Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-22
BLASTED CAREER OF a PRINCE.


comparatively brief history of the Ger
man empire is recalled by the announce
ment of the death Of Prince Herbert Bis
marck. which occurred on Sunday. One
OF the direct results of tho Franco-Prus-
sian war of 1S7o-71 was the uniting of
the various petty German States with
Prussia in the great German empire, and
Chancellor Bismarck. who probably was
more responsible than any other single
man for the founding of new power of
the first class in Europe hoped to establish
great house. his hopes resting in mis-
eldest son, the man who has just died.
Herbert Won Bismarck was born in 1915
and like most of his countrymen. he be-
gan life rs a soldier. soon attaining the
rank of major in the Magdcburg Cuiras-
siers in the war of 1870 against the
French, in which he took part as IN Of
ficer of the Dragons of the Guards. he
was seriously wounded. He entered the
diplomatic service in 1874 and was sent
as attache to Munich, Rapidly rising to
the rank of secretary, he went in that
capacity to Bern. Switzerland, and thence.
in 1880 to Dresden. The following year
he was summoned back to the foreign
Office at Berlin and the title of counsellor
of legation was conferred on him.
A serious disagreement now occurred
father. the famous chancellor. Count Her
bert conceived a passion for the beau
tiful Princess Elizabeth of Carolath, and
she reciprocated his affection. The prin-
cess, who was daughter of the Countess
of Reichcnberg and stepsister of Prince
Hatzfeldt Hermann of Trachenberg, was
married in 1866 to Prince Charles of Caro-
lath Beuthen, who was also Count of
Schonarch, and chief of one Of the first
Prussian families. A year after her mar
riage daughter. Princess Syblla, was
born
Home ties, however, could not prevail
against her love for Count Herbert, and
she eloped with him to Messina, in
Sicily, with the intention OF marrying
him as soon as she could be divorced from
her husband. All her plans, however,
were in vain for when she was legally
free the stern chancellor refused to give
his consent to his sons marriage with
her He was as nexorabe then as when
he forbade the banns between Princess
Victoria and Prince Alexander of Batten-
berg, and as peremptory as Queen Vic
toria of England was when she broke
the marriage of her son-in-law, the Grand
Duke of Hesse, with Nine. de koloniinc
| twenty-four hours after it had been bless
ed in the palace at Darmstadt. The lovers
were impotent to resist that implaca 81,
will and the woman was left TO solitude
and vain regrets, while the man strove tc
find consolation in successful ambition
The evident object of the chancellor was
TO make Herbert his auxiliary, and with
that intent he began to train him ir
the higher walks of diplomacy IN order
| that his political education might be per
| fccted. Thus are explained the many Wis.
its which Count Herbert paid to the
various great capitals of Europe, either
as secretary of the embassy, minister
| plonipotertiary or special envoy In 1SS;
| he visited London, presumably with tn,
| object of acquanting himself with the
feeling of the British aristocracy TOWARD
Germany and its affairs. In 1854 he Wen
| to st. Petersburg where an alliance be
tween the empires Of Russia, Austria anc
| Germany had just been concluded, ant
received a most fattering reception, os
pecally from the court ladies' Subse
quently he accompanied his father Il
Skiernwicc and went thence 10 Venn;
on Il secret mission. the purport of which
was TO renew the Austro-Hungariar
treaty Of 1879 After that the chancello
sent him TO The Hague. where .he uues
ton of the succession OF Luxembourg Wa
pending, and on his return appointed hin
under secretary of state. When Coun
Hatzfcldt went 10 London Count Hcrbor
became minister, and through Empcrp
Fredcrick's favor, was promoted to tn
rank of member of tho council of state
| In 1891 he married Countess Mari
Hoyos She was the daughter of Hun
garian nobleman and granddaughter o.
the maternal side Of the English torped
inventor Whitehead. They had four emil
dren, two girls and two boys. The frs
boy was born III 1897. His name Is Otto
and he succeeds to the title of Prime
Bismarck and the large fortune OF hi
father. estimated to be 100000
Prince Bismarck affords an eXcollen
illustration of the blasted hopes of al
able and ambitious father. The "Iro
chancellor plainly dreamed that hi
eldest son could be so trained as to sue
coed him in the role of the practical rule
OF Germany. but his own retirement an
the waywarlness of his intended sue
cessor, who evidently aped the scions q
nobility in far too many instances. da she
: these hopes. Prince Bismarck entered til
German Parliament in 1892, where h
made some noteworthy speeches, but h
Was completely overshadowed by hi
, brilliant fathers fame, and he was DIES
tined 10 comparative obscurity in ne
, tional affairs, in spite of the many or
, povtunites afforded him for brilliant SCI
vice and rapid development, Wheth,
the grandson of the famous Iron Prime
| will he an Improvement or the man VIII
, has Just died In point of ability and EN-
nent public service is a question whic
the future alone car Determine.