The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-07
BISMARCK.
THE INCISIVE ORATORY OF THE
IRON CHANCELLOR.
His Awkward Presence During tho
Delivery OF Great Speech -
His Gigantic Physique and
Stern Countenance.

son in the New York World. Though
he makes no pretentions to beng q
speaker yet his practice does not always
comport with his theories, as is shown
by the fact that on important occasions
he holds the floor for several hours at
time. Bismarck, however, would in all
probability prove his consistency by
claiming that what he says is not mere
idle words. 1t is more interesting to
watch Bismarck when making one of his
great speeches than to listen to him.
His words are far stronger and make
more impression in cold type than
when they fall from his lips. This shows
their inherent force and weight. His
delivery is slow; he always uses the e1-
act word he wants and his facts are mar
shaled in clear and lucid order. When
he first rises to speak great silence
falls upon the Rcichstag; not even 9
whisper is heard, and the deputies of all
shades of political opinion crowd as
closely as possible around him, fearful
lest they might lose single syllable OF
what he says. Bismarck has little or
no rhetorical action. His motions are
not graceful, his voice is husky and un-
musical, and some of his sentences are
as long as those of our own Evarts.
During debate he makes frequent notes
in coarse, scrawling hand. When at
tackled by some keen opponents he grows
nervous, shifts in his seat, his pen shakes
between his fingers and very often his
hand goes menacingly to his sword-hllt.
for Bismarck, while he is the first civil
officer in the Empire, is at the same time
a General of cavalry, and always wears
the undress uniform in the Reichstag.
When aroused his ebullitions of pa sion
are frequently terrible. His great frame
quivers with emotion, and his gray-blue
eyes fash fire as he turns toward the
benches of his adversaries and demands
to know who it was that Missed him.
Scenes of this character, however, are of
rare occurrencein in recent years. He Is
merciless in retort, unsparing of persons,
no matter their age, their personal SER
vices to himself or to the Empire. BE
possesses a caustic humor, which he uses
with great effect. A master of invectiye,
his coarseness of speech very often de-
feats his own object. One ofh:s country.
men, speaking on this point, has described
him as San Achilles in courage. he is q;
Thersites in debate as often as the candid
censare of friends or the vicious taunts
OF foes goad him into the loss of his
temper" Bismarck has in an extraordi-
nary degree the art or facility of embody-
ing in terse phrase some great national
aspiration which throws his immediate
audience into raptures of enthusiasm,
and thenceforth becomes ,battle-cry
from one end of Germany to the other.
"God is with me-" will, in all proha-
bility, outlive the Empire, as Stewards
sthigher law' and 'tirrepressible conflict"
survive the great anti-slavery agitation
and the civil war.
Prince Bismark is seen to best advan-
tage in his celebrated informal recep.
tions and in his home life. He is man
of striking personal appearance. He Is
six feet two inches in height and OF
splendid proportions in every respect.
His head is very large, of great breadth,
well shaped and rests on a great neck,
which rises firmly above. his G ant frame.
The forehead is large and bold, the lower
half scanned and borrowed; the upper
portion smooth and shiny The eyes ase
full, steel blue in color, and protrude far
out from the brows, which are co 'ered
with great punches of hair. The nose is
large and aristocratic looking; the mouth
firm, covered bya heavy grizzly NOUS
tache; the jaws, which appear to bave
the solidity of iron, converge in mas:
sive, finely cut chin. The expression OF
the face is solemn, earnest, inexorable.
implacable. Paul Lindau once visited
the studio of Prof. Shaper, and saw
there the busts of Bismarck. Moltke and
Richard Wagner, which he described
as "th,ee of the most marvellous heads
that one can see anywhere, and beside
which all others look more or less inslg-
nifcant." Mr.. Lowe, Eismark's bio.
grapher, made inquiries afterward OF
Prof. Shaper, and says that of the three
heads Wagner had much the largest;
that Moltke's is remarkable for its beau
tifully symmetrical and perfect poise,
while Bismarck's is remarkable for Its
rugged bulk and strength, and for lts
abnormal breadth above the ears, which,
according to phrenologists, would lndl'
cate combativeness. At any rate, Ber-
lin halter says, as the result OF his
cranialoaical examinations, that Of all
German tribes the Mecklenburgers
have the broadest heads, but that no
Mecklenburger wears so large a hat as