The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-02

moral efforts. and with the Joy that is born Of
convalescence like the spring that a man feels
who comes back to life from long and pros
trating illness.
Ferdinand Lnssnlie.
Since George Meredith made him the hero OF n
novel, the personality Of FERDINAND LAssALLE
has been made familiar to many American as
we'll as English readers. number OF biog-
raphies have also seen the light including an
elaborate life by Mr.. W. II. Dawson. Since the
publication Of Mr.. Dawson's book. however. q
good deal Of supplemental information has
become accessible: OF particular value is
diary kept by LGssalle when boy OF about Is
at Breslau. So that even OF Lassalle as man,
there was room for q new portrait. while there
were special reasons for desiring study OF
Lassale rs reformer from the viewpoint Of
contemporary German Socialists. that is to
say. OF tho disciples OF Karl Marx and Fred
erick Engels. Such a study is needed because
the socialism powerful in Germany to-day
Is quite different from that advocated by Fer
dinand Lassalle. The more patent this differ
ence has become. the more have the middle
class politicians held IN Lassalle as the good"
Socialist, contradstinguished from the bad"
Social Democrats OF the present time. They
describe him as national patriot in contrast
Of fatherland. by whom they mean the follow
ers OF Marx and Engels. They proclaim him
q real statesman. as compared with men whom
they denounce as demagogues or abstract
theorists. He had. they say. q scheme for
bringing about the peaceful socialization Of
the community, whereas his successors do
nothing but draw bills on a future revolution
What. then. is the truth about Lassale consid-
cred as u remodeller of society? That is q
question which is answered in a book written
by Ed,oard bernstein and translated by Mrs.
Aveling daughter Of Karl Marx. This book.
which we receive from the Messrs. Scribner.
contains the most lucid analysis Of the work
accomplished by Lassale in his role Of social
reformer which is anywhere procurable. tits
by no means wanting in appreciation and in
sympathy. yet the author does not fail to indi-
cate the grave shortcomings. in the doctrines
and purposes of Lassalle compared with those
associated with the names OF Marx and En-
gels. and which constitute the gospel OF mod
ern German socialism.
i.
Although It Is Mr.. Bernsteln's aim not to
write the biography, but to indicate the histor-
ical Significance Of Lassalle. so far as his po-
litical and propaganda work Is concerned.
nevertheless. a glance at the reformer's pri-
vate life Is Indispensable. because it gives the
key to q comprehension Of his political atti-
tude. 1t is pronounced unquestionable that
his descent exercised great. and one may
even say a fatal. influence on the development
of Lassalle. By descent the author does not
mean any inherited qualities or inclinations.
but he simply has in view the fact that the
con sciousness that he was OF Jewish origin
was. according to his own confession. pain
full to Lassalle even In his more ad-
vanced years. Despite all his efforts he
never succeeded In getting rid OF a
certain self-conscious awkwardness due to the
of his descent Nor need this SO
greatly surprise us. even in man Of
Lassalle's great intellect. when we recall that
he was born in 1925 in Breslau. where tho
Jews were not even formally emancpated un-
til 1S43 His father was wholesale silk per-
chant. and is described as an honest. genial
and intelligent man. His mother. on the other
hand. seems to have been q somewhat capri
cious person. with the love for dress and
jewery often found in Jewish middle class
women. The wealth Of his parents saved
Lassalle from many Of the miscries which
the poorer Jews had Mt the timo to
suffer. but it did not protect him from
the innumerable petty notifications to
which all belonging to an oppressed
race. even those in good circumstances.
were exposed. These notifications in n ma
ture so self-conscious as WAS that OF Lassale,
induced first defiant fanaticism Of revolt OF
which there are many traces In his diary for |
the years 1910 and 1871. As his views broad |
ened. his childish ideas about aronsing tho |
Jews to instruction disappeared. but the eff
feet OF youthful impressions upon his mind !
The immediate result was to arouse |
in him n determination to secure recognition |
and respect for himself at all cost. and he who |
had begun as a rebel against the persecution |
Of the Jews was presently transformed into a |
political revolutionist. At the same time he |
confdes to his diary. after seeing Schiller's |
- Fiesco" that his own revolutionary demo- |
cratic republican inclinations were merely the |
outcome OF his social position. Had l." he |
writes. been born prince or ruler. should |
have been An aristocrat body and soul. But |
now. as am only poor burgher's son. shall |
be democrat in good time" It was his polit- |
cal radicalism which. in 1S41. induced the six |
teen- year old Lassale to give up the idea en-
.ertaned for a time OF devoting himself to q |
career and to prepare himself. in
stead, for the university curriculum. With
his radicelism had grown in him an ever
stronger longing to shake off the jew in him.
\ longing which at last became SO overwhelm-
ng that. when he informed his father OF his
rrevocable determination to Go to the uniysr-
,ity after all. he at the same time refused to
study medicine or law, for the reason that tho
doctor and tho lawyer are both tradesmen.
who traffic with their knowledge" He would
study. he said. for the sake OF what can be
lone with knowledge" The father did not
lcauiesce In this last idea, but. nevertheless.
consented to his sons preparing for an aca-
iemicai career. and the boy now worked with
'uch desperate energy that. in 1912. ne was
already able to pass his matriculation exami-
lation He began by studying philoloRy. then
urned to philosophy and sketched the
outline OF great pathological philoso-
ohlcal work on the philosopher Heraclitus
II Ephesus. That no should have chosen
his thinker OF all others. as the
subject for his researches. a thinker whom the
greatest Greek philosophers called the Dark"
ihazz aoI,la iaal Of IiIadar- |