The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-05-16
THE EMPRESS'S REVENGE.
AN INCIDENT CONNECTED WITH
BisMARc IS FALL FROM POWER.

blSMAhC y FALL FhOM FQWEh.
Ber Refusal Accompanied By q Re-
hinder That 10 was ne who Had
Estransed Her From Her son-1he
widow sf Froderisax the Noble Rs-
members the Sights Put Upon Her By
The Man Of Blood and Iron.
The New York Sun publishes the fol-
lowing account of the circumstances
which brought about the resignation of
Prince Bismarck, first printed in the
London Times. aud vcuohed for as ac-
curate;
France now begins for the first time
to understand the cause Of Bismarcks
fall, and the circumstances. unknown
till Of late, which accompanied it All
these revelations are such that the ex-
chancellor's bitterest enemies hardly
venture to discuss what a shadow he
cast in his descent from power.
tile iron rule Of Bismarck had Of late
been an obstacle, an embarrassment, and
a cau4e of irritation TO every body and
constant difficulty in the dispatch of
public affairs Latterly he had seen
none of the ministers Of whom he was
the chief, had listened to none OF their
objections, and gave positive and definite
orders, as IL the opinions Of his associates
in the government were of no value. He
was almost inaccessible, aud received
those only whom his caprice invited
round him. He tolerated no objections.
listened with a condescending smile
which condemned beforehand the idea
submitted to him by his young master,
the emperor.
@He even ceased really to work, while
complaining bitterly IL the slightest de-
cision was come to without consulting
him, and yet professed himself over
whelmed with labor whenever docu-
ments were sent to him to sign He had
become terror to all who were obliged
to come near him. Nobody ventured to
contradict him; even the Emperor
William II saw him only occasionally,
either because his majesty was afraid Of
disturbing or Of irritating him
@At last the moment came when his
pupil-now his master-confronted the
fact that he was not master, but only
chief servant The long restrained inn
ptral discomfort broke into open quarrel
on a minor question, and poured forth
in such torrent that the chancellor,
taken by surprise and disconnected, sud-
denly said:
"'rhen can only offer your majesty
my resignation
The emperor was silent and Bismarck
withdrew. Two hours afterward, the
resignation not having arrived, the en-
peror sent an aide de camp The chan
cellor greeted him very affably, being
convinced that the emperor wished him
to return and to reconsider his idea Of
resignation; but, to Bismarck's horror
and surprise, the aide de camp had been
sent TO demand his written resignation.
The prince, very uneasy, made the lame
excuse Of not having yet drawn it up,
and deferred the matter till the morrow.
Next morning the aide de camp reap
peared. This time Bismarck WAS
calmer but again made the same ex-
cuse, saying that before preparing a
written resignation he was bound to pay
visit.
Accordingly he did pay visit which,
incredible as it may appear, we can vouch
for, was TO the Empress Frederick. Yes,
in panic at his fall, this man, who but
the day before had been the great chan
cellor, now stopped before her whom he
had so long humbed and explained the
danger to the empire involved in his
fall and the fatal consequences which
the young emperor risked in thus over
turning the founder of the empire. He
begged her majesty to intervene and
prevent the disaster to Germany, and
the remorse that her sovereign would
feel at this unmerited humiliation of his
most faithful servant
The empress heard him out She
saw humiliating himself before her the
man who had hated implacably her lus-
band and herself, and who had slwn
Iistrust between father and son. No
loubt she enjoyed the spectacle of SEQ
ing at her feet this bitter enemy, now
dismissed by the very son whom he had
reckoned on making his tool against
her, and in a single sentence, becoming
an empress, a mother, and a woman.
she returned to this cringing diplomatist
all the insults he had heaped upon her.
Il much regret being quite powerless.
should have been extremely glad to
intervene with my son in your favor,
but you so employed all your power III
estranging his heart from us, making
his mind foreign to mine, that i cal
only witness your fall without being
able to ward 1t of When you are no
longer there my son will. perhaps, draw
nearer to me, but then 1t will be too late
for me to help you
~The prince withdrew with downcast
head, and returning home found the
aide de camp, who for the fourth time
rad come for his resignation. which the
fallen statesman hand ID to him"