The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-23
Bismarck in Vienna.

Bismarck in Vienna.
The visit Of Prince BISMARCK to Vienna
| for the purpose Of being present at the mar
riage Of his son. Count HERBERT BISMARCK.
to the Countess MARGUERITE HoYos. has
brought him one OF the greatest triumphs
Of his life. Not even in Berlin. which he has
lifted from the position Of third-rate city
to the second place among Continental
capitals. has he ever been received with
more enthusiasm than was evinced by the
subjects OF tho HAPsBuRos. who owe to him
the loss Of their Italian dominions. and OF
their former prepondersnce in Germany. It
was the voice Of posterity that spoke In the
tremendous outburst Of respect with which
In the hour Of his ostensible eclipse he was
greeted by tho people Of Vienna. 1t may
be. as he is said to have declared. that his
working days are over and that he repre-
sents chapter Of history which is closed.
If go. he has had the felicity Of learning
from mouths that might we'll be hostile the
verdict OF supreme approval which the fu-
ture Is to pronounce.
Let US recall for moment the relative
positions Of Prussia and OF Austria at the
time OF BIsMARCKs entrance Into public
life. At that time the HouENzoLLERNs had
lost whatever hold they once had on the
trust and sympathy OF tho German people.
through their refusal to accept tho impe-
rial crown at tho hands Of the revolutlonsts
Of 1913. In exchange they had gained moth
ing but the ill-dlsguised contempt OF Aus
tria. which through her ascendancy in the
Frankfort Diet exercised more substantial
power over the small German States than
she did when her rulers were recognized as
Emperors OF Germany. In Italy, whore she
possessed Venetia and Lombardy. where
she had crushed Sardinia and extinguished
revolution In the central and southern parts
Of the peninsula. she was almost as influen-
tial as she was north Of the Alps. She was
even stronger than she had been under
NIETTERNICH. for she had entered on the
propitiatory treatment OF the Magyars
which METTERNIcH had stubbornly dis
countenanccd. Such was the situation OF
central Europe when BISMARCK was sent to
represent his discredited country in the
Frankfort Diet. and such. but for him, it
would In all likelihood have remained.
1t is true that by the spring Of 1866 the
grasp OF Austria upon Italy had temporari-
ly been relaxed. Sho had ceded by the
treaty OF Villafrancs in 1859 a part OF Lom-
hardy to Sardinia. and she had seen the
greater part OF the peninsula consolidated
IN q new kingdom under tho house OF
Savoy. She retained. however. the Tren-
tino. Venetia, and the imprcgnable Quad
rilateral. and. as was presently to be shown
at Custozza and LISA. she could easily
with only fraction OF her military forccs
make short work OF the italian kingdom.
With tho Austrians ut Verona and the
French in garrison at Romc. Italian unity
was still but n dream which ercnts Mt any
hour might rudely dissipate. In the Frank
fort Diet on the opening OF 1866 Austria
seemed more prcponderant than ever, not
withstanding the unwcaried efforts Of Bis
MAECK to conci!ate tho minor States and
induce them to make common cause with
Prussia. 1t WAS evident that IL the HAAS
EURGs and HoHENzoLLERNs came to blows
over the Elbc duchies. which had been
wrcsted from Denmark. tho Diet would
take Austrias side. and II Prussia
ventured TO defend her claims by arms,
would put her under the ban OF the Cor
man Confederation. That is precisely what
occurred In the war OF 1865. when Prussia,
guided by BISMARCK. disobcycd the fiat of
the Frankfort Diet. and Consequently had
to copo with all the minor States of Ger
many. together with all the military power
OF Austria except that fraction OF it which
had been left to deal with tho Italians, and
which did so with the utmost ease. To
make head against odds so overwhelming
would have been impossible for Prussia but
for the precautionary measures which dur
Ing the four preceding years BISMARCK
had insisted upon taking at the risk not
only Of his political career but even OF his
life. Over and over again during that
period the Prussian Chamber OF Deputies
had demanded signal reduction OF the
army. and had refused to vote any appro-
priations unless its wishes were obeycd,
Then 1t was that BISMARCK dared to gov
ern without budget under the imminent
danger Of impeachment. in order that his
country might DO armed and fully compc-
tent to face her encmos in tho struggle
which he saw approaching.
Slight indeed was the humiliation TO which
France was subjected after Waterloo com
pared with that which FRANCIS JOSEPH suf-
fered at the hands of BISMARCK. Deprived
OF Venetia and OF his strongholds In Lom-
hardy for the benefit of VICTOR EMANUEL.
whom lie had beaten by land and sea. and
inexorably excluded from Germany. whose
headship had belonged to his anee stors for
centuries. the representative OF tho HAPs-
BURGs had more cause to detest BISMARCK
than ever bis fathers had to hate the Turk.