NAPOLEON ON THE WAR.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2359, 24 October 1870, Page 2

NAPOLEON ON THE WAR.

“An Englishman” writes thus to tie Loudon Daily Tdtgnvjh from Paris ■—Experience has warned me that authoritative expressions of opinion emanating from the protagonists in a great political crisis rarely find their way into foreign newspapers. It is with the purpose of enabling your readers to form their own judgment upon the viev 3 now ex-pressed by the Emperor Napoleon that I venture to repeat live words which he employed while speaking to a friend and to myself during an interview with which he honoured us at the Tuilerics. I must begin by remarking that I have known the Emperor for many years, and have seldom seen him looking better, Alien last I spoke with him, live mouths ago, he looked careworn and haggard, with a complexion mo:e than usually sa’low and ash-coloured. Yesterday his face Joked fuller, his eye bright, Ids chcpk healthy. I wish iu addition to premise, that, after ho had spoken, I inquired whether we were at iherty to repeat his words a haute mi.e. He answered, “ I wish nothing better than that I should be represented to the people of England as holding these views.” The Empsrir after speaking with his usuil quiet kindliness upon some private matters, turned suddenly to the political situ ation of France and of Europe. He said, “ One fortnight before the utterance of the Due de Gramout in the Corps Legislatif-which utterance has, ifc seems to me, ben so unjustly reflected upon by the British Press -I had no notion that war was at hand ; nor am 1, oven at this moment, by any means prepared for it. I treated that, when the Due de Gramont had set me straight with France by speaking manfully in public as to the Hoheuzolleru candidature, I should he able so to manipulate and handle the controversy as to make p ;uce certain. But France has slipped out of my hand. I cannot rule unless I lead. This is the most national war that in my time France has undertaken, and I have no choice but to ail van ce at the head of a public opinion which I can neither stem nor check. In addition, M. de Bismarck, although a very clever man, wants too much, and wants it too (puck. After the victory of Prussia in ISGG, I reminded him that hut for the friendly and self-denying neutrality of France he could never have achieved such marvels. I pointed out to him that I had never moved a French soldier near to the Rhine frontier during the continuance of the German war. I quoted to him from bis own letter, in whirl} he thanked me for my abstinence, and said that he had neither left a Prussian gnu nor a Prussia’! soldier upon th s Rhine, but had thrown Prussia’s whole and undivided strength against Austria and her allies. I told him that, as some slight return for my friendly inactivity, I thought that he might surrender Luxembourg, and one or two other little towns which gravely menace our frontier, to France. I added that in this way ho would, by a trifling sacrifice, easily forgotten by Prussia in view of her enormous successes and acquisitions, pacify the French nation, whose jealousies it was so easy to arouse, so difficult to disarm.” hi. de Bismarck replied to me, after some delay, “ Not one foot of territory, whether Prussian or nerttral, can I resign. But, perhaps, if I were to make some'further acquisitions, I could make some coucessious.

How, for instance, if I were to ta.ee Holland. What would France want as a sop for land ?” “ I replied said the Emperor, that if he attempted to take Holland, it meant war with France ; and there the conversation, m which M. de Bismarck and M. de Bcncdeui were interlocutors, came to an cud.” I have repeat'd this conversation as nearly as possible in the Emperor’s words. While we were speaking, the Due de Treviso brought a despatch to his Majesty, which the latter read, and which was to the effect that “ the eleventh cerps of the Prussian army were at that moment trooping into Treves.” 1 h ave little to add to this recapitulation. These words which I have faithfully endeavored to interpret must speak for themselves.