“The longer I work at politics,” he said, “the smaller is my belief in human calculation.  I look at the affair according to my human understanding, but gratitude for God’s assistance so far, raises in me the confidence that the Lord is able to turn our errors to our own good; that I experience daily to my wholesome humiliation.”

This time he had been mistaken in his forecast.  In a despatch of May 23d to Austria he suggested two solutions,—­the Augustenburg succession, and annexation by Prussia; he inclined towards the former, though, as he said, if the Prince was to be recognised,

  “it would be imperatively necessary to obtain guarantees for a
  Conservative administration, and some security that the Duchies
  should not become the home of democratic agitations.”

As he said elsewhere, “Kiel must not become a second Gotha.”  He no doubt anticipated that Austria would refuse this first alternative; then the annexation by Prussia would naturally arise for discussion.  Had Austria been consistent, all would have been well, but a change had taken place there; the Government was not disinclined to win the popularity that would accrue to them if they took up the Augustenburg cause; after all, Austria would be rather strengthened than weakened by the establishment of a new Federal State, which, as all the other smaller Princes, would probably be inclined to take the Austrian side.  In answer, therefore, to this despatch the Austrians, throwing aside all attempt at consistency, proposed vigorously to press the Augustenburg claim.  “It is just what we were going to suggest ourselves,” they said.  Bismarck therefore was compelled now, as best he could, to get out of the difficulty, and, as Austria had not rejected it, he begins to withdraw the proposal he had himself made.  To Bernstorff, his envoy at the Congress, he writes: 

“Austria is endeavouring to establish irrevocably the candidacy of Augustenburg in order by this means to render it difficult for Prussia to impose special conditions.  We cannot consent to this.  The dynastic questions must be discussed with special consideration for Prussian interests, and, consequently, other possibilities cannot be ruled out, until we have negotiated with Augustenburg and ascertained in what relation to Prussia he intends to place himself and his country.  If the person of Augustenburg meets with more opposition in the Conference than the project of a division, then let the former drop.”

The proposal, however, had to be made; for once, all the German Powers appeared in agreement when they demanded from the neutrals the recognition of Augustenburg; but Bismarck proposed it in such words as to avoid pledging himself to the legality.  Of course the proposal was rejected by the Danes and Russians and it was allowed to fall to the ground.  For Bismarck the interest is for the moment diverted from London to Berlin.