And now, what was the real truth of the matter? Let the reader form his own opinion from the following diary entries, remembering, in addition, that Aegidi was intimately connected with the journal last mentioned through Eckart: “_January 12th._--This evening Bucher told me in reply to my question that the disclosures of the _Kölnische Zeitung_ were correct, and that he had himself prepared the memorandum referred to therein.” “_January 15th._--Wollmann informed me this evening that Aegidi had sent the article in the _Kölnische Zeitung_ of the 10th instant to the Prince at Friedrichsruh, adding that he was aware who the author was, and giving an assurance that he had had no part in it.” “_January 21st._--Bucher told me this morning that the article in the _Kölnische Zeitung_ was written by Kruse, the chief editor of the paper, who is now in Berlin, from information given to him by Aegidi, and contains only a few unimportant errors. He, Bucher, had, under instructions from the Chief, written the mild _démenti_ published by the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ on the 14th instant. The sharper _démenti_ that followed, calling the attention of the _Kölnische Zeitung_ to the fact that no people had a right to demand a _chronique scandaleuse_ from their journals, was dictated by the Chief and written by Aegidi, who was thus obliged to ply the rod on his own back.” On reading these various communications, one can hardly help agreeing in some measure with the _National Zeitung_, which wrote as follows on the 20th of January: “We would strongly urge upon the Government the desirability of accepting the advice which we tendered to them recently, namely, that, instead of blaming the press, Ministers should keep their own motley throng of Privy Councillors and semi-official satellites in order. It is notorious that some of our Ministers are at loggerheads, and desire each other’s overthrow, and no denials will persuade people of the contrary. They may fight out their battles within the Ministry and in the proper place, but they should not bring their quarrels under the notice of the general public by mysterious insinuations, conveyed through persons who are dependent upon them, and whom they disavow at every opportunity. Altogether we would urgently request the Government to exercise a closer supervision over their semi-official mouthpieces, and not permit them to convert the performance of their official duties into a public nuisance which is steadily growing worse.”...