Year: 1870

BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON.
TIM pprssIAN PREMIERs REPORT ON THE SUR


pvNDrR OF SEDAN, AND HIS INTERVIEW


WITH NAPOLEON Ill.,


Count Bismarck has addressed the following
statement from Donchery under date OF the ID nst 10
the King Of Prussia;


After had yesterday evening attended here in ac-
cordance with your Maiesys commands 20 take part In
the negotiations concerning the captuaon these neg0
tations interrupted tl about O'Clock night in
consequence of our accedng to request some time
for consideration which Gen. Wmpfen made after Cen
ton would be accepted but that Of surrender by the
French army and that the bomoaTdmeRt & would be
lation had not by that time been completed.


Early to-day, about O'Clock in the morning Gen.
Emperor wished to me- and that he was already on
his way hither from Sedan Tho General Immediately
i CIUu hi 10 ~ is yOs3 .s brt haif av
between here and Sedan FrenOis, 1 found mysen
in presence Of the Emperor His Majesty, with three
superior officers open carriage and beside this
there several other officers horseback, among
whom Gems Castelnau Reille, and Moskowa, who ap-
reared TO he wounded in the foot and Vauber per
sonaly known to me- When came 70 the carriage 1is
mounted and going up to his MeleSty asked @ "aae
pressed wish 10 your Majesty, being apparently
under the impression that your Majesty was in Don
cherry After had replied that your Majesty was at


that moment in the headquarters at Vendresse three
miles distant the Emperor asked IL your Majesty had
appointed place to which he should next proceed and
eventually. what my opinion on the matter re,
piled that hither in complete ignorance, and
that the locality was unknown me; and offered for
his accommodation the house occupied in Donchery,
which ready to leave at once. The Emperor ac-
cepted Offer and directed his steps D0nchery About
100 yards however from the bridge leading into the town.
he stopped before labOrers house rather lonely In It's
situation and asked il he could not descend from his
carriage there secured the house through Count Bis
mark -Bohen Councillor OF Legation, who had In the
interval up to me- and after had been informed
that it narrow and poorly accommodated, but free
from the wounded the Emperor descended from the
carriage and requested me TO fellow him inside There
in very small room, which contained one table and
two chairs had about an hours conversation with the
Emperor.


"Hs Majesty principally expressed wish to obtain
more favorable terms of capitulaton for the army
completely declined 70 negotiate this matter with His
Majesty while the purely military questions were to be
the other hand asked his Majesty whether he was in-
cned to enter into negotiations for peace The Emperor
replied that as prisoner he was not now IN position 70
do so; and when l further asked through whom ms
views in relation to the Government OF France were now
10 he learned His Majesty referred 10 the Government
then established in Paris.


after this point, of which could not safely form
opinion from the letter of yesterday from the Emperor TO
your Majesty had been cleared up recognized, aud
did not conceal the fact from the Emperor that the st
alton to-day yesterday, presented no other practcal
bearing but the military One and drew attention 70
the paramount necessity to us OF having IN our hands
through the capulation OF Sedan, before all things,
material pledge of the confirmation to us Of the military
advantages we had gained had already on the prev
iOus evening, with Gen. Won Motke, discussed every
side the question whether il would be possible without n-
jury TO the interests Of Germany TO offer conditions more
fought well than those already insisted upon After
due delberaton we were both compelled to adhere dec
svely to o negative answer TO this question. When,
therefore, Gen. Won MOltke, who meantime had come
of the went TO Majesty 10 lay before
the wishes Of the Emperor 1t was not as your Majesty
knows, speak in their favor The Emperor went out
before the door Of the house His Majesty asked
me If it not practicable TO let the French army
disarmed and interned had already discussed this
contingency also with Gen. Won Moltke on the previous
evening and for already alluded TO, could not
enter into promise Of this compromise In reference to
the political situation l. on my part took no lnltla,ye,


sfortunes Of the war; and declared that he himself had
not wished for the war, but that he had been com
PEELED to make it by the pressure OF French public OPT


By inquiries in the town, and in particular through
reconnoiterngs by officers Of the general staff 1t was
made known somewhere between and 10 O'Clock, that
Chateau Bellevue at Frenos given up for the re-
wounded announced this to His Majesty in this form


I mentioned Frenos the place which would propose
suggested to the Emperor whether he ought not
to 20 there Immediately as delay inside h the the
he, perhaps was in want OF some repose HIS
Majesty readily @ agree1 reCsaed nv geSS OF honor
your Maesys regiment OF body guards TO the Chateau
Bellevue & %nege ~ the Tmperor whose arrival there
ont of the ought to be considered uncertain, had
come from Sedan. Gen Wimpfen had also arrived, and
| with him while waiting for the return OF Gen. Won
Moltke Gen. Podbiesk resumed the conversation IN
reference the negotiations for capuation which had
been broken the previous day. in presence OF Lieut.
Won Verdy and the Chief Of Gen. Wimpfens staff was
inst taking part the introduction OF these negotiations
6y LAYING before them the political and moral aspect OF
the situation as affected by what the Emperor SAID TO
me- when received from Rttmeister Count OF NOstl,
on the order of Gen Won MOtke, the information that
your Majesty would not the Emperor until after the
eompeti0n of the capitulaOn of the army This an
nouhcement exinguished both sides the hope that
any other conditions than those already offered Wouo Do
agreed to. ,,,... A.. =,


rode after this Chenery to see your Majesty that
might to you the position OF affairs met on
the way Gen Won Moke with the text OF the captua-
ton as approved by your Majesty, which, after we en-,
tered FrenOs was without controversy accepted ana
signed. The conduct Of Gen. Wmpfen ike that OF the
other French generals the preceding night was very
dignied and this officer could not refrain from
expressing his pain at being called upon as hours
hours after his arrival from Africa and half day after
his receiving the command, 10 sign his name to
a capitulatiOn fatal 20 the French army.
But the want of provisions and ammunition and the abb


soute impOssbty OF any further DEFENSE had he sad
laid upon him, General the duty OF sinking his per
sona feelings since further bloodshed could not mako
any change in the situation. Our agreement to let the
officers depart parole received with lively grati-
tude as an expression OF the intention of your Majesty
TO spare the feelings OF army which had fought brave
ly as far as the demands Of military and political in
terfsts would allow To this feeling Gen. Winphen has
given emphatic expression in letter in which he has
Turned Gen Moltke his thanks for the cOnsderate
manner u WHICH the negotiations on his side were con
Quoted. COUNT blsAAhOh'