The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-23
BISMARCK

a statesman and his imperishable
services to Prussia and Germany
are historical facts of such tremend-
Gus significance that there is doubtless
no man in existence, whatever his
party affiliations, who would dare to
place them in question. For this very
reason alone it is stupid to accuse me
OF not having recognized the greatness
of Prince Bismarck. The opposite is
the truth. l revered and idolized him.
Nor could it be otherwise. 1t should
be borne in mind with what genera
ton | grew up-the generation of the
deVotees of Bismarck. He was the
creator of the German Empire, the
paladin of my grandfather, and all of
US considered him the greatest states
man of his day and were proud that
he was German. Bismarck was the
idol in my temple, whom l worshipped.
But monarchs also are human beings
of flesh and blood, hence they, too, are
exposed TO the influence emanating
from the conduct of others; therefore,
looking at the matter from a human
point of view, one will understand how
Prince Bismarck, by his fight against
me, himself destroyed, with heavy
blows, the idol of which have spoken.
But my reverence for Bismarck, the
great statesman, remained unaltered.
While | was still Prince of Prussia
/ often thought to myself: 81 hope
that the great Chancellor will live for
many years yet since | should be safe
if | could govern with him" But my
reverence for the great statesman was
not such as to make me take upon my
own shoulders, when | became Emper-
or, political plans or actions of the
Prince which l considered mistakes.
EfUnn the Of RnrIin in 1878
was. to my way of thinking, a mistake,
likewise the 'Kulturkampf" More
over, the constitution of the empire
was drawn up so as to fit in with Bis
marck's extraordinary preponderance
as statesman; the big curassier
boots did not fit every man.
Then came the labor protective leg
islation. / most deeply deplored the
dispute which grew out of this, but, at
that time, ii was necessary for me to
take the road to compromise, which
has generally been my road both in
domestic and foreign politics. Fol-
this reason l could not wage the open
warfare against the Social Democrats
which the Prince desired. Neverthe
less, this quarrel about political meas
ures cannot lessen my admiration for
the greatness of Bismarck as states
German Empire, and surely no one
man need have done more for his
country than that
Owing to the fact that the great mat
ter OF unifying the empire was always
before my eyes, | did not allow my
self to be influenced by the agitations
which were the commonplace of those
s days. In like manner, the fact thai
Bismarck was called the majordomC
of the HohenZollerns could not shake
my trust in the Prince, although he
perhaps, had thoughts of a politica
tradition for his family. AS evidence
of this, he felt unhappy, for instance
that his son Bill felt no interest il
politics and wished to pass on his pow
er to Herbert.
His Grandfather's Successor.
The tragic element for me, in the Bis
marck case, lay in the fact that l be
came the successor of my grandfathe
in other words, that l skipped ont
generation, to a certain extent. Ant
that is serious thing. In such a cas-,
one is forced to deal constantly witt
old deserving men, who live more il
the past than in the present, and can
not grow into the future. When tn
grandson succeeds his grandfather AM
finds revered but old statesman o
the stature of Bismarck, it is not
piece OF good luck for him, as on
might suppose, and l, in fact, supposed
Bismarck himself points that out i
the third volume of his memoirs &
400, when he speaks, in the chapte
about Boetticher, of the oldish cautio
of the Chancellor, and of the youn
Emperor
And when BALM had the Prince cas-
a glance over the new harbor of Han
burg, Bismarck himself felt that a ne1
era had begun which he no longe
thoroughly understood. On that o.
casion the Prince remarked, in aston
ishment: Another world, a me-
world."
This point OF view also showed itse
on the occasion OF the visit of Admire
Won Tirpitz at Friedrichsruh, at tn
time when he wished to win the oil
imperial Chancellor over to favorin
the first navy bill
As for me personally, l have the sa
isfaction of recalling that BismarC
entrusted to me in 1886 the very del
cate Brest mission, and said of me
Some day that man will be his ow
Chancellor" This shows that Bi
marck must have had some belief
me.
feel no grudge against him for II
third volume Of his "reminiscences.
released this volume after had sougl
and obtained my right. To Withhold
the volume any longer would have bee
pointless, since the main contents he
become known already through indi
cretions; were this not true, the
might have been varying opinions
to the advisability ii the choice of Il
time for publication. Bismarck wou
turn over in his grave if he could kno
at what time the third volume a
peared, and what consequences it ha
/ should be honestly grieved if Il
third volume had damaged the mel
DRY of the great Chancellor, becau
Bismarck is one of the heroic figur
whom the German people need
their regeneration. My gratitude al
reverence for the great Chancell
cannot be impaired or extinguish
by the third volume nor by anythil
else whatever
In the first half of the eighties HI
been summoned to the foreign Off
at the behcst of Prince Bismarck;
was then presided over by Count HI
bert Bismarck. Upon reporting n
self to the Prince ne gave me she
sketch of the personages employed
the foreign office, and when he nam