. The life of Bismarck, private and political;. had, as weknow, been opposed fromthe very beginning tothese attempts at union ;they were not, in his firmopinion, fraught with anyfortunate omen to Prus-sia. The very next fewmonths proved that hisacute insight and hisPrussian patriotism hadnot erred. We need nottherefore be astonishedthat he gave vent to hispatriotic sorrow at theErfurt project, and thehumiliations contemplated to Prussia thereby, in unmeasured lan-guage. He closed one of his speeches of that time with thefollowing sentences:— It has been a painful feeling for me to see here Pru
. The life of Bismarck, private and political;. had, as weknow, been opposed fromthe very beginning tothese attempts at union ;they were not, in his firmopinion, fraught with anyfortunate omen to Prus-sia. The very next fewmonths proved that hisacute insight and hisPrussian patriotism hadnot erred. We need nottherefore be astonishedthat he gave vent to hispatriotic sorrow at theErfurt project, and thehumiliations contemplated to Prussia thereby, in unmeasured lan-guage. He closed one of his speeches of that time with thefollowing sentences:— It has been a painful feeling for me to see here Prussians, andnot nominal Prussians only, who advocate this constitution, whohave defended it with ardor. It would have been a humiliatingfeeling to me, and so it would have been to thousands and thou-sands of my fellow-countrymen, to see#the representatives ofprinces whom I honor in their own sphere, but who are not myliege-lords, clothed with supreme power; a feeling the bitternessof which could not be diminished by seeing the seats we occupy. BISMARCK AMD OPPERMAKN. 20i decked with colors—never those of the German empire—butwhich for two years have been the colors of rebellion and of thebarricades, colors worn in my native land by the democrat alone,except when in sorrowful obedience by the soldier. Gentlemen !If you make no more concessions than are contained in this con-stitution to the Prussian—ancient Prussian spirit—call it obsti-nate Prussian feeling if you choose—I do not believe it will berealized; and if you endeavor to force this constitution on thisPrussian spirit, you will find it to be a Bucephalus, who bears hisaccustomed lord and rider with daring joy, but who will cast theunwelcome Sunday rider with his black-red-gold harness to theearth. I find one comfort against these eventualities in the firmconviction that no long time will elapse ere the parties to thisconstitution will stand, as, in the fable of Lafontaine, the two doc-tors stood by the patien
Size: 1259px × 1985px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidlifeofbismar, bookyear1870
