The Chief then read a number of particularly edifying private letters to the Emperor Napoleon which had been published by the Provisional Government, his comments upon them also containing occasional references to personages in Berlin. The Minister said, with reference to a letter from Pourtales: “Schleinitz was very discreet in speaking of his colleagues, but being a vain old coxcomb he was exceedingly loquacious with women of all sorts and conditions.” (Turning to Delbrück:) “You should just have a glance at the police reports which Manteuffel had prepared on this subject.”
The Minister afterwards referred to a statement in the Kraj, and in connection therewith to the Poles in general. He spoke a good deal about the victories of the Great Elector in the East, and the alliance with Charles the Tenth of Sweden, which had promised him great advantages. It was a pity, however, that his relations with Holland prevented him from following up those advantages and fully availing himself of them. He would otherwise have had a good prospect of extending his power in Western Poland. On Delbrück remarking that then Prussia would not have remained a German State, the Chief replied: “It would not have done any great harm. In that case there would have been a northern State somewhat similar to Austria in the South. Poland would have been for us what Hungary is to Austria.” This observation reminded me of what he had previously said on one occasion, namely, that he had advised the Crown Prince to have his son taught the Polish language, which, however, to his regret, was not done.
Wednesday, October 19th.—At dinner, at which Count Waldersee joined us, the Minister remarked: “It would be a good plan if the inhabitants of a few square miles of those districts where our troops are fired at from behind hedges, and where the rails are loosened and stones laid upon the railway lines, were transported to Germany and kept under close watch there.” Bucher related how, on his journey hither, an officer had borrowed his revolver and played with it ostentatiously while they were passing under a bridge from which French scamps were accustomed to spit down upon our people. The Chief exclaimed: “Why play? He should have waited till they had done it, and then fired at them.”
If I rightly understand, Weimar had “commanded” the Chancellor to call upon him this evening, as he wished to obtain information on some subject. The Chief said: “I sent him word that I was detained by my health and the business of State.”
Waldersee understands that, during the burning of the Palace of Saint Cloud, some of the minor Princes had “saved for themselves” various “souvenirs,” such as vases, trinkets and books, but were forced to return them by order of the Crown Prince. Bohlen made some outrageous jokes upon the Weimar Order of the White Falcon, which led to a discussion on Orders in general, and the plentiful crop of this species of fruit which many people have already harvested. “Yes,” said the Chief, “such quantities of tinplate! If it were only possible to give away the Orders of which one has too many! To you, for instance, Dr. Busch. How would you like it?” “No, thank you, Excellency,” I replied; “very many thanks. But, yes; if I could have one of those that you have worn yourself, as a memento, that would be something different. Otherwise I do not want any.”
Thursday, October 20th.—Morning and afternoon busy writing various articles and telegrams.
The arrest of Jacoby by the military authorities was one of the subjects discussed at dinner, and the Chief once more expressed great doubts as to its expediency. Bismarck-Bohlen was highly pleased that “the chattering scoundrel had been locked up!” The Chancellor’s reply was very characteristic. He said: “I am not at all pleased. A party man might be, because it would gratify his vindictiveness. A statesman knows no such feeling. In politics the only question is, what good result will it do to ill-treat a political opponent?”
Some one remarked that the Grand Duke of Weimar was very angry because the Chief had not gone to see him as desired, whereupon the Minister turned to Keudell, and said rather sharply: “Tell —— (I could not catch the name) immediately that I was indignant at his Gracious Master making such claims upon my time and health, and that he should have such an erroneous idea of the duties which I have to discharge.” “I can now understand how poor Wartsdorf came to die so young.” “The Coburger worries me almost as much. He has written me a twelve-page letter on German politics, but I have given him a proper answer. I told him that of all the points he mentioned there was only one which had not been long since dealt with, and that one was not worth discussing. He did us a good service, however, in 1866. It is true that previously he was bad enough—when he wished to be Emperor of Germany, and put himself at the head of a secret shooting club. At that time I seriously intended to have him kidnapped by a regiment of hussars and brought to Magdeburg, and I submitted my proposal to the King. He is eaten up with vanity.” The Minister then related that the Duke had ordered a picture to be painted of himself as the victor of Eckernförde, seated on a prancing charger with a bombshell exploding at his feet; while, as a matter of fact, “he did not on that occasion display any heroism, but, on the contrary, kept at a respectable distance from gunshot—which was quite a sensible thing for him to do.”
The German liberal press is still uneasy with respect to the arrest of Jacoby. The Chief seems to consider it of great importance that his view of the affair should not be misunderstood, and that it should be generally adopted. The Weser Zeitung of the 16th instant, which arrived to-day, has an article which criticises the Minister’s previous declarations on this subject in a hostile spirit. It concludes as follows: “To sum up, we must hold to our view that Jacoby has been treated unjustly, and although we anticipate no fearful consequences from this action, we nevertheless regret this episode in the history of a glorious epoch.”
The Chief dictated the following reply:—