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diff --git a/old/68651-0.txt b/old/68651-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b139025..0000000 --- a/old/68651-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16780 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Bismarck: some secret pages of his -history (Vol. 1 of 3), by Moritz Busch - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Bismarck: some secret pages of his history (Vol. 1 of 3) - -Author: Moritz Busch - -Release Date: July 30, 2022 [eBook #68651] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Tim Lindell, Bryan Ness, Neil Mercer and the Online - Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This - file was produced from images generously made available by - The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISMARCK: SOME SECRET PAGES -OF HIS HISTORY (VOL. 1 OF 3) *** - - - - - - Transcriber's note: Italic font is indicated by _underscores_. - Bolded and underlined words are indicated by =equals=. - - - - - BISMARCK - - SOME SECRET PAGES OF HIS HISTORY - - - [Illustration] - - - - - BISMARCK - - SOME SECRET PAGES OF HIS HISTORY - - - BEING A DIARY KEPT BY - - DR. MORITZ BUSCH - - DURING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE - INTERCOURSE WITH THE GREAT CHANCELLOR - - - _IN THREE VOLUMES_ - - VOL. I - - - =London= - - MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED - - NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY - - 1898 - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, - LONDON AND BUNGAY. - - _Copyright in the United States of America._ - - - - - NOTE - - -The English edition of Dr. Busch’s work which we publish to-day has -been translated from the original German text in the possession of the -publishers. A few passages have, however, been omitted as defamatory, -or otherwise unsuitable for publication. Dr. Busch contemplated -incorporating bodily in the first volume a reproduction of his earlier -work: _Prince Bismarck and his People during the Franco-German War_; -but while the many valuable additions which he made to it have been -preserved, such portions as would no longer have presented any special -interest for English readers have been considerably abridged. - - - - - PREFACE - - -The work which I now present to the German people contains a -complete[1] account of all the events of which I was a witness during -my intercourse of over twenty years with Prince Bismarck and his -entourage. Part of it is not entirely new, as I have embodied in it -portions of the book published by me in 1878, under the title: _Prince -Bismarck and his People during the Franco-German War_. I have, however, -restored the numerous passages which it was then deemed expedient to -omit, and I have also dispensed with the many modifications by which, -at that time, certain asperities of language had to be toned down. -The bulk of the present work consists of a detailed narrative of the -whole period of my intercourse with the Prince both before and after -the French campaign. I collected and noted down all these particulars -respecting Prince Bismarck and his immediate supporters and assistants, -in the first place for my own use, and secondly as a contribution to -the character and history of the Political Regenerator of Germany. -The sole object of the diary which forms the basis of this work was -to serve as a record of the whole truth so far as I had been able to -ascertain it with my own eyes and ears. Any other object was out of -the question, as it was impossible that I could desire to deceive -myself. Subsequently, when I thought of publishing my notes, I was -fully conscious of my responsibility towards history, the interests -of which could not be promoted by material that had been coloured or -garbled for party purposes. I wished neither to be an eulogist nor a -censor. To my mind, panegyric was superfluous, and fault-finding was -for me an impossibility. A tendency to the sensational is foreign to my -nature, and I leave the pleasure to be derived from grand spectacular -shows to lovers of the theatre. I desired to record the mental and -other characteristics which our first Chancellor presented to me under -such and such circumstances, thus helping to complete, and at times to -rectify, the conception of his whole nature that has been formed in -the public mind from his political activity. The profound reverence -which I feel for the genius of the hero, and my patriotic gratitude -for his achievements, have not deterred me from communicating numerous -details which will be displeasing to many persons. These particulars, -however, are part of the historic character of the personality whom I -am describing. The gods alone are free from error, passion, and changes -of disposition. They alone have no seamy side and no contradictions. -Even the sun and moon show spots and blemishes, but notwithstanding -these they remain magnificent celestial orbs. The picture produced -out of the materials which I have here brought together may present -harsh and rough features, but it has hardly a single ignoble trait. -Its crudeness only adds to its truth to nature, its individuality, and -its clearness of outline. This figure does not float in an ethereal -atmosphere, it is firmly rooted in earth and breathes of real life, -yet it conveys a sense of something superhuman. It must furthermore be -remembered that many of the bitter remarks, such as those made previous -to March, 1890, were the result of temporary irritation, while others -were perfectly justified. The strong self-confidence manifested in -some of these utterances, and the angry expression of that need for -greater power and more liberty of action, common to all men of genius -and energetic character, arose from the consciousness that, while he -alone knew the true object to be pursued and the fitting means for its -achievement, his knowledge could not be applied because the right of -final decision on all occasions belonged by hereditary privilege to -more or less mediocre and narrow minds. - -I will allow the Prince himself to answer the question as to my -authority for communicating to others without any reserve all that -I ascertained during my intercourse with him. “Once I am dead you -can tell everything you like, absolutely everything you know,” said -Prince Bismarck to me in the course of a conversation I had with him -on the 24th of February, 1879. I saw clearly in the way in which -he looked at me that, in addition to the permission I had already -received on previous occasions, he wished that I should then consider -myself entirely free and expressly released from certain former -engagements, some of which had been assumed by myself, while others -had been imposed upon me. Since then my knowledge increased owing to -his growing confidence in me, while his authorisation and the desire -that I should use what I knew to the advantage of his memory remained -undiminished. On the 21st of March, 1891, during one of my last visits -to Friedrichsruh, the Prince--apparently prompted by a notice which he -had read in the newspapers--remarked, “Little Busch (Büschlein) will -one day, long after my death, write the secret history of our time -from the best sources of information.” I answered “Yes, Prince; but it -will not be a history, properly speaking, as I am not capable of that. -Nor will it be _long_ after your death--which we naturally pray to be -deferred as long as possible--but on the contrary very soon after, -without any delay. In these corrupt times, the truth cannot be known -too soon.” The Prince made no answer, but I understood his silence -to indicate approval. Finally, in the preceding year he had affirmed -the absolutely unrestricted character of my authority. On the 15th -of March, 1890, when the measures for his dismissal were already in -progress, and he himself was engaged in packing up a variety of papers -preparatory to his journey (a work in which I was allowed to assist -him), he asked me to copy a number of important documents for him and -to retain the originals and copies in my possession. On his remarking -that I could get these documents copied, I called his attention to the -fact that a stranger might betray their contents to third parties. He -replied, “Oh, I am not afraid of that! He can if he likes! I have no -secrets amongst them--absolutely none.” That statement, “I have no -secrets,” gave me liberty, at least for a later time, to publish those -State papers the contents of which I had hitherto kept secret, as he -must unquestionably have known better than I or the rest of the world -who may have held other views on the subject. - -So far respecting the essential point. That he whom I honour as the -first of men sanctioned my undertaking is entirely sufficient for me. -I do not ask whether others give it their blessing. The great majority -of those referred to have since departed from this life and taken -their places in the domain of history, where the claim for indulgent -treatment is no longer valid. Those who are still with us may believe -me when I assure them that in now publishing these pages I have no -thought of causing them pain or of injuring them in any way. I simply -consider that I am not at liberty to preserve silence on those matters -which may prove unpleasant to them in view both of my own duty to tell -the whole truth, and of the desire expressed by the Chancellor (to -whom I still feel myself bound in obedience) that nothing should be -concealed. The diplomatic world, in particular, must be represented -here as it really is. In that respect this book may be described as a -mirror for diplomatists. - -I must leave the reader to form his own opinion as to my capacity -for observation and the discovery of the truth. I may, however, be -allowed to say that several long journeys in America and the East, a -lengthy tour in Schleswig-Holstein during the Danish rule, undertaken -for the purpose of reconnoitring that country, and a period of rather -confidential intercourse with the Augustenburg Court at Kiel were -calculated to sharpen my wits. A mission which I filled at Hanover -during the year of transition, and, above all, my position in the -Foreign Office in Berlin and the intimate relations in which I stood -towards its Chief during the war with France, together with the -renewal of that intercourse from 1877 onwards, gave me exceptional -opportunities of developing both my memory and power of observation. -For several years I was acquainted with everything that went on in the -Central Bureau of the German Foreign Office, and later, in addition to -what I ascertained through the confidence of the Prince, I obtained not -a little information from Lothar Bucher which remained a secret, not -only for private persons, but often for high officials of the Ministry. - -The diary on which my work is based, and which is often reproduced -literally, gives the truest possible account of the events and -expressions which I have personally seen and heard in the presence -and immediate vicinity of the Prince. The latter is everywhere the -leading figure around which all the others are grouped. The task I -set myself, as a close observer and chronicler who conscientiously -sifted his facts, was to give a true account of what I had been -commissioned to do as the Prince’s Secretary in connection with press -matters, and to describe how he and his entourage conducted themselves -during the campaign in France, how he lived and worked, the opinions -he expressed at the dinner and tea table, and on other occasions, -respecting persons and things of that time, what he related of his -past experiences, and finally, after our return from the great war, -what I ascertained respecting the progress of diplomatic negotiations -from the despatches which were then exchanged and of which I was at -liberty to make use either immediately or at a later period. I was -assisted in the fulfilment of this task by my faculty of concentration, -which my reverence for the Prince and the practice which I had in the -course of my official duties rendered gradually more intense, and -by a memory which although not naturally above the average was also -developed by constant exercise to such a degree that in a short time -it enabled me to retain all the main points of long explanations and -stories, both serious and humorous, from the Chancellor’s lips almost -literally, until such time as I could commit them to paper--that is to -say, unless anything special intervened, a mishap which I was usually -able to avert. The particulars here given were accordingly, almost -without exception, written down within an hour after the conversations -therein referred to occurred. For the most part they were jotted down -immediately on small slips of paper, only the points and principal -catchwords being noted, but which made it easy, however, to complete -the whole entry later on. - -This sharp ear and faithful memory, joined with a quick eye, stood me -in good stead in the years of welcome service which I undertook as a -private individual for the Prince. To these and to the habit of putting -all that I had experienced, seen, and heard in black on white without -delay, I owe the accurate accounts of the memorable conversation of the -11th of April, 1877, of the visit to Varzin and the statements made by -the Chancellor on that occasion, as well as the long list of detailed -reports of pregnant and characteristic conversations that I had with -him from the year 1878 up to 1890 in the palace and garden at Berlin -when, at times of crisis or under other circumstances, I was either -invited by the Prince or called on him without invitation for the -purpose of obtaining news for the _Grenzboten_ or foreign newspapers. -I kept up the same habit of committing everything of moment to paper -during my various visits of shorter or longer duration between the -years 1883 and 1889 to Friedrichsruh, where in the year last mentioned -I was engaged for several weeks in arranging the Prince’s private -letters and other documents. This custom also served me well in that -ever memorable week in March, 1890, when I spent some of the darkest -days of that period in the Prince’s immediate vicinity, nor did it fail -me when I again greeted him in the Sachsenwald in 1891 and 1893, and -was able to convince myself that in the interval his confidence in me -had as little diminished as had my loyalty towards him. - -Whoever is familiar with the style in which the Prince was accustomed -to express his thoughts when in the company of his intimate associates -will be at once impressed with the genuineness of the instructions, -conversations and anecdotes communicated in the following pages. He -will find them almost without exception literally reproduced. In the -anecdotes and stories, in particular, he will nearly always observe -the characteristic ellipses, the unexpressed pre-suppositions, and -the manner in which the Prince was apt to jump from point to point -in his narratives, reminding one of the style of the old ballads. He -will also at times note a humorous vein running through the Prince’s -remarks and frequently become conscious of a thread of semi-naïve self -irony. All these features were characteristic of the Chancellor’s -manner of speaking. It is therefore hardly necessary for me to add -that my reports, with all their roughness and sturdy ruggedness, are -photographs that have not been retouched. In other words, I believe -that I have not only been quick to observe, but I also feel that I -have not intentionally omitted anything that was worth reproducing. I -have neither blurred any features nor brought others into too sharp -relief. I have put in no high lights, and above all I have added -nothing of my own, nor tried to secure a place in history for my own -wisdom by palming it off as Bismarck’s. Any omissions that now remain -(there can hardly be more than a dozen in all of any importance) are -indicated by dots or dashes. In cases where I have not quite understood -a speaker, attention is called to the fact. Should any contradiction -be discovered between earlier and later statements _my_ memory must -not be held responsible for them. If I am blamed for the fragmentary -character of my recital then all memoirs must be rejected. If I am -reproached with not having produced a work of art, I believe I have -already made it sufficiently clear that I never intended anything of -the kind. I desired, on the contrary, so far as it was in my power, to -serve the truth, and that alone. Nevertheless, my work may not only -be utilised by historians, but may also possibly inspire a dramatist -or a poet. Such a writer must, however, be no sentimentalist, and no -idealist. It would be wise for him and for others to let themselves -be guided by some counsels of experience which will be useful as a -warning against certain misunderstandings both as to the sources of -my information and the degree of my credulity. These counsels have -always been present to my mind, although, perhaps, through a sense of -politeness towards the public, or even, it may be, a real confidence -in their common sense, I have rarely thought it necessary to call -attention to the fact. This advice I propose to repeat here in a -general form and without any special application. In the first place, -then, there are people who sometimes really believe that they have -actually said or done that which it was their duty to say or do in -certain circumstances. Others, again, frequently leave their hearers -to judge whether their remarks are meant to be sarcastic or serious. -Furthermore, _inter pocula_ and in foraging for news, the meanings -of words must not be taken in altogether too literal a sense, if one -does not wish to make a fool of himself. Although truth may be found -in the bowl, it usually contains more alcohol than accuracy; and the -scribblers of the press very often thoughtlessly accept appearances for -realities when they come from “well-informed circles.” Finally, even -those who wilfully mislead serve the truth in so far as they enable the -experienced to detect their falsehood. - -A good deal of what I report and describe will appear to many persons -trivial and external. My view of the matter, however, is this. The -trifles with which the prætor does not trouble himself often illustrate -the character of a man or his temper for the time being more clearly -than fine speeches or great exploits. Now and then very unimportant -occurrences and situations have been, as it were, the spark which -lit up the mind and revealed a whole train of new and fruitful ideas -pregnant with great consequences. In this connection I may recall the -accidental, and apparently insignificant, origin of many epoch-making -inventions and discoveries, such as the fall of an apple from a tree -that gave Newton the first impulse towards his theory of gravitation, -the greatest discovery of the eighteenth century; the steam from -the boiling kettle which raised its lid and ultimately led to the -transformation of the world by the locomotive; the brilliant reflection -of the sun on a tin vessel which transported Jacob Boehme into a -transcendental vision; and the spot of grease upon our table-cloth at -Ferrières which formed the starting-point of one of Prince Bismarck’s -most remarkable conversations. The morning hours affect nervous -constitutions differently to the evening, and changes of weather -depress or raise the spirits of persons subject to rheumatism. Indeed -it must be remembered that learned theories have been formed which, -expressed in a plain and direct way, amount roughly to this--that a man -is what he eats. However odd that may sound, we really cannot say how -far such ideas are wrong. Finally, it appears to me that everything is -of interest and should receive attention which has any relation to the -prominent central figure of the great movement which resulted in the -political regeneration of our country--to that powerful personality -who, like the angel mentioned in the Scriptures, stirred the stagnant -pool, and gave health and life after the lethargy and decay of -centuries. I followed the Chancellor’s career with the eyes of a future -generation. At great epochs trifles appear smaller than they actually -are. In later decades and centuries the contrary is the case. The great -events of the past bulk still larger in men’s minds, while things which -were regarded as unimportant become full of significance. It is then -often a matter for regret that it is impossible to form as clear and -lifelike a picture of a personality or an event as one could wish for -want of valuable material originally cast aside as of no account. There -was no eye to see and no hand to collect and preserve those materials -while it was yet time. Who would not now be glad to have fuller -details respecting Luther in the great days and hours of his life? - -In a hundred years the memory of Prince Bismarck will take a place in -the minds of our people next to that occupied by the Wittenberg doctor. -The liberator of our political life from dependence upon foreigners -will stand by the side of the reformer who freed our consciences from -the oppression of Rome--the founder of the German State by the side -of him who created German Christianity. Our Chancellor already holds -this place in the hearts of many of his countrymen; his portrait adorns -their walls, and they inspire the growing generation with the reverence -which they themselves feel. These will be followed by the masses, and -therefore I imagine I may safely take the risk of being told that I -have preserved, not only the pearls, but also the shells in which they -were found. - -Many of the Chancellor’s expressions respecting the French may be -regarded as unfair and even occasionally inhuman. It must not be -forgotten, however, that ordinary warfare is calculated to harden the -feelings, and that Gambetta’s suicidal campaign, conducted with all -the passionate ardour of his nature, the treacherous tactics of his -franctireurs, and the bestiality of his Turcos, was bound to raise a -spirit in our camp in which leniency and consideration could have no -part. Of course, in reproducing and in adding other and still more -bitter instances of this feeling, now that all these things have long -ago passed away, there can be no intention to hurt any one’s feelings. -They are merely vivid contributions to the history of the campaign, -denoting the momentary temper of the Chancellor, who was at that time -sorely tried and deeply wounded by these and other incidents. - -I trust my reasons for including a number of newspaper articles will -commend themselves to the reader I do so in the first place to show the -gradual development and change which certain political ideas underwent, -and the forms which they assumed at various times. Furthermore the -greater part of them were directly inspired by Prince Bismarck, and -some were even dictated by him. By mentioning the latter articles I -hope to do the newspapers in question a pleasure in so far as they will -now learn that they once had the honour of having the most eminent -statesman of the century as a contributor. All these articles furnish -material for forming an opinion upon the journalistic activity of the -Prince, which hitherto only Wagener of the _Kreuzzeitung_, Zitelmann, -the Prince’s amanuensis during the years he spent as Ambassador at -Frankfurt, and Lothar Bucher were in a position to do. On the 22nd -of January, 1871, the Chancellor himself remarked, referring to the -importance of the press for historians: “One learns more from the -newspapers than from official despatches, as, of course, Governments -use the press in order frequently to say more clearly what they -really mean. One must, however, know all about the connections of the -different papers.” This knowledge will in great part be found in the -present work. - -The reason for reproducing certain portions of my previous writings -in this book is that they are essential for the purpose of completing -the character portrait given in the diary. Without them it would -be deficient in some parts, and unintelligible in others. The -reproductions referred to are in almost every instance considerably -altered and supplemented with additional matter, and they now occupy a -more suitable position in the work than before. - - MORITZ BUSCH. - - LEIPZIG, _July 30, 1898_. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I - PAGE -MY APPOINTMENT AS AN OFFICIAL IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE, AND MY - FIRST AUDIENCE WITH BISMARCK--WORK AND OBSERVATIONS UP - TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR WITH FRANCE 1 - - - CHAPTER II - -DEPARTURE OF THE CHANCELLOR FOR THE SEAT OF WAR--I FOLLOW - HIM, AT FIRST TO SAARBRÜCKEN--JOURNEY FROM THERE TO THE - FRENCH FRONTIER--THE FOREIGN OFFICE FLYING COLUMN 64 - - - CHAPTER III - -FROM THE FRONTIER TO GRAVELOTTE 76 - - - CHAPTER IV - -COMMERCY--BAR LE DUC--CLERMONT EN ARGONNE 103 - - - CHAPTER V - -WE TURN TOWARDS THE NORTH--THE CHANCELLOR OF THE CONFEDERATION - AT REZONVILLE--THE BATTLE AND BATTLEFIELD OF BEAUMONT 126 - - - CHAPTER VI - -SEDAN--BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON AT DONCHERY 141 - - - CHAPTER VII - -FROM THE MEUSE TO THE MARNE 163 - - - CHAPTER VIII - -BISMARCK AND FAVRE AT HAUTE-MAISON--A FORTNIGHT IN ROTHSCHILD’S - CHÂTEAU 191 - - - CHAPTER IX - -THE JOURNEY TO VERSAILLES--MADAME JESSE’S HOUSE, AND OUR LIFE - THERE 227 - - - CHAPTER X - -AUTUMN DAYS AT VERSAILLES 235 - - - CHAPTER XI - -THIERS AND THE FIRST NEGOTIATIONS FOR AN ARMISTICE AT VERSAILLES 274 - - - CHAPTER XII - -GROWING DESIRE FOR A DECISION IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS 310 - - - CHAPTER XIII - -REMOVAL OF THE ANXIETY RESPECTING THE BAVARIAN TREATY IN THE - REICHSTAG--THE BOMBARDMENT FURTHER POSTPONED 330 - - - CHAPTER XIV - -THE PROSPECTS OUTSIDE PARIS IMPROVE 373 - - - CHAPTER XV - -CHAUDORDY AND THE TRUTH--OFFICERS OF BAD FAITH--FRENCH - GARBLING--THE CROWN PRINCE DINES WITH THE CHIEF 392 - - - CHAPTER XVI - -FIRST WEEK OF THE BOMBARDMENT 427 - - - CHAPTER XVII - -LAST WEEKS BEFORE THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS 460 - - - CHAPTER XVIII - -DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS RESPECTING THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS 492 - - - CHAPTER XIX - -FROM GAMBETTA’S RESIGNATION TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRELIMINARIES - OF PEACE 553 - - - - - BISMARCK - - SOME SECRET PAGES OF HIS HISTORY - - - - - CHAPTER I - -MY APPOINTMENT AS AN OFFICIAL IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE, AND MY FIRST - AUDIENCE WITH BISMARCK--WORK AND OBSERVATIONS UP TO THE OUTBREAK OF - THE WAR WITH FRANCE - - -On February 1st, 1870, while living in Leipzig and engaged in literary -work, I received--quite unexpectedly--from Dr. Metzler, Secretary in -the Foreign Office of the North German Confederation, who was at that -time occupied principally with press matters and with whom I had been -in communication since 1867, a short note requesting me to come to -Berlin in order to have a talk with him. On my arrival I ascertained, -to my great surprise, that Dr. Metzler had recommended me to Herr von -Keudell, Councillor of Embassy, who was then in charge of personal and -finance matters in the Foreign Office, for a confidential position -under the Chancellor of the Confederation, which he, Metzler himself, -had previously held, and in which my chief duty would be to carry out -the instructions of the Chancellor in press matters. I was to be in -immediate communication with the Chancellor. My position for the time -being would be what was called “diätarisch,” that is to say without -any claim to a pension and without a title. Further details were to be -arranged with Herr von Keudell on his return from his honeymoon. For -the moment I was only required to declare my readiness in general to -accept the offer, and later on I was to formulate my wishes and lay -them in writing before Herr von Keudell. - -This I did in a letter dated February 4th, in which I emphasised as -the most important condition that I should be entirely independent of -the Literary or Press Bureau, and that if my capacity for the position -should not prove equal to the expectations formed of it I should not be -appointed an official in that department. On February 19th I heard from -Metzler that my conditions had been in the main agreed to, and that no -objections had been raised with regard to that respecting the Literary -Bureau. I was to discuss the further arrangements with Keudell himself, -and to be prepared to enter upon my duties at once. On February 21st I -had a satisfactory interview with the latter, in the course of which -we came to an understanding as to terms. On the 23rd I was informed by -Keudell that the Chancellor had agreed to my conditions, and that he -had arranged for me to call upon Bismarck on the following evening. -Next day I took the official oath, and on the same evening, shortly -after 8 o’clock, I found myself in the presence of the Chancellor, -whom I had only seen at a distance once before, namely, from the Press -Gallery of the Reichstag. Now, two years later, I saw him again as -he sat in a military uniform at his writing table with a bundle of -documents before him. I was quite close to him this time, and felt as -if I stood before the altar. - -He gave me his hand, and motioned me to take a seat opposite him. He -began by saying that although he desired to have a talk with me, he -must for the moment content himself with just making my acquaintance, -as he had very little time to spare. “I have been kept in the Reichstag -to-day longer than I expected by a number of lengthy and tiresome -speeches; then I have here (pointing to the documents before him) -despatches to read, also as a rule not very amusing; and at 9 o’clock -I must go to the palace, and that is not particularly entertaining -either. What have you been doing up to the present?” I replied that I -had edited the _Grenzboten_, an organ of practically National Liberal -views, which I left, however, on one of the proprietors showing a -disposition to adopt a Progressist policy on the Schleswig-Holstein -question. The Chancellor: “Yes, I know that paper.” I then went on to -say that I had at the instance of the Government taken a position at -Hanover, where I assisted the Civil Commissioner, Herr von Hardenberg, -in representing Prussian interests in the local press during the year -of transition. I had subsequently, on instructions received from the -Foreign Office, written a number of articles for different political -journals, amongst others for the _Preussische Jahrbuecher_, to which -I had also previously contributed. Bismarck: “Then you understand our -politics and the German question in particular. I intend to get you -to write notes and articles for the papers from such particulars and -instructions as I may give you, for of course I cannot myself write -leaders. You will also arrange for others doing so. At first these -will naturally be by way of trial. I must have some one especially -for this purpose, and not merely occasional assistance as at present, -especially as I also receive very little useful help from the Literary -Bureau. But how long do you remain here?” and as he looked at his -watch I thought he desired to bring the conversation to a close. I -replied that I had arranged to remain in Berlin. Bismarck: “Ah, very -well then, I shall have a long talk with you one of these days. In the -meantime see Herr von Keudell, and also Herr Bucher, Councillor of -Embassy, who is well acquainted with all these matters.” I understood -that I was now at liberty to go, and was about to rise from my seat -when the Chancellor said: “Of course you know the question which was -before the House to-day?” I replied in the negative, explaining that -I had been too busy to read the reports in the newspapers. “Well,” he -said, “it was respecting the admission of Baden into the North German -Confederation. It is a pity that people cannot manage to wait, and -that they treat everything from a party standpoint, and as furnishing -opportunities for speech-making. Disagreeable business to have to -answer such speeches, not to say such twaddle! These eloquent gentlemen -are really like ladies with small feet. They force them into shoes that -are too tight for them, and push them under our noses on all occasions -in order that we may admire them. It is just the same with a man who -has the misfortune to be eloquent. He speaks too often and too long. -The question of German unity is making good progress; but it requires -time--one year perhaps, or five, or indeed possibly even ten years. I -cannot make it go any faster, nor can these gentlemen either. But they -have no patience to wait.” With these words he rose, and again shaking -hands I took leave of him for the time. - -I was thus enlisted in the ranks of Bismarck’s fellow-workers. An -opportunity for the general instructions which he proposed to give me -never occurred. I had to enter upon my work at once. Next evening I -was twice called in to him to receive instructions for articles. Later -on I sometimes saw him still more frequently, and occasionally in the -forenoon also--now and then as often as five or even eight times in one -day. At these interviews I had to take good care to keep my ears well -open, and to note everything with the closest attention, so that two -pieces of information or two sets of instructions should not get mixed -up. However, I soon found myself equal to this unusually trying task, -as Bismarck’s opinions and instructions were always given in a striking -form, which it was easy to remember. Besides, he was accustomed to -repeat his principal points in other words. Then, again, I made myself -all ears, so that, through practice, I gradually succeeded in retaining -long sentences, and even whole speeches, practically without omissions, -until I had an opportunity of committing them to paper. Bismarck used -also to send me, by one of the messengers, documents and newspapers -marked with the letter V and a cross, signs which indicated “Press -Instructions.” When I found such papers on my desk I looked them -through, and subsequently obtained the Chancellor’s directions with -regard to them. Furthermore, when I had anything of importance to ask -or to submit for his approval, I was allowed to call upon him without -previous invitation. I thus practically occupied the position of a -“Vortragender Rath” (_i.e._, an official having direct access to the -Chancellor), excepting only that I had neither the title nor the sense -of infallibility common to all such Councillors. - -The newspapers to which the articles thus prepared were supplied were -the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_, then edited by Brass, which was -the semi-official organ, properly speaking; the _Spenersche Zeitung_, -and the _Neue Preussische Zeitung_. I also frequently sent letters to -the _Kölnische Zeitung_, expressing the Chancellor’s views. During the -first months of my appointment Metzler, who had previously contributed -to that paper, served as the medium for communicating these articles. -Subsequently they were sent direct to the editor, and were always -accepted without alteration. In addition to this work I saw one of the -writers from the Literary Bureau every forenoon, and gave him material -which was sent to the _Magdeburger Zeitung_ and some of the smaller -newspapers; while other members of his department furnished portions of -it to certain Silesian, East Prussian, and South German organs. I had -similar weekly interviews with other, and somewhat more independent, -writers. Amongst these I may mention Dr. Bock, who supplied articles -to the _Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung_, and a number of papers in -Hanover; Professor Constantine Roeszler, formerly Lecturer at Jena, -who subsequently assisted Richthofen at Hamburg and afterwards edited -the _Staatsanzeiger_; and finally Herr Heide, who had previously -been a missionary in Australia and was at that time working for the -_North German Correspondence_, which had been founded with a view to -influencing the English press. - -In addition to this my duties also included the reading of masses of -German, Austrian and French newspapers, which were laid upon my table -three times daily, and the management and purchase of books for the -Ministerial Library. It will therefore be easily understood that while -the Chancellor remained in Berlin I had more than enough to attend -to. I was engaged not only on week-days, but also on Sundays, from -9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, and again from 5 till 10 -and sometimes 11 o’clock at night. Indeed, it sometimes occurred that -a messenger from the Chancellor came at midnight to call me away -from a party of friends or out of my bed in order to receive pressing -instructions. - -I reproduce here in the form in which they appear in my diary the -particulars of a number of more or less characteristic statements and -instructions which I received from the Chancellor at that period. They -show that the statesman whom I had the honour to serve thoroughly -understood the business of journalism, and they further throw a welcome -light upon many of the political events of that time. - -Some days after the debate in the Reichstag respecting the entrance -of Baden into the North German Confederation, to which reference has -already been made, and while the matter was still occupying both the -attention of the press and of the Chancellor, I find the following -entry among my notes:-- - -_February 27th, evening._--Called to see the Minister. I am to -direct special attention to the nonsense written by the National -Liberal Press on the last sitting of the Reichstag. The Chancellor -said:--“The National Liberals are not a united party. They are merely -two fractions. Amongst their leaders Bennigsen and Forckenbeck are -sensible men, and there are also a couple of others. Miguel is inclined -to be theatrical. Loewe, with his deep chest notes, does everything -for effect. He has not made a single practical remark. Lasker is -effective in destructive criticism, but is no politician. It sounded -very odd to hear him declare that they were now too much occupied with -Rome in Paris and Vienna to interfere with us in connection with the -Baden affair. If it were possible to get those of really Progressist -views to act independently, it would make the situation much clearer. -Friedenthal’s speech was excellent. I must ask you also to emphasise -the following points:--1. The unfairness of the _National Zeitung_ -in repeating misunderstandings which I explained and disposed of in -my speech. 2. The make-believe support given to my policy by men who -were elected for the express purpose of rendering me real assistance. -3. That such politicians either cannot see or intentionally overlook -my principal motive, viz., that to admit Baden into the Confederation -would bring pressure to bear upon Bavaria, and that it is therefore a -hazardous step. Attention should be paid to the situation in France, -so that nothing should be done which might endanger the Constitutional -evolution of that country, an evolution hitherto promoted in every way -from Berlin, as it signifies peace for us. The French Arcadians” (the -party that supported Napoleon through thick and thin) “are watching the -course of events in Germany, and waiting their opportunity. Napoleon is -now well disposed to us, but he is very changeable. We could now fight -France and beat her too, but that war would give rise to five or six -others; and while we can gain our ends by peaceful means, it would be -foolish, if not criminal, to take such a course. Events in France may -take a warlike or revolutionary turn, which would render the present -brittle metal there more malleable. There was an important point in my -speech, which, however, these good people failed to recognise. That was -the intimation that in certain circumstances we should pay no regard -either to the views of Austria respecting South Germany as a whole, nor -to those of France, who objected to the admission of any single South -German State into the North German Confederation. That was a feeler. -Further measures can only be considered when I know how that hint has -been received in Vienna and Paris.” - -_March 1st._--Count Bismarck wishes me to get the following inserted in -the South German newspapers:--“The speech of von Freydorf, the Grand -Ducal Minister, in the Baden Diet on the Jurisdiction Treaty with the -North German Confederation, has been inspired by an absolutely correct -view of the situation. Particular attention should be paid to that -portion in which the Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy declared the -policy of Baden to be in perfect accord with that of the Chancellor -of the North German Confederation, and also to the manner in which he -defined the position of the South German States towards the Treaty of -Prague. Through the dissolution of the old Germanic Confederacy, those -States have, as a matter of fact, become sovereign States. That treaty -_gives them liberty_ (to me: Underline those words!) to form a new -union amongst themselves, a South German Confederation, by means of -which they may take measures for bringing about a national union with -the united North. That treaty involves no prescription, engagement or -compulsion whatever to adopt such a course. Any insinuation of that -kind with respect to States whose sovereignty has been emphatically -recognised would be something absolutely unheard of. In the Swiss war -of the Sonderbund, and also in the late American civil war, States -were obliged against their own will to remain within a union which -they had previously joined, but no one ever saw a sovereign State or -Prince required to enter into confederation against their own judgment. -The South German States, including half of Hesse, have unquestionably -the right--acting either in concert or singly--to endeavour, in -co-operation with the North, to advance the cause of national unity. -The question is whether the present is a good time to choose. The -Chancellor of the North German Confederation answers this question -in the negative. But it is only possible by the most wilful garbling -of his expressions to maintain that his final aim is not the union of -Germany. Partition of German national territory! Calumny! Not a single -word of the Chancellor’s justifies that conclusion. As Herr Lasker -has not spoken at the instance of the Government of Baden, although -his speech would almost convey the impression that he was a Minister -of that State, it is difficult to understand where he got that idea. -Perhaps it was merely the conceit of the honourable member that led him -to make such a statement.” - -_March 3rd._--The Minister wishes the _Kölnische Zeitung_ first, and -afterwards the South German newspapers, to advocate the organisation -into one great party of all men of national views in the South German -States, so as to get rid of the particularism which had hitherto -divided them. “The matter lies much more in their hands,” he said, -“than in those of the North German National Liberals. The North -German Governments will do all that is possible in a reasonable way -in support of the efforts of South Germany. But the South Germans who -wish to unite with us must act together and not singly. I want you to -reiterate this point again and again. The article must then be printed -in the _Spenersche Zeitung_ and in other newspapers to which we have -access, and it should be accompanied by expressions of deep regret at -the particularism which prevents the union of the various Southern -parties that gravitate towards North Germany. A union of the four -Southern States is an impossibility, but there is nothing to hinder the -formation of a Southern League composed of men of national sentiments. -The National party in Baden, the German party in Würtemberg, and the -Bavarian Progressist party are merely different names for the same -thing. These groups have to deal with different Governments, and some -persons maintain that they must consequently adopt different tactics. -Their aims are nevertheless identical in all important points. With -the best will in the world those three parties, while acting singly, -produce but a slight impression. If they desire to go ahead and become -an important factor in public affairs, they must combine to form -a great and homogeneous South German National party which must be -reckoned with on both sides of the Main.” - -Read over to the Minister, at his request, an article which he -ordered yesterday and for which he gave me the leading ideas. It was -to be dated from Paris, and published in the _Kölnische Zeitung_. He -said:--“Yes, you have correctly expressed my meaning. The composition -is good both as regards its reasoning and the facts which it contains. -But no Frenchman thinks in such logical and well-ordered fashion, yet -the letter is understood to be written by a Frenchman. It must contain -more gossip, and you must pass more lightly from point to point. In -doing so you must adopt an altogether French standpoint. A Liberal -Parisian writes the letter and gives his opinion as to the position of -his party towards the German question, expressing himself in the manner -usual in statements of that kind.” (Finally Count Bismarck dictated -the greater part of the article, which was forwarded by Metzler in its -altered form to the Rhenish newspaper.) - -In connection with this task the Minister said to me the day -before:--“I look at the matter in this way. A correspondent in Paris -must give his opinion of my quarrel with Lasker and the others over -the Baden question, and bring forward arguments which I did not think -it desirable to use at that time. He must say that no one could deem -it advisable in the present state of affairs in Bavaria, when the King -seems to be so well disposed, to do anything calculated on the one -hand to irritate him, and on the other to disturb the Constitutional -movement in France--which movement tended to preserve peace while it -would itself be promoted by the maintenance of peace. Those who desire -to advance the cause of liberty do not wish to go to war with us, -yet they could not swim against the stream if we took any action in -South Germany which public opinion would regard as detrimental to the -interests and prestige of France. Moreover, for the present the course -of the Vatican Council should not be interfered with, as the result for -Germany might possibly be a diversion. We must wait for these things,” -he added. “I cannot explain that to them. If they were politicians they -would see it for themselves. There are reasons for forbearance which -every one should be able to recognise; but Members of Parliament who -cross-question the Government do not usually regard that as their duty.” - -The second portion of the article which the Minister dictated runs as -follows:--“Whoever has had an opportunity of observing here in Paris -how difficult the birth of the present Constitutional movement has -been, what obstacles this latest development of French political life -has to overcome if it is to strike deep roots, and how powerful are -the influences of which the guiding spirit only awaits some pretext -for smothering the infant in its cradle, will understand with what -anxiety we watch the horizon abroad and what a profoundly depressing -effect every little cloud there produces upon our hopes of a secure -and peaceful development of the new _régime_. It is the ardent wish of -every sincere adherent of the Constitutional cause in France that there -should now be no diversion abroad, no change on the horizon of foreign -politics, which might serve if not as a real motive at least as a -pretext for crying down the youthful Constitutionalism of France, while -at the same time directing public attention to foreign relations. We -believe that the Emperor is in earnest, but his immediate _entourage_, -and the creatures whom he has to employ, are watching anxiously for -some event which shall enable them to compel the Sovereign to abandon -a course which they resent. These people are very numerous, and have -during the eighteen years of the Emperor’s reign grown more powerful -than is perhaps believed outside France. Whoever has any regard for -the Constitutional development of the country can only hope that no -alteration, however slight, shall occur in the foreign relations of -France to serve as a motive or pretext for that reaction which every -opponent of the Constitution is striving to bring about.” - -Between the directions for these articles, which I here bring together -as they relate to the same subject, I received others, some of which I -may also reproduce. - -_March 4th._--The _Boersen Zeitung_ contained an article in which it -was alleged that in Germany only nobles were considered competent to -become Ministers. This the Count sent down to me to be refuted in a -short article, expressing surprise at such a statement. “An absurd -electioneering move!” the Chancellor said. “Whoever wishes to persuade -the world that in Prussia the position of Minister is only open to the -aristocracy, and that capable commoners have absolutely no chance of -attaining to it, must have no memory and no eyes. Say that under Count -Bismarck no less than three commoners have, on his recommendation, been -appointed Ministers within a short period, namely Delbrück, Leonhard -and Camphausen. Lasker, it is true, has not yet been appointed.” - -I wrote this short article immediately; but the Chancellor was not -pleased with it. “I told you expressly,” he said, “to mention the names -of Delbrück, Leonhard and Camphausen, and that their appointments were -due to my personal influence. Go straight to the point, and don’t -wander round about it in that way! That is no use! A pointless article! -They are just the cleverest of the present Ministers. The attack on -Lasker is also out of place. We must not provoke people unnecessarily. -They are right when they complain of bullying.” The reference to Lasker -consisted merely of his own words as given above. - -_March 5th._--The _Vossische Zeitung_ contained a bitter attack, which -culminated in the following remark: “Exceptional circumstances--and -such must be acknowledged to exist when working men are treated to -breech-loaders, and Ministers are hanged on street lamps--cannot be -taken as a rule for the regular conduct of affairs.” The Count received -this article from the Literary Bureau of the Ministry of State (where -extracts from the newspapers were made for him), although it might well -have been withheld, as not much importance attaches to the scoldings -of “Tante Voss.” The Count sent for me, read over the passage in -question, and observed: “They speak of times when Ministers were hanged -on street lamps. Unworthy language! Reply that such a thing never -occurred in Prussia, and that there is no prospect of its occurring. In -the meantime it shows towards what condition of affairs the efforts -of that newspaper are tending, which (under the auspices of Jacoby and -Company) supplies the Progressist middle classes of Berlin with their -politics.” - -Called in again later to the Count. I am to go to Geheimrath Hahn -and call his attention to the question of capital punishment, which -in view of the approaching elections should be dealt with in the -_Provinzial-Correspondenz_ in accordance with the policy of the -Government, who desire its retention. The Minister said: “I am firmly -convinced that the majority of the population is opposed to its -abolition. Were it otherwise it would of course be possible to do away -with it. It is a mere theory--the sentimentality of lawyers in the -Reichstag--a party doctrine which has no connection with the life of -the people, although its advocates are constantly referring to the -people. Tell him that, but be cautious in dealing with him. He is -somewhat conceited--bureaucratic. Do it in a diplomatic way. You must -let him think that those are his own ideas. Otherwise we shall not get -anything useful out of him. Let me know afterwards what he says.” - -_March 6th._--Have seen Hahn. He is of opinion that it is yet too -early to deal with this matter. It will probably end in a compromise, -capital punishment being only retained for murder. The attitude of the -Liberals in the elections can only be influenced after the decision in -the Reichstag. In the meantime he has instructed the Literary Bureau to -refute the article in the _National Zeitung_, and to show how sterile -the present Parliament would be if it allowed the long wished for -Criminal Code to be wrecked upon this question of capital punishment. -Report this to the Minister. He is of opinion that Hahn is mistaken. -“It is necessary to act in a diplomatic way in this case,” he observed. -“One must present an appearance of determination up to the last moment; -and if one wants to secure a suitable compromise, show no disposition -to give way; besides, Hahn must have no other policy than mine. I shall -speak to Eulenburg, and get him to set Hahn straight. This must be put -down at once. We must think in good time about the elections.” - -_March 7th._--Sent Brass (_Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_) an article -written by Bucher under instructions from the Minister, showing that -the majority in the Reichstag does not represent public opinion nor -the will of the people, but only the opinions and desires of the -Parliamentary party. - -Called to the Count in the evening, when he said: “I want you to secure -the insertion in the press of an article somewhat to the following -effect: For some time past vague rumours of war have been current -throughout the world for which no sufficient ground exists in fact, -or can be even suggested. The explanation is probably to be sought in -Stock Exchange speculation for a fall which has been started in Paris. -Confidential whispers are going about with regard to the presence of -Archduke Albrecht in the French capital which are calculated to cause -uneasiness; and then, naturally enough, these rumours are shouted aloud -and multiplied by the windbags of the Guelph press.” - -_March 11th._--The Count wants an article in the _National Zeitung_ to -be answered in this sense: “The Liberals in Parliament always identify -themselves with the people. They maintain, like Louis XIV. with his -_L’état c’est moi_, that ‘We are the People.’ There could hardly be -a more absurd piece of boasting and exaggeration. As if the other -representatives, the Conservatives in the country, and the great -numbers who belong to no party, were not also part of the nation, and -had no opinions and interests to which regard should be paid!” - -_Evening._--The Minister, referring to a statement in the _Norddeutsche -Allgemeine Zeitung_, remarked: “There is much ado about the decided -attitude taken up by Beust against the Curia. According to the -report published by Brass he has expressed himself very emphatically -respecting its latest action, in a note which the Ambassador read to -the Secretary of State. That must be refuted, weakened. Do it in a -letter from Rome to the _Kölnische Zeitung_. Say: ‘We do not know if -the analysis of the despatch in question (which has made the round -of the papers, and which was first published by _The Times_) is -correct,[2] but we have reason to doubt it.’ Trautmansdorf (the Austrian -Ambassador to the Holy See) has read no note and has received no -instructions to make any positive declaration, but is on the contrary -acting in accordance with his own convictions--and it is known that he -is very clerical and not at all disposed to radical measures. He has -communicated to Cardinal Antonelli such parts of the information that -reached him from Vienna as he thought proper, and he certainly made -that communication in as considerate a form as possible. It cannot -therefore have been very emphatic.” - -_Later._--Attention is to be directed, at first in a paper which has no -connection with the Government, to the prolonged sojourn of Archduke -Albrecht in Paris as a suspicious symptom. In connection with it -rumours have been circulated in London of an understanding between -France and Austria. Our papers should afterwards reproduce these hints. - -_March 12th._--In the afternoon Bucher gave me the chief’s instructions -to order the Spanish newspaper, _Imparcial_. (This is of some -importance, as it doubtless indicates that even then we had a hand -in the question of electing the new King. On several occasions -subsequently I secured the insertion in non-official German papers of -translations which Bucher brought me of articles in that newspaper -against the candidature of Montpensier.) - -_March 13th._--The Chancellor wishes to have it said in one of the -“remote” journals (that is, not notoriously connected with the -Government) that the Pope has paid no regard to the representations -of France and Austria respecting the principal points which should -be decided by the Council. He would not have done so even if those -representations had been expressed in a more emphatic form than they -actually were. Neither Banneville nor Trautmansdorf was inclined to -heartily defend the cause of the State against the Ultramontanes. This -disposes of the news of the _Mémorial Diplomatique_ to the effect -that at the suggestion of Count Daru the Curia has already given an -affirmative answer. That report is absolutely false, as is nearly all -the news published by the paper in question. It is much the same with -Count Beust’s note to the Papal Government. (“Quote the word ‘note,’” -added the Minister.) It was only a despatch, and, doubtless, a very -tame one. - -_March 16th, evening._--Called up to the Minister, who lay on the sofa -in his study. “Here,” he said (pointing to a newspaper). “They complain -of the accumulation of labour imposed upon Parliament. Already eight -months’ hard work! That must be answered. It is true that members of -Parliament have a great deal to do, but Ministers are still worse off. -In addition to their work in the two Diets the latter have an immense -amount of business to transact for the King and the country both while -Parliament is sitting and during the recess. Moreover, members have -the remedy in their own hands. If those who do not belong to the Upper -Chamber will abstain from standing for election both to the Prussian -and the Federal Diet they will lighten their task sufficiently. They -are not obliged to sit in both Houses.” - -_March 21st._--I am to call attention in the semi-official organs -to the fact that the Reichstag is discussing the Criminal Code far -too minutely and slowly. “The speakers,” observed the Count, “show -too great a desire for mere talk, and are too fond of details and -hair-splitting. If this continues the Bills will not be disposed of -in the present Session, especially as the Budget has still to be -discussed. The President might well exercise stricter control. Another -unsatisfactory feature is that so many members absent themselves from -the sittings. Our newspapers ought to publish regularly lists of such -absentees. Please see that is done.” - -Called up again later and commissioned to explain in the press the -attitude of Prussia towards those Prelates who oppose the Curia in -Rome. The Chancellor said: “The newspapers express a desire that the -Government should support the German Bishops on the Council. You -should ask if those writers have formed a clear idea as to how we -should set about that task. Should Prussia perhaps send a Note to the -Council, or to Antonelli, the Papal Minister, who does not belong -to that body? or is she to secure representation in that assembly of -Prelates, and protest (of course in vain) against what she objects to? -Prussia will not desert those Bishops who do not submit themselves to -the yoke, but it is for the Prelates in the first place to maintain a -determined attitude. We cannot take preventive measures, as they would -be of no value, but it is open to us to adopt a repressive policy in -case a decision is come to in opposition to our wishes. If, after that -decision has been arrived at, it should prove to be incompatible with -the mission and interests of the State, then existing legislation, if -found inadequate, can be easily supplemented and altered. The demand -that the Prussian Government should support the more moderate Bishops -is a mere empty phrase so long as no practical means of giving effect -to it can be discovered. Moreover, the course which I now indicate will -in any case be ultimately successful, although success may not at once -be completely achieved.” - -_March 25th._--The Chief wishes Klaczko’s appointment in Vienna to -be discussed. He said to me: “Beust intends in that way to revive -the Polish question. Point to the journalistic activity of that -indefatigable agitator, and to his bitter hatred both of ourselves and -Russia. Quote Rechenberg’s confidential despatch of the 2nd of March -from Warsaw, where he says that the Polish secret political societies -which are engaged at Lemberg in preparing for a revolution, with the -object of restoring Polish independence, have sent a deputation to -Klaczko congratulating him on his appointment to a position where he -is in direct communication with the Chancellor of the Empire. Send the -article first to the _Kölnische Zeitung_, and afterwards arrange for -similar articles in the provincial newspapers. We must finally see -that this reaches Reuss (the Ambassador in St. Petersburg), in order -that he may get it reproduced in the Russian press. It can also appear -in the _Kreuzzeitung_, and it must be brought up again time after time -in another form.” - -_Afternoon._--Geheimrath Abeken desires me, on the instructions of the -Minister, to take note of the following document, which is apparently -based on a despatch: “It is becoming more and more difficult to -understand the attitude of the Austrian Government towards the Council. -All the organs of public opinion are on the side of the Austrian -Bishops, who are making such a dignified and decisive stand in Rome. -The reports which the Government thought well to allow the press to -publish respecting the steps which they have taken in Rome were in -harmony with this attitude. The news from Rome, however, speaks only of -the tameness and indecision with which the Government’s policy is being -carried into execution. The most contradictory accounts are now coming -in. It is said that the Austrian Ambassador has supported the action of -the French Ambassador, which is known not to have been very effective. -Expressions have been attributed to Count Beust showing that, in his -opinion, the only effectual course would be for all the Powers to -take common or collective action. On the other hand, it is asserted -that he gave a negative answer, reciting different objections, to the -proposal of another Catholic State (Bavaria) to join it in a decisive -declaration in Rome. In presence of this indecision on the part of the -Catholic Powers the Bishops will doubtless be obliged to follow their -own consciences and decide for themselves what their course of action -is to be. We are convinced however that if the Prelates themselves -resolved to make a determined stand on behalf of their consciences the -situation would immediately undergo a change in their favour, and that -ultimately no Government would desert its own Bishops even if they were -in a minority. - -“Bismarck has already explained to the Prussian Ambassador in Paris -that he is prepared to support every initiative taken on the Catholic -side in the matter of the Council. He at the same time discussed the -subject with Benedetti, expressing himself in a similar sense, but in -the meantime making no positive proposal. On the other hand, he asked -incidentally whether it might not be desirable to consider in a general -conference the attitude to be adopted by the various Governments -towards the Council. Benedetti replied that such a course would only -hasten the Council’s decision. Bismarck urged that a conference might -be useful, even were it no longer possible to influence the Council, -and were the question to be considered merely how far the injurious -effects of its decisions on the peace of Church and State could be -minimised. - -“Benedetti sent a report of this informal conversation to Paris, -representing it as a proposal to hold a conference. Daru replied in a -despatch which pointed out the difficulty of carrying that idea into -execution. Who should take part in the conference? Russia maintained -such an unfriendly attitude towards the Catholic Church, and Italy -was so hostile to the Curia that they could hardly join in any common -action. Spain wished to confine herself to the repression of any -eventual breach of the laws of the country, and England ignored the -official declarations of the Roman Church. Many Powers had Concordats, -while others occupied a more independent position towards the Curia, -therefore, in that respect also, an understanding would be difficult. -Finally, Daru feared that Rome, on hearing of an intended conference, -would reply with a _fait accompli_. For these reasons he declined -the proposal. He would, however, like to afford the other Powers -an opportunity of supporting the measures taken by France on her -own initiative. In case he received a negative answer to his demand -that France should be represented on the Council he would officially -communicate to the other Governments his declaration to the Secretary -of State, Cardinal Antonelli, that the rights and interests of the -State would be defended against any encroachment on the part of the -Spiritual Power, and urge them to support his action in Rome. Bismarck -thanked Daru for this communication, and said that the Government at -Berlin (when it had satisfied itself that such a course on the part of -France was calculated to promote the interests of Prussian Catholics) -would endeavour to strengthen the impression made thereby; and that -further communications were awaited with interest. - -“The French Government looks forward with anxiety to the consequences -of the Council, but hesitates to take any serious and decisive -measures, and is not disposed to enter upon any common action with -the other Powers. Bray, at Munich, seemed less disinclined to such -a course. He thought a declaration might possibly be made that the -Government considered the œcumenical and authoritative character -of the Council to be affected by the promulgation of the dogma of -infallibility notwithstanding the opposition of a minority of the -Bishops, as also the legal position assured to the Prelates under -the Concordats, and that the dogma in question was to be regarded as -null and void. Bray was anxious that Austria should join in this -declaration. Beust, however, would not consent, as he believed that -such a declaration would merely induce the Council to come to an -unanimous decision which would then be binding upon the Governments. An -unequivocal attitude of any kind is not to be expected from Vienna. - -“If the Catholic Governments will not take the initiative the question -remains what course the Bishops themselves will adopt. We hold to the -principle of not acting directly and in our own name with the Roman -See, while at the same time powerfully and steadfastly supporting every -effort made by the Catholics themselves, and particularly by the German -Bishops to prevent illegal changes being made in the constitution -of the Catholic Church, and to preserve both Church and State from -a disturbance of the peace. We do not find ourselves called upon to -take up a prominent attitude towards the Council; but our readiness to -support energetically every well-meant effort of the Catholic Powers, -whose duty it is to intervene in the first place, or of the Bishops -within the Council, remains unaltered.” - -_Evening._--I am to refer to England and the way in which the press is -treated there. “The Liberals always appeal to English example when they -want to secure some fresh liberty for the press. Such appeals, it is -well known, rest largely upon mistaken notions. It would be desirable -to examine more closely the Bill which has just been passed for the -preservation of order in Ireland. What would public opinion in Germany, -and particularly what would the people of Berlin say, if our Government -could proceed against any of our democratic journals, even against -the most violent, according to the following provisions, and that too -without even a state of minor siege? Then quote the provisions, and -add that the Bill was carried by a large majority.”[3] - -_March 28th._--The Chancellor desires that the question of the Council -should be again dealt with somewhat to the following effect: “The -press has repeatedly expressed a desire to know what position will be -taken by Prussia towards the policy of the majority of the Council, -and several proposals have been made in this connection. In our -opinion the answer to that question is to be found in the character -of Prussia as a Protestant Power. In that capacity Prussia must leave -the initiative in this matter to the Catholic Governments who are more -directly threatened. If these do not take action the question remains -what course the Bishops who form the minority in the Council will -adopt, a question which will be answered by the immediate future. If -the Catholic Governments decide to take steps against the majority of -the Council, Prussia ought to join in that action if she considers it -to be in the interests of her Catholic subjects. But it is less the -duty of Prussia than of any other State to rush into the breach.... If -the Bishops defend the constitution of their Church, their episcopal -rights, and peace between Church and State in a fearless and determined -protest against the encroachments of the Ultramontane party in the -Council, it may then be confidently hoped that the Prussian Government -will extend to them a powerful support.” - -Some of the last sentences repeated almost literally the conclusion of -the document brought to me by Abeken. - -_March 30th._--The Count sent down a report from Rome for use in the -press. This report says: “The tourists who visited St. Peter’s on the -22nd instant were several times disturbed by a dull noise which rolled -through the aisles like a storm, proceeding from the direction of the -Council Chamber. Those who remained a little longer saw individual -Bishops, with anxious looks, hurriedly leave the church. There had -been a terrible scene amongst the reverend fathers. The theme _de -erroribus_, which was laid before the Council about three weeks ago -and then returned to the Commission, was again being discussed in an -amended form. This discussion had now lasted five or six (eight) days. -Strossmayer criticised one of the paragraphs of the Proemium which -characterised Protestantism as the source of all the evils which now -infect the world in the forms of pantheism, materialism, and atheism. -He declared that this Proemium contained historical untruths, as the -errors of our time were much older than Protestantism. The Humanist -movement, which had been imprudently protected by the highest authority -(Pope Leo X.) was in part responsible for them. The Proemium lacked the -charity due to Protestants. (First uproar.) It was, on the contrary, -amongst Protestants that Christianity had found its most powerful -defenders, such as Leibnitz and Guizot, whose meditations he should -wish to see in the hands of every Christian. (Renewed and increased -uproar, while closed fists are shown at the speaker, and cries are -heard of ‘_Hæreticus es! Taceas! Descendas! Omnes te condemnamus!_’ -and now and then ‘_Ego eum non condemno!_’) This storm also subsided, -and Strossmayer was able to proceed to another point, namely, the -question to which the Bishops referred in their protest, that is to -say, that a unanimous vote is indispensable for decisions on dogma. -Strossmayer’s remarks on this theme caused the indignation of the -majority to boil over. Cardinal Capalti interrupted him. The assembly -raged like a hurricane. After a wordy war of a quarter of an hour’s -duration between the speaker and the Legates, Strossmayer retired, -three times repeating the words: ‘_Protestor non est concilium._’ It -is worthy of note that a Congregation has been held to-day at which -the Bishop of Halifax and others are understood to have expressed -views similar to those of Strossmayer and that no attempt was made -to interrupt them. It would therefore appear as if the storm raised -against the Bishop of Bosnia were a party manœuvre with the object of -ruining the most important of the Princes of the Church.” - -_March 31st._--Commissioned by the Chief to tell Zitelmann (an official -of the Ministry of State in charge of press matters) that the newspaper -extracts which his office prepares for submission to the King (through -the Minister) should be better sifted and arranged. Those that are -suitable for the King are to be gummed on to separate sheets and -detached from those that are not suitable for him. Particularistic lies -and stupidities, such as those from Kiel of the 25th and Cassel of the -28th, belong to the latter category and must not be laid before him. -If he sees that kind of thing printed in black on white he is apt to -believe it. He does not know the character of those papers. - -I am to secure the insertion in the press of the following particulars, -which have reference to a paragraph in a newspaper which the Minister -did not name to me. It is a well-known fact that Howard, the English -representative at Munich, although he is married to a Prussian lady -(Schulenberg), exercises, in opposition to the views of his own -Government, a decidedly anti-Prussian influence, not so much in a -pro-Austrian as in a Guelph sense. He was Minister at Hanover up to the -events of 1866. - -_April 1st._--The Minister’s birthday. When I was called to him in -the evening his room was perfumed with flowers presented to him. He -lay on the sofa, booted and spurred, smoking a cigar, and reading -newspaper extracts. After receiving my instructions, I offered my -congratulations, for which he thanked me, reaching me his hand. “I -hope,” he said, “we shall remain together for a very long time.” I -replied that I hoped so too, that I could find no words to say how -happy I felt to be near him, and to be able to work for him. “Well,” -he answered, smiling, “it is not always so pleasant, but you must not -notice every little thing.” - -My instructions referred to Lasker and Hoverbeck. They were as -follows:--“Just take Lippe and Lasker as your subject for once. Lasker -has, it is true, been taken to task for one of his latest utterances -by Bennigsen, the chief of his fraction, but it can do no harm to deal -with the affair once more in the press--and repeatedly. He, like Lippe, -wants the Constitution to be placed above our national requirements. -_Les extrêmes se touchent._ Lippe is the representative of the -Particularistic Junkers with the tendency to absolutism, Lasker that -of the Parliamentary Junkers with Particularistic leanings. Vincke, -who was just such another, succeeded, with his eternal dogmatism, -in ruining and nearly destroying a great party in a few months, -notwithstanding favourable circumstances. Please send the article to -the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ for publication, and let it be -afterwards reproduced in another form by the Literary Bureau.” (...) - -_April 4th._--It was well that I carried out the Minister’s orders -at once. On being called to him this morning he received me with the -words: “I asked you recently to write an article on the subject of -Lippe and Lasker. Have you done so?” I replied “Yes, Excellency, and it -has already appeared. I did not submit it to you as I know that you see -the _Norddeutsche_ daily.” He then said, “I have had no time as yet, I -will look it up immediately.” - -In a quarter of an hour I was again sent for, and on appearing before -him the Minister said: “I have now read the article--it was amongst -the extracts. It is excellent, exactly what I wished. Let it now be -circulated and reproduced in the provincial journals. In doing so it -may be further remarked that if Count Bismarck were to charge Lasker -and his fraction with Particularism--I do not mean all the National -Liberals, but principally the Prussians, the Lasker group--the -accusation would be well founded. Lippe has also laid down the -principle that the Prussian Diet is independent of the Federal Diet.” - -The Minister then continued: “Here is the _Kölnische Zeitung_ talking -of excitability. It alleges that I have manifested an excitability -which recalls the period of ‘conflict.’ That is not true. I have -merely repelled passionate attacks in the same tone in which they were -delivered, according to the usual practice in Parliament. It was -not Bismarck but Lasker and Hoverbeck who took the initiative. They -began again with offensive personal attacks, and I begged of them in -a friendly way not to return to that style. Ask whether the writer -had not read the report of the sitting, as it showed that it was not -Count Bismarck who picked this quarrel. Apart from its pleadings on -behalf of the claims of Denmark, the _Kölnische Zeitung_ was a sensible -newspaper. What had Count Bismarck done to it that it should allow its -correspondents to send such a garbled account of the facts? Moreover, -Bennigsen had reprimanded Lasker. They now themselves recognised that -the tone they adopted was wrong, as Lasker came to me on Saturday to -excuse himself.” - -_April 6th._--Under instructions from the Minister I dictated the -following paragraph to Doerr for circulation through the Literary -Bureau: “The position of the Bishops who form the opposition in the -Council does not appear to be satisfactory, if one may judge from the -attitude of the Catholic Governments and particularly of the Vienna -Cabinet. Probably Count Beust has not yet made up his mind in this -matter. He seems to have sent somewhat energetic remonstrances to the -Ambassador in Rome, but it is obvious that Count Trautmansdorf has -delivered them in a very diluted form. According to certain newspapers -the Austrian Chancellor has also endeavoured to bring about a common -action of the Powers, while others report an incident which renders -it doubtful whether any such attempt has been made. The French also -maintain an attitude of exceptional prudence and reserve, and the -Bishops would thus appear to stand well nigh alone.... The initiative -must come from the Bishops themselves.” - -Between the 6th and the 10th of April I wrote an article on the -question of North Schleswig from the Minister’s instructions. This -attracted great attention on its publication in the _Norddeutsche -Allgemeine Zeitung_, principally on the ground that there seemed -to be no occasion for its appearance at a time when the political -horizon was absolutely clear. (It may possibly have arisen through a -Russian reminder and approval of the pretended claims of Denmark.) -The article was to the following effect: “It is a wilful falsehood to -maintain that according to the peace of Prague the population of North -Schleswig has to decide the question of the frontier. Prussia alone, -and no one else, is authorised to do that. Moreover, the Treaty of -Prague does not mention North Schleswig at all, but only refers, quite -vaguely, to the northern districts of Schleswig, which is something -quite different. The parties to the treaty were not called upon, and, -as the wording selected by them proves, never intended to deal with -any such conception as ‘North Schleswig,’ and have not even used that -term. But the Danes and their friends have so long and so persistently -endeavoured to make the world believe that paragraph 5 of the treaty -stipulated for the cession of North Schleswig, that they have come to -believe it themselves. - -“The Prussians alone have to decide as to the extent of those -districts. Prussia has no further political interest in negotiating -with Denmark if the latter is not content with the concessions which -the former is prepared to make. Finally, only Austria has a right to -demand that the matter shall be settled in any form.... If Prussia -and Austria,” so concluded the Minister’s directions, “now come to an -understanding as to cancelling that paragraph of the treaty--probably -on the basis of further concessions on the part of Prussia--absolutely -no one has any right to object.” Two articles were to be written on -this subject, one for the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_, in which -the reference to Austria was to be omitted, and one for the _Spenersche -Zeitung_, which was to contain it. - -_April 12th._--The Count desires to have an article written for the -_Kölnische Zeitung_, part of which he dictated to me. It ran as -follows: “The _Constitutionnel_ speaks of the way in which French -manners are being corrupted by foreign elements, and in this connection -it mentions Princess Metternich and Madame Rimsky-Korsakow. It would -require more space than we can afford to this subject to show in its -true light all the ignorance and prejudice exhibited by the writer of -this article, who has probably never left Paris. Princess Metternich -would not act in Vienna as she is represented by the _Constitutionnel_ -to have acted in Paris; and Madame Rimsky-Korsakow is not a leader of -society in St. Petersburg. The contrary must be the case. Paris must -be responsible if the two ladies so conduct themselves, and exercise -such an influence as the French journal asserts they do. As a matter -of fact the idea that Paris is the home and school of good manners is -now only to be met with in other countries, in old novels, and amongst -elderly people in the most remote parts of the provinces. It has -long since been observed, and not in European Courts alone, that the -present generation of Frenchmen do not know how to behave themselves. -In other circles it has also been remarked that the young Frenchman -does not compare favourably with the youth of other nations, or with -those few countrymen of his own who have, far from Paris, preserved -the traditions of good French society. Travellers who have visited the -country at long intervals are agreed in declaring that the forms of -polite intercourse, and even the conventional expressions for which the -French language so long served as a model, are steadily falling into -disuse. It is therefore quite conceivable that the Empress Eugénie, -as a sensitive Spaniard, has been painfully affected by the tone and -character of Parisian society, but it would show a lack of judgment -on her part if, as stated by the _Constitutionnel_, she sought for -the origin of that evil abroad. But we believe we are justified in -directly contradicting that statement, as we know that the Empress has -repeatedly recommended young Germans as models for the youth of France. -The French show themselves to be a decadent nation, and not least in -their manners. It will require generations to recover the ground they -have lost. Unfortunately, so far as manners are concerned, all Europe -has retrograded.” - -From the 13th of April to the 28th of May I did not see the Minister. -He was unwell, and left for Varzin on Easter Eve. It was said at the -Ministry that his illness was of a bilious character, and was due -to the mortification he felt at the conduct of the Lasker fraction, -together with the fact that he had spoilt his digestion at a dinner at -Camphausen’s. - -On the 21st of May the Minister returned to Berlin, but it was not -until seven days later that I was called to him. He then gave me the -following instructions: “Brass (the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_) -must not plead so strongly for the Austrians nor speak so warmly of -the Government of Napoleon. In the case of Austria we have to adopt a -benevolently expectant attitude, yet the appointment of Klaczko and -his connection with the Ministry is for us a suspicious symptom. -The appointment of Grammont to the French Foreign Office is not -exactly agreeable to us. The Czechs must be treated with all possible -consideration; but, on the other hand, we must deal with the Poles as -with enemies.” - -I afterwards asked as to his health. He said he still felt weak, and -would not have left Varzin if things had not looked so critical in -Parliament. As soon as matters were once more in order there, he would -be off again, if possible on an early day, in order to undertake a cure -with Karlsbad water, going to some seaside resort. - -On being called to the Count on Whit Sunday I found him highly -indignant at the statement of a correspondent of the _Kölnische -Zeitung_, who reported that there was a scarcity of labour in the -Spandau cartridge factory. “Therefore unusual activity in the -preparation of war material!” he said. “If I were to have paid two -visits to the King at Ems it would not cause so much anxiety abroad -as thoughtless reports of this kind. Please go to Wehrmann and let -him ascertain at the Ministry of War if they are responsible for -that article, and if possible get them to insert a correction in the -_Kölnische Zeitung_ or in the _Norddeutsche_, as it must appear in an -influential paper.” - -A diary entry on an undated slip of paper, but written in May: “Bohlen -yesterday bantered Bucher about his ‘Easter mission,’ which appears to -have been to Spain.” - -On the 8th of June the Minister again left Berlin for Varzin. - -Immediately on the commencement of the difficulties with France -respecting the election to the Spanish throne of the Hereditary Prince -of Hohenzollern, letters and telegrams began to arrive which were -forwarded by Bucher under instructions from the Chief. These consisted -in part of short paragraphs and drafts of articles, as well as some -complete articles which only required to be retouched in the matter -of style, or to have references inserted with regard to matters of -fact. These directions accumulated, but owing to the spirit and energy -inspired by the consciousness that we were on the eve of great events, -and that it was an honour to co-operate in the work, they were promptly -dealt with, almost all being disposed of on the day of their arrival. I -here reproduce some of these instructions, the order of the words and -expressions in the deciphered telegrams being slightly altered, while -the remainder are given exactly as they reached me. - -_July 7th, evening._--A telegram to me from Varzin: “The semi-official -organs should indicate that this does not seem to be the proper time -for a discussion of the succession to the Spanish throne, as the -Cortes, who are alone entitled to decide the question, have not yet -spoken. German Governments have always respected Spanish independence -in such matters, and will do so in future, as they have no claim or -authority to interfere and lay down regulations for the Spaniards. -Then, in the non-official press, great surprise should be expressed -at the presumption of the French, who have discussed the question -very fully in the Chamber, speaking as if that assembly had a right -to dispose of the Spanish throne, and apparently forgetting that -such a course was as offensive to Spanish national pride as it was -conducive to the encouragement of Republican tendencies. This may be -safely construed into a further proof of the false direction which the -personal _régime_ is taking. It would appear as if the Emperor, who has -instigated this action, wanted to see the outbreak of a new war of -succession.” - -A letter from Bucher, which was handed to me on the evening of the 8th -of July, further developed the idea contained in the last sentence of -the foregoing telegram. This letter ran: “Previous to 1868 Eugénie -was pleased to play the part of an obedient subject to Isabella, and -since the September revolution that of a gracious protectress. She -unquestionably arranged the farce of the abdication, and now, in her -rage, she incites her consort and the Ministers. As a member of a -Spanish party she would sacrifice the peace and welfare of Europe to -the intrigues and aspirations of a corrupt dynasty. - -“Please see that this theme, a new war of succession in the nineteenth -century, is thoroughly threshed out in the press. The subject is -inviting, especially in the hands of a correspondent disposed to draw -historical parallels, and more particularly parallels _ex averso_. -Have the French not had experience enough of Spain with Louis XIV. and -Napoleon, and with the Duc d’Angoulême’s campaign for the execution of -the decrees of the Verona Congress? Have they not excited sufficient -hatred by all those wars and by the Spanish marriage of 1846? - -“Bring personal influence to bear as far as possible on the editors -who have been intimidated by the Stock Exchange, representing to them -that if the German press takes up a timid and hesitating attitude in -presence of the rhodomontades of the French, the latter will become -more insolent and put forward intolerable demands in other questions -affecting Germany still more closely. A cool and determined attitude, -with a touch of contempt for those excited gentlemen who would like to -slaughter somebody, but do not exactly know whom, would be the most -fitting means for putting an end to this uproar and preventing serious -complications.” - -Bucher added: “Protestants were still sent to the galleys under the -Spanish Government which was overthrown in 1868.” - -Another communication of Bucher’s from Varzin of the same date runs: -“The precedents furnished by Louis Philippe’s refusal of the Belgian -throne on behalf of the Duc de Nemours in 1831, on the ground that -it would create uneasiness, and by the protest which England would -have entered against the marriage of the Duc de Montpensier to the -sister of Queen Isabella, are neither of them very applicable, as the -Prince of Hohenzollern is not a son of King William, but only a remote -connection, and Spain does not border on Prussia.” - -The following was a third subject received from Varzin on the same -day: “Is Spain to inquire submissively at the Tuileries whether the -King whom she desires to take is considered satisfactory? Is the -Spanish throne a French dependency? It has already been stated in the -Prussian speech from the throne that our sole desire in connection -with the events in Spain was that the Spanish people should arrive at -an independent decision for the maintenance of their own prosperity -and power. In France, where on other occasions so much is said of -national independence, the attempt of the Spanish people to decide for -themselves has immediately revived the old diplomatic traditions which -led to the Spanish war of succession 160 years ago.” - -On the same day, the 8th of July, a telegram was also received from the -Chancellor by the Secretary of State, and it was handed to me for my -information. It was to the following effect: “I have now before me in -the despatch of Count Solms the official text of the Duc de Grammont’s -speech, and I find his language more brusque and presumptuous than I -had anticipated. I am in doubt whether that is due to stupidity or -the result of a decision taken beforehand. The probability of the -latter alternative seems to be confirmed by the noisy demonstrations -which will most likely render it impossible for them to draw back. -I am reluctant to protest officially against Grammont’s speech on -international grounds, but our press should attack it very severely, -and this should be done in as many newspapers as possible.” - -_July 9th._--A telegram from Bucher to the Secretary of State, saying -that the direction to the press to deal with Grammont’s speech in -very strong language is not to apply to the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine -Zeitung_. - -Another telegram of the same date to Thile, which he brought to me: -“Any one intending to summon a Congress to deal with a debatable -question ought not first to threaten a warlike solution in case the -opposite party should not agree to his wishes.” - -Further, the Secretary of State handed me a telegram from Berlin to -the Chancellor, which was returned by the latter with comments. I was -to get these circulated in the non-official journals. The telegram was -to the effect that Grammont had stated, in reply to an interpellation -by Cochery, that Prim had offered the Spanish throne to the Hereditary -Prince of Hohenzollern, (Remark: “He can do nothing of the kind. Only -the Cortes,”) and that the Prince had accepted it. (Remark: “He will -only declare himself after he has been elected.”) The Spanish people -has not yet, however, expressed its wishes. (Remark: “That is the main -point.”) The French Government do not recognise the negotiations in -question. (Remark: “There are no negotiations excepting those between -Spain and the eventual candidates for the throne.”) Grammont therefore -begged that the discussion might be postponed, as it was purposeless -for the moment. (Remark: “Very.”) The French Government would maintain -the neutral attitude which they had observed up to the present, but -would not permit a foreign Power to place a Prince upon the Spanish -throne, (“Hardly any power entertains such an intention, except perhaps -France,”) and endanger the honour and dignity of France. They trusted -to the wisdom of the Germans, (Remark: “Has nothing to do with it,”) -and to the friendship of the Spanish people. (Remark: “That is the main -point.”) Should they be deceived in their hopes they would do their -duty without hesitation or weakness. (Remark: “We also.”) - -Bucher sent me a whole packet of sketches for articles:-- - -1. “If Spain records her decision to establish a government which -shall be peaceful, and tolerant in religious matters, and which may -be expected to be friendly to Germany, who is also devoted to peace, -can it be in our interest to prevent the execution of that resolve, -and for that purpose to take measures of doubtful legality? Shall -we, because of a threat of war made in pursuit of an arbitrary and -dynastic object, take steps to frustrate a reorganisation of Spanish -affairs advantageous to Germany? Is it not rather an act of insolent -presumption on the part of France to address such a demand to Germany? -Obviously France lacks either the courage or the means to enforce her -views at Madrid; and it appears from Grammont’s speech of the 4th of -July that in her anger at what has happened in Spain she is prepared -to throw herself upon Germany in a blind fit of rage. That speech is -to a certain extent a declaration of war against the person of the -Prince of Hohenzollern, in case he should decide to accept the offer -of the Spanish people. France demands that Prussia shall undertake -the office of policeman in case a German Prince who has attained _his -majority_ shows a disposition to meet the wishes of the Spaniards. For -a North German Government to interfere with a citizen who should wish -to exercise his right to emigrate and adopt the Spanish nationality -would raise a very questionable point of law from a constitutional -standpoint. Even if such a power existed, the dignity of Germany would -demand that it should only be applied in her own interests. The calm -consideration of those interests is not in the least affected by the -warlike threats of a neighbouring State, which, instead of arguments, -appeals to its 400,000 soldiers. If France lays claim in this manner -to the guardianship of adjoining nations, the maintenance of peace can -for the latter be only a question of time, which may be decided at any -moment. On Grammont’s appointment to the French Foreign Office it was -feared in many quarters that the choice by the Emperor Napoleon of a -statesman who was only remarkable for his personal impetuosity and his -hostility to Germany indicated a desire to secure for himself greater -liberty in breaking the peace. Unfortunately the haughty and aggressive -tone of the Duke’s speech is not calculated to remove the apprehensions -entertained at that time. He is not a minister of peace, but rather the -instrument of a personal policy which shrinks from no responsibility. -In itself the question as to who is to be the ruler of Spain is not -one for which Germany would go to war. But the French demand that -the German Government, in opposition to its own interests, should put -artificial difficulties in the way of the Spaniards manifests a depth -of self-conceit which scarcely any government amongst the independent -States of Europe could submit to at the present day. We seek no -quarrel, but if any one tries to force one upon us he will find us -ready to go through with it to the bitter end.” - -2. In another article (there was too much material to be disposed of in -one) the following considerations were to be developed. This was not to -be communicated to the official organs, but either to the _Kölnische -Zeitung_ or the _Spenersche Zeitung_, while it was to be given in a -curtailed form to Hahn’s _Literary Bureau_. “If the candidature of -Alphonso had up to the present any prospect of success in Spain, it -would have been most prejudicially affected by the foolish uproar -raised in France, which stamped it with a French official character. No -worse service could be done to that Prince than to represent him as a -French candidate. Montpensier had already suffered under the reproach -that he was a Frenchman. The Bourbons had formerly been imposed upon -the Spaniards, and had proved themselves no blessing. The manner in -which the succession to the throne is now discussed in France would -offend a nation even less proud than the Spaniards.” - -3. “Between the years 1866 and 1868, and particularly before the fall -of Isabella, France schemed a great deal against Germany with Austria, -Italy, and also with Spain. Those intrigues were set at nought by the -Revolution of September, to which Count Bismarck referred when he said -at that time in Parliament that the danger of war, which had been very -imminent, had been dispelled by an unforeseen event. So long as France -maintains her warlike intentions towards Germany, she will desire -to see on the Spanish throne a dynasty favourable to those schemes, -possibly an Ultramontane one, as in case of an attack on Germany it -would make a difference of about 50,000 men to France whether she -had a benevolent, or at least a neutral neighbour on the other side -of the Pyrenees or one whose attitude might be suspected. It is true -that France has nothing to fear directly from Spain if the French, -who for the past eighty years have been unable to make up their own -minds, and who cannot govern themselves, would give up the attempt to -play the part of tutor to other nations. Let the period 1848-1850 in -France be compared with that of 1868-1870 in Spain, and the comparison -will not be to the advantage of the nation _qui marche à la tête de la -civilisation_.” - -4. “England is accustomed to look upon the Peninsula as a dependency -of her own, and doubtless believes that her influence can be more -easily made to prevail in a state of insecurity than under the rule of -a powerful dynasty. It is not wise of the English to recall certain -incidents of Spanish history, a course in which they are followed by -the French newspapers. The Spanish version of the history of the wars -against the First Napoleon is very different to the English one. In -Buen Retiro every traveller is shown the site of a once prosperous -porcelain manufactory, which was needlessly burned to the ground by the -British allies of Spain.” - -5. Still another subject. “Very pleased with the article in the -_Spenersche Zeitung_ (this was addressed to me). Please again call -attention in a somewhat similar manner to the impetuosity of Grammont -therein referred to. What is the real ground for all this alarm? A -paragraph in the _Agence Havas_ to the effect that the affair had been -settled without the concurrence of the Cortes. It is probable that -the French Government itself had this paragraph inserted, and it was, -moreover, concocted in complete ignorance of the Spanish Constitution -and of the laws governing the election of a King. This, which was -the only new feature, was a barefaced invention. It had already -been mentioned in all the papers that Prim’s speech of the 11th of -June referred to the Prince of Hohenzollern, and that had caused no -excitement in France. Is the present agitation then a _coup monté_? -Does the French Government insist upon a ‘row’? Has Louis Napoleon -chosen Grammont in order to pick a quarrel with us? At any rate he has -been unskilful in his treatment of this question. The general moral -to be drawn as often as possible is: the French Government is, after -all, not quite so shrewd as people believe. The French have succeeded -in many things with the assistance of 300,000 soldiers, and owing to -that success they are regarded as immensely clever. Is that really so? -Circumstances show that it is not.” - -_July 10th, evening._--Received further series of sketches and -drafts for articles from Bucher, who acts as the mouthpiece of the -Chancellor’s views and intentions. - -1. For the _Spenersche_ or _Kölnische_:--“Those foreign Powers that are -not concerned in the differences respecting the Spanish throne are as -desirous to maintain peace as Germany herself. Their influence will, -however, be neutralised by Grammont’s ill-considered threats. Should -the German Governments consider the security of our frontier to be -seriously threatened, they would scarcely come to a decision without -convoking Parliament.” - -2. “The French are running amuck like a Malay who has got into a rage -and rushes through the streets dagger in hand, foaming at the mouth, -stabbing every one who happens to cross his path. If France is mad -enough to regard Germany as a fit object for a vicarious whipping, -nothing will restrain her, and the result will be that she will herself -receive a personal castigation.” - -3. “The semi-official journals in Paris pretend that attention has been -attracted there by the numerous cipher despatches exchanged between -Berlin and Madrid, and that they have been clever enough to decipher -them. We do not know whether many despatches have passed between the -two capitals mentioned, but we remember a communication which was made -to Parliament some time ago by Count Bismarck, according to which -the cipher system of our Foreign Office is based on a vocabulary of -about 20,000 words, each one of which is represented by a group of -figures arbitrarily chosen. It is impossible to ‘decipher’ such a -system in the same way as those based on an altered alphabet and other -old methods. In order to read such a despatch, it is essential to -have the vocabulary. Does the cleverness on which the Parisians pride -themselves consist in having stolen the key to our ciphers? This would -be in contradiction with the original statement that the Prince of -Hohenzollern’s candidature first became known through a communication -from Prim. It would, therefore, appear that the official press wants -to clear the Government of the reproach of incapacity by a subsequent -invention, acting, on the maxim that it is better to be taken for a -rogue than a fool.” - -4. “According to a private telegram from Paris to the _Berliner Boersen -Zeitung_, our Ambassador there, together with the second Secretary -of Embassy, left for Ems on receipt of a Note delivered to him -immediately after the Cabinet Council at Saint Cloud. We have made -inquiries in the proper quarter as to the accuracy of this report, and -have received the following answer: Note delivered. ‘Not a shadow of -truth. Werther’s journey was decided upon and announced in Paris long -before the agitation began.’” - -5. “As was already known, Prim intended this year, as on previous -occasions, to visit Vichy. This would have led to a meeting between -himself and the Emperor Napoleon and a discussion of the succession -to the Spanish throne. It is also reported that the Prince of -Hohenzollern was not indisposed to try confidentially to bring about an -understanding with the Emperor. All this has been rendered impossible -by the abrupt tone of the Duc de Grammont. As Prim’s visit to Vichy has -long since been announced in the newspapers, and the near relationship -as well as the personal friendship which hitherto existed between the -Prince of Hohenzollern and the Emperor rendered both meetings probable, -it is hard to avoid the suspicion that the French Government, dreading -insurmountable domestic difficulties, desires to inflame French vanity -in favour of a war, which would at the same time promote the dynastic -views of the Empress Eugénie.” - -_July 12th._--Received from Secretary Wollmann a note from Bucher in -Varzin which is intended for me. It has been sent to the Secretary -of State, in order that he should say whether there is any objection -to its being used in the press. He has no objection, and so it goes -to the newspapers. It runs as follows: “The _Imparcial_ publishes -a letter from Paris to the