Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-10
.nssER rnlrzr IN wAR.
or one who saw Him
aa "A Corre4 Do8dent

a torreApoourhs
/ u.etter 20 tho London Daily News from IAN VIC
special Correspondence
He WAS always pleasant and genial e
those vino came across him in business
with n well-measured proportion between
sufficient courtesy to put his interiors al
their ease and careful avoidance Of
ANYTHING like patronage in his manner
( N has been my lot 10 meet with q mum
her OF distinguished men, and, like
most OF my colleagues on the
nress. | have noticed the higher M
Won 20 in the political scale the more
certain you are TO be civilly treated
A monarch can unbend more easily than
"a minister, and a Commander-in-Chlef,
if he wiil&ee you at all, is less likely u
be fussily cautions than General OIL
brigade. But, Apart from this universal
+ rnle. the late Emperor. when l met HIN
ns Grown Prince Of Prussia, might CLAIM
the merit of oil especially frank and
straightforward manner. well romem'
her his speaking OF the battle OF Woerth
few DAYS afterward as fight in which
/ he had been able to meet the Frezeh IN
+ line with equal forces and to flank
them with another equal force,
and still to have plenty OF men
in reserve. He did not for
moment endeavor to add to the credit OF
his victory 10y any beittling OF forces
on his own side or exaRgeration as to
what number MacMahon had com
manded. And then he was 20 hearty m
his recognition Of the valor the French
had displayed, with touch of sadness
for the Losses on both sides, and with &
word of hearty praise for the conduct OF
his own stall. lie must have been a plea
eans chief to serve under, a pleasant
enemy into whose hands to fall, q
manly and courteous knight, both to
friend and foe. How happily on one
occasion. when a French SOHsprejct'
engulied by the evasion, was the guest
of the Crown Prince at rough-end-
ready banguet at the end OF n long march.
did his Hieuess turn the conversation to
pisciculturo at the antipodes, to the pre-
servation Of salmon in great rivers and
10 the increase OF the fish supplyin gem
eral. Not word Of war and wars
alarms not on allusion to the great
host whose rambling caiSsons shook the
building in which we dined. Aud the
well bred Frenchman played his part
with easy politeness, talking as best be
could upon these subjects, OF which
It had been ascertained that he
hed some special knowledge. The eve
ming passed OF cxcelientIv, all things
considered. and when in taking leave our
captive soUe-Drtfc' alluded 10 certain
reGuisitious which he thought his coun-
trYmen could not meet he was referred
to General Blumenthal, the chief of staff,
with quiet but decided urbanity which
left no room for further remark. The
Prince became at once the high German
officer. doing his unpleasant duty with
the same aplomb with which but mo-
ment before he bad offered his guest the
consolation of n choice cigar
His Highness WIS a typical German IN
f0ndness for smoking, and the handsome
pipe which the Crown Princess had given
him. enriched with painting by her
own royal hand, was the pride Of the
Third army In times Of rest and relaxa-
ton. But the Prince WIS very mode
rate drinker, though not totalah>ts'ner,
and the life at his headquarters was one
of Spartan simplicity Early hours and
simple fare contributed 10 the health and
efficiency of all concerned, while those
strangers who were admitted from time
TO time TO the ROYAL table found no lack
of pleasant conversation without in any
way talking shop" or trespasslng upon
the forbidden ground OF future manwu-
vrcs. | well remember how excited the
Prince was when the news arrived OF the
disaster to her Maiesty's ship Captain.
and how fully he entered into the DrOS
and cans of turret-ships against broad
side ironclads. He was as sorry for
poor Captain Coles and the gallant fell
lows who persisted with him as though
he had been on a cruise with them
and learned to know them all rs
shipmates. English affairs OF every
kind had great interest for the
Prince, except perhaps our sporting
news, in which he seemed but moderate
" well posted" He had vivid recol-
lection OF our great exhibition Of 1851,
(" the first and the best OF the exhibit
tons, as he called it, and once told me,
with a smile upon his face, how he, al
ready IA grown-up man, had conducted
his young friend, the Prince OF Wales,
through some of the galleries trying to
interest him in art "but, added his High
ness, che seemed 10 care more for sad
dies and firearms and every article of the
chase than for all the rest Of the exhibit
ton put together "
There was certainly a vein of manly
pity for his defeated foes in the Prince
views of the Franco German war, which
could not be mistaken by those who
heard him speak. He was a German
patriot first, as was only natural and
right a keen soldier. and skilled tacti-
clan, as became his Hohenzoliern blood,
but, as to national prejudice or any
special bitterness against the French, he
was the mildest OF men. One does not
look for members Of the Peace Society
at the headquarters OF an in
vading army, and it would be an
exaggeration TO say that his Highness
gave any sign of opposition to the neces-
sary continuance OF the war. But, after
the die was cast and the French Emperor
hopeessly beaten, the Crown Prince
seemed to feel, more and more, like the
captain OF a war-ship whose enemy Will
not strike his colors, and who regrets At
the bottom of his heart that he has to
keep on firing into him. On the NOR
row OF Sedan / remember thatthe Prince
expressed generous regret for the ter
rlble downfall of Napoleon ILL.,, and
when we arrived before Paris he was
anxious that the fair city should DO
saved from suffering 10y timely cspitula-
ton. Revolutionary Republicans were
probably not much to his liking, as a
matter of theory, yet the question of
humanity always appealed to him. He
wished the non-combatants to get Off as
easily as possible, and / think am not
mistaken in supposing that there would
have been no bombardment of Paris if
his Highnesss views had prevailed. The
said bombardment, it may be remarked
en- PEASANT, was more of demonstra-
ton 10 keep up the spirits of the block
aiding Germans than of serious
attempt to reduce the city by
force. 1t caused a good deal Of
euffarinO ami 0DnOVanpa in fha