The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
DTSMIssAL.
Text Of His Letter of Resignation in March,
1880, Published by DIR. NORTH Busch.
From Ae London TINS Of Aug. /.

From tie London Timls Of Aug. /.
DIR. MoritZ Busch. the biographer Of Prince
Bismarck. on the day after the Princes death.
printed in the Berlin LOkoldnzei9er the letter of
resignation sent by the great Chancellor to
Kaiser Wilhelm II. in March. 1890. from a copy
taken by DIR. Busch at Friedrichsruh in May.
1891. DR.. Busch prefxes to the text an account
OF the circumstances leading to the resignation.
but adds nothing that was not previously
known. The text OF the letter follows:
In the audience graciously granted to me
on the 18th inst. your Majesty commanded me
to lay before you the draft OF an order repeating
the royal order OF Sept. &. 1852, which has since
that date regulated the position of a President
OF the Ministry with regard TO his colleagues. /
beg leave most humbly 10 submit the following
account OF the origin and significance OF the
order in question.
In the days OF absolute monarchy there was
no necessity for the ONCE OF a President OF the
Ministry OF State. and it was only ut the first
united Diet OF lS47 that the then Liberal Depu-
ties for the first time pointed out the necessity
OF paving the way for constitutional government
by the nomination Of a Minister whose task it
should be to undertake 10 maintain the uni
formity OF the policy OF the entire responsible
Ministry. In the year lS4S this constitutional
usage came into being In Prussia, and 'Presi-
dents Of the State Ministry were appointed in
the persons Of Count Arnim Camphausen. Count
Brandenburg. Baron Won M~anteuffel. and Prince
Won Hohenzollern not for one department only.
but for the entire policy Of the Cabinetthat is,
OF all the departments together. Most of these
Presidents had no special department, but held
the Presidency alone, like my immediate pre-
decessors. Prince Won H~ohenZollern. Minister
Won Auerswald, and Prince Won Hohenluhe.
But 1t was incumbent upon the President to
uphold in the Ministry Of State and in its rela-
tions to the monarch that unity and consist
ency without which Ministerial responsibility
as determined by the very nature OF a constitu-
tionAl regime is impracticable.
The relations OF the Ministry OF State and OF
its respective members 10 the new institution
OF a Minister President very speedily required
to be defined In a more special manner in con-
forInity with the Constitution and accordingly.
in agreement with the then Ministry Of State,
the Cabinet order OF Sept. s. 1852. was issued.
This order has ever since been authoritative
with regard TO the attitude OF the Minister
President toward the Ministry OF State. and it
alone gives the Minister Presidea nj the authori-
" TO take upon himself that measure of re-
snonsibility for the entire policy Of the Cabinet
which Is expected Of him by the Diet
and by public opinion. II each individual
Minister is IN = position, without any
previous agreement with his colleagues, TO
promulRate enactments Of the monarch, a con-
sistent policy for which some particular person
may be held responsible becomes an impossi-
biliiy. No Minister, and especially no Minis
ter President. can possibly continue 20 bear the
constitutional responsibility for the entire
policy OF the Cabinet A regulation such as was
contained In the decree OF 1852 could be dis
paused with N the days Of absolute monarchy.