The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-01-23
WHAT GERMANY OWES BISMARCK.
SECOND OF A SERIES OF PAPERS READ BE-
FORE THE PIERIAN CHAUTAUQUA CIRCLE.

very sorry time came for her, tho she
alone upheld the German idea; for
Austria was Austria, and the rest of
Germany was subservient to Napoleon.
If time would permit 1 could paint such
pictures of the misery, shame and
suppressed rage then endured by
Prussia, that would make you feel
more deeply for this country, and would
let you more clearly understand the
deeply rooted hatred OF the Germans
especially the Prussians-against
France as nation. For at the door of
the French is laid the untimeIy death
of the ever beloved, and never to be
forgotten, lovely and high-minded
Queen Luise, who, seeing her country
so deeply humiiated, died literally of
broken heart She had pleaded with
Napoleon personally for milder terms
of peace, but her reimbursement, under
taken in the interest of her country
did not avail. But tho dead in body,
SI0 IlVCS, dHu VIII lOlONOl lNC III ONOiy
German heart; all look up to her as the
guardian angel of Germany, and in
many German heart the thought of
her was alive during the last war with
| France.
Out of the deepest humiliation Prussia
rose up again through the patriotism
of her children: think of Stein, Scharn-
horst, Hardenberg, and last, but not
least, Bluecher. When King Frederick
William I'LL called upon his people to
come to the aid of the country they all
responded; in the words of the poet:
''The king called and everybody came. .
Yes, even maidens fought in the ranks.
nobody suspecting their sex till bullet
struck them Everything was sacrificed
upon the altar of the country. Women
cut off their hair and contributed the
proceeds of it, wedding rings were
given up-in fact everybody gave what
he could, and tho Prussia was very
poor then, not only in money but men
also, it is conceded by ali that she did
more than any other power for the
overthrow of Napoleon.
The deep humiliation they had just
passed through awoke in every German
heart the desire to see the ancient
empire restored in all its glory anC
power, so that such humiliation hen( e
forth should be impossible. These
ideas were mainly fostered in the
universities, and people further .ex
pected that since the liberation o1
Germany was effected more by thu
people than by the princes, that the!
should get their reward in constitutions
government But the Austrian states
man, Prince Metternich, domineere(
} over the internal policy of Germany
and many young German was givel
time to reflect upon the evil of hi
r ways, at least in the opinion of Meter
Mich, in German fortress. At las
, the fresh breeze of 1S48 swept Meter
T. Mich away, and people everywher
p clamored for constitutional govern
ment, which at last was conceded in al
r German states, with the exception o
, Hesse Cassel and Mecklenburg. b
the way, the latter country has toda
Y no constitutional government.
e Apropos of Hesse Cassel, the sam
n Hesse from whence came the German
d troops to aid England in her figh
S against the young United States, L
S me add little story that will sho,
h you that not every German prime
l. thought as the Landgrave of Hess'
t The Hessians, in going on their sa
# journey to the sea, had to pass throug
y Prussian territory, but before they wer
l. allowed to pass through tax had t
n be paid-the same tax as was levied o
t., cattle. All remonstrances of the lanG
IS grave to Frederick the Great to rela
# this tax proved unsuccessful. "Why
a the king answered the Iandgrave, "wh