Year: 1870

OOCNL


The meeting Of the German Fedora
Parliament" says the New York Tribune


has given occasion to many scenes Of
profound interest. In the session of the
second day Count Bismarck presented a
summary view Of the situation, comment


ing with caustic severity on the alleged


causes of the war, and exposing the de-


ceitful pretensions of the Imperial Gov


ernment. A spectator of the proceedings


of the occasion gives dramatic sketch OF
Bismarck in a letter to Vienna journal"
1.-The President had already closed the ses-
sion, and the members were about leaving


the hall, when he rose, and requested them
to again take their seats, as the Chancellor of
the Confederation had communication to


make to the House. A general murmur was


heard, and the crowd pressed into the CALLER


les, in order to gain better sight. Bismarck
then made his appearance, his checks pale


and deep furrows under his eyes. A broad


shoudered, strong boned figure, in the uni


form of cavalry Colonel dark blue with yell


low The yellow of his uniform collar con-


trasted strangely with the deadly paleness of


his face. He took his place at the left of the


President Near him lay black leather


portfolio In this was concealed the fate of


two nations. He searched for the key, and


opened the little brass lock. Then he drew


out few sheets of paper-sheets in which


lay the dreadful war that was to destroy so


many thousand lives, and bring so many fam


lilies to ruin. He gave hasty glance at the


first and then began TO speak. There was


the stiffness of death. Count Bismarck is no


orator, in the usual sense of the term. He


speaks without fluency and with little pathos


He has nothing less at heart than this. His


words come out in broken form. He ex-


presses what he has to say only in short sem


tences. He often hesitates. He makes


pauscs, and then hesitates again. His Ian
guage never flows in living stream. His
speeches, which read as if they came from
single gush, are always fragmentary when
they fall from his lips. You see that he Ia
bors as he speaks. One who heard him to-
day for the first time might believe that the
burden of the feelings that weighed upo; his
heart almost took away his breath, that every
word was wrung out from the depths of his
inner man. Yet he always speaks in this
way. While he expresses himself with the
utmost facility in private conversation, his
language becomes slow and difficult as soon
as he addresses public assembly. What he
said to the excited and eager members of the
H use is already known to every one that
reads the newspapers. 1t was the keenest
and most subtle criticism of the prctenses on
which the French Government had gone to
war. A slight vein of irony ran through
his whole discourse, the effect of which on
the hea-er was heightened by the subdued
tone of its delivery. Not line in the coun-
tenance of the Chancellor was altered, as he
took up one sheet after another, and declared
its contents. No mocking contradiction of
1t, l.. 4. I.
made against the cabinet OF Napoleon. No
trace of approval or Of disapproval betrayed
his personal interest in the subject. In the
same quiet business-lke manner, he called
the declaration of war, s'the only official COM
munication which he had received from the
Imperial Government in the whole affair"
analyzed the private negotiations which had
been entertained between the ministry and the
French ambassadors characterized the inter-
view al Ems; and, finally, referred to the un-
successful attempt at mediation by England.
The last sheet was the French original of the
declaration of war-a piece of paper like all
the rest-dist:nsa;shoa by no special mark
as Bismarck there took it in his hand not
even by the slightest change in his features,
or the least wavering of his tone; he coldly
that the text of the declaration of
war was already known in the German trans
lation, and asked the Parliamentto excuse him
for the unfinished sketch of circular to the
foreign ministers this was the last word of
Bismarck in the session, at which no one could
have been present, without being penetrated
with the power and wide bearing of acts, which
it took but twenty or thirty minutes, and six
or seven pieces of paper, to make unchange-
able. We who have hitherto become acquant-
ed with historical documents only after they
have grown mouldy in the archives, here had
them before us in their fresh odor and their
modern aspect. There is nothing there to be
seen of sentiment or enthusiasm; all this
comes afterward-after the flow of tears and
blood. And of these, we shall this time have
no lack"