The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-04-26
BISMA RCK'S CAREER.
The One Undertaking in Which
He Utterly Failed.

The One Undertaking in Which
He Utterly Failed.
He Brought Prussia to the Front as q
Power, Elevated Germany Among the
Nations, Hut Stumbled When He At
tempted to subordinate the Catholics.
The result of the resignation OF
Prince bismarck as Chancellor of Ger
many and Prime Minister of Prussia
can only be determined by time. That
Bismarck has been a great general,
there is no disputing.
He became sChief Minister of Prussia
in 1862, and his first move was to in
crease and strengthen the military
forces of the kingdom. 1t was vehe-
mently opposed by the Liberals, who,
in some sense, represented popular
feeling. The Liberal idea was that
the power and influence of Prussia in
German affairs could be secured rather
by liberal reforms than by Display of
military force. This idea Bismarck en-
SPECIFICALLY repudiated. He contended
that Germany looked less to the prin-
ciples of liberalism than to the power
of Prussia" and he boldly declared hat
''the questions of the day were not to
be solved by speeches and resolutions.
but by blood and iron.''
Here was the key to the character
with which throughout his whole career
has been consistent. His first concern
was for the power of his native coun-
try, Prussia, in the councils of all the
German States. He desired and deter
mined to make Prussia the supreme
political factor in Germany, and he sue
cee0ed. He found his country but
third or fourth rate power among the
nations, and in German politics over
shadowod and dominated by Austria
Within five years Of his assump-
ton of the Office of Prime Minister
Bismarck had accomplished his pur
pose. at the famous battle of Sadowa
the question of supremacy was settled.
Prussia became ontroller and Bismarck
dictator in the German Confederation.
Bismarck was the guiding spirit in the
movement which thus ended in the HUI
initiation of Austria and the establish
ment of Prussia as q great German
power
Bismarck's next ambition was to do
for Germany among the nations what
he had done for Prussia among the Ger
man States-to make Germany the
greatest of military powers and the ar
! bitter of Europe. How he succeeded is
matter Of recent history familiar to all
The war with France, precepitated by
the blind faulty of the unfortunate
Napoleon Ill, was the opportunity TO
which the man of iron had long been
wishing. He knew that, sooner or later,
a conflict with France should come. 1t
was necessary for his purpose that it
should come. What he took particular
care to prevent was that France should
have the choosing of the time Until
Germany was ready Bismarck kept the
peace. The moment her prepare tions
we're complete he had no difficulty in
ordering things, SO as to lead to the
rupture which suited for the accom-
pllshm>ent of his policy.
1t Was not to be expected that a man
OF Blsm ,rck's character could have pur-
sued u policy of aggrandizement on
which he started out without an attempt
to subordinate to his programme
another great power, viz, the Catholic
Church.
This was the only undertaking of his
life in which he utterly failed. For
few years, it is true, he made the con-
dition of the Catholic clergy and people
of Germany very unpleasant one. He
obtained the passing of laws by which
religious orders were suppressed,
Catholic Bishops driven from their
Sees, and thousands of Catholics left
,sA1, ~ TOT Nf fha1
clergy 1t would seem as If the irony
of Fate, that it is in q sense through
the influence of a Catholic party the
man who thus sought to crush Catho-
]icity in Germany, is impelled to with
draw from the high Office he has held
ptedly for twenty-eight years.
We refer to the alleged fact that Bis
marks resignation is due to difference
between him and the Emperor in regard
to a demand made by the great Catholic
leader, DR.. indthorst.
However this may be, Bismarck, long
before he thought of resigning, was
made to feel the necessity of altering
his policy in respect to the Catholics OF
Germany He found that he had taken
in hands too big and too dangerous a
realize the danger and promptly retrace
his steps in the direction Of common
sense and Justice. The anti Catholic
laws are mostly repealed or imperative
and the Church in Germany, once again
nearly as free as ever, to continue her
divine mission unmolested by Kaiser
or Chancellor.
CRlSPPS LAUNDERING POLICY.
The French Minister to Berlin Gives His
Views on Bismarck's Retirement.
M. Beneditti, French Minister to
Berlin from 1864 to 1870 in an interview
said that the retirement of Prince Bis
marck gave no reason for alarm.
The onI y danger to European peace
he said, was found in the laundering
methods of the Italian Premier, which
might possibly lead to the bankruptcy
o: Italy.
The persistent war which Crispi has
aucceeded in maintaining against the