The New York herald., 1871-03-24
v i VI L W L. Il W W " {.
o<-,ye--->>~~>o~~~~->.~><~
A Herald Correspondent Interviews The
French Novelist.
,FtHne~o>~~se +sN~t-o~~>stse
WHY NAPOLEON MADE WAR.
Paris During The Siege and the Ia
competency OF the Leaders.
~~~~.0~~~~~~~~e<p~v-v~so~~>~~
THE NEXT GREAT WAR.
The German TTnnirn TWatI ha
THE NEXT GREAT WAR.
Tha German Empire Will be
0verthrown.
TIE UNITED STATES or EUROPE.


II was not without good deal OF hesitation that
wenr TO zee and talk TO Victor Hugo. There is
such an atmosphere OF greatness hanging about tho
grand Old man, such an assumption OF authority
and superiority In his Judgment OF men and things;
he has such a reputation rs an aurocrat In society.
although a republican in politics. that ordinary
people are rather afraid OF approaching him, and
feel somewhat uneasy IN his presence You do not
know just how you VIII be received by this man,
| WHO judges everything by standard Of his own
and cares as little for the opinions OF tae world
| FOR The winds that blow.
VICTOR HUGos HOME.
| l was received in q large ana simply furnished
room on the irst floor Of the very modest looking
/ house in Which he lives, rte de la Course A table
| in the GENRE, with two or three books which,
judging from the rank they hold IN literature proba.
by belong to the iandlady; q largo mat under it,
| covering half the brown painted noor; a little
French clock on the mantclpieee, a sofa and few
/, chails--an ordinary French parlor in fact 1 Just
had time to observe these things when the door
| opened and
Tile AUTHOR or "LEs MIsERArLEs,
and ''Les Uhatimen's" stood before me- Not large
nan. but strong and robust for his age. White hair
and beard, ana rosy healthy complexion, that tells
OF vigorous constitution and temperate Ire. No
4eep luIr9Ws on that face, no heavy lines OH that
forehead bpt clear steady light shining from dark
blue eyes, that look upon you like The blue sky seen
lrcn the bottom OF a deep well-one OF the very
few great Frcnchmen in whom You are not disap-
pointed ct first sight. lie gave ne a searching
glance upon entering that, under the circumstance
was anything but reassuring, then advanced and
shook me cordially By the hand
"Is France such happy country said he, .!that
an American should come SO lar to see herY,
"lhere may he more to see and learn in an IN.
| happy country than III aiappy one" replied.
Nj. HUoo--Truc, very true: and that being the
case you have now an excellent chance to learn n
valuable lesson. Wei. what do yoa Americans
| think Of The situat,onP
| CORRESPONDENCE is undoubtedly desperate
one. And yet l thiak that II tho French people
! could make UP teeir minds 70 Few sacrlGces anu
would continue Tie struggle. they You'd yet be vic.
togioas.
M. HuGc-l am sure OF II. Eut they have been
so enervated by twenty years Oh the empire that
they are lost TO al sense Of honor, patriotism or
justice eye aud prefer selling their brothers 10 tho
trussians-a ihlnG they nave no ri2hG 10 40, q tnng
| they cannot do--to iosiag q COW or Pig WHATS
| tiat 70 us, they say, .ts long as We can sell our
CoRREsPoSDENr-Did you foresee the result Of
Nj. HuGo-Not in tha least l. having been twenty
years in exile, knew nothing OF The real state o
his eEc HI IS on s fscl Of n
having made frauce the greatest military Power N
furOpo, QscA ne naG NOT fatlGu IN tuaI
at least, ana thought lie would probably oonquei
the Ieit bank OF the kline. lie, on tile contrary
gee ana makes l war without generals, withou
the most formidable military organization the world
ever saw ana q Sest Gtss6 go0cj' co8s.ae oiseaa
po1 an tt5fe. / can understand why he should
want TO make war against Prussia, bat not how
knowing his own srreng,n and that OF his enemy, ht
CoRREsPoNDENI--I do not comprehend, for my
palt, why, alter the oito{Scite had confirmed hin
IN power and re-establlshed him, as il were on thC
throne he should have wished TO make war at all.
