Evening journal., 1898-08-09
LEEETETFEBRS FROM THE PEOPLE
RIsMLARlCIl.

communication the names OF what we
regarded the four greatest men OF the
century-Lincoln, Gladstone, Bismarck
and Manning. AT the time OF the cl-
tation three Of those great leaders OF
thought and action had passed
away. And now Prince Bismarck,
the last or residual member
Of that Incompatible quartet
Bismarck, the counsellor, empire
maker and fldus achates Of two, II not
three, Emperors-has vanished from
of life's fiecd of action and left this
world of fret and care for other and
lesser lights to hustle in.
From before the time when Bis
marck engineered the Prusso-Austrian
war OF 66, which war resulted in the
crushing defeat Of the Austrian army
at Sawdowa, to long after the period
of the Franco -Prussian war or 70,
which war wascharacterizedb the sur
render Of the third Napoleon at Sedan
the French troops having touched
German territory, but once during the
whole OF that sanguinary war-the
name Of Bismarck has been power.
a veiitable tower of strength among
the nations OF Europe. During the
years subsequent to the above men
toned wars Prince Bismarck was the
object of more or less hostility. Lord
Beaconsfeld was wont to sneer at this
great Teuton at the time of the Berlin
iCOnference; Gladstone antagonized
Bismarck, clubbing him an unscrupu-
lous creation; and the present Em-
peror Of Germany-who, by the way,
is not such a feol as some people are
inclined to im8wine-when he ascended
the throne, deemed it expedient to drop
this great pilot OF the German ship CT
state and to let him, Bismarck, know
once for all that he, the Emperor, and
ne alone, was in deed and In faat Em-
peroF Of Germany. 1t is just possible
that the present Emperor has all along
known his own business far bottor
than others cOuld teSah him; and We
are inclined to believe that enly psck
OF fools would attempt to apprsise the
merits or demerits OF that episode.
Punch" a London comic, Fbllshed
a cartoon at the time, cartoon pic
turing the present Emperor in the act
Of dropping rhe pilot, Bismarck. after
reaching hsrlbOr. Bat perhaps the Em-
peror was not, after all, throwing over
board the pilot, bat merely 80 nuch
ballast. Who can tell? NotWithstand-
Ing the taet. however. that OF late
years Bismarck MAS ths obsee6 at
which the shafts OF acrimony were per
sistently levelled, It is doubtful if tars
greatness Of the man was appreciably
1impaired. We don't think it was. In
deed, it is just possible that the life
work Of Bismarck-barring the warlike
methods he employed In that Hfe-work
cam be ranked second only to the
1 greater and more humane life-work OF.
Abraham Lincoln. But there is, when
all is said and one, glaring inoon-
sistency about the greatness of both
Bismarck and Gladstone. Bismarck
provoked the wars OF '66 and TO- Glad
stone provoked the war OF "a, when
the allied armies OF England and
France went up against Russia. And
yet both instigators chung to the ex-
ceedingly false and sham beldef that
Providence, and not mans inordinate
ambition, was the sole responsible
originator Of the evil events in ques-
ton. 1t is a matter OF common knowl-
edge that not only concerning the ma
ior events Of life. but also concerning
those OF a minor character. there are
people to he found who possess the
happy knack OF attributing each and
every happening to Providence, OF sad
dling the Deity with the responsibility
Of the same. This shifting Of resp1n-
sibiity is a very comforting line Of
reasoning. but unfortunately, and il
the Bible be not so much waste papsr.
it is not feasible, not workable. 1t was
but the other day that a proclamation.
emanating from the Government Of
mis- country, was issued, calling upon
the American people to publicly render
thanks to Almighty God for having
blessed with success the Efforts of the
United States naval and military forces
in the current war. In othex and
palmer words, the American people |
were officially requested to ask Provi- |
dence to approve of, and condone,, not
a mild. irreguiarity, but an unjust and |
anHexative war. We venture to say. |
however, that the moral intelligence.
not the acquisitive intelligence,
OF the American people revoittd from
carrying into practice so Caring and
impious an attempt to bambooE.e the
Almighty. Atlas may nave carried
the world on his shoulders. but the
Deity would need back as bread as
the earth itself to carry each sesf-o1m-
missioned wrongful act OF either
this or that all-ambitious mortal. It is