New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-28
BISMARCK on THE CONSTITCTION.

BINU3Hth w IhE t'-''Iff ' ''D-''
Prince Bismarcl, has paid to his own creation
the highest possible compliment-that OF sell
abncgation. lie spoke at Kissngen last
week in behalf Of the Imperial Constitution.
He dwct with especial emphasis upon the pre-
negatives of the Emperor and his Chancellor
and their relation to the Imperial Parliament
and to the governments of the various states.
And then he uttered these words, which will
in future be much remembered and often re-
heated: "The Emperor and the Chancellor
are only the executive organs of the Bundcslath
and Reichstag. Neither of them has right
to attempt more than to publish the laws
enacted by those bodies" These were wise
words. and worthy of regard by whomSoever
spoken, but invested with more than ordinary
significance when coming from the lips OF the
last great Kings man." If OTTO Won Bis
marck speaks them, who shall challenge or
deny them?
For this is the same otto Won Bismarck who
began his political career with the crcdO that
the phrase "by Gods grace' appended to the
names Of Christian sovclcigns was an ackn0Wi-
edgmcnt that the princes thus lntrustcd with
Gods sceptie meant TO rule with IT on earth
in accordance with His will. Never was there
a sturder and more aggressive champion OF the
Divine Right OF Kings than this Junkcr
Deputv. When Prussia asked for c0nS.itH-
tonal government he denounced the demand
as treason There were he sad. two parties.
One based its right on the will OF the people,
the other on authority established by God.
"No parliamentary debates or maioritcs could
ever mediate between them. but sooner or later
~ ID. l,o Iico
and decide the matter" As for Parliament, it
was mere debating club which should not
be allowed t. NEEDLE with the functions of
government. Half dozen drummerS should
be placed on the Ministerial bench. and all
interpretations should be answered with roll
of their drums And again: Not by
speechifying and majoIitics can the great ques-
tons of the time be decided but by blood and
iron" Nor were these idle words. When
their author came to the Ministerial bench he
put them into practice. lie told the PrcSi-
dent Of the Chamber that in all he did he
acknowledged no master but the King. When
the Chamber would not vote the Budget he
wanted he governed without Budget. Taunt-
ed with unconstitutonality, he replied with in
yectiye and contempt. He was the Kings
man, and the King, not Parliament. ruled by
Divine right
Instances of a manifestation OF this same
snirit were not lacking throughout all the
GREAT Chancellors career. lie did not treat
the Reichstag as cavalierly as he did the old
pmssian Chamber. But in many ways and on
many occasions he made 1t clear that he re-
gardcd that body as the servant Of the Kaiser
rather than the Kaiser as its servant. And he
invested the elected Emperor with even more
autocratc power than the hereditary King lie
scrupuously adhered to constitutional forms.
it is true ; but then, he could say. :" | am the
Constitution" Even to the present young
Emperor he was, until dismissed from his SER
vice, as loyal as to his grandsre, and as ready
to maintain his Divine right. Now, however,