Onthisweroseandwentintothegarden。Aswestoppedforaninstanttoenablehimtotakedownhismilitarycap，Inoticedtwolargephotographswithautographsbeneaththem，——oneofLordBeaconsfield，andtheotherofKingVictorEmmanuel，——and，asIglancedatthelatter，I
noticedaninscriptionbeneathit:
AlmiocarocuginoBismarck。
VITTORIOEMANUELE。
Bismarck，seeingmelookatit，said:``Hecallsme`cousin’
becausehehasgivenmehisOrderoftheAnnunciata。’’
Thisremarkforamomentsurprisedme。ItwashardformetoconceivethatthegreatestmaninEuropecouldcarewhetherhewasentitledtoweartheAnnunciataribbonornot，orwhetheranykingcalledhim``cousin’’ornot。Heseemed，foramoment，todescendtoasomewhatlowerplanethanthatuponwhichhehadbeenstanding;but，aswecameoutintotheopenandwalkedupanddowntheavenuesinthepark，heresumedhisdiscussionofgreaterthings。Duringthis，hewentatconsiderablelengthintothecauseswhichledtothepartialdemonetizationofsilverintheempire;whereuponMr。Kelly，interruptinghim，said:``But，prince，ifyoufullybelievedinusingboththepreciousmetals，whydidyouallowthedemonetizationofsilver？’’``Well，’’saidBismarck，``Ihadagreatmanythingstothinkofinthosedays，andaseverybodysaidthatCamphausenand————weregreatfinanciers，andthattheyunderstoodallaboutthesequestions，Iallowedthemtogoon;butIsoonlearned，asourpeasantssayofthosewhotrytoimposeupontheirneighbors，thattheyhadnothingbuthotwaterintheirdinner—pots，afterall。’’Hethenwentondiscussingthemistakesofthoseandothergentlemenbeforehehimselfhadputhishandtotheworkandreversedtheirpolicy。Therewerecuriousallusionstovariousindividualswhoseideashadnotsuitedhim，mostofthemhumorous，butsomesarcastic。Atlast，afterawalkofabouttwentyminutes，bearinginmindtheministerswhohadbeensolongwaitingfortheirchief，I
insistedthatwemustgo;whereupontheprinceconductedustothegate，andmostcordiallytookleaveofus。
Aswelefttheplace，IsaidtoMr。Kelly，knowingthathesometimeswrotelettersforpublication:``Ofcourse，inwhateveryoumaywritetoAmerica，youwillbecarefulnottomentionnamesofpersons。’’``Certainly，’’hesaid;
``that，ofcourse，Ishallneverthinkofdoing。’’Butalasforhisgoodresolutions！Inhiszealforprotectionandthedoublestandard，allwereforgotten。Aboutafortnightlatertherecamebackbycableafullstatementregardinghisinterview，thenamesallgiven，andBismarck’sreferencestohiscolleaguesbroughtoutvividly。TheresultwasthatalargeportionoftheGermanpresswasindignantthatBismarckshouldhavespokeninsuchamannertoaforeignerregardingGermansofsucheminence，whohadbeenhistrustedcolleagues，andwhohadrenderedtothecountryverygreatservices;sothat，forsomedays，the``AffaireKelly’’madelargedemandsuponpublicattention。IthadhardlysubsidedwhentherecamenoticetomefromtheStateDepartmentatWashingtonthataveryeminentAmericanfinancierwasabouttobesenttoBerlin;andIwasinstructedtosecureforhimanaudiencewiththechancellor，inorderthatsomearrangementsmightbearrivedatregardingthedoublestandardofvalue。Imustconfessthat，inviewofthe``AffaireKelly，’’theseinstructionschilledme。Fortunately，BismarckwasjustthentakinghisusualcureatKissingen，duringwhichhealwaysrefusedtoconsideranymatterofbusiness;but，onhisreturntoBerlin，IsenthimanoterequestinganaudienceforthisspecialAmericanrepresentative。Thisbroughtaverykindanswerexpressingregretthatthechancellorwassopressedwitharrearsofbusinessthathedesiredtobeexcused;butthattheministeroffinanceandvariousothermembersofthecabinethadbeeninstructedtoreceivetheAmericanagentandtocommunicatewithhimtothefullestextent。Thatwasallverywell，butthereweremyinstructions;andIfeltobligedtowriteagain，makingamoreearnestrequest。
