Story of the Life Work of the Late Prince
Bismarck Ranks First Among the
Statesmen of Modern Times.
Prince Bismarck Is dead , and all
Germany Is In mourning. Germans in
every land are sorrowful because ho
that was the founder of the great em
pire is no more , and people of every
civilized race lament the death of the
master hand that changed the map
of Europe from what it wae in 18C3
to what it is in 1898. Even in France
Bismarck is not hated. He was a
worthy foe , and the French love a
hero.
Bismarck's life would read like a ro
mance were he not a Prussian. His
inarch to fame was steady , and never
for a moment retrogaded.
LIFE OF PRINCE BISMARCK.
Sketch of the Career of the "Iron
Chancellor" of Germany.
Karl Otto Eduard Leopold von Bis
marck Cchoenhausen , diplomatist and
statesman , prince of the German em
pire and field marshal-general , came of
a Brandenburg family which traces its
records back to the fourteenth century.
The family came originally from Sten-
dal , a district about sixty miles from
Berlin. Bismarck himself was born
April 1 , 1S15 , at Schoenhausen , which
for a long time was his favorite seat ,
and the name of which he added to nis
own to distinguish himself from the
many other branches of his family.
The family quitted Burgstall , near the
town of Stendal , toward the begin
ning cf the seventeenth century in
consequence of troubles v/ith the elec
tor John George , and took up its resi
dence in Schoenhausen. There have
been fifteen Bismarcks in direct line
from the prince who has just died back
to the first whose name has been pre
served , who lived nearly 600 years ago.
It is a stock of powerful virility , shot
through and through in all its branches
with energy. Cool diplomacy , eccen
tricity that is full of method , intoler
ance of opposition , with a touch of the
true Mephislopheliau humor those
have been characteristics of the Bis
marcks as far back as their genius has
been matter for study and record.
Prlnco Ulsrnarck's Youth.
Prince Bismarck in youth showed no
trace , according to the best of his
German biographers , of 'the qualities
that later won him the title of "the
man of blood and iron. " In his sixth
3'ear he was sent from the family resi
dence on the Kniephcf estate in Pc-
merania to an educational institute in
PRINCE BISMARCK.
Berlin , where , it is said , "the extreme
severity of the treatment wounded tne
boy's soft nature. He had found his
"brother Bernhard there , but still he
suffered greatly from homesickness ,
and could not watch the plowman
plowing the fields without giving way
to tears. The two boys passed from one
Berlin school to another , according to
their progress and ages , and later the
direction of their studies was confided
'to private tutors. " During this time
Otto was a pupil of the great theolo
gian , Schleiermacher , who also con
firmed him in the Lutheran commun
ion. The tutor who at this time had
liim in charge says he was a lad of
singularly quick apprehension and of
excellent memory. From the private
instructor he passed to the university
of Goettingen in 1832. It was intend
ed that he should study jurisprudence ,
Tmt he disappointed his parents and
justified the observation of his early
tutor in showing no especial liking or
ven aptitude for any study but that nf
history. The history of his own coun
try was a passion with him. As ? o :
the rest of student life , young Bismarck
was ready for It all. His "soft nature"
.had now become so thoroughly subju
gated that it Is recorded that In three
semesters at the university he fought
no less than twenty-seven duels , in
every one of wich ho was victorious.
la Prussian I ancltifj ,
In the early part of the year of his
marriage Bismarck was elected a mem
ber of the newly constituted Prussian
landtag. It was a time of popular
ferment. Radicalism was on the in
crease. The common people were
showing a disposition to question the
righteousness of every time-honored
prerogative , and not a ruler but felt
his throne a-tremble with the premon
itions of the storm that was to break
in the coming year. Bismarck was
now 32 years old. The day of his birth
had dawned but a few years after his
country had begun its feeble and seem
ingly hopeless struggle against dis
memberment at the hands of Napoleon
I. In ISO ? Bismarck's discouraged
countrymen had seen 150,000 French
troops encamped upon soil that nour
ished but 4,000,000 Prussians , who had
to pay Napoleon a war indemnity that
amounted to $75 for every man , wo
man and child. Baron von Stein , For
eign Minister von Hardenberg anil
War Minister Scharnhorst were labor
ing to kindle Prussian patriotism and
solidify the remnant of the state.
