The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-17

THE SECRET TREATY.

Sian DtpiomaUC Indictment oil NapOioon. 4
Count Bismarck, as Chancellor of the North
German Confederation has addressed the
following circular despatch to the representa-
tives of the North German Confederation at
the Courts of neutral States
BERLIN, July 20, 1870.
The expectation expressed by Lord Gran
vile and MIR. Gladstone in the British Par
Lament that more exact information in
reference to the draft treaty of Count
Benedict would be furnished by the two
Powers concerned was in a preliminary
manner fulfilled on our side by the tele-
grams which l addressed to Count Bernstorff
on the 27th instant. Telegraph form only
enabled me to make a short statement which
L now complete in writing. The document
published 10y the London Times contains by
no means the only proposition of a similar
nature which has been made to us on the
part of the French. Even before the
Danish war attempts addressed to me were
made both by official and unofficial French
agents to effect an alliance between France
and Prussia, with the object of mutual ag-
grandizement. 1t is scarcely necessary for
me to point out the impossibility of such a
transaction for a German Minister, whose
position is dependent on his being in accord
with the national feeling; its explanation is
to be found in the want of acquaintance of
French statesmen with sne Fundamental con-
ditions of existence among other peoples.
Had the agents of the Paris Cabinet be en-
competent to observe the state of German
affairs such an illusion would never have
been entertained in Paris as that Prussia
could permit herself to accept the aid of
France in regulating German affairs. Your
EXcellency is, of course, as well acquainted
as am myself with the ignorance of the
French as regards Germany. The endea-
vors of the French Government to carry
out, with the assistance of Pruso
IA A
Belgium and the Rhine frontier were brought
to my notice even before 1862, therefore
before my accession to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. l cannot regard it as my
task to transfer such communications, which
were purely of a personal nature, to the
sphere of international negotiation, and 1
believe it will be best to withhold the most
interesting contribution which l could make
towards the elucidation of the matter from
private letters and conversations. Il ne above
mentioned tendencies of the French Govern
ment were first recognizable by the external
infiuence,o on European politics, and the atti-
tude favorable to us which France assumed
in the German-Danish conflict. The subse-
quent bad feeling which France displayed
towards us in reference to the treaty of Gas
tien was attributable to the apprehension lest
durable strengthening of the Prusso-Aus-
trian alliance should deprive the Paris Cabi
net of the fruits of this its attitude France
before 1865 reckoned uaon the outbreak of
war between us and Austria, and again will
lngly made approaches to as as soon as our
relations with Vienna began to be un-
friendly
Before the outbreak of the Austrian war
proposals were made to me, partly through
relatives of his Majesty the Emperor of the
French and partly by confidential agents,
which each time had for their objects smaller
or larger transactions for the purpose of
effecting mutual aggrandizement. At one
time the negotiations were about Luxembourg
OF about the frontier of 1914, with Landau
and Saarlouis at another about larger OBJ ects,
from which the French-Swiss cantons and the
question where the linguistic boundaries of
Piedmont were to be drawn, were not ex-
cluded. In May, 1866, these pretensons took
the form of proposition for an offensive and
defensive alliance, and the following extract
of its chief features is in my possession
l. En- cas- de Congress, poursuvre d'accord la ces-
sion de la Venete IItalie ct lanneXon des Duches
la Prusse. 2. 81 lie Congress naboutlt pas alliance
les hostites dams les dix ours de la sepa-
ration du Congress. 4. 81 lie Congress ne Sc reunit
pas Ia Prusse attaquera dams 80 ours apres la sigma
ture du present traite. 5. LEmpereur des Francois
decarera la guerre rAutriche, des que les hosti-
ltes seront commences entire lAutrche ct la Prusse
80 iours 100000. 6. on ne fera pas de paX sepa-
rec ayec Autriche. & La paX sc fera sous les con-
dtions suivantes; la Nenetie lltalie, la Prusse
les territories Allemands ci-dessous {7@s millions
dapres aux cholx plus, la reforme federae dams lie
e Rn "a
nant 500 eco ames de Prusse, la Baviere gauche
du Rhn, Bukenheld, Hombourg, Darmstadt, 2l3, ,O00
ames s. Convention miltaire ct maritime entire la
France et la Prusse des la signature g. adhesion
du Roi dItalie)
The strength of the army with which the
Emperor, in accordance with article five,
would assist us, was in written explanations
placed at 800 900 men-the number of souls
comprised in the aggrandizement which
France sought for 1900, 900 souls, according
to French calculations, which, however, did not
agree with the actual statistics. Every one
who is familiar with the secret diplomatic and
military history of the year 1866 will see
gimmering through these clauses the policy
which France pursued simultaneously towards
Italy with whom she at the sa ne time so
n secretly negotiated), and subsequently to-
r wards Prussia and Italy.
In June, 1866, after we had rejected the
above schemes of alliance Notwithstanding
several almost threatening warnings to ac
cept it, the French Government began tC
calculate on the Austrians being victorious
over us, and upon our making a bid fol
French assistance, after the eventuality oi
our defeat, to pave the way for which; diplo-
matically, French diplomacy was occupied to
1 the uttermost. That the Congress antici
pated in the foregoing draft of alliance, ant
again proposed later, would have had the
effect of causing our three months alliance
with Italy to expire without our having pro
fited by it is we'll known to your Excellency
as is also the fact that France, in the further
agreements relative to Custoza, was busted
in prejudicing our situation, and
if possible, bringing about our defeat
The patriotic atfiietion of the
Minister Rouher furnishes a comment
IL