The sun., 1903-10-18

explains that he s unable to cure INN
disesee. but he thinks that . remedy might
he found for a minor malady. -kreuz'
Schmerz," that is to say, the hsnkerine
after a cross, or stsr. of a less imports ant
order. 1T might he advanced in the
Baron's favor that during the war lbetween
Germany and Francel he gave enormously
for benevolent purposes. for which dona'
tions. his wife. who, Of course. spent the
money that her hvsbond gave her, received
the Cross for Merit. while he received no
distinction. The sovereign says in con-
clusion: -If l decorate him nov, he will
be done with for \ few years, until the
Band disease appears again"
It will be remembered that Bismarck
who knew himself TO he considered indis-
peneable, more than once fortified his in
nuence with his imperial master by pro-
posing to resign the post of Chancellor
One Of these sham exits was made in May,
1878. The impression produced on the
Emperor by the threatened loss OF Bis
marcks services may be inferred from the
following note: Il have just received your
letter. You will excuse me for attempting
to describe the impression it has made
upon me. One thing beg Of you, IA you
yourself write saying I should keep the
contents OF your letter secret, 30 that
they are not brought into connection with
the presence of the Czar-viz. that you
will bind the trapscriber OF your letter 10
secrecy on his oath. Our experience in
the matter of divulged secrets has been
so great that ii has taught US that nothing
ho 1aft n n n
ceed In security, and this is all the more
necessary il you give me long time before
you definitely proceed with the step you
have taken. Your deeply agitated w."
It may also be recalled that in 1875 a
rumor was current in the European press,
and credited in more than one Foreign
Of1ce, that the German Government had
determined to invade France, deeming II
imprudent to await the completion Of the
latter Powers military preparations. En-
peror William l.. in letter to Queen Vic
toria. had disclaimed any such intention.
Touching the expedency Of making such a
disclaimer too vigorous. Bismarck wrote:
-One may say that peace is not furthered,
il France feels secure that she will not be
attacked under any circumstances. let her
do what she may. I would never, to-day,
any more than did in 1857, on the Luxem-
bourg question, try to persuade your
Majesty to make war at once, merely be-
cause it is probable that the antagonist
will soon begin it. On the other hand. it
is not advantageous to give an opponent
the assurance that his attack will, in any
case, be awaited. should, therefore, not
fhnr
bassador in Londonl, II he had on occasions
spoken in this wise. and the English Gov
ernment would have had no right to base
official steps on the unofficial speeches OF
an Ambassador, and, sans nous dire core,
to invite the other Powers to exert pressure
on U.S. One must assume from such a
serious and unfriendly proceeding that
Queen Victoria had other reasons for be-
lieving in our warlike intentions than oc-
casional expressions employed by Court
Muenster in the course OF conversation"
On Sept. ~. 1887 Bismarck celebrated
the day on which twenty-five years before
he had become a Prussian Minister of State.
Among the innumerable testimonials OF
appreciation for his services to the Father
land and to the Hohenzolerns received
on the occasion was letter in which En-
peror William 1. expressed thanks to God
for placing you at my side in order to exc
cute His will on earth In his reply the
Chancellor says: Every sovereign ap-
points Ministers, but II is a rare occurrence
in modern times for monarch TO retain a
Prime Minister and to uphold him for
twenty-five years. in troublous times, when
everything does not succeed, against al
animosities and intrigues. During this
period l have seen many a former friend
become an opponent, but your Majesty's
favor and confidence have remained I'm
waveringly with me. The remembrance
of this fact is a rich reward to me for all my
work and a consolation in illness and soli-
tude love my Fatherland, the German,
as well as the Prussian, but should not
have served it with gladness il it had not
been granted to me to serve to the sstisfac-
ton Of my King The high position. which
| owe TO your Maiestys favor is based on,
and has as its destructible core, your
Ma jesty's Brandebur liegeman and Prussian
officer and. therefore, am rendered happy
by your Majesty's satisfaction, without
which every proof Of appreciation would be
valueless to me-
There is no part Of the correspondence
contained in the second Of these volume.
more likely to excite curiosity than the
letters relating to C. proposed interview
between Gambetta and Bismarck The
proposal came from Count Hencke Dom
nersmarck, who was occupying cfA eau
In the Department of Seine and Disc, and
with whom Glmbetta was at the time on
an intimate footing, often visiting at The
country seat. The date Oct. II, 1877.
is significant. The general elec, ion which
followed President McMahon's dismiss;
Of a Republican Ministry, which possessed
the confidence Of the Chan r OF Deputies.
and his appointment of a Ministry dd in
terim, headed by M. de Fourt ou and the
DUO de Broglie. had resulted in Republi-
cen victory. The reply to The proposal is
penned not by Bismarck himself, but by
his son, Count Herbert, who says; The
relations you maintain with Gambetta
interest my father very much. My father
considers, however, that it would not be
advantageous to Gambetta himself or
even advisable for him, to receive direct
communications from here, even throug h
your intervention, If il were to he known
in France, or even by the Republicans
there, that Gambetta held any intercourse
with the German Imperial Chancellor it
would most probably injure him in the
eyes OF his countrymen generally, but
4