CHAPTER XXIX.
["GOD AND THE FATHERLAND!"]
King William had returned to Berlin. The nation received him with the wildest joy, scarcely knowing how to express its delight and enthusiasm at this unparalleled seven days' campaign, the wonderful success of which had placed Prussia so high amongst the first-class powers of Europe, and had so completely consolidated the unity of Germany. The first wild burst of delight was over in Berlin. Everything began to return to its accustomed course, at least outwardly, for every heart still swelled high with the proud feeling of victory.
Early one morning King William entered his cabinet. He was dressed, as always, in uniform, with the iron cross and the Order of Merit.
"Is Schneider here?" he enquired of the attendant on duty.
"At your majesty's command. He waits in the anteroom."
At a sign from the king, Louis Schneider entered, with a large portfolio under his arm.
"Good morning, Schneider," cried the king. "Everything has returned to its accustomed order, and we can begin regular work. What is there in the way of literature? What have you got in that great portfolio?"
"Allow me first, your majesty, to offer you my most hearty congratulations on the successful termination of the war. Here, on the very spot," said Schneider, with emotion, "where I stood last time--that day when your majesty regarded the future so anxiously, and found yourself so completely without allies,--your majesty has again experienced that the King of Prussia is not weak when he stands alone!"
"If he has those two Allies who gave us our device," said the king, with a calm smile, "God and the Fatherland!"
He was silent for a moment. Schneider opened his portfolio.
"Well, what have you in the newspapers?" asked the king.
"Nothing, your majesty, but variations upon one theme--joy at our victories, gratitude to our royal conqueror, his soldiers, and his ministers. The whole press is one great dithyrambus, expressing its emotions now majestically, now pathetically, now comically. But good advice to Prussia and the North-German Confederacy is not wanting. It is incredible how much didactic writing is produced on the future well-being of Germany. Would your majesty like an example?"
The king was silent, and looked thoughtfully before him.
"Schneider," he said, "how ungrateful men are!"
Schneider gazed at the king in amazement.
"Your majesty," he cried, "I cannot, alas! deny that ingratitude is a characteristic of the human race; but I thought the present time was really an exception, everyone is so anxious to express gratitude to your majesty, to the generals."
"It is just at the present time," said the king gravely, "that I think the world, and Berlin especially, so very ungrateful. They thank me, in the most exaggerated words, my Fritz too, all my generals; but One Man they forget, and yet that man had a great share in the success that God has given us."
Schneider still looked at the king enquiringly.
"No one thinks of my brother, the late king," said King William, in a voice that trembled slightly.
Deep emotion appeared on Schneider's animated face, a tear shone on his eyelashes.
"Yes, by God!" he cried, in his sonorous voice, "your majesty is right; we are ungrateful."
"How deep, how true," said the king, "was his devotion to Germany's greatness, and to Prussia's destiny; how much he did to strengthen the army, and to organize the government of Prussia, that she might be ready to fulfil her high calling. Prussia's future greatness was clear to his enlightened mind; and if the rough hand of revolution had not interfered in the carrying-out of his plans and views----"
The king paused suddenly, and pursued his thoughts in silence.
Schneider's eyes rested with warm affection upon the thoughtful features of his generous and simple-minded sovereign.
"If God has granted to us to pluck the fruit," continued the king, "yet ought we not to forget whose careful hand planted the tree and watered its roots in time of drought; truly he has not deserved it of us."
The king turned to his writing-table, and took up a sheet of paper.
"I have written down a few of my thoughts," said he with some hesitation, "but chiefly facts, as to what the late king did for Prussia, how he strengthened the army, and the nation, and laboured for the unity of Germany. I should like a leading article to be written from this and published in the 'Spener Gazette,' that all Berlin may read it. Will you see to this?"
He held out the paper to Schneider, who took it respectfully, his eyes resting on the king's face with admiration and surprise.
"I will attend to it at once,--does your majesty wish for an especial title?"
"It must be made rather striking," said the king, "that every one may read it. Let it be called 'A Royal Brother,'" he added after a moment's thought; "if all forget him, his brother must not forget him."
"I will carry out your majesty's wishes at once," said Schneider, "and," he added with much emotion, "I shall henceforth look upon what has passed to-day as the most beautiful incident of my life. The victor of Königgrätz amidst the rejoicing of his people places half his laurels on his brother's grave."
"It hurts me to find how little they thought of my brother in their rejoicings," said the king, with a gentle smile, "for I have only built upon the foundation he laid. Now go, and take care that the article appears shortly, we will do nothing else to-day. This you will do with your whole heart. I know your faithfulness to your late king."
He offered his hand to Schneider, but would not permit him to press it to his lips.
