The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-26 00:00:00

COUNT BISMARCK AND FRANCE.

The following letter, which is of considerable importance
is from the correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
at Versailles. It is dated Friday last :
" Monsieur Regnier, or the Monsieur N.' who got
Bourbaki out of Metz, is now in Versailles. On thel9th
instant he had an interview with Count Bismarck, at
which all seemed to go smoothly until the end, when
Count Bismarck wanted him to act in the name of some
party. ' Monsieur N.' -refused, declaring that the peace
should be signed by no party, but by the nation, which, on
peace being proclaimed, could then choose its form of
government. Count Bismarck seemed disposed to allow
Monsieur N.' to try his scheme, the new Government
to be thus formed to be called the Gouveruement Provi-
soire de l'Existence Nationale,' with a motto, Pour arriver
au but.'"

The following letters are also sent by the same cor
repondent, and are declared authentic :
" Sidmouth Lodge, 19th December, 1870.
" Monsieur le Comte,—When we declared war against
you we made but one mistake, that of not having ar-
ranged beforehand to be the conquerors. Every mistake
has to be paid for, and we will pay for ours. In order
to know the price, we must at least enter into communica-
tion with each other. My opinion is that you will not
now ask more than you would have accepted at the end
of September. But with us no prince or leader can decide
himself to treat for peace, for fear lest his signature should
be ascribed to his desire of obtaining power. Aide-toi,
Dieu t'aidera,' says our fabulist. We must then ourselves
take our own business into our own hands. '.chat is why I—
who am only an isolated private individual, who belong
to no party, but who really love my country and my
countrymen, and who can therefore despise calumny—ask
you if I may use, for the purpose of visiting Versailles,
the safe conduct which I had previously obtained from
you. There I shall request yon to point out to me one of
our departments occupied by you which your strategical
position may allow you to abandon. As soon as one or
more shall have been indicated to me, I shall go thither,
and I think I may be certain that after four or five days
public meetings, I shall be able to convey to you the de-
mand of one of these departments, in order that I may
obtain from you its evacuation by your forces and its neu-
tralisation by the belligerent armies. Within a fortnight
the cry for peace will be such, and will be heard through-
out so great a part of France, that its realisation cannot
long be delayed. The moderate people of all parties who
may join in it will attain this result, so desirable for
all, by the establishment of separate committees, having
the same purpose. Paris will stretch out her hand to
them, and peace may be signed without its being neces-
sary for you to enter the modern Athens by force, or to
destroy it by a horrible bombardment. You will not,
Monsieur le Comte, by a refusal give a semblance of
reason to those who assert that you rejoice at being unable
to find anybody with whom to treat, in order that you
may destroy my poor country for ever. No, that is not
true ; and, moreover, your mothers and orphans in Ger-
many, have they not every day, like ours, more sons and
fathers to weep for?—l have the honour, &c.
" J. V. REGNIER.
" M. le Comte de Bismarck."

" Monsieur, —I have received the letter which you had
the goodness to address to me on the 10th inst. ; and I
have the honour to inform you that there is no obstacle to
your journey, of which the object would be at first to ex-
plain more clearly your intentions, which are too vaguely
indicated in your letter to allow any opinion to be formed
at present as to the possibility of their execution.—
Accept, &c. " COMA HATZFELD.
" M. Regnier."
The same correspondent sends additional particulars
under date Saturday :—" During the interview granted
by Count Bismark to Monsieur Regnier, on the 19th inst.
the Count took a map from the table, and, pointing to it,
said, ' Here stands Von Werder ; there Manteuffel,
advancing with great strides ; between the two
lies Bourbaki, who in a few days will be
taken like your Emperor was at Sedan ; Paris wF
capitulate in a day or two, when 300,000 men
will be let loose to over-run and subjugate France. I
must, therefore, have a party to treat with, and cannot
enter into negotiations with the nation f' or words to that
effect, promising to favourably consider Monsieur
Regnier's plan of neutralising a department of 100
square leagues on the Belgian frontier, provided some
party took lead therein. On Monsieur Regnier refusing
to have anything to do with parties, on the plea
that it would be suicidal for any party to attempt, to
make peace, Count Bismarck waxed wroth, and dismissed
Monsieur Regnier very curtly. On the latter gentleman
reaching his hotel, he was rather more surprised than
gratified to find two police officers waiting merely to say
good day to him, They swore, and then de-
parted. On the 20th Monsieur Regnier called on
Count Hatzfeld, who disclaimed any knowledge of the
police, and took charge of Monsieur Regnier's
telegrams. Up to the latest accounts, it seems possible
that Count Bismarck may allow Monsieur Regnier to
carry out his plan. It is stated on good authority that
negotiations for the capitulation of Paris will be opened
either on or shortly after Tuesday, the 31st. Several
mercantile houses have been warned to be ready with
provisions immediately.

The Echo de la Dordogne announces that the cattle
plague has broken out in the Orleannais and Berry in the
direction of Chateauroux. Its progress is regarded with
great apprehension.
Madame George Sand has denied the authorship of
the letter recently published in the French papers under
her name, though she does not appear to repudiate the
opinions it expresses.
The Electeur Libre says that M. Delamarne, who left
the Northern Station in the balloon, the Ville de Paris on
the 15th December last, and who descended at Sinn, in
Prussia, on the same day, has escaped, and, after passing
through many dangers, arrived on the 13th instant at the
French outposts before Paris, and was received next day
by General Trochu,
A special correspondent at Rennes says that for a long
time it has been thought that France ought to make peace
and discontinue a hopeless struggle. Since the defeat of
Chanzy's army this opinion, which it was unsafe before to
express openly, is now fearlessly uttered. In the railway
train on the way to Rennes an old soldier declared
that M. Gambetta ought to have his neck twisted, a he