Prince Bismarck and his Policy, 



95 



ment needed a strong arm to carry through its measures ; 

 Bismarck was cited to Berlin, to take the premiership of 

 the ministry. He answered the king, "Your majesty has 

 called me into your service, I shall do my duty," and 

 never entered a man upon a position at a more critical 

 time. 



Bismarck's liberal opponents, the enemies from below, 

 believed that the reactionary junker of 1848, the down- 

 right Prussian of Erfurt, the man, who made himself 

 hated in Frankfort and beloved in Petersburg — who had 

 just graduated at the school of intrigues at Paris — that this 

 man must be a despot, who would kill the constitution. 

 Bismarck's opponents from above, expected that he would 

 kill the constitution and cause a reaction. Both parties 

 reasoned, that matters could not be any worse, and al- 

 lowed him to take his course. 



He entered upon his office with strong confidence. He 

 conferred with many of the hostile party leaders, liberals, 

 as well as progressists, who desired the well-being of 

 Prussia and Germany ; but he succeeded in winning only 

 very few. Rigid party doctrines, an unvanquishable sus- 

 picion kept many from joining him ; but his tone towards 

 his opponents was that of conciliation. 



On the 29th of September, 1862, he announced the 

 withdrawal of the budget for 1863, " because the govern- 

 ment considered it its duty not to allow the obstacles to- 

 wards a settlement to increase in volume." He then an- 

 nounced his intentions — his aims — as clearly as he dared. 

 " The conflict has been too tragically understood, and too 

 tragically represented by the press ; the government sought 

 no contest. If the crisis could be honorably surmounted, 

 the government would gladly lend a hand. It was owing 

 to the great obstinacy of individuals that it was difficult to 

 govern with the constitution in Prussia. A constitutional 

 crisis was no disgrace, it was an honor. We are, per- 