NJ HuGo-IEat IS easily explained. In this Bona
parte were united two separate ana distinct person
antics, two l1dividuallties--lhe man OF December
OF the couD 1eta, anu he nephew OF his uncle, tht
successor OF Napoleon l. Now the attacks OF thu
| republicans had Weasened the former, and tha
MeSlcan war had destroyed the military prestige OF
he .atler. and he sets about concoctlng plan tt
yindicdte boh Characters In the eyes OF the world
the ptfotsctte The first great step toward the ex
ecaiioG OF this plan. and that renstated tie man 0
was to re-estabisl the nephew of his uhcie in tn
h4h position he held M h The ewes of Europe Detor
IL the ruin ana degradation of France.
CoEREsf sfoNDEST-You were IN Paris during TIL
siege. Whai were your impressions Of the parisian
II. AgGo.-Thsir conduct was heroic. Paris ha
won rlQr3 glory curing those Ave months of sieg
,nsh s ,as a. M 4 ssE'i IT. S'2E sj rs ya' Il
greatest f531NiSgs 3id rorrltu,ss. without looa
Wia22sst i !!sh, without IRE through r1s I9ps 92:
shelIs raining upon iHen,' not f0i6 han 81 sonar
or child was heard 20 complain. II was noble;
was heroic
: uoRgEsr roNDgNr. What is your opinion Of ta
Paris government?
M. hUGo.-lt was utterly Incapable. IL is non
sense 10 say that i've hundred thousand men coul
MOI break through the lines OF investment extendin.
niles in length II they had been under te comma n,
OF capable leader. The Parisians wanted 10 fight
they would have fought well had they been allow cd
myself OLD es ! am, would have shouldered
maSKet or lei regiment. Bnt they would not le
us. rrochu may have meant well, but nc has no
ahe least military mn sprit Instead OF continually
day. killing Them in detail harasslg them inces
sanity, GIVING them no rest and acc'lstoming hi
| own men TO stand under fire. training them Int
veterans, he lay srll and did nothing ana let th,
enemy forti1y himself ard stsfve HIM out, maxim:
only one serious eferi, ana that poorly directed
CoRaEsroNDENr-D the armies in The provinces
cooperate sufficiently with the army IN Paris t
N. RrGo-Thcre has been evidentmlsmanagemen
N .nc arlnies OF lle provinces, whether on the par
no Know. or course IL Was hard 70 make a nou6,
N the air without point to fall upon; but It seems
utterly inconcevabe that two armies amounting {,
nearly million Of ,uen in their own country, witt
every road ana highway known to thcui, shoult
40. , nave neen able to cut the communications OF
IoIce neil6r IN number, far away from It's basl
OF operations, besieglng an immense city like Paris
incapaclty. sir, everywhere.
the warP
NJ. HUGO O-Assurediy, they will never accept these
mence arming Immediately. In ten years-in FIVE
perhaps-they Will have four million soldiers ready
" .oMo ,hc hcio lhc ptIu1itilS OH tueit -lte VII
not remain inactive. and the next war VIII be one
Uf The most terrible ever recorded.
G0RREsPoSDEST-Wha viii DO the result?
"a. HCGO--Les Etdts- -Unts d'GurCpe-a word frs
| pronounced by me in 1StS
C0kRESPDNDENr-How sos
M. HUGo--ihc French were beaten this time by
the empire but they Will march to victory under the
banner OF the republic they will be prepared, and
they are better soldiers than the Germans, who, drunk
| with success. Will grow careless They Will be vic
| torlous aid will overthrow the German empire as
! the Germans nave oyerthrown the French but III
| -
t0yo,s donc Are we going to pass our lives devodr
Ing each Other like Wild beasts we nave rid You
your emperor, you lave rid OF ours; give us bach
our provinces and let us be friends. Then Will bt
realized the grandest dream OF the nineteenth cen
| tury-the United States OF Europe.
CORHEs POND NDENT-YOu think, then, the republic Is
safe IN france?
i M. EuGo--Be sure OF It. We have law, justice
anu authority on side, and with these we shat
| KNOW how q ri n a rcni1tlic