New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
THE KALSER,S CREED.

The German Emperor has for many years
been a fairly prolific contributor to contempo-
rary literature not always of the fugitive order.
He has uttered speeches, letters, kilograms, and
what not which have aroused earnest attention
at the time and which promise to be remem-
bered in history; so that some without the fear
of Iese majesty before their eyes, nave even
dubbed him the talking Kaiser" We are not
sure that he has made many, If any, utterances
more characteristic and more worthy OF nouce
as human documents" than his letter to Al
miraI Holman, the salient portions Of which
were published recently in our cable dispatcnes
and the full text Of which has now come TO
hand in the mails In that letter he who has
hitherto played many parts adds to his roper
tory that of a Biblical expounder and a critic
of the higher criticism, and gives to the
world with engaging frankness q succinct but
comDrehensive statement of his own religious
creed. AS the text of a character study it is
unioue and as a bit of controversial writ
ing it is admirable. Professor Deltzsch will
not soon, we imagine, escape the description
which his imperial critic has given Of him
s'the theologian who has run away with the
historian" The description is apt, and it is not
unjust whether applied to him or to any one
of a numerous company. There are many theo-
Iogians who have run away with scientists, and
scientists who have run away with theologians.
'Ne sutor ultra crepidam" is valuable lesson
that needs to be much more widely learned.
Most characteristic, however, is the Emper-
or's credo in the passage in which he speaks
Of the vehicles of Gods revelations to men.
One might suspect him of knowing his Carlyle
uncommonly well, for his words sound almost
like an echo Of Heroes and Hero Worship"
Only the Kaiser is dealing with revelation OBJ
iectiye and the Philosopher with revelation sub
iective The two personal catalogues are Wor-
tbv of comparison. Carlyle's heroes are Odin,
Mah0met, Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, Knox,
Johnson, Rousseau, Burns, Cromwell and Ma
uoIeon. The Emperor's sages of inspiration
and revelation are Hammurabi Abraham,
Moses, Homer. Shakespeare, Goethe Kant, Lu-
ther, Charlemagne and William 1 of Ger
MANY Only two names occur in both lists,
those of Shakespeare and Luther and they
two which could scarcely have been omitted
from either. AS for the rest, comparisons are
suggestive and instructive in a high degree.
Each list is strongly tinged, indeed dominated,
by its makers personal predictions, circum-
stance which reaches its climax in the Emper-
or's naive inclusion of his own grandfather
among his divinely inspired sages! For that he
is made the object Of some bantering criticism
Syhich is probably not well advised. There was
no reason why he should not thus place William
among the immOrtals. In doing it he really
exercised fine discrimination. For he passed
by the great Frederick, his military idol, who
was too much YoltaiTean sceptic to pass
muster as diYinely inspired, and chose the great
William, who was a far less military genius,
but a man Of reRowned4Diety and OF rare moral
heroism. If any great military sovereigns are
TO be included in such catalogue there are
few to be preferred to the one thus chosen by
the Emperor.
Without disrespect and in all seriousness, it
may be said that the wonder is not that the
Emperor thus named his grandfather as di-
yinely inspired, but that he did not also name
himself; and 1t may be added without doubt
that he does thus consider himself. In that
fact we believe, is to be found the true key to
the sometimes seemingly enigmatical character
OF this extraordinary man, and In its suggestion
of that fact lies perhaps the chief value Of this
most interesting letter. William II believes
as his grandfather believed, that he is
divinely ordained and commissioned TO be
the German Emperor, and that he is divinely
guided, instructed, inspired, in the execution
Of that commission: in brief, that Gods will
concerning man is revealed in him and to him
and through him. Many may dissent from that
belief, some on political and some on religious
grounds. But It cannot be denied that such
belief, sincerely conceived and consistently
cherished, must have an elevatlng and en-
nobIing effect upon the man who holds 1t. The
man who Is responsible only to himself or to
some othaT men may be careless OF his deeds