Bismarck : $b some secret pages of his history (Vol. 1 of 3). Being a diary kept by Dr. Moritz Busch during twenty-five years' official and private intercourse with the great ChancellorBusch, Moritz
History
Bismarck : $b some secret pages of his history (Vol. 1 of 3). Being a diary kept by Dr. Moritz Busch during twenty-five years' official and private intercourse with the great Chancellor
Busch, Moritz
Bismarck, Otto, Fürst von, 1815-1898
The Chancellor desires to see the following considerations reproduced
in the evening papers: “The Benedetti document is by no means the
only one dealing with the matter in question. Negotiations were also
carried on by others, as, for instance, by Prince Napoleon during his
stay in Berlin. Since French diplomacy was ignorant enough to believe
that a German Minister who followed a national policy could for a
moment think of entertaining such proposals, it had only itself to
thank if it was befooled with its own schemes so long as such fooling
appeared calculated to promote the maintenance of peace. Even those who
pursue the most ignorant and narrow-minded policy must ultimately come
to recognise that they have hoped for and demanded impossibilities.
The bellicose temper which now prevails in Paris dates from such
recognition. The hopes of German statesmen that they would be able to
befool the French until a peaceful _régime_ was established in France
by some transformation of her despotic constitution have unfortunately
not been realised. Providence willed it otherwise. Since we can no
longer maintain peace it is not necessary now to preserve silence. For
we preserved silence solely in order to promote the continuance, and,
if possible, the permanency, of peaceful relations.”... The Minister
concluded: “You can add, too, that the question of French Switzerland
was also mentioned in the negotiations, and that it was hinted that in
Piedmont they knew quite well where the French districts begin and the
Italian districts leave off.”
_July 28th._--I see the original of Benedetti’s draft treaty, and I am
to receive a photographic copy of it similar to that which has been
prepared for distribution amongst foreign Governments.
Bucher handed me the following sketch of an article, received by
him from the Minister, which is to be inserted in some organ not
apparently connected with the Government: “Those who now hold power
in Spain declare that they do not wish to interfere in the conflict
between Germany and France, because the latter might create internal
difficulties for them. They allow Bonaparte to prohibit their election
of the King of their own choice. They look on calmly with folded arms
while other nations go to war over a difference that has arisen out of
a question of Spanish domestic interest. We had formed quite another
opinion of the Castilian _gentilhomme_. The Spanish temper seems to
resemble that of Gil Blas, who wanted to fight a duel with the army
surgeon but observed that the latter had an unusually long rapier.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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