Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-24
The Downfall of bismarck.

When the late Emperor Frederick OF
Germany died, it will be recalled that por-
tions Of his diary, kept in 1878, were pub
lished, which showed the hesitating part
played by Bismarck in the Franco-Prussian
war. Intense excitement followed this
publication, and DIR. Geffcken was arrested
on criminal proceedings on the ground of
Justification if the diary was not genuine,
and for revealing state secrets if the diary
was genuine. On this two-edged indict-
ment he was tried, but acquitted with
the censure of the court. To this Dr.
Geffcken, now imperial privy councillor,
submitted quietly and awaited his turn,
which soon came in the fall of Bismarck
And the story of the fall of Bismarck,
with greater detail than it has ever before
been published, at least for English read
ers, DR. Geffcken now tells in the July
number of the Forum. The iron chancel-
lor had, naturally perhaps, assumed that
his long and valuable service and his great
influence amounting in many matters of
state to cOntroD over the old Emperor
! William and his retention during his brief
reign by Frederick would insure his CON
tinued po yer under the young William ii.
Not only this, but he had for many years
50 conducted imperial affairs and so dis
| posed of men about him as to make young
Bismarck his successor, aiming to establish
an hereditary chancellorship. From this
high pinnacle of achievement and of ex-
] l. 4. IL 4
missal is one of the most dramatic Incl
dents in political history.
The central idea in the critical review of
Bismarck's career, made by DIR. Geffcken
in this article, is set forth in the following
extract:
The true test Of the highest order OF states
manship is its degree OF success in forming a
school Such statesmen werr Prricl,-s Caesar.
Charlrmagne. Lord Chatham. Washington. Pitt
Stein. and in our days. Cavour When they died
they left SUCCESSORS able to continue their work
and the reason is that they believed ia nistitu-
tinnS rather than in men. With Bismarck il
was the reverse; he always adhered To- the Caesar.
ian system-the One man" who undertakes to
think Tor the whole people. To govern was ac-
cor'iing to his idea. not To- persuade but to com.
mand. and representative government was 10
command with IA flourish If speeches. which
should always end in a happy ,ubseryency to
th" railing minister In fact. his opinion was
IL Empire c'est m0i, and euelii,s If the empire.
were always those who opposed his policy Of the
hour his imp"riuus uatur. r,.hclliug against all
control Such man could form nu school: as
soon As he saw rising talent he pressed it into
his service or crushed it. Therefor when h- wa,
dismissed. Germany had able diplumatiSts ana ad-
ninistratorS. but no statesmen.
He represented the corruption as well as
the absolutist tendency of an order of mon
archy that is now everywhere dead except
in Russia. On the other hand the yeung
Emperor, as described by Geffcken. in spite
Of his strongly military utterances. recog-
nzes the fact that he is constitutional
monarch. An outline of the portrait of
him, drawn by his privy councillor. is as
follows:
William H. is undoubtedly the most remarkable
sovereign Of the present time He is a modrin
man notwithstanding certain proclivities which
>tili adhere To him like pieces If the she'll of an
egg from which the bird has issued With restless
activity he s''izes upon all questions which agitate
our time, he they large small. Today he speaks
on great European affairs. opens new issues to
German commerce, and proclaims social REFORM
personal part in the performance Of Wildenhnch's
patriotic drama, " The New Lord He ur,.Sd-s
over his council aud shows himself a ready de-
hater, opens scholastic conference. having down
his educational plans, and ndefatigabiy travels all
over his country in order to everything with |
his own eyes. Much in all this may be- attributed
to his active temper, but the moving principle is
undoubtedly the high conception Of his duty as |
the first servant of the state" This conception
is bound up with a strong consciousness Of his
eminent position he feels himself to Ike the pillar
of the state, called Ia carry out great mission
As before the dismissal Of Bismarck he said that
he would crush any trying to obst7Ict his |
path, 50 he declared in his late speech at Dusse
dorf "Only one is master in this country; shall |
suffer other 1t would be unjust to see in such
utterances, caused by high consciousness Of his
power, absOlutst tendencies on the part of the |
Emperor, He is a constitutional prince and has |
rigidly respected parliamentary rights But in a
time when the principle Of authority and order is |
undermined in many ways, the youthful sovereign
feels that he is the centre of monarchical dscip |
line without which the state can neither exist nor
progress, and he is resolved to maintain his
authority against Social Democrats as well as
against interested coalitions of privileged classes
and persons.