The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-16

A GREAT JOURNALIST DESCRIBES
PRINCE BIsMARK AT THE BERLIN
CONGRESS.
When l started for Berlin, or rather
when Prince Hohenlohe had encourage
ed me to go, l had said to him Does
your Highness think the Chancellor
Will grant me an audience? In the first
place l am very anxious to know a states
man who is the great historical figure
of the second half of the nineteenth
century. Moreover, to go to Berlin
without seeing Prince Bismark is like
going to Rome without seeing the Pope.
1t would be a modification for me-"
Prince Hohenlohe, who is the most
perfect gentleman know, and has great
diplomatic fneSSe, especially when he
meets any one who trusts him, replied
that lie could pledge himself to nothing
on that point. Gan can promise YOU"
he said "Is that will do my utmost for
your having an audience, but do not
answer in any way for the success of
step which l shall take but once, for l
will not press it second time"
The LIST of July arrived. Prince Bis
mark had replied in the negative to the
request for an audience which had been
addressed to HIM in my name by Prince
Hohenlohe. He had received" he said,
hundreds of applications for an audi
ence, Every body had collected at Ber-
lin, and the Leading personages had all
asked to see him. He could not receive
me without receiving the others, espec-
tally the journalists, and, above all, the
German journalists, whom he had al
ways refused to receive, would never
fTNH l. H..
abandoned the hope of seeing him,
and felt very much vexed, for by strange.
illluck had not even caught sight OF
him. But in the afternoon of the LIST OF
July, on entering the hotel, Piince Ho-
henl )he's card was handed to me. He
had called at the hotel, and had said on
the card that he wished to see nae as
soon as possible. and would be in the
evening at the English Embassy, where
a reception was to be held.
l went to the Embassy, where the
Prince arrived at about eleven O'Clock.
What was my surprise when he inform
ed me that Prince Bismark asked me to
dine with him next day at half pat six,
in morning dress, On the Cd, accord
ingly, at quarter past six, Prince Ho-
henlohe, as had been arranged, called
for me at the hotel. l was waiting at
the door for him, and we went together
to the Chancellor's.
Next day everybody at Berlin, and
very soon all Europe, knew that | had
dined with the Chancellor. and had
staid with him till toward eleven at
night. 1t was commented OF as a great
event, and the French papers have often
twitted me with this dinner, styling me
prince Bsmark's guest" These absurd
attacks have never impaired the great
satisfaction | feel at recollection full
of interes'. | have since often opposed
Prince Bismarks policy; he himself,
through a Misunderstanding, once at
tackled me in the Reichstag have
blamed him for many things, and at the
time | write these lines Professor
Geffcken's imprisonment seems abomin-
able, notwithstanding the attempt to
justify 1t by the ill-inspired disclosure
of the indictment; yet nothing will pre-
vent my declaring that Prince Bismark
and Pope Leo Mi. are the only men
have seen nearly all the great person
ages of the time-who have not disap-
pointed me, but have even surpassed
nv expectations.
W thoh
beyond comparison with any, having q
powerful mind, an unequalled intelli-
gence, clear will, a strong decision,
wonderful sagacity, a striking way OF
saying things, of judging men, Of fore
seeing and directing events. Add to
this great and scornful pride, speaking
of men with cutting sarcasm, and in
csive and picturesque style, an absolute
confidence in his own superiority. Even
his stature exceeds my expectation.
had never seen him except at Madame
Tussaud's waXwOrks in London, where
he was represented as a short man. so
that when the door opened and this
giant in uniform entered l was quite
taken aback
My interview with him made a great
impression at Berlin. The attitude of the
diplomatistic toward me altogether
changed. No idea can reformed of the
ascendency exercised by the German
Chancellor over the eminent diplomatists
the Congress, Prince
alone eclipsed by HE rivals
greatness, tried to sgtruggle against him.
All the rest listened to him with extreme
Difference, and INTERESTINGLY allowed
themselves to be led by him.-Mr. De
BlOCitz, in Hdrper'S Magazine for May