New-York tribune., 1870-09-06
CONDITIONS OF PEACE.
hEhAhkABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COUNT
BISMARCK AND THE TRIBUNE CORRESPOND
ENT-BIsMARCK's VIEWS ON THE SITUATION
PRUSSIA TO HOLD sTRAsBoURG AND METZ.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUEBl


| PRUSSIA TO HOLD sTRAsB0URG AND METZ.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNs.l
LONDON. Monday, Sept 5, 1870.
The following is an account of q converse
ton held with Count Bismarck by the special
correspondent of THE TRIBUNE who described
the battle of Sedan:
KING OF PRUssIA's HEADQUARTERS NEAR Sc
DAN, Sept. I'd: The first question asked on the
hill of Chevange after we knew what mag
nifcent victory had been won, was, what terms
will be demanded of France by Count Bis
marck. There have been speculations and
rumOrs enough. Fortunately, / am able to
give very clear account of Count Bismarck's
views as stated by himself. had a long con-
versation with him on the subject only four
days before the victory of Sedan; that is, on
the 2Sth Of August. The substance of it, am
at liberty to make public. ] had received
file of papers from England and had forwarded
those of latest date. at the Chancellor's re-
quest, for his perusa On going to claim my
papers in the evening at his Excelency's
quarters, was asked to step in and sit down.
| found Count Bismarck at deal table Gov
cred with papers, journals, orders, maps, and
cigar boxes; busily smoking the cigar which
never seems to quit his lips
He apoogzed politely for keeping on his
white and yellow forage cap, saying that he
had only that instant come in from long
walk around the prettily situated town of
Clermont where we were then quartered, and
that he was afraid of taking cold if he re-
maincd uncovered. After little talk about
the war, very interesting but which would be
1 4
TO the recovery of his son who has been
slightly wounded | broke ground by asking
Count bismarck what were likely to be the
conditions of peace demanded 10y the King of
! Prussa's Government
lie answered at once, with great apparent
| frankness and in the cearcst manner. ] sup
pose / need hardly remind your readers that
Count Bismarck speaks capital English, so that
there could be no possibility Of my misunder-
standing him.
"Thcre are three courses open TO MS" he
! said, with regard to peace with France. We
must stop the possibility of another so
unprOvOked and uncaled Tor attack by the
French nation or the French Government on
our common Fatherand No Minister who
| failed to do this could hold Office for a week,
! for the opinion of all Germany would be against
| him. There are, as | have said, three ways
of stopping an attack on the Rhine provinces.
First: We might make Alsace and Lorraine
| a neutral State like Luxemburg OF Belgium,
extending from the former country to Switzer-
| land and so separating France and Prussia by
group of neutral States; but ] confess 1t
| appears to me that neutrality of the existing
small States is already so difficult to protect
and is at every moment capable of so many
and such dangerous complications, that | do
not think it would be worth while TO make
| more neutral States and with them new duties
| and dangers.
"lSecondly: We might annex Alsace and Lor-
raine, and hold them as conquered territory.
But am sure that this would not be looked
on favorably by the majority of my German fcl-
| low -cOuntrymen. We are all most anxious to
complete our unity; but we do not want any
people among us who are unwilling members
of the German nation. That the Alsacians
would be most dislOyal subjects of the King of
Prussia in spite of the great majority of them
speaking the German language and being of
| Teutonic origin, there can be no doubt.
'Thirdly: There remains to us then as
third course, to take Metz ana Strasbourg and
to keep them. This is whdt Ue shall do. Stras-
|
protection of South Germany which is at the
mercy of a French army. SO long as France
possesses Strasbourg, there is nothing to stop
a French invading army. Now it would be
very unfair if we were to leave our South
| German brethren unprotected after they have
fought SO bravely and well by our side in this
campaigu. Then again by holding StrasbourG
we could always prevent any movement on
the Rhine. We should be able not only to
march an army by the valley of the Main on
Paris. but to take a French army marching on
Mayence or Cobentz in flank and rear. SO
we have besieged Strasbourg vigorously; and
when we have got the old German town back
again we shall make Gibraltar of it."
"But allow me to suggest" said, that the
cession of Strasbourg is not thing to which
France will be easily reconciled; all the more
because il is as you say the key of France on
the East"
"My dear Sir,n was the reply, "you have
been with lis continually since our entry into
| France. I have heard you constantly talking
French. Now, have you not clearly seen that
II would be difficult for the French to be more
angry with us for our victories over them than
thev already arei No, not if we were en-
canned in the Bois de BoulOgne itself. And
inst because they are and will be for many
wear to come very sore against us, we must
take care not to leave in their hands the
means of doing us a mischief.
"When you meet drunken man in the
streets. what do you do if he is mischievousi
Call policeman, do mt youi Well, Sras-
boure and Metz will have to be our policemen,
and good stout ones, too"
at is curious" l remarked, chow much the