The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1895, 1895-05-01
BISMARCK.
Seen From An American Point
OF View.


Bismarck having been born on
April 1, 1916, two and half
months before the battle OF
Waterloo-is QUE of those events
which challenges the thoughts
and admiration Of all nations.
If he who maintains himself by
the greatest power is necessarily
the greatest minister, Bismarck
was the greatest minister, "not of
one age, but for all times"
The sympathetic human side
of this universal commotion is,
however, the fact that it is not
the powerful minister that is
celebrated and eulogized today.
Bismarck, the minister, ceased
to be five years ago, when the
young German Emperor accept.
ed his resignation as a matter of
--"the new course" The man
that is extolled today is nothing
but the pensioned mastersmitb of
the German empire. The once
mighty, omnipotent Chancellor
has been Invested of all officia
powers; the man upon whose lips
formerly the whole of Europe
hung in fear and expectation,
now strides silently among the
forest oaks near Friedrichsruhe,
only emerging from the calm Of
his retirement when the honors
of a grateful nation are showered
upon him.
And there is vast deal of
fine sentimentality in this polite
al canonization of Bismarck.
Everything that appeals to
pure sympathy is so strongly in
volved in this administration that
it seems almost sacrilegious to
desecrate the high.soaring en- :
thuslasm by cold and sober re-
Election. The spectacle Of the
octogenarian, who of all the
heroes that helped to build the
German empire, alone is left
warded off by the one whose
favor he would most appreciate
lis bound to strike a sympath-
etc chord among the onlookers
the world over.
That into this sympathy many
an exaggeration of the greatness
OF the man, if he be judged by
his principles and accomplish
ments, will slip, have the harsh
ness to maintain.
Few generations are given an
opportunity of gazing retrospect
lively upon the finished career
OF any living man Of such import
ance as that of Bismarck. The
grace of God may extend Bis
marck's life to the utmost limit,
but his work is complete and his
deeds are recorded in contempor-
aneous history. The present
generation can pass judgment on
what he has done. 1t can appre-
ciate the wonderful conception
of his national work, which is and
must ever remain his browning
work; as the endurance and the
answering fidelity that he de.
voted to it form his noblest trait.
But the present generation can
also measure the standards, The
principles, the ideals that guided
him in his career; and the pres
emit generation is at liberty to dis
agree with many of these thai
Bismarck upheld and represented
Bismarck's first step in public
life is distinctively characteristic
in that it condemned one of the
fundamental privileges which 9
probably misguided part Of man
kind upholds as one Of theil
most precious blessings--a parl
iamentary government.
Lit is we'll worth while recalling
the incident. The obstinate re
fusal OF King Friedrich Wilhelm
Nv. of Prussia to grant to hi'
people their demand for consti
tutional form Of monarchy hat
aroused grave discomfort The
king, through Royal Patent,
convened the United Prussial
Chambers, and among the de-
puties (for the province of Sax
onul wae Otto N1mu,d Taonol,