Thereuponcameananswerthatsettledthequestion:thechancellorregrettedthathewastoomuchoverwhelmedwithworktomeetthegentleman;butsaidthathewouldgladlyseetheAmericanministeratanytime，andmust，forthepresent，beexcusedfrommeetinganyunaccreditedpersons。
Ofcourse，afterthattherewasnothingtobesaid;andthespecialAmericanagentwasobligedtocontenthimselfwithwhathecouldobtainininterviewswithvariousministers。
Mr。Kellyurged，ashisexcuseforpublishingpersonaldetailsinhisletters，thatitwasessentialthatthewholeworldshouldknowjustwhatthegreatchancellorhadsaidonsoimportantasubject。Asitturnedout，Mr。Kelly’szealdefeatedhispurpose;for，hadthespecialagentbeenenabledtodiscussthematterwiththechancellor，thereislittledoubtthatGermanywouldhaveatleastendeavoredtoestablishapermanentdoublestandardofvalue。
Eachyear，duringmystay，BismarckgaveadinnertothediplomaticcorpsontheEmperor’sbirthday。Thetablewassetthen，asnow，inthegreathallofthechancellor’spalace——thehallinwhichtheConferenceofBerlinwasheldaftertheRusso—TurkishWar。Theculminatingpointofeachdinnerwasnearitsclose，whenthechancellorrose，and，afterabriefspeechinFrench，proposedthehealthoftheheadsofallthestatesthererepresented。ThiswasfollowedbyatoasttothehealthoftheEmperor，givenbytheseniormemberofthediplomaticcorps，andshortlyaftercameanadjournmentforcoffeeandcigars。Onethingwas，atfirstsight，somewhatstartling;for，asBismarckarosetoproposethetoast，thebigblackheadofaDanishdogappeareduponthetableoneithersideofhim;butthebearingofthedogswassosolemnthattheyreallydetractednothingfromthedignityoftheoccasion。
Inthesmoking—roomtheguestswerewonttogatherinsquads，asmanyofthemaspossibleintheimmediateneighborhoodofourhost。DuringoneoftheseassemblagesheaskedmetoexplainthegreatsuccessofCarlSchurzinAmerica。Myanswerwasthat，beforetheLincolnpresidentialcampaign，inwhichSchurztooksolargeapart，slaverywasalwaysdiscussedeitherfromaconstitutionaloraphilanthropicpointofview，oratorsseekingtoshoweitherthatitwasatvariancewiththefundamentalprinciplesofourgovernmentoranoffenseagainsthumanity;
butthatSchurzdiscusseditinanewway，andmainlyfromthephilosophicpointofview，showing，notmerelyitshostilitytoAmericanideasoflibertyandthewrongitdidtotheslaves，but，moreespecially，theinjuryitwroughtuponthecountryatlarge，and，aboveall，upontheslaveStatesthemselves;andthat，intreatingallpublicquestions，hewasphilosophic，eloquent，andevidentlysincere。BismarckheardwhatIhadtosay，andthenanswered:``AsaGerman，IamproudofCarlSchurz。’’
Thiswasindeedaconfession;foritiscertainthat，ifBismarckcouldhavehadhiswaywithCarlSchurzin1848
or1849，hewouldhavehangedhim。
Thechancellor’sdiscussionsatsuchtimeswerefrequentlyofahumoroussort。Heseemed，mostofall，todelightinlivelyreminiscencesofvariouspublicmeninEurope。Nothingcouldbemorecordialandheartythanhisbearing;butthathecouldtakeadifferenttonewasfoundoutbyoneofmycolleaguesshortlyaftermyarrival。ThiscolleaguewasHerrvonRudhardt，thediplomaticandparliamentaryrepresentativeofBavaria。I
rememberhimwellasalarge，genialman;andthebeautyandcordialmannerofhiswifeattractedgeneraladmiration。