effect that the furious article in -the _Constitutionnel_ reproaching Prince Hohenzollern with his -relationship to Murat, has been revised by the Emperor himself.” - -In the evening the Minister returned. He is dressed in plain clothes -and looks very well. - -_July 13th._--Called early to the Chief. I am to wait until a statement -appears in the press to the effect that the renunciation of Prince -Hohenzollern was in consequence of pressure from Ems, and then to -contradict it. “In the meantime (said the Minister) the _Norddeutsche_ -should only say that the Prince’s present decision has not been -altogether unexpected. When he accepted the throne which had been -offered to him he had obviously not foreseen that his decision would -occasion so much excitement in Paris. For more than thirty years past -the best relations existed between Napoleon and the Hohenzollern -family. Prince Leopold could not, therefore, have apprehended any -antipathy to his candidature on the part of the Emperor. As his -candidature suddenly became known after the Cortes had been adjourned -till November, it may well have been assumed that there would be time -enough in the interval to sound the Emperor as to his views. Now -that this assumption (here the Chancellor began to speak more slowly -as if he were dictating), which, up to the acceptance of the Crown -by the Prince, was still quite legitimate, had proved to be partly -erroneous, it was scarcely probable that the Prince would, on his -own responsibility, be disposed to cope single handed with the storm -which his decision had raised, and might yet raise, in view of the -apprehensions of war of the whole European world, and the influence -brought to bear upon him from London and Brussels. Even a portion of -the responsibility of involving the great European nations, not only in -one war, but possibly in a series of wars, would weigh very heavily -upon a man who could not claim to have assumed it as part of the duty -of the Royal office which he had already accepted. That was more -than could well be expected of a Prince who only occupied a private -position. It was the offensive tone of Grammont that alone prevented -Prussia from exercising her influence with the Prince.” - -The following is to be published in other papers: “It cannot be denied -that a Spanish Government disposed to promote the cause of peace and to -abstain from conspiring with France would be of considerable value to -us. But if, some fourteen days ago, the Emperor Napoleon had addressed -himself confidentially to Berlin, or indicated that the affair was -attracting attention, Prussia, instead of adopting an indifferent -attitude, would have co-operated in pacifying public opinion in Paris. -The situation has been entirely altered through the aggressive tone of -Grammont’s speech, and the direct demands addressed to the King, who is -staying in privacy at Ems for the benefit of his health, unaccompanied -by a single Minister. His Majesty rightly declined to accede to these -demands. That incident has created so much indignation in Germany, that -many people feel disappointed at Prince Leopold’s renunciation. At any -rate, the confidence in the peaceful intentions of France has been so -thoroughly shaken that it will take a considerable time to restore it. -If commerce and trade have been injured by the evidence which has shown -us what a den of brigands we have to deal with in France, the people of -that country must fasten the responsibility on the personal _régime_ -under which they at present live.” - -The Minister also desires it to be incidentally remarked in the -non-official press that of the South German Courts those of Munich -and Carlsruhe had given the most satisfactory declarations in this -affair, while on the other hand that of Stuttgart had expressed itself -evasively. - -Finally, I am to communicate to one of the local papers that Count -Bismarck has been sent for to Ems to consult with the King as to -summoning Parliament. Breaking off a cure which he was undergoing, the -Chancellor has remained in Berlin in order to await there the further -instructions of his Majesty, or ultimately to return to Varzin. The -Count then added: “Later on I will call for you several times, as there -is something more to be prepared for the _Norddeutsche_. We shall -now be shortly interrupted.” The Crown Prince arrived five minutes -afterwards and had a long interview with the Minister. - -_July 14th._--Our newspapers to call attention to the loyal attitude -of Würtemberg, “which in consequence of a misunderstanding has been -represented in some journals as evasive.” - -_July 15th._--I am to send the following _démenti_ to Wolf’s -Telegraphic Agency for circulation: “The news published by the -_Spenersche Zeitung_ respecting the opening of Parliament is not quite -accurate. It was proposed a week ago by the Chancellor while in Varzin -that it should be convoked as soon as the Government Bills were ready -for submission to it. His Majesty shares this view, and the Federal -Council has accordingly been summoned for to-morrow, Saturday, morning -to consider those measures.” - -In the evening the Chancellor dictated an article for the -_Kreuzzeitung_ on the confusion by the public between personal and -private proceedings of the King and his official acts. It ran as -follows: “It appears from the Mazaredo pamphlet that the Hereditary -Prince of Hohenzollern informed the King at Ems of his acceptance of -the offer of the Spanish throne, probably towards the end of June. -His Majesty was then at Ems for the purpose of taking the waters, and -certainly not with the intention of carrying on business of State, -as none of his Ministers had been summoned thither. As a matter of -fact, only so much has become public respecting the King’s reply to -the communication of the Hereditary Prince (it was in the form of a -letter written in his Majesty’s own hand) that the Sovereign was not -pleased at the news, although he did not feel called upon to offer any -opposition. In the whole affair no State action of any kind has been -taken. This constitutional aspect of the situation does not appear to -have been properly appreciated up to the present in public discussions -of the question. The position of the King in his private correspondence -was confounded with his position as head of the State, and it was -forgotten that in the latter capacity, according to the Constitution, -the co-operation of the Ministry is necessary to constitute a State -action. It is only the French Cabinet that appears to have thoroughly -realised this distinction, inasmuch as it brought the whole force of -its diplomacy to bear upon the person of the Sovereign, who was staying -at a watering-place for the sake of his health, and whose private life -was not protected by the usual etiquette, in order to force him under -official pressure into private negotiations which might afterwards be -represented as arrangements with the Government.” - -_July 19th._--About an hour after the opening of Parliament in the -Royal Palace (1.45 P.M.) Le Sourd, the French Chargé d’Affaires, -delivered Napoleon’s declaration of war at the Foreign Office. - -Towards 5 o’clock in the evening I was called to the Minister, who was -in his garden. After searching for him for some time I saw him coming -through one of the long shady alleys to the left which led to the -entrance in the Königgrätzer Strasse. He was brandishing a big stick. -His figure stood out against the yellow evening sunshine like a picture -painted on a gold ground. He stopped in his walk as I came up to him, -and said: “I wish you to write something in the _Kreuzzeitung_ against -the Hanoverian nobles. It must come from the provinces, from a nobleman -living in the country, an Old Prussian--very blunt, somewhat in this -style: It is reported that certain Hanoverian nobles have endeavoured -to find pilots and spies in the North Sea for French men-of-war. The -arrests made within the last few days with the assistance of the -military authorities are understood to be connected with this affair. -The conduct of those Hanoverians is infamous, and I certainly express -the sentiments of all my neighbours when I put the following questions -to the Hanoverian nobles who sympathise with those traitors. Have they -any doubt, I would ask them, that a man of honour could not now regard -such men as entitled to demand honourable satisfaction by arms whether -their unpatriotic action was or was not undertaken at the bidding of -King George? Do they not, as a matter of course, consider that an -affair of honour with them is altogether out of the question, and -should one of them be impudent enough to propose such a thing, would -they not have him turned out of the house by the servants or eject -him _propriæ manu_ after having, of course, put on a pair of gloves -to handle him with? Are they not convinced that such miscreants can -only be properly described by the good old Prussian word _Hundsvott_ -(scurvy, infamous rogues), and that their treason has branded their -posterity to the third and fourth generations with indelible disgrace? -I beg them to answer these questions.” - -_Evening._--In an article in the _Liberté_ of the 18th instant, that -paper reminds Italy that she owes her liberation to France, and that -in 1866 it was France who brought about the Italian alliance with the -Berlin Cabinet. It then maintains that, in view of the seriousness -of approaching events, Victor Emmanuel, with truly chivalrous -sentiment, has not for a moment hesitated to assure the French of his -unconditional support. With reference to this article our papers should -observe: “Up to the present the French have played the part of masters -to the whole world, and Belgium, Spain, and the King of Prussia have -in turn experienced their arrogance. Their behaviour was somewhat like -that of the Sultan towards his Khedive, it was a kind of megalomania -based upon the bayonet. Their presumption is now beginning to waver, so -they court the assistance of those good friends whom they pretend to -have placed under obligations to them.” - -The Minister subsequently dictated the following, to be worked up -for the German newspapers outside Berlin, such as the _Kölnische -Zeitung_, and for the English and Belgium journals: “According to -confidential communications from loyal Hanoverian circles, amongst -other decisive factors which led the French to the declaration of -war, were the reports sent to Paris by Colonel Stoffel, the Military -Plenipotentiary in Berlin. Stoffel’s information was, it appears, less -accurate than abundant, as none of those who supplied him with it -being prepared to forego the payments they received from him merely -because they had nothing to say, they occasionally invented the news -of which they warranted the correctness. The Plenipotentiary had, it -is said, been informed that the arming of the Prussian infantry, both -as regards rifles and ammunition, was at present undergoing a thorough -transformation, and that consequently a moment so favourable as the -present for attacking Prussia would hardly occur again, inasmuch as on -the completion of this change the Prussian armaments would have been -unassailable.”[4] - -2. “It now appears to be beyond all doubt that the French Government -was aware of the candidature of the Prince of Hohenzollern for months -past, that they carefully promoted it and foolishly imagined it -would serve as a means of isolating Prussia and creating a division -in Germany. No trustworthy information has been received as yet as -to whether and how far Marshal Prim had prepared the way for this -intrigue, in agreement with the Emperor Napoleon. But doubtless -that point will ultimately be cleared up by history. The sudden -disappearance of Spain from the political field as soon as the -differences between France and Prussia broke out gives matter for -reflection and suspicion. It cannot but be regarded as strange that -after the zeal shown by the Spanish Government in the matter of the -Hohenzollern candidature had been raised to boiling point it should -have suddenly fallen below zero, and that the relations of Marshal Prim -to the French Cabinet should now appear to be of the most friendly -character, while the Spaniards seem no longer to feel any irritation at -the interference of France in their internal affairs.” - -3. “Rumours were circulated this afternoon to the effect that the -former French Military Plenipotentiary, Baron Stoffel, had been -insulted in the street. On closer inquiry it was ascertained that -some individuals who knew Stoffel followed him in the street, and -on his reaching his house struck the door with their sticks. The -police intervened energetically on the first report of this matter -and have taken measures to prevent a repetition of such conduct and -to provide that Baron Stoffel shall not be interfered with on his -departure this evening. Excesses of this description are, however, -highly reprehensible, even when they are confined to words. The former -representatives of France are under the protection of international law -and of the honour of Germany until they have crossed the frontier.” - -_July 21st._--Keudell asked me this morning if I knew Rasch, the -journalist, and if I could say where he was now to be found, in Berlin -or elsewhere. I replied that I had seen him in Schleswig in 1864, -afterwards at a table d’hôte at the Hotel Weissberg, in the Dessauer -Strasse, where he lodged at the end of February. I knew nothing more -about him, but had heard that he was extremely conceited, almost to -the point of madness--a political visionary who desired to convert the -whole world to republicanism. I was not aware of his whereabouts in -Berlin, but would make inquiries at Weissberg’s. Keudell told me to -hunt him up and ask him whether he would go to Garibaldi and urge him -to undertake an expedition against Rome, at the same time carrying him -money from us. I pointed out that Rasch was perhaps too vain to keep -his own counsel. Keudell consoled himself with the idea that he would -doubtless prove a good patriot. I declined to treat with Rasch in the -matter, as I could not speak to him in my own name but in that of the -Foreign Office, and that could be better done by some official of -higher rank, who would make a greater impression upon Rasch. Keudell -seemed to recognise the justice of this view. I made inquiries and -was able to report on the same evening that Rasch was staying at -Weissberg’s. - -Called to the Minister in the evening. He showed me an extract from the -_National Zeitung_, and observed: “They say here that the English would -not allow the French to attack Belgium. Well and good, but how does -that help the Belgians if the protection comes too late? If Germany -were once defeated (which God forbid!) the English would not be able -to assist the Belgians in the least, but might, on the contrary, be -thankful if they themselves remained safe in London.” - -I am further to call attention to the “manner in which France is -begging for help on all sides--that great warlike nation which makes -so much parade of its victories, representing them as having always -been won solely by the force of its own arms. They go begging (use -that expression) to Italy, to Denmark, to Sweden, and above all to -the German States, to whom they promise the same brilliant destiny -which they have already prepared for Italy--political independence and -financial ruin.” - -Called up to the Minister again later. I am to secure the insertion -of the following in the non-official German papers and in the Belgian -and English press: “The English Government observe their neutrality -in connection with the war that has now broken out in a liberal and -conscientious spirit. They impartially permit both sides to purchase -horses and munitions of war in England. It is unfortunate, however, -that France alone can avail herself of this liberality, as will appear -from a glance at the geographical position of the two countries and -from the superiority of the French at sea. Then quote what Heffter (the -book must be in the library) has to say on this kind of neutrality, -and observe that the English jurists describe it more tersely as -‘fraudulent neutrality.’” - -_July 23rd._--Called to the Minister five times to-day. The press -should urge the prosecution and seizure of Rothan, an Alsacian who -speaks German, hitherto French Chargé d’Affaires at Hamburg, who has -been a zealous spy and instrument of French intrigue in North Germany, -and who is now understood to be wandering along the coast between the -Elbe and Ems, as also that of the ex-Hanoverian officer, Adolf von -Kielmansegg, respecting whom further particulars are to be obtained -from the Ministry of the Interior. The Count further wants the press -to give a list of the names of the Bavarian members of Parliament who -voted for the neutrality of that State in the national war, mentioning -their professions but without any further remarks. “Give it first in -Brass,” (_i.e._, _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_,) he added. “You -will find such a list amongst the documents. The complaints as to the -manner in which England understands neutrality must be continually -renewed. The English Government does not forbid the export of horses, -though only France can avail herself of that facility. Colliers -are allowed to load at Newcastle and to supply fuel for the French -men-of-war cruising in the North Sea. English cartridge factories -are working for the French army under the eyes of the Government. In -Germany the painful feeling has become more and more widespread that, -under Lord Granville, England, while nominally maintaining neutrality, -favours France in the manner in which it is really observed.” - -About 11 P.M. I was again called to the Minister. The reports -respecting the English coal ships to be at once sent by a Chancery -attendant to Wolf’s Telegraphic Agency for circulation to the -newspapers. - -In this connection may be mentioned an Embassy report from London, -dated the 30th of July, to the following effect: Lord Granville had -asked the Ambassador if he had not stirred up the authorities in Berlin -against the English Government. The reply was in the negative. The -Ambassador had only carried out his instructions. Public opinion in -Germany influenced the Government, just as the German press influenced -public opinion. The manner in which neutrality was observed on the -part of England had excited the greatest indignation in Germany. The -action of the English Government, which indeed recognised that France -was in the wrong, but failed to give expression to that conviction, -was also bitterly resented there. Granville replied that once it had -been decided to remain neutral that neutrality must be maintained in -every respect. If the export of contraband of war were forbidden, the -French would regard it as an act of one-sided hostility, while at the -same time it would ruin English trade in the branches affected by such -prohibition, and favour American manufacturers. For the present, every -one in England approved of the maintenance of neutrality, and therefore -in a general way no change was possible in these matters. At the same -time, the English Government was ready, in case of complaints reaching -them in an official way respecting any acts of illegality, to institute -an inquiry into the facts and secure the punishment of the guilty -parties. It did not seem impossible to prevent the supply of English -coal to French men-of-war. Next Monday a Bill was to be submitted to -Parliament for the amendment of the laws regulating neutrality. The -report concluded as follows: “England is in many respects well disposed -towards us, but will for the present remain neutral. If we make further -attacks upon English public opinion through our official press in -connection with these grievances, it will serve no purpose but to -conjure up future difficulties. Granville is not what we might desire, -but he is not prejudiced against us. He may become so, however, if he -is further provoked by us. We can hardly succeed in overthrowing him, -and if we did his probable successor would in all likelihood be much -worse than himself.” - -_July 24th._--I am instructed by the Count to send an article to the -_Kölnische Zeitung_ respecting the Dutch coal question. He gave me -the following information on this subject: “Holland asked us to again -permit the passage of Prussian coal down the Rhine, and requested -that a large transport of Rhenish coal intended for Holland should be -allowed to pass the frontier. It was only to be used in factories, and -the Government of the Netherlands would prohibit its re-exportation. -Prussia willingly agreed to this, but shortly afterwards it was -ascertained that foreign vessels were being loaded with coal in Dutch -ports, and the Government of the Netherlands subsequently informed us -that in promising to prevent the re-exportation they had overlooked -the circumstance that their treaty with France did not permit this. -Thereupon as a matter of course the export of Prussian coal to Holland -was prohibited. In the interval, however, they seem to have secured -a sufficient supply in Holland to provide the French fleet for a -considerable time. That is a very suspicious method of observing the -neutrality promised by the gentlemen at the Hague.” - -Bucher brings me the following paragraph from the Chief, which is to -be inserted in the _Spenersche Zeitung_, or some other non-official -organ, and afterwards in the _North German Correspondence_: “In 1851 -a literary _gamin_ in Paris was commissioned to conjure up the Red -Terror in a pamphlet, which proved very useful to the President Louis -Napoleon, enabling him to escape from a debtors’ prison and ascend the -Imperial throne. The Duc de Grammont now tries to raise the Spanish -Terror in order to save the Emperor from the necessity of accounting -for the hundred millions which he diverted from the State Treasury -into his private purse. The literary gentleman in question was made a -Prefect. What reward can Grammont have had in view?” - -_Evening._--The Minister wishes an article to be prepared for -circulation in the German press describing the French and French policy -under the Emperor Napoleon. This is to be first sent to the _Spenersche -Zeitung_, while the Literary Bureau is to secure the insertion of the -principal points in a condensed form in the Magdeburg papers and a -number of the smaller journals to-morrow. The Count said (literally): -“The French are not so astute as people generally think. As a nation -they resemble certain individuals amongst our lower classes. They are -narrow-minded and brutal,--great physical force, boastful and insolent, -winning the admiration of men of their own stamp through their audacity -and violence. Here in Germany the French are also considered clever by -persons who do not think deeply, and their Ministers are regarded as -great statesmen because of their insolent interference in the affairs -of the whole world, and their desire to rule everywhere. Audacity -is always impressive. People think their success is due to shrewd -political calculation, but it is actually due to nothing else than the -fact that they always keep 300,000 soldiers ready to back up their -policy. That alone, and not their political intelligence, has enabled -them to carry things with such a high hand. We must get rid of this -fiction.... In political affairs the French are in the fullest sense -of the word a narrow-minded nation. They have no idea how things look -outside of France, and learn nothing about it in their schools. The -French educational establishments, for the greater glory of France, -leave their pupils in the crassest ignorance as to everything beyond -her frontiers, and so they have not the slightest knowledge of their -neighbours; that is the case with the Emperor, or at least he is not -much better, to say nothing of Grammont, who is an ass (_Rindvieh_). -Napoleon is ignorant at bottom, although he has been educated in -German schools. His ‘Cæsar’ was intended to conceal that fact. He has -forgotten everything. His policy was always stupid. The Crimean War -was against the interests of France, which demanded an alliance or -at least a good understanding with Russia. It was the same with the -war in Italy. There he created a rival in the Mediterranean, North -Africa, Tunis, &c., who may one day prove dangerous. The Italian people -are much more gifted than the French, only less numerous. The war in -Mexico and the attitude adopted in 1866 were blunders, and doubtless -in storming about as they do at present the French feel conscious that -they have committed another blunder.” - -_July 25th._--At 11 o’clock this morning Count Bismarck and his family -took the Holy Communion at their residence. He asked whether any one -in our bureau desired to join them, but no one offered to do so. I was -for a moment tempted, but reconsidered the matter. It might look as if -I wished to recommend myself. - -Copies of the Benedetti draft treaty are sent to Auber (the French -Press Agency) and Heide. - -_July 27th._--It is to be stated either in the _Norddeutsche_ or -the _Spenersche Zeitung_ that secrecy respecting confidential -communications between great States is, as a rule, more carefully -observed and maintained than the public imagines. Nevertheless, the -French misrepresentation of Prussia’s attitude in the affair of the -candidature for the Spanish throne (in Grammont’s despatch of the 21st -of July) obliged the authorities here to disregard these considerations -of discretion. Benedetti’s proposal has therefore been published and it -may be followed by other documents of the same description. The Count -concluded his directions as follows: “We are at least entitled to tell -the truth with discretion in presence of such indiscreet lies.” - -Bucher brings me from the Minister the following sketch of a paragraph -for the press: “The despatch of the Duc de Grammont, the full text -of which now lies before us, is a desperate attempt to prove that -the origin of the situation which they have themselves created was -the Hohenzollern candidature, and to conceal the motive which they -confessed on many other occasions--namely, the conquest by France of -the left bank of the Rhine and of Belgium. The inconsistency of the -whole assertion is made clear by the circumstance that the offer of -the Spanish throne to the Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern was first -made in a letter dated the 14th of February of the present year. -Therefore, there can be no connection between this offer and the -conversations in March, 1869, between Benedetti and Von Thile, which -were the outcome of aspirations or proposals frequently ventilated in -the press (also with reference to Prince Frederick Charles). In 1851 -the President Louis Napoleon succeeded in obtaining credence both at -home and abroad for certain fictions, so long as that was necessary for -the attainment of his object. The fiction which is now circulated, at a -somewhat late hour, to the effect that the Prince of Hohenzollern was -the candidate of Prussia is refuted in advance by the fact, which has -been well known for a long time, that the Prussian Government as well -as the officials of the Confederation, had absolutely no knowledge of, -or connection with, the Spanish proposal. It was resolutely opposed by -his Majesty the King, as the head of the Hohenzollern family, until -last June, when at Ems he reluctantly withdrew his opposition when it -was represented to him that otherwise Spain would fall into the hands -of the Republicans. We find it difficult to understand what interest -the French Government can have in circulating such lies now that war -has actually broken out. The attempt of the Duc de Grammont to conjure -up the spectre of a restoration of Charles V.’s monarchy can only be -explained by the complete isolation of the French mind. That apparition -had no sooner manifested itself than it vanished before the angry -contempt of public opinion, which resented being supposed capable of -such credulity.” - -The Chancellor desires to see the following considerations reproduced -in the evening papers: “The Benedetti document is by no means the -only one dealing with the matter in question. Negotiations were also -carried on by others, as, for instance, by Prince Napoleon during his -stay in Berlin. Since French diplomacy was ignorant enough to believe -that a German Minister who followed a national policy could for a -moment think of entertaining such proposals, it had only itself to -thank if it was befooled with its own schemes so long as such fooling -appeared calculated to promote the maintenance of peace. Even those who -pursue the most ignorant and narrow-minded policy must ultimately come -to recognise that they have hoped for and demanded impossibilities. -The bellicose temper which now prevails in Paris dates from such -recognition. The hopes of German statesmen that they would be able to -befool the French until a peaceful _régime_ was established in France -by some transformation of her despotic constitution have unfortunately -not been realised. Providence willed it otherwise. Since we can no -longer maintain peace it is not necessary now to preserve silence. For -we preserved silence solely in order to promote the continuance, and, -if possible, the permanency, of peaceful relations.”... The Minister -concluded: “You can add, too, that the question of French Switzerland -was also mentioned in the negotiations, and that it was hinted that in -Piedmont they knew quite well where the French districts begin and the -Italian districts leave off.” - -_July 28th._--I see the original of Benedetti’s draft treaty, and I am -to receive a photographic copy of it similar to that which has been -prepared for distribution amongst foreign Governments. - -Bucher handed me the following sketch of an article, received by -him from the Minister, which is to be inserted in some organ not -apparently connected with the Government: “Those who now hold power -in Spain declare that they do not wish to interfere in the conflict -between Germany and France, because the latter might create internal -difficulties for them. They allow Bonaparte to prohibit their election -of the King of their own choice. They look on calmly with folded arms -while other nations go to war over a difference that has arisen out of -a question of Spanish domestic interest. We had formed quite another -opinion of the Castilian _gentilhomme_. The Spanish temper seems to -resemble that of Gil Blas, who wanted to fight a duel with the army -surgeon but observed that the latter had an unusually long rapier.” - -_July 30th, 10 p.m._--The Minister desires that attention should be -again called to the manner in which the French are looking about for -foreign assistance, and he once more gives a few points: “France is -begging in all directions, and wants in particular to take Italy into -her pay. Here, as everywhere, she speculates upon the worst elements, -while the better elements will have nothing to do with her. How does -that harmonise with the greatness of the nation which ‘stands at the -head of civilisation,’ and whose historians always point out that it -was only defeated at Leipzig because its opponents were four to one? -At that time they had half Germany, Italy, Holland, and the present -Belgium on their side. To-day, when they stand alone, they go round -hat in hand to every door, and seek mercenaries to reinforce their own -army, in which they can therefore have but very little confidence.” - -_July 31st._--This morning received from Roland one of the photographic -copies of the Benedetti draft. - - - - - CHAPTER II - -DEPARTURE OF THE CHANCELLOR FOR THE SEAT OF WAR--I FOLLOW HIM, AT FIRST - TO SAARBRÜCKEN--JOURNEY FROM THERE TO THE FRENCH FRONTIER--THE - FOREIGN OFFICE FLYING COLUMN - - -On the 31st of July, 1870, at 5.30 P.M., the Chancellor, accompanied -by his wife and his daughter, the Countess Marie, left his residence -in the Wilhelmstrasse to take the train for Mainz, on his way to -join King William at the seat of war. He was to be followed by some -Councillors of the Foreign Office, a Secretary of the Central Bureau, -two deciphering clerks and three or four Chancery attendants. The -remainder of us only accompanied him with our good wishes, as, with his -helmet on his head, he passed out between the two sphinxes that guard -the door steps, and entered his carriage. I also had resigned myself -to the idea of following the course of the army on the map and in the -newspapers. A few days after the declaration of war, on my begging the -Minister to take me with him in case I could be of use, he replied that -that depended on the arrangements at headquarters. At the moment there -was no room for me. My luck, however, soon improved. - -On the evening of the 6th of August a telegram was received at the -Ministry giving news of the victory at Wörth. Half an hour later I took -the good tidings still fresh and warm to a group of acquaintances who -waited in a restaurant to hear how things were going. Everybody knows -how willingly Germans celebrate the receipt of good news. My tidings -were very good indeed, and many (perhaps most) of my friends celebrated -them too long. The result was that next morning I was still in bed when -the Foreign Office messenger Lorenz brought me a copy of a telegraphic -despatch, according to which I was to start for headquarters -immediately. Privy Councillor Hepke wrote: “Dear Doctor,--Get ready to -leave for headquarters in the course of the day.” The telegram ran as -follows: “Mainz, 6th of August, 7.36 P.M. Let Dr. Busch come here -and bring with him a Correspondent for the _National Zeitung_ and one -for the _Kreuzzeitung_. Bismarck.” Hepke allowed me to select these -correspondents. - -I had therefore after all attained to the very height of good fortune. -In a short time I had provided for all essentials, and by midday I had -received my pass legitimation, and free ticket for all military trains. -That evening a little after 8 o’clock I left Berlin together with the -two correspondents whom the Minister wished to accompany me, namely, -Herr von Ungarn-Sternberg, for the _Kreuzzeitung_, and Professor -Constantine Roeszler for the _National Zeitung_. In the beginning we -travelled first class, afterwards third, and finally in a freight car. -There were numerous long halts, which in our impatience seemed still -longer. It was only at 6 o’clock on the morning of the 9th of August -that we reached Frankfurt. As we had to wait here for some hours we had -time to inquire where the headquarters were now established. The local -Commandant was unable to inform us, nor could the Telegraph Director -say anything positive on the subject. He thought they might be still in -Homburg, but more probably they had moved on to Saarbrücken. - -It was midday before we again started, in a goods train, by way of -Darmstadt, past the Odenwald, whose peaks were covered with heavy white -fog, by Mannheim and towards Neustadt. As we proceeded our pace became -gradually slower, and the stoppages, which were occasioned by seemingly -endless lines of carriages transporting troops, became more and more -frequent. Wherever a pause occurred in the rush of this onward wave of -modern national migration, crowds hurried to the train, cheering and -flourishing their hats and handkerchiefs. Food and drink were brought -to the soldiers by people of all sorts and conditions, including poor -old women--needy but good-hearted creatures whose poverty only allowed -them to offer coffee and dry black bread. - -We crossed the Rhine during the night. As day began to break we noticed -a well-dressed gentleman lying near us on the floor who was speaking -English to a man whom we took to be his servant. We discovered that -he was a London banker named Deichmann. He also was anxious to get to -headquarters in order to beg Roon’s permission to serve as a volunteer -in a cavalry regiment, for which purpose he had brought his horses -with him. The line being blocked near Hosbach, on Deichmann’s advice -we took a country cart to Neustadt, a little town which was swarming -with soldiers--Bavarian riflemen, Prussian Red Hussars, Saxon and other -troops. - -It was here that we took our first warm meal since our departure from -Berlin. Hitherto we had had to content ourselves with cold meat, while -at night our attempts to sleep on the bare wooden benches with a -portmanteau for a pillow were not particularly successful. However, we -were proceeding to the seat of war, and I had experienced still greater -discomforts on a tour of far less importance. - -After a halt of one hour at Neustadt, the train crossed the Hardt -through narrow valleys and a number of tunnels, passing the defile in -which Kaiserslautern lies. From this point until we reached Homburg it -poured in torrents almost without cessation, so that when we arrived -at that station at 10 o’clock the little place seemed to be merely a -picture of night and water. As we stepped out of the train and waded -through swamp and pool with our luggage on our shoulders, we stumbled -over the rails and rather felt than saw our way to the inn “Zur Post.” -There we found every bed occupied and not a mouthful left to eat. We -ascertained however, that had even the conditions been more favourable -we could not have availed ourselves of them, as we were informed that -the Count had gone on with the King, and was at that moment probably in -Saarbrücken. There was no time to be lost if we were to overtake him -before he left Germany. - -It was far from pleasant to have to turn out once more into the deluge, -but we were encouraged to take our fate philosophically by considering -the still worse fate of others. In the tap-room of the “Post” the -guests slept on chairs enveloped in a thick steam redolent of tobacco, -beer, and smoking lamps and the still more pungent odour of damp -clothes and leather. In a hollow near the station we saw the watchfire -of a large camp half quenched by the rain--Saxon countrymen of ours, -if we were rightly informed. While wading our way back to the train -we caught the gleam of the helmets and arms of a Prussian battalion -which stood in the pouring rain opposite the railway hotel. Thoroughly -drenched and not a little tired, we at length found shelter in a -waggon, where Deichmann cleared a corner of the floor on which we too -could lie, and found a few handfuls of straw to serve us as a pillow. -My other two companions were not so fortunate. They had to manage as -best they could on the top of boxes and packages with the postmen and -transport soldiers. It was evident that the poor Professor, who had -grown very quiet, was considerably affected by these hardships. - -About 1 o’clock the train set itself slowly in motion. By daybreak, -after several stoppages, we reached the outskirts of a small town with -a beautiful old church. A mill lay in the valley through which we could -also see the windings of the road that led to Saarbrücken. We were told -that this town was only two or three miles off, so that we were near -our journey’s end. Our locomotive, however, seemed to be quite out of -breath, and as the headquarters might at any moment leave Saarbrücken -and cross the frontier, where we could get no railway transport and -in all probability no other means of conveyance, our impatience and -anxiety increased, and our tempers were not improved by a clouded sky -and drizzling rain. Having waited in vain nearly two hours for the -train to start, Deichmann again came to our rescue. After a short -disappearance he returned with a miller who had arranged to carry us to -the town in his own trap. The prudent fellow, however, made Deichmann -promise that the soldiers should not take his horses from him. - -During the drive the miller told us that the Prussians were understood -to have already pushed on their outposts as far as the neighbourhood of -Metz. Between 9 and 10 o’clock we reached Sanct Johann, a suburb of -Saarbrücken, where we noticed very few signs of the French cannonade -a few days ago, although it otherwise presented a lively and varied -picture of war times. A huddled and confused mass of canteen carts, -baggage waggons, soldiers on horse and foot, and ambulance attendants -with their red crosses, &c., filled the streets. Some Hessian dragoon -and artillery regiments marched through, the cavalrymen singing, -“_Morgenroth leuchtest mir zum fruehen Tod!_” (Dawn, thou lightest me -to an early grave). - -At the hotel where we put up I heard that the Chancellor was still -in the town, and lodged at the house of a merchant and manufacturer -named Haldy. I had therefore missed nothing by all our delays, and -had fortunately at length reached harbour. Not a minute too soon, -however, as on going to report my arrival I was informed by Count -Bismarck-Bohlen, the Minister’s cousin, that they intended to move on -shortly after midday. I bade good-bye to my companions from Berlin, -as there was no room for them in the Chancellor’s suite, and also to -our London friend, whose patriotic offer General Roon was regretfully -obliged to decline. After providing for the safety of my luggage, I -presented myself to the Count, who was just leaving to call upon the -King. I then went to the Bureau to ascertain if I could be of any -assistance. There was plenty to do. Every one had his hands full, and -I was immediately told off to make a translation for the King of Queen -Victoria’s Speech from the Throne, which had just arrived. I was highly -interested by a declaration contained in a despatch to St. Petersburg, -which I had to dictate to one of our deciphering clerks, although at -the time I could not quite understand it. It was to the effect that we -should not be satisfied with the mere fall of Napoleon. - -That looked like a foreshadowing of some miracle. - -Strassburg! and perhaps the Vosges as our frontier! Who could have -dreamed of it three weeks before? - -In the meantime the weather had cleared up. Shortly before one o’clock, -under a broiling sun, three four-horse carriages drew up before our -door, with soldiers riding as postilions. One was for the Chancellor, -another for the Councillors and Count Bismarck-Bohlen, and the third -for the Secretaries and Decipherers. The two Councillors and the Count -having decided to ride, I took a place in their carriage, as I also -did subsequently whenever they went on horseback. Five minutes later -we crossed the stream and entered the Saarbrücken high road, which -led past the battle-field of the 6th of August. Within half an hour -of our departure from Sanct Johann we were on French soil. There were -still many traces of the sanguinary struggle that had raged there five -days ago--branches torn from the trees by artillery fire, fragments of -accoutrements and uniforms, the crops trampled into the earth, broken -wheels, pits dug in the ground by exploding shells, and small wooden -crosses roughly tied together, probably marking the graves of officers -and others. So far as one could observe all the dead had been already -buried. - -Here at the commencement of our journey through France I will break -off my narrative for a while in order to say a few words about the -Foreign Office Field Bureau and the way in which the Chancellor and his -people travelled, lodged, worked and lived. The Minister had selected -to accompany him Herr Abeken and Herr von Keudell, Count Hatzfeldt, -who had previously spent several years at the Embassy in Paris, and -Count Bismarck-Bohlen, all four Privy Councillors of Legation. After -these came the _Geheim-Sekretär_, Bölsing, of the Centralbureau, -the two deciphering clerks, Willisch and St. Blanquart, and finally -myself. At Ferrières our list of Councillors was completed by Lothar -Bucher, and a new deciphering clerk, Herr Wiehr, also joined us. At -Versailles the number was further increased by Herr von Holstein, -subsequently Councillor of Embassy, the young Count Wartensleben, and -Privy Councillor Wagner, the latter, however, not being employed on -Foreign Office work. Herr Bölsing who had fallen ill, was replaced -by Geheim-Sekretär Wollmann, and the accumulation of work afterwards -required a fourth deciphering clerk. Our “Chief,” as the Chancellor -was usually called by the staff, had kindly arranged that all his -fellow-workers, Secretaries as well as Councillors, should in a certain -sense be members of his household. When circumstances permitted we -lodged in the same house, and had the honour of dining at his table. - -Throughout the whole war the Chancellor wore uniform. It was generally -the well-known undress of the yellow regiment of heavy Landwehr -cavalry. During the early months of the campaign he as a rule only -wore the Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, to which he -afterwards added the Iron Cross. I only saw him a couple of times in -a dressing gown. That was at Versailles, when he was unwell, the only -time, as far as I know, that anything ailed him throughout the whole -war. When travelling he was usually accompanied in the carriage by Herr -Abeken, but on some occasions he took me with him for several days in -succession. He was very easy to please in the matter of his quarters, -and was willing to put up with the most modest shelter when better was -not to be had. Indeed, it once happened that there was no bedstead and -that his bed had to be made upon the floor. - -Our carriages usually followed immediately after those of the King’s -suite. We started generally about 10 o’clock in the morning, and -sometimes covered as much as sixty kilometres in the day. On reaching -our quarters for the night our first duty was to set about preparing -an office, in which there was seldom any lack of work, especially -when we had the Field Telegraph at our disposal. When communications -were thus established, the Chancellor again became what, with short -intervals, he had been throughout this entire period, namely, the -central figure of the whole civilised European world. Even in those -places where we only stayed for one night he, incessantly active -himself, kept his assistants almost continuously engaged until a late -hour. Messengers were constantly going and coming with telegrams and -letters. Councillors were drawing up notes, orders and directions under -instructions from their chief, and these were being copied, registered, -ciphered and deciphered in the Chancellerie. Reports, questions, -newspaper articles, &c., streamed in from every direction, most of them -requiring instant attention. - -Never, perhaps, was the well nigh superhuman power of work shown by the -Chancellor, his creative, receptive and critical activity, his ability -to deal with the most difficult problems, always finding the right and -the only solution, more strikingly evident than during this period. -The inexhaustible nature of his powers was all the more astounding, -as he took but little sleep. Except when a battle was expected and -he rose at daybreak to join the King and the army, the Chancellor -rose rather late, as had been his custom at home, usually about 10 -o’clock. On the other hand, he spent the night at work, and only fell -asleep as daylight began to appear. He was often hardly out of bed and -dressed before he commenced work again, reading despatches and making -notes upon them, looking through newspapers, giving instructions to -his Councillors and others, and setting them their various tasks, or -even writing or dictating. Later on there were visits to be received, -audiences to be granted, explanations to be given to the King. Then -followed a further study of despatches and maps, the correction of -articles, drafts hurriedly prepared with his well-known big pencil, -letters to be written, information to be telegraphed, or published in -the newspapers, and in the midst of it all the reception of visitors -who could not be refused a hearing yet must occasionally have been -unwelcome. It was only after 2, or even 3 o’clock, in places where -we made a longer stay, that the Chancellor allowed himself a little -recreation by taking a ride in the neighbourhood. On his return he set -to work again, continuing until dinner time, between 5.30 and 6 P.M. In -an hour and a half at latest, he went back to his writing-desk, where -he frequently remained till midnight. - -In his manner of taking his meals, as in his sleep, the Count differed -from the general run of mankind. Early in the day he took a cup of -tea and one or two eggs, and from that time until evening he, as a -rule, tasted nothing more. He seldom took any luncheon and rarely -came to tea, which was usually served between 10 and 11 at night. -With some exceptions, he therefore had practically but one meal in -the twenty-four hours, but, like Frederick the Great, he then ate -with appetite. Diplomats are proverbially fond of a good table, being -scarcely surpassed in this respect by the clergy. It is part of their -business, as they often have important guests who, for one reason or -another, must be put in good humour, and it is universally recognised -that nothing is better calculated to that end than a well-filled -cellar and a dinner which shows the skill of a highly trained _chef_. -Count Bismarck also kept a good table, which, when circumstances -permitted, became quite excellent. That was the case for instance at -Reims, Meaux, Ferrières and Versailles, where the genius of our cook -in the Commissariat uniform created breakfasts and dinners that made -any one accustomed to a homely fare feel, as he did justice to them, -that he was at length resting in Abraham’s bosom, particularly when -some specially fine brand of champagne was added to the other gracious -gifts of Providence. During the last five months our table was also -enriched by presents from home where, as was only right and proper, our -people showed how fondly they remembered the Chancellor, by sending -him plentiful supplies of good things, both fluid and solid, geese, -venison, fish, pheasants, monumental pastry, excellent beer, rare -wines, and other acceptable delicacies. - -At first only the Councillors wore uniform, Herr von Keudell that of -the Cuirassiers, and Count Bismarck-Bohlen that of the Dragoon Guards, -while Count Hatzfeldt and Herr Abeken wore the undress uniform of -the Foreign Office. It was afterwards suggested that the whole of -the Minister’s _personnel_, with the exception of the two gentlemen -first mentioned, who were also officers, should be allowed the same -privilege. The Chief gave his consent, so the people of Versailles had -an opportunity of seeing our Chancery attendants in a dark blue tunic -with two rows of buttons, black collar trimmed with velvet, and a cap -of the same colour, while our Councillors, Secretaries and Decipherers -carried swords with a gold sword-knot. The elderly Privy Councillor -Abeken, who could make his horse prance as proudly as any cavalry -officer, looked wonderfully warlike in this costume, in which, I fancy, -he delighted not a little. It was to him just as great a pleasure to -show off in all this military bravery as it had been to travel through -the Holy Land dressed up as an Oriental, although he did not understand -a word of Turkish or Arabic. - - - - - CHAPTER III - -FROM THE FRONTIER TO GRAVELOTTE - - -In the preceding chapter I broke off my narrative at the French -frontier. We recognised that we had crossed it by the notices posted -in the villages, “Département de la Moselle.” The white roads were -thronged with conveyances, and in every hamlet troops were billeted. -In these hilly and partially wooded districts we saw small camps -being pitched here and there. After about two hours’ drive we reached -Forbach, which we passed through without stopping. In the streets -through which we drove the signboards were almost entirely French, -although the names were chiefly German. Some of the inhabitants who -were standing at their doors greeted us in passing. Most of them, -however, looked sulky, which, although it did not add to their beauty, -was natural enough, as they had evidently plenty of soldiers to provide -quarters for. The windows were all full of Prussians in blue uniforms. -We thus jogged on, up hill and down dale, reaching Saint Avold about -half-past four. Here we took up lodgings, Chancellor and all, with a -M. Laity, at No. 301 Rue des Charrons. It was a one-storey house, but -rather roomy, with a well-kept fruit and vegetable garden at the back. -The proprietor, who was said to be a retired officer, and appeared -to be well to do, had gone away with his wife the day before, leaving -only a maid and an old woman, who spoke nothing but French. In half an -hour we had fixed up our office and chosen our sleeping quarters. Work -began without delay. As there was nothing to be done in my department, -I tried to assist in deciphering the despatches, an operation which -offers no particular difficulties. - -At seven o’clock we dined with the Chancellor in a little room looking -out on a small courtyard with some flower beds. The conversation at -table was very lively, the Minister having most to say. He did not -consider a surprise impossible, as he had satisfied himself during -his walk that our outposts were only three-quarters of an hour from -the town and very wide apart. He had asked at one post where the next -was stationed, but the men did not know. He said: “While I was out I -saw a man with an axe on his shoulder following close at my heels. I -kept my hand on my sword, as one cannot tell in certain circumstances -what may happen; but in any case I should have been ready first.” He -remarked later on that our landlord had left all his cupboards full -of underclothing, adding: “If this house should be turned into an -ambulance hospital, his wife’s fine underlinen will be torn up for lint -and bandages, and quite properly. But then they will say that Count -Bismarck took the things away with him.” - -We came to speak of the disposal of the troops in action. The Minister -said that General Steinmetz had shown himself on that occasion to be -self-willed and disobedient. “Like Vogel von Falkenstein, his habit -of taking the law into his own hands will do him harm in spite of the -laurels he won at Skalitz.” - -There was cognac, red wine, and a sparkling Mainz wine on the table. -Somebody mentioned beer, saying that probably we should be unable -to obtain it. The Minister replied: “That is no loss! The excessive -consumption of beer is deplorable. It makes men stupid, lazy and -useless. It is responsible for the democratic nonsense spouted over the -tavern tables. A good rye whiskey is very much better.” - -I cannot now remember how or in what connection we came to speak about -the Mormons. The Minister was surprised at their polygamy, “as the -German race is not equal to so much--Orientals seem to be more potent.” -He wondered how the United States could tolerate the existence of -such a polygamous sect. The Count took this opportunity of speaking -of religious liberty in general, declaring himself very strongly in -favour of it. But, he added, it must be exercised in an impartial -spirit. “Every one must be allowed to seek salvation in his own way. -I shall propose that one day, and Parliament will certainly approve. -As a matter of course, however, the property of the Church must remain -with the old churches that acquired it. Whoever retires must make a -sacrifice for his conviction, or rather his unbelief.” “People think -little the worse of Catholics for being orthodox, and have no objection -whatever to Jews being so. It is altogether different with Lutherans, -however, and that church is constantly charged with a spirit of -persecution, if it rejects unorthodox members. But it is considered -quite in order that the orthodox should be persecuted and scoffed at in -the press and in daily life.” - -After dinner the Chancellor and Councillors took a walk in the garden -from which a large building distinguished by a flag with the Geneva -Cross was visible at a little distance to the right. We could see -a number of nuns at the windows who were watching us through opera -glasses. It was evidently a convent that had been turned into a -hospital. In the evening one of the deciphering clerks expressed great -anxiety as to the possibility of a surprise, and we discussed what -should be done with the portfolios containing State papers and ciphers -in such circumstances. I tried to reassure them, promising to do my -utmost either to save or destroy the papers, should necessity arise. - -There was no occasion for anxiety. The night passed quietly. Next -morning as we were at lunch a green _Feldjäger_, or Royal Courier, -arrived with dispatches from Berlin. Although such messengers usually -make rapid progress, this one had not travelled any quicker than I -had done in my fear to arrive too late. He left on Monday, the 8th -of August, and had several times taken a special conveyance, yet he -had spent nearly four days on the way, as it was now the 12th. I -again assisted the Decipherers. Afterwards, while the Minister was -with the King, I visited the large and beautiful town church with the -Councillors, the chaplain showing us round. In the afternoon, while the -Minister was out for a ride, we inspected the Prussian artillery park -on a neighbouring height. - -We dined at four, on the Chancellor’s return. He had ridden a long -way in order to see his two sons, who were serving as privates in a -regiment of dragoon guards, but found that the German cavalry had -already pushed forward towards the upper reaches of the Moselle. He -was in excellent spirits, evidently owing to the good fortune which -continued to favour our cause. In the course of the conversation, which -turned on mythology, the Chief said he could never endure Apollo, who -flayed Marsyas out of conceit and envy, and slew the children of Niobe -for similar reasons. “He is the genuine type of a Frenchman, one who -cannot bear that another should play the flute better than, or as well -as, himself.” Nor was Apollo’s manner of dealing with the Trojans to -the Count’s taste. The straightforward Vulcan would have been his man, -or, better still, Neptune--perhaps because of the _Quos ego_!