Year: 1873

Absence.


The foreign mails bring details
explanatory of the recent cable
news that Bismark is about to re-
tire from the Prussian Cabinet. It
appears from the correspondence of
the London News that the present
crisis in his fortunes has many
points in common with that Of last
winter, when,. dissatisfied with the
, action of Herrenhaus on the Couu-
ties Reform bill, he retired sulkily
to Varzin.


"At any rate" says the cores
ponden ,."a leading element in the
affair is Prince Bismarcks g petu-
lance; and, as was the case six
months ago, it has driven him into
temporary retirement at Varzin.
He has, moreover, a two-sided
strife, with Marshal Won Room and
the Prussian Ministry on the one
hand, and with the parliament on
the other. The refusal of the par
lament to bow to his commands
on the military bill, which was re-
jected, adds one more proof that
he is losing to a certain extent his
power over the people, and, above
all, the politicians of Germany" =.


The scandal about the proposed
press law came in to aggravate the
situation. In respect to that un-
fortunate scheme Prince Bismarck
either played a very equivocal part
or be honestly believed himself
unfairly treated by his colleagues
in the ministry. 1t is not denied
that the bill was sent to the Bun
dersrath in his name, and this fact
is in itself suspicious, since the
press is ordinarily left to the tender
mercies of the interior department..
He maintains that he did not read
the bill, and that he sanctioned it
only in the name of the Prussian
Government. The Prussian Gov
ernment afirms just the contrary.
Now, il the Princes story be cor
rect-if his colleagues have basely
thrown him over to quiet the storm
raised by the press bill-he has
certainly a very solid grievance
agains them. In the interest of
truth it must be said that outside
of his own circle of immediate fol-
lowers nobody believes his story.
He made serious mistake-one of
the most Serious Of his life-with
the infamous press law; and he
suddenly found arrayed against
him the parliament, the ministry
and the press. Still LIE trusted ap-
parentIy to his power over the En-
peror, and, forgetting his rebuff Of
lost winter, he few to Babelsberg|
to seek satisfaction.


The result of the visit will be
called q success or defeat, accord
ing as one ascribes good faith or
duplicity to the visitor himself.
He certainly received a favorable
answer to his prayer. He asked
for leave of absence, and the En-
peror granted it. He granted it,
too, with extraordinary tormalities,
calculated to impress at once the
Prince himself, and all who wit
messed them. 1t was On the clos
ing day Of the session. Marshal
Won Room appeared at the session
in tull dress uniform, a costume
with which he always sets off any
unusual political ceremony, and
calling Prince Bismarck aside,
informed him calmly that he had
been instructed by his Majesty to
say that his request for indefinite
release from attendance at the
meetings Of the Prussian ministry
had been granted. There was no
mistake about the significance OF
Won Rooms message, and the man.
ner in which he delivered it. lie
was again the victor. Bismarck,
according to all human appear
ances, had thrown down his resig-
nation as an u,timatum, and he
was doubtless greatly surprised
when the Emperor quietly accepted
it. But he was more cunning this
time than last winter. He did not
resign absolutely. He asked to be
excused indefinitely from further
meeting with the ministry; but he
has left a loophole through which
he can return without too great hu-
initiation, if he has at any time the
wish.


For the waning popularity of
Prince Bismarck there are other
J. reasons of a more general nature,