His old partiality for Eussia came out in the remark
that, whatever might be Germany's troubles from So-
cialism, they would never be aggravated from any Rus-
sian source. This in answer to my question whether, if
Socialistic agitation became aggressive and disturbances
arose in Germany, her neighbours, east and west, might
not seize the occasion to attack her. But his faith in
the good faith of the Emperor of Russia was not to be
shaken. The state of things in Russia seemed to him
to forbid such a supposition. The party of discontent,
whether you call it Socialist or Anarchist or Nihilist, is
much the same everywhere. If it is a danger to Ger-
many, it is equally a danger to Russia ; perhaps a much
greater danger. The Czar is not the man to lend a
hand to the enemies of order, of society. It was hard-
ly worth while, after such a declaration as that, to press
the military point of view. As to France, and what
she might do in similar circumstances, Prince Bismarck
omitted to express any opinion. The w T orld knows well
enough already what his views are of the political meth-
ods that have, during his time, been in vogue in that
country. There is no reason to suppose he has changed
these views.
