face a hard,
stony expression.
But it is difficult to discern when his
anger is real and when it is artificial The
chancellor has been seen trembling with
rage, and more like the elements let loose
than like anything else. Once, when he
thought that the word ''Fiew had peen
said by one of the opposition party he had
one of his attacks, which would have 81
fenced the house had everyone been speak
ing at once. With trembling nostrils, with
his teeth firmly set, with eyes that emitted
fire, and clinched hands, he jumped from
his place to the side where the word had
sounded. II apologies and explanations
had not been offered. who knows how this
scene might have ended?
But except upon such rare occasions Bis
marck, the orator, is always well-bred
man. He does not bawl nor shout any part
of his speeches, but while giving them their
full share of pointed sarcasm he ALWAYS
maintains the form of political converse
ton between gentlemen. He has a method
of his own for waging war with his oppo-
nents. He regards his opponents speech as
a ball of wool, the last sentence spoken be-
ing the end which he takes in his hand first,
and with which he begins to unwind the
whole speech as he would unwind the ball
of wool. But it is easy to see that while
his tongue is speaking his spirit is fari adj
vance of it. He hesitates in his speech,
then suddenly recalls himself and puts forth
a number of clear thoughts, which it is easy
to see occurred to him at the moment.