The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-09-02
French Opinion or the Crown Prince
OF Prussia.

/ FreECn opinion or the CrOWn Princo
| OF Prussia.
| Among the French who fell into
the hands of the Prussians after the
battle of Woerth were two correspond
ents of the Paris press-M. Henri
Chabrillart, of the Figaro, aud NJ.
| Carbon, of the Gaulois. Each Of
these gentlemen has published an &C
count of his adventures. At Soulz
they were brought into the presence
of the Crown Prince, and the inter
view is thus described by NJ. Cha
brilliant:
/ confess l am very much embar-
raised. If | draw a hattering por-
trait of the Prince, it will be said that
/ am sold to the Prussiaps; if | draw
an unfavorable picture Of him, to graf
| ify any malevolent passion, shall be
| guilty of injustice and falsehood. /
| am a reporter, which means kind of
| photographer. | shall therefore sim
| ply and truly state what l saw and
what was said. Those who may be
dissatisfied with my account must deal
with the Prince themselves. 1t is not
my fault that he is human. Would to
heaven that all Germans were like
him; but, unfortunately, it is not so.
Prince Frederick William, heir to the
crown of Prussia, is a man of tall
stature, thin, with a calm and placid
countenance; but Ia the curve of his
aqueline nose and dilating nostrils
there are evidences of energy, while
the rapidity of his glance convinces
| you of his decision. A full fair beard
softens the somewhat stern expression
of his features. He has great sim
plicity of manner, and affects rather a
kind of bourgeois style of speaking,
thinking, and general behavior. He
was dressed in black tunic, with
red collar and faciDgs, without any
embroidery or gold braid, upon the
shoulder a small epaulet to indicate
his rank, but no other distinguishing
| ornament. lie wore a small black
cap bordered with red, and the whole
uniform was severely simple. He
speaks French with great purity,
without foreign accent, beyond a
slight German information and occas-
sional hesitation at certain words.
" Do you speak German, sir?" said he
to me.
mo, Prince, not sufficiently"
Il am sorry for it, as otherwise you
would have heard in what manner
our troops speak of yours, and in
what esteem they hold them"
Il thank you very much for that
opinion
"Oh, it is quite deserved. We have
admired the tenaeity and the courage
which have been evineed by even the
humblest of your soldiers"
Then, with much delicate consider
alton, and almost making excuses for
mentioning the facts to US, he told US
that they had taken between 5000
and 1000 prisoners, thirty guns, six
mitrailleuses and two eagles.
Among the prisoners" said he.
"is General Raoult. [ went this
where he lies wounded, his hip and
thigh being broken; I fear that he is
now dying. He is brave officer, and
Paris, to which he wishes letters to
be sent"
but, Prince" l observed, "the
other prisoners also have families"
II have thought of that. have
rails; the letters will be sent unsealed
to our Consul at Geneva, who will
forward them to France"
Prince, We thank 20 on behalf of
the mothers whose grief you are
about to assuage."
"Iti is terrible, indeed; and think
your artillery is very formidable"
No, sir, 1t is not superior to yours,
but we make different use of it from
what you do, placing it more freely in
the advance posts. Your aim is very
good-toO good. indeed, for We have
lost think more men than you have.
/ have regiments which have lost
twenty nine or thirty officers. But we
have taken prisoners, and that re-
stores our advantages.
Il do not like war, gentlemen. IF
| should reign | would never make it. |
Now. despite my love of peace, this is
the third campaign that / have been |
compelled to make. went over the |
battlefield yesterday. It was fright
full. If it only depended on myself |
this war would end here. It is your |
Ministers and the Emperor who would |
have 1t, 1t was not we who wanted it. |
And yet the Emperor has been very |
good to me and very kind to my wife. |
The last time that saw him was at
the Tuileries on the 18th Of January,
when he said to me, You know that |
| have found new Minister That |
was this NJ. Olivier, who now makes
this war against us.
AN enormous advantage, for you |
know well what you had before you |
yesterday"
Nearly 10000 men. the corps of
Marshal Mcmahon, and division of |
the Seventh corps. did not intend |
to attack, wishing only to make re-
connolsance In force, but one is not |
always able to put an end to fight |
when once 1t has begun. 1t was fortu-
nate for US, on the whole, for he would, |
doubtless, have received reinforce
ments, aud we should have had still |
harder work next day
Prince, Il seems to me that Won
are very well Informed concerning our
army,
One must be so, said he. smiling
Blu" said /, willfully coinmittipe
an error, it was your entire arm7
which was engaged, 100000 men at
least"
Not so many-18O 900 men. Thew
all fought well; but if the Bavarians
had marched as we'll as our men. we
should have had it all over BY noon.
| instead of fighting until after six
! o'clock. l should not give battle to
/ your army unless / was superior ia
number -otberwise should prefer TO
retire