The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-05-13 00:00:00

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROSSEL.
From • CorreepAldeht of the Daily News)

A. R wael, the new Minieter .4 War, Is evidently a
man of mark, it will be as well to say a few words
about him, for he is certainly not only in tffe me at im-
portant post in Paris, but is also the most remarkaiole
character that events havo yet brought forward daring
the present movement. In my very first visit to the
War-Ob.:4r at the outbreak of the Communal insurrec-
tion, I was introduced to Colonel Rosa-I. He was
then in plain clothes, and I recollect thinking,
"Why, this is a Prussian Staff officer in dia.mi-e."
The same eye-glaste s, the same quiet, self-con-
Went lot k, the same deliheraie, th tughtful way
of speaking—which the French take as a proof
of a dull mind, but which is really only a proof
that the speaker is weighing his words—and let t`y,
even the came knowledge of English which is so com-
mon among the r tilos-es of von Moltke's staff. I era
that the correspondent of an English paper has taken
it into his head that Rommel has a strong resemblance
of Napoleon I. when a young lieutenant of artillery.
As my recollections do not run so far hack as the end
of the last century, I can only judge by the portraits
we possess of the Firat Bonaparte, and certainly, if we
are to believe them, there is ranch the same rearm.
blame between lt steel and Napoleon as between Mon-
mouth and Macedon. A good pair of eyes and the
other ordinary features of the human face are common
to both, and there the resemblance begins and ends
Louis Nathaniel Bosse], who is of Scotch e xtrac.
tion, his mother's maiden name having been Camp-
bell, was born at St. Brieue, in the department ef
CO Aw.du.Nord, in Brittany, in 1844,50 that the man who
is master of the destinies of Paris, and to a certain ex-
tent of those of France, is barely 27 years of age. Ile
is of middle height, slight. anti wears a short, fair
beard. He looks far more like an Englishman or an
American than a Frenchman, and his manners do not
belie his appearance, lie is as cold and reserved aa an
Englishman, with the prudence of a Scotchman,
and also, unless I am greatly mistaken, as 'cute
AR a Down-Easter. Ire speaks Engioh remarkably
well, and u.akes no secret of his anxiety to introduce
American smartness and dislike for red tape into the
French Administrati ,TIN and is as great an abhorrer
of formulas as Mr. Carlyle himself. 'When I asked
him recently why he sat as president of the court mar-
tial in plain clothes, and not, as is usual in such courts,
in uniform, he smiled, and said (in English), "Oh, you
know, we aim at being rather Yankee in our ideas',
and especially in our detestation of forms and cere-
monies; we don't v ant to sit in wigs and gowns
like the Eng] sh judges. If I happen to be in uoiform
I go to the court-martial in uniform, if I am in
plain clothes I do not change them." Since his
elevation to the position of Delegate for War, how-
ever, Rowel has thought it necessary to don the
uniform of a general, but he has taken care to
have it of the simplest and most unpretending
pattern possible. After having written three lines I
went to the Warr Slice to hear the latest news, and to
inquire how the War Minister was, after his ree-nt fall
from his horse. I found General Rossel in his bedroom
. . .

-a large one, hung with dark blue odic - filled with
aides-de-camp, clerks, and tlhcers of all ranks. The
get (rat himself was in Mil, with an English nrwspaper
In hie hand. He dropped it to shake hands, and on
my expreoslng my regret to ere him obligssi to keep
his bed,—'• Oh, I am not nsuchhurt," hereplied, "only
I am a little stiff, and one is so tired at present, that
an excuse to beep in bed is welcome." I don't know
why, but I could not bolo thinking of the pictures of the
famous levees of Louis Quatorz-. There was the room
dating from the century of the Grand Monarque, the
gild-d chairs, the heavy silk hat gir gs of the same date,
and to complete the illusion an aide-de.catnp with a
court sword received each person who deeired to speak
to the Minister. I woe raked to sit down for a few
minutes, as important despatches had come in. When
these had been dispoeed of ths re came two newly.
named inspectors of ambulances. "You will taco
caro not to accumulate too many msn in one place,
never have more than two hundred lode together;
that has been the great defect of the Paris ambulances
hitherto." The doctors tried to harangue, but Itossel
said quietly, with a bow, "Citoyene. je roes sale.'," and
the rues-ticos were obliged to take the hint, for he turned
to his is'ele.de.camp and said, "What next ?" " The
Correspondents of the London and the New
York request that they may have their news
before sic o'clock. so as to catch the eveming train."
"Send me the Chief of the Infmma•ion Bureau." He
came. "Let this request of these Correspondents he
attended to." Then, turtling to me, he said, "My
dear sir, you see how busy I am; come back and take
breakfast with me in half-an-hour, we can then have •
quiet talk alone."
When I returned I found the breakfast, which had
evidently b.-en brought in ready cooked from a neigh-
bonring restaurant, on the table. Whatever acmes-
tion can he brought against the War Minister, that of
waking the money of the Commune in riotous living
will certainly not hold water. We had an emslette,
beefsteak, slices of a leg of mutton, asparagno, cheese,
coffee, and veldt ',erre. The whole washed down by yin
ordinaire. I should have rather have liked to have
seen one of Napoleon 111.. minister's sitting down to
such a breakfast. A pile of English newspapers, and
• late number of the Fortnightly Review, with Mr.
Fred. Harrison's article on the Commune, lay
beside the General's plate. He laughed heartily at
an article, speaking of his striking resemblance to the
First Napoleon. Then he asked about the Prussians ;
bad I any confirmation of the news that Bismarck had
given notice of his intention to interfere. "No Ah,
Id(' not think it protorble they will meddle with us so
long as we let them alone." Then he began to diecuss
some of the events of the late °ampule, showin x the
most perfect impartiality in his ap; istion ot the
value of the Prueeian army. We did not have the
dining-room to ourselves long, for before the first course
had been cleared away an orderly came in with a
note—some one wanted to Flee the general It
was a bargain for the purchase of Chasse-
pots. 'Goon, I take them at 75 francs apiece,
25.000 to be delivered. I have already seen
the contract. There, it's a bargain. Give me
the contract to sign." "Let me read over the
contract," said the astonished dealer, quite unused to

such a rapid and un-French way of dobig matters.
" Ail you please," said Rossel, quietly opening an
English paper, while the disgusted merchant read hie
contract for my benefit, for Roam' evidently did not
listen. Next CAM!, in a member of the Finance Com-
mission, and Rosati told him that he had been making
a ',umbra, of necessary pnrchases—horsen, muskets,
sandtwee—a million of the libeler, and so on. And so
on, and so on. I swallowed my cuffee, wished Citizen
Mosel and his aides a hearty good morning, and bowed
myself out, thanking my stars that I was not ever
likely to be Delegate for War of the Commune of
Paris.