The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-31
PRINCE BISMARCK DEAD


l.
what flood of sunshine rolled in upon the
heavy-laden heart of Taylor the Greeley
campaign and the other clouds parted in in
slant ignominiouS dissolution, as the COM
pany went off into friendly talk, the brill
liant Taylor in royal mood and leading the
way as so we'll he could. 1t is due to the
memory of two noble characters to say
that Grant left Berlin with deep regard for
the minister. Taylor himself told me that
been permitted to know Grant, and to have
for him that sentiment of affection which it
was the fortune of that illustrious man to
inspire among those who came within the
dominion of his friendships.
BISMARCK CALLS ON GRANT.
among other things the Berlin confer
ence was in session, and so no one would
have time to bother him. This was General
Grants cherished thought. So when the
morning came, and breakfast was out of
the way, it occurred to the general to look
at Berlin The courtesies would come in
time-come soon enough to a traveller stated
with ceremony. SO we saw the town from
the top of street cars, went one way and
another, and then viewed the outside of the
Hohenzollern palaces. strolled about sub
urbs and into beer gardens where be6ei oIS
Berlin in off-hand, comprehensive, Bone
milan fashion; town more thoroughly seen
and at more reasonable rates; fares on Ber-
lin street cars reasonable, and beer garden
tariffs not very high. We returned to the
hotel and as the general was expressing his
satisfaction at having had so useful morn
ing, quite ready to continue his journey,
having seen everything, he looked at the
table strewn with cards 'Fuerst Won Bis
marck ReichskanZler, three cards! Cards
from Beaconsfeld, Salisbury Gortchakoff,
Waddington, Andrassy Corti-cards even
from a major of the guards below in az
tendance" who had been sent by the crown
prince. to wait on the generaP-all the
town, in fact, had left cards. Grant stood
in wonder. How did any one know he was
in town? Bismarck, Reichskanzler," three
cards. yes, but Bismarck is busy man.
he said, land why should l have him call
upon me, when ii is my duty TO wait upon
him. Sure enough, but he had not thought
of that in the morning, with the town to
see and pleasant summer weather and such
comfortable street cars-and everything so
cheap.
1T had never occurred to Grant that all
Berlin was waiting for him, and illustrious
as were so many Of the guests within the
city gates that none was more illustrious
than himself. But he might have lived
a thousand years without having such
thought there was nothing but to accept
facts as they were and in some way undo
the consequences of the oversight. And at
once / must wait upon Prince Bismarck and
convey my regrets, and ask what time the
prince would receive him. So with this err
rand found myself on the way to the Bis
marck palace. Entrance to a German palace
under any circumstances was not easy in
those days of kaiser-shooting. 1t took time.
Explanations to officers of various grades,
cross-examinations, steady scrutiny, minute
calculations had to be undergone before 1
reached Count Herbert Bismarck. The
count, handsome and ruddy, explained that
his father was presiding over the Berlin
conference, but that he would convey the
message Of General Grant. So the message
was conveyed and audience appointed for
the next day at 4.
AMUSED AT GRANTS YOUTH.
I saw Prince Bismarck at this time was
privileged to see him again, on three or
TOUR occasions, to gain a definite knowledge
OF his personality, and to have later mess
ages OF remembrance that were grateful
lie was then in his sixty-second year.
recall his sad, amusing moan over Grants
| youthfulness as compared with. his own
worn lines and how much better he deemed
| life in the field to life in the Cabinet Bis
marck was an imposing personality, a mar
| tial air sitting tipped on the edge of his
| chair, spreading himself over the floor ca
| ressing the large hound that crouched be-
| tween his legs and looked suspiciously out
upon Grant, who, resting in an easy-chair
| TAXED IN that quiet calm, unchanging tone
| or voice. Such a contrast in the tempera-
| ments Of the two men! Niagara seething
fire, energy, massive, restless strength. pen
| etration in those shaggy broWs inspiration
in that sovereign, dome-like head, eyes
know Grant As it was in the beginni n.
| so 1t shall be unto the end-that calm sure
set face, the earnest eye; quick. all the
|
| the chancellor's turbulent Vesuvian soul.
There comes the fancy, when you see a
parison among noted figures at home
Studying Bismarck from this point of view,
he looked like a cross between Gen. B. f.
Butler and General Sickles. His profile
recalled Butler, and the physical methods
| and economies of the man reminded you of
| the famous commander of New Orleans His
manner of talk. his expressions. his half
| hesitancy. the affectation of hating over a
| phrase to pick out just the word he wanted
! came. with its just a little suspicion OF
| pedantry, was so much like Sickles as TO
pass for an imitation. It might have been
| man accent. The hesitancy of the prince
| however, was manifestly that of a man
| thinking in one language and translating
| into another. He spoke English with a
| good and at times an idiomatic vocabulary,
now and then pausing over some word with
many meanings to have the exact transla-
| ton. His using the word human for in
stance, and then in a, second reaching out
and catching on to the word humane
which was the word he desired-this comes
back to me as showing his sure grip on the
Eiceties of our incongruous tongue.
| HE talked with freedom on subjects of
| interest to Grant His anecdotes were good
| and full of energetic warmth. He did not
| disguise his sympathy for America His
| hearers wondered at his words his repeated
| expression of convictions during the civil
| war that the South never could succeed his
| outlook upon the American fatherland-
America in time, he laughingly said, to
| be the first OF German as she was the first
| of English and would be the first of Scandi-
| navian nations. his interest in our negro
problem. and whether we would ever solve
| it; his nroud remembrance of the fact that
| German friendship for the United States
| can't TO the royal house a legacy from
| Frederick the, Great: his shadowing the
| theory that America had her grave prob
| lens fstil 10 solve, and that the suppress
| sion of the rebellion was useful as showing
| the reserved strength to deal with what in
| time might try government and society even
! more than rebellion and so from point to
| point the conversation of the chancellor
| went flowing on and on like some Amazon
| ian river broadening into the sea. Imagin-
/ alton and the consciousness of Stupendous
| glory may have prepared me for the i'm
| preston formed of Bismarck. / do not think
| so. Much journalism had made this writer
| at least cynical about greatness in men.
| Here plainly. however, as clearly apparent
| as the glaciers at Chamounix, was gigan-
| tic original, intellectual force.
COOLING DIPLOMATS
Rather more in the American Lincoln
spirit was his story OF how he kept peace
at the Berlin conference. @, yes he said.
|. we have differences and delicate questions
| What else could be expected with such
minds and such interests? The Frenchman
sits near me and we are good friends and
do what l can to amuse him. Then there
are Gortschakoff and Beaconsfield. and
there is the -Gortschakoff all spirit.
| Beaconsfeld all self-possession. The talk