New-York tribune., 1870-09-20
BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SEDAN.

A coNyERsATION WITH BISMARCK-TTE MILL
TARY TELEGRAPII-SIGNIFICANT WORKING
DECENTRALIZATION OF TIE FRENCH PEOPLE
THE BAYARIANS.
lFRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CLFRMoNT-E ARGONNE, Aug. 28.-Before this
letter has even got far its as England there
win probably been another great battle, perhaps
the decisive one Of the Count Bismarck met me in
the street yesterday evening and was kind enough to
give me resume OF the situation. The French" said
the Federal Chancellor lin excellent English), "had
taken ND strong defensive position near Rheims, which
we intended 10 attack without delay. But Thursday
evening we learned that Macahon with $4,000 men, had
left Rheims and marching toward Metz to relieve
Razane who az you know, is shut mp there with about
100 600 men The Prince arrived just in time to
stop MacMahOn's march, and is now on the short
line between him and Metz The Bavarans have gone
10 cut of his retreat TO Paris and already at Cha
Ions 8. Then we shall not continue advance on
Paris now - asked "No, not till MacMahon is dis
posed Of we shall drive him to the Belgian frontier,
into the sea at Calais" "He had better England"
He won't find many friends there" answered Count
Bismarck laughing. Then asked the Count il he would
give me leave to the field telegraph for THE NEW
YORK TRIBUNE promising to send nothing that could do
HARM My dear Sir, 1t is impossible" he answered %"
cannot use myself except for State purposes and
the King is sometimes obliged to wait in order LET the
military kilograms have precedence The other day /
wanted send two lines TO wife and could not do it,
although anxious let her know that have been in
good health during the campaign and that great
successes have done me much good"
asked him IL he would care To English
newspapers which had just arrived by the field post
He expressed himself greatly delighted I handed
him three numbers OF The PaH MAI Gazette I had
with Ine this morning some fresher Journals and on
taking them the schOolbousc where Count Bismarck
lives got back my copies lent last night They had
evidently been carefully read. two passages
riyoH NTH hlnau nen
thus marked from editorial in The Pail Mall
Gazette OF Aug. II, which seems to Of
importance as having attracted the partic-
ular attention Of the Chancellor OF the Ger
man Confederation. Prussia has doubt rendered
impossible for France to offer any opposition her de-
signs In Germany but great effort that which is
now being made by Germany cannot well be repeated
except at long intervals and the Prussian Government
may well be anxious to ensure that there shall he
need to repeat II for at least another generation"
Yesterday evening stroled up to hill which
looked Cermont and from which a magnificent view Of
the country for miles around is to be obtained The
maine OF the town. "Clermont tells us that
we are among the forests Of the Argonne, rendered
famous by the heroic defence OF the Republicans in %
against the till then victorious Prussans 1t was here
that Dumourez met and checked the Prussians in the
famous "denes de rArgonne," which have been Aptly
called the French Thermopyl8. The woods and noun
aps OF the Afgonne stretched for miles before me- but
IN its deees were French outposts but long columns
NJ the Bavarians pouring TO Chalons 10
cut od MacMahon from Paris Up the broad
valley beneath lay varennes where Louis
WV was captured just when he might have escaped
from France had he had half the spirit Of his wife, Marie
Antonette To the night lay yerdun. II there that
NAPOLEON imprisoned two harmless British subjects he
caught and kidnapped In France at the time OF the Peace
q, Imens To my left lay vslmy. hid among the Argonne
,uIs Here Dumourez great victory over the
pussians As we stood upon the hill two Prussan ON
Ger, came up and asked for map that they might nnd
h. poston OF the place Of their forefathers de-
20, Rut We could not see vslmy itself, the mountains
hiding H. "They wont do It again.. said ono Of tho Prus
an o,cers 30 years Of the Second Empire has taken al
the nsht out Of the French" Ths, VI eoass eAsxser