The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-18

/ The present generation has been
| brought up in btAe belief that Bis
marck, the great chancellor of imperial
| Germany, was % eallous, unima gina
! tive, hard-visagedi bargain driver. a
| man without cdfnbassfon. utterly de-
| void of any other human sentiment
than that which IS engendered by an
/ insatiate desire fOreaggrandizement.
| To the few BhDiswere privileged to
! read the love letters of Prince Bis
marck, those intensely human docu-
ments inscribed to his wife, the reve-
latlon as to his real character was vol
canic. Now comes additional evidence
| that Bismarck was ''only human" ii,
| the appearance of two volumes, enti-
| tied Correspondence of William I. and
Bismarck" translated by j. A. Ford. .
| The letters date from Sept. u. 1852,
until the death inl1SS3 of the sovereign
| whom Bismarck had raised to the
highest pinnacle of fame. They are
published by the late Prince Bis
marck's express, desire, as he consid-
cred that they, more than anything
| else. show the close intimacy that ex-
| listed between him and his august mas
| ter-an intimacy, which betrays the
| fact that Bismarck was really the mas
| ter and William ]. the man.
Every letter written by the king to
his nominal servant breathes. his sub
! strong, unbendable will of the Iron
| Chancellor, while throughout the two
| volumes are scattered most profuse
adulation and gratitude.
| 1t is only necessary to quote briefly
from one of the many evidences of
kingly gratitude written after the mo-
! mentous, victories of the French cam
paign had already passed into history.
| Bismarck, tired and worn, had written
+ in rather morose frame of mind, beg
! ging to be relieved of his duties, as fol-
| lows:
Il have always regretted that it was
not permitted to me, according to the
| wishes of my parents, to manifest at
| the front rather than behind the writ
ing desk my attaehment to the royal
| house, and my enthusiasm for the
greatness and the glory of the father
| land.
even today. after your majesty has
| raised me to the highest honors which
statesman can attain, / cannot quite
| suppress the regret that I have not
won similar. promotion as soldier.
| VIII your majesty forgive man who
! is accustomed, on Christian festivals,
to reflect on his apast, giving way on
| Christmas eve to-, this expression of
personal sentiments?
Il should perhaps have been useless
| as a general. but if L had followed my
| own inclination / would rather have
| won battles for your majesty, like the
| generals who adorn the monument,
| than diplomatic campaigns"
To this the emperor replied
| Ten momentouS years have passed
( since you obeyed my summons to take
| the head of the Prussian administra-
ton. Step by step, with counsel and
| with deeds, you have enabled me to
| develop Prussia's power and to lead
| Germany tC unity. Your name is in
| delibly recorded in the history of Prus-
| STA and of Germany, and the highest
| acknowledgment has rightly been made
| to you from all sides.
IF 1 sanction your laying down the
! have conducted with such a sure hand.
you will yet remain closely connected
with it, while carrying on the political
| tasks of Prussia in conjunction with
| those of German imperial chancellor"
The two letters show the relation
| ship that existed between the two men,
| but one must needs read all the cor
respondence in order to understand
| their relative positions. From the
early SOS until close upon his death
| William I. never permitted himself to
make a single move without the sane
| ton of Bismarck. what orders are
| we to wear for Tewfik Pasha?
1 thought, with my son, only to put
/ on the smanli-Staf, etc. If, however
/ you, etc., -
| Another: 'Are you agreed; or have
YOU other points of view to touch?
| what is to be done? Shall the foreign