The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-01
''littls tiger" while they compare Bis
marck to great bulldog.

little tiger" while they compare Bis
marck to great bulldog.
Even these bitter French critics confess
that Bismarck's private life. unlike that
Of his great prototype. il biameless. This
is in substance picture of Bismarck
that il intensely French and therefore
deeply colored with injustice. The inner
life Of Bismarck. Is described by the
American historian and scholar, Motley,
who was his college friend and the conf
dant of his mature years. is entirely in
consistent with this French portrait.
Motley and John A. Kasson, formerly our
minister to Berlin, both describe Bis
marck. the man, Is . very tender and
aftectionate brother, husband and father.
In 1912 he plunged into lake and saved
his groom from downing At the immi-
nent peril Of his own life after
desperate struggle under water with
the drowning man. For this act
he received the Prussian medal for RES
cue from PERIL" and he wears it still
proudly on his breast. At IS years OF age
Bismarck's letters to his wife are those OF
deeply religious man and in expression
are frequently poetic. Kasson and Motley
both described Bismarck As frank, truth
ful. cool. resolute, courageous, IN excep-
tionally able and intensely loyal minister
to his sovereign and sincerely devoted to
the unity, prosperity and happiness of the
German people. Here are two pictures Of
Bismarck that look no moro alike than the
picture of Hamlet's father and the usurp.
ing uncle that murdered that father.
Which picture is the true likeness Doubt
less the sketch by Motley and Kasson may
be safely preferred a. the true likeness
OF the great statesman. who to the
last hour Of Motley's life wrote him long
and loving letters. always calling him
Dear Jack" No Frenchman can be
trusted to do justice to Bismarck. any
more than bitter English Tory can do
justice to Gladstone. Motley and Kasson
were both without prejudice in favor Of
Germany over France, and We believe that
the asserted identity of Bismarck with the
worst traits Of the victor of Jena and Aus
terlitz 10 libel and . gross caricature Of
the great German statesman. 1t was but
the other day that the charge Of embexzie-
men: leveled against Bismarck in the
reichstag by that miserable Jew-baiter,
Ahlwardt. was met BY an angry cry for
the instant production of the proofs, and
when these were not forthcoming, the
members Of all political parties joined in .
shout of execration that terrified the Sian.
derer. The German national assembly,
which IL indebted to Bismarck for its ex-
is.ence, without distinction of party unan-
imously resented this utilization of Bis
marck, regarding as they do his reputation
~ national possession.
The most heroic period OF Bismarck's
life was when he as prime minister risked
his head by persuading King William Of
Prussia to suspend the Prussian constitu-
ton by levying taxes by royal warrant for
the enlargement Of the army in spite Of
the refusal Of the Prussian landtag to vote
an appropriation for that purpose. The
victory Of Sadowa saved him: the landtag
condoned his unlawful act. and Bismarck
in this hour Of victory and popular par
don for his arbitrary act solemnly prom
Used for the king Of Prussia that this I'M
constitutional defiance Of the will Of the
legislature should never be repeated. The
folly of the landtag was inexcusable. but
Bismarck with peerless courage staked his
whole career on the issue of the battle
with Austria. which he won with the men
and guns obtained by arbitrary and law
less proceedings. Had he lost Sadowa,
Bismarck would have been ruined and inn
perisl Germany today dream, not deed.