THE FRENCH EMPEROR ON THE WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 247, 19 October 1870, Page 4

THE FRENCH EMPEROR ON THE WAR.

- ". An -Englishman " writes thus to the jXdndon;. Telegraph from Paris :— - Experience has warned me that authoritative expfessldns 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 views now expressed by the Emperor Napoleon that I venture to repeat the words which., he employed while speaking to a friend and to myself -during an —interview with which he honored us- at. the Tuileries. I must begin by remarking that I have known the Emperor, for many years, aud have seldom seen ; rhim. looking better.. When last I spoke with him, five months ago, he looked careworn and haggard, with a complexion more- than usually sallow and ash-colored. Yesterday his face looked fuller, his eye bright, his cheek healthy. I wish, in addition^ to premise, that, after he had spoken, I enquired whether we were at liberty to repeat his words haute voix. He answered, *'I wish nothing better than that I should be represented to the people of England as holding these views." The Emperor, after speaking with his usual quiet kindliness upon some other matters, turned suddenly to (he political situation of France and Europe. He said, " One fortnight before the utterance of the Due de Graramout; in the Corps Legislatif — which utterance has, it seems to me, been •so unjustly reflected upou by the British p ress — I had no notion that war was at haud ; nor am I, even at this moment, by any means prppared for it. I trusted that when the Due de Grammont had set me straight with Fiance by speaking manfully in public as to the Hohenzolleru candidature, I- should be able so to manipulate and handle the controversy as to make peace certain. But France has slipped out of my hand. I cannot rule except I lead. This is the most national war that in my time France has undertaken, and I have no choice but to advance 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 mucbj and wants it too quick. After the victory of Prussia in 1866, I reminded him that but for the friendly and selfdenying 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 his own letter, in which he thanked me for my abstinence, and said that he had left neither a Prussian gun nor a Prussian sold ier upon the 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 little towns which gravely menace our frontier, to France. I added that in this way he 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." M. de Bismarck replied to me, after some delay, " Not one foot of territory, whether Prussian or neutral, <jan I resign. But, perhaps, if I were to make some further acquisitions, I could make some concessions. How, for instance, if I were to- take Holland ? What would France want as. a sop for "Holland ?" "I replied," said -the Emperor, " that if he attempted to take Holland, it meant war with France ; and there. the. conversation, in which M. de Bismarck and M. de Beneditti were interlocutors, came to an end." I have repeated this conversation as nearly --as possible, in the Emperor's words. While we were speaking, the Due de Trevise brought a dispatch to his Majesty, which the latter read, and which was to the effect that " the eleventh corps of the Prussian army were at that moment trooping into Treves." I have little to add to this recapitulation. These words, which I have faithfully endeavoured to interpret, must speak for themselves.