Three months before the banishment to
St. Helena of the author of this ruin
was born Bismarck , who should re
trieve the wreck.
Opposes Constitutional Reform.
The young member of the house of
burgesses was unmoved by the mutterings -
terings of democracy. He scorned the
movement of the people , believing
sculfully in the ability of the aristoc
racy to maintain wliat he believed to
be its divine prerogative that of gov
erning. The broken pledges of King
Frederick William III. to give his people
ple a written constitution had receiv
ed new sanction from Frederick Wil
liam IV. , who was no more willing
than his predecessor had been to ful
fill his promises. In the speech from
the throne he declared to the united
diet that he would suffer nothing to
change the natural relation between
sovereign and people ; no conventional ,
constitutional regime should intervene ;
never would he consent that a written
document should intrude between the
Lord God in heaven and his country
in place of the ancient faith. Such
royal tenacity promised ill for consti
tutional reforms. Bismarck wanted no
constitutional reforms. He bluntly
told the united diet it had no excuse
for convening. Those who had sus
pected the young man of "liberalism"
saw their mistake. When an assault
on the Ho'henzollerns woke him up it
awoke the most ardent of royalists-
one who saw no place in the human
order for democracy ; one who saw
even in constitutionalism only a tem
porizing expedient for use in critical
situations. Bismarck saw in the con
test a struggle between the principles
of order and the principles of dis
order a contest which was not to be
decided by debates and majorities.
"Sooner or later the God of battles
must cast the die. "
Leader of the Conservatives.
In the second session of the Prus
sian landtag (1850-1) Bismarck was
recognized as the leader of the con
servatives. At its close he was ap
pointed Prussian minister plenipoten
tiary in the Frankfurt diet. Here he
showed himself the firm opponent of
Austrian pretensions. But a brief ex
perience at Frankfurt convinced him
that little was to be hoped for under
the existing constitution. Already he
had come to believe that the malady
of the country could be healed only "by
fire and sword. " The tedium of his
pest at Frankfurt was interrupted by
diplomatic missions to Vienna and
Pesth (1862) , to some of the South
German courts , and (1855) ( to the Ein-
peror Napoleon at Paris.
In January , 1859 , he was appointed
ambassador at St. Petersburg. Hera
he remained three years , and ingrati
ated himself with many leading per
sonages in Russian society. In May ,
1852 , he went to Paris as ambassador ,
from which post he was recalled in
September to become Prussian minis
ter-president and chief adviser to the
king. Both as regards domestic and
foreign affairs his position at first was
one of extreme difficulty. At home he
found himself engaged in constant con
flict with the liberal majority of the
landtag en developing the constitu
tional system and assuming control
over the military budget , which Bis
marck was determined to retain in the
hands of the crown. Abroad he found
himself menaced by Austria , which
was striving to obtain the hegemony of
Germany , and by Emperor Napoleon ,
whose eyes were fixed on Belgium and
the Rhine provinces. The skillful
diplomacy by which he averted the lat
ter dangers was unknown to the pub
lic , and his open defiance of the par
liamentary majority made him ex
tremely unpopular in Prussia.
Schleswlg-IIol teln Question.
The tide began to turn when he
brought the Schleswig-Holstein ques
tion (1S63-4) to a successful conclusion.
By extraordinary firmness and adroit
diplomacy he succeeded in excluding
the interference cf neutral powers and
in securing the duchies for Germany.
After the Danes had been driven from
these states he asserted that they must
be annexed to Prussia , and refused to
allow the creation of a new semi-inde-
FRIEDRICHSRUH. BISMARCK'S
LATE HOME.
pendent principality on the northern
frontier cf the kingdom. The dispute
with Austria over this question became
so violent that it was plain it must
eventually end in war. Bismarck's
greatest anxiety during this period waste
to secure the neutrality of France
without buying it by the cession of
German territory. In this he was
completely successful , chiefly owing to
Napoleon's mistaken belief that the
war would end In the defeat and hu
miliation of Prussia.
