Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1898)
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 was In 18(18 to what it is In 1898. Even in Franco 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 wag steady, and never for a moment retrogaded. LIFE OF PRINCE BISMARCK. Sketch of the Career of the “Iron j Chancellor” of 4J«rinany. Karl Otto Eduard Leopold von Bis marck Cchoenhausen, diplomatist and statesman, prince of the German em pire and fieid marshal-general, came cf 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 himaelf was born April 1, 1815, at Schoenhauccn, which for a long time was bis favorite seat, and the name of which he added to r.is 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 trouble.! with the elec tor John George, and took up its resi dence in Schoenhausea. There have , been fifteen Bismarcks in direct line from the prince who has just died back I to the first whose name has been pre- j served, who lived nearly 630 years ago. ■ It Is a stock of powerful virility, shot i through and through in all Its branches with energy. Cool diplomacy, eecen- j tricity that Is full of method, intoler ance of opposition, with a touch of the true Mephistophelean humor—those have been characteristics of the Bis niarcks as far back as tueir genius cas been matter for study and record. Prince Bismarck'* Youth. Prince Bismarck in youth showed no trace, according to the best of his German biographers, of the qualities j that later won him the title of “the \ man of blood and Iron.” Ln his sixth i year he was cent from the family resi dence on the Kniephof estate in Po merania to an educational institute in y PRINCE BISMARCK. Berlin, where, it is said, “the extreme severity of the treatment wounded toe hoy’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. Schletermacher, who also con firmed him in the Lutheran commun ion. The tutor who at this time had him 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 ho should study jurisprudence, but he disappointed his parents and justified the observation of his early tutor ln showing no especial liking or even aptitude for any study but that <>f T history. The history of his own coun try was a passion with him. As 'sr the rest of student life, young Bismarck was ready for it all. His "soft nature ’ had now become so tnoroughly 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 wlch ho was victorious. In I’rufulnn Lan<tt*(?. In the eariy part of the year cf hla 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 hut felt his throne a-tremb!e 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 ltd feeble and seem ingly hopoleja struggle against dis memberment at the hands of Napoleon I. In 1807 Bismarck's discouraged countrymen had seen 130,000 French troop3 encamped upon soil that nour ished but 4,000,000 Prussians, who had to pay Napoleon a war Indemnity that emounted to $73 for every man, wo man and child. Baron von Stein, For eign Minister ven Hardenberg and War Minister FVharnhorst were labor ing to kindle Prussian patriotism and eolidify the remnant of the state. Three months before the banishment to St. Helena of the author of this ruin was born Btomarck, who should re trieve the wreck. Oppose* Conttltutlonnl Reform. The young member of the house cf burgesses was unmoved by the mut terings of democracy. He scorned the movement of the people, believing soulfully In the ability cf the aristoc racy to maintain What ho believed to be its divine prerogative—that of gov erning. The broken pledges of King Pec rlopiolr TV 1111 o m TIT f o ndva Vila POA. pie 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 hi3 promises. In the speech from the throne he declared to the united diet that be 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 Hohenzollerns 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 ho showed himself the Arm 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 post at Frankfurt was interrupted by diplomatic missions to Vienna and Pesth (1862), to some of the South German courts, and (1855) to the Em peror Napoleon at Paris. I^W—I I --— In January, 1839, he was appointed ambassador at St. Petersburg. Here he remained three years, and ingratl ated himself with many leading per conages 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 on 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 Kmperor Napoleon, w hose eyes were fixed on Belgium and the Rhine province*. 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. Sfhlfmljj.MoUtnln Question. The tide began to turn when he brought the Schleswig-Holstein ques tion (1863-4) to a successful conclusion. By extraordinary firmness and adroit diplomacy he succeeded In excluding the Interference of neutral powers and In securing the duchies for Germany. After the Banes had been driven from these states he assorted that tfcejr must be annexed to Prussia, and refused to allow the creation of a new seml-lnde - -- .. ■"•<*« —» f ». . FRIEDRICHSRUH. BISMARCK'S LATE HOME. pendent principality on the northern frontier of the kingdom. The dispute with Austria over this question became so violent that It waa plain it must eventually end in wet. Bismarck's greatest anxiety luring this period waa to secure the neutrality of France without buying It by the ceeslon 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 HU Life. On May 7, lvC6, tr, attempt was made on Bismarck’s life by a youth named Lionel Cohen, who hoped to avert the coming struggle In Germany l>y the assassination of the unpopular minis ter. Bismarck escaped with a trifling wound. On June 11 the federal coun cil, by a majority of nine votes to Rix, declared war againet 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 the Prussian armies had crossed into Bo hemia; July 3 the Austrians were de feated in one of the decisive battles of the world—that of Sadowa or Konlg gratz. 