The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-08-26
An Interview with Napoleon III.
JAS. BAILY, Sr.,
Ch'm'n of Committee.

L L.
ris July 23, to the London Telegraph,
gives the following account Of an in
tcrvicw with Napoleon Ill:
Experience has warned mo that au-
thorltativo expressions Of opinion
emanating from tho protagonis,s in a
great political crisis rarely find their
way into foreign newspapers. It is
with tho purpose of enabling your
readers to form their own Judgment
upon the views now expressed by the
Emperor Napoleon that 1 venture to
| repeat the words which he Yesterday
employed while speaking to friend
and to myself during nm interview
with which ho honored us at the Tuil-
cries: l must begin by rcmarking
that have known the Emperor for
many years, and havc. seldom seen
him looking better. When last I
spoke with him, five months ago, he
looked careworn and haggard, with a
complexion moro than usually sallow
and ash-colored. Yesterday his face
looked fullor, his eye bright, his cheek
healthy. 1 wish in addition to pre-
misc that, after he had. spoken, I in
CURED whether wo were ut liberty to
repeat his words haute poir. He nm.
'swered, II wish nothing bettcr 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 Franco and
of Europe. lie said, "One fortnight
before The u;tcranco Of the DUO de
Grammont in the Corps Lcgislatif-
which utteranco has as it seems to me
been SO unjustly reflected upon by tho
English press-I had no notion that
war was at hand, nor am I, even at
this moment, by any means prepared
for it. 1 trusted that, when the Dnc
DC Grammont had set mo straight
with France by speaking manfully in
public as to the Hohenzollern candi-
dature, l should be able so to manip-
ulatc and handle the controversy as
to make peace certain. But Fronce
has slipped out Of my hand. I can
not rule unless I load. This is the
most national war that in nv time
France has undertaken, and I have
no choice but to advance at the head
OF public opinion which I can nei-
ther stem nor check. In addition, NJ.
dc Bismarck, although very clever
man, wants too much, and wants it
too quickly. After tho victory of
Prussia in 1865, I reminded him that
but for tho friendly and selfdenyipg
neutrality of France he could never
have achieved such marvels. I poin.
ted out 10 him that l had mover NOV.
ed q French soldier noar 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
ho had left neither Prussian gun nor
o Prussian soldier upon the Rhine, but
had thrown Prussia's whole and undi.
yidcd strength against Austria and
her allies. told him that, as some
slight return for my friendly inactivi.
ty, thought that ho might surrender
Luxembourg, and one or two other
lt.le towns which gravely menace on,
frontier, to France. I added that in
this way he would. by o 'trifling sacri
fice, easily forgotten by Prussia, ir
view of her enormous successes ane
acquisitions, pacify the French nation
whose jealousies it was so easy Il
arouse, 80 difficult to disarm. -
i I'M. de Bismarck replied to me, of
ter some delay, mot ono foot of terri
tory, whether Prussian or neutral
can l resign. Bnt perhaps, if wer,
to make some further acquisitions, ::
could make some concessions. How
for instance, if I were to take, Hol
iard2 What would France want q
q sop for Holland 2 q;
tf replied" said the Emperor atha
If he attempted to take Holland Il
meant war iwith France saaii sther
1.-The conversati tion, in whiek sae I3is
marek and M. de Beneds tti were th
interlocutors, came to aE end 's 3
i have repeated TIM c0nv nversatior
as nearly as possible 4n ne Empsecrs
4 Words Whils;R6 erS speak ipe th,
II Duo dc Travisa ,sbHgs & b sdd5spatcistt,
hta Majesty, Nj lsch The latter read
q and which wa 81 tho 6fisct that s.tlii
s. leystt d 0 GO ths RruseiAn Assn5
As NJ rs & st0fn sus tsoaping ints
eyeA "A 1, Jlsttl sirJ1 tofadd "a
t&1is l.Ss 70. 3ftI ~ n