The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-04-24

lion Of war to q series OF accidents. The
sponsiblc for the conflict. The influence
of the Empress, however, had been for
war, and had been largely responsible for
the premature declaration. Tic mis-
fortune of battle was ascribed by Thiers
to the Emperor Napoleon's bad general
ship ale was man OF chimeras.
Theirs said. OF Moltke's greatness
Theirs had no conception, another proof
Of the dense Ignorance prevailing III
France in those days rs to the military
condition Of the antagonist she had to
measure herself with. Bismarck was
mentioned by the Frenchman as states
man of the greatest genius and the great
est experiences" Theirs also maintained
that he never for an instant thought OF
holding Bismarck responsible for the be-
ginning Of the war Thiers was inil OF
the idea of preserving the balance oi
power. Zone hundred wears ago, he
said, PRUSSIA had l0,000, 600 inhabitants.
Through annexation and the North Ger
man Federation it has grown to 30,o0O.eG0.
By reaching across the Main it will attain
to a population OF i0000000. Such III
crease of territory is unprecedented, and
vet France is expected to give more terri
tory (Alsacc and Lorraime) az a guaran-
tee of peace That is ridiculous" Rankc
answered: when we were weak you tore
our western provinces from us one by
one. The German nation will find it UNI
bcarable to leave its Old lands in your
hands. If the King wished he could not
give you back your Old territory. We
must have Metz and Strassburg. And
after leaving Theirs Ranxe wrote II
could not dishonor my gray hairs more
deeply than by advocating concessions to
France against which the opinions of my
whole life are protest. After Theirs
death Rankc said in his diary: lie has
fallen like commanding General, III the
forefront of battle.
* He has died rs Nirabeau died
Concerning some of Prussia's great
men Rankc writes thus: Room buried
will never forget the momcnt-it was in
loG6-when. after Il dinner out, ap-
preached the two giants, Bismarck and
Room, and brough: 70 their notice the
rum0rs that were abroad concerning the
misunderstanding between Prussia and
Austria. Austria is behaving badly, Bis
marck said. The two men as they stood
side by side, each with hand on the
others shoulder. were calculated to make
IL deep impression. \ conservative spoke
of them rs The two pillars Oh which the
State rested, would not. however, COM
pare Room with Bismarck. Room WAS
learned man, pupil of Rittcr's, the
author OF several handbooks OF geo
sraphv, and the companion Of Il prince in
the University. IL the same time he had
risen in the service to which he never iul-
" belonged His merit III the military
organization was tina, OF the inventor
The originality in the plans of organza-
ton came from The King himself. :
To Room must be given the credit for
maintaining the three year term OF SER
vice in Prussia lie cannot he regarded,
however, as Il great man. He was usctn!
and helpful in realizing the Kings great
ideas, brave in I'll conflict, and not lack
ing in conversational inspiration. New
ertheless, he belonged among them who
were made immortal by The events Of
1866 and lSI
At the time Of Count Chambord's death
Rankc wrote: "'lhc grandson and right
full heir of the great Kings before whom
Europe has shaken, died in isolation from
the world. and on purchased estate. He
died in reality Of hunger or atrophy
Only his agony and his death interest the
world,
Some of Ranl,c's reflections in his rare
hours Of idcness We're exquisite in form
and substance. OF ell dina religious
lights he loved most the twilight in St.
Stephens Cathedral in Vienna. Il go
there when tired with work, ri about 6 in
the evening The church is full Of pco-
pie and but family ligi.ted.
lean against 4 pillar in the corner and
listen Where is another place 50 adapt
ed to him thinking Of all or nothing, to
him who knows not what The world is
doing with Him, WHO seeks God and does
not know Him, who longs for knowledge
that he will never gain? Where can such
Il creature find a better spot 4, which TO
weep for himself ! knowledge that he
longs for, yet sill never gain. What
creatures We are"