Attempt on IIU Life.
On May 7 , IsSS , an attempt was made
on Bismarck's life by a youth named
Lionel Cohen , who hoped to avert the
coming struggle in Germany by the
assassination of the unpopular minis
ter. Bismarck escaped with a trifling
wound. On June It the federal coun
cil , by a majority of nine votes to six ,
declared war against Prussia. Among
the states which supported Austria
were Hanover , Saxony and Hesse.
Within the next few days the three
states were overrun and disarmed by
Prussia. Before the end of June tha
Prussian armies had crossed into Bo
hemia ; July 3 the Austrians were .le-
feated in one of the decisive battles of
the world that of Sadowa or Konig-
gralz. Bismarck was by King Wil
liam's side throughout the combat. At
its close the resistance of Austria was
over ; but all Bismarck's diplomatic
skill was required to prevent the fruits
of victory being snatched from his
grasp by Emperor Napoleon.
Treaty of Peace.
After prolonged conferences at Ni-
kolsburg , the definite treaty of peace
was concluded at Prague , August , 18GS.
By this treaty the German bund was
dissolved , a North German confedera
tion under the presidency of Prussia
was erected , and Hanover , Schleswig-
Holstein , Hesse and a large part of
Saxony was annexted to Prussia. The
supremacy of Austria in Germany was
at an end , and that of Prussia estab
lished. The war of 186G left Bismarck
the most popular man next to the king
in Prussia. But he still had his diffi
culties with the parliament , for die
liberals and the radicals continueu
their efforts to establish a constitu
tional regime on the English model ,
and Bismarck was equally determined
not to weaken the position of the crown
or to resign its control over the mili
tary organization. He well knew that
a greater conflict than that of 18C6 lay
before the country.
* p *
Mf M
5 * ' - * * ' lf. " * " % Sfe < ' f *
THE MEETING OF BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON AFTER SEDAN.
, Chancellor of the North German Con >
federation.
In 1S67 he became chancellor of the
North German confederation. For
three years he was engaged in prepar
ing for the struggle with France , which
as he foresaw , was Inevitable. Deeply
mortified by the results of the Sadowa
campaign and the Nikolsburg confer
ence , and knowing that his position in
France was becoming daily more un
certain , Napoleon was only awaiting
an opportunity to attack Prussia , rely
ing on the assistance of Austria , or at
least of the south German states. After
ineffectual attempts to make an excuse
for war out or the Luxemburg question ,
and even of that of the St. Gothard
railway , Louis Napoleon found one in
the candidature of Prince Leopold of
Hohenzollern for the throne of Spain.
In Berlin there was little reluctance
toward a war , for which Prussia was
infinitely better prepared than Franco ,
but Bismarck's astute diplomacy put
Napoleon III completely in the wrong ,
and compelled him to force on hostil
ities by a series cf insults to the Prus
sian nation and its popular sovereign.
Bismarck's Shrewd Stroke ,
The wanton and apparently unpro
voked aggression of the French emper
or roused the spirit of the whole Ger
man people , and Bavaria and Wurtem-
berg entered into the war with alac
rity. A master stroke of Bismarck's
policy diverted the sympathy of the
neutral powers , and especially that of
England , from the French. On July
25 he published in the Times a draft
treaty drawn up by the French am
bassador , Benedetti , according to which
Prussia and France were to arrange
for the annexation of Belgium by the
latter power. Bismarck had received
the draft in Benedetti's handwriting
as far back as 18C7 , but had adroitly
contrived to avoid committing himself
to a decisive reply. The effect on Eu
ropean and English public opinion was
instantaneous. On July 19 Bismarck
announced in the reichstag that France
had declared war. On July 31 Bis
marck left Berlin with the king and
the headquarters staff of the German
army. He was present in the earlier
battles of the eventful campaign that
followed. On the night of Sept. 2 he
arranged with the Emperor Napoleon
the preliminaries which led to the ca
pitulation of Sedan. In October he
moved with tUe king to Versailles and
took up his quarters in a house in the
Rue de Provence , whenct he directed
the foreign policy of the federation and
received and repulsed the attacks cf
the French provisional government to
make peace on easy terms , and the
efforts of the neutral states at media
tion.