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 wa3 required to prevent the fruits of victory being snatched from his grasp by Emperor Napoleon. Treaty of Peace. After prolonged conferences at Nl kolsburg. the definite treaty of peace waa concluded at Prague, August. 1866. 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 wa3 annexted to Prussia. The supremacy of Austria in Germany was at an end, and that of Prussia estab lished. The war of 1866 left Bismarck the most popular man next to the king in Prussia. But he still had his diffi culties with the parliament, for the liberals and the radicals continued 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 1866 lav before the country. I _ «.f . .—. « <tt»flBaP3«S,*5Si THE RCITIIIU or BUMtAKC* A\a NAEOUCOB ATI twit SKIIVN. Chancellor of the North German Con federation. In 1867 he became chancellor of the j North German confederation. For three years he wag engaged In prepar j lng for the struggle with France, which j as he foresaw, was inevitable. Deeply I mortified by the results of the Sadowa campaign and the NiKolsburg confer ence, and knowing that his position in France was becoming dally 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 oi the Luxemburg question, and even of that of the St. Gothard railway, Igniis Napoleon found one in the candidature of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern for the throne of Spam. In Berlin there wag little relurtanco toward a war, for which Prussia was Infinitely better prepared than France, but Blgmarck'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. IlUmarrk'* Hlir.nrii Stroke, The wanton and apparently unpro voked aggression of the Frenc’i 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 Bngland, from the French. On July 26 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. UlsmarcK nail receivea the draft In Benedetti’s handwriting as far back as 1867, but had adroitly contrived to avoid committing hlms'lf to a decisive reply. The effect on Eu ropean and English public opinion was Instantaneous. On July 19 Bismarck announced In the relehstag 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 be arranged with the Emperor Napoleon the preliminaries which led to the ca pitulation of Sedan. In October he moved with the king to Versailles and took up his quarters In a house In the Hue de Provence, whenct he directed the foreign policy of the federation and received and repulsed the attacks of the French provisional government to make peace on easy terms, and the efforts of the neutral 3tates at media tion. Work for the Uirmnn Kuiplro. At the same time that he was dic tating terms cf peace which compelled Franco to restore to Germany the prov inces of Alsace and Lorraine, which Louis XIV. had taken, and to pay a war Indemnity ot nearly $1,000,COO,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 inta 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 18o6 Bismarck had concluded with Bavaria, 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 1867, which compris ed twenty-two states, represented a population of 22,090,000. The king of Prussia was at the head of this power ful combination, and a federal council, composed of delegates of the different stales, was estaDiisneu, togemer wun a dleto 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 of Prussia and the overlordship of the Hohe'nzollerns—Bismarck's life work— he accomplished Jan. 18, 1871. At noon on that day the assembled Ger man princes, with the king of Ba varia at their head, acclaimed King William as “Dcutscher Kaiser,” and the chancellor read the solemn proc lamation 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 handed over to the Prussians*. On Feb. 21 the negotiations were resumed by M. Thiers on the part of France, and on 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 German-I-orralne and the payment of a war Indemnity of 5.040.000.000 francs, j On the first day of the following month Bismarck accompanied the German de tachment which marched into Paris. On the 21st he was created a ftierst of the empire. This is an untranslatable title, rendered Into English “prince." I although the German word for “prince” Is "prlnz." Ilk creation a* count date* from 1*65. < h turelior of I tie empire. prime Ulsuiarvk had already been nowluated. Jan. 19, 1*71, chancellor of the reconstituted empire. May 14 ho signed the detinue treaty with France ! at Irankfort On June 16. arrayed In [ Ike uniform of his regiment, the Mag detuiig futrasMlere. he rt*l» In the grand p» s etcsi' ii which celsbrwled the return of the victorious in»|v to ller | tin tin either side of hint rod# Count von Molike and the war uilutster. Von 1 Ituon and cUtee behind them e*»me the i Emperor William After the Franco-Prussian war. and Up to the lime of his di agreement i with Emperor William II. and retire 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 the great powers which more than cnce threatened, and to preserve tho peace of Europe. With this object he 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 Btates of southeaeern 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 falllWllty, he was led—many ob servers deem unfortunately—Into the long and bitter struggle with the Vat ican known ns the Kulturkampf. Un der his load 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. tjmirrrl with Wllhrlm II. It Is no easy task for any man to p-v* *• *4* IlliiricciiUI LC1UU1/ UU 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 with herculean la bors and vast responsibilities and with the burden of advancing age to red ice his strength. The young ecipersr 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 be would prefer to