The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-11-25

iiHAICuIdtC UUJCCb vi buc COHHt
the annexation of Belgium as its
ulterior aim. "The latter point, as
well as the alliance, offensive and
defensive, is to be kept secret The
following is.a passage from an official
letter to the ambassador during the
negotiations referring to this same
arrangement:
"This combination reconciles all
parties. By giving us an Immediate
satisfaction, and setting people on the
right track concerning the disposal of
Belgium, it quiets public opinion in
France. 1t maintains secrecy con-
cerning the alliance as well as the
contemplated annexation. If you
think that the cession of Luxembourg
had better be concealed the moment
we lay hands ON Belgium, | should be
obliged by you giving me your reasons
in detail. You will perceive that to
suspend the beginning OF. operations
for an indefinite time might result in
bringing the Belgian question to a
premature close"
The following concludes the reply !:
Count Benedetti's reply to this
Paris communication is dated August
%. In it he, for the first time, ex-
presses doubt whether France can
count upon the sincerity of Prussia.
Observing that Count Bismarck seems
to suspect France of an intention to
SOW discOrd between Prussia and
England, he says What confidence
can we repOse in statesmen who allow
themselves to be disturbed by such
considerations as these?' He refers
to the mission of General Manteuffel
at st. Petersburg, and is afraid that
Prussia has received assurances from
another quarter (which will enable
her to dispense with the countenance
of France Prussia, as Herr Won
Bismarck processes to have told the
king, requires the assistance of one
great power. Should the cooperation
of France be declined, it will only be
because people in Berlin are already
provided, or are about to be so." To
await for further intelligence upon
this head Count Benedetti determined
to go to Carlsbad, whence he will
return the moment he receives tele-
gram from Count Bismarck. During
his absence the Prussian Prime Minis
ter left Berlin, to return, if we recol-
lect Alright, only in the month of
December. Secret negotiations were
thus necessarily suspended for several
months. This did not, however, pre-
vent their being subsequently resumed
at various times; and if Count Bene-
detti, on page 165, charges Her Won
Bismarck with enormously placing the
Belgian negotiations in 1867, when, in
reality, they took place in 1866, the
only inference to be deduced from
this is that the French Ambassador
reverted i'll 1867 to the conversation
cut short the year before. After what
had been said above, the peculiar atti-
tude of France during the Belgian rail-
way controversy, renders it perfectly
credible that the Paris government
had even then not abandoned all
hopes of gaining the consent of North
ern Germany for their favorite pro-
ject. But we have no wish to indulge
III disclosures beyond those impera-
lively required for defensive purposes.
We accordingly confine ourselves to
the correcting of statements which
might occasion erroneous ideas on
German politics. Until forced to re-
sumo this task we shall resist the
temptation to make more unreserved
use OF the cOpiOus materials ut our
disposal.