Manchester, 9 July* 1866 
Dear Moor, 

History, i.e., world history, is becoming ever more ironical. What 
could be more splendid than that Bonaparte should be thus 
mocked in practice by his pupil Bismarck, who, backwoods junker 
as he is, has suddenly outgrown his master and all at once gives 
the whole world a tangible demonstration of how very much this 
arbitre de l’Europe exists on sufferance. And then this Bismarck 
himself, who, in order to be able to govern to all appearances 
feudally and absolutely for a few months at home, is pursuing the 
policy of the bourgeoisie wirn a vencrance abroad, preparing the 
ground for the bourgeoisie to rule and striking along paths where 
progress is only possible by liberal, even revolutionary means, and, 
in so doing, making his own backwoods junkers be daily at 
variance with their own principles. The presenters of the 
ceremonial shield to Francis Bomba? are in alliance with Garibaldi, 
and the advocates of Thrones by the grace of God go swallowing 
up whole countries in spite of Victor Emmanuel! Never has 
there been anything quite so splendid as the Kreuz-Zeitung in 

a The original has: June. - > Francis II of Naples and Sicily, son of Ferdinand II 
nicknamed King Bomba for the bombardment of Messina in September 
1848. -° Neue Preussische Zeitung 

these last 4 weeks, and the historico-feudal party, which cost the 
genius of Frederick William IV of blessed memory so much toil 
and trouble to found, is now choking on the filth which it is being 
forced to gobble up at its own leader’s command. 

The simple fact is: Prussia has 500,000 needle-guns and the rest 
of the world not even 500. It is not possible to equip an army with 
breech-loaders in under 2, 3 or perhaps 5 years. Until then 
Prussia will be dux. Do you think Bismarck will not make use of 
such a moment? Certainly he will. Bonaparte will take very good 
care not to pick a quarrel, and as for the Russians, it is true they 
are setting up a most furious howl in the Journal de St.-Pétersbourg,? 
but militarily they are now less to be feared than ever. I have no 
doubt at all that this sudden enormous growth of Prussia’s might 
will drive Bonaparte and the Russians together, and that their first 
endeavour will be to prevent each and every increase in Prussia’s 
might. But they will take care to hold back from war; as for 
France, if she were to intervene actively, that would assuredly be 
the best way to drive the South Germans properly into the arms of 
the Prussians and consign the civil war to oblivion.” And as for 
the Russians, Monsieur Bismarck is the man to threaten them with 
a new Polish insurrection, and they know that the fellow is 
unscrupulous enough for that. In general, Bismarck is only too 
well aware of his power and also knows that it can only maintain 
its present magnitude for a few years, and I believe he will exploit 
it to the very last drop. Moreover, Bonaparte can always be bought 
off with Belgium in the end, and only just before the war Goltz, 
Bonaparte and the Crown Prince of Holland? ‘considered the 
possibility’ of dividing Belgium between France and Holland, 
which would then cede Luxemburg to France.** I believe the war 
is not over yet by a long chalk, and there is much that can still 
happen. 

The Russians really do seem to have realigned themselves 
towards Austria some time ago now, and this tremendous success 
of the Prussians will make it impossible for them to go back on it 
in any way. The more so since Austria will now be ready to receive 
Bosnia or Walachia in exchange for Venice, with Russia then 
taking Moldavia. 

You see, by the by, how right I was in my appraisal of the 
Prussian army when I repeatedly said there was far more to it 
than people were wont to admit. After these successes and after 

a ‘Nouvelles de L’Extérieur’, Journal de Saint-Pétersbourg, No. 140, 23 June (5 July) 
1866. - > William, Prince of Orange 

the absolutely brilliant performance of the troops, they will be so 
much more self-confident and, at the same time, more experi- 
enced at war that they could take the field against the French 
tomorrow, even if the latter had breech-loaders, and the French 
bayonet, at all events, has had its day, like the Spanish pike in its 
time. When breech-loading becomes general, the cavalry will come 
into its own again. . 

I must make a proper report to Jenny about the Africans,*” as I 
have been meaning to for a long time now. 

Many regards. 

Your 
F. E.