leave to time and to oth"r 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 emperor, restive under the restraint of the veteran, announced hit 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 for the prince to continue In 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, on whom iney fancied the emperor had put numerous slights. In 1394 came an urgent invi tation to the ex-chancellor to visit his sovereign at Berlin. Bismarck accept ed the ofTer of reconciliation, and the whole city rose to meet him in an ex pression of intense popular regard. BISMARCK LEAVING EMPEROR’S PALACE AFTER RESIGNING. The emperor afterward returned thl3 vl3lt at Frledrichsruh. BtranTfinent Hastened the End More than any ether cause, the death of Prince Bismarck’s wife hast ened hi3 end. it is said the ex-chan cellor was never the same after he bur led the princess in Yarzin in Novem ber, 1894. The princess left three chil dren—Countess Marie, torn in 40P ;n hausen Aug. 21. 1848. and new Count ess von Ratiau; Herbert, torn In Ber lin Dec. 2S, 1849. and married to Mar guerite, Countess Hoyos, ami William, born in Frankfort-on-the Main Aug. 1. 1852. and married to Sybille von Kroehleadorff. The marriage of Bis marck’s daughter Is childless; Herbert is the father of three end William of four children. Herbert, the eldest son. ■luccesus to his great father's estate. It was therefore very much to Bis marck’s chagrin that ha did not marry luto the German nobility, but chose | an Austrian wife of Hungarian extra ' ! tion. This marriage was so much the more painful to the old man because It happened only two years after the forced resignation of the Iron chauc*! I lor, It was only very gradually that f Bismarck become reconciled to this | "Austrian alliance,1* as be was went tc call tbe marriage. A HrsirsS Vctcvea. • Ms). |)udick is tusking a great war record, Isn't he?” I "I’d like to kaow bow you make that out. Ilea stilt here." "I kgow, but be'* making all the I daf prssentat.on ijwerhe' #>* it# var i tutu <ompaniea ate being *»ut assy I to the front. ' The right of women to vote at a school meeting for a director of a dis trict Is held. In Harris Vs. Burr (Or.t 39 L. R. A. 768. to be allowel by a con stitutional provision limiting to male citizens the right to vote "at all elec tions authorized by law,” where an other provision gives the legislature power to provide a system of common schools. Despite tne circumstantial story credl’sed to the lady herself, that Lieu tenant Hobson and Miss Leila Cook, of Oswego, are engaged to be married, the gentleman says he has not the hon or of Miss Cook's acquaintance. Warm Weather Weakness is quickly overcome by the toning snd blood enriching qualities of Hood’s Sarsaparilla. This great medi cine cures that tired feeling almost as quickly as the sun dispels the morning tnlst. It also cures pimples, boils, salt rheum, scrofula and all other troubles originating in bad, impure blood. HOOd’S Aparina America’s Greatest Medicine. $1; six for $S. Hood’s Pills *ure biliousness, Indigestion. EDUCATIONAL. THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, NOTRE DANE, INDIANA. FULL COUR5Es7n Classic*. letters, Science. Law, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Hngl peering. T borough Preparatory and Commercial Courses. Rooms Free to uli Students who hove com pleted the studies reouired f»*r odmistion into the Junior or Senior Year, of any of the Col legiate Courses. A limited number or Candidal/** for the Eccle siastical slate will be revived at special rates. fit, Edward’s Mail, for boys under 14 years, la unique In completor.e** of Itw cuulomenta. 'Hie 107th lerni will oron September 6th# 1898. Catalogue pent Free on application to REV. A. nORRIbSLY. C. S C.. President. St. l»arp’s fleademp, One Mile West of the Uaiveruty of Notre Dies* ST. M ART’S ACADEMY for young lad'os. now en tering upon It* foriy-fourth year of active ediwar tionsl work, has earned the reputation of lelng one of the most th /r 't^bly equipped end successful Institution* In the Faired State*. The Academy buildings are beautifully situated on an eminence over looking the picturesque banc* of the bL Joseph Ulvcr. All the branches of A Thorough English and Classical Education, Including Greek, Latin, French and German aro tenant hr a Faculty of competent tsacben*. Ou coi:V pietlng the full course of studies student# rccelv^ the Regular Collegiate Degree ol Lin. B., A, B. or A. M. The Conservatory of Music I# conducted on the plan of the bc-t CU*steal Con sort at orle# of Eu rope. Three Instrumental lesson*. and one In theory, v-ockly. are Included lu the regular tuition; extra practice pro rata. The Art Department Is modelled after the best Art echoed* lu Europe. Preparatory and Minim Department*.— Pupils who need primary training, aud those of ten der age, are bera curefu'l/ prepared for the Ace* deinlc Conrre and Advanced Course book-keeping. Phonography and Typewriting ex tra. Every variety of Fsrvcy Needlework tausrht. For catalogue containing full Information, address DiHESTnESS UF THE ftCABEKT, St. Mary’s Academy. NOTRE DAME P. 0.. INDIANA. MOUNT ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY, DUBtyi K, IOWA. Conducted by Sisters of Charity. A Sriioul of lor lix umuy pthan nKe* and iliorufiuti •du. utl'#a tn urury brunch. E* Wiialv e ground* l«»r *mh d.*or e\«r. I*e*. Terir.* for board and lulltou rciuouaido aj»|> y uj Hitt i hit ttUl’KKIOft. itEwoucovrav.-itre Unvr O I mm. i u Iwr tut m hMs aUi. ■» I ,o itsn>* UM.tm.st ksus. Si. SSIIMir.NU, MUM*. U» Wa Da V'-',h'1 tWfUik. rsarroiisit. "trSI if v..u..tl f*t*rl» Tr^% (kuRi lie*. roi itunt irthiui*. at. **•«. a*. Uim u. WAJITBU C**s •» U*4 k**lik ik.■ II irtm •HI M k***»i MSI t MSI* w ItlMM I'Mtb.l I* ■ »•• t “»». h* HI M»|l« *S4 l JkJ IMtlSMSUM.