The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-01
(. GENERAL DUCR0T.
An Interview with the Soldier
Who Would Have Pre-
vented Sedan.
THIERS--THE PARTIES--THE ARMY.
How Napoleon III. Prepared for the
Contest with Prussia.
GIVE MUST FIGHT AGAIN."
State of France as Seen by a
Commanding General.
EUROPEAN ALLIANCES NECESSARY.
Safety Only in Restoration Of the
Monarchy or the Empire.
GOVERNMENT MUST FIT THE PEOPLE.
GOVERNMENT MUST FIT THE PEOPLE
President Theirs Proposing a Coup
d'Etat for Paris.
HIS STRATEGY A FAILURE.
He Will Probably Prolong His Term Till His
Death-After Which Napoleon w., Henry
v. or an Orleans Prince-No Sta
BILE French Republic.

terviewing as q feature OF American journalism,
except when they happen to find the custom con-
venient for themselves. 1t seems to be thought In
England that q man locked up in sub-edit0rs
room In Fleet street or Printing House square can
know more of anything under the sun than the
man who visits the spot where history may be
making and talks with the makers An oxford or
Cambridge A. NJ. whe knows ancient Rome wen
and modern France very little, writes like dab
ster on the politics Of the latter with no other ma
terial than large share of religious and parlia-
mentary prejudice and o few letters OF our own,
badly translated from much abused French papers,
and the fatal habit OF writing his column day
blinds him as TO the quantity Of nonsense he puts
forth. My present line Of action is to "interview
everybody, from the peasant and his donkey to
the prince and his lions, aud send OF the
raw material as get It," and this
seems to me to promise more real enlightenment
on the state OF thought in France-and it is that
out OF which the future must grow-than any
other plan l am acquainted with; and believe
that American journalism is right in It's faith In in
terviewing, despite all sneering TO the contrary.
General Ducrot seemed person whose opinions 1t
would be valuable to know, considering the mill
tary possibilities Of the situation The remarkable
resoluteness OF his personal character the position
he occupied during the last war; as well as that he
occupies new, both as Deputy in the Assembly of
Versailles, and as the Commander int Chief OF an
independent army corps, and, finally, the rumors
lately spread that he intended to make
coup TetGt-rumors which had been officially al
luded to by NJ Gsmbetta In the tribune Of the AS
sembly-everything suggested that conversation
with the General would be most interesting and In
structive just now. The dificulty was to get at
him. Happily, however friend OF mine was in
great favor with him. and he soon got me per-
mission to call upon the General. The next ques-
ton was where to find him, for he has several resi-
dences. and is scarcely ever to be found at
any OF them sufficiently at leisure to give
o visitor more than few minutes time. After
seeking him in vain In several places in turn,
only to find he had just started on tour OF duty
among the several posts Of his command, l finally
found him spending few days at the chateau Of
Chazelles, in the Nievre, the property OF his
father-in-law, M. Dechamp, where ne was enjoying
q short visit with his family. There, in one OF the
quietest family residences OF France, during long
evening, have just listened to an ertemp0re lee
ture on French politics and French military affairs,
delivered by general whose name was in every
body's mouth all through the civilized world but
short time ago, and Will, undoubtedly, be so more
than once again.
state these circumstances because consider
that the kind manner in which the General re-
spoke were compliments he paid to the American
nation and to the NEW YORK HERALD, for he had
no personal favor to accord to me.
with q view to give something like an ac-
eurate report Of the opinions and ideas the
General expressed OH that evening. must
take the military and the political ques-
lions separately. But before entering upon either
q few words about the Generals family may
be Of some interest. They will render the
account also more complete, for good portion Of
the evening was spent In general conversation.
In which Nine. Ducrot and her father took almost
as lively q part as the General himself, and to
which the presence Of the children and OF the vii
1age priest and the cracking OF the blazing wood
in the odfashioned fireplace gave much more the
aspect Of Q quiet Winter evening IN the country
than an interview between COMMANDMENTS
chief OF an army and o newspaper correspon-
dent. The General himself, In his brown
Jacket and his high boots, looked quite like a
country gentleman fresh from fox-hunting ! did
not notice even that everlasting bit OF red ribbon
in his button-hole, without which no Frenchman Of
position can ever be seen. The only circumstance
that married the cheerful aspect of the picture
was that Nine Ducrot, as well as her four daugh-
tiers, were In deep mour nng the family having quite
recently lost girl OF eight years. the death Of
which had 30 much affected the lady as to compel
her to leave her husbands property, few miles
from Chazeles, and to come for stay to her
father. To remain at Germny, where her daugh-
ter died and was buried, seemed unbearable to the
lady, and oil the apparent reservedness OF her ma
ture was OF no avail against the tears which filed
her eyes when she mentioned her loss. There are,
however, six children still alive to console the
mother the youngest scarcely two years old, hav-
ing been born while the father was daily exposed
20 the shots OF the enemy. The war has on the
whole, affected the family very severely. brother
OF Mme. Ducrot, young captain OF infantry was
killed at Metz, and his death caused the death Of
her mother. The vicissitudes to which the General
was exposed, through no fault Of his own, at
Woerth, Sedan and Paris are well known In
America; but the degree In which they affected
both him and his wife could be hardly realized. ]
saw him couple OF days before the battle Of
Woerth, q handsome man. OF barely forty-nve,
without O single gray hair In his head.
While he looks certainly nfty-nve now
it would be difficult TO ind, either on hts head
orr his mustachs, any other tina perfectly gray
hair. His spirit IL, however, by no means abated,