The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-13
Napoleon Interviewed
A Defense of His Policy.
Prince leopOld's Candidature.
How King William Regarded II
Minister Bancroft's Despatch
The Fortress of Metz.
NAPOLEON .INTERvIEWED." )"

The Most National War Ever Undertaken
France Not Prepared for u-"A Very
Clever Man Wanting too Much and too
QuickIy.o
The following is the full report OF the alleged
interview" by an Englishman with the Empe-
ror Napoleon already referred to by cable tele-
grant
To the Editor of the London Daily Telegraph:
-Sir:-Experience has warned me that authori-
tative expressions of opinion emanating from
the protagonists in great political crisis rarely
find their way into foreign newspapers. 1t is
with the purpose of enabling your readers to-
form their own judgment upon the views now
expressed by the Emperor Napoleon, that
venture to repeat the words which he yesterday
employed while speaking to friend and to my
self during an interview with which he honored
us at the Tuileries. / must begin by remarking
that have known the Emperor for many years,
and have seldom seen him looking better. When
last ] spoke with him. five months ago, he
looked careworn and haggard, with COM
pleXion more than usually sallow and ash
colored. Yesterday his face looked fuller, his
eye bright, his cheek healthy. 1 wish in add-
tion to premise that after he had spoken, in
quired whether we were at liberty to repeat his
words a hdute coin. He answered, II wish
nothing better than that should be represented
to the. people of England as holding these
views"
The Emperor after speaking with his usual
quiet kindliness upon some private matters,
turned suddenly to the political situation of
France and of Europe He said--"One fort
night before the utterance of the Duke de Gra-
mont in the Corps Legislatif-which utterance
has, as it seems to me, been SO unjusty reflected
upon by the English press-I had no notion that
war was at hand, nor am 1, even at this moment,
by any means prepared for 1t. L trusted that,
when the Duke de Gramont had set me straight
with France by speaking manfully in public as
to the Hohenzollern candidature, should be
able so to manipulate and handle the contro
versy as to make peace certain. But France
has slipped out of my hand. / cannot rule
/ q war
that in my time France has undertaken, and 1
have no choice but to advance at the head of
public opinion which l can neither storm nor
check. In addition, M. de Bismarck, although
a very clever man, wants too much, and wants
il too quick.
"After the victory of Prussia in 1866, Ireminded
him that but for the friendly and self-denying
neutrality of France he could never have achieved
such marvels. l pointed out to him that had
never moved French soldier near to the Rhine
frontier during the continuance of the German
war. l quoted to him from his own letter in
which he thanked me for my abstinence, and
said that he had left neither Prussian gun nor
a Prussian soldier upon the Rhine but had
thrown Prussia's whole and undivided strength
against Austria and her allies. l told him that
as some slight return for my friendly inactivity,
thought that he might surrender Luxembourg,
and one or two other little towns which gravely
menace our frontier, to France. / added that in
this way he would, by trifiing sacrifice easily
forgotten by Prussia in view of her enormous
successes and acquisitions, pacify the French
nation, whose jealousies it SO easy to arouse,
so difficult to dsarm.
IN de Bismarck replied to me- after some de-
lay, Not one foot of territory, whether Prus-
sian or neutral, can l resign. But, perhaps, if
were to make some further acquisition, l could
make some concessions. How, for instance, if
/ were to take Holland? What would France
want as sop for Holland?
~ replied" said the Emperor, "that If he at
tempted to take Holland, 1t meant war with
France; and there the conversation, in which NJ.
de Bismarck and NJ. de Benedetu were the in
terlocutors, came to an end"
/ have repeated this conversation as nearly as
possible in the Emperor's words. While we
were speaking, the Due de Trevise brought a
despatch was to the effect that 'the 18th
Corps of the Prussian army were at that mo-
ment trooping into Treves." l have little, sir,
to add to this recapitulation. These words
which have faithfully endeayored to interpret
must speak for themselves. am, sir, yours,
etc., AN ENGLISHMAN.
PARIS Friday evening, July 90.