Year: 1878

Gen. Grants visit to Bismarck, when in
Berlin month ago, appears to have been a
cordial and hearty affair At the time ap-
pointed, says the Berlin correspondent of the
New York Herald, the General went on foot
to Bsmarcks residence, and, as soon as his
name was announced. was received in the en-
trance hall with great cordiality by Bismarck
himself We abridgc the account of the in
terview, as follows:


The Prince wore an officers uniform, and
on taking the Generals hand says he, "Glad
TO welcome General Grant to Germany"


The General answered that there was no in
cident in his German tour that more interest
ed him than this opportunity Of meeting the
Prince. Bismarck expressed surprise at see
ing the General so young a man, but on
comparison of age it was found that Bismarck
was only seven years the Generals senior.


That, said the Prince, shows the value
of military life, for here you have the frame
of n young man. while l feel like an old
man."


The General, smiling, announced that he
was Mt that period of life when he could have
no higher compliment than being called a
young man. By this time the Prince had es-
corted the General to a chair.


One of the Prince'stirst questions was about
Gen. Sheridan


The General and J." said the Prince,
Were fellow campaigners in France, and we
became great friends"


General Grant said that he had had letters
from Sheridan recently, and he was quite
well


Sheridan" said the Prince, seemed to be
a man of great ability"


Yes" answered the General. Il regard
Sheridan as not only one of the great soldiers
of our war, hut one of the great soldiers of
the world-as a man who is fit for the highest
commands"


Prince Bismarck then said the Emperor was
especially sorry that he could not in person
show General Grant n review, and that the
Crown Prince would give him one. But"
said the Prince, 'the old gentleman is so
much of a soldier and so fond of his army
that nothing would give him more pleasure
than to display it to so great a soldier as your
self"


The General said that he had accepted the
Crown Princes invitation to a review for next
morning, but with a smile continued: '.The
truth is am more of n farmer than soldier
l take little or no interest in military affairs 1"


You are so happily placed" said the
Prince, lin America that you need fear no
wars. What always seemed so sad to me
about your last great war was that you were
fighting yOur own people. That is always SO
terrible in wars, very hard"


But il had to he done" said the general


Yes" said the Prince you had TO save
the Union just as We had to save Germany"


Not only save the Union, but destroy
slavery" answered the General.


Il suppose, however, the Union was the
real sentiment, the dominant sentiment, said
the Prince.


In the beginning, yes" said the General /:
''but as soon as slavery fired upon the flag it
was felt, We all felt, even those who did not
object to slaves, that slavery must be destroy
ed. We felt that it was a stain to the Union
that men should be bought and sold like cat
tie"


Il suppose if you had had large army at
the beginning of the war it would have end
ed in much shorter time"


1--WE might have had no war at all, ," said the
General ''but we cannot tell. Our war had
many strange features-many things which
seemed odd enough at the time, but which
now seem providential. If we had had
large regular army as it was then constituted,
it might have gone with the South. In fact,
the southern feeling in the army among high
officers was so strong that when the war
broke out the army dissolved. We had no
army-then We had to organize one. great
commander like Sherman or Sheridan even
then might have organized an army and put
down the rebellion IN SIX months or year,
or, at the furthest, two years But that
would have saved slavery, perhaps, and slav-
cry meant the germs of new rebellion. There
had to be an end of slavery Then we were
fighting an enemy with whom We could not
make a peace. We had TO destroy him. No
convention, no treaty was possible-Only de-
struction."


1T was long war, said the Prince, 'and
a great work well done-and 1 suppose it
means long peace"


Il believe so, said the General.


The Prince asked the General when he
might have the pleasure of seeing Mrs Grant
The General answered that she would receive
him at any convenient hour.


Then, said the Prince, Il will come to-
morrow before the Congress meets.


Both gentlemen arose and the General re-
newcd the expression of his pleasure at hav-
ing seen a man who was so well known and
so highly esteemed in America.


General" answered the Prince, ''the
pleasure and the honor are mine. Germany
and America have always been in so friendly
a relation that nothing delights MS more than
to meet Americans and especially an Ameri-
can who has done so much for his country
and whose name is so much honored in Ger
many as your own"


The Prince and the General walked side by
side to the door, and after shaking hands the
General passed into the square. The guard
presented arms and the General lit fresh
cigar and slowly strolled home.