Work for the German Empire.
At the same time that he was dic
tating terms of peace which compelled
France to restore to Germany the prov
inces of Alsace and Lorraine , which
Louis XIV. had taken , and to pay a
war indemnity of nearly § 1,000,000,000
or three times the amount exacted
from Prussia by Napoleon I. Bis
marck was not losing sight of his am
bitions for the house of Hohenzollern.
He now concerned himself with the
transformation of the North German
bund into the German empire. The
free town of Frankfort had received a
Prussian garrison , in spite of Indig
nant protests , immediately after the
war with Austria ; Hanover was incor
porated with the Germanic confedera
tion , and at the close of 1866 Bismarck
had concluded with Eavaria , Baden and
Wurtemberg treaties of peace and al
liances offensive and defensive , with a
proviso that in the event of war Prus
sia should have the chief military com
mand. The North German confedera
tion , organized in 18C7 , which compris
ed twenty-two states , represented a
population of 22,000,000. The king of
Prussia was at the head of this power
ful combination , and a federal council ,
composed of delegates of the different
states , was established , together with
a dieto or common parliament , the
members of which were elected by uni
versal suffrage. The great work of
making all the states of this confed
eration acknowledge the sovereignty
3f Prussia and the overlordship of the
Hohenzollerns Bismarck's life work
lie accomplished Jan. IS , 1871. At
[ icon on that day the assembled Ger
man princes , with the king of Ba
varia at their head , acclaimed Kins
William as "De-iitscher Kaiser , " and
the chancellor read the solemn proc-
: amaticn which the emperor addressed
to the united peoples of Germany. Ten
days later , after several conferences
between Bismarck and the French for
eign minister , Jules Favre , a truce was
concluded , and the Parisian forts were
[ landed over to the Prussians. On Feb.
21 the negotiations were resumed by
M. Thiers on the part of France , and
an the 26th the French statesman was
forced to agree to the hard conditions
laid down by the conquerors. These
included the cession of Alsace and
3erman-Lorraine and the payment of
i war indemnity of 5,000,000,000 francs.
Dn the first day of the following month
25smarck accompanied the German de-
: achment which marched into Paris.
Dn the 21st he was created a fuerst of
: he empire. This is an untranslatable
: itle , rendered into English "prince , "
ilthough the German word for
prince" is "prinz. " His creation as
icunt dates from 1S65.
Chancellor of the Kmplrc.
Prince Bismarck had already been
icminated , Jan. 19 , 1871 , chancellor of
.he reconstituted empire. May 10 he
ligned the definite treaty with France
it Frankfort. On June 1C , arrayed in
he uniform of his regiment , the Mag-
lebm-g cuirassiers , he rode in the
; rand procession which celebrated the
eturn of the victorious troops to Berj j
in. On cither side of him rode Count
on Moltke and the war minister. Von
loon , and close bohina them came the
Smperor William.
After the Franco-Prussian war , and
ip to the time of his disagreement
with Emperor William II. and retirement -
ment , Prince Bismarck held a position
almost unique among the European
statesmen. He was the controlling
force in international politics and the
arbiter of peace and war. His chief
aim was to avoid conflicts between
which more than
the great powers
once threatened , and to preserve the
peace of Europe. With this object ho
exerted himself to prevent war be
tween England and Russia , -which
seemed likely to arise out of the events
in the Balkan peninsula in 1877. It
was chiefly through his efforts that the
great congress of Berlin ( June , 1878) ,
for the settlement of the eastern ques
tion was held and brought to a satis
factory conclusion by the treaty which
settled , for the time at least , the rela
tions of the states of southeasern Eu
rope to Turkey and each other.
