492 MISCELLANEOUS RECOLLECTIONS -II 



cessful efforts of Bismarck and the Emperor William to 

 give it to Prussia. My own direct knowledge of Germany 

 at different dates during more than forty-five years, and 

 perhaps also my official and personal relations to the two 

 personages last mentioned, enabled me to see some things 

 which a man drawing his material from books alone 

 would not have seen. I have given much of my spare time 

 to this subject during several years, and still hope, almost 

 against hope, to bring it into book form. 



Though thus interested in the work of a professor of 

 modern history, I could not refrain from taking part in 

 the discussion of practical questions pressing on thinking 

 men from all sides and earnestly demanding attention. 



During my State senatorship I had been obliged more 

 than once to confess a lack, both in myself and in my 

 colleagues, of much fundamental knowledge especially 

 important to men intrusted with the legislation of a great 

 commonwealth. Besides this, even as far back as my 

 Kussian attacheship, I had observed a similar want of 

 proper equipment in our diplomatic and consular service. 

 It was clear to me that such subjects as international law, 

 political economy, modern history bearing on legislation, 

 the fundamental principles of law and administration, and 

 especially studies bearing on the prevention and cure of 

 pauperism, inebriety, and crime, and on the imposition of 

 taxation, had been always inadequately provided for by 

 our universities, and in most cases utterly neglected. In 

 France and Germany I had observed a better system, and, 

 especially at the College de France, had been interested 

 in the courses of Laboulaye on &quot;Comparative Legis 

 lation. &quot; The latter subject, above all, seemed likely to 

 prove fruitful in the United States, where not only the 

 national Congress but over forty State legislatures are 

 trying in various ways, year after year, to solve the mani 

 fold problems presented to them. Therefore it was that, 

 while discharging my duties as a commissioner at the 

 Paris Exposition of 1878, I took pains to secure informa 

 tion regarding instruction, in various European countries, 



