New-York tribune., 1891-04-25

Titanic contest On his return rom rlrv t'noro 80.
Germany united in honoring nm. lMneershol, All
created him Count and General tielu Marsha n a,,
the old cities bestowed honorary cltlzehSn,p ever,,
him. fresh donation was voted lilnl uIu 80 80
where his statues and busts disputed pIeice"1TTbb Tb
with those of the Emperor and BlslhaIch' Gu. &
name of " Der Grosser Schweiger llhe pie"o '
Silent Nam was In all mouths ana none N,or t;rol
him except TO praise. But Moltke was enTIneg Ig
unmovcd and unchanged by this flood Ol euIosSS
He was the same modest difiident reserNeu,
simple hammered and minded man he hau al"HSS
been. shrinking from public receptions ana ceie-
brations, and going out of his way to escape
tbe honors showed upon him. In August. 1888,
he was placed on the retired list Oi Ine army
After the war with France his life settled down
into certain routine lis estate at oas,,re
10 him. He possessed agricultural tastes ana
possibly, like many great lnen, from the Emperor
Tiberiris downward, may have thought more Oh
his ability to grow fine cabbage than OF the genius
top strafegv uDon which his fame rested. Though
80 Silent i'm public his friends knew him to be
yeadv and charming talker, full OF varied nforma-
tion and ripe wisdom, kindly and genial In MS
estimates Of his contemporaries, abounding III
charitable dispositions toward ms humble helgn;; g;
bors. and prompt TO the performance OF goou
,vorts Anpointed TO the Relchstag he was not
often heard In the tribune, but when he did make
one of his rare speeches the members locked
around 10 hear him, sure that he wohld utter
sound matter and patri riotic, and worthy OF con-
alteration In politics he was Conservative puI
he was not fond Of politics, and only regarded
them for their relations to military Questions.
For many years during his later life his time was
passed with monotOnous regularity. lie hau III
the fine building on the Konigs Platz, erected
for the use of the General Stah. handsome suite
of apartments. In going to them every morning
he would not use the imposing front entrance OF
the building but preferred 10 enter aC u siue
door intended for servants.
HIS NODE OF LIFE.
A LONDON paper some years ago puphsheu
sketch Of the Marshal's mode of life, from whlch
we take the following: He rises at T. Alter
breakfast. served in German style, and consisting
Of coffee and rolls, he takes cigar. Letters anu
naners arriving with the morning mail are de-
liyered to him at and quickly but thoroughly
read. Shortly after IL, when lie changes MS
comfortable dfessing-gown for reglmenlals ana
TenIaces a black smoklng-cap for a wig OF lght-
brJWnish color, he con1erS WIN ms alueSuT
and leading officers Of the General otali. D5IlhS
this occupation, which Is speeIIS so I"ncboon
takes cold meat and glass OF beer ioI luhcleolt, Oil
On the stroke of 2 lie leaves his study anu sete
out foT q walk or ride. On hOrseOach ElS "PoTTi PoTn
ance generally more resembling that Oh ecnol"i
than a soldier. undergoes marked udhsloIH",
ton the rather curved figure becoming eIec. anu
full of animation. Dinner, DeghhiEB aU =, az
which he drinks his favorite beverage "a HgnV
Mosele wine, is taken with MS lalhllS,
and enlvened by unreStrained mirth and conVer-
sation Then follow coffee and cigar III the
study. From 10 he resumes ms WrIuHg. AZ
though his pen glldes easily over Ille Papei co.,
rectons are seldom necessary, his thought, despite
his advanced years, being always concentrates.
BEFORE supper the evening papers are carefully
read bv the Field Marshal who is much inter-
ested in all current events OF the DAY. lhe9tIes
and public concerts are rarely visited by HIM
He ONLY appears at court on the most urgent oc-
casons much preferring home life to the gayetieS
This was his Hfe with occasional changes to
his estate Of Kreisau. almost 10 the end. IN us
uniformity and dull routine may DC perceived
the limitations OF Moltke's character. Aganst
his uDdoubted military genius must be SET q
narrowness, stiffness, medieval view OF govern
ment ana tendency 70 mechamcal deNOtloh W
his duties which show how thoroughly he was
the man for his place, and which also emphaslze
the hostile attitude Of modern Germany IOWdIu
all progress worth the name.
A man OF greater elasticity, imagination, lnde-
pondcnce of character. could not have endured the
tremendous apprenticeship Moltke underwent:
A man of equal genius less thoroughly in harmony
with Absolutism and Feudalism, would have been
chafed to death by his environment But MS
very defects the better fitted him for the work
TO which he was called the organizing and weld
ing Of great military machine rendered invlncl-
he by the union of modern science WIN uls-
cipline and subOrdinatiOn fatal to the deVel9p-
1nent Of free race Moltke was individually
warm-hearted kind and generous AS soldier
lie cared only for the success OF the German
army because upon il depended the German
Empire His theory Of the State required an
and lower classes, and military system peryatd7
ing society dominating everything, ltseI heiu
In place by an inhexible discipline. The freedom
of the citizen had place In the great straeglst
scheme of things Yet the German people hon
ored and loved him, and they were right. lie
was not responsible for the system he served 50
we'll and in serving that system he aggrandlzed
Germany His career is intimately bound up
with that creation and expansion OF the Uerna44
Empire which mean 50 much for posterltV' anu
be will stand side by side with Bismarck III
history: the Sword that in alliance with the ZEN
commanded destiny.