The suppressed diary of the late Emperor Frederick.

  • Frederick, III, German Emperor, 1831-1888.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The suppressed diary of the late Emperor Frederick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    discussion between the Crown Prince and me with reference to the future of Germany, and the relations of the Kaiser to his fellow Sovereigns, took place no earlier than at Versailles. This conversation between us had already been held at Donchery on the 3rd of September, and part of it even on previous occasions, several hours at a time, of which I only remember that we were on horseback, and therefore probably at Beaumont or Sedan. At Versailles there were no longer anv discussions or differences of opinion” (expressed) “between his Royal Highness and me as to the future constitution of Germany. I may, I think, rather assume that his Royal Highness had by this time convinced himself that the line of the attainable marked out by me was the correct one, for on the few occasions when the future of Germany and the Kaiser question came up for discussion, in presence of both father and son (beide hochste Herr- scha/ten), I enjoyed the agreement of his Royal Highness in combating the scruples of his Majesty. The assertion of the diary that his Royal Highness could have thought of employing force against our allies, and of thus breaking the treaties which had been faithfully kept by them, and sealed with their very blood, is a calumnia- tion of the deceased Prince. Such ideas, which are equally contemptible from the standpoint of honour- able feeling and from that of policy, may have found advocates among the entourage of the Crown Prince, but they were too dishonourable to find an echo in his heart, and too clumsy to appeal to his political sense;” The Dilemma of the Publishers of the Diary.—1. If Genuine. Prince Bismarck then enumerates some minor blunders which, he says, the Crown Prince could not have made, and continues : — “ In view of all this, I hold the diary, in the form in which it is published in the Rundschau, to be spurious. If it were genuine, it would, in my opinion, come under Article 92 of the Penal Code, which runs thus :— “ ‘ Whoever wilfully makes public State secrets or intelligence whereof the secret keeping is essential to the welfare of the German Empire,’ &c. “ If there were any State secrets at all, they would primarily include the fact, if fact it was, that when the German Empire was in course of re-esta- blishment, Kaiser Frederick advocated the idea of breaking faith and treaties with the South German States, and using force with them. A number of other passages, such as those recording the opinion of his Royal Highness the Crown Prince as to their Majesties the Kings of Bavaria and Wiirtemberg, and referring to the alleged intentions of the Prussian Government in the matter of Papal Infallibility, such passages, if true, would most unquestionably fall within the category of State secrets and intelligence of which the publication would imperil the existence and future of the German Empire, which to a great extent depends upon the unity of its Sovereigns ; and, therefore, comes within the scope of Article 92 of the Penal Code. II.—If Spurious. “ If the publication is held to be genuine, Article 92, sec. 1, applies to it. But if, as I assume it to be, the publication is a forgery, it will primarily, per- haps, come under Article 92, sec. 2. And if there are any legal doubts as to its applicability, then, apart from Article 189 referring to libellous assaults on the memory of deceased persons, I think there are other clauses which may form the basis of a judicial investigation whereby at least light may be thrown on the origin and aims of this publication, which forms a calumniation of the deceased Emperors Frederick and William. That this should be done is in the interest of your Majesty’s two predecessors, whose memory forms a valuable pos- session of the people, and of the dynasty, that should be preserved from the disfiguring tendencies with which this anonymous publication, accomplished in the interest of revolution and domestic discord, is primarily directed against the Emperor Frederick. “ In this sense I respectfully pray your Majesty graciously to empower me to convey to the Minister of Justice your Majesty's commands to direct the Public Prosecutor to take criminal action against the Deutsche Rundschau and the authors of the publica- tion complained of. “ Von Bismarck. “To his Majesty the Emperor-King.” AT ALL BOOKSELLERS’, TRICE 2s. 0d., THE FATAL ILLNESS OF FREDERICK THE NOBLE. By SIR MORELL MACKENZIE. K.C.B.. &e. Crown Svo, limp cloth, with Facsimiles of the late Emperor's Handwriting, and many Woodcuts, 250 pages, 2s. 6d. It was felt by those who have the createst cause to be satisfied with the services which Sir Morell rendered to the late Emperor Frederick III. that it was necessary for him to vindicate his professional reputation from the slurs cast upon it by certain German physicians, and they therefore left him free to publish an independent report, should he think fit to do so. Accordingly he has for some weeks been incessantly occupied in preparing this work for the Press, and has been issued simultaneously in German, French, and English. The work contains facsimiles of the late Emperor’s handwriting, and other sketches, and forms not merely a personal defence of Sir Morell against the personal attacks made upon him, but contains an historical account of his long-continued daily intercourse with the Emperor. London : SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, and RIVINGTON (Limited), St. Dunstan’s House, Fetter-lane, E.C. Pr nted and Published by Richard Lambert, at 2, Northumberland-street, Strand, in the Parish of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields.
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