He did not take much part in the debates at Erfurt; as he was one of the youngest of the members, he held the position of Secretary; the President of the Assembly was Simpson, a very distinguished public man, but a converted Jew.  “What would my father have said,” observed Bismarck, “if he had lived to see me become clerk to a Jewish scholar?” On one occasion he became involved in what might have been a very serious dispute, when he used his power as Secretary to exclude from the reporters’ gallery two journalists whose reports of the meeting were very partial and strongly opposed to Austria.  His attitude towards the Assembly is shewn by the words: 

  “I know that what I have said to you will have no influence on
  your votes, but I am equally convinced that your votes will be as
  completely without influence on the course of events.”

The whole union was, as a matter of fact, broken down by the opposition of Austria.  Bismarck had, in one of his first speeches, warned against a policy which would bring Prussia into the position which Piedmont had held before the battle of Novara, when they embarked on a war in which victory would have brought about the overthrow of the monarchy, and defeat a disgraceful peace.  It was his way of saying that he hoped the King would not eventually draw the sword in order to defend the new Liberal Constitution against the opposition of Austria.  The day came when the King was placed in this position.  Austria had summoned the old Diet to meet at Frankfort; Prussia denied that the Diet still legally existed; the two policies were clearly opposed to one another:  Austria desiring the restoration of the old Constitution, Prussia, at the head of Liberal Germany, summoning the States round her in a new union.  There were other disputes about Schleswig-Holstein and the affairs of Hesse, but this was the real point at issue.  The Austrians were armed, and were supported by the Czar and many of the German States; shots were actually exchanged between the Prussian and Bavarian outposts in Hesse.  The Austrian ambassador had orders to leave Berlin; had he done so, war could not have been avoided.  He disobeyed his orders, remained in Berlin, asked for an interview with the King, and used all his influence to persuade him to surrender.  The Ministry was divided; Radowitz stood almost alone; the other Ministers, Bismarck’s friends, had always distrusted his policy.  They wished to renew the old alliance with Austria; the Minister of War said they could not risk the struggle; it was rumoured that he had deliberately avoided making preparations in order to prevent the King putting himself at the head of the Liberal party.  During the crisis, Bismarck was summoned to the King at Letzlingen; there can be no doubt what his advice was; eventually the party of peace prevailed, and Radowitz resigned.  Bismarck on hearing the news danced three times round the table with delight.  Brandenburg died almost immediately after; Manteuffel became Minister-President; he asked Schwarzenberg for an interview, travelled to Olmuetz to meet him, and an agreement was come to by which practically Prussia surrendered every object of dispute between the two great Powers.