M, BENEDETTI ON THE ORIGIN OF THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 510, 26 January 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

M, BENEDETTI ON THE ORIGIN OF THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR.

—o In the first period of the recent war there was nothing which so much impressed the. mind of Europe as t .e unacooiin able origin of the struggle; The most favorable explanation ottered was tint it was a regrettable mistake. M Benedet'i, the Minister of France to Prussia, had misunderstood his instructions, or bungled his diplomacy. IVT. Benedetti, now that the fortunes of the Emoire seem to be once more in the ascendant, comes before the world to show that he and the Emperor’s Government had anxiously desired, and all but secured peace, when war was suddenly forced on by the concurrent accionofthe French Chamber and the people of Paris. Be has published a volume under the title of “ My mission in Prussia.” He demolishes the popular fiction that the war began in an insult at Ems, “ No one, ” he says, “offered any insult; nor one received one.” He kept his Government informed of the high state of preparation in which the Government of Prussia was keeping its array; and also gave his reasons for believing that in any war between Prussia and France the former would have the hearty assistance of the South German States It was at 11 o’clock of the morning of July 8, that M. Benedetti arrived at Eras; it was in the afternoon of the 14th, that he left that watering place, and in that brief interval the two Governments weie committed to war. On the 7th of July M. B medefti was at Wild'nid, when he received orders from Paris to go at once to Ems, where instructions would await him Those instructions signed by ’he Due de Graniont, he here prints at length. Prince Leopold had accep f e 1 the position of candidate for the Crown of Spain. The King of Prussia had professed, says the despatch, that he was altogether indifferent to the fact “ In that cas--,” said the Due, “ we beg of him to be so no longer, but to interfere, if not by order at least by counsels, to pievent the further progress of the design.” In a private letter of the same date, July 7, M. de Gramont said—- “ You must really get a down-right answer from the King, and this is what alone will satisfy ns : - “ The King’s Government does not approve of the acceptance signified by Prince Leopold, and orders him to withdraw it as given without the King’s permission.'’ Thus early he wrote in the same letter, “ We cannot be put off, for in case of a non-satisfactory reply next Saturday, movements must begin to enable th» army to take the ; field within a fortnight. Get the King ; to revoke his permission, and it will be an immense service ; if not, it will be war. But no ambiguities, no de- i lays.” On the day after Ids arrival, I M. Benedetti was received by the j King, and dined with him. Tne King | said he had given his consentto Prince Leopold’s candidature, but only as head of the family, not as a Sovereign, and his Government had had nothing to say in the matter. M. Benedetti urged that the public would never be brought to understand this distinction. At last the King said he had written to the Prince’s father, and had asked him whether his son had considered the excitement that was existing in France on the subject, adding that he expected to hear from him on tbe subject. The King spoke warmly respecting the language held by the D c de Graiuout in the ssembly, which he said was very like a provocation to Prussia. On the 10th M.de Grammont telegraphed, “ We cannot wait , we must have an answer before the day is over. Our preparations must begin. We cannot let Prussia get first.” M. Benedetti sent off on that day a caution to Pans, war, he said, would become inexitable if military preparations were commenced with ostentation. The Due de Gramont wrote to M. Benedetti a private letter, in which he said, “We really cannot allow our adversaries to get before us to day as they got be fote Austria in 1866. Besides,! tellyou frankly public opinion is vehemently excited, and threatens to take the control of affairs out of our hands. »Ve must begin, and we shall not wait longer than until the arrival of your despatch to call in the 300,000 men who are liable. T beg you earnestly to telegraph to me something clear and decisive. If the King will not counsel the Prince of Hohenzo lern to give way—well, there is nothing for it nut war, and in a few days we shall be on the Rhine.” On the 11th M. Benedetti obtained another audience of the King, which lasted an hour. Tin King asked the French Minister to telegraph to Paris, and say that he expected an answer from Prince Leopold that evening or next day, and would see M Benedetti immediately upon its arrival. In the course of the conversation the King sg’d, “ I am not so ignorant as yon may suppose of the preparations your people are making in Paris, and I t-dl you frankly that I on my side am taking care not to be surprised,” He afterwards said that he trusted peace would be maintained, and that it would lie if at Paris they would only wait the short time that would be necessary to enable him to cdtribut to that result. On the 11th M. de Gramont telegraphed to M Benedetti that the latter was not speaking with Sufficient firmness. The King j must positively forbid the Prince to

persist in bis candidature, and either silence or ambiguity on his partwoul.i be taken to signify a refusal On tin 13th M. Benedetti telegraphed to bis Government—“ The King has received tbe response of the Prince of Hohenzidlerii, who announces that hr; son withdraws from his candidature. His Majesty authorises me to say that he approves of this resolution” M. Benedetti says he considers that the object contemplated in his instructions was thus gained, and that France had received the satisfaction she required* But he points to the violent language of the Pari- press and the Assembly which denounced this success as a ridiculous triumph ; and to the pressure of public opinion he traces the necessity under which the Em-peio-’s Government was placea of urging wholly new, and in themselves excessive demands The Due de Gramont on July 12, ordered M. Benedeni not only to require the King to associate with the Prince's act, but to give a till then unheard of undertaking not to sanction his candidature at any future lime. M. ' Henedetti saw the King on the 13 r h, and preferred this new demand according to his instruction?; but the King firmly refused to corap y with it. He neither could nor would, he said, take any such engagement. While he was with the King the Due de Gramont was inditing another and more urgent telegram. to the effect that France was not, and could not be, satisfied with what the King had done. At his last audi*mc , M. Benedetti was led by the King to expect that he w-uld see him again on the following day, but instead he himself received a visit from the King’s aid-de-camp, Prince Radzivil, and learned from him that his Majesty considered the matter terminated, and that anything more M. Benedetti might have to urge must be communicated to the Ministers M. Benedetti attributes the King’s refu sal to see him to wounded feelings, as he had in the interval received . from his Minister at Pans, Baron Werther an account of his interview with the Due de Gramont and IM. de Ollivier, in which they were represented as making demands upon the King, which the latter considered der gatory But in any case, M. Henedetti says, there was no want of courtesy at Ems on either side. M. Benedetti successfully shows that the war was forced on the Emperor by the Assembly, the newspapers, and the population of Paris.