New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-03
SUMMERS VIEWS ON THE WAR
FRUSsIA's POWER BEHIND THE THRONE
End Of the Napoleon Dynasty

The Washington correspondent OF the
New York Herala has interviewed Senator
Sumner, and says: .....-....-..--..
The views of man like Senator Sumner,
who is thoroughly versed in European
politics and diplomacy, upon the impending
conflict between Prussia and France are not
without interest at this time. Your CORES
pondent called upon the Senator to-day, and
In the course OF conversation with him
elected the following points: He thinks the
war will be IA short one and that q few bat
ties will decide the conquest. One week
ago yesterday, after the late NJ. Provost
dent, he called upon Senator Sumner and
had an inverview of an hour with him. He
presented large number Of letters of in
PRODUCTION to MIR. Sumner from distin-
guished Frenchmen. During the interview
Mr.. Sumner inquired how long the war
would continue between France and Prus-
sia. To this NJ. Provost Paradol replied that
there would be but one or two battles, not
more than two. He could not tell which
would be victorious, but the history Of
modern warfare in Europe showed that
there was no longer the ld-fashioned mode
of making war that prevailed in the days Of
the first Napoleon.
Senator Sumner comedies with NJ Paradol
in this opinion. He says it is different in
Europe to what it is in our country. Take,
for instance, Grants campaign in the
Wilderness in Virginia. The country was
new to him, and he had to feel his way from
day to day. He has no doubt that every
inch of ground on both sides of the Rhine
is as familiar to the leaders of the French
and Prussian armies as the playground Of
their bOyhood. They had maps of every
part of the country, showing every stream
and every clump Of trees. Mr.. Sumner
thinks that at the first outset the available
power Of the cOntending forces will be
massed against each other, and that the
battle will be decisive. OF the result he
has no idea, but he thinks there never were
two men more equally matched in point OF
diplomacy and state craft than Napoleon
and Bismarck. The latter he regards as
the real head of the Prussian government.
and as the power behind the throne greater
than the throne itself
Speaking Of Bismarck, Mr.. Sumner said it
was a curious fact how intimate Bismarck
was with Mr.. Motley. They were educated
together at the college at Gottingen, and
had been companions m many a lark. On
one occasion they were both picked up in
the streets at night and locked up by the
guard. When Bismarck went to Vienna,
after the war with Austria, as his own Min
lister, the first thing he did was to seek Mr..
Motley and dine with him informally. At
the time this created no little uneaSineSs III
the diplomatic circles Of Europe. 1t was
generally regarded as an indication of some
alliance between the United States and
Prussia, but it was nothing more than a re-
newal of old friendship between two school
mates. Owing to the probable short period
during which the war would continue, Mr.
Sumner has no idea that England will be
drawn into it, or, indeed, any other
European powers but France and Prussia,
Some of the smaller powers, like Denmark.
may possibly become involved, but Russia,
England. and even Austria will probably
keep clear. If Napoleon is worsted, Mr..
Sumner thinks it will end his dynasty, and
that his family will become fugitives in
Europe, just as he himself was before the
fall of Louis Philippe. With regard to the
United States, Mr.. Sumner thinks that in no
event can our country become involved in
any of the quarrels of Europe In this
the country will instinctively follow the
maxims of Washington, and any President
or any statesman who will seek to embroil
us in the wars of Europe will eventually
sink to oblivion.