OnedaythisgentlemanmadeaspeechorcastavotewhichdispleasedBismarck，andshortlyafterwardwenttooneofthechancellor’sparliamentaryreceptions。
Ashe，withhiswifeleaningonhisarm，approachedhishost，thelatterbrokeoutintoastormofreproaches，denouncingtheminister’sconduct，andthreateningtocomplainofittohisroyalmaster。Thereuponthediplomatistsimplybowed，madenoanswer，returnedhomeatonce，andsenthisresignationtohisgovernment。AlltheeffortsoftheEmperorWilliamwereunabletoappeasehim，andhewasshortlyafterwardsenttoSt。Petersburgasministeratthatcourt。ButthescenewhichseparatedhimfromBerlinseemedtogivehimafatalshock;heshortlyafterwardlosthisreason，andatlastaccountswaslivinginaninsaneasylum。
OnanotheroccasionIhadanopportunitytoseehowthechancellor，sokindinhisgeneraldealingswithmenwhomheliked，couldacttowardthosewhocrossedhispath。
BeingoneeveningatareceptiongivenbytheDukeofRatibor，presidentofthePrussianHouseofLords，hesaidtome:``Isawyouthisafternooninthediplomaticbox。Ourproceedingsmusthaveseemedverystupid。’’I
answeredthattheyhadinterestedmemuch。Onthisheputhislipstomyearandwhispered:``Cometo—morrowatthesamehour，andyouwillhearsomethingofrealinterest。’’Ofcourse，whenthetimearrived，Iwasinmyseat，wonderingwhatthematterofinterestcouldbe。
SoonIbegantosuspectthatthedukehadmadesomemistake，forbusinessseemedfollowingtheordinaryroutine;
butpresentlyabillwasbroughtinbyoneoftheleadingPrussianministers，amemberofoneofthemosteminentfamiliesinGermany，amanofthemostattractivemanners，andgreatlyinfavorwiththeEmperorWilliamandthecrownprince，afterwardtheEmperorFrederick。Thebillwasunderstoodtogiveaslightextensionofsuffrageinthechoiceofcertainleadingelectedofficials。Thequestionbeingaskedbysomeoneonthefloorwhethertheheadoftheministry，PrinceBismarck，approvedthebill，thisleadingminister，whohadintroducedit，answeredintheaffirmative，andsaidthat，thoughPrinceBismarckhadbeenkeptawaybyillnessfromthesessionsinwhichithadbeendiscussed，hehadagainandagainshownthathewasnotopposedtoit，andtherecouldbenoquestiononthesubject。Atthisamemberroseandsolemnlydeniedthecorrectnessofthisstatement;declaredthathewasinpossessionofinformationtotheveryoppositeeffect;andthenreadapaper，claimingtoemanatedirectlyfromthechancellorhimself，totheeffectthathehadnothingwhatevertodowiththebillanddisapprovedit。UponBismarck’scolleaguesintheministry，whothoughtthathissilencehadgivenconsent，thiscamelikeathunderbolt;
andthosewhohadespeciallyadvocatedthemeasuresawatoncethattheyhadfallenintoatrap。Thegeneralopinionwasthattheillnessofthechancellorhadbeenastratagem;thathissuddendisclaimer，afterhisleadingcolleagueshadthuscommittedthemselves，wasintendedtodrivethemfromtheministry;andthathewasdeterminedtopreventtheministerwhohadmoststronglysupportedthebillfromsecuringpopularitybyit。Thisminister，then，andtheothermembersofthecabinetatonceresigned，givingplacetomenwhomthechancellordidnotconsidersolikelytoruncountertohisideasandinterests。
Indeed，itmustbeconfessedthatthegreatstatesmannotinfrequentlyshowedthedefectsofhisqualities。AsoneoutofmanycasesmaybecitedhistreatmentofEduardLasker。Thisstatesmanduringseveralyearsrenderedreallyimportantservices。ThoughanIsraelite，heshowednoneofthegraspingpropensitiessooftenascribedtohisrace。Heseemedtocarenothingforwealthorshow，livedverysimply，anddevotedhimselftothepublicgoodashe...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：