The Globe-republican., 1890-06-04
THE EX-CHANCELuOR.
Glimpse at Bismarck's Home and re-
ligiOus Life.

A Glimpse at Bismarck's Home and re-
ligious Life.
Those in a position to know assert
that the private life Of Prince Bismarck
is irreproachable. His love for his wife
and children is very deep and is warmly
returned, the family being in every re-
spect model of domestic union and af-
lection. So fond is he Of his home life
that he never accepts any invitations,
except those Of the Emperor, and never
goes to the theater. to balls, banquets
or other entertainments. He is, how
ever, fond of entertaining and the great
chambers at Varzin and Friedrichsruhe
are always occupied when he is at those
estates. The Chancellor is an interest
ing talker, and has at his command an
inexhaustive stock of anecdotes, which
are always we'll told.
His irritability makes him hard man
to get along with, especially for the sub
ordinates. NJ. Busch relates that he one
evening heard Bismarck complain very
bitterly of his lot in life. His career,
he said. had given very little satisfac-
tion to himself personally and won him
very few friends; he had not added to
the happiness Of himself, of his family
or any one. One Of those who heard him
say this suggested that he had made a
great nation happy. "Yes," he replied,
''but how many other nations have l
rendered unhappy? But for me three
great wars never would have taken
place, $4,000 men would not have been
killed in battle, fathers, mothers, BROTH
ers. sisters and wives would not have
been plunged into misery. l have set
tied all that with my conscience and
with my Creator, but have reaped very
little, if any, happiness from all that
have done; the only things it has yield
me are various anxieties and griefs."
1t is believed that Prince Won Bis
marck is also a piOus man. The day
after the battle of Sedan French Gen
eral arrived at daybreak at the Prussian
headquarters and informed Bismarck
that Napoleon III. wished to converse
with him. The Chancellor Immediately
said that he would accompany General
Reille to the Emperor, and the two left
in each others company. After their
departure an officer of his staff entered
the room and noticed a religious book
and a Bible lying open on a little table
at the side Of the bed. This incident
would indicate that the Chancellor was
sincere when at the end of dinner at
Ferrieres in 1870 the conversation hav.
ing turned on religion, he said: If l
was not Christian 1 would not consent
to serve the King, my master; il l did
not obey God, if did not put my trust
in Him, 1 would not concern myself
about the affairs of this world"
During the whole Of the Kulturkampf |
the Chancellor, while violently perse- |
cutting the Catholics. did not do SO to |
please the Protestants. nor because he |
was himself member Of the latter CON-
munion, but simply because he believed
that what he was doing was for the best |
interests of the State, but since then he
has on more than one occasion admitted
that he was mistaken. He takes the
holy communion twice year and he is
not exempt from certain superstitions.
He considers Friday an unlucky day and
does not like to sit down to table with
twelve other persons. Deprive me Of
my faith he once said, land you de-
prive me of my country. If was not
firm Christian. if my faith did not rest
on the miraculous basis Of q revealed
you would not have in
me federal Chancellor. When you
End me a man for a successor who is i'm
pregnated with. the same principles
will at once resign, and do so gladly. re.
;oiced to be once more free to follow q
country ute."-N. Y. Worll