Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-02
From the Chicago Times.
HUMORS OF THE WAR.


RUMORS OF THE WAR.
General Grant Interviewed by a Chicago
Reporter.
The views of General Grant on the con-
duct of the European war are something
which all the world has an interest in
knowing. The enterprise of the Times
was exhibited during the late visit of his
Excellency, by obtaining. at some length,
the Generals opinion of matters on the
Rhenish frontier
The General, in response to question
as to his opinion of matters between
France and Prussia, said that neither par
ty understands war as he understands it.
Here the reporter of the Times ventured
to assert cordial endorsement Of the re-
mark of his ExcelIency.
| Permit me, General" said Mr.. Scam
mon. Ito ask you to point out what you
conceive to be the chief blunders of the
campaigns thus far p
France" said the General, as he light
ed fresh cigar, "made blunder in
commencing war upon people of equal
size and strength The true way to make
war is 70 always have three to your enc
my's one. An illustration of the fact was
given at Shiloh. The enemy there was
within third as large as my own force.
Hence the disaster which befel me-"
have you no faith in manoeuvering or in
strategy, whereby inferiority in point of
numbers can be equalized by superiority
of brains 2"
"None whatever. Sherman played that
out in his march to the sea. You see, the
Confederacy was only a shell, and that is
why he met with such success. He had
no opposition, My own experience proves
this. In all cases where 1 attempted any
of these new fangled operations, I was
beaten"
Here Mr.. Colfax, with a very sweet smile,
inquired as to what the General thought
!, should be done by Napoleon.
! My idea," said the General, " is Uh at
: he should get Butler and Banks to COM
mand army corps in the Prussian forces.-
Then he should conscript every French
/. man that can carry a murket. and send him
a in. Prussia has only 10000 600 inhabi-
e tants, while France has 10000 600. This
is clear difference in favor Of France o
: 100000. Now let Napoleon keep ham
y mering away at the Prussians, if it takes al
g summer. [ am of the opinion that the su
n perior activity of the French, aided By
= their chassepot, their elan, their tradition
and their superior navy will enable then
r to kill Prusslan as often as they can
: Frenchman. Hence it is a clear case tina
!, II Napoleon hammers away till all thu
r Prussians are killed off he will have 10,
} 900, 900 left. In other words, his cats tai
J. is the longest"
"What is your opinion of Napoleon per
sonally p asked Mr.. Joseph Medill.
= He is great man. He smokes Away
and never says anything. He was once il
humble circumstances. He was never
however, in the hide business, except per
o haps SO far 90 hiding himself is concern
o ed"
Q Here General Dent broke into uproari
: Gus laughter. He afterwards remarked tt
5 our reporter that he was hired to laugh a
Grants jokes and, he added, he f1attereC
0 himself he was doing a very extensive bus
Q mess on very limited capital.
. General Grant pulled stoically until Dem
. had finished laughing, and he resumed {:
Napoleon is my model. I have stood
0 before his portrait by the hour, trying tc
> mould my countenance into the stony in
. expressiveness that characterizes his.
5 am not certain but that shall initiate his
coup d'etdt. He rose from obscurity to be
President. So did I. He rose from
President to Emperor and if don't fol
low suit it will be because Congress took
J the trump out of my hand when it reduced
the army"
"Well, now, General, tell us what you
think of the Prussians," said Mr.. Greene
baum.
Don't like EN-" he responded, SEN
tentiously.
''Why not, your Excellency?"
tWell, I don't. They want Office too
much. Why, I have had more than a
hundred thousand applications from
Dutchmen for Office, whose only recon-
mendation was that they fought nit
Sigel.' AS voters have no objection to
them. During the war they stole every
thing, SO that native had no chance"
The General proceeded to comment on
lPrusslan strategy. He did not like it, he
said. They were in too much of hurry.
Here now, in less than month, they have
was fshorter time, he said, than he re-
quired to move his army from Fort Henry
to Donelson, a distance of only thirty
miles. This CELEBRITY, he remarked, is de-
structive of all precedent. The Prussians
have gone further in ten days than he
went in ten months when moving on Rich
mond.
He further thought the Prussian move
blunder. In place of going toward Paris
by way of Metz they ought to cross James
river and go round by way of Petersburg.
There is neither dignity nor sense in this
way of rushing straight at Paris with big
army. The Prussian leaders ought to hold
on to see who is going to be the next Presi-
dent. This making war for wars sake
was not, in his opinion, the true principle
of warfare. All wars should have the high
and beautiful object of returning the men
Of ones party to Congress-, and the cleo
ton of ones candidate to the Presidency.
At this moment it was announced that
lunch was ready, and the party broke up.
his