New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-22
PRINCE BISMARCK.
III.
ENGLAND ENGLISH POLlTICS-MR. GLAD
STONE-LORD ROSEBERY-A WORD on

STONE-LORD ROSEBERY-A WORD on
FRANCE AND ON AMERICA
What was said of England was free from any
faint of that dislike to England which Prince
Bismarck has sometimes been supposed to cherish.
At the most. it was indifference. and that not
to the English people, but to English politics.
which he appeared to think sterile if not trivial
lie has said, in times past sharp things about
England, and when German interests came into
conflict with English interests he was for Germany
and not for England. 1t might seem hard to
censure him for that, to require that German
should not be German. But the strong point
Of the Engishman is not the imagination, nor
the use Of the Imagination in public life. He
does not readily put himself in the place Of his
adversary, nor take the other point OF view.
lie likes better, when he finds somebody in his
way, to make him get out if he can at any
rate, to lift up his voice. which is powerful one,
against the intruder. He has condemned Prince
Bismarck before now for the very attitude and pol
icy which, if the German had only been an English.
man, the Englishman would have praised, and
would have thought the only natural possible
attitude. The Chancellor used 10 resent these
asperities on public grounds. II the English
press attacked him, he used the German press to
reply to these attacks But of any personal III.
will to the English | never saw trace.
That neither Prince Bismarck nor the great
majority of his cOuntrymen follows English poll
tics closely is probably true. The treatment Of
such matters in the German press is but occa-
siona Tho most enterprsing newspaper In
Eerlin thinks it has abundantly satisfied the
appetite of its readers for general English news
~ four-linc telegram from London. Its money
intelligence is fuller. Finance is Of nationality.
Prince Bismdrcks views, so far as he expressed
them, may he summed up in sentence or two:
II We have a controversy with England we
pay attention to that and try 10 understand tho
English side Of it we'll ds ours. Other inter-
national questions European and not Anglo
German merely, do sometimes, though not very
often, make US turn our eyes 10 England. Other
wise, what chiefly concerns US is the effort Of
certain parties persons in Germany to mako
copy English Parliamentary institutions
This last was said with that CLEAN of humor
which often lighted up 10th his face and the
subject he was discussing lie has the faculty
of conveying implying as much by look as by
speech Tn" listener will do well to be on the
watch for it, if he wishes not TO miss the real
significance of what is said. Ii comes without
warning. The glow comes into the deep blue
eyes as suddenly as a flash Of lightning; and the
horizon is illuminated Ii has long been known
that Prince Bismarck viewed with no favor tho
notions Of Anglicizing Germany or German in.
situations which prevailed in more quarters than
one. The letter just published, written before
tho marriage Of the late Emperor Frederick TO an
English princess, expressed in advance opinion
which circumstances obliged him TO repeat IN
various forms aterward. The Germans do not
like TO be Anglicized any more than the English
would like TO be Germanized. The Briton did
not like 10 he criticised from purely Ger
man Tolnt of view, nor to be told on high Ger
man authority, many years ago, from an exalted
position that English Parliamentary institutions
their trial. There is in Germany
party or political coteric-more than one, no
doubt-which has for long time believed that
Germany was to find salvation in England. It
does not appear that Prince Bismarck shares
that belief, or has any serious apprehension that
it will prevail, or will ever become the opinion
Of majority Of the German people.
When Mr.. Gladst0nes name mentioned
it came up incidentally Prince Bismarck had not
word 70 say against the Englishman whom
he has been supposed to like even less than
other Engshmen. He thought it sufficient to
express his admiration of Mr.. GladStone's
oratory, and of his powers az a Paramentarian.
To Mr.. Gladstone's admirers, Of whom l am
one. that NAV not a very complete esti-
mate. but it must be taken as it is. There ia
no more To the first statesman Of Europe,
the Prime Minister Of England appears as
master OF speech rather than OF affairs-of Par
liamcntary tactics rather than of the principles
and methods by which, as Themistocles said,
small nation may be made great; or great
nation greater still. That masterstroke Of do
nestle policy, known popularity as Home Rule for
Ireland, did not seem TO have impressed the
German Chancellor II did not even interest
him. I almost doubted whether he had any
other idea about it than that it was con-
cession TO o faction hostile to England. and there
fore dangerous TO England and likely to mako
the United Kingdom less united, and the I'm
pire less imperial Nor was any other view
really to be expected. Prince Bismarcks fame
rests in great measure on his unfcation or Ter
many He is the creator OF an Empire, ana Mo
political sympathies with the Englishman VINO ID
irving 10 break up an Empire must necessarily
be imperfect. When man has applied the
finest abilities and energies of his time TO con-
structive work. il is natural he should IAN
70 appreciate an English statesman. whose great
trumph has been the humiliation Of a Church,
and whose old age is devoted TO the dissolu.
ton Of the Legislative Union between the two
s.ctons of the United Kingdom. Let us ex.
cuse Prince Bismarck so far as we can, ana
not forget that he has full faith In MIR. Glad'
stone as an orator.
| quoted. while this topic was still being
talked Of. the remark of a Frenchman, less well
known than he deserves TO be, NJ. Doudan, who
said Of Victor Hugo: A force de Jouer avec
les mots. il en- est devenu Pesclave;" and this
I a,pcd TO Mr. Gladstone. Yes" answered
Prince Bismarck. :" les mots Sc jouent de luL'
This was the only French phrase he allowed to
mass his lips. and with this too. came n humor-
ous and illnminativc CLEAN into his eyes
He would see as clearly as anybody the peril
in such linguistic pastimes as Mr.. Gladstone per-
mits himself They become, presently, not pas
times. but the serious occupation of his mind ana
of his life, and the peril is lest words and NOT
acts seem TO him the real thing, and mere deA'
terity Of speech the faculty most essential TO 'ne
N, 1,os bismarck