--but he -did not say. - -After rising from table we had good news to telegraph to Berlin for -circulation throughout the whole country, namely, that there were ten -thousand prisoners in our hands on the 7th of August, and that a great -effect had been produced on the enemy by the victory at Saarbrücken. -Somewhat later we had further satisfactory particulars to send home. -The Minister of Finance in Paris, evidently in consequence of the rapid -advance of the German forces, had invited the French people to deposit -their gold in the Bank of France instead of keeping it in their houses. - -There was also some talk of a proposed proclamation forbidding and -finally abolishing the conscription in the districts occupied by the -German troops. We also heard from Madrid that the Montpensier party, -some politicians belonging to the Liberal Union such as Rios Rosas and -Topete, as well as various other party leaders, were exerting every -effort to bring about the immediate convocation of the representative -assembly in order that the Provisional Government should be put an -end to by the election of a King. The Duc de Montpensier, whom they -had in view as a candidate, was already in the Spanish capital. The -Government, however, obstinately opposed this plan. - -Early next morning we broke up our quarters and started for the small -town of Falquemont, which we now call Falkenberg. The road was thronged -with long lines of carts, artillery, ambulances, military police, and -couriers. While some detachments of infantry marched along the highway, -others crossed the stubble fields to the right, being guided by wisps -of straw tied to poles stuck in the ground. Now and then we saw men -fall out of the ranks and others lying in the furrows, fagged out, -while a pitiless August sun glared down from a cloudless sky. Thick -yellow clouds of dust raised by the marching of the troops followed -us into Falkenberg, a place of about two thousand inhabitants, where -I put up at the house of the baker, Schmidt. We lost sight of the -Minister in the crowd and dust, and I only afterwards ascertained that -he had gone on to see the King at the village of Herny. The march of -the troops through the town continued almost uninterruptedly the whole -day. A Saxon regiment, which was stationed quite near us, frequently -sent their caterers to our baker for bread, but the supply was soon -exhausted owing to the enormous demand. - -In the afternoon some Prussian hussars brought in a number of prisoners -in a cart, including a Turco who had exchanged his fez for a civilian’s -hat. In another part of the town we witnessed a brawl between a shopman -and one of the female camp-followers who had stolen some of his goods, -which she was obliged to restore. So far as I could see, our people -always paid for what they asked, sometimes doing even more. - -The people where I lodged were very polite and good humoured. Both -husband and wife spoke a German dialect, which was occasionally helped -out with French words. From the sacred pictures which were hung on the -walls they appeared to be Catholics. I had an opportunity later on of -doing them a small service, when some of our soldiers insisted willy -nilly upon a supply of bread, which the baker was unable to give them, -as there were only two or three loaves in the shop. But I must do my -countrymen the justice to say that they wanted the food badly, and were -willing to pay for it. I proposed a compromise, which was accepted; -each soldier was at once to get a good slice and as much as ever he -required next morning. - -On Sunday, the 14th of August, after luncheon, we followed the Minister -to Herny. He had taken up his quarters in a whitewashed peasant’s -house, a little off the High Street, where his window opened upon a -dung-hill. As the house was pretty large we all joined him there. Count -Hatzfeldt’s room also served as our office. The King had his quarters -at the parish priest’s, opposite the venerable old church. The village -consisted of one long wide street, with some good municipal buildings. -At the railway station we found everything in the wildest confusion, -the whole place littered with torn books, papers, &c. Some soldiers -kept watch over two French prisoners. For several hours after 4 P.M. we -heard the heavy thunder of cannon in the direction of Metz. At tea the -Minister said: “I little thought a month ago that I should be taking -tea with you, gentlemen, to-day in a farmhouse at Herny.” Coming to -speak of the Duc de Grammont, the Count wondered that, on seeing the -failure of his stupid policy against us, he had not joined the army in -order to expiate his blunders. He was quite big and strong enough to -serve as a soldier. “I should have acted differently in 1866 if things -had not gone so well. I should have at once enlisted. Otherwise I could -never have shown myself to the world again.” - -I was frequently called to the Minister’s room to receive instructions. -Our illustrated papers were to publish pictures of the charge at -Spichernberg, and also to deny the statement of the _Constitutionnel_ -that the Prussians had burnt down everything on their march, -leaving nothing but ruins behind them. We could say with a clear -conscience that we had not observed the least sign of this. It was -also thought well to reply to the _Neue Freie Presse_, which had -hitherto been well disposed towards us, but had now adopted another -policy, possibly because it had lost some subscribers who objected -to its Prussophile tone, or perhaps there was something in the -rumour that the Franco-Hungarian party intended to purchase it. The -Chancellor, in giving instructions respecting another article of -the _Constitutionnel_, concluded as follows: “Say that there never -was any question in the Cabinet Council of a cession of Saarbrücken -to France. The matter never went beyond the stage of confidential -inquiries, and it is self-evident that a national Minister, inspired -by the national spirit, could never have dreamt of such a course. -There might, however, have been some slight basis for the rumour. A -misunderstanding or a distortion of the fact that previous to 1864 the -question was raised whether it would not be desirable to sell the coal -mines at Saarbrücken, which are State property, to a company. I wanted -to meet the expenses of the Schleswig-Holstein war in this way. But -the proposal came to nothing, owing to the King’s objections to the -transaction.” - -On Monday, August 15th, about 6 A.M., the Minister drove off in his -carriage, accompanied by Count Bismarck-Bohlen, and followed on -horseback by Herr Abeken, Herr von Keudell, and Count Hatzfeldt. The -rest of us remained behind, where we had plenty of work on hand, and -could make ourselves useful in other ways. Several detachments of -infantry passed through the village during the day, amongst them being -three Prussian regiments and a number of Pomeranians, for the most -part tall, handsome men. The bands played “Heil dir im Siegerkranz,” -and “Ich bin ein Preusse.” One could see in the men’s eyes the fearful -thirst from which they were suffering. We speedily organised a fire -brigade with pails and jugs and gave as many as possible a drink of -water as they marched by. They could not stop. Some took a mouthful in -the palms of their hands, whilst others filled the tin cans which they -carried with them, so that at least a few had some momentary relief. - -Our landlord, Matthiote, knew a little German, but his wife only spoke -the somewhat unintelligible French dialect of this part of Lorraine. -They were thought not to be too friendly towards us, but the Minister -had not observed it. He had only seen the husband, and said he was not -a bad fellow. “He asked me as he brought in the dinner if I would try -his wine. I found it very tolerable, but on my offering to pay for it -he declined, and would only accept payment for the food. He inquired as -to the future frontier, and expected that they would be better off in -the matter of taxation.” - -We saw little of the other inhabitants of the village. Those we met -were polite and communicative. An old peasant woman whom I asked for -a light for my cigar led me into her room and showed me a photograph -of her son in a French uniform. Bursting into tears she reproached the -Emperor with the war. Her _pauvre garçon_ was certainly dead, and she -was inconsolable. - -The Councillors returned after 3 o’clock, the Minister himself coming -in a little later. In the meantime we were joined by Count Henckel, a -portly gentleman with a dark beard, Herr Bamberger, a member of the -Reichstag whom Count Bohlen was accustomed to call the “Red Jew,” and a -Herr von Olberg, who was to be appointed to an administrative position -of some kind. We began to feel ourselves masters of the conquered -country and to make our arrangements accordingly. As to the portion -which we at that time proposed to retain permanently a telegram to St. -Petersburg which I helped to cipher said that if it were the will of -Providence we intended to annex Alsace. - -We heard at dinner that the King and the Chancellor, accompanied by -General Steinmetz, had made a reconnaissance which took them within -about three English miles of Metz. The French troops outside the -fortress had been driven into the city and forts on the previous day by -Steinmetz’s impetuous attack at Courcelles. - -In the evening, as we sat on a bench outside the door, the Minister -joined us for a moment. He asked me for a cigar, but Councillor -Taglioni, the King’s decipherer, was quicker than I, which was a pity, -as mine were much better. At tea the Chancellor mentioned in the -course of conversation that on two occasions he had been in danger -of being shot by a sentry, once at San Sebastian and another time at -Schluesselburg. From this we learned that he also understood a little -Spanish. Passing from the Schluesselburg story, he came to relate the -following anecdote, which, however, I was unable to hear quite clearly, -and so cannot vouch whether it occurred to the Minister himself or -to some one else. One day the Count was walking in the Summer Garden -at St. Petersburg, and met the Emperor, with whom, as a Minister in -high favour, his relations were somewhat unreserved. The two, after -strolling on together for awhile, saw a sentry posted in the middle of -a grass plot. Bismarck took the liberty to ask what he was doing there. -The Emperor did not know, and questioned the aide-de-camp, who was also -unable to explain. The aide-de-camp was then sent to ask the sentry. -His answer was, “It has been ordered,” a reply which was repeated by -every one of whom the aide-de-camp inquired. The archives were searched -in vain--a sentry had always been posted there. At last an old footman -remembered that his father had told him that the Empress Catherine had -once seen an early snowdrop on that spot, and had given instructions -that it should not be plucked. They could find no better way of -preserving it than by placing a sentry to guard it, who was afterwards -kept on as a matter of habit. The anti-German feeling in Holland and -its causes was then referred to. It was thought to be partly due to the -circumstance that Van Zuylen, when he was Dutch Minister at Berlin, -had made himself unpleasant, and consequently did not receive as much -consideration as he desired, so that he possibly left us in ill-humour. - -On the 16th of August, at 9.30 A.M., we started for Pont à Mousson. On -the excellent high road to that town we passed through several villages -with fine buildings, containing the public offices and schools. The -whole way was brightened by detachments of soldiers, horse and foot, -and a great variety of vehicles. Here and there we also saw small -encampments. A little after 3 o’clock we reached our destination, a -town of about eight thousand inhabitants. Passing the market-place, -where a regiment of Saxon infantry were bivouacked, some of them lying -on the ground on bundles of straw, we turned into the Rue St. Laurent. -Here the Chancellor, with three of the Councillors, took up their -residence at the corner of Rue Raugraf in a little château overgrown -with red creepers. The rest of the party lived a few doors off. I slept -with Saint Blanquart in a room which was a veritable museum of natural -history and ethnology, being filled with the most varied trophies from -all parts of the world. - -After a hasty toilette we returned to the office. On our way we -observed a number of notices posted on the walls, one announcing our -victory of the fourteenth, another respecting the abolition of the -conscription, and a third by the Mayor, apparently in connection with -some attacks by civilians on our troops, warning the inhabitants to -maintain a prudent attitude. There was also an order issued by our -people strictly enjoining the population to keep lights in their -windows at night, and to leave the doors of houses and shops open, and -to deliver up all arms at the Town Hall. - -During the greater part of the afternoon we again heard the distant -roar of cannon, and ascertained at dinner that there had been renewed -fighting near Metz. Some one remarked that perhaps it would not be -possible to prevent the French retiring to Verdun. The Minister -replied, smiling, “That hardened reprobate Molk (Moltke) says it would -be no misfortune, as they would then be delivered all the more surely -into our hands”--which must mean that we could surround and annihilate -them while they were retreating. Of the other remarks made by the -Chancellor on this occasion I may mention his reference to the “small -black Saxons, who looked so intelligent” and who pleased him so much -on his paying them a visit the day before. These were either the dark -green Chasseurs or the 108th Regiment which wore the same coloured -uniform. “They seem to be sharp, ready fellows,” he added, “and the -fact ought to be mentioned in the newspapers.” - -On the following night we were awakened several times by the steady -tramp of infantry and the rumbling of heavy wheels as they rolled over -the rough pavement. We heard next morning that they were Hessians. The -Minister started shortly after 4 A.M., intending to proceed towards -Metz, where an important battle was expected either that day or the -next. As it appeared probable that I should have little to do I availed -myself of the opportunity to take a walk in the environs with Willisch. -Going up stream we came upon a pontoon bridge erected by the Saxons, -who had collected there a large number of conveyances, amongst others -some carts from villages near Dresden. We swam across the clear deep -river and back again. - -On returning to the bureau in the Rue Raugraf we found that the -Chancellor had not yet arrived. We had news, however, of the battle -which had been fought the day before to the west of Metz. There were -heavy losses on our side, and it was only with great difficulty -that Bazaine was prevented from breaking through our lines. It was -understood that the village of Mars la Tour was the point at which the -conflict had raged most violently. The leaden rain of the chassepots -was literally like a hailstorm. One of the cuirassier regiments, we -were told, with the exaggeration which is not unusual in such cases, -was almost utterly destroyed and the dragoon guards had also suffered -severely. Not a single division escaped without heavy losses. To-day, -however, we had superior numbers as the French had had yesterday, and -if the latter attempted another sortie we might expect to be victorious. - -It did not, however, appear certain, and we were accordingly somewhat -uneasy. We could not sit still or think steadily, and, as in fever, we -were oppressed by the same ideas, which returned again and again. We -walked to the market and then to the bridge, where we saw the wounded, -who were now gradually coming in, those with light injuries on foot and -the others in ambulance cars. On the road towards Metz we met a batch -of over 120 prisoners. They were for the most part small, poor-looking -specimens; but there were also amongst them some tall, broad-shouldered -fellows from the guards, who could be recognised by the white facings -of their tunics. Then once more to the market-place and around the -garden behind the house, where a dog lies buried under a tombstone with -the following touching inscription:-- - - GIRARD AUBERT ÉPITAPHE À SA CHIENNE. - - Ici tu gis, ma vieille amie, - Tu n’es donc plus pour mes vieux jours. - O toi, ma Diane chérie, - Je te pleurerai toujours. - -At length, about 6 o’clock, the Chancellor returned. No great battle -had taken place that day, but it was highly probable that an engagement -would occur on the morrow. The Chief told us at dinner that he had -visited his eldest son, Count Herbert, in the field ambulance at -Mariaville, where he was lying in consequence of a bullet wound in the -thigh, which he had received during the general cavalry charge at Mars -la Tour. After riding about for some time the Minister at length found -his son in a farmhouse with a considerable number of other wounded -soldiers. They were in charge of a surgeon, who was unable to obtain a -supply of water, and who scrupled to take the turkeys and chickens that -were running about the yard for the use of his patients. “He said he -could not,” added the Minister, “and all our arguments were in vain. I -then threatened to shoot the poultry with my revolver and afterwards -gave him twenty francs to pay for fifteen. At last I remembered that I -was a Prussian General, and ordered him to do as I told him, whereupon -he obeyed me. I had, however, to look for the water myself and to have -it fetched in barrels.” - -In the meantime the American General Sheridan had arrived in the town -and asked for an interview with the Chancellor. He had come from -Chicago, and lodged at the Croix Blanc in the market-place. At the -desire of the Minister I called upon General Sheridan and informed -him that Count Bismarck would be pleased to see him in the course of -the evening. The general was a small, corpulent gentleman of about -forty-five, with dark moustache and chin tuft, and spoke the purest -Yankee dialect. He was accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Forsythe, and a -journalist named MacLean, who served as an interpreter, acting at the -same time as war correspondent for the _New York World_. - -During the night further strong contingents of troops marched through -the town--Saxons, as we ascertained next day. In the morning we heard -that the King and Chancellor had gone off at 3 A.M. A battle was being -fought on about the same ground as that of the 16th, and it appears as -if this engagement were to prove decisive. It will be easily understood -that we were still more excited than we had been during the last few -days. Uneasy, and impatient for particulars of what was passing, we -started in the direction of Metz, going some four kilometres from Pont -à Mousson, suffering both mentally and physically, from our anxiety -and suspense as well as from the sweltering heat of a windless day -and a blazing sky. We met numbers of the less severely wounded coming -towards the town, singly, in couples, and in large companies. Some -still carried their rifles, while others leant upon sticks. One had the -red cape of a French cavalryman thrown over his shoulders. They had -fought two days before at Mars la Tour and Gorze. They had only heard -rumours of this day’s battle, and these, good and bad as they happened -to be, were soon circulated in an exaggerated form throughout the town. -The good news at length seemed to get the upper hand, although late in -the evening we had still heard nothing definite. We dined without our -Chief, for whom we waited in vain until midnight. Later on we heard -that he, accompanied by Sheridan and Count Bismarck-Bohlen, was with -the King at Rezonville. - -On Friday, August the 19th, when we ascertained for certain that the -Germans had been victorious, Abeken, Keudell, Hatzfeldt and I drove -to the battle-field. At Gorze the Councillors got out, intending to -proceed further on horseback. The narrow road was blocked with all -sorts of conveyances, so that it was impossible for our carriage to -pass. From the same direction as ourselves came carts with hay, straw, -wood, and baggage, while ammunition waggons and vehicles conveying the -wounded were coming the other way. The latter were being moved into -the houses, nearly all of which were turned into hospitals and were -distinguished by the Geneva cross. At almost every window we could see -men with their heads or arms in bandages. - -After about an hour’s delay we were able to move slowly forward. The -road to the right not far from Gorze would have taken us in little -over half an hour to Rezonville, where I was to meet the Minister and -our horsemen. My map, however, failed to give me any guidance, and I -was afraid of going too near Metz. I therefore followed the high road -further, and passing a farm where the house, barn and stables were full -of wounded, we came to the village of Mars la Tour. - -Immediately behind Gorze we had already met traces of the battle,--pits -dug in the earth by shells, branches torn off by shot and some dead -horses. As we went on we came upon the latter more frequently, -occasionally two or three together, and at one place a group of eight -carcases. Most of them were fearfully swollen, with their legs in the -air, while their heads lay slack on the ground. There was an encampment -of Saxon troops in Mars la Tour. The village seemed to have suffered -little from the engagement of the 16th. Only one house was burned -down. I asked a lieutenant of Uhlans where Rezonville was. He did not -know. Where was the King? “At a place about two hours from here,” he -said, “in that direction,”--pointing towards the east. A peasant woman -having directed us the same way, we took that road, which brought us -after a time to the village of Vionville. Shortly before reaching this -place I saw for the first time one of the soldiers who had fallen in -the late battle, a Prussian musketeer. His features were as dark as -those of a Turco, and were fearfully bloated. All the houses in the -village were full of men who were severely wounded. German and French -assistant-surgeons and hospital attendants, all wearing the Geneva -cross, were busy moving from place to place. - -I decided to wait there for the Minister and the Councillors, as I -believed they must certainly pass that way soon. As I went towards -the battle-field through a side street I saw a human leg lying in a -ditch, half covered with a bundle of blood-stained rags. Some four -hundred paces from the village were two parallel pits about three -hundred feet in length, and neither wide nor deep, at which the grave -diggers were still working. Near by had been collected a great mass -of German and French dead. Some of the bodies were half naked, but -most of them were still in uniform. All were of a dark grey colour -and were fearfully swollen from the heat. There might have been one -hundred and fifty corpses in all, and others were being constantly -unloaded from the carts. Doubtless, many had already been buried. -Further on in the direction of Metz the ground rose slightly, and -there in particular great numbers appeared to have fallen. The ground -was everywhere covered with French caps, Prussian helmets, knapsacks, -arms, uniforms, underclothing, shoes, and paper. Here and there in the -furrows of a potato field lay single bodies, one with a whole leg torn -away, another with half the head blown off, while some had the right -hand stretched out stiffly pointing towards the sky. There were also a -few single graves, marked with a chassepot stuck in the ground or with -a cross made from the wood of a cigar box roughly tied together. The -effluvium was very noticeable, and at times, when the wind came from -the direction of a heap of dead horses, it became unendurable. - -It was time to return to the carriage, and besides I had seen quite -enough of the battle-field. I took another way back, but I was again -obliged to pass further masses of the dead, this time all French. -Near some of the bodies lay packets of letters that had been carried -in their knapsacks. I brought some of these with me as a memento, -amongst them being two letters in German from one Anastasia Stampf, -of Scherrweiler, near Schlettstadt. These I found lying by a French -soldier who had been stationed at Caen shortly before the outbreak of -the war. One of them, in indifferent spelling, was dated “The 25th of -the Hay Month, 1870,” and concluded with the words, “We constantly -commend thee to the protection of the Blessed Virgin!” - -It was 4 o’clock when I got back, and as the Minister had not arrived, -we returned to Gorze. Here we met Keudell, who, with Abeken and Count -Hatzfeldt had called upon the Chief at Rezonville. During the battle of -the 18th instant, which was decided at Gravelotte, the Minister had, -together with the King, ventured a considerable distance towards the -front, so that for a time both of them were in some danger. Bismarck -had afterwards with his own hands taken water to the wounded. At 9 P.M. -I saw him again safe and sound at Pont à Mousson, where we all took -supper with him. Naturally, the conversation turned for the most part -on the last two battles and the resulting gains and losses. The French -had fallen in huge masses. The Minister had seen our artillery mow -down whole lines of their guards near Gravelotte. We had also suffered -severely. Only the losses of the 16th of August were known up to the -present. “A great many noble Prussian families will go into mourning,” -the Chief said. “Wesdehlen and Reuss lie in their graves, Wedell and -Finkenstein are dead, Rahden (Lucca’s husband) is shot through both -cheeks, and a crowd of officers commanding regiments or battalions have -either fallen or are severely wounded. The whole field near Mars la -Tour was yesterday still white and blue with the bodies of cuirassiers -and dragoons.” In explanation of this statement, we were informed that -near the village referred to there had been a great cavalry charge upon -the French, who were pressing forward in the direction of Verdun. This -charge was repelled by the enemy’s infantry in Balaclava fashion, but -had so far served its purpose that the French were kept in check until -reinforcements arrived. The Chancellor’s two sons had also gallantly -ridden into that leaden hailstorm, the elder receiving no less than -three bullets, one passing through the breast of his tunic, another -hitting his watch, and the third lodging in his thigh. The younger -appears to have escaped unhurt. The Chief related, evidently with some -pride, how Count Bill rescued two comrades who had lost their horses, -dragging them out of the _mêlée_ in his powerful grasp and riding off -with them. Still more German blood was shed on the 18th, but we secured -the victory, and obtained the object of our sacrifices. That evening -Bazaine’s army had finally retired to Metz, and even French officers -whom we had captured admitted that they now believed their cause was -lost. The Saxons, who had made long marches on the two previous days, -were able to take an important part in the battle near the village of -Saint Privat. They now occupied the road to Thionville, so that Metz -was entirely surrounded by our troops. - -It appeared that the Chancellor did not quite approve of the course -taken by the military authorities in both battles. Among other things -he said that Steinmetz had abused the really astounding gallantry of -our men--“he was a spendthrift of blood.” The Minister spoke with -violent indignation of the barbarous manner in which the French -conducted the war; they were said to have fired upon the Geneva cross -and even upon a flag of truce. - -Sheridan seemed to have speedily got on a friendly footing with the -Minister, as I was instructed to invite him and his two companions to -dinner on the following evening. - -At 11 o’clock on the 20th of August the Chancellor received a visit -from the Crown Prince, who was stationed with his troops about -twenty-five English miles from Pont à Mousson on the road from Nancy -to Châlons. In the afternoon some twelve hundred prisoners, including -two carts conveying officers, passed through the Rue Notre Dame in -charge of a detachment of Prussian cuirassiers. Sheridan, Forsythe and -MacLean dined that evening with the Minister, who kept up a lively -conversation in good English with the American general. The Chief and -his American guests had champagne and porter. The latter was drunk out -of pewter mugs, one of which the Minister filled for me. I mention this -because no one else at table had porter, and the gift was particularly -welcome, as since we left Saarbrücken we had had no beer. Sheridan, -who was known as a successful soldier on the Federal side in the last -year of the American Civil War, spoke a good deal. He told us of the -hardships he and his companions had undergone during the ride from the -Rocky Mountains to Chicago, of the fearful swarms of mosquitoes, of a -great heap of bones in California or thereabouts in which fossils were -found, and of buffalo and bear hunting, &c. The Chancellor also told -some hunting stories. One day in Finland he found himself in dangerous -proximity to a big bear. It was white with snow, and he had barely been -able to see it. “At last I fired, however, and the bear fell some six -paces from me. But it was not killed, and might get up again. I knew -what I had to expect, and so without stirring I quietly reloaded, and -as soon as it stirred I shot it dead.” - -We were very busy on the forenoon of the 21st of August, preparing -reports and leading articles to be forwarded to Germany. We heard -that the bearer of a flag of truce who was fired upon by the French -was Captain or Major Verdy, of Moltke’s general staff, and that the -trumpeter who accompanied him was wounded. Trustworthy information -was received from Florence to the effect that Victor Emmanuel and his -Ministers had, in consequence of our victories, decided to observe -neutrality, which up to that time was anything but certain. Now it was -at last possible to estimate, at least approximately, the losses of the -French at Courcelles, Mars la Tour, and Gravelotte. The Minister put -them at about 50,000 men during the three days, of whom about 12,000 -were killed. He added: “The ambition and mutual jealousy of some of our -generals was to blame for the severity of our losses. That the guards -charged too soon was entirely due to their jealousy of the Saxons who -were coming up behind them.” - -That afternoon I had some talk with one of the dragoon guards who had -been in the charge on the French battery on the 16th. He maintained -that besides Finkenstein and Reuss, the two Treskows were also dead -and buried; and that after the battle one squadron had been formed out -of the three squadrons of his regiment that had been in action, and -one regiment out of the two dragoon regiments that had been engaged. -He spoke very modestly about that gallant deed. “We had to charge,” he -said, “in order to prevent our artillery being taken by the enemy.” -While I was talking to him some Saxon infantry passed by with a batch -of about 150 prisoners. I ascertained from the escort that after their -long march the Saxons had fought in the battle near Roncourt and Saint -Privat. Once they had charged with the bayonet and the butt ends of -their rifles. They had lost a good many officers, including General -Krausshaar. - -As I entered the room that evening at tea time the Chief said: “How are -you, doctor?” - -“I thank your Excellency, quite well.” - -“Have you seen something of what has been going on?” - -“Yes, your Excellency, the battle-field near Vionville.” - -“It is a pity you were not with us to share our adventures on the 18th.” - -The Chancellor then went on to give us a full account of his -experiences during the last hours of the battle and the following -night. I shall give these and other particulars later on, as I heard -them from the Minister. Here I will only mention that the King had -ventured too far to the front, which Bismarck thought was not right. -Referring to our men, the American General Sheridan said: “Your -infantry is the best in the world; but it was wrong of your generals to -advance their cavalry as they did.” I may further mention that Bohlen -in the course of the conversation said to the Chancellor: “Did you hear -how the Bavarian muttered when the result seemed doubtful--‘Things look -bad! It’s a bad case!’--and was obviously delighted to think we were -going to be beaten?” The Bavarian referred to was Prince Luitpold. The -name of General Steinmetz then came up. The Chancellor said that he -was brave, but self-willed and excessively vain. Small and slight of -figure, when he came into the Diet he always stood near the President’s -chair so as to be noticed. He used to attract attention by pretending -to be very busy taking notes of what went on, as if he were following -the debate with great care. “He evidently thought the newspapers would -mention it, and praise his zeal. If I am not mistaken his calculation -proved correct.” - -On Monday, the 22nd of August, I wrote in my diary: “Called to the -Chief at 10.30 A.M. He asked first after my health and whether I also -had been attacked by dysentery. He had had a bad time of it the night -before. The Count down with dysentery! God save him from it! It would -be worse than the loss of a battle. Without him our whole cause would -be reduced to uncertainty and vacillation.” - -On the instructions of the Chief I sent the _Kölnische Zeitung_ the -translation of part of a confidential report according to which the -Emperor Alexander was favourably disposed towards the French. I also -wired to Berlin respecting the closing of some small telegraph offices -the officials of which were required for the field service. - -There is no longer any doubt that we shall retain Alsace and Metz, -with its environs, in case of a final victory over France. The -considerations that have led the Chancellor to this conclusion, and -which have already been discussed in an academic way in the English -press, are somewhat as follows: - -A war indemnity, however great it may be, would not compensate us for -the enormous sacrifices we have made. We must protect South Germany -with its exposed position against French attacks, and thus put an end -to the pressure exercised upon it by France during two centuries, -especially as this pressure has during the whole time greatly -contributed to German disorganisation and confusion. Baden, Würtemberg, -and the other south-western districts must not in future be threatened -by Strassburg and subject to attack from that point. This also applies -to Bavaria. Within 150 years the French have made war upon South-west -Germany more than a dozen times. Efforts were made in 1814 and 1815 -in a forbearing spirit to secure guarantees against a renewal of such -attacks. That forbearance, however, was without effect, and it would -now also remain fruitless. The danger lies in the incurable arrogance -and lust of power which is part of the French character, qualities that -might be abused by every ruler--not by any means by the Bonapartes -alone--for the purpose of attacking peaceful neighbours. Our protection -against this evil does not lie in vain attempts periodically to soothe -French susceptibilities, but rather in securing a well-defended -frontier. France, by repeatedly annexing German territory and all the -natural defences on our western frontier, has put herself in a position -to force her way into South Germany with a comparatively small force -before assistance can be brought from the north. Such invasions have -repeatedly occurred under Louis XIV. and his successor, as well as -under the Republic and the First Empire, and the sense of insecurity -obliges the German States to reckon constantly with France. That the -annexation of a piece of territory will produce bitter feelings amongst -the French is a matter of no consequence. Such feelings would exist in -any case, even without any cession of territory. Austria did not lose -an acre of soil in 1866, and yet what thanks have we had? Our victory -at Sadowa had already filled the French with hatred and vexation. How -much stronger must that sentiment be after our victories at Wörth and -Metz! Revenge for those defeats will continue to be the war cry in -Paris even without any annexation, and will spread to influential -circles in the provinces, just as the idea of revenge for Waterloo -was kept alive there for decades. An enemy who cannot be turned into -a friend by considerate treatment must be rendered thoroughly and -permanently harmless. Not the demolition, but the surrender, of the -eastern fortresses of France can alone serve our purpose. Whoever -desires disarmament must wish to see France’s neighbours adopt this -course, as France is the sole disturber of European peace, and will -remain so as long as she can. - -It is astonishing how freely this idea of the Chief’s now flows from -one’s pen. What looked like a miracle ten days ago seems now quite -natural and a matter of course. Perhaps the suggestion as to a German -Empire which is understood to have been mentioned during the visit of -the Crown Prince is also an idea of the same kind. Blessings follow -closely upon each other’s heels. We may now regard everything as -probable. - -At dinner the Minister complained of the excessive frugality with which -the principal officials of the Royal Household catered for the King’s -table. “There is seldom any champagne, and in the matter of food also -short commons is the rule. When I glance at the number of cutlets I -only take one, as I am afraid that otherwise somebody else would have -to go without.” These remarks, like similar hints given recently, were -intended for one or other of the gentlemen from the Court, with a view -to their being repeated in the proper quarter. The conversation then -turned on the improper, not to say disgraceful, manner in which the -French soldiers carried on the war. The Minister said they had killed -one of our officers near Mars la Tour (Finkenstein, I believe it was) -while he was sitting wounded by the roadside. One of the company -maintained that he had been shot, but another said that an examination -of the body by a doctor showed that the officer had been stabbed. The -Chief remarked that if he had to choose, he should prefer being stabbed -to being shot. - -Count Herbert has been brought in from the Field Hospital, and a bed -has been prepared for him on the floor in his father’s room. I was -talking to him to-day. His wound is painful, but up to the present it -does not appear to be dangerous. He is to return to Germany one of -these days, where he will remain until he has recovered. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - -COMMERCY--BAR LE DUC--CLERMONT EN ARGONNE - - -On Tuesday, August 23rd, we were to continue our journey westwards. -Sheridan and his companions were to accompany us or to follow without -delay. Regierungspräsident von Kühlwetter remained behind as Prefect; -Count Henckel went to Saargemund, and Count Renard, a huge figure -with a beard of corresponding amplitude, went to Nancy in a similar -capacity. Bamberger, the member of Parliament, visited us again. I -also noticed Herr Stieber on one occasion in the neighbourhood of the -house at the corner of the Rue Raugraf, and as I was walking about -the town to take a last look at the place before leaving, I saw the -fine-drawn, wrinkled, clean shaven face of Moltke, whom I had last seen -as he entered the Foreign Office in company with the Minister of War -five or six days before the declaration of hostilities. It seemed to -me that his features wore to-day an expression of perfect content and -satisfaction. - -On my return to the office I was much interested by a report of the -views recently expressed by Thiers as to the immediate future of -France. He regarded it as certain that in case of victory we should -retain Alsace. The defeat of Napoleon would be followed by the loss -of his throne. He would be succeeded for a few months by a Republic, -and then probably by one of the Orleans family, or perhaps by Leopold -of Belgium, who, according to the source from which our informant -obtained his news (one of Rothschild’s confidants), was known on the -best authority to be extremely ambitious. - -We left Pont à Mousson at 10 o’clock. In the villages along the road -the houses stood side by side as in a town. Most of them possessed -handsome municipal buildings and schools, and some had seemingly -ancient Gothic churches. On the other side of Gironville the road -passes a steep hill, with a wide prospect of the plain beneath. Here -we left the carriages in order to ease the load for the horses. The -Chancellor who drove at the head of our party with Abeken also got -out and walked for a quarter of an hour, his big boots reminding one -of pictures of the thirty years’ war. Moltke walked beside him; the -greatest strategist of our days striding along towards Paris on a -country road near the French frontier in company with the greatest -statesman of our time! - -After we had returned to the carriages we saw a number of soldiers to -the right putting up a telegraph line. Shortly after 2 o’clock we came -to Commercy, a bright little town with about 6,000 inhabitants. The -white blinds in the better class houses were for the most part drawn -down, as if the occupants did not wish to see the hated Prussians. The -people in blouses were more curious and less hostile. - -The Chief, together with Abeken and Keudell, took up their quarters -in the château of Count Macore de Gaucourt in the Rue des Fontaines, -where a Prince von Schwarzburg had lodged, and which was now occupied -by the lady of the house. Her husband was in the French army and was -accordingly with his regiment in the field. He was a very distinguished -gentleman, being descended from the old Dukes of Lorraine. There was -a pretty flower garden near the house, and behind it was a large -wooded park. I put up not far from the Minister’s quarters at No. 1 -Rue Heurtebise, where I had a friendly and obliging landlord and an -excellent fourpost bed. I called afterwards on the Chancellor, whom -I found in the garden, and asked if there was anything for me to do. -After thinking for a moment, he said there was, and an hour later I -provided work both for the Field Post and the new telegraph line. - -Amongst other things I wrote the following paragraph: “It is now quite -clear that the Princes of the Orleans family consider that their time -has come, as they expect to see the star of the Napoleons sink lower -and lower. In order to emphasise the fact that they are Frenchmen, they -have placed their swords in the present crisis at the service of their -country. The Orleans lost their throne in great part through their own -sluggishness and their indifference to the development of neighbouring -States. They would now appear determined to regain it by energy, and -to maintain their position by flattering French chauvinism, and love -of glory and universal dominion. Our work is not yet done. A decisive -victory is probable, but is not yet certain. The fall of Napoleon seems -near at hand, but it is not yet accomplished. Even should it occur, -could we, in view of the considerations already mentioned, rest content -with it and accept it as the sole result of our exertions, could we -feel confident of having attained our principal object, namely, to -secure peace with France for many years to come? No one can answer that -question in the affirmative. A peace with the Orleans on the French -throne would be still more a mockery than one with Napoleon, who must -already have had enough of ‘la gloire.’ Sooner or later we should be -again challenged by France, who probably would be then better prepared -and would have secured more powerful allies.” - -Three reserve army corps are to be formed in Germany. One, and the -strongest, near Berlin; one on the Rhine; and a third at Glogau in -Silesia, in consequence of the equivocal attitude of Austria. That -would be a purely defensive measure. The troops on the Rhine are to -be commanded by the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, those near Berlin by -General von Canstein, and those at Glogau by General von Löwenfeld. - -Towards evening the military band played before the residence of the -King, the street urchins holding their notes for the musicians in the -friendliest possible manner. The King had also stopped at Commercy -during the war against the First Napoleon. - -Counts Waldersee and Lehndorff, and Lieutenant-General von Alvensleben -(from Magdeburg) were amongst the Chief’s guests at dinner. Alvensleben -told us the story of a so-called “Marl-Major” who was accustomed to -attribute all sorts of occurrences to geognostic causes. He reasoned -somewhat in this style: “It follows from the character and conduct of -the Maid of Orleans that she could only have been born on a fertile -marly soil, that she was fated to gain a victory in a limestone -country, and to die in a sandstone district.” - -Speaking of the barbarous way in which the French conducted the war, -Alvensleben said that they had also fired upon a flag of truce at -Toul. On the other hand, an officer who for a joke rode along the -glacis had a friendly chat with the gentlemen on the walls. The -question whether it would be possible to take Paris by storm in spite -of its fortifications was answered in the affirmative by the military -guests. General Alvensleben said: “A great city of that kind cannot -be successfully defended if it is attacked by a sufficiently numerous -force.” Count Waldersee wished to “see Babel utterly destroyed,” and -brought forward arguments in favour of that measure with which I was -immensely pleased. The Minister, however, replied: “Yes, that would be -a very good thing, but it is impossible for many reasons. One of these -is that numbers of Germans in Cologne and Frankfurt have considerable -sums invested there.” - -The conversation then turned upon our conquests in France and those -still to be made. Alvensleben was in favour of keeping the country up -to the Marne. Bismarck had another idea, which, however, he seemed to -think it impossible to realise. “My ideal would be,” he said, “a kind -of German colony, a neutral State of eight or ten million inhabitants, -free from the conscription and whose taxes should flow to Germany so -far as they were not required for domestic purposes. France would thus -lose a district from which she draws her best soldiers, and would be -rendered harmless. In the rest of France no Bourbon, no Orleans, and -probably no Bonaparte, neither Lulu (the Prince Imperial) nor the fat -Jerome, nor the old one. I did not wish for war in connection with the -Luxemburg affair, as I knew that it would lead to six others. But we -must now put an end to all this. However, we must not sell the bear’s -skin before we have killed it. I confess I am superstitious in that -respect.” “Never mind,” said Count Waldersee, “our bear is already -badly hit.” - -The Chief then again referred to the royal table and to the frugal -manner in which food was doled out to the guests, his remarks being -probably intended for Count Lehndorff, who was expected to repeat them. -“We had cutlets there recently, and I could not take two, as there was -only one apiece for us. Rabbit followed, and I debated with myself -whether I should take a second portion, although I could easily have -managed four. At length hunger overcame my politeness, and I seized a -second piece, though I am sure I was robbing somebody else.” - -The Chancellor then went on to speak of his sons. “I hope,” he said, “I -shall be able to keep at least one of my youngsters--I mean Herbert, -who is on his way to Germany. He got to feel himself quite at home in -camp. Formerly he was apt to be haughty, but as he lay wounded at Pont -à Mousson he was almost more friendly with the common troopers who -visited him than with the officers.” - -At tea we were told that in 1814 the King had his quarters in the -same street where he now lives, next door to the house he occupies at -present. The Chief seems to have spoken to him to-day about decorating -Bavarian soldiers with the Iron Cross. The Minister said: “My further -plan of campaign for his Majesty is that part of his escort should be -sent on ahead. The country must be scoured by a company to the right -and left of the road, and the Royal party must remain together. Pickets -must be posted at stated intervals. The King approved when I told him -that this had been done also in 1814. The Sovereigns did not drive on -that occasion, but went on horseback, and Russian soldiers, twenty -paces apart, lined the whole route.” Somebody suggested the possibility -that peasants or franctireurs might fire at the King. “Certainly,” -added the Chief, “and what makes it so important a point is that the -personage in question, if he is ill or wounded or otherwise out of -sorts, has only to say ‘Go back!’ and we must all of us go back.” - -We left Commercy next day at noon, passing several military detachments -and a number of encampments on our way. The measures of precaution -mentioned by the Chief had been adopted. We were preceded by a squadron -of uhlans and escorted by the _Stabswache_, which formed a bright -picture of many colours, being recruited from the various cavalry -regiments, such as green, red, and blue hussars, Saxon and Prussian -dragoons, &c. The carriages of the Chancellor’s party followed close -behind those of the King’s. For a long time we did not come across -any villages. Then we passed through St. Aubin, and soon after came -to a milestone by the roadside with the words “Paris 241 kilometres,” -so that we were only a distance of some thirty-two German miles from -Babel. We afterwards passed a long line of transport carts belonging -to the regiments of King John of Saxony, the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., -which showed that we were now in the district occupied by the Crown -Prince’s army. - -Shortly afterwards we entered the small town of Ligny, which was -thronged with Bavarian and other soldiers. We waited for about -three-quarters of an hour in the market-place, which was crowded -with all sorts of conveyances, while the Chief paid a visit to the -Crown Prince. On our starting once more we met further masses of blue -Bavarian infantry, some light horse collected round their camp fires, -then a second squadron with a herd of cattle guarded by soldiers, and -finally a third larger encampment within a circle of baggage waggons. - -Bar le Duc, the largest town in which we have stayed up to the -present, may have a population of some 15,000. The streets and squares -presented a lively picture as we drove through, and we caught glimpses -of curious female faces watching us through the blinds. On the arrival -of the King the Bavarian band played “Heil dir im Siegerkranz.” He took -up his quarters in the house occupied by the local branch of the Bank -of France, in the Rue de la Banque. The Chancellor and his party lodged -on the other side of the street, in the house of a M. Pernay, who had -gone off leaving an old woman in charge. - -Dr. Lauer, the King’s physician, dined with the Minister that evening. -The Chief was very communicative as usual, and appeared to be in -particularly good humour. He renewed his complaints as to the “short -commons” at the royal table, evidently intending the doctor to repeat -them to Count Puckler or Perponcher. During his visit at Ligny he had -to take breakfast, which he said was excellent, with the Crown Prince -and the Princes and chief officers of his suite. He had a seat near the -fire, however, which was not quite to his taste, and otherwise it was -in many ways less comfortable than in his own quarters. “There were too -many Princes there for an ordinary mortal to be able to find a place. -Amongst them was Frederick the Gentle (Friedrich der Sachte--Frederick -VIII. of Schleswig-Holstein). He wore a Bavarian uniform, so that -I hardly knew him at first. He looked somewhat embarrassed when he -recognised me.” We also gathered from what the Chief said that Count -Hatzfeldt was to act as a kind of Prefect while we remained here, a -position for which probably his thorough knowledge of French and of -the habits of the country had recommended him. We also heard that the -headquarters might remain here for several days,--“as at Capua,” added -the Count, laughing. - -Before tea some articles were despatched to Germany, including one -on the part played by the Saxons at Gravelotte, which the Chancellor -praised repeatedly. - -By way of change I will here again quote from my diary:-- - -_Thursday, August 25th._--Took a walk early this morning in the upper, -and evidently the older, part of the town. The shops are almost all -open. The people answer politely when we ask to be shown the way. Not -far from our quarters there is an old stone bridge over the river -which was unquestionably built before Lorraine and the Duchy of Bar -belonged to France. Towards 9 o’clock the Bavarians began their -march through the town, passing in front of the King’s quarters. -More French spectators had collected on both sides of the street -than was quite comfortable for us. For hours together light horse -with green uniforms and red facings, dark blue cuirassiers, lancers, -artillery and infantry, regiment after regiment marched before the -Commander-in-Chief of the German forces. As they passed the King the -troops cheered lustily, the cavalry swinging their sabres, and the foot -soldiers lifting up their right hands. The colours were lowered before -the Sovereign, the cavalry trumpets blew an ear-splitting fanfare, -while the infantry bands played stirring airs, one of them giving the -beautiful Hohenfriedberg march. First came General von Hartmann’s Army -Corps, followed by that of Von der Tann, who afterwards took breakfast -with us. Who could have thought, immediately after the war of 1866, or -even three months ago, of the possibility of such a scene? - -Wrote several articles for post and others for the wire. Our people -are pressing forward rapidly. The vanguards of the German columns -are already between Châlons and Epernay. The formation of three -reserve armies in Germany, which has been already mentioned, began -a few days ago. The neutral Powers raise some objections to our -intended annexation of French territory for the purpose of securing -an advantageous western frontier, especially England, who up to the -present has shown a disposition to tie our hands. The reports from St. -Petersburg appear to be more favourable, the Tsar being well disposed -to us, although he by no means unreservedly accepts the proposed -measures, while we are assured of the active sympathy of the Grand -Duchess Hélène. We hold fast to our intention to enforce the cession -of territory, that intention being based upon the necessity of at -length securing South Germany from French attack and thus rendering it -independent of French policy. When our intentions are made public they -will certainly be energetically endorsed by the national sentiment, -which it will be difficult to oppose. - -It is reported that a variety of revolting acts have been committed by -the bands of franctireurs that are now being formed. Their uniform is -such that they can hardly be recognised as soldiers, and the badges by -which they are distinguished can be easily laid aside. One of these -young fellows lies in a ditch near a wood, apparently sunning himself, -while a troop of cavalry rides by. When they have passed he takes a -rifle which has been concealed in a bush, fires at them and runs into -the wood. Knowing the way he again appears a little further on as a -harmless peasant. I am inclined to think that these are not defenders -of their country but rather assassins who should be strung up without -ceremony whenever they are caught. - -Count Seckendorf, of the Crown Prince’s staff, was the Chief’s guest at -dinner. The Augustenburger (Frederick VIII. of Schleswig-Holstein), who -has joined the Bavarians, was spoken of, and not to his advantage.... -(The opinions expressed were practically identical with those given in -a letter which I received a few months later from a patriotic friend, -Herr Noeldeke, who lived in Kiel at that time as a professor. He wrote: -“We all know that he was not born for heroic deeds. He cannot help -that. If he waits persistently for his inheritance to be restored to -him by some miraculous means, that is a family trait. But he might -at least have made an effort to appear heroic. Instead of loafing -around with the army he might have led a company or a battalion of the -soldiers whom at one time he was nearly calling his own,--or for my -part he might have led Bavarians. In all probability the result would -not have been very remarkable, but at any rate he would have shown his -good will.”) - -Reference was made to the rumour that the Bavarian battalions did not -appear particularly anxious to advance at the battle of Wörth (or was -it Weissenburg?), and that Major von Freiberg called upon them to show -themselves equal to “those gallant Prussians.” Seckendorf, if I am not -mistaken, confirmed this report. On the other hand, he denied that -the Crown Prince had ordered treacherous French peasants to be shot. -He had, on the contrary, acted with great leniency and forbearance, -especially towards unmannerly French officers. - -Count Bohlen, who is always ready with amusing anecdotes and flashes of -fun, said: “On the 18th von Breintz’s battery was subjected to such a -heavy fire that in a short time nearly all his horses and most of his -men lay dead or wounded. As he was mustering the survivors, the captain -remarked, ‘A very fine fight, is it not?’” - -The Chief said: “Last night I asked the sentry at the door how he was -off for food, and I found that the man had had nothing to eat for -twenty-four hours. I went to the kitchen and brought him a good chunk -of bread, at which he seemed highly pleased.” - -Hatzfeldt’s appointment as Prefect led to the mention of other Prefects -and Commissaries _in spe_. Doubt having been expressed as to the -capacity of some of them, the Minister remarked: “Our officials in -France may commit a few blunders, but they will be soon forgotten if -the administration in general is conducted energetically.” - -The conversation having turned on the telegraph lines which were being -so rapidly erected in our rear, somebody told the following story. -The workmen who found that their poles were stolen and their wires -cut, asked the peasants to keep guard over them during the night. The -latter, however, refused to do this, although they were offered payment -for it. At length they were promised that the name of each watchman -should be painted upon every pole. This speculation on French vanity -succeeded. After that the fellows in the long nightcaps kept faithful -watch, and no further damage was done. - -_Friday, August 26th._--We are to move forward to Saint Ménehould, -where our troops have captured 800 mobile guards. Early in the day I -wrote an article about the franctireurs, dealing in detail with the -false view which they take of what is permissible in war. - -We moved forward on the 26th, not to Saint Ménehould, however, -which was still unsafe, being infested by franctireurs and mobile -guards, but to Clermont en Argonne, where we arrived at 7 o’clock -in the evening. On our way we passed through several rather large -villages with handsome old churches. For the last couple of hours -military policemen were stationed along the road at intervals of about -200 paces. The houses, which were built of grey sandstone and not -whitewashed, stood close together. The whole population shuffled about -in clumsy wooden shoes, and the features of the men and women, of whom -we saw great numbers standing before the doors, were, so far as I could -observe in a passing glance, almost invariably ugly. Probably the -people thought it necessary to remove the prettier girls to a place of -safety out of the way of the German birds of prey. - -We met some Bavarian troops with a line of transport waggons. The -troops loudly cheered the King, and afterwards the Chancellor. Later -on we overtook three regiments of infantry, some hussars, uhlans, and -a Saxon commissariat detachment. Near a village, which was called -Triaucourt if I am not mistaken, we met a cartful of franctireurs who -had been captured by our people. Most of these young fellows hung -their heads, and one of them was weeping. The Chief stopped and spoke -to them. What he said did not appear to please them particularly. An -officer of higher rank who came over to the carriage of the Councillors -and was treated to a friendly glass of cognac told us that these -fellows or comrades of theirs had on the previous day treacherously -shot a captain or major of the uhlans, named Von Fries or Friesen. On -being taken prisoners they had not behaved themselves like soldiers, -but had run away from their escort. The cavalry and rifles, however, -arranged a kind of battue in the vineyards, so that some of them were -again seized, while others were shot or cut down. It was evident that -the war was becoming barbarous and inhuman, owing to these guerilla -bands. Our soldiers were prejudiced against them from the beginning, -even apart from the possibility of their lying treacherously in ambush, -as they looked upon them as busybodies who were interfering in what was -not their business, and as bunglers who did not understand their work. - -We took up our residence at Clermont in the town schoolhouse in the -main street, the King’s quarters being over the way. On our arrival, -the Grande Rue was full of carts and carriages, and one saw here and -there a few Saxon rifles. While Abeken and I were visiting the church -we could hear in the stillness the steady tramp of the troops and their -hurrahs as they marched past the King’s quarters. - -On our return we were told that the Minister had left word that we -were to dine with him in the Hôtel des Voyageurs. We found a place at -the Chief’s table in a back room of the hotel, which was full of noise -and tobacco smoke. Amongst the guests was an officer with a long black -beard, who wore the Geneva cross on his arm. This was Prince Pless. He -said that the captured French officers at Pont à Mousson had behaved in -an insolent manner, and had spent the whole night drinking and playing -cards. A general had insisted that he was entitled to have a separate -carriage, and been very obstreperous when his demand was naturally -rejected. We then went on to speak of the franctireurs and their odious -modes of warfare. The Minister confirmed what I had already heard from -Abeken, namely, that he had spoken very sharply to the prisoners we had -met in the afternoon. “I told them, ‘_Vous serez tous pendus,--vous -n’êtes pas des soldats, vous êtes des assassins!_’ On my saying this -one of them began to howl.” We have already seen that the Chancellor is -anything but unfeeling, and further proof of this will be given later -on. - -In our quarters the Chief’s chamber was on the first floor, Abeken, I -believe, having a back room on the same landing. The remainder of us -were lodged on the second floor in a dormitory or kind of hall which -at first only contained two chairs and two bedsteads with mattresses -but without quilts. The night was bitterly cold, and I only with my -waterproof to cover me. Still it was quite endurable, especially when -one fell asleep thinking of the poor soldiers who have to lie outside -in the muddy fields. - -In the morning we were busy rearranging our apartment to suit our -needs. Without depriving it of its original character we turned it -into an office and dining-room. Theiss’s cleverness conjured up a -magnificent table out of a sawing bench and a baker’s trough, a -barrel, a small box and a door which we took off its hinges. This work -of art served as breakfast and dining table for the Chancellor of -the Confederation and ourselves, and in the intervals between those -meals was used as a desk by the Councillors and Secretaries, who -neatly committed to paper and reproduced in the form of despatches, -instructions, telegrams, and newspaper articles the pregnant ideas -which the Count thought out in our midst. The scarcity of chairs -was to a certain extent overcome by requisitioning a bench from the -kitchen, while some of the party contented themselves with boxes as -seats. Wine bottles that had been emptied by the Minister served -as candlesticks--experience proved that champagne bottles were the -fittest for this purpose and as a matter of fact good wax candles -burned as brightly in these as in a silver chandelier. It was more -difficult to secure the necessary supply of water for washing, and -sometimes it was hard even to get enough for drinking purposes, the -soldiers having during the last two days almost drained the wells for -themselves and their horses. Only one of our party lamented his lot -and grumbled at these and other slight discomforts. The rest of us, -including the far-travelled Abeken, accepted them all with good humour, -as welcome and characteristic features of our expedition. - -The office of the Minister of War, or rather of the general staff, was -on the ground floor, where Fouriere and a number of soldiers sat at the -desks and rostrums in the two schoolrooms. The walls were covered with -maps, &c., and with mottoes, one of which was particularly applicable -to the present bad times: “_Faites-vous une étude de la patience, et -sachez céder par raison._” - -The Chief came in while we were taking our coffee. He was in a bad -temper, and asked why the proclamation threatening to punish with death -a number of offences by the population against the laws of war had not -been posted up. On his instructions I inquired of Stieber, who told me -that Abeken had handed over the proclamation to the general staff, and -that he (Stieber), as director of the military police, could only put -up such notices when they came from his Majesty. - -On going to the Chancellor’s room to inform him of the result of my -inquiries, I found that he was little better off than myself in the -way of sleeping accommodation. He had passed the night on a mattress -on the floor with his revolver by his side, and he was working at a -little table which was hardly large enough to rest his two elbows on. -The apartment was almost bare of furniture and there was not a sofa -or armchair, &c. He, who for years past had so largely influenced the -history of the world, and in whose mind all the great movements of our -time were concentrated and being shaped anew, had hardly a place on -which to lay his head; while stupid Court parasites rested from their -busy idleness in luxurious beds, and even Monsieur Stieber managed to -provide for himself a more comfortable resting-place than our Master. - -On this occasion I saw a letter that had fallen into our hands. It came -from Paris, and was addressed to a French officer of high rank. From -this communication it appeared that little hope was entertained of -further successful resistance, and just as little of the maintenance of -the dynasty. The writer did not know what to expect or desire for the -immediate future. The choice seemed to lie between a Republic without -republicans, and a Monarchy without monarchists. The republicans were -a feeble set and the monarchists were too selfish. There was great -enthusiasm about the army, but nobody was in a hurry to join it and -assist in repelling the enemy. - -The Chief again said that attention should be called to the services -of the Saxons at Gravelotte. “The small black fellows should in -particular be praised. Their own newspapers have expressed themselves -very modestly, and yet the Saxons were exceptionally gallant. Try to -get some details of the excellent work they did on the 18th.” - -They were very busy in the office in the meantime. Councillors and -Secretaries were writing and deciphering at full pressure, sealing -despatches at the lights stuck into the champagne-bottle-candlesticks, -and all around portfolios and documents, waterproofs and shoe-brushes, -torn papers and empty envelopes, were strewn about in picturesque -confusion. Orderlies, couriers and attendants came and went. Every -one was talking at the same time, and was too occupied to pay the -least attention to his neighbours. Abeken was particularly active in -rushing about between the improvised table and the messengers, and -his voice was louder than ever. I believe that this morning his ready -hand turned out a fresh document every half hour; at least, one heard -him constantly pushing back his chair and calling a messenger. In -addition to all this noise came the incessant tramp, tramp, tramp of -the soldiers, the rolling of the drums and the rattle of the carts over -the pavement. In this confusion it was no light task to collect one’s -thoughts and to carry out properly the instructions received, but with -plenty of good will it could be done. - -After dinner, at which the Chancellor and some of the Councillors were -not present, as they dined with the King, I took a walk with Willisch -to the chapel of St. Anne on the top of the hill. There we found a -number of our countrymen, soldiers belonging to the Freiberg Rifle -Battalion, at supper under a tree. They have been engaged in the battle -of the 18th. I tried to obtain some particulars of the fight, but could -not get much more out of them than that they had given it with a will -to the Frenchmen. - -By the side of the chapel a pathway led between a row of trees to a -delightful prospect, whence we could see at our feet the little town, -and beyond it to the north and east an extensive plain, with stubble -fields, villages, steeples, groups of trees and stretches of wood, -and to the south and west a forest that spread out to the horizon, -changing from dark green to the misty blue of the far distance. This -plain is intersected by three roads, one of which goes direct to -Varennes. On this road not far from the town a Bavarian regiment was -stationed, whose camp fires added a picturesque note to the scene. -In the distance to the right was a wooded hill with the village of -Faucoix, while the small town of Montfaucon was visible further off. -The second road, more towards the east, leads to Verdun. Still further -to the right, not far from a camp of Saxon troops, was the road to Bar -le Duc, on which we noticed a detachment of soldiers. We caught the -glint of their bayonets in the evening sunshine and heard the sound of -their drums softened by the distance. - -Here we remained a good while gazing at this pleasing picture, which in -the west was glowing with the light of the setting sun, and watching -the shadows of the mountain spread slowly over the fields until all -was dark. On our way back we again looked in at the church of St. -Didier, in which some Hessians were now quartered. They lay on straw -in the choir and before the altar, and lit their pipes at the lamps -which burned before the sanctuary--without, however, intending any -disrespect, as they were decent, harmless fellows. - -On Sunday, August 28th, we were greeted with a dull grey sky and a soft -steady rain that reminded one of the weather experienced by Goethe -not far from here in September, 1792, during the days preceding and -following the artillery engagement at Valmy. At the Chief’s request I -took General Sheridan a copy of the _Pall Mall Gazette_, and afterwards -tried to hunt up some Saxons who could give me particulars of the -battle of the 18th. At length I found an officer of the Landwehr, a -landed proprietor named Fuchs-Nordhof, from Moeckern, near Leipzig. -He was not able to add much to what I knew. The Saxons had fought -principally at Sainte Marie aux Chênes and Saint Privat, and protected -the retreat of the guards, who had fallen into some disorder. The -Freiberg Rifles took the position held by the French at the point of -the bayonet without firing a shot. The Leipzig Regiment (the 107th) -in particular had lost a great many men and nearly all its officers. -That was all he could tell me, except that he confirmed the news as to -Krausshaar’s death. - -When the Minister got up we were again provided with plenty of work. -Our cause was making excellent progress. I was in a position to -telegraph that the Saxon cavalry had routed the 12th Chasseurs at -Voussières and Beaumont. I was informed (and was at liberty to state) -that we held to our determination to compel France to a cession of -territory, and that we should conclude peace on no other conditions. - -The arguments in support of this decision were given in the following -article which was sanctioned by the Chief:-- - -“Since the victories of Mars la Tour and Gravelotte the German forces -have been constantly pressing forward. The time would, therefore, -appear to have come for considering the conditions on which Germany can -conclude peace with France. In this matter we must be guided neither -by a passion for glory or conquest, nor by that generosity which is -frequently recommended to us by the foreign press. Our sole object must -be to guarantee the security of South Germany from fresh attacks on the -part of France such as have been renewed more than a dozen times from -the reign of Louis XIV. to our own days, and which will be repeated -as often as France feels strong enough. The enormous sacrifices, in -blood and treasure which the German people have made in this war, -together with all our present victories, would be in vain if the power -of the French were not weakened for attack and the defensive strength -of Germany were not increased. Our people have a right to demand that -this shall be done. Were we to content ourselves with a change of -dynasty and an indemnity the position of affairs would not be improved, -and there would be nothing to prevent this war leading to a number of -others, especially as the present defeat would spur on the French to -revenge. France with her comparatively great wealth would soon forget -the indemnity, and any new dynasty would, in order to fortify its own -position, endeavour to secure a victory over us and thus compensate -for the present misfortunes of the country. Generosity is a highly -respectable virtue, but as a rule in politics it secures no gratitude. -In 1866 we did not take a single inch of ground from the Austrians, but -have we received any thanks in Vienna for this self-restraint? Do they -not feel a bitter longing for revenge simply because they have been -defeated? Besides the French already bore us a grudge for our victory -at Sadowa, though it was not won over them but over another foreign -Power. Whether we now generously forego a cession of territory or not, -how will they feel towards us after the victories of Wörth and Metz, -and how will they seek revenge for their own defeat? - -“The consequences of the other course adopted in 1814 and 1815, when -France was treated with great consideration, prove it to have been bad -policy. If at that time the French had been weakened to the extent -which the interests of general peace required, the present war would -not have been necessary. - -“The danger does not lie in Bonapartism, although the latter must -rely chiefly upon Chauvinist sentiment. It consists in the incurable -arrogance of that portion of the French people which gives the tone to -the whole country. This trait in the French national character, which -will guide the policy of every dynasty, whatever name it may bear, and -even of a Republic, will constantly lead to encroachments upon peaceful -neighbours. Our victories, to bear fruit, must lead to an actual -improvement of our frontier defences against this restless neighbour. -Whoever wishes to see the diminution of military burdens in Europe, or -desires such a peace as would permit thereof, must look not to moral -but to material guarantees as a solid and permanent barrier against -the French lust of conquest; in other words, it should in future be -made as difficult as possible for France to invade South Germany -with a comparatively small force, and even in peace to compel the -South Germans, through the apprehension of such attack, to be always -reckoning with the French Government. Our present task is to secure -South Germany by providing it with a defensible frontier. To fulfil -that task is to liberate Germany, that is to complete the work of the -War of Liberation in 1813 and 1814. - -“The least, therefore, that we can demand and that the German people, -and particularly our comrades across the Main, can accept is, the -cession of the French gateways into Germany, namely Strassburg and -Metz. It would be just as short-sighted to expect any permanent -peace from the mere demolition of these fortresses as to trust in -the possibility of winning over the French by considerate treatment. -Besides, it must not be forgotten that this territory which we now -demand was originally German and in great part still remains German, -and that its inhabitants will perhaps in time learn to feel that they -belong to one race with ourselves. - -“We may regard a change of dynasty with indifference. An indemnity -will only temporarily weaken France financially. What we require is -increased security for our frontiers. This is only attainable, however, -by changing the two fortresses that threaten us into bulwarks for our -protection. Strassburg and Metz must cease to be points of support for -French attacks and be transformed into German defences. - -“Whoever sincerely desires a general European peace and disarmament, -and wants to see the ploughshare replace the sword, must first wish to -see the eastern neighbours of France secure peace for themselves, as -France is the sole disturber of public tranquillity and will so remain -as long as she has the power.” - - - - - CHAPTER V - -WE TURN TOWARDS THE NORTH--THE CHANCELLOR OF THE CONFEDERATION AT - REZONVILLE--THE BATTLE AND BATTLEFIELD OF BEAUMONT - - -_Sunday, August 28th._--At tea we receive an important piece of news. -We ourselves and the whole army (with the exception of that portion -which remains behind for the investment of Metz) are to alter our line -of march, and instead of going westwards in the direction of Châlons, -we are to turn northwards, following the edge of the Argonne forest -towards the Ardennes and the Meuse district. Our next halt will, it -is believed, be at Grand Pré. This move is made for the purpose of -intercepting Marshal MacMahon, who has collected a large force and is -marching towards Metz for the relief of Bazaine. - -We start at 10 o’clock on the 29th, passing through several villages -and occasionally by handsome châteaux and parks, a camp of Bavarian -soldiers, some line regiments, rifles, light horse and cuirassiers. -In driving through the small town of Varennes we notice the house -where Louis XVI. was arrested by the postman of Saint Ménehould. It -is now occupied by a firm of scythe manufacturers. The whole place is -full of soldiers, horse and foot, with waggons and artillery. After -extricating ourselves from this crowd of vehicles and men, we push -rapidly forward through villages and past other camps, until we reach -Grand Pré. Here the Chancellor takes up his quarters in the Grande -Rue, a little way from the market, the King lodging at an apothecary’s -not far off. The second section of the King’s suite, including Prince -Charles, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of -Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was quartered in the neighbouring village of -Juvin. I am billeted at a milliner’s opposite the Chief’s quarters. I -have a nice clean room, but my landlady is invisible. We saw a number -of French prisoners in the market-place on our arrival. I am informed -that an encounter with MacMahon’s army is expected to-morrow morning. - -At Grande Pré the Chief again showed that he never thought of the -possibility of an attempt being made to assassinate him. He walked -about in the twilight alone and without any constraint, going even -through narrow and lonely streets that offered special opportunities -for attack. I say this from personal experience, because I followed him -with my revolver at a little distance. It seemed to me possible that an -occasion might arise when I might be of assistance to him. - -On my hearing next morning that the King and the Chancellor were going -off together in order to be present at the great battue of the second -French army I thought of a favourite proverb of the Chief’s which he -repeated to me on his return from Rezonville:--“_Wer sich grün macht, -den fressen die Ziegen_,” and plucking up heart I begged him to take -me with him. He answered, “But if we remain there for the night what -will you do?” I replied, “That doesn’t matter, Excellency; I shall -know how to take care of myself.” “Well, then, come along!” said he, -laughing. The Minister took a walk in the market-place while I, in high -good humour, fetched my travelling bag, waterproof and faithful diary. -On his return he entered his carriage and motioned to me to join him, -when I took my place at his side. One must have luck to secure such a -piece of good fortune, and one must also follow it up. - -We started shortly after 9 o’clock. At first we retraced our steps -along yesterday’s road. Then to the left through vineyards and past -several villages in a hilly district. We met some parks of artillery -and troops on the march or resting by the way. About 11 o’clock -we reached the little town of Busancy, where we stopped in the -market-place to wait for the King. - -The Chief was very communicative. He complained that he was -frequently disturbed at his work by persons talking outside his door, -“particularly as some of the gentlemen have such loud voices. An -ordinary inarticulate noise does not annoy me. I am not put out by -music or the rattle of waggons, but what irritates me is a conversation -in which I can distinguish the words. I then want to know what it is -about, and so I lose the thread of my own ideas.” - -He then pointed out to me that when officers saluted our carriage, it -was not for me to return the salute. He himself was not saluted as -Minister or Chancellor, but solely as a general officer, and soldiers -might feel offended if a civilian seemed to think that the salute was -also intended for him. - -He was afraid that nothing in particular would occur that day, an -opinion which was shared by some Prussian artillery officers who were -standing by their guns immediately opposite Busancy, and with whom he -spoke. “It will be just as it was occasionally when I was out wolf -shooting in the Ardennes. After wandering about for days in the snow, -we used to hear that a track had been discovered, but when we followed -it up the wolf had disappeared. It will be the same with the French -to-day.” - -After expressing a hope that he might meet his second son, respecting -whom he repeatedly inquired of officers along the route, the Minister -added:--“You can see from his case how little nepotism there is in -our army. He has already served twelve months and has obtained no -promotion, while others are recommended for the rank of ensign in -little more than a month.” I took the liberty to ask how that was -possible. “I do not know,” he answered. “I have made close inquiries -as to whether he had been guilty of any slight breaches of discipline; -but no, his conduct has been quite satisfactory, and in the engagement -at Mars la Tour he charged as gallantly on the French square as any -of his comrades. On the return ride he dragged with him out of the -fight two dragoons who had been unhorsed, grasping one of them in each -hand.[5] It is certainly well to avoid favouritism, but it is bitter to -be slighted.” - -A few weeks later both his sons were promoted to the rank of officers. - -Subsequently, amongst many other things, the Chief once more gave me -an account of his experiences on the evening of the 18th of August. -They had sent their horses to water, and were standing near a battery -which had opened fire. This was not returned by the French, but, he -continued, “while we thought their cannon had been dismounted, they -were for the last hour concentrating their guns and mitrailleuses for a -last great effort. Suddenly they began a fearful fire with shells and -smaller projectiles, filling the whole air with an incessant crashing -and roaring, howling and whistling. We were cut off from the King, -whom Roon had sent to the rear. I remained by the battery, and thought -that if we had to retire I could jump on to the next ammunition cart. -We expected that this attack would be supported by French infantry, -who might take me prisoner, even if I were to treat them to a steady -revolver fire. I had six bullets ready for them, and another half-dozen -in reserve. At length our horses returned, and I started off to join -the King. That, however, was jumping from the frying pan into the fire. -The shells that passed over our heads fell exactly in the space across -which we had to ride. Next morning we saw the pits which they dug in -the ground. It was therefore necessary for the King to retire still -further to the rear. I told him this after the officers had mentioned -it to me. It was now night. The King said he was hungry, and wished to -have something to eat. Drink was to be had from one of the sutlers, -wine and bad rum, but there was nothing to eat except dry bread. At -last they managed to hunt up a couple of cutlets in the village, just -enough for the King, but nothing for his companions, so that I was -obliged to look out for something else. His Majesty wished to sleep -in the carriage between dead horses and severely wounded soldiers. -Later on he found shelter in a miserable hut. The Chancellor of the -Confederation was obliged to seek cover elsewhere. Leaving the heir of -one of our mighty German potentates (the young Hereditary Grand Duke -of Mecklenburg) to keep watch over the carriage and see that nothing -was stolen, I went with Sheridan on a reconnoitring tour in search of -a sleeping place. We came to a house which was still burning, but that -was too hot for us. I inquired at another, it was full of wounded; at -a third, and got the same answer, and still a fourth was also full of -wounded. Here, however, I refused to budge. I saw a top window in which -there was no light, and asked who was there. ‘Only wounded soldiers,’ -was the reply. ‘Well, we are just going up to see,’ I said, and marched -upstairs. There we found three beds with good and tolerably clean straw -mattresses, where we took up our quarters and slept capitally.” - -When the Minister first told this story at Pont à Mousson, with less -detail, his cousin, Count Bismarck-Bohlen, added: “Yes, you fell asleep -immediately, as also did Sheridan, who rolled himself up in a white -linen sheet--where he found it I cannot imagine--and seemed to dream -of you all night, as I heard him murmur to himself several times, ‘O -dear Count!’” “Yes,” said the Minister, “and the Hereditary Grand -Duke, who took the affair in very good part, and was altogether a very -pleasant and amiable young gentleman.” “Moreover,” continued Bohlen, -“the best of it was that there really was no such scarcity of shelter. -In the meantime a fine country house had been discovered that had -been prepared for the reception of Bazaine, with good beds, excellent -wine, and I know not what besides, all first rate. The Minister of War -quartered himself there, and had a luxurious supper with his staff.” - -On the way to Busancy the Chancellor further said: “The whole day I had -nothing to eat but army bread and bacon fat. In the evening we got five -or six eggs. The others wanted them cooked, but I like them raw, and -so I stole a couple, and cracking the shells on the hilt of my sword, I -swallowed them, and felt much refreshed. Early next morning I had the -first warm food for thirty-six hours. It was only some pea-soup with -bacon, which I got from General Goeben, but I enjoyed it immensely.” - -The market-place at Busancy, a small country town, was crowded with -officers, hussars, uhlans, couriers, and all sorts of conveyances. -After a while Sheridan and Forsythe also arrived. At 11.30 the King -appeared, and immediately afterwards we heard the unexpected news -that the French were standing their ground. At about four kilometres -from Busancy we came to a height beneath which to the left and right -a small open valley lay between us and another height. Suddenly we -heard the muffled sound of a discharge in the distance. “Artillery -fire,” said the Minister. A little further on I saw two columns of -infantry stationed on the other side of a hollow to the left on a piece -of rising ground bare of trees. They had two guns which were being -fired. It was so far off however that one could hardly hear the report. -The Chief was surprised at the sharpness of my sight and put on his -glasses, which I for the first time learned were necessary to him when -he wished to see at a distance. Small white clouds like balloons at a -great height floated for three or four seconds above the hollow and -then disappeared in a flash. These were shrapnel shells. The guns must -have been German, and seemed to throw their shot from a declivity on -the other side of the hollow. Over this hollow was a wood, in front of -which I could observe several dark lines, perhaps French troops. Still -further off was the spur of a hill, with three or four large trees. -This, according to my map, was the village of Stonn, from which, as I -afterwards heard, the Emperor Napoleon watched the fight. - -The firing to the left soon ceased. Bavarian artillery, blue -cuirassiers, and green light horse, passed us on the road, going at -a trot. A little further on, just as we drove by a small thicket, -we heard a rattle, as of a slow and badly delivered volley. “A -mitrailleuse,” said Engel, turning round on the box. Not far off, at a -place where the Bavarian rifles were resting in the ditch by the road, -the Minister got on horseback in order to ride with the King, who was -ahead of us. We ourselves, after following the road for a time, turned -towards the right across a stubble field. The ground gradually rose -to a low height on which the King stood with the Chief and a number -of Princes, generals and other officers of high rank. I followed them -across the ploughed fields, and standing a little to one side I watched -the battle of Beaumont till nearly sunset. - -It began to grow dark. The King sat on a chair near which a straw -fire had been lit, as there was a strong wind. He was following the -course of the battle through a field-glass. The Chancellor, who was -similarly occupied, stood on a ridge, from which Sheridan also watched -the spectacle. It was now possible to catch the flash of the bursting -shells and the flames that were rising from the burning houses at -Beaumont. The French continued to retire rapidly, and the combatants -disappeared over the crest of the treeless height that closed the -horizon to the left behind the wood over the burning village. The -battle was won. - -It was growing dark when we returned towards Busancy, and when we -reached it it was surrounded by hundreds of small fires that threw the -silhouettes of men, horses, and baggage waggons into high relief. We -got down at the house of a doctor who lived at the end of the main -street, in which the King had also taken up his quarters. Those of our -party who had been left behind at Grand Pré had arrived before us. I -slept here on a straw mattress on the floor of an almost empty room, -under a coverlet which had been brought from the hospital in the town -by one of our soldiers. That, however, did not in the least prevent my -sleeping the sleep of the just. - -On Wednesday, August the 31st, between 9 and 10 A.M., the King and the -Chancellor drove out to visit the battle-field of the previous day. I -was again permitted to accompany the Minister. At first we followed the -road taken the day before through Bar de Busancy and Sommauthe. Between -these two villages we passed some squadrons of Bavarian uhlans, who -heartily cheered the King. Behind Sommauthe, which was full of wounded, -we drove through a beautiful wood that lay between that village and -Beaumont, where we arrived after 11 o’clock. King William and our -Chancellor then got on horseback and rode to the right over the fields. -I followed in the same direction on foot. The carriages went on to the -town, where they were to wait for us. - -The Chancellor remarked that the French had not offered a particularly -steady resistance yesterday, or shown much prudence in their -arrangements. “At Beaumont a battery of heavy artillery surprised them -in their camp in broad daylight. Horses were shot tethered, many of the -dead are in their shirt-sleeves, and plates are still lying about with -boiled potatoes, pots with half-cooked meat, and so forth.” - -During the drive the Chief came to speak of “people who have the King’s -ear and abuse his good nature,” thinking in the first place of the -“fat Borck, the holder of the King’s Privy Purse;” and afterwards -referring to Count Bernstorff, our then Ambassador in London, who, when -he gave up the Foreign Office in Berlin, “knew very well how to take -care of himself.” In fact, “he was so long weighing the respective -advantages of the two Embassies--London and Paris--that he delayed -entering upon his duties much longer than was decent or proper.” - -I ventured to ask what sort of a person Von der Goltz was, as one heard -such different opinions about him, and whether he really was a man of -importance and intellect as was maintained. “Intelligent? yes, in a -certain sense,” replied the Minister; “a quick worker, well informed, -but changeable in his views of men and things,--to-day in favour of -this man or this project, to-morrow for another and sometimes for the -very opposite. Then he was always in love with the Princesses to whose -Courts he was accredited, first with Amelia of Greece and then with -Eugénie. He believed that what I had the good fortune to carry through, -he, with his exceptional intelligence, could have also done and even -better. Therefore he was constantly intriguing against me, although -we had been good friends in our youth. He wrote letters to the King -complaining of me and warning his Majesty against me. That did not help -him much, as the King handed over the letters to me, and I replied -to them by reprimanding him. But in this respect he was persevering, -and continued to write indefatigably. He was very little liked by his -subordinates, indeed they actually detested him. On my visit to Paris -in 1862 I called upon him to report myself just as he had settled down -to a siesta. I did not wish to have him disturbed, but his secretaries -were evidently delighted that he should be obliged to get up, and one -of them immediately went in to announce me. It would have been so easy -for him to secure the good will and attachment of his people. It is -not difficult for an Ambassador, and I too would do it gladly. But as -a Minister one has no time, one has too many other things to think of -and to do. So I have had to adopt a more military style.” It will be -seen from this description that Von der Goltz was Arnim’s forerunner -and kindred spirit. - -The Minister went on to speak of Radowitz, saying he did not feel quite -certain whether it was dulness or treachery on Radowitz’s part that -was to blame for the diplomatic defeat at Olmütz. The army ought to -have been brought into line before Olmütz, but Radowitz had intrigued -against it. “I would leave it an open question whether he did so as -an Austrian ultramontane Jesuit, or as an impracticable dreamer who -thought he knew everything. Instead of looking to our armaments he -occupied the King with constitutional trifles, of mediæval follies, -questions of etiquette and such like. On one occasion we heard that -Austria had collected 80,000 men in Bohemia, and was buying great -numbers of horses. This was mentioned before the King in Radowitz’s -presence. He suddenly stepped forward, looking as if he knew much more -about it than anybody else, and said, ‘Austria has 22,493 men and 2,005 -horses in Bohemia,’ and then turned away, conscious that he had once -more impressed the King with a sense of his importance.” - -The King and the Chancellor first rode to the field where the heavy -artillery had been at work. I followed them after I had jotted down my -notes. This field lies about 800 to 1000 paces to the right of the road -that brought us here. In front of it towards the wood at the bottom of -the valley were some fields surrounded by hedges in which lay about a -thousand German dead, Thuringians of the 31st Regiment. The camp itself -presented a horrible appearance, all blue and red from the French dead, -most of them being killed by the shells of the 4th Corps, and fearfully -disfigured. - -The Chancellor, as he afterwards told me, noticed among some prisoners -in a quarry a priest who was believed to have fired at our men. “On my -charging him with having done so he denied it. ‘Take care,’ I said to -him, ‘for if it is proved against you, you will certainly be hanged.’ -In the meantime I gave instructions to remove his cassock.” Near the -church the King saw a wounded musketeer, with whom he shook hands, -although the man was rather tattered and dirty from the work of the -previous day, doubtless to the surprise of the French officers who were -present. The King asked him what his business was. He replied that he -was a Doctor of Philosophy. “Well, then, you will have learnt to bear -your wounds in a philosophical spirit,” said the King. “Yes,” answered -the musketeer, “I have already made up my mind to do so.” - -Near the second village we overtook some common soldiers, Bavarians, -who had broken down on the march, and were dragging themselves slowly -along in the burning sun. “Hullo, countryman!” called out the Minister -to one of these, “will you have some brandy?” “Why, certainly;” and -so would a second and a third, to judge from their looks. All three, -and a few more, after they had had a pull at the Minister’s flask -and at mine, received a decent cigar in addition. At the village of -Crehanges, where the princely personages of the second section of the -King’s suite were quartered, together with some gentlemen of the Crown -Prince’s retinue, the King ordered a lunch, to which Bismarck was also -invited. In the meantime I sat on a stone by the roadside and wrote -up my diary, and afterwards assisted the Dutch Ambulance corps, who -had erected a bright green tent for the wounded in the vicinity of the -village. When the Minister returned he asked me what I had been doing, -which I told him. “I would rather have been there than in the company -I was in,” he said, breathing deeply, and then quoted the line from -Schiller’s _Diver_, “_Unter Larven die einzige fühlende Brust_” (the -only feeling heart amongst all those masks). - -During the rest of the drive the conversation moved for a considerable -time in exalted regions, and the Chief readily gave me full information -in answer to my inquiries. I regret, however, that I cannot for various -reasons publish all I heard. - -A certain Thuringian Serene Highness appeared to be particularly -objectionable to him. He spoke of his “stupid self-importance as a -Prince, regarding me as _his_ Chancellor also;” of his empty head, and -his trivial conventional style of talk. “To some extent, however, that -is due to his education, which trained him to the use of such empty -phrases. Goethe is also partly to blame for that. The Queen has been -brought up much in the same style. One of the chairs in the Palace -would be taken to represent the Burgomaster of Apolda, who was coming -to present his homage. ‘Ah!’ she was taught to say, ‘very pleased to -see you, Herr Burgomaster!’ (Here the Chancellor leant his head a -little to one side, pouted his lips, and assumed a most condescending -smile.) ‘How are things going on in the good town of Apolda? In Apolda -you make socks and tobacco and such things, which do not require much -thinking or feeling.’” - -I ventured to ask how he now stood with the Crown Prince? -“Excellently,” he answered. “We are quite good friends since he has -come to recognise that I am not on the side of the French, as he had -previously fancied--I do not know on what grounds.” I remarked that -the day before the Crown Prince had looked very pleased. “Why should -he not be pleased?” replied the Count. “The Heir Apparent of one of -the most powerful kingdoms in the world, and with the best prospects. -He will be reasonable later on and allow his Ministers to govern more, -and not put himself too much forward, and in general he will get rid of -many bad habits that render old gentlemen of his trade sometimes rather -troublesome. For the rest, he is unaffected and straightforward; but -he does not care to work much, and is quite happy if he has plenty of -money and amusements, and if the newspapers praise him.” - -I took the liberty to ask further what sort of woman the Crown Princess -was, and whether she had much influence over her husband. “I think -not,” the Count said; “and as to her intelligence, she is a clever -woman; clever in a womanly way. She is not able to disguise her -feelings, or at least not always. I have cost her many tears, and she -could not conceal how angry she was with me after the annexations (that -is to say of Schleswig and Hanover). She could hardly bear the sight -of me, but that feeling has now somewhat subsided. She once asked me -to bring her a glass of water, and as I handed it to her she said to a -lady-in-waiting who sat near and whose name I forget, ‘He has cost me -as many tears as there is water in this glass.’ But that is all over -now.” - -Finally we descended from the sphere of the gods to that of ordinary -humanity. After I had referred to the Coburg-Belgian-English clique, -the conversation turned on the Augustenburger in his Bavarian uniform. -“He’s an idiot,” said the Chancellor. “He might have secured much -better terms. At first I did not want from him more than the smaller -Princes were obliged to concede in 1866. Thanks, however, to Divine -Providence and the pettifogging wisdom of Samwer, he would agree -to nothing. I remember an interview I had with him in 1864, in the -billiard-room near my study, which lasted until late in the night. I -called him ‘Highness’ for the first time, and was altogether specially -polite. When, however, I mentioned Kiel Harbour, which we wanted, he -remarked that that might mean something like a square mile, or perhaps -even several square miles, a remark to which I was of course obliged to -assent; and when he also refused to listen to our demands with regard -to the army, I assumed a different tone, and addressed him merely as -‘Prince.’ Finally, I told him quite coolly in Low German that we could -wring the necks of the chickens we had hatched. At Ligny he basely -tricked me the other day into shaking hands with him. I did not know -who the Bavarian general was who held out his hand to me, or I should -have gone out of his way.” - -After an unusually long drive up hill and down dale, we arrived at -7 o’clock at the small town or market-place of Vendresse, there the -Chancellor put up at the house of a Widow Baudelot, with the rest of -his party, who had already taken possession of their quarters. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - -SEDAN--BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON AT DONCHERY - - -On the 1st of September Moltke’s chase after the French in the Meuse -district was, from all we could hear, evidently approaching its close. -I had the good fortune to be present at it next day. After rising very -early in order to write up my diary from the hasty notes taken on the -previous day in the carriage and by the roadside at Chemery, I went to -the house of widow Baudelot. As I entered, a large cavalry detachment, -formed of five Prussian hussar regiments, green, brown, black and red, -rode past under the Chief’s window. These were to accompany the King -to a point near Sedan, whence he could witness the catastrophe which -was now confidently expected. When the carriage came and the Chancellor -appeared he looked about him. Seeing me he said, “Can you decipher, -doctor?” I answered, “Yes,” and he added, “Then get a cipher and come -along.” I did not wait to be asked twice. We started soon afterwards, -Count Bismarck-Bohlen this time occupying the seat next to the Minister. - -We first passed through Chemery and Chehery, halting in a stubble field -near a third village which lay in a hollow to the left of the road at -foot of a bare hillock. Here the King, with his suite of Princes, -generals, and courtiers, got on horseback, as did also the Chief, and -the whole party moved towards the crest of the height. The distant roar -of the cannon announced that the battle was in full progress. It was a -bright sunny day, with a cloudless sky. - -Leaving Engel in charge of the carriage I after a while followed the -horsemen, whom I found in a ploughed field from which one had an -extensive view of the district. Beneath was a deep wide valley, mostly -green, with patches of wood on the heights that surrounded it. The blue -stream of the Meuse flowed past a town of moderate size, the fortress -of Sedan. On the crest of the hill next us, at about the distance of -a rifle shot, is a wood, and there are also some trees to the left. -To the right in the foreground, which sloped obliquely, in a series -of steps as it were, towards the bottom of the valley, was stationed -a Bavarian battery, which kept up a sharp fire at and over the town. -Behind the battery were dark columns of infantry and cavalry. Still -farther to the right, from a hollow, rose a thick column of smoke. -It comes, we are told, from the burning village of Bazeilles. We are -only about an English mile in a beeline from Sedan, and in the clear -atmosphere one can easily distinguish the houses and churches. In the -distance, to the left and right, three or four villages, and beyond -them all towards the horizon, a range of hills covered throughout with -what appears to be a pine forest, serves as a frame for the whole -picture. It is the Ardennes, on the Belgian frontier. - -The main positions of the French appear to be on the hillocks -immediately beyond the fortress, and it looks as if our troops intended -to surround them there. For the moment we can only see their advance on -the right, as the lines of our artillery, with the exception of the -Bavarians, who are posted under us, are lost behind the heights as they -slowly move forward. Gradually the smoke of the guns is seen beyond -the rising ground already mentioned, with the defile in the middle. -The corps that are advancing in half circle to enclose the enemy are -steadily endeavouring to complete the circle. To the left all is still. -At 11 o’clock a dark grey pillar of smoke with yellow edges rises from -the fortress, which has hardly taken any part in the firing. The French -troops beyond Sedan deliver an energetic fire, and at the same time, -over the wood in the defile, rise numbers of small white clouds from -the shells--whether French or German we cannot say. Sometimes, also, we -hear the rattle of the mitrailleuse. - -There was a brilliant assembly upon the hill. The King, Bismarck, -Moltke, Roon, a number of Princes, Prince Charles, their Highnesses of -Weimar and Coburg, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, generals, -aides-de-camp, Court officials, Count Hatzfeldt, who disappeared after -a while, Kutusow, the Russian, and Colonel Walker, the English Military -Plenipotentiary, together with General Sheridan and his aide-de-camp, -all in uniform, and all looking through field-glasses. The King stood, -while others sat on a ridge at the edge of the field, as did the -Chancellor also at times. I hear that the King sent word round that -it was better not to gather into large groups, as the French in the -fortress might in that case fire at us. - -After 11 o’clock our line of attack advanced further on the right bank -of the Meuse towards the main position of the French, who were thus -more closely invested. In my eagerness I began to express my views to -Count Puckler, probably somewhat louder than was necessary or quite -fitting in the circumstances, and so attracted the attention of the -Chief, who has sharp ears. He turned round and beckoned to me to come -to him. “If you have strategic ideas to communicate to the Count it -would be well if you managed to do so somewhat more quietly, doctor, as -otherwise the King might ask who is speaking, and I should be obliged -to present you to him.” Shortly afterwards he received telegrams, six -of which he gave me to decipher, so that for the time I had to resign -my part as a spectator. - -On returning to the carriage I found in Count Hatzfeldt a companion -who had also been obliged to combine business with pleasure. The Chief -had instructed him to copy out a French letter of four pages which -had been intercepted by our troops. I mounted the box and set to work -deciphering, while the battle roared like half-a-dozen thunderstorms -on the other side of the height. In my eagerness to get done I did not -feel the scorching midday sun, which raised blisters on one of my ears. - -It was now 1 o’clock. By this time our line of fire encircled the -greater part of the enemy’s position on the heights beyond the town. -Clouds of smoke rose in a wide arch, while the well-known small -puff-balls of the shrapnels appeared for an instant and burst in the -air. Only to the left there yet remained a space where all was still. -The Chancellor now sat on a chair, studying a document of several -pages. I asked if he would like to have something to eat or drink, as -we had come provided. He declined, however, saying, “I should be very -glad, but the King has also had nothing.” - -The opposing forces on the other side of the river must be very near -each other, as we hear oftener than before the hateful rattle of the -mitrailleuse. Its bark, however, we are told, is worse than its bite. -Between 2 and 3 o’clock, according to my watch, the King passed near -where I stood. After looking for a while through his glass towards the -suburbs of Sedan, he said to those who accompanied him, “There, to the -left, they are pushing forward large masses of troops; I think it is -a sortie.” It was, as a matter of fact, an advance of some columns of -infantry, which, however, soon retired, probably because they found -that although this place was quiet it was by no means open. Shortly -afterwards, with the assistance of the field-glass, one could see the -French cavalry deliver several attacks on the crest of the hill to -the left of the wood near the defile, which were repelled by volleys -from our side. After these charges it could be seen, even with the -naked eye, that the ground was covered with white objects, horses or -soldiers’ cloaks. Soon afterwards the artillery fire grew weaker at -all points, and there was a general retreat of the French towards the -town and its immediate vicinity. As already mentioned, they had for -some time past been closed in on the left, where the Würtemberg troops -had a couple of batteries not far from our hill, and where, as we were -informed, the 5th and 11th Army Corps had cut off all escape, with the -exception of a small gap towards the Belgian frontier. After half-past -4 all their guns were silent, and somewhat later ours also ceased -firing. - -Once again the scene becomes more animated. Suddenly bluish white -clouds rise first in one and then in a second part of the town, showing -that it is burning in two places. Bazeilles also is still in flames, -and is sending up a pillar of dense grey, yellow vapour into the clear -evening air. The soft radiance of the declining sun is spreading more -and more over the valley at our feet, like burnished gold. The hillocks -of the battle-field, the ravine in the midst, the villages, the houses, -the towers of the fortress, the suburb of Torcy, and the broken bridge -in the distance to the left, stand out in clear relief, from moment to -moment more distinct as if seen through stronger and stronger glasses. - -Towards 5 o’clock General Hindersin speaks to the King, and I fancy I -catch the words, “Bombard the town,” and a “heap of ruins.” A quarter -of an hour later a Bavarian officer gallops up the height towards us. -General von Bothmer sends word to the King that General Mailinger, -who is stationed at Torcy with the chasseurs, reports that the French -desire to capitulate, and that their unconditional surrender has been -demanded. The King replied, “No one can negotiate this matter except -myself. Tell the general that the bearer of the flag of truce must come -to me.” - -The Bavarian rides back into the valley. The King then speaks to -Bismarck, and together they join the Crown Prince (who had arrived a -little before), Moltke and Roon. Their Highnesses of Weimar and Coburg -are also with them, standing a little to one side. After a while a -Prussian aide-de-camp appears, and reports that our losses, so far as -they can be ascertained up to the present, are not great--those of the -Guards being moderate, of the Saxons somewhat more, while the remaining -corps engaged suffered less. Only a small proportion of the French -have escaped into the woods in the direction of the Belgian frontier, -where search is now being made for them. All the rest have been driven -towards Sedan. - -“And the Emperor?” questioned the King. - -“We do not know,” answered the officer. - -Towards 6 o’clock, however, another aide-de-camp appeared, and reported -that the Emperor was in the town, and would immediately send out a -_parlementaire_. “That is a grand success!” said the King, turning to -the company. “I thank thee (he added to the Crown Prince) for thy share -in it.” With these words he gave his hand to his son, and the latter -kissed it. He then held out his hand to Moltke, who also kissed it. -Finally he likewise shook hands with the Chancellor, and spoke to him -alone for some time. This seemed to excite the displeasure of some of -their Highnesses. - -Towards half-past 6, after a detachment of cuirassiers had been -posted near the King as a guard of honour, the French General Reille, -Napoleon’s _parlementaire_, rode slowly up the hill. He dismounted -at a distance of some ten paces from the King, and after approaching -his Majesty took off his cap and handed over a letter of large size -with a red seal. The general is an elderly gentleman of medium height -and slender figure, in an unbuttoned black tunic with epaulettes and -shoulder straps, black vest, red trousers and polished riding boots. He -has no sword, but carries a walking stick in his hand. All the company -move away from the King, who opens and reads the letter, afterwards -communicating the contents, which are now generally known, to Bismarck, -Moltke, the Crown Prince and the other personages. Reille stands a -little further off, at first alone, and later in conversation with some -Prussian generals. The Crown Prince, Moltke and his Highness of Coburg -also speak to him while the King takes counsel with the Chancellor, -who then commissions Hatzfeldt to prepare a draft of the answer to the -imperial letter. Hatzfeldt brings it in a few minutes and the King -copies it, sitting on one chair, while the seat of another, held by -Major von Alten, who kneels before him, serves as a desk. - -Shortly before 7 o’clock the French general rides back towards Sedan in -the twilight, accompanied by an officer and a uhlan trumpeter carrying -a white flag. The town is now in flames in three places, and the lurid -columns of smoke that rise from Bazeilles shows it to be still burning. -The tragedy of Sedan is over, and night lets down the curtain. - -There might be an epilogue on the following day, but for the present -every one returned home. The King went back to Vendresse, the Chief, -Count Bismarck-Bohlen and I drove to the little town of Donchery, -where it was quite dark when we arrived. We put up at the house of -a Dr. Jeanjot. The town was full of Würtemberg soldiers, who were -camped in the market-place. Our reason for coming here was that an -arrangement had been made according to which the Chancellor and Moltke -were this evening to meet the French plenipotentiary to try to settle -the conditions of the capitulation of the four French army corps now -confined in Sedan. - -I slept here in an alcove near the back room on the first floor, -with only the wall between me and the Minister, who had the large -front room. Towards 6 o’clock in the morning I was awakened by hasty -footsteps, and heard Engel say: “Excellency, Excellency, there is -a French general at the door. I cannot understand what he wants.” -The Minister would appear to have got up hurriedly and spoken a few -words to the French officer, who turned out to be General Reille. -The consequence was that he dressed immediately, and without waiting -either for breakfast or to have his clothes brushed, mounted his horse -and rode rapidly off. I rushed to his window to see in what direction -he went. I saw him trot off towards the market-place. In the room -everything was lying about in disorder. On the floor lay the “_Täglich -Losungen und Lehrtexte der Brüdergemeinde für 1870_” (Daily Watchwords -and Texts of the Moravian Brethren for 1870), and on the toilette stand -was another manual of devotion, “_Die tägliche Erquickung für gläubige -Christen_” (Daily Spiritual Refreshment for Believing Christians), -which Engel told me the Chancellor was accustomed to read at night. - -I now hastily dressed myself also, and after I had informed them -downstairs that the Chief had gone off to Sedan to meet the Emperor -Napoleon, who had left the fortress, I followed him as fast as I could. -Some 800 paces from the bridge across the Meuse at Donchery to the -right of the road, planted with poplars, stands a single house, then -the residence of a Belgian weaver. It is painted yellow, is but one -story high, and has four windows on the front. There are white shutters -to the windows on the ground floor; the venetian blinds on those of the -first floor are also painted white, and it has a slate roof, like most -of the houses at Donchery. Near it to the left is a potato field, now -full of white blossoms, while to the right, across the path that leads -to the house, stand some bushes. I see here that the Chancellor has -already met the Emperor. In front of the house are six French officers -of high rank, of whom five have caps with gold trimmings, while that -worn by the sixth is black. What appears to be a hackney coach with -four seats is waiting on the road. Bismarck and his cousin, Count -Bohlen, are standing opposite the Frenchmen, while a little way off -is Leverström, as well as two hussars, one brown and one black. At 8 -o’clock Moltke arrives with a few officers of the general staff, but -leaves again after a short stay. Soon afterwards a short, thick-set -man, in a red cap braided with gold lace, and wearing red trousers and -a hooded cape lined with red, steps from behind the house and speaks at -first to the French officers, some of whom are sitting under the hedge -by the potato field. He has white kid gloves, and smokes a cigarette. -It is the Emperor. At the short distance at which I stand from him -I can clearly distinguish his features. There is something soft and -dreamy in the look of his light grey eyes, which resemble those of -people who have lived fast. His cap is set a little to the right, in -which direction the head is also bent. The short legs do not seem in -proportion with the long upper part of the body. His whole appearance -has something unmilitary about it. The man is too soft, I am inclined -to think too pulpy, for the uniform he wears. One could even fancy that -he is capable of becoming sentimental at times. Those ideas, which -are mere impressions, force themselves upon one all the more when -one glances at the tall, well-set figure of our Chancellor. Napoleon -seems fatigued, but not very much depressed. Nor does he look so old -as I had expected. He might pass for a tolerably well-preserved man of -fifty. After a while he goes over to the Chief, and speaks to him for -about three minutes, and then--still smoking and with his hands behind -his back--walks up and down by the potato garden. A further short -conversation follows between the Chancellor and the Emperor, begun by -Bismarck, after which Napoleon once more converses with his French -suite. About a quarter to 9 o’clock Bismarck and his cousin leave, -going in the direction of Donchery, whither I follow them. - -The Minister repeatedly related the occurrences of this morning and the -preceding night. In the following paragraphs I unite all these various -statements into a connected whole. The sense of what the Chancellor -said is faithfully given throughout, and his own words are in great -part reproduced. - -“After the battle of the 1st of September, Moltke and I went to -Donchery, about five kilometres from Sedan, for the purpose of carrying -on the negotiations with the French. We spent the night there, the King -and his suite returning to Vendresse. The negotiations lasted until -midnight, without, however, leading to an understanding. In addition -to Moltke and myself, Blumenthal and three or four other officers -of the general staff were present. General Wimpffen was the French -spokesman. Moltke’s demand was very short. The whole French army must -surrender as prisoners of war. Wimpffen considered that too hard. -The army had deserved better treatment by the gallantry it had shown -in action. We ought to be content to let them go on condition that -they took no further part in the war, and removed to some district in -France to be fixed upon by us, or to Algiers. Moltke quietly maintained -his demand. Wimpffen dwelt upon his own unfortunate position. He had -joined the troops two days before on his return from Africa, and -only took over the command when MacMahon was wounded towards the -close of the battle--and yet he must now put his signature to such -a capitulation. He would rather try to hold the fortress or venture -a sortie. Moltke regretted that it was impossible for him to make -allowance for the position of the general, the hardship of which he -appreciated. He recognised the gallantry of the French troops, but they -could not possibly hold Sedan, and a sortie was out of the question. -He was prepared to allow one of the general’s officers to inspect -our positions, in order that he might convince himself of that fact. -Wimpffen then urged that from a political standpoint it was advisable -to grant better terms. We must desire a speedy and permanent peace, and -we could now secure it if we acted generously. A considerate treatment -of the army would put both the soldiers and the whole people under an -obligation of gratitude, and would inspire friendly feelings towards -us. An opposite course would lead to endless war. I intervened at this -point, as my trade came into question here. I told Wimpffen it was -possible to trust to the gratitude of a Prince but not to that of a -people, and least of all to that of the French. They had no permanent -institutions, they were constantly changing governments and dynasties, -which were not bound by what their predecessors had undertaken. If the -Emperor’s throne were secure it would be possible to count upon his -gratitude in return for more favourable conditions. As matters stood it -would be foolish not to avail themselves to the full of the advantages -of our success. The French were an envious, jealous people. They were -angry with us for our victory at Sadowa, and could not forgive us for -it, although it had not injured them. How then could any generosity -on our part prevent them from bearing us a grudge for Sedan? Wimpffen -could not agree to that. The French had changed latterly, and had -learnt under the Empire to think more of peaceful interests than of the -glory of war. They were ready to proclaim the brotherhood of nations, -and so on. It was not difficult to prove the contrary, and to show that -the acceptance of his proposals would lead rather to a prolongation of -the war, than to its termination. I finished by saying that we must -maintain our conditions. Castelneau then spoke, explaining on behalf of -the Emperor that the latter had only given up his sword on the previous -day in the hope of an honourable capitulation. I asked, ‘Whose sword -was that? The Emperor’s, or that of France?’ He replied, ‘Merely the -Emperor’s.’ ‘Well then,’ interjected Moltke, sharp as lightning--a -gleam of satisfaction overspreading his hawk-like features--‘There can -be no further question of any other conditions.’ ‘Very well,’ declared -Wimpffen, ‘in that case we shall renew the fight to-morrow.’ ‘I will -see that our fire commences at 4 o’clock,’ said Moltke, on which the -French expressed a wish to retire. I induced them, however, to remain -a little longer and to consider the matter once more. The result was -that they ultimately begged for an extension of the armistice, in order -to consult with their people in Sedan. At first Moltke did not wish to -agree to this, but finally consented on my pointing out to him that it -could do no harm. - -“Towards 6 o’clock on the morning of the 2nd of September, General -Reille appeared before my lodging at Donchery, and said the Emperor -wished to speak to me. I dressed immediately and got on horseback, -dirty, unwashed, and dusty as I was, to ride to Sedan, where I expected -to see the Emperor. I met him, however, on the road near Fresnois, -three kilometres from Donchery. He sat with three officers in a -two-horse carriage, three others accompanying him on horseback. Of -these officers I only knew Reille, Castelneau, Moscowa, and Vaubert. -I had my revolver buckled round my waist, and as I found myself -alone in the presence of the six officers I may have glanced at it -involuntarily. I may perhaps even have instinctively laid my hand upon -it. Napoleon probably noticed that, as his face turned an ashy grey. -Possibly he thought that history might repeat itself--I think it was a -Prince de Condé who was murdered while a prisoner after a battle.[6] - -“I saluted in military fashion. The Emperor took off his cap, the -officers following his example, whereupon I also removed mine, although -it was contrary to the regulations to do so. He said, ‘Couvrez-vous, -donc.’ I treated him exactly as if we were at Saint Cloud, and asked -him what his commands were. He wished to know whether he could speak to -the King. I said that was impossible, as his Majesty’s quarters were -about two German miles away. I did not wish him to see the King before -we had come to an understanding as to the capitulation. He then asked -where he could wait, which indicated that he could not return to Sedan, -as he had either experienced or apprehended some unpleasantness there. -The town was full of drunken soldiers, which was a great hardship for -the inhabitants. I offered him my quarters at Donchery, which I was -prepared to leave immediately. He accepted the offer, but when we had -come within a few hundred yards of the town he asked whether he could -not stay in a house which he saw by the road. I sent my cousin, who had -followed me, to view the house. On his report I told the Emperor that -it was a very poor place. He replied that it did not matter. After he -had gone over to the house and come back again, having probably been -unable to find the stairs which were at the back, I accompanied him to -the first floor, where we entered a small room with one window. It was -the best in the house, but its only furniture was a deal table and two -rush-bottomed chairs. - -“Here I had a conversation with him which lasted for nearly -three-quarters of an hour. He complained first of this fatal war, which -he had not desired. He was forced into it by the pressure of public -opinion. I replied that in Germany nobody had wished for war, and the -King least of all. We had regarded the Spanish question as a matter -concerning Spain and not Germany, and we were justified in expecting -from the good relations between the princely house of Hohenzollern -and himself that an understanding could be easily come to with the -Hereditary Prince. We then went on to speak of the present situation. -He wished above all to obtain more favourable terms of capitulation. I -explained that I could not go into that question, as it was a purely -military one, with which Moltke would have to deal. On the other -hand it was open to us to discuss an eventual peace. He replied that -he was a prisoner, and therefore not in a position to decide. On my -asking him whom he regarded as competent to treat, he referred me to -the Government in Paris. I observed that the situation had therefore -not changed since yesterday, and that we must maintain our demand -respecting the army in Sedan, as a guarantee that we should not lose -the benefits of our victory. Moltke, to whom I had sent word, and who -had arrived in the meantime, was of the same opinion, and went to the -King in order to tell him so. - -“Standing before the house the Emperor praised our army and the manner -in which it had been led. On my acknowledging that the French had also -fought well, he came back to the conditions of the capitulation, and -asked whether we could not allow the troops shut up in Sedan to cross -the Belgian frontier, there to be disarmed and held as prisoners. I -tried again to make it clear to him that that was a question for the -military authorities, and could not be settled without the concurrence -of Moltke. Besides, he himself had just declared that as a prisoner -he was not able to exercise his authority, and that accordingly -negotiations respecting questions of that kind should be carried on -with the principal officer in command at Sedan. - -“In the meantime a search had been made for a better lodging for the -Emperor, and the officers of the general staff found that the little -château of Bellevue near Fresnois, where I first met him, was suitable -for his reception, and was not yet requisitioned for the wounded. I -advised him to remove there, as it would be more comfortable than the -weaver’s house, and that possibly he wanted rest. We would let the -King know that he was there. He agreed to this, and I rode back to -Donchery to change my clothes. I then accompanied him to Bellevue with -a squadron of the 1st Cuirassier Regiment as a guard of honour. The -Emperor wished the King to be present at the negotiations which began -here--doubtless counting on his soft-heartedness and good nature--but -he also desired me to take part in them. I had however decided that the -soldiers, who were made of sterner stuff, should settle the affair by -themselves; and so I whispered to an officer as I went up the stairs to -call me in five minutes and say that the King wanted to speak to me. -This was accordingly done. Napoleon was informed that he could only -see the King after the conclusion of the capitulation. The matter was -therefore arranged between Moltke and Wimpffen, much on the lines that -were laid down the evening before. Then the two monarchs met. As the -Emperor came out after the interview his eyes were filled with heavy -tears. In speaking to me he was much less affected, and was perfectly -dignified.” - -We had no detailed particulars of these events on the forenoon of -the 2nd of September; and from the moment when the Chief, in a fresh -uniform and cuirassier’s helmet, rode off from Donchery until late at -night, we only heard vague rumours of what was going on. About 10.30 -A.M. a detachment of Würtemberg artillery drove past our house at a -trot. In every direction clouds of dust rose from the hoofs of the -cavalry, while the bayonets of long columns of infantry glistened -in the sun. The road at our feet was filled with a procession of -waggons loaded with baggage and forage. Presently we met Lieutenant -von Czernicki, who wanted to go into Sedan, and invited us to drive -with him in his little carriage. We had accompanied him nearly as far -as Fresnois when, at about 1 o’clock, we met the King with a large -suite on horseback, including the Chancellor, coming in the opposite -direction. As it was probable that the Chief was going to Donchery we -got out and followed him. The party, however, which included Hatzfeldt -and Abeken, rode through the town, and we heard that they were viewing -the battle-field. As we did not know how long the Minister would remain -away we did not venture to leave Donchery. - -About 1.30 P.M. some thousands of prisoners marched through the town on -their way to Germany. Most of them were on foot, but some of them were -in carts. They included about sixty to seventy officers, and a general -who was on horseback. Amongst the prisoners were cuirassiers in white -helmets, blue hussars with white facings, and infantrymen of the 22nd, -52nd and 58th regiments. They were escorted by Würtemberg infantry. -At 2 o’clock followed a second batch of about 2000 prisoners, amongst -whom were negroes in Arab costume--tall, broad-shouldered fellows, with -savage, ape-like features, and some old soldiers wearing the Crimean -and Mexican medals. - -A little after 3 o’clock two French guns, with their ammunition waggons -and still drawn by French horses, passed through our street. The words -“5, Jäger, Görlitz” were written in chalk on one of the guns. Shortly -afterwards a fire broke out in one of the streets to the left of our -quarters. Würtemberg soldiers had opened a cask of brandy and had -imprudently made a fire near it. - -Considerable distress prevailed in the town, and even our landlord -(he and his wife were good souls) suffered from a scarcity of bread. -The place was overcrowded with soldiers, who were quartered on the -inhabitants, and with the wounded who were sometimes put up in stables. -Some of the people attached to the Court tried to secure our house -for the Hereditary Grand Duke of Weimar, but we held out successfully -against them. Then an officer wanted to quarter a Prince of Mecklenburg -upon us, but we also sent him packing, telling him it was out of the -question, as the Chancellor of the Confederation lodged there. After a -short absence, however, I found that the Weimar gentlemen had forced -themselves into the house. We had reason to be thankful that they did -not turn our Chief out of his bed. - -The Minister only returned after 11 o’clock and I had supper with -him, the party also including the Hereditary Grand Duke of Weimar, in -the uniform of the Light Blue Hussars, and Count Solms-Sonnenwalde, -formerly attached to the Embassy in Paris, and now properly speaking a -member of our staff, although we had seen very little of him recently. - -The Chancellor gave us very full particulars of his ride over the -battle-field. He had been nearly twelve hours in the saddle, with short -intervals. They had been over the whole field, and were received with -great enthusiasm in all the camps and bivouacs. It was said that during -the battle our troops had taken over 25,000 prisoners, while 40,000 who -were in Sedan surrendered under the capitulation, which was concluded -about noon. - -The Minister told us that Napoleon was to leave for Germany, that is -to say for Wilhelmshöhe, on the following morning. “The question is,” -said the Chief, “whether he is to go by way of Stenay and Bar le Duc or -through Belgium.” “In Belgium he would no longer be a prisoner,” said -Solms. “Well, that would not matter,” replied the Chief, “and it would -not even do any harm if he took another direction. I was in favour of -his going through Belgium, and he seemed also inclined to take that -route. If he failed to keep his word it would not injure us. But it -would be necessary to communicate beforehand with Brussels, and we -could not have an answer in less than two days.” - -About 8 o’clock on the following morning, just as I was at breakfast, -we heard a noise which sounded like heavy firing. It was only the -horses in a neighbouring stable stamping on the wooden floor, probably -out of temper that they also should have been put on short commons, as -the drivers had only been able to give them half measures of oats. As -a matter of fact there was a general scarcity. I heard subsequently -that Hatzfeldt had been commissioned by the Chief to go to Brussels. -Shortly afterwards the Chancellor called me to his bedside. He had -received 500 cigars, and wished me to divide them among the wounded. I -accordingly betook myself to the barracks, which had been transformed -into a hospital, and to the bedrooms, barns and stables in the street -behind our house. At first I only wished to divide my stock amongst -the Prussians; but the Frenchmen who were sitting by cast such longing -glances at them, and their German neighbours on the straw pleaded -so warmly on their behalf--“We can’t let them look on while we are -smoking, they too have shared everything with us”--that I regarded it -as no robbery to give them some too. They all complained of hunger, and -asked how long they were going to be kept there. Later on they were -supplied with soup, bread and sausages, and some of those in the barns -and stables were even treated to bouillon and chocolate by a Bavarian -volunteer hospital attendant. - -The morning was cold, dull and rainy. The masses of Prussian and -Würtemberg troops who marched through the town seemed however in -the best of spirits. They sang to the music of their bands. In all -probability the feelings of the prisoners who sat in the long line of -carts that passed in the opposite direction at the same time were more -in harmony with the disagreeable weather and the clouded sky. About 10 -o’clock, as I waded in the drizzling rain through the deep mud of the -market-place in fulfilment of my mission to the wounded, I met a long -procession of conveyances coming from the Meuse bridge under the escort -of the black death’s-head hussars. Most of them were covered coaches, -the remainder being baggage and commissariat carts. They were followed -by a number of saddle horses. In a closed coupé immediately behind -the hussars sat the “Prisoner of Sedan,” the Emperor Napoleon, on his -way to Wilhelmshöhe through Belgium. General Castelneau had a seat in -his carriage. He was followed in an open waggonette by the infantry -general, Adjutant-General von Boyen, who had been selected by the King -as the Emperor’s travelling companion, and by Prince Lynar and some -of the officers who had been present at Napoleon’s meeting with the -Chancellor on the previous day. “Boyen is capitally suited for that -mission,” said the Chief to us the night before; “he can be extremely -rude in the most polite way.” The Minister was probably thinking of the -possibility that some of the officers in the _entourage_ of the august -prisoner might take liberties. - -We learned afterwards that an indirect route through Donchery had been -taken, as the Emperor was particularly anxious not to pass through -Sedan. The hussars went as far as the frontier near Bouillon, the -nearest Belgian town. The Emperor was not treated with disrespect by -the French prisoners whom the party passed on the way. The officers on -the other hand had occasionally to listen to some unpleasant remarks. -Naturally they were “traitors,” as indeed from this time forward -everybody was who lost a battle or suffered any other mishap. It seems -to have been a particularly painful moment for these gentlemen when -they passed a great number of French field pieces that had fallen into -our hands. Boyen related the following anecdote. One of the Emperor’s -aides-de-camp, I believe it was the Prince de la Moscowa, thought -the guns belonged to us, as they were drawn by our horses, yet was -apparently struck by something in their appearance. He asked:-- - -“Quoi, est-ce que vous avez deux systèmes d’artillerie?” - -“Non, monsieur, nous n’avons qu’un seul,” was the reply. - -“Mais ces canons-là?” - -“Ils ne sont pas les nôtres, monsieur.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII - -FROM THE MEUSE TO THE MARNE - - -I again quote from my diary. - -_Saturday, September 3rd._--We left Donchery shortly before 1 o’clock. -On the way we were overtaken by a short but severe storm, the thunder -echoing along the valleys. This was followed by a heavy rain, which -thoroughly drenched the Chancellor, who sat in an open carriage, -as he told us in the evening at table. Happily it had no serious -consequences: it depends more on diplomacy, and if the Chief were to -fall ill who could replace him? - -I drove with the Councillors. Count Bohlen gave us numerous details -of the events of yesterday. Napoleon had left Sedan at such an early -hour it must have been before or shortly after daybreak--because he -felt it was unsafe to remain in the midst of the furious soldiery, who -were packed into the fortress like herrings in a barrel, and who burst -into paroxysms of rage, breaking their rifles and swords on hearing of -the capitulation. During the first interview at Donchery the Minister -had, amongst other things, told Wimpffen he must be well aware that -the arrogance and quarrelsomeness of the French, and their jealousy -at the success of neighbouring peoples, did not originate with the -working and industrial classes, but with the journalists and the mob. -These elements, however, swayed public opinion, constraining it to -their will. For that reason the moral guarantees to which the general -had referred would be of no value. We must have material guarantees, -at present by the capitulation of the army in Sedan, and then by the -cession of the great fortresses in the East. The surrender of the -French troops took place on a kind of peninsula formed by a bend of -the Meuse. Moltke had ridden out some distance from Vendresse to meet -the King. The interview between the two Sovereigns took place in the -drawing-room of the château of Bellevue. They were alone together -for about ten minutes. Subsequently the King summoned the officers -of his suite, ordered the capitulation to be read to him, and, with -tears in his eyes, thanked them for their assistance. The Crown Prince -is understood to have informed the Hessian regiments that the King -had selected Cassel for the internment of the Emperor Napoleon, in -recognition of their gallantry. - -The Minister dined with the King at Vendresse, where we once more put -up for the night, but he nevertheless took some refreshment with us -afterwards. He read over to us a portion of a letter from his wife, -energetically expressing in biblical terms her hope that the French -would be destroyed. He then added meditatively, “Well, in 1866--seven -days. This time possibly seven times seven. Yes--when did we cross the -frontier? On the 4th? No, on the 10th of August. Five weeks ago. Seven -times seven--it may be possible.” - -I again send off a couple of articles to Germany, amongst them being -one on the results of the battle of the 1st September. - -We are to start for Reims to-morrow, our first halt to be at Rethel. - -_Rethel, September 4th, evening._--Early this morning before we left -Vendresse I was called to the Chief, to receive instructions respecting -reports for the newspapers of his meeting with Napoleon. Towards the -close he practically dictated what I was to say.[7] Shortly afterwards, -about half-past 10, the carriages arrived, and we began our journey -into the champagne country. The way was at first somewhat hilly, then -we came to a softly undulating plain, with numerous fruit gardens, and -finally to a poor district with very few villages. We passed some large -detachments of troops, at first Bavarians, and afterwards the 6th and -50th Prussian regiments. Amongst the latter Willisch saw his brother, -who had been in battle, and had escaped unwounded. A little further -on the carriage of Prince Charles had to be left behind at a village, -as the axle had caught fire. We took Count Dönhoff, the Prince’s -master of the horse, and Major von Freyberg, aide-de-camp to Prince -Luitpold of Bavaria, into our conveyance. The tragedy at Bazeilles was -mentioned, and the major gave an account of the circumstances, which -differed considerably from that of Count Bohlen. According to him -twenty peasants, including one woman, lost their lives, but they were -killed in fight while opposing the soldiers, who stormed the place. A -priest was afterwards shot by court-martial. The Major however does -not appear to have been a witness of the occurrences which he relates, -so that his account of the affair may also prove to be inaccurate. He -knew nothing of the hangings mentioned by Bohlen. There are some people -whose tongues are more cruel than their dispositions. - -We arrived at Rethel about 5.30 P.M. The quarter-master had chosen a -lodging for us in the roomy and well-furnished residence of one M. -Duval, in the Rue Grand Pont. The entire field bureau of the Foreign -Office was quartered in this house. After dinner I was summoned three -times to receive instructions from the Chief. Amongst other things -he said: “Metz and Strassburg are what we require and what we wish -to take--that is the fortresses. Alsace is a professorial idea.” He -evidently referred to the strong emphasis laid upon the German past of -that province and the circumstance that the inhabitants still retained -the use of the German language. - -In the meantime the German newspapers were delivered. It was highly -satisfactory to observe that the South German press also began to -oppose the efforts of foreign diplomacy which desired to mediate in the -negotiations for peace between ourselves and France. In this respect -the _Schwäbische Merkur_ was perfectly in accord with the Chief’s views -in saying: “When the German peoples marched to the Rhine in order to -defend their native land, European diplomacy said the two antagonists -must be allowed to fight out their own quarrel, and that the war must -be thus localised. Well, we have carried on that war alone against -those who threatened all Europe, and we now also desire to localise the -conclusion of peace. In Paris we shall ourselves dictate the conditions -which must protect the German people from a renewal of such predaceous -invasion as the war of 1870, and the diplomats of foreign Powers who -looked on as spectators shall not be allowed to have anything to say in -the matter. Those who took no part in the fight shall have no voice in -the negotiations.” “We must breed other articles from this one,” said -the Chief, and it did. - -_Reims, September 5th._--During the whole forenoon great masses of -troops marched along a road not far from our quarters at Rethel Bridge. -The procession was closed by four regiments of Prussian infantry. It -was very noticeable how few officers there were. Several companies were -under the command of young lieutenants or ensigns. This was the case -with the 6th and 46th, one battalion of which carried a captured French -eagle. Although the day was stiflingly hot, and the men were covered -with the white dust of the limestone roads, they marched steadily and -well. Our coachman placed a bucket of water by the way, so that they -could fill their tin cans and glasses, and sometimes their helmets, as -they passed. - -Between 12 and 1 o’clock we started for Reims; the district through -which the road runs is in great part an undulating plain with few -villages. - -At length we see the towers of the Cathedral of Reims rising over the -glistening plains, and beyond the town the blue heights that change -to green as we approach them, and show white villages along their -sides. We drive at first through poor outskirts and then through better -streets, and across a square with a monument, to the Rue de Cloître, -where we take up our quarters, opposite the Cathedral, in a handsome -house, which belongs to a M. Dauphinot. The Chief lodged on the first -floor, while the office was set up on the ground floor. The streets are -crowded with Prussian and Würtemberg soldiers. The King has done the -Archbishop the honour of taking up his quarters in his Palace. I hear -that our landlord is the Maire of Reims. Keudell understands that the -territory to be retained by us at the close of the war will probably -not be incorporated with any one State or divided between several, but -will become the collective possession of all Germany. - -In the evening the Chief dined with us, and as we are here in the -centre of the champagne country we try several brands. In the course -of conversation the Chief mentions that he is usually bored at the -royal table. “When there are but few guests I sit near the King, and -then it is tolerable. But when there are a great number present I am -placed between the Bavarian Prince and the Grand Duke of Weimar, and -then the conversation is inexpressibly tedious.” Some one remarked -that yesterday a shot was fired out of a café, at a squadron of our -hussars. The Minister said the house must be immediately destroyed, and -the proprietor tried by court-martial. Stieber should be instructed to -inquire into the matter. - -I understand we are to remain here for ten or twelve days. - -_Tuesday, September 6th._--I have been working hard from 10 to 3 -o’clock without interruption in preparing, amongst other things, -exhaustive, and also shorter, articles respecting the conditions upon -which Germany should make peace. The Chief found an article that -appeared in the _Volkszeitung_ of the 31st of August “very sensible -and well worth calling attention to.” The writer argued against the -annexation to Prussia of the conquered French territory; and after -endeavouring to show that such a course would rather weaken than -strengthen Prussia, concluded with the words: “Our aim ought to be, -not the aggrandisement of Prussia, but the unification of Germany, -and to put it out of the power of France to harm us.” Bamberger has -established a French newspaper at Nancy, to which we are to send -reports from time to time. - -At dinner Count Bohlen remarked, as he counted the places, “I hope we -are not thirteen.” “No.” “That’s right, as the Minister does not like -that number.” Bohlen, who seems to be charged with the supervision -of the fleshpots, has to-day evidently inspired the genius of our -_chef-de-cuisine_ to one of his greatest achievements. The dinner is -magnificent. Amongst the guests are Von Knobelsdorff, a captain in -the Guards; Count York, and one Count Brühl, a somewhat bashful young -man, in the uniform of a lieutenant of dragoons. The latter brought -the great news that a Republic had been proclaimed in Paris and a -Provisional Government appointed, in which Gambetta, hitherto one of -the orators of the Opposition, and Favre have portfolios. Rochefort, -the editor of _La Lanterne_, is also a member of the Cabinet. It is -said that they wish to continue the war against us. The position has, -therefore, not improved in so far as peace is concerned; but it is also -by no means worse, especially if the Republic lasts, and it becomes, -later on, a question of gaining friends at foreign Courts. For the -present it is all over with Napoleon and Lulu. Like Louis Philippe in -1848, the Empress has fled. We shall soon discover what the lawyers and -literary men, who have now taken over the conduct of affairs, can do. -Whether France will recognise their authority remains to be seen. - -Our uhlans are now at Château Thierry; in two days they may reach -Paris. It is now certain, however, that we shall remain another week at -Reims. Count Bohlen reported to the Chief the result of his inquiries -respecting the café from which our cavalry were fired at. Yielding to -the entreaties of the proprietor, who is believed to be innocent, the -house has not been destroyed. Moreover, the treacherous shot failed of -its effect. The proprietor has been let off with a fine of two hundred -or two hundred and fifty bottles of champagne, to be presented to the -squadron; and this he gladly paid. - -At tea