As chancellor of the empire Bis
marck made it his task to consolidate
it with authoritative and stable institu
tions within , while forming alliances
and political combinations which
would secure it from attack from with
out. Fearing the influence of the
church of Rome as rivaling the power
of the state with its doctrine of papal
in fallibility , he was led many ob
servers deem unfortunately into the
long and bitter struggle with the Vat
ican known as the Kulturkampf. Un
der his lead laws of great severity ,
known as the Falk laws or May laws ,
were passed by parliament , beginning
in 1873 , by which many hundred Jesu
its were banished and several Roman
Catholic bishops were imprisoned for
refusal of obedience , and many schools
and churches were closed.
Ouarrel with TVllhelm II.
It is no easy task for any man to
govern in the nineteenth century on
feudal principles , especially one whose
nature is imperious , whose will is un
bending and whose realm is not yet
thoroughly welded together. Annoy
ance at the balking of his plans at cer
tain points joined v/ith herculean la
bors and vast responsibilities and with
the burden of advancing age to redjce
his strength. The young emperor
wished no instruction from any one ,
and he may well have seemed to the as
tute but wearied Bismarck a problem
the solution of which he would prefer
to leave to time and to other investi
gators rather than to hasten it actively
in his own person. The aged states
man found his young sovereign eager
to assume the personal control of all
matters relating to the empire , and
when the empercr. restive under the
restraint of tha veteran , announced his
determination to assume absolute con
trol of all public affairs and declared
further that Bismarck was assuming
rights as chancellor which were the
prerogatives of the emperor , it was im
possible fcr the prince to continue ia
the service of the state. For a long
time there was a breach between the
independent old chancellor and his for
mer master , but the German people
were loyal to Bismarck , en whcra tney
fancied the empercr had put numerous
slights. In 1894 came an urgent invi
tation to the ex-chancellor to visit his
sovereign at Berlin. Bismarck accept
ed the offer of reconciliation , and the
ivhole city rose to meet him in an ex
pression of intense popular regard.
BISMARCK LEAVING EMPEROR'S
PALACE AFTER RESIGNING.
rhe emperor afterward returned this
visit at Friedrichsruh.
Bereavement Hastened the End.
More than any other csu fthe
Jeath of Prince Bismarck's wife hast
ened his end. It is said the cx-chaa-
seller was never the same after he Lur-
ied the princess in Varsin in Novem
ber , 1S94. The princess left thro * * r-hil-
: lren Ccuntess Marie , torn in 8 311-
liausen Aug. 21. 1S-13 , and now Count
ess von Ratzau ; Herbert , born in Ber
lin Dec. 2S , IS49. and married to Mar-
jjuerite , Countess Ilcycs. and William ,
born in Frankfort-on-llie-Main Aug. 1 ,
1S52 , and married to Sybille vcn
Kroehlcndcrff. The marriage of Bis
marck's daughter is childless ; Herbert
is the father of three and William of
'our children. Herbert , the eldest sen ,
succeeds to his great father's estate.
It wns therefore very much to Bis
marck's chagrin that he did not inarry
into the German nobility , but rho e
wife of Huns-riar. "
in Austrian - cxira"-
.ian. This marriage w.s so much the
siore painful to the ell man because
it happened only two years after the
'orced resignation of the iron ohanrol-
or. It was only very gradually that
Bismarck becurne reconciled to this
'Austrian alliance , " as he was went tc
: all the marriase.
A Scarred Wtor.in.
"Mi j. Dullick is making a great war
ecord , isn't ha ? "
"I'd like to know hew you make that
nit. He's still here. "
"I know , but he's making all the
lag presentation speeches as the var-
ous companies are being sent away
o the front. "
The right of cornea to vote at a
school meeting for a director of a dis
trict is held , in Harris Vs. Burr ( Or. )
39 L. R. A. 768 , to be allowel by a con
stitutional provisioa limiting to male
citizens the right to vote "at all elec
tions authorized by law , " where an
other provision gives th legislature
power to provide a system of common
schools.
Despite tne circumstantial story
credited to the lady herself , that Lieu
tenant Hobson and Miss Lelia Cook ,
of Oswego , are engaged to be married ,
the gentleman says he has not the hon
or of Miss Cook's acquaintance.
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