Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-25
EarrBRoa rnaDEaIoK,s Drxmr


wh1ch have been published in the
Deutschs Rundscdau, and of which ~ yet
only dribiets have been communicated to
the public In this country. Deliberate
examination saows tina. the importance of
the somewhat fyes Asnts1y document has
by no means besn overrated. In par
tieuiar il sheda an entirely new light upon
the birth of German unity, and 1t Ia
chiefyin this connection that Germans
will recogniZ3 its historical value. But
In the eyes Of Englishmen thess passages,
important IS they ore. pale in interest be-
fore an entry which forms the last but
one OF the series. This entry is dated
the 9th OF March, 1871, and, in order to
appreciate 1t, It must be borne In mind
that Napoleon was prisoner, and that
tue treaty OF pence had been ratified q
week previously. Itruns thus: "Napoleon
quietly seeking o reapproaohment with
US, moderation OF the peace conditions on
promise OF common war against EGG
iand. The laconio style of the whole
diary leaves to the imagination Of the
reader what the straightforward crown
prince thought of this proposal "a proposal
which, although 1t was, az We shall show,
entirely consistent with Napoleon's pre-
vious paliey Of intrigue against England,
proved, by the circumstances Ender
which it was preferred, the pitisble de-
moralizstion into which the emperor of
the French had fallen. The peace was
not in any event peace which was to
raatore the seeptro to Napoleon.
Tie had lost it for ever, aud
yet We fad him keeping up the
hollow farce Of negotiatii notifications
on The assumption that his power was in
tics. Either he wildly ciung to the no.
tten that france would receive him back
az her smpsror, or, with the energy Of
drowning msn who catches az q straw, be
imagiEes that tho Garmans could bs got
for pfice,yto impose on m unwilling
cauutry. Whatever his mutivts, bis con.
duet proves him to have utterly Locked
the dignity which Englishmen would
GLADLY believe him to have exhibited ia
captivity. Bat, TO put aeiie the abjsct
degradation Of which it was the symptom,
tho proposal itself was what this country
night have expected from Napoleon. II
wa al MP sequel so this secret project
Tor the partition Of Bsgium, which was
published in these columns on July 25th,
1870. 1t may he worth recalling that this
scheme, providing for an offensive and
defensive alliance of France and Prussia
agaiost Whatever power might consider
tbs partition q casus bslli. was first YER
ba!ly submitted to Count Bismarck by NJ.
Senedetsi. Had it not been for the as.
tuteness Of Count Bismarck, in requiring
the offer to he put into writing, the
british government would possibly have
believed the Bubsequent assurance Of
Napoleon that the draft was drawnup uppn
German insiigation. Out the danninr
riot that the project was prepared in Nj
Bensaslti's own handwriting was euffi
oteflt proof from which side the perddjous
scheme proceeded. These facts rnsy
mostly TN s1priae with which this reys-
IN ION u .hs Emperor Fredstick's diary
will be received 10 England. Bat this
discoysFy that, after the war Into which
he had plunged his country had iurned
out dissatruusly, Napoleon was ready,
ike deeperate gambler, to play double
or qnits by pluORinR into second sggres.
siva war agalnst England, makes bis
memory one ffom which Englishman will
turn with repugnance.
We gladly pass from this painful reve-
lsion of perfidy to other aspects Of the
Emperor Ffederiek's diary. Upon the
purely strategical history OF the Franco.
German csmpg'gnitthr WE littlenewiight
But il radically modjfias oil our notions
upon the genesis Of the German empire.
The world has been accustomed to regard
the German chancellor as the engineer OF
German unity His brain, we were
taught, conceived the great idea, and his
will carried IL into execution. But, 80
cording 10 the diary, IL was the Grown
prince IL whose mind the Imperial ,dsa
took form. 1t was the modest, retiriuR
Drown prince, whom everybody has
chosen to take more in the light 1T n
frank gentleman and brave soldier than
in nny other, who urged this ooiossal
STIR ks of craftsmanship upon the re-
iuctant king aud his master. It alters
all our conceptions of the crown priros
TO learn that hiH inEistencs upon the
scheme. in the face Of Prince Bisnaatob's
objections, occasioned several heated
scenes at Versailles, in which both the
disputantH seem TO have exercised the
yiFtae Of plain speaking. Seldom or
never ia Pri1cs Bismsrek's career has he
become convert TO the political views OF
a younger man than himself. II Is one
OF the surprises of this diary that 1t
shows him to US Ia this novsl Light
Those who know Bismarck best may
possibIy recogoizs pllsncy as ono Of his
traits, but il SO, i Is ons which he does
not commonly manifest to the world, aud
little curiosity may be felt to learn
what Prince Bismarch's own impressions
may bs Of the relative parts played by
himself and the late Emperor Ere dssick
in the achievement Of German unity. II
IL not that we distruSt the evidence of the
Empers 1 Frederick himself. His chsrac-
ter, alike for vsraoity aud for moissty, is
beyond cavil, hut many OF the events and
Conversations which are cbronioled in the
diary might be made to wear different
complexion to the ontsiaa world, accord
log to the color which they assumed in
the mind OF the narrator. OF one thing
which tue world bslieve7 II may appar-
entity disabuss Itself. The letter in which
the King Of Bavaria begged the King OF
Ptussis foassume ihe Imperial dlgaity
YES pntaneous on tpou,inR of enthu- 4
siasni % the part Of tue Southern Ger.
mans. II vas tue result of very de-
clded pressure from Pfussian quarters,
AID the letter itself seems to have bsep
drafted by Prince Bismarck. This is an
Interesting fact, tending to show how
much greater were the dangers attending
the formation OF united Germany than
liz popuLariy supposed. The very issus
hetween tho crown prince and Prince
Bismarck related to the probable conduct
of Bavaria and Baden il their hands were
forced. Bismarck declared that no step
must be taken which would force the
southern states into the arms of Austria.
The Grown prince said that the nettle
nluBt be graspsd firmly.
How the Scis-bindcr Paid Our Debt.