somebody (I now forget who it was) referred to the exceptional -position accorded to the Saxons in the North German Confederation as -regards military arrangements. The Chancellor did not consider the -matter of much importance. “Moreover, that arrangement was not made on -my initiative,” he observed; “Savigny concluded the treaty, as I was -seriously ill at the time. I am disposed to regard even less narrowly -the arrangements respecting the foreign relations of the smaller -States. Many people lay too much stress on this point, and apprehend -danger from the retention of their diplomatic representatives besides -those of the Confederation. If such States were in other respects -powerful, they could, even without official representatives, exchange -letters with foreign Courts and intrigue by word of mouth against our -policy. That could be managed by a dentist or any other personage of -that description. Moreover, the Diets will soon refuse to grant the -sums required for all such luxuries.” - -_Thursday, September 8th._--The Chancellor gives a great dinner, the -guests including the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, -Herr Stephan the Chief Director of the Post Office, and the three -Americans. Amongst other matters mentioned at table were the various -reports as to the affair at Bazeilles. The Minister said that peasants -could not be permitted to take part in the defence of a position. Not -being in uniform they could not be recognised as combatants--they -were able to throw away their arms unnoticed. The chances must be -equal for both sides. Abeken considered that Bazeilles was hardly -treated, and thought the war ought to be conducted in a more humane -manner. Sheridan, to whom MacLean has translated these remarks, is of a -different opinion. He considers that in war it is expedient, even from -the political point of view, to treat the population with the utmost -rigour also. He expressed himself roughly as follows: “The proper -strategy consists in the first place in inflicting as telling blows as -possible upon the enemy’s army, and then in causing the inhabitants -so much suffering that they must long for peace, and force their -Government to demand it. The people must be left nothing but their eyes -to weep with over the war.” Somewhat heartless it seems to me, but -perhaps worthy of consideration. - -_Friday, September 9th._--Engaged all the forenoon and until 3 o’clock -in writing various articles, amongst others one on the inconceivable -attachment of the Alsacians to France, their voluntary helotry, and -the blindness which will not permit them to see and feel that the -Gauls only regard them as a kind of second-rate Frenchmen, and in many -respects treat them accordingly. News has arrived that Paris is not -to be defended against us nor regarded as a fortress. This is very -questionable, as, according to other reports, the French have still -some regular troops at their disposal, although not many. - -_Saturday, September 10th._--The Chief dined with the King to-day, but -also joined us at table for half an hour. Bohlen, who had visited the -Imperial château at Mourmelon, near Châlons, told us how the people had -wrecked the whole place, breaking the furniture, mirrors, &c. After -dinner the Chancellor had a long talk alone with Boyen and Delbrück, -who were amongst the guests. I was afterwards summoned to the Minister -to receive instructions respecting a _communiqué_ to the two French -newspapers published here, namely the _Courier de la Champagne_ and the -_Indépendant Rémois_. It was to the following effect: “If the Reims -press were to declare itself in favour of the proclamation of a French -Republic, and recognise the new Government by publishing its decrees, -it might be inferred that as the town is occupied by German troops the -organs in question were acting in harmony with the views of the German -Government. This is not the case. The German Government respects the -liberty of the press here as at home. It has however up to the present -recognised no Government in France except that of the Emperor Napoleon. -Therefore until further notice it can only recognise the Imperial -Government as authorised to enter upon international negotiations.” - -I give the following from my diary merely to show the genuine -kindness and simple good-heartedness of our Chief. After giving me my -instructions he remarked that I had not been looking well; and when I -told him I had been rather unwell for the last few days, he inquired -minutely into the details, and asked me whether I had consulted any -doctor. I said I had not much faith in physicians. - -“Well,” he replied, “they certainly are not of much use as a rule, -and often only make us worse. But this is no laughing matter. Send to -Lauer--he is really a good man. I cannot tell you how much my health -owes to him during this campaign. Go to bed for a couple of days and -you will be all right again. Otherwise you will have a relapse and may -not be able to stir for three weeks. I often suffer in the same way, -and then I take thirty to thirty-five drops from that little bottle -on the chimney-piece. Take it with you, but bring it back again. And -when I send for you tell me if you are not able to come and I will go -to you. You can perhaps write in bed.” - -_Sunday, September 11th._--The Chief’s bottle has had an excellent -effect. I was again able to rise early and work with ease. The contents -of the _communiqué_ were forwarded to the newspaper at Nancy as well as -to the German press. It was pointed out, in correction of the remarks -of the _Kieler Zeitung_ and the Berlin _Volkszeitung_, that Prussia did -not conclude the Peace of Prague with France, but with Austria, and -that, consequently, the French have as little to do with paragraph 5 as -with any other paragraph of that treaty. - -In the course of the day one M. Werle called upon the Chief. He was -a tall, haggard man, with the red ribbon in his button-hole which -appears to be indispensable to every well-dressed Frenchman. He is -understood to be a member of the Legislative Chamber, and a partner -in the firm of Veuve Clicquot. He wished to speak to the Chief as to -measures for mitigating the distress which prevailed in the town, and -for providing against popular riots. It was feared that the working -classes here, being in a state of ferment, would declare in favour of -a Red Republic. As Reims was an industrial centre, with ten or twelve -thousand _ouvriers_ within its walls, there might be general ground for -apprehension on the withdrawal of our troops. That also was a thing one -could have hardly dreamed of a month ago--German soldiers protecting -the French from Communism! - -After dinner I was summoned several times to the Chief to receive -instructions. In Belgium and Luxemburg our wounded were received in -an unfriendly manner, and it is suspected, probably not without -reason, that ultramontane influence is at the bottom of this conduct. -Favre, “who does not exist for us,” as the Chief declared to-day, has -asked, indirectly through London, whether we are disposed to grant an -armistice and to enter into negotiations. Favre seems to consider this -question as very pressing. The Chancellor, however, does not. - -When Bölsing brought in the despatch from Bernstorff, stating that -Lord Granville requested an early reply from the Chancellor of the -Confederation to Favre’s inquiry, the Minister simply remarked, “There -is no hurry to answer this rubbish.” - -After 10 P.M. the Chief joined us at tea. - -The conversation ultimately turned on the politics of recent years. The -Chancellor said: “What I am proudest of, however, is our success in -the Schleswig-Holstein affair, in which the diplomatic intrigues would -furnish matter for a play. In the first place, Austria could not well -have sided with the Augustenburger in presence of her previous attitude -as recorded in the proceedings of the Germanic Diet, for which she -was bound to show some regard. Then she wanted to find some tolerable -way out of the embarrassment in which she had involved herself with -the Congress of Princes at Frankfurt. Immediately after the death -of the King of Denmark I explained what I wanted in a long speech -at a sitting of the Council of State. The official who drew up the -minutes of the sitting omitted the most important part of my speech; -he must have thought that I had lunched too well, and would be glad -if he left it out. But I took care that it was again inserted. It was -difficult, however, to carry my idea into execution. Everything was -against it--Austria, the English, the small States--both Liberal and -anti-Liberal, the Opposition in the Diet, influential personages at -Court, and the majority of the Press. - -“Yes, at that time there was some hard fighting, the hardest being with -the Court, and it demanded stronger nerves than mine. It was about the -same at Baden-Baden before the Congress at Frankfurt, when the King of -Saxony was in Baden, and wanted our King to go to that Assembly. It -was literally in the sweat of my brow that I prevented him from doing -so.” I asked the Chief, after some further remarks, if the King had -really wished to join the other Princes. “He certainly did,” replied -the Minister, “and I only succeeded with the utmost difficulty in -preventing him, literally hanging on to his coat-tails.” The Chief -then continued to the following effect: “His Majesty said he could not -well do otherwise when a King had come to him as a courier to bring -the invitation. All the women were in favour of his going, the Dowager -Queen, the reigning Queen, and the Grand Duchess of Baden. I declared -to the Dowager that I would not remain Minister nor return to Berlin if -the King allowed himself to be persuaded. She said she was very sorry, -but if I seriously meant that, she must surrender her own view and use -her influence with the King in the other direction, although it was -greatly opposed to her own convictions. The affair was, however, still -made quite disagreeable enough for me. After the King of Saxony and -Beust had been with him, his Majesty lay on the sofa and had an attack -of hysterical weeping; and when at length I had succeeded in wringing -from him the letter of refusal, I was myself so weak and exhausted that -I could scarcely stand. Indeed, I actually reeled as I left the room, -and was so nervous and unhinged that in closing the outer door I tore -off the handle. The aide-de-camp asked me if I was unwell. I said, ‘No, -I am all right again _now_.’ I told Beust, however, that I would have -the regiment stationed at Rastatt brought over to guard the house, -and to prevent anybody else having access to the King in order to put -fresh pressure upon him.” Keudell also mentioned that the Minister had -intended to get Beust arrested. It was getting late when the Chief had -finished his narrative of those events, so he retired, saying: “Yes, -gentlemen, a delicate nervous system has to endure a good deal. I shall -therefore be off to bed. Good night.” - -_Monday, September 12th._--Engaged writing various paragraphs till noon. - -According to some of the German papers the Chief had declared that -in the battle of Sedan, Prussia’s allies fought best. What he said, -however, was only that they co-operated in the best possible way. “The -Belgians,” said the Minister, “display such hatred towards us and such -warm attachment for the French, that perhaps after all something might -be done to satisfy them. It might at any rate be well to suggest that -arrangements even with the present French Government are not entirely -out of the question, which would gratify Belgian yearnings towards -France. Call attention,” added the Chief, “to the fact that the present -animosity in Belgium is due chiefly to ultramontane agitation.” - -The Bavarian Count Luxburg, who is staying with Kühlwetter, has -distinguished himself by his talent and zeal. In future he is to take -part in the consideration of all important questions. - -A report has been received to the effect that America has offered her -services as a mediator between ourselves and the new French Republic. -This mediation will not be declined, and as a matter of fact would -be preferred to that of any other State. It may be assumed that the -authorities at Washington are not disposed to interfere with our -necessary military operations, which would however probably be the -consequence of such mediation. The Chief appears to have been for a -considerable time past well disposed towards the Americans, and not -long ago it was understood that he hoped to secure permission to fit -out ships in the American harbours against the French navy. Doubtless -there is no longer any probability of this being done. - -To conclude from a communication which he has forwarded to Carlsruhe, -the Minister regards the general situation as follows:--“Peace -seems to be still very remote, as the Government in Paris does not -promise to be permanent. When the proper moment for negotiations has -arrived, the King will summon his allies to consider our demands. Our -principal object is and remains to secure the South-Western German -frontier against the danger of a French invasion, to which it has now -been subjected for centuries. A neutral buffer State like Belgium or -Switzerland would not serve our purpose, as it would unquestionably -join France in case of a fresh outbreak of war. Metz and Strassburg, -with an adequate portion of surrounding territory, must belong to all -Germany, to serve as a protective barrier against the French. The -partition of this territory between single States is inexpedient. -The fact that this war has been waged in common cannot fail to have -exercised a healthy influence in other respects on the cause of German -unity; but nevertheless Prussia will, as a matter of course, after the -war as before it, respect the views of the South, and avoid even the -suspicion of any kind of pressure. In this matter a great deal will -depend upon the personal disposition and determination of the King of -Bavaria.” - -Before dinner to-day Prince Luitpold of Bavaria had a long interview -with the Chief. In the evening at tea the Minister, referring to this -interview, said: “The Prince is certainly a good fellow, but I rather -doubt whether he understood the historical and political statements -which I made to him to-day.” - -I have reason to believe that this interview was the beginning of -negotiations (which were several times interrupted) between the -Chancellor of the Confederation and the Emperors of Austria and Russia, -which gradually led to an understanding and finally resulted in the -so-called _Drei Kaiser Bündniss_, or Three Emperors’ Alliance. The -object of these “historical and political statements” was to induce -Prince Luitpold to write a letter to his brother-in-law, the Archduke -Albrecht, submitting certain views to the personal consideration of -the Emperor Francis Joseph. This was one of the few ways in which it -appeared possible for those considerations to reach the Emperor’s own -ear in an ungarbled form. They were as follows: The turn which events -have taken in Paris renders it possible to regard the present war -between Germany and France as a defence of monarchical conservative -principles against the republican and socialistic tenets adopted by the -present holders of power in France. The proclamation of the Republic -in Paris has been welcomed with warm approval in Spain, and it is to -be expected that it will obtain a like reception in Italy. In that -circumstance lies the great danger for those European States that are -governed on a monarchical system. The best security for the cause of -order and civilisation against this solidarity of the revolutionary -and republican elements would be a closer union of those countries -which, like Germany, Russia, and Austria, still afford a firm support -to the monarchical principle. Austria, however, can only be included -in such an understanding when it is recognised in that country that -the attempts hitherto made in the Cisleithan half of the monarchy to -introduce a liberal system are based on a mistaken policy, as are -also the national experiments in a Polish direction. The appointment -of Klaczko, a Polish literary man, to a position in which he is in -close relations with Beust, the Chancellor of the Empire, whose policy -and tendency are well known, together with the latest declarations -of Klaczko, must be regarded as indications of Beust’s own views and -intentions. This co-operation with the Polish revolutionists, together -with the hostility to Russia which is manifested thereby, is for the -Chancellor of the German Confederation a serious hindrance to good -relations with Austria, and must at the same time be regarded as an -indication of hostility to ourselves. In connection with the above -the position of the Cisleithan half of the dual State must be taken -into consideration, and the difficulties which it presents cannot be -overcome except by a conservative _régime_. It is only through the -frank adoption of relations of mutual confidence towards united Germany -and Russia that Austria can find the support which she requires against -revolutionary and centrifugal forces, a support which she has lost -through the disastrous policy of Count Beust. - -Prince Luitpold’s letter giving expression to these views failed to -produce the desired result. It is true the Archduke Albrecht submitted -it to the Emperor, but he showed it at the same time to Beust. His -answer, which was inspired by Beust, was in the main to the effect that -Austria, so long as no special political advantages were offered by -us, did not feel any need of support. If Prussia, as it would appear, -regarded a _rapprochement_ with Austria as desirable or requisite, -nothing had been heard so far as to what she had to offer in return -to the dual monarchy, whose interests were complex. The Emperor would -gladly consider any suggestions that reached him in a direct way. - -The Tsar Alexander was informed of the attempt made in Vienna through -the Bavarian Prince, his attention being at the same time called to the -notorious understanding which existed between the present Government -in Paris and the revolutionary propagandists throughout Europe. The -desirability of a close co-operation of the Eastern Powers against this -movement was urged upon him on the one hand, while on the other the -necessity was pointed out for Germany to avoid, when concluding peace, -anything which might look like disregard for the real requirements of -the country in the matter of frontier protection and security, and -thus give the German revolutionary party an opportunity of poisoning -the public mind. The Tsar declared himself in perfect agreement with -these views, and expressed a strong desire for the realisation of the -proposed union of the monarchical elements against the revolutionary -movement. - -Subsequently, after the insurrection of the Communists in Paris, the -progress of the International, upon which considerable stress was also -laid in the Press, was used as a further argument for the combination -of the conservative Powers against the republican and socialistic -propaganda. This time the representations in question met with more -success in Vienna. - -_Tuesday, September 13th._--In the course of the forenoon I was called -in to the Chancellor six times, and wrote as many paragraphs for the -press. Amongst them were two for the local French papers, which also -received some information from us yesterday. Arrangements were made -to secure the insertion of the portrait and biography of General von -Blumenthal in the illustrated papers with which we entertain friendly -relations, a distinction which he has well deserved. “So far as one -can see,” said the Chief, “the papers make no mention of him, although -he is chief of the staff to the Crown Prince, and, next after Moltke, -deserves most credit for the conduct of the war. - -“I should like a grant to be made to him. He won the battles of -Weissenburg and Wörth, and afterwards those of Beaumont and Sedan, as -the Crown Prince was not always interfering with his plans, as Prince -Frederick Charles did in 1866. The latter fancied that he understood a -great deal about these matters.” - -In the evening the Count sent for me once more. It was merely to -show me a telegram, which he handed to me with a smile. It was a -message from the Grand Duke of Weimar to the Grand Duchess, couched -in the style of the King’s despatches to the Queen, in which the Duke -reported, “My army has fought very bravely.” Greatness, like murder, -will out. But still there are cases in which imitation had better be -avoided. - -On the 14th of September, shortly before 10 o’clock, we started for -Château Thierry, and reached Meaux on the next day. - -Before dinner we heard that a _parlementaire_ has arrived from Paris, -a slight dark-haired young gentleman, who is now standing in the -courtyard before the Chief’s house. From his language he would appear -to be an Englishman. In the evening he has a long conversation with the -Chief over a bottle of kirschwasser, and turns out to be Mr. Edward -Malet, an _attaché_ of the British Embassy in Paris. As I had to pass -through the antechamber I noticed the attendant, Engel, with his ear -to the keyhole, curious to know what they were talking about. He had -brought a letter from Lord Lyons asking whether the Count would enter -into negotiations with Favre as to the conditions of an armistice. The -Chancellor is understood to have replied: “As to conditions of peace, -yes; but not for an armistice.”[8] - -I see from the letters of some Berlin friends that many well-meaning -and patriotic persons cannot bring themselves to accept the idea that -the conquered territory is not to be annexed to Prussia. According to a -communication from Heinrich von Treitschke, of Freiburg, it is feared -that Alsace and Lorraine may be handed over to Bavaria, and that a -new dual system may thus arise. In a letter to the Chief he says: “It -is obvious that Prussia alone is capable of once more Germanising the -Teutonic provinces of France.” He refers to a “circumstance to which -too little attention is paid in the North--namely, that all sensible -men in South Germany desire to see Alsace handed over to Prussia;” and -declares that “it is a great mistake if it is thought in the North that -the South must be rewarded by an increase of territory and population.” -I cannot imagine where Treitschke can have heard such erroneous views. -So far as I am aware they are held by none of our people. I fancy it -is thought here that the South will be sufficiently rewarded in being -at length secured against French lust of conquest. Other ideas of the -writer can only be regarded as sound in certain circumstances. Our -Chief’s plan, to which I have previously referred, is unquestionably -more just and better adapted to the existing situation--namely, to make -those provinces the common property of all Germany. By taking that -course the conquered territory would not become an object of envy and -a cause of dissatisfaction to Prussia’s allies; but, on the contrary, -would serve as a bond of union between North and South. - -I hear from Willisch that certain apprehensions are entertained in -Berlin, which are understood to originate in the _entourage_ of the -Queen. Owing to the anxiety occasioned by the blowing-up of the citadel -at Laon, objections are raised to the King entering Paris, where, it -is apprehended, something might happen to him. Wrangel has telegraphed -in this sense to the King, and it is stated that as a matter of fact -his Majesty is now no longer inclined to go to Paris, and is disposed -to await the further development of affairs at Rothschild’s place in -Ferrières, which lies about half-way between Meaux and Paris. - -Prince Hohenlohe dines at our table, where the Chief also joins us -after returning from dinner with the King. We learn that Reims will -be the administrative centre of the French provinces occupied by our -troops, with the exception of Alsace and Lorraine. The Grand Duke -of Mecklenburg is Governor-General, and will be at the head of the -administration, and Hohenlohe will take a position under him. - -The Chief remarked to his cousin, who complained of not feeling well: -“At your age” (Bohlen is now thirty-eight) “I was still as sound as a -bell, and could take all sorts of liberties with myself. It was at St. -Petersburg that my health first sprang a leak.” - -Somebody turned the conversation on Paris and the subject of the -French and the Alsacians. The Chief gave his views on this matter very -fully, addressing his remarks to me at the close, which I took to be -a permission, or a hint, that I should either get his words or their -purport into the newspapers. The Alsacians and the Germans of Lorraine, -he declared, supply France with numbers of capable men, especially -for the army, but they are not held of much account by the French, -and seldom attain to high positions in the service of the State, -while they are laughed at by the Parisians, who make caricatures and -stories out of them, just as the Irish are laughed at in London. “Other -French provincials are treated in the same way,” added the Minister, -“if not quite so badly. To a certain extent, France is divided into -two nations, the Parisians and the Provincials, and the latter are -the voluntary helots of the former. The object to be aimed at now is -the emancipation, the liberation of France from Parisian rule. When -a provincial feels that he is capable of making a future for himself -he comes to Paris, and is there adopted into, and becomes one of, the -ruling caste. It is a question whether we should not oblige them to -take back the Emperor as a punishment. That is still possible, as the -peasants do not wish to be tyrannised from Paris. France is a nation -of ciphers--a mere herd. The French are wealthy and elegant, but they -have no individuality, no consciousness as individuals, but only as a -mass. They are like thirty million obedient Kaffirs, each one of whom -is in himself featureless and worthless, not fit to be compared with -Russians and Italians, to say nothing of ourselves. It was an easy task -to recruit out of this impersonal, invertebrate mass a phalanx ready to -oppress the remainder of the country so long as it was not united.” - -After dinner wrote several paragraphs in accordance with the Chief’s -instructions and explanations. The subjects were: The German friends -of the Republic--men like Jacoby, the Socialistic Democrats, and -others holding similar views--will not hear of the annexation of -French territory, being in the first place Republicans, and only in a -secondary sense, to a certain extent, German. The security afforded -to Germany by the seizure of Strassburg and Metz is detestable to -them, as it is a bulwark against the Republic which they want to see -established, weakening their propaganda, and injuring their prospects -on our side of the Rhine. They place their party higher than their -country. They welcomed the opposition to Napoleon, because he was an -opponent of their doctrines, but since he has been replaced by the -Republic they have become Frenchmen in sentiment and disposition. -Russia has expressed a desire for a revision of the treaty entered -into as the result of her defeat in the Crimean war. The alterations -proposed in certain points of that instrument must be regarded as just. -The Peace of Paris includes conditions respecting the Black Sea which -are unfair, in view of the fact that a great part of the coast belongs -to Russia. This must, however, be cautiously expressed. - -The conjecture that the Crown Prince is of opinion that the Bavarians -and Suabians, if they are not disposed willingly to form part of united -Germany, must be compelled to do so, is correct. He is inclined to act -on the maxim, _Der Bien muss_. I hear that at Donchery, or near that -town, he had a long conversation on the subject with the Chancellor, -who declared himself strongly against this idea. - -_Saturday, September 17th._--I did a good deal of work this morning -and afternoon from instructions received yesterday. Amongst other -things, I embodied in an article the following ideas, which are very -characteristic of the Chancellor’s manner of thinking: - -“The morning edition of the _National Zeitung_ of September 11th -contains a paragraph entitled ‘From Wilhelmshöhe,’ in which the writer, -after lamenting the considerate treatment of the Prisoner of Sedan, -falls into further errors. Nemesis should have shown no indulgence -towards the man of December 2nd, the author of the laws of public -safety, the prime mover in the Mexican tragedy, and the instigator of -the present terrible war. The victor has been ‘far too chivalrous.’ -That is the way in which the matter is regarded by ‘public opinion,’ -as endorsed apparently by the writer. We do not in any way share those -views. Public opinion is only too much disposed to treat political -relations and events from the standpoint of private morals, and, -amongst other things, to demand that in international conflicts the -victor, guided by the moral code, should sit in judgment upon the -vanquished, and impose penalties not only for the transgressions of -the latter towards himself, but also, if possible, towards others. -Such a demand is entirely unjustifiable. To advance it shows an utter -misapprehension of the nature of political affairs, with which the -conceptions of punishment, reward, and revenge have nothing in common. -To accede to it would be to pervert the whole character of politics. -Politics must leave to Divine Providence and to the God of Battles -the punishment of princes and peoples for breaches of the moral law. -The statesman has neither the authority nor the obligation to assume -the office of judge. In all circumstances the sole question he has to -consider is what, under the conditions given, is to the advantage of -the country, and how that advantage is to be best secured. The kindlier -affections have as little place in the calculations of politics as -they have in those of trade. It is not the business of politics to -seek vengeance for what has been done, but to take precautions that it -shall not be done again. Applying these principles to our case, and -to our conduct towards the vanquished and imprisoned Emperor of the -French, we take the liberty to ask by what right are we to punish him -for the 2nd of December, the law of public safety, and the occurrences -in Mexico, however much we may disapprove of those acts? Political -principles do not even permit us to think of taking revenge for the -present war, of which he was the author. Were we to entertain such -an idea, then it is not alone on Napoleon but almost on every single -Frenchman that we should wreak the Blücher-like vengeance mentioned by -the _National Zeitung_; for the whole of France, with her thirty-five -million inhabitants, showed just as much approval of, and enthusiasm -for, this war as for the Mexican expedition. Germany has simply to ask -herself the further question, Which is more advantageous in the present -circumstances, to treat Napoleon well or ill? And that, we believe, -is not difficult to answer. Upon the same principles we also acted -in 1866. If certain of the measures taken in that year and certain -provisions in the Treaty of Prague could be regarded as acts of revenge -for former affronts, and punishment for the offences that led to the -war in question, the parties affected by those measures and conditions -were not exactly those who had deserved the severest punishment or had -done most to excite a desire for vengeance. Herr von Beust’s Saxony -suffered no reduction of territory in consequence of that crisis, and -Austria just as little.” This last sentence, which appeared literally -as it now stands in the Chief’s instructions, was afterwards struck out -by him. He remarked with a smile, “It is better not to mention names.” - -_Sunday, September 18th._--Early in the day wrote paragraphs for -Berlin, Hagenau, and Reims, dealing, _inter alia_, with Favre’s -declaration that “La République c’est la paix.” It was in the main to -the following effect. During the last forty years France has always -declared herself in favour of peace in every form, and has invariably -acted in an entirely contrary spirit. Twenty years ago the Empire -declared peace to be its ideal, and now the Republic does the same. -In 1829 Legitimacy made a similar declaration, and at the same time -a Franco-Russian alliance was concluded with the object of attacking -Germany; and the execution of that plan was only prevented by the -Revolution of 1830. It is also known that the “peaceful” administration -of the “Citizen King” desired to seize the Rhine in 1840; and it will -be remembered that under the Empire France has conducted more wars than -under any other form of government. These facts show what we have to -expect from M. Favre’s assurances respecting his Republic. Germany has -one answer to all these representations, namely, “La France c’est la -guerre!” and will act in accordance with that conviction in demanding -the cession of Metz and Strassburg. - -The Minister joined as at lunch to-day, at which two dragoon guardsmen -were also present. Both wore the Iron Cross. One of them, Lieutenant -Philip von Bismarck, was the Chancellor’s nephew, an official of -the Supreme Court of Judicature in times of peace. The Chief asked -him whether the Prince of Hohenzollern, who was attached to the -lieutenant’s regiment, was “also a soldier, or merely a Prince?” The -answer was favourable. The Minister replied: “I am glad of that. The -fact of his having announced his election as King of Spain to his -superior officer, in accordance with the regulations, impressed me in -his favour.” - -The conversation turned upon the cost of maintaining Napoleon at -Wilhelmshöhe, which is stated to be something enormous. On this the -Chief remarked: “It is at the Queen’s instance that Napoleon has been -allowed to maintain a Court at the King’s expense. His Majesty had -only proposed to give him one domestic who was to keep watch over -him. But he himself observed to me that women are always addicted to -extravagance.” - -Mention was made of General Ducrot, who was taken prisoner at Sedan, -and who, being allowed greater liberty on pledging his word not -to escape, disgraced himself by absconding on the way to Germany. -The Chief remarked: “When one catches scoundrels of that kind who -have broken their word (of course, I don’t blame those who get away -without it) they ought to be strung up in their red breeches with -the word _Parjure_ written on one leg, and _Infâme_ on the other. In -the meantime that must be put in its proper light in the press. The -fellow must be shown up.” The barbarous manner in which the French were -conducting the war having been again referred to, the Minister said: -“If you peel the white hide off that sort of Gaul you will find a Turco -under it.” - -_Added later._--Von Suckow, the Würtemberg Minister of war, has been a -considerable time with the Chief to-day, and it is understood that the -German cause is making excellent progress amongst the Suabians. Things -appear to be going less well in Bavaria, where the Minister, Bray, -seems to be as hostile to the national cause as he well can be in the -present circumstances. - -_Monday, September 19th._--It is said to be certain that Favre will -arrive here to-day at noon for the purpose of negotiating with the -Chief. He will have fine weather for his business. About 10 o’clock -Count Bismarck-Bohlen comes from the Chief. We are to start immediately -for the Château of Ferrières, four or five hours’ journey from here. So -we pack up in all haste. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - -BISMARCK AND FAVRE AT HAUTE-MAISON--A FORTNIGHT IN ROTHSCHILD’S CHÂTEAU - - -Jules Favre not having arrived up to midday on the 19th of September, -our party started. The Minister, however, left a letter for Favre at -the Mairie, and told a servant to mention the fact to him in case he -came. The Chief and the Councillors rode on ahead of the carriages, of -which I had one entirely to myself. We first passed by the residence of -the King, who was quartered in a handsome château on the Promenade, and -between the villages of Mareuil and Montry we met a two-horse hackney, -in which a Prussian officer sat with three civilians. One of the latter -was an elderly gentleman with a grey beard and a protruding under lip. -“That’s Favre,” I said to Kruger, the Chancery attendant who sat behind -me. “Where is the Minister?” He was not to be seen, but had probably -gone on before us, and the long train of conveyances cut off our view -in front. We drove on rapidly, and after a while I met the Chief and -Keudell riding back in the opposite direction. - -“Favre has driven by, Excellency,” I said. - -“I know,” he replied, smiling, and trotted on. - -Next day Count Hatzfeldt gave us some particulars of the meeting -between the Chancellor of the Confederation and the Parisian lawyer, -now one of the rulers of France. The Minister, Count Hatzfeldt and -Keudell were half an hour ahead of us when _Hofrath_ Taglioni, who -drove with the King’s suite, told them that Favre had passed by. He -had come by another route and had only reached its junction with our -road after the Chief had ridden by. The Minister was very angry at -not having been sooner informed of this. Hatzfeldt galloped after -Favre, with whom he returned, finally meeting the Chief at Montry. -Here the attention of the Minister was called to the little château of -Haute-Maison, situated on a height some ten minutes from the village, -as a suitable place for the interview with the Frenchman. There the -party found two Würtemberg dragoons, one of whom was instructed to take -his carbine and mount guard before the house. They also met there a -French peasant, who looked as if he had just received a good thrashing. -While our people were asking this man whether it was possible to get -anything to eat or drink, Favre, who had gone into the house with the -Chancellor, came out for a moment and addressed his countryman in a -speech full of pathos and noble sentiments. Disorderly attacks had been -made, he said, which must be stopped. He, Favre, was not a spy, but, -on the contrary, a member of the new government which had undertaken -to defend the interests of the country and which represented its -dignity. In the name of international law and of the honour of France -he called upon him to keep watch, and to see that the place was held -sacred. That was imperatively demanded by his, the statesman’s, honour, -as well as by that of the peasant, and so forth. The honest rustic -looked particularly silly as he listened open-mouthed to all this high -falutin, which he evidently understood as little as if it were so much -Greek. Keudell remarked, “If this is the individual who is to preserve -us from a surprise, I for my part prefer to trust to the sentry.” - -On the same evening I learnt from another source that lodgings had been -taken for Favre in the village near the Château of Ferrières, as he -desired to have a further conference with the Chief. He was accompanied -by MM. Rink and Hell, formerly Secretaries of Embassy under Benedetti, -and Prince Biron. Keudell said, “As the Chancellor left the room where -his interview with Favre had taken place, he asked the dragoon who -was on guard before the door whence he came. The man replied, ‘From -Schwäbisch-Hall.’ ‘Well, then, you may be proud,’ he continued, ‘of -having stood guard over the first negotiation for peace in this war.’” - -In the meantime the remainder of us had a long wait at Cheffy for the -return of the Chancellor, and then--probably with his permission--drove -on to Ferrières, which we reached in about two hours. On the way we -passed along the edge of the zone which the French had designedly laid -waste all round Paris. Here the destruction was not very marked, but -the population of the villages seemed to have been in great part driven -away by the Gardes Mobiles. - -At length, just as it began to grow dark, we entered the village of -Ferrières, and shortly afterwards Rothschild’s estate. The King and the -first section of his suite took up their quarters for a considerable -time in this château. The Minister was to lodge in the last three rooms -on the first floor of the right wing, looking out on the meadows and -the park. A large drawing-room on the ground floor was selected for -the bureau, and a smaller one of the same corridor as a breakfast and -dining-room. Baron Rothschild was in Paris, and only left behind him -three or four female domestics and a housekeeper, who gave himself -great airs of importance. - -It was already dark when the Chief arrived, and shortly after we sat -down to dinner. While we were still at table a message was received -from Favre, asking when he could come to continue the negotiations. He -had a conference _tête-à-tête_ with the Chancellor in our bureau from -9.30 P.M. until after 11. On leaving he looked distressed, crestfallen, -almost in despair--my diary remarks that possibly this expression was -assumed with the object of impressing the Minister. - -In connection with the news that the King has gone to Clayes in order -to prevent an attack being made by our troops, the Chief, in the course -of conversation at dinner, said, amongst other things, that “many -of our generals have abused the devotion of the troops in order to -secure victory.” “Possibly,” he added, “the hard-hearted reprobates -of the general staff are right when they say that even if the whole -five hundred thousand men whom we have now in France were to be wiped -out, that should merely be regarded as the loss of so many pawns, -so long as we ultimately won the game. It is very simple strategy, -however, to plunge in head foremost in that way without counting the -cost. Altogether, those who conduct the operations are often not worth -much--armchair strategists. A plan is prepared in which the whole -calculation is based first of all upon the extraordinary qualities -of both soldiers and regimental officers. It is these who alone have -achieved everything. Our success is due to the fact that our soldiers -are physically stronger than the French, that they can march better, -have more patience and sense of duty, and are more impetuous in attack. -If MacMahon had commanded Prussian soldiers and Alvensleben Frenchmen, -the latter would have been defeated--although he is my friend.” “It -is no longer possible, as it was in the Seven Years’ War, to direct -a battle from the saddle--the armies are too large. There is also no -genuine co-operation and mutual assistance. Battles begin usually -like those described by Homer. Some of the men commence with small -provocations, and go on taunting each other, then they begin to shoot; -the others see this and rush forward, and so finally the engagement -becomes general.” “The plan of surrounding the enemy is the right one, -and properly speaking that was only adopted at Sedan. The engagement of -the 16th at Metz was quite correct, as it was necessary there at any -cost to prevent the French from escaping. The sacrifice of the guards -on the 18th however was not necessary. It was a piece of pure folly, -occasioned by jealousy of the Saxons. They ought to have waited at -Saint Privat until the Saxons had completed their manœuvre for cutting -off the enemy.” - -Keudell and Bohlen afterwards ascribed this unfavourable criticism to -a quarrel which the Chief had had with Moltke at Reims. - -While still at table we had a specimen of the hospitality and -gentlemanly feeling of the Baron, whose house is honoured by the -presence of the King, and whose property has, in consequence, been -treated with every consideration. M. de Rothschild, the hundred-fold -millionaire, who, moreover, was, until recently, the Prussian -Consul-General in Paris, has declined, through his housekeeper, to -let us have the wine we require, although I informed that functionary -that it would be paid for, just as everything else was. When summoned -before the Chief, he had the audacity to persist in his refusal, first -denying absolutely that there was any wine in the house, and afterwards -admitting that there were a few hundred bottles of a common Bordeaux. -As a matter of fact, there were some seventeen thousand bottles. The -Minister, however, explained the situation to him in a few sharp words, -pointing out how niggardly and discourteous it was of his master to -requite the King in such manner for the honour done to him in taking -up his quarters there. As the fellow still seemed obstinate, the -Chancellor asked him sternly if he knew what a bundle of straw was. -The man made no answer, but seemed to suspect what it meant, as he -became deadly pale. He was then informed that it was a contrivance on -which obstinate and impudent housekeepers were laid face downwards--he -could imagine the rest for himself. Next day we got everything that -we required, and, so far as I am aware, there was no further cause of -complaint. - -Next morning the Chief came into the _chambre de chasse_ of the -château, which we occupied as our bureau. Turning over the game -book which lay on the table he pointed out the entry for the 3rd of -November, 1856, which showed that he himself, with Galiffet and other -guests, had that day shot forty-two head of game--fourteen hares, one -rabbit, and twenty-seven pheasants. He is now engaged with Moltke and -others in chasing a nobler quarry--the bear to which he referred at -Grand Pré. - -At 11 o’clock the Chief had his third meeting with Favre, after which -followed a conference with the King, at which Moltke and Roon were also -present. - -In the evening I was called to the Chief, who had not appeared at -table, and who, it was understood, did not feel quite well. A narrow -stone winding stairs, which was distinguished with the title, -“Escalier particulier de M. le Baron,” led to a very elegantly -furnished room, where I found the Chancellor sitting on the sofa in his -dressing gown. - -_Wednesday, September 21st._--As the Chief had recovered from his -indisposition, we had plenty to do, and though most of it cannot be -made public, I am now at liberty to quote the following passage from my -diary:-- - -“The imperial emigrants in London have established an organ, _La -Situation_, to represent their interests. Its contents are to be -reproduced in the newspapers we have founded in the eastern districts -of France, but the sources are to be so indicated as not to identify us -with the views therein expressed: _i.e._, it must be understood that -we are not endeavouring to promote the restoration of the Emperor. -Our object is merely to maintain the sense of insecurity and discord -between the various French parties, which are all equally hostile to -us. The retention of the imperial symbols and formulas in despatches -will prove of service in this respect; otherwise Napoleon or a Republic -is a matter of indifference to us. We merely desire to utilise the -existing chaos in France. The future of that country does not concern -us. It is the business of the French themselves to shape it as best -they can. It is only of importance to us in so far as it affects our -own interests, the furtherance of which must be the guiding principle -in politics generally.” Under instructions from the Chief I telegraphed -in the above sense to the principal officials at Nancy and Hagenau. - -At tea some further particulars were given of the last conference -between the Chancellor and Jules Favre. Favre was, it seems, informed -that we could not communicate to him the exact conditions of peace -until they had been settled at a conference of the German Powers -engaged in the war. No arrangement could be come to, however, without -a cession of territory, as it was absolutely essential to us to have -a better frontier as security against French attack. The conference -turned less upon peace and its conditions than on the nature of French -concessions, in consideration of which we might agree to an armistice. -On the mention of a cession of territory Favre became terribly -excited, drew a deep sigh, raised his eyes to heaven, and even shed -some patriotic tears. The Chief does not expect that he will return. -Doubtless an answer in this sense has been forwarded to the Crown -Prince, who telegraphed this morning to ask whether he should attend -the negotiations. - -_Thursday, September 22nd, evening._--The French are indefatigable in -denouncing us to the world as cruel and destructive barbarians; and -the English press--particularly the _Standard_, which is notoriously -hostile to us--willingly lends them its assistance. The grossest -calumnies respecting our conduct towards the French population and -the prisoners in our hands are circulated almost daily by that -newspaper, and always purport to come either from eye-witnesses or -other well-informed sources. Thus, for instance, the Duc de FitzJames -recently drew a horrible picture of the abominations of which we had -been guilty in Bazeilles, adding the assurance that he exaggerated -nothing; and a M. L., who represents himself to be a French officer -whom we had captured at Sedan and subjected to ill-treatment, complains -in a lamentable tone of Prussian inhumanity. Bernstorff sent the -article in question to the Chief, with the suggestion that the charges -should be refuted. The complaint of M. L. might, perhaps, be left to -answer itself, but that of the Duke is calculated to affect even those -across the Channel who are disposed in our favour. Besides, impudent -calumny is always apt to leave some traces behind it. A refutal of -these shameful slanders is accordingly being despatched to-day to -certain London newspapers that are friendly to us. As the greater -part of this communication was dictated by the Chief, it is worthy of -special attention. - -“In this war, as in every other, a great number of villages have been -burned down, mostly by artillery fire, German as well as French. In -these cases women and children who had sought refuge in the cellars -and had not escaped in time, lost their lives in the flames. That was -also the case in Bazeilles, which was several times stormed by our -infantry. The Duc de FitzJames is only an eye-witness so far as the -ruins of the village are concerned, which he saw after the battle, -just as thousands more saw and regretted its fate. All the rest of -his report is based on the stories of the unfortunate and exasperated -villagers. In a country where even the Government has developed an -unexampled talent for systematic lying, it is not to be expected that -angry peasants, standing on the ruins of their homes, would bear -truthful witness against their enemies. It is established by official -reports that the inhabitants of Bazeilles, not in uniform but in their -blouses and shirt-sleeves, fired out of their windows at our troops -and wounded soldiers, and that they killed whole batches of the latter -in their houses. It has been likewise proved that women armed with -knives and guns were guilty of the greatest cruelty towards the fatally -wounded, and that other women, certainly not in the uniform of the -National Guards, took part in the fight with the male inhabitants, -loading their rifles and even firing themselves, and that, like the -other combatants, some of them were in these circumstances wounded or -killed. Naturally these particulars were not communicated to the Duc de -FitzJames by his informant. They would have fully excused the burning -of the village even if it had been done intentionally with the object -of forcing the enemy out of that position. But there is no evidence of -any such intention. That women and children were driven back into the -fire is one of those infamous lies with which the French terrorise the -population, and incite their hatred against us. In this way they cause -the peasants to fly on our approach. The latter return, however, as a -rule, a few days after the entrance of the Germans, and are astounded -to find that they are better treated by them than by the French troops. -When this sort of terrorism is not sufficient to force the inhabitants -to flight, the Government sends a mob of armed civilians, sometimes -supported by African troops, to drive the peasants from their homes at -the point of the sword, and to burn down their houses as a punishment -for their want of patriotism. The letter of ‘an imprisoned officer’ -(Bouillon, September 9th) also contains more falsehood than truth. -With respect to the treatment of the prisoners, Germany can call -150,000 better witnesses than this anonymous and mendacious officer, -whose whole communication is merely an expression of the vindictive -disposition which will for a long time to come inspire the vain and -arrogant elements of the French people, by whom, unfortunately, that -country allows itself to be ruled and led. From this spirit of revenge -arises the certainty of further attacks on the part of France, for -which Germany must be prepared. We are thus unquestionably compelled -to think solely of the security of our frontier in concluding peace. -It is true, as stated in the letter of this imprisoned officer, M. L., -that there was a scarcity of provisions after the surrender of Sedan, -not only for the prisoners, but also for the victors, who shared with -them what they had. When their own stock was exhausted the prisoners -also had to do without. L.’s complaint that he had been obliged to -bivouac in the rain and mud furnishes the best evidence that he is no -officer, and has not even followed the campaign up to that point. He -is some hireling scribe who has never left his own room, and one must -therefore assume that the man’s whole story of his imprisonment is -an invention; as, had he been an officer in the field, he would have -known that most of his comrades (that is certainly the case with the -Germans) have spent at least thirty nights out of the forty or so that -have elapsed since the beginning of the war under similar conditions. -When it rained in the night they had to lie in the rain, and when the -ground was muddy they had to lie in the mud. Only one who had not -followed the campaign could have any doubt or manifest any surprise on -that score. That M. L. prides himself on having retained his leather -purse is the clearest proof that he was not plundered. There can hardly -be a single soldier, who, if he happens to have money, does not carry -it just as M. L. carried his, and in just such a purse; so that if our -men had wanted his money, they must have known very well where to find -it. The few Germans who fell into French hands can tell how quickly -their opponents could open a prisoner’s tunic, and if his purse was -a little too firmly fastened on, hack it off with their sabres or a -knife, without paying too much regard to his skin. We declare the -assertions respecting the ill-treatment of prisoners at Sedan to be -wilful and audacious lies. A great number of the French prisoners, -perhaps one-fourth, were in a state of bestial drunkenness, having -during the last few hours before the capitulation plundered the wine -and brandy stores in the town. It is obvious that it is not so easy to -manage men in a state of drunkenness as when they are sober, but such -ill-treatment as the article describes occurred neither at Sedan nor -elsewhere, owing to the discipline which prevails amongst the Prussian -troops. It is well known that this discipline has won the admiration -of the French officers themselves. Unfortunately one cannot speak as -highly of the French soldiers in this respect as with regard to their -gallantry in action. The French officers have on several occasions been -unable to prevent their men from murdering severely wounded soldiers, -even when individual officers of high rank endeavoured at the risk of -their own lives to defend the wounded, and that was not merely the -case with African regiments. It is known that the German prisoners who -were taken into Metz were spat upon and struck with sticks and stones -on their way through the streets, and on their release had to run the -gauntlet of a double line of African soldiers, who beat them with canes -and whips. We can prove these facts by official records, which have -more claim to credence than the anonymous letter of M. L. But are such -things to be wondered at when the newspapers of a city like Paris, -which now implores considerate treatment on the hypocritical plea of -civilisation, can propose, without eliciting the slightest protest, -that when the French troops are unable to take our wounded with them -they should split their heads open; and further, that the Germans -should be used like dead wolves to manure their fields? The utter -barbarism of the French nation, covered with a thin veneer of culture, -has been fully disclosed in this war. French insolence formerly said, -‘Grattez le Russe et vous trouverez le barbare.’ Whoever is in a -position to compare the conduct of the Russians towards their enemies -in the Crimean War with that of the French in the present campaign, can -have no doubt that this statement recoils upon its authors.” - -When he had finished, the Minister added: “Write to Bernstorff that -I decline in future to notice any suggestion for entering into a -controversy with English newspapers. The Ambassador must act on his own -responsibility.” - -Just as we sat down to table, one of the Court officials announced -that the Crown Prince proposed to come to dinner and to stay for the -night. The Prince’s secretary at the time asked that the bureau and the -large salon next the Chancellor’s room, should be prepared for the five -gentlemen who accompanied his Royal Highness. The Chief replied, “We -cannot give up the bureau, as we want it for our work.” He then placed -his dressing room at their disposal, and further proposed that either -Blumenthal or Eulenburg should sleep in his bedroom. He required the -salon for the reception of the French negotiators and any Princes who -might call upon him. The Court official went off, pulling a long face, -and was impertinent enough to make some remarks in the corridor about -“discourtesy” and so forth. - -Count Lehndorff dined with us, and the conversation was very lively. -Some allusion having been made to Frederick the Great’s statue in -Unter den Linden, which had been decorated with black, red and yellow -flags, the Minister condemned Wurmb for allowing this controversy to -be stirred up. “This stupid quarrel about the colours should not have -been reopened, and it once more proves Wurmb’s incapacity. For me the -question is settled and done with since the North German flag has been -adopted. Otherwise this battle of colours is a matter of indifference -to me. As far as I am concerned they may be green, yellow, and all -the colours of a fancy dress ball, or they can take the banner of -Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Only the Prussian soldier will have nothing to do -with the black, red, and yellow.” - -The Chief then spoke of the peace, which he still considered remote, -adding: “If they (the French Government) go to Orleans, we shall follow -them there, and further--right down to the sea shore.” He read out -some telegrams, including one giving a list of the troops in Paris. -“There are supposed to be 180,000 men in all, but there are hardly -60,000 real soldiers amongst them. The mobile and national guards with -their snuffboxes (a reference to their obsolete weapons) are not to be -reckoned as soldiers.” - -I asked if I should telegraph about the report of artillery and -rifle-fire in the streets of Paris, which people fancied they had -heard. He said I was to do so. “But not yet, I suppose, about the -negotiations with Favre?” “Yes,” he replied, and then went on as -follows: “First at Haute-Maison, near Montry, then the same evening at -Ferrières, and next day a third conversation, but without effect, as -regards the armistice and the peace. Other French parties have also -entered into negotiations with us,” he said, and gave some indications -from which I gathered that he referred to the Empress Eugénie. - -Something else led him to speak of his skill in shooting. He said that -as a young man he could hit a sheet of paper with a pistol at a hundred -yards, and had shot off the heads of ducks in the pond. - -He then mentioned that he had again complained to Treskow of the -“short commons at the Royal table,” at which Treskow pulled a long -face. “But if I am to work well I must have sufficient food. I cannot -make a proper peace if I do not get enough to eat and drink. That’s a -necessity of my trade, and therefore I prefer to dine at home.” - -The conversation then turned on the dead languages--I cannot now say -how. “When I was in the first class at the high school,” he said, -“I was able to write and speak Latin very well. I should now find -it extremely difficult; and I have quite forgotten Greek. I cannot -understand why people take so much trouble with these languages. It -must be merely because learned men do not wish to lessen the value -of what they have themselves so laboriously acquired.” I ventured to -remind him of the mental discipline thus provided. The Chief replied, -“Yes; but if you think Greek is a _disciplina mentis_, the Russian -language is far better in that respect. It might be introduced instead -of Greek--and it has immediate practical value in addition.” - -We then spoke of the way in which the Schleswig-Holstein question was -treated by the Bundestag in the fifties. Count Bismarck-Bohlen, who -had come in in the meantime, remarked that those debates must have -been dull enough to send every one to sleep. “Yes,” said the Chief, -“in Frankfurt they slept over the negotiations with their eyes open. -Altogether it was a sleepy and insipid crowd, and things only became -endurable after I had added the pepper.” He then told us a delightful -story about Count Rechberg, who was at that time Austrian Minister to -the Bundestag. “On one occasion he said something to me which I was -obliged to answer very roughly. He replied that unless I withdrew my -words it would be a case of going out on to the Bockenheimer Haide (a -place where it was customary to settle affairs of honour). ‘I never -withdraw my words,’ said I, carelessly, ‘so we must settle it in that -way, and it occurs to me that the garden down stairs would be a very -suitable place. But in order that people may not think that I represent -my King pistol in hand, without further ceremony I shall write down -here the cause of our quarrel. After you have read it over you will -sign it, and thus testify to its correctness. In the meantime there -is one of our officers lodging here who will oblige me, and you can -choose one of your own officers.’ I rang the bell and sent word to the -officer, requesting him to call upon me; and then went on writing while -Rechberg strode up and down the room--and gluck, gluck, gluck (here -the Minister mimicked the act of drinking) he swallowed one glass of -water after another. Of course not because he was afraid, but because -he was considering whether he ought not first to ask permission of -his Government. I quietly continued to write. The officer came and -said he would gladly oblige me. I begged him to wait a moment. On my -return Rechberg said he would think over the matter until morning, -to which I agreed. As I did not hear from him next day, however, -I sent the Mecklenburg Minister, old Oertzen, to deliver a formal -challenge. Oertzen was told he was not at home. He went again next -day, but Rechberg was still not to be seen. He had evidently written -to Vienna and was waiting for an answer. At length Oertzen came to me -after having spoken to him. Rechberg was prepared to withdraw what he -had said and offer an apology, either in writing or verbally, just as -I liked. He would also come to me if I wished. I went to his place, -however, and the affair was settled.” - -I asked him then about the celebrated story of the cigars. “Which -do you mean?” “Why, about the cigar which you lit, Excellency, when -Rechberg was smoking in your presence.” “Thun, you mean. Yes, that -was very simple. I went to him while he was at work, and he was -smoking. He begged me to excuse him for a moment. I waited a while -and finding it rather slow, as he did not offer me a cigar, I took -one of my own and asked him for a light--which he gave me with rather -a surprised look. But I have another story of the same kind. At the -sittings of the Military Commission, when Rochow represented Prussia -at the Bundestag, Austria was the only one who smoked. Rochow, who was -passionately addicted to smoking, would gladly have done the same, but -had not sufficient confidence. When I came I also felt a longing for -a cigar, and as I could not see why I should deny myself I begged the -presiding power to give me a light, apparently much to his and the -other gentlemen’s astonishment and displeasure. It was evidently an -event for them all. For the time being only Austria and Prussia smoked. -But the remaining gentlemen obviously considered the matter of so much -importance that they wrote home for instructions as to how they were -to act in the circumstances. The authorities were in no hurry. The -affair was one that demanded careful consideration, and for nearly six -months the two great Powers smoked alone. Then Schrenkh, the Bavarian -Minister, began to assert the dignity of his office by lighting his -weed. Nostitz, the Saxon, had certainly a great desire to do the same, -but had probably not yet received the permission of his Minister. -On seeing Bothmer, of Hanover, however, allow himself that liberty, -Nostitz, who was strongly Austrian in his sympathies, having sons in -the Austrian army, must have come to an understanding with Rechberg, -with the result that he too at the next sitting pulled out his cigar -case and puffed away with the rest. Only the representatives of -Würtemberg and Darmstadt now remained, and they were non-smokers. The -honour and dignity of their States, however, imperiously demanded that -they should follow suit, and so as a matter of fact the Würtemberger -pulled out a cigar at the next sitting--I can still see it in my mind’s -eye, a long, thin, yellow thing of the colour of rye straw--and smoked -at least half of it as a burnt-offering on the altar of patriotism. -Hesse-Darmstadt was the only one who finally refrained--probably -conscious that he was not strong enough to enter into rivalry with the -others.”[9] - -_Friday, September 23rd._--Beautiful weather this morning. I took a -walk in the park before the Chief got up. On my return I met Keudell, -who called out “War! A letter from Favre rejecting our demands. -The Chief has given instructions to communicate the letter to the -press with certain comments, hinting that the present occupant of -Wilhelmshöhe is after all not so bad and might be of use to us.” - -The conversation afterwards turned on Pomeranian affairs, and the Chief -spoke amongst other things of the great estate of Schmoldin. The former -proprietor had become bankrupt through treating the people on the -estate--mostly Slav fishermen and sailors--with too much consideration. -The place, which consisted of about 8,000 acres of arable land, and -12,000 to 16,000 acres of forest and downs, worth at least 200,000 -thalers, was purchased by the Royal Treasury for 80,000 thalers. The -change of proprietors had not benefited the tenants, as there was no -question of forbearance or abatements. Many of them have fallen into -a state of pauperism, and instead of being provided for by the Royal -Treasury, they have become a burden on the local authorities. That is -not as it ought to be. It was believed that Obstfelder was to blame for -this hard and unfair treatment. - -_Saturday, September 24th._--The Minister spoke at dinner about the -ostentatious decorations of the great hall of the château, which he -had now seen for the first time. Amongst other things it contains a -throne or table which some French marshal or general inadvertently -packed up with his baggage somewhere in China, or Cochin China, and -afterwards sold to our Baron. The Chief’s verdict was:--“All extremely -costly, but not particularly beautiful, and still less comfortable.” -He then continued:--“A ready-made property like this would not give me -any genuine satisfaction. It was made by others, and not by myself. -True, there are many things in it really beautiful, but one misses the -pleasure of creating and altering. It is also quite a different thing -when I have to ask myself if I can afford to spend five or ten thousand -thalers on this or that improvement, and when there is no need to think -about the cost. In the end it must become tiresome to have always -enough and more than enough.” - -In an article written this evening we returned to our good friends -the French Ultramontanes, who are as active in war as they had been -in peace in opposing the German cause, inciting people against us, -circulating lies about us in the newspapers, and even leading the -peasants to take up arms against our troops, as at Beaumont and -Bazeilles. - -_Sunday, September 25th._--At table we somehow came to discuss -the Jews. “They have no real home,” said the Chief. “They are -international--Europeans, cosmopolitans, nomads. Their fatherland is -Zion, Jerusalem. Otherwise they are citizens of the whole world, and -hold together everywhere. There are amongst them some good, honest -people, as for instance one at our own place in Pomerania, who traded -in hides and such things. Business cannot have prospered with him, -as he became bankrupt. He begged of me not to press my claim, and -promised that he would pay by instalments, when he could. Yielding to -my old habit, I agreed, and he actually paid off the debt. I received -instalments from him while I was still in Frankfurt as Minister to the -Bundestag, and I believe that if I lost anything at all, I must have -lost less than his other creditors. Certainly not many such Jews are -to be met with in our large towns. They have also their own special -virtues. They are credited with respect for their parents, faithfulness -in marriage, and benevolence.” - -_Monday, September 26th._--In the morning wrote various paragraphs for -the press on the following theme: It is urged that we cannot be allowed -to bombard Paris, with its numerous museums, beautiful public buildings -and monuments; that to do so would be a crime against civilisation. -But why not? Paris is a fortress, and if it has been filled with -treasures of art, if it possesses magnificent palaces and other -beautiful structures, that does not alter this character. A fortress is -an instrument for warlike operations which must be rendered powerless -without regard to whatever else may be bound up with it. If the French -wanted to preserve their monuments and collections of books and -pictures from the dangers of war they should not have surrounded them -with fortifications. Besides, the French themselves did not hesitate -for a moment to bombard Rome, which contained monuments of far greater -value, the destruction of which would be an irretrievable loss. Also -sent off an article on the bellicose tendencies of the French Radicals -previous to the declaration of war, for use in our newspapers in Alsace. - -At dinner, as we were discussing military matters, the Chief declared, -_inter alia_, that the uhlans were the best cavalry. The lance gave -the men great self-confidence. It was urged that it was a hindrance in -getting through underwood, but that was a mistake. On the contrary, -the lance was useful in moving aside the branches. He knew that -from experience, as, although he first served in the rifles, he was -afterwards in the Landwehr cavalry. The abolition of the lance in the -entire mounted Landwehr was a blunder. The curved sabre was not much -use, particularly as it was often blunt. The straight thrusting sword -was much more practical. - -After dinner a letter was received from Favre, in which he requested, -first, that notice should be given of the commencement of the -bombardment of Paris, in order that the diplomatic corps might -remove; and, second, that the city should be permitted to remain in -communication with the outer world by letter. Abeken said, as he -brought the letter down from the Chief’s room, that the answer would be -sent by way of Brussels. “But then the letter will arrive late or not -at all, and be returned to us,” observed Keudell. “Well, that does not -matter,” answered Abeken. From the further conversation it appears that -the answer agrees to the French proposals under certain conditions. - -In the evening I was again called to the Chief on several occasions -to take instructions. Amongst other things, I ascertained that, -“while Favre’s report respecting his interviews with the Chancellor -shows, it is true, a desire to give a faithful account of what -passed, it is not quite accurate, which is not surprising in the -circumstances, especially as there were three different meetings.” -In his statement the question of an armistice occupies a secondary -position, whereas, in fact, it was the chief point. Favre was prepared -to pay a considerable cash indemnity. In the matter of a truce two -alternatives were discussed. First, the surrender to us of a portion -of the fortifications of Paris, namely, at a point which would give us -the command of the city, we on our part to allow free communication -with the outer world. The second was that we should forego that -condition, but that Strassburg and Toul should be surrendered to us. -We put forward the latter demand because the retention of these towns -in the hands of the French increases our difficulties of commissariat -transport. The Chancellor stated that with respect to a cession of -territory, he could only disclose its extent and frontiers when our -demand had been accepted in principle. On Favre requesting to have -at least an indication of what we proposed in this respect, he was -informed that for our security in the future we required Strassburg, -“the key of our house,” the departments of the Upper and Lower Rhine, -Metz, and a portion of the Moselle department. The object of the -armistice was to submit the question of peace to a National Assembly to -be summoned for the purpose. - -Again called to the Chief. “The King wishes to see some of the -newspapers, and he desires to have the most important passages marked. -I have proposed Brass to him, and when the papers come, put that one -(the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_) always aside for him.” He -added, smiling, “Just mark some places for the sake of appearances, it -does not much matter what, and send me up the paper.” - -At tea we hear a great piece of news:--the Italians have occupied Rome, -the Pope and the diplomatists remaining in the Vatican. - -_Tuesday, September 27th._--Bölsing, on the Chief’s instructions, shows -me the answer to Favre’s letter, which the Minister has rewritten in -a shorter and more positive form. It says, 1. It is not usual in war -to announce the commencement of an attack; 2. A besieged fortress -does not appear to be a suitable residence for diplomatists; open -letters containing nothing objectionable will be allowed to pass. It -is hoped that the _corps diplomatique_ will agree with this view of -the matter. They can go to Tours, whither it would appear the French -Government also intends to remove. The answer is written in German, -a course already begun by Bernstorff, but which was carried out more -consistently by Bismarck. “Formerly,” said Bölsing, “most of the -Secretaries in the Foreign Office belonged to the French colony, of -which Roland and Delacroix still remain. Almost all the Councillors -also wrote in that language. Even the register of the despatches was -kept in French, and the Ambassadors usually reported in that language.” -Now the speech of the “vile Gaul,” as Count Bohlen calls the French, -is only used in exceptional cases, that is, in communicating with -Governments and Ambassadors to whom we cannot write or reply in their -mother tongue. The registers have for years past been kept in German. - -The Chief has been at work since 8 o’clock in the morning--unusually -early for him. He has again been unable to sleep. - -Prince Radziwill and Knobelsdorff, of the general staff, joined us at -dinner. In speaking of that part of Favre’s report in which he says -that he wept, the Minister thinks he can only have pretended to do so. -“It is true,” he said, “that he looked as if he had done so, and I -tried to some extent to console him. On my observing him more closely, -however, I felt quite certain that he had not succeeded in squeezing -out a single tear. It was all merely a piece of acting on his part. -He thought to work upon me in the same manner as a Parisian lawyer -tries to move a jury. I am perfectly convinced that he was painted at -Ferrières--particularly at the second interview. That morning he looked -much greyer and quite green under the eyes--I am prepared to bet that -it was paint--grey and green, to give himself an appearance of deep -suffering. It is, of course, possible that he was deeply affected; but -then he can be no politician or he would know that pity has nothing to -do with politics.” After a while the Minister added: “When I hinted -something about Strassburg and Metz, he assumed a look as if he thought -I was jesting. I could have given him, the answer which the great fur -dealer of Unter den Linden in Berlin once gave me. I went there to -choose a fur coat, and on his naming a very high price for one to which -I had taken a fancy, I said, ‘Surely you are joking.’ ‘No,’ he replied, -‘I never make jokes in business.’” - -The conversation then turned upon the occupation of Rome and the Pope’s -position in the Vatican, on which point the Chief said, amongst other -things: “He must remain a Sovereign. The only question is, how? It -would be possible to do more for him if the Ultramontanes were not so -much opposed to us everywhere. I am accustomed to pay people back in -their own coin. I should like to know how our Harry (von Arnim, the -North German Ambassador to the Holy See) now feels. Probably, like -his reports, his feelings change three times within the twenty-four -hours. He is really too distinguished an Ambassador for such a small -Sovereign. The Pope, however, is not merely the ruler of the Papal -States, he is also the head of the Catholic Church.” - -After dinner, just as we had finished our coffee, the American general, -Burnside, who had called whilst we were at table, presented himself -again, accompanied by an elderly gentleman who wore a red woollen shirt -and a paper collar. The general, a rather tall, portly gentleman, with -thick, bushy eyebrows, and an exceptionally fine set of beautifully -white teeth and close-cut, mutton-chop whiskers, might pass for an -elderly Prussian major in plain clothes. The Chief sat with him on the -sofa, and had a lively conversation in English over a couple of glasses -of kirschwasser, which were afterwards replenished. Prince Radziwill, -in the meantime, had a talk with the general’s companion. - -After the Minister had observed to his visitor that he had come rather -late to see the fighting, he went on to say that in July we had not -the least desire for war, and that when we were surprised by the -declaration of hostilities, no one, neither the King nor the people, -had thought of any conquests. Our army was an excellent one for a -war of defence, but it would be difficult to use it for schemes of -aggrandisement, because with us the army was the people itself, which -did not lust after glory, as it required and wished for peace. But for -that very reason both popular sentiment and the press now demanded -a better frontier. For the sake of the maintenance of peace we must -secure ourselves in future against attack from a vainglorious and -covetous nation, and that security could only be found in a better -defensive position than we had hitherto had. Burnside seemed inclined -to agree, and he praised very highly our excellent organisation and the -gallantry of our troops. - -_Wednesday, September 28th_.--The general conversation at dinner -gradually adopted a more serious tone. The Chancellor began by -complaining that Voigts-Rhetz in his report had not said a single word -about the gallant charge of the two regiments of dragoon guards at Mars -la Tour, which nevertheless he himself had ordered, and which had saved -the 10th Army Corps. “It was necessary--I grant that; but then it ought -not to have been passed over in silence.” - -The Minister then began a lengthy speech, which ultimately assumed the -character of a dialogue between himself and Katt. Pointing to a spot of -grease on the table-cloth, the Chief remarked: “Just in the same way -as that spot spreads and spreads, so the feeling that it is beautiful -to die for one’s country and honour, even without recognition, sinks -deeper into the skin of the people now that it has been bathed in -blood--it spreads wider and wider.... Yes, yes, the non-commissioned -officer has the same views and the same sense of duty as the lieutenant -and the colonel--with us Germans. That feeling in general goes very -deep through all classes of the nation.... The French are a mass that -can easily be brought under one influence, and then they produce a -great effect. Amongst our people everybody has his own opinion. But -when once a large number of Germans come to hold the same opinion, -great things can be done with them. If they were all agreed they -would be all-powerful.... The French have not that sense of duty which -enables a man to allow himself to be shot dead alone in the dark. And -that comes from the remnant of faith which still abides in our people; -it comes from the knowledge that there is Someone there Who sees me -even if my lieutenant does not see me.” - -“Do you believe that the soldiers reflect on such things, Excellency?” -asked Fürstenstein. - -“‘Reflect?’ no. It is a feeling--a frame of mind; an instinct, if -you like. When once they reflect they lose that feeling; they argue -themselves out of it.... I cannot conceive how men can live together -in an orderly manner, how one can do his duty and allow others to do -theirs without faith in a revealed religion, in God, Who wills what is -right, in a higher Judge and a future life.” - -The Grand Duke of Weimar was announced. But the Minister continued, -it might well be for a quarter of an hour longer, at times suddenly -departing from his proper theme, and frequently repeating the same idea -in other words: “If I were no longer a Christian I would not serve the -King another hour. - -“If I did not put my trust in God I should certainly place none in -any earthly masters. Why, I had quite enough to live on, and had a -sufficiently distinguished position. Why should I labour and toil -unceasingly in this world, and expose myself to worry and vexation if -I did not feel that I must do my duty towards God?[10] If I did not -believe in a Divine Providence which has ordained this German nation -to something good and great, I would at once give up my trade as a -Statesman or I should never have gone into the business. Orders and -titles have no attraction for me. A resolute faith in a life after -death--for that reason I am a Royalist, otherwise I am by nature a -Republican. Yes, I am a Republican in the highest degree; and the firm -determination which I have displayed for ten long years in presence of -all possible forms of absurdity at Court is solely due to my resolute -faith. Deprive me of this faith and you deprive me of my fatherland. If -I were not a firm believer in Christianity, if I had not the wonderful -basis of religion, you would never have had such a Chancellor of the -Confederation. If I had not the wonderful basis of religion I should -have turned my back to the whole Court--and if you are able to find me -a successor who has that basis I will retire at once. But I am living -amongst heathens. I do not want to make any proselytes, but I feel a -necessity to confess this faith.” - -Katt said that the ancients had also shown much self-sacrifice and -devotion. They also had the love of country, which had spurred them -on to great deeds. He was convinced that many people nowadays acted -in the same way through devotion to the State, and a sense of duty to -society. - -The Chief replied that this self-sacrifice and devotion to duty towards -the State and the King amongst us was merely a remnant of the faith of -our fathers and grandfathers in an altered form,--“more confused, and -yet active, no longer faith, but nevertheless faithful.” “How willingly -would I go away! I enjoy country life, the woods and nature. Sever my -connection with God and I am a man who would pack up to-morrow and be -off to Varzin, and say ‘Kiss my ----,’ and cultivate his oats. You -would then deprive me of my King, because why?--if there is no Divine -commandment, why should I subordinate myself to these Hohenzollerns? -They are a Suabian family, no better than my own, and in that case no -concern of mine. Why, I should be worse than Jacoby, who might then be -accepted as President or even as King. He would be in many ways more -sensible, and at all events cheaper.” - -Keudell told me this evening that the Chief had already, while standing -outside the château, several times expressed himself in a similar -manner. - -After dinner the Chancellor received in his own salon the Grand Duke of -Weimar, as also Reynier, and subsequently Burnside and his companion of -the day before. - -_Thursday, September 29th._--In the morning wrote articles on the folly -of certain German newspapers that warned us against laying claim to -Metz and the surrounding district because the inhabitants spoke French, -and on Ducrot’s unpardonable escape during the transport of prisoners -to Germany. The second article was also sent to England. - -The newspapers contain a report on the prevailing public sentiment in -Bavaria, which evidently comes from a thoroughly reliable and highly -competent source.[11] We are accordingly to note the principal points -contained therein. The news given in the report is for the most part -satisfactory--in some particulars only is it possible to wish it were -better. The idea of German unity has evidently been strengthened and -extended by the war, but the specific Bavarian _amour propre_ has also -increased. The part taken by the army in the victories of the German -forces at Wörth and Sedan, as well as the severe losses which it has -suffered, has not failed to excite enthusiasm throughout all classes -of the population, and to fill them with pride at the achievements of -their countrymen. They are convinced that their King sincerely desires -the victory of the German arms, and has used every effort to secure -that end. His immediate _entourage_ is well disposed. That cannot -however be said of all his Ministers. The Minister of War is without -doubt sincerely anxious, and is doing his utmost to see the campaign -brought to a satisfactory conclusion. He is in that respect thoroughly -reliable, and he will no doubt be found on the right side in the matter -of the conditions of peace. Count Bray, on the other hand, is and -remains ultramontane and Austrian in his views. In his heart of hearts -he is opposed to the war, and for him our successes have been too -rapid, and our victories too complete. He would like to see the neutral -Powers take steps to restrain us, and if he could he would support such -measures. - -No conclusion is to be drawn from the very confident tone of the press -as to an eventual rearrangement of German relations which, through -the brotherhood in arms during the war, might develop into a permanent -and closer union also in times of peace. As a matter of course Bray -would be opposed to the entrance of Bavaria into the North German -Confederation. But there are also other influential personages who do -not contemplate such a course, or who regard the effective co-operation -of the Bavarians in the German victories less as a means to promote the -closer union of Germany than as a proof of the power of Bavaria and -an assertion of her independence. The non-ultramontane particularists -take up a somewhat similar position. They are pleased at our victories -and proud of Bavaria’s share in them. They admire the manner in which -the Prussians conduct the war, and, like us, they desire to secure -Germany against future attack from the West. But they will not hear of -Bavaria joining the North German Confederation. The partition of the -conquered French territory is also much discussed in such circles. They -would like to see Alsace annexed to Baden on condition that the Baden -Palatinate were ceded to Bavaria. The more penetrating minds amongst -them are forced to reckon with the probability that Baden, and in all -likelihood also Würtemberg, will after the peace demand admission into -the Federal State already formed by the North. The Ultramontanes remain -what they always were, although they are now silent through fear. -Fortunately they have lost all confidence in Austria, so that they -lack support, while, on the other hand, the Bavarians, who are now in -the field, have an entirely different opinion of the Prussians to that -which they entertained before the war. They are full of the highest -praise for their northern comrades, and not merely for their military -qualities and achievements, but also for their readiness to help the -Bavarians when they have earlier or better supplies than the latter. -More than one of them has written home that their priests have maligned -the Prussians. It is not true that they are all Lutherans. Many of them -are Catholics, and they had even seen some Catholic military chaplains -with them. As the officers share these feelings the army on its -return will carry on an effective propaganda against Ultramontanism, -and probably also against extreme particularism. It will be easily -understood that men of national sentiment in Bavaria should feel more -confident than ever. They will also do what they can for the cause. But -they are a minority in the Lower Chamber, and in the Upper House they -have scarcely two or three representatives. - -At dinner the conversation turned on the Grand Duke of Weimar and such -matters. The Minister said that the Grand Duke had been to see him -the evening before, and wished to obtain some information which he -(the Chief) was unable to give him. “He thinks that I am also _his_ -Chancellor. On my politely declining, he said he must then apply to -the King. ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘but in that case his Majesty will have to -refer in the first place to his Minister.’ ‘And the Minister?’ (Here -the Chief bent his head a little to one side and smiled sweetly.) ‘He -will maintain an impenetrable silence.”’ - -The Chancellor then said that he had been asked what was to be done -with the Garde Mobiles captured at Strassburg. They were disposed to -set them at liberty and let them go home. “God forbid,” said I; “send -them to Upper Silesia.” - -_Friday, September 30th._--Received another letter from Bamberger, who -is in Baden-Baden. He continues to use his talents and influence in the -press to advance the Chancellor’s views. In my answer I begged him to -counteract the ill-considered arguments of certain German journalists -who now, while we are still at war, and have hardly done the heaviest -part of our task, are already strongly urging moderation. The worst -of these is Dr. Kruse, of the _Kölnische Zeitung_, with whom the idea -that Metz must not be annexed because the inhabitants speak French -has become almost a monomania. These gentlemen offer their advice as -to how far we can or may go in our demands, and plead in favour of -France, while they would do much better to insist upon still heavier -demands, “in order,” as the Minister said in complaining of this being -“preposterous” behaviour, “that we may at least get something decent, -if not all that we ask for. They will compel me in the end to claim -the Meuse as our frontier. Write also to Bamberger that I had credited -him with more political acumen than to imagine that we really want to -replace Napoleon on the French throne.” - -_Sunday, October 2nd._--At teatime to a remark that the poorer classes -suffered comparatively more than the upper and wealthier, the Chief -replied that this reminded him of Sheridan’s observation at Reims, -for it was perhaps after all as well it should be so, as there were -more poor people than well-to-do, and we must always keep in mind the -object of the war, which was to secure an advantageous peace. The -more Frenchmen suffered from the war the greater would be the number -of those who would long for peace, whatever our conditions might be. -“And their treacherous franctireurs,” he continued, “who now stand in -blouses with their hands in their pockets, and in the next moment when -our soldiers have passed by take their rifles out of the ditch and fire -at them. It will come to this, that we will shoot down every male -inhabitant. Really that would be no worse than in battle, where they -fire at a distance of 2,000 yards, and cannot recognise each other’s -faces.” - -The conversation then turned on Russia, on the communistic measure -of dividing the land between the village communities, on the minor -nobility, “who had invested their savings in the purchase of peasants, -out of whom they squeezed their interest in the form of Obrok,” and -of the incredible wealth of many of the old Boyar families. The Chief -mentioned several examples, and gave a full account of the Yussupoffs, -whose fortune, although nearly half of it had been several times -confiscated on account of their complicity in conspiracies, was still -much larger than that of most German Princes. It was so great that -“two serfs, father and son, who had acted in succession as managers of -the estate, were able to bleed it of three millions without the loss -being felt.” “The palace of these princes in St. Petersburg contained -a large theatre in the style of the Weisser Saal in the palace at -Berlin, and had magnificent rooms in which 300 to 400 persons could -dine with comfort. Forty years ago the old Yussupoff kept open table -daily. A poor old officer on the retired list had dined there almost -every day for years, although no one knew who he was. The name and rank -of their constant guest was only discovered on inquiries being made of -the police when on one occasion he had remained away for a considerable -time.” - -_Monday, October 3rd._--We were joined at table by the Grand -Chamberlain, Perponcher, and a Herr von Thadden, who was to be -appointed a member of the Administration at Reims. The Chief told -several anecdotes of the old Rothschild of Frankfurt. He had on one -occasion heard Rothschild talking to a corn-dealer who wanted to buy -some wheat. The latter said that such a rich man ought not to put -the price of wheat so high. “What have my riches got to do with it?” -replied the old gentleman. “Is my wheat any the worse because I am -rich?” “He gave dinners however which did all honour to his wealth. I -remember once when the present King, then Prince of Prussia, was in -Frankfurt and I invited him to dinner. Rothschild had also intended -to invite him. The Prince told him, however, that he must settle that -with me, otherwise he would be quite as pleased to dine with him as -with me. Rothschild then wanted me to give up his Royal Highness to -him. I refused, whereupon he had the _naïveté_ to propose that his -dinner should be brought to my house, as of course he did not partake -of it himself--he only ate meat prepared in Jewish fashion. Naturally -I also declined this proposal, although there can be no doubt that -his dinner would have been better than mine.” The Chief was once told -by old Metternich,--“who, by the way, was very well disposed towards -me,”--that at one time when he had lodged with Rothschild, on his way -to Johannisberg (Metternich’s estate), his host had put six bottles of -Johannisberg wine into his lunch basket for the road. These were taken -out unopened on Metternich’s arrival at Johannisberg, where the Prince -asked his chief cellarer what they cost per bottle. “Twelve florins,” -was the answer. “Well then,” said Metternich, “send these six bottles -back to Baron Rothschild when he gives his next order, but charge him -fifteen florins a piece for them then, as they will have grown older by -that time.” - -_Tuesday, October 4th._--In the forenoon again called to the Chief -Bucher, Councillor of Embassy; and Wiehr, a decipherer, arrived after -lunch. Bucher appears to have been summoned here in order to replace -Abeken, who has been ill and ought to have gone home, but who has -now nearly recovered. No one could have filled his place better than -Bucher, who is unquestionably the best informed, most intelligent -and unprejudiced of all the principal workers by whom the Chief is -surrounded, and who help to propagate his ideas. In the evening the -Chancellor talked about Moltke, remarking how gallantly he had attacked -the punch bowl on a recent occasion, and in what excellent spirits he -was. “I have not seen him looking so well for a long time past. That is -the result of the war. It is his trade. I remember, when the Spanish -question became acute, he looked ten years younger. Afterwards, when I -told him that the Hohenzollern had withdrawn, he suddenly looked quite -old and infirm. And when the French showed their teeth again ‘Molk’ -was once more fresh and young. The matter finally ended in a _diner à -trois_--Molk, Roon and I--which resulted (here the Chancellor smiled a -cunning smile) in the Ems telegram.” - -We start early to-morrow morning, as we have a long journey to make. -Our next halt will be at Versailles. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - -THE JOURNEY TO VERSAILLES--MADAME JESSE’S HOUSE, AND OUR LIFE THERE - - -We left Ferrières about 7 o’clock on the morning of the 5th of October. -At first we drove along by-roads, which were however in excellent -condition, passing a large wood, several parks and châteaux and a -number of respectable villages that appeared to be entirely deserted -by their inhabitants and were now occupied solely by German soldiers. -Everywhere an appearance of exceptional prosperity. Later on we reached -a pontoon bridge decorated with the Prussian colours, which took us -over the Seine. On the other side we met the Crown Prince and his -suite, who had ridden out to welcome the King. The latter, accompanied -by the Chancellor, was to proceed from this point on horseback to a -review of troops. We then drove on alone, turning into a high road -which led to the village of Villeneuve le Roi. - -I had long been looking forward to my first glimpse of Paris. It was -however out off on the right by a rather high range of wooded hills, on -the sides of which we now and then, noticed a village or small white -town. At length we come to an opening, a little valley, and we observe -the blue outline of a great cupola--the Pantheon! Hurrah! we are at -last outside Paris. - -We shortly afterwards turned into a broad paved highway where a -Bavarian picket was stationed to watch a road which crossed it at this -point and led towards Paris. To the left an extensive plain, and on -the right a continuation of the chain of wooded heights. A white town -half way up the slope, then, lower down, two other villages, and we -finally pass through an iron gateway partially gilt, traverse some busy -streets, and a straight avenue with old trees, and then find ourselves -in front of our quarters in Versailles. - -On the 6th of October, the day after our arrival in the old royal town -of France, Keudell remarked that we might possibly remain here for some -three weeks. Nor did I think it improbable, as the course of the war up -to that time had accustomed us to speedy success. We remained however -five long months. But, as will be seen later on, the Minister must have -suspected that our stay would not be a short one. For this reason, -and as our lodging was the scene of very important events, a fuller -description of it will probably be welcome. - -The house which was occupied by the Chancellor of the Confederation -belonged to one Madame Jesse, widow of a wealthy cloth manufacturer, -who shortly before our arrival fled to Picardy with her two sons, -leaving her property to the care of her gardener and his wife. It is -No. 14 in Rue de Provence, which connects the Avenue de St. Cloud with -the Boulevard de la Reine. The Rue de Provence is one of the quietest -in Versailles. Many of the houses are surrounded by gardens. Ours is a -slate-roofed house of three stories, the third of these being a garret. -From the entrance in the courtyard a flight of stone steps leads up to -the hall door. On the right of this hall is the principal staircase, -and the following rooms open on to it; the dining-room looking out on -the garden, the salon, a billiard-room, a conservatory, and the library -of the deceased M. Jesse. - -On the table in the salon stood an old-fashioned chimney clock with -a fiendish figure in bronze biting his thumb. This demon grinned -sarcastically at all the negotiations which led to the treaties with -the South German States, the proclamation of the German Emperor and -Empire, and afterwards to the surrender of Paris and the preliminaries -of peace, all of which were signed in this salon, thus securing it a -place in the world’s history. - -The billiard-room was arranged as an office for the councillors, -secretaries, and decipherers. In January, when there was a severe -frost, a portion of the winter garden was assigned to the officers on -guard. The library was occupied by orderlies and Chancery attendants. - -The principal staircase led to a second hall, which received a dim -light from a square flat window let into the roof. The doors of the -Minister’s two rooms opened off this hall. Neither of them was more -than ten paces by seven. One of these, the window of which opened on -the garden, served at the same time as study and bed-chamber, and was -very scantily furnished. - -The other chamber, which was somewhat better furnished, although not -at all luxuriously, served, in addition to the salon on the ground -floor, for the reception of visitors. During the negotiations for the -capitulation of Paris it was put at the disposal of Jules Favre for his -meditations and correspondence. - -Count Bismarck-Bohlen had a room to the left of the Chancellor’s, -which also opened on the park and garden, Abeken having the opposite -room looking on the street. Bölsing had a small chamber near the -back-stairs, while I was lodged on the second floor over Bohlen’s room. - -The park behind the house, though not large, was very pretty, and -there during the bright autumn nights the tall figure and white cap of -the Chancellor was frequently to be seen passing from the shade into -the moonlight as he slowly strolled about. What was the sleepless man -pondering over? What ideas were revolving through the mind of that -solitary wanderer? What plans were forming or ripening in his brain -during those still midnight hours? - -It will be seen that the whole Field Foreign Office was not quartered -at Madame Jesse’s. Lothar Bucher had a handsome apartment in the Avenue -de Paris, Keudell and the decipherers were lodged in a house somewhat -higher up than ours in the Rue de Provence, and Count Hatzfeldt lived -in the last house on the opposite side of the way. There was some talk -on several occasions of providing the Chancellor with more roomy and -better furnished lodgings, but the matter went no further, possibly -because he himself felt no great desire for such a change, and perhaps -also because he liked the quiet which prevailed in the comparatively -retired Rue de Provence. - -During the day, however, this stillness was less idyllic than many -newspaper correspondents described it at the time. I am not thinking -of the fifes and drums of the troops that marched through the town and -which reached our ears almost daily, nor of the noise which resulted -from two sorties made by the Parisians in our direction, nor even of -the hottest day of the bombardment, as we had become accustomed to all -that, much as the miller does to the roar and rattle of his wheels. I -refer principally to the numerous visitors of all kinds, many of them -unwelcome, who were received by the Chancellor during those eventful -months. Our quarters was often like a pigeon house from the constant -flow of strangers and acquaintances in and out. At first non-official -eavesdroppers and messengers came from Paris, followed later by -official negotiators in the persons of Favre and Thiers, accompanied -by a larger or smaller retinue. There were princely visitors from -the Hôtel des Reservoirs. The Crown Prince came several times, and -the King once. The Church was also represented amongst the callers -by high dignitaries, archbishops, and other prelates. Deputations -from the Reichstag, individual party leaders, higher officials, and -bankers arrived from Berlin, while Ministers came from Bavaