586 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-VII 



blages he asked me to explain the great success of Carl 

 Schurz in America. My answer was that, before the Lin 

 coln presidential campaign, in which Schurz took so large 

 a part, slavery was always discussed either from a constitu 

 tional or a philanthropic point of view, orators seeking to 

 show either that it was at variance with the fundamental 

 principles of our government or an offense against human 

 ity ; but that Schurz discussed it in a new way, and mainly 

 from the philosophic point of view, showing, not merely 

 its hostility to American ideas of liberty and the wrong 

 it did to the slaves, but, more especially, the injury it 

 wrought upon the country at large, and, above all, upon 

 the slave States themselves ; and that, in treating all public 

 questions, he was philosophic, eloquent, and evidently 

 sincere. Bismarck heard what I had to say, and then 

 answered: &quot;As a German, I am proud of Carl Schurz. &quot; 

 This was indeed a confession ; for it is certain that, if Bis 

 marck could have had his way with Carl Schurz in 1848 

 or 1849, he would have hanged him. 



The chancellor s discussions at such times were fre 

 quently of a humorous sort. He seemed, most of all, to 

 delight in lively reminiscences of various public men in 

 Europe. Nothing could be more cordial and hearty than 

 his bearing; but that he could take a different tone was 

 found out by one of my colleagues shortly after my ar 

 rival. This colleague was Herr von Rudhardt, the diplo 

 matic and parliamentary representative of Bavaria. I 

 remember him well as a large, genial man ; and the beauty 

 and cordial manner of his wife attracted general admira 

 tion. One day this gentleman made a speech or cast a 

 vote which displeased Bismarck, and shortly afterward 

 went to one of the chancellor s parliamentary receptions. 

 As he, with his wife leaning on his arm, approached his 

 host, the latter broke out into a storm of reproaches, de 

 nouncing the minister s conduct, and threatening to com 

 plain of it to his royal master. Thereupon the diplomatist 

 simply bowed, made no answer, returned home at once, 

 and sent his resignation to his government. All the ef- 



