Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-01
THE DEAD STATESMAN.
Bismarck's Death Preceded by a Ter
rible Struggle.
REV. DICKTE, OF THE AMERICAN
CHURCH, BERLIN, FEELINGLY
REFERRED TO THE DEPARTED
WHAT is ALLEGED TO BE A COPY
OF THE LETTER WRITTEN BY
BISMARCK WHEN HE RETIRED
FROM OFFICE

OF THE LETTER WRITTEN BY
BISMARCK WHEN HE RETIRED
FROM OFFICE
Berlin, July 31.-A special dispatch to
the Lokal Anzeiger from Friedrichs-
ruhe says:
"The death chamber is on the ground
floor of the Castle. The Prince died
on an oaken bedstead, made specially
for him Of wood from Sachsenwad.
The end was preceded by a severe
death struggle and terrible pain. AS
he lies his head is slightly fallen for
ward on his breast, and the hands are
folded On the Counterpart. At the
foot of the bed stand two watchers.
United States Ambassador White at
noon to-day sent the following dis
patch to Count Herbert Won Bismarck
at Friedrichsruhe:
| On behalf of the whole American
| people, whenther official or unofficial,
and Of whatever birth or descent, /
tender congratulations upon the mighty
career now ended and assurances of
the most sincere sympathy for your
self and your mourning family"
Pastor Dickie, in the course OF his
sermon to-day at the American church
referred feelingly to the death Of Bis
marck, and emphasized the coincidence
of the demise almost simultaneously
of two such men as Bismarck and
Gladstone
The Lckal Anzeiger publishes a long
! article on Bismarck by Dr. Moritz
Busch. 1t gives an alleged copy of the
original text of Prince Bismarck's let
ter to Emperor4William on leaving Of
| flee in 1890, which, it is understood,
was only to be published after his
| death. In this document Bismarck is
represented as saying:
1T is not possible for me to retain
the position of President of the Coun-
| Gil OF Ministers after Your Majesty,
in respect Of the same, has urged a
Capitis Diminutio, relying upon an alb
rogation of the order of 1852, which
regulates the relations of a minister
president to his colleagues.
| Moreover, in regard to my official
| prerogative Your Majesty has imposed
limits which do not permit me to have
a proportionate share in state business
and its supervision, or that freedom of
action in ministerial decisions or COM
murication with the Reicnstag or MEN,
bers of the Reichstag which any con-
stitutional responsibility requires. 1t
| would alsc-after the latest decisions
of Your Majesty respecting the direc-
ton to be given our foreign policy (as
| set forth in the imperial autograph
| letter, with which Your Majesty yes
terday accompanied the reports of the
| consul at --)-be impossible for
me to carry out the instructions there
in given with respect to foreign pol-
Icy. L would thus call in question all
the important results for the German
empire which our foreign policy has
attained under unfavorable conditions
for decade past on lines laid down by
both Your Majesty's predecessors On
our relations toward --, the unex-
pectedly great Importance of which
- has since his return from -
confirmed to me.
In view of my attachment tn tho
service of your majestys royal house
and the many years during which !
nave grown habituated to a position
Which | have hitherto regarded as an
enduring one, it is very painful to me
to severe myself from my accustomed
relations to your majesty and from the
general policy of the empire and Prus-
STA, but after conscientious considera-
ticn of your majestys intentions, fol-
the execution of which l must be pre-
pared if 1 remain in Office, cannot do
otherwise than beg your majesty to re-
lieve me of the office of imperial chan
cellor, premier and minister of foreign
affairs.
According to the impressions | have
received during the last few weeks, as
we'll as communications from your ma
jesty's military and civil household.
may assume that my request to resign
meets with your majesty's wishes and
that l may, therefore, certainly rely
upon its gracious acceptance. l would
have rendered my resignation to your
majesty long ago if had not thought
your majesty wished to utilize the ex.
Iperiences of a true servant of youl
| predecessors Since l have become
certain that your majesty does
not care to avail himself Of them,