Year: 1871

Bismarck is said to be charming in private
conversation, full of humor and amusing sal
lies, but exchanging this amenity for coldness
and harshness when business becomes the
topic. He was early noted in the diplomatic
world for an affectatiOn of sincerity, sort OF
bold'and blunt avowal of his designs; and
that at time when his views were so para
doxica that they seemed to border on insani-
ty. Akin to this indiscretion is the cynicism
with which he loves to provoke the liberals or
to startle the men of routine. He had hardly
been raised to the rank of Prime Minister in
1862, when, in a committee of the House, he
broke out in the celebrated programme: "Not
by parliamentary speeches, nor by the votes
OF majority, are the great questions of the
day to be solved, but by this iron and fire w
or the same sort was the no less famous say
ing about the superiority of might over right


Prince Won Bismarck is politician OF Fred
erick the Greats school, with very little rub


bish ln his head, very few scrIples in his con-


science, and very little respect for public


opinion-early and deeply impressed with the


conviction that success is like charity, and


covers multitude of sins. But at the same


time success was never for him what it was


for Napoleon III-a lottery prize to be Sc


cured by luck OF. trickery-but, on the con-


trary, great aim to be cOmpassed by all the


resources of human ingenuity. Bismarck has


dealt with politics as Moltke with war, leav-


ing nothing to chance. No statesman, l


hold, ever brought to his task such precision


OF views, such depth of purpose; none has


provided with SO much fOrethOu9ht against


all contingencies, has brought SO carefully In.


to his hands all the threads of the most intri-


cate affairs, and has sprung under the feet of


his enemies mines so deeply laid and long pre-
pared. A rare mixture of Discrimination and
audacity, of strength and cunning.


The chief drawback in Bismarck's charac-
ter Is his want OF sympathy for liberal ideas,
and his want of insight into the tendencies of
modern society. He is a true Prussian Junk
er, full of the prejudices OF his caste. Moth
ing can exceed his adherence for the copdi.
tons of government in constitutional mon
| archies his disdain of ministerial responsible
ty or diplomatic blne books. Who can doubt
his uHttness to remain at the head of the
Prussian monarchy or of the German empire,
| when, the work of territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


being over, party questions and party discus
siOns are revived? Bismarck is essentially the
| man of the task he had singled out for him
self, the hero set apart by Providence for re-
alizng the manifest destiny" of the Teuton-
ic race. He is a politicion of the old school,
with war and intrigue as his special vocation


His prototype, as have already said, is Car
dinal Richelieu, and he may be allowed to


have even surpassed Richelieu, if we consider


the difficulties he had to surmount, the mag.


nitude of the end he set before him. and the
completeness with which he has reached it.


Happen what may, he has done enough for


his fame. He may very likely carry his
views farther, looking npon his work as Only
half done, he may wish to extend the sway OF
Germany over all those Germania lands that
still lie beyond it, but the essential part of his
work is done. Let Bismarck die or be DIS
missed tomorrow, it does not signify much
for Germany is made, and TO all appearance


cannot be again rnmade.-Lippincotts Mag
dzine