The king turned away and walked silently to his writing-table, and in silence Schneider left the cabinet.
Count Bismarck too had returned, and was devoting himself with resistless energy to the work before him of organizing and arranging the new state of affairs.
Late one evening the count again sat in his cabinet before his large writing-table, piled with papers, busily occupied in reading despatches, and in thinking over what was laid before him. There was a sharp knock at the door leading from the ante-room.
The count looked up. His confidant only would come in that manner.
"Come in!" he exclaimed. Baron von Keudell entered. The minister nodded to him with a smile.
"What brings you here, dear Keudell?" he asked, laying aside a paper which he had just looked through, "has anything happened?"
"Something decidedly strange has happened, your excellency, which I must at once impart to you. Monsieur Hansen is here, and has just been with me."
"Hansen, the Danish agitator?" asked Bismarck.
"The same," said Keudell, "only this time he is not the Danish agitator, but the French agent."
A cloud gathered on Count Bismarck's brow.
"What do they still want in Paris?" he cried. "Are they not yet satisfied? Benedetti must have understood me perfectly."
"I think they wish to make one more secret effort," said von Keudell. "I beg you to hear Monsieur Hansen yourself, he is to a certain extent accredited by Drouyn de Lhuys, and he can really tell us much that it interests us to know."
"Drouyn de Lhuys is no longer minister," said Count Bismarck.
"He has resigned, certainly," replied Keudell, "and Lavalette is in his place until Moustier arrives, but his credentials prove that Hansen has something to propose, which is not to follow the usual course of diplomacy until it is known how we shall receive it."
"Well," said Bismarck, after a short pause, "why should I not hear him? My mind, though, is made up as to all these proposals, direct or indirect. Where is Monsieur Hansen?"
"I brought him with me; he is waiting down stairs, and if your excellency desires----"
"Be so kind as to bring him here," said the minister; "I shall find you when I join the countess?"
Keudell bowed, a minute afterwards he took Monsieur Hansen to the cabinet and withdrew as soon as Bismarck had received the unimportant-looking little man with great cordiality, and had requested him to be seated at his writing-table.
The count's keen grey eyes rested enquiringly on the clever face of the Dane.
"Your excellency," said Hansen, "I thank you in the name of my country for your generosity to Denmark, after your complete success, expressed in Article V. of the peace stipulations."
Count Bismarck bowed slightly.
"I have nothing against Denmark," he said; "on the contrary I esteem and respect that sturdy little nation, and I heartily wish Prussia and Denmark to live together on friendly terms. I rely upon your countrymen not to throw difficulties in the practical fulfilment of the principles which must guide us in regard to Denmark."
"I wish to be of use to your excellency," said Hansen. "I have come to impart my ideas upon the delicate relations existing between newly constituted Germany and France."
Count Bismarck made a slight movement intimating that he was willing to listen.
"I ought to impart to your excellency that I have been initiated into the negociations that have already taken place."
Bismarck remained silent.
"The emperor," continued Hansen, "is in a very painful position. He has the greatest repugnance to interrupting in any way the right of a great people to national development, by being inimical to the great events just accomplished in Germany."
A scarcely perceptible smile passed over the minister's grave face.
"On the other hand," added Hansen, "it is impossible to deny that the great increase in the political and military strength of Prussia, has greatly troubled public opinion in France. Napoleon is less able to neglect public opinion than any other sovereign in Europe, since his government is based on the free will of the people, and founded on the votes of public opinion in France. At one time," said he as Bismarck still looked at him calmly and remained silent, "the emperor believed France would be satisfied by compensations which would increase her defensive power, and form some balance to the great additions in the offensive strength of Germany. He is, however, very unwilling to urge this question in any way that can disturb or endanger the present friendship between France and Germany."
Again a slight smile passed over Bismarck's face.
"The emperor," pursued Hansen, "thinks there is a way which might for ever prevent disagreement. It is founded on the principle that friction can best be prevented between two powerful military nations, not by fortified frontiers, but by neutral territory. His idea is to form a state in imitation of Belgium upon the Rhine, as an excellent means of maintaining peaceful relations between France and Germany. The King of Saxony would appear to be a suitable head to this Roman Catholic country."
"Peace is concluded with Saxony," said Count Bismarck.
"And I did not intend to suggest this idea," replied Hansen; "it would be better on many accounts to bestow this kingdom of the Rhine upon the Prince of Hohenzollern, and thus to found a dynasty whose connection with the Prussian royal family would prevent any mistrust in Germany."
"The princes of Hohenzollern are not related to our royal family," said Count Bismarck.
"They are a branch of the same family," replied Monsieur Hansen. "I believe I may assure your excellency that if this suggestion meets with your approval, the affair may quickly be arranged in the usual diplomatic way."
He was silent.
For a moment Count Bismarck looked down thoughtfully, then he raised his eyes, and fixing them calmly on Hanson's expectant face, he said in a firm voice:
"I will not ask who has empowered you to make this proposal. I shall regard this idea as your private and personal notion, and in return I will plainly and candidly express my own opinion on the subject. Germany, by her success in a great war, has made a vast step forwards in her national constitution. The German nation is not obliged to account for this to any one, she need not trouble herself as to whether other nations are pleased or displeased by the exercise of her national rights, but above all she is not called upon to pay a bribe to any other country, and thus to purchase the Unity of Germany. As long as I am the Prussian minister, as long as I influence the fate of Germany," he cried, "such a bribe shall not be paid, under whatever form it may be disguised! That is my private opinion," he added, "you thus see it would be quite superfluous to express the ideas you proposed to me in any official way; the answer of the Prussian Government would be exactly the same as that I have just given you."
"Your excellency," said Monsieur Hansen, who was evidently disconcerted at the count's decided refusal to continue the discussion, "I am really grateful to you for the regard you have shown to the national feeling's of Denmark, and I honestly desire to do you a service in this matter. I wish you to understand," he continued gravely, "that from what I know of the state of affairs, and the popular displeasure in Paris, war will sooner or later be unavoidable, if this last basis of a favourable understanding with France is refused. I may affirm, with the fullest conviction, war can then be only a question of time."
Count Bismarck stood up, his eyes flashed proudly.
"Then let war come," he cried firmly; "I fear it not, and never will I avoid it by sacrificing the honour of Germany! The valiant armies of Prussia and of her allies, who smote Austria, will take the field against France with far greater enthusiasm, if we are forced to do so. You may tell that to anyone who is interested in knowing my views; but you may also add, that no one prizes more highly than I do the good understanding between France and Germany. The French and German nations are formed rather to progress hand in hand, than to wrestle with each other in deadly strife. I will do all in my power to maintain peace and friendship,--all, except sacrificing the honour and dignity of Germany."
"I beg your excellency at least to believe that I have been actuated only by the purest motives, in making a proposal I believed conducive to the interests of both nations."
"I thank you for it," said Bismarck politely; "it has served to clear up the situation perfectly."
Monsieur Hansen left the cabinet with a low bow.
"He would play the same game with Germany that he did with Italy," cried the count as soon as he was alone; "but from me he shall gain neither a Savoy nor a Nice!"
He left his cabinet, and repaired to his wife's drawing-room.
The ladies with Baron von Keudell sat around the tea-table.
The count entered, and greeted them affectionately.
"Have you seen the new 'Kladderadatsch?'" asked the countess, pointing to the well-known comic face upon a newspaper that lay on the table.
The count seized it, and turned to the large picture on the last page.
It represented an infirm old beggar, with the features of the Emperor Napoleon, standing before the door of a house, hat in hand, asking an alms. A window was open, and the minister-president was represented looking from it with a movement of refusal, and beneath was printed, "Nothing given away here."
With a merry laugh, the count threw the paper on the table.
"It is strange," he said, "how cleverly they often describe the situation by a drawing. There is more told in this picture than in many a long leading article."
At one draught he emptied the crystal goblet of foaming beer which was handed to him.
"I must ask you a favour, Keudell," he said gravely: "will you play me that Funeral March of Beethoven. You remember it. You played it one evening before the war."
Keudell rose with alacrity, and seated himself at the piano.
Again the impressive chords of the mighty Hymn of Death arose,--the ladies listened breathlessly.
Count Bismarck drew himself to his full height; his grave, strongly-marked features shone with enthusiasm.
He drew a deep breath as Herr von Keudell ended.
"Many heroes have fallen," he said, in a deep voice, "but the prize is won,--their blood has not flowed in vain. Time has brought many sorrows,--discords will still echo in the future. May the Almighty resolve them into the glorious harmony of a great United Germany!"
His voice swelled through the room,--the countess looked at him with tearful eyes. Solemnly, and as if involuntarily, Keudell raised his hands, and let them sink upon the keys. Then that War-cry of the Faith arose, in the glorious tones in which the great Reformer expressed his rooted confidence in the God of Battles.
Count Bismarck raised his eyes upwards, a look of happiness passed over his excited features, and, following the melody, his lips whispered softly--
"Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott,
Ein' starke Wehr und Waffen!"
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1]: Where the rifle-club holds its meetings.
[Footnote 2]: The King of Saxony remained true to Napoleon, although part of the Saxon troops went over to the Allies during the battle of Leipsic.