Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner: The Records of an Eventful Life (Vol. 1 of 2)Suttner, Bertha von
History
Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner: The Records of an Eventful Life (Vol. 1 of 2)
Suttner, Bertha von
Peace; Suttner, Bertha von, 1843-1914; Women -- Austria -- Biography
I trust that an echo from this festival so indescribably beautiful to
me will make its way to all our fellow-citizens. By this I mean all,
whatever nation they belong to, who strive for righteousness. All on
this side or that side of the Rhine, this side or that side of the
ocean, this side or that side of every other boundary of country or
class—I could wish that these fellow-citizens of ours might learn how
in the circle of the most intellectual men of the capital of the
German Empire a simple woman, hitherto unknown to them, has been so
brilliantly honored, merely on account of the will which she has
manifested in the cause of peace. In giving me your approval for a
book bearing the title “Away with Weapons,” in sanctioning my endeavor
which took me to the Peace Congress at the Capitol, you coin that
title into a watchword and recognize that endeavor as a legitimate
ideal of civilization.
Thus understood, ladies and gentlemen, I joyfully accept all that you
have said to me; thus understood, no enthusiasm is too impetuous for
me, no love too warm, none of those who entertain me too high in rank
and repute. With joy I take from your hands the roses and the wreaths,
and—merely as an intermediary—lay them at the feet of the genius in
whose name you have summoned me here. In this sense I am ready to
drain my glass in the heartiest thanks to you who are present, and in
brotherly greeting to the absent friends of peace in all nations, in
the name of the whole table!
Albert Traeger spoke after me, and then, as a special surprise, the
great tragedian Emanuel Reicher was called upon and read to us a
translation of Maupassant’s short story _La Mère Sauvage_.
In the account given in the _Berliner Tageblatt_, from the pen of the
editor in chief, it said:
It cannot be sufficiently reiterated that this festival has powerfully
contributed to strengthen all who have at heart the blessings of
international peace in their endeavor diligently to cultivate the
humanitarian and civilizing might of the peace idea, without reference
to the unfavorableness of the times and the tendencies of the day.
Thus, then, the festival that was planned in honor of a single person
may be considered as a link in the chain of phenomena by means of
which the enlightened spirits of the century are seeking to build up
the higher (_kulturellen_) interests of humanity.
Nevertheless, I must note that several Berlin newspapers spoke
disparagingly of my appearance there in particular and of my aims in
general, for the most part making reference to the so-often-cited saying
of Moltke, “Perpetual peace is a dream and not even a beautiful one!”
But even the antagonistic voices refrained from abuse and ridicule. That
would not have been the case twenty or perhaps even ten years before.
Then the whole matter would have been half laughed to death, half
scolded to death,—or wholly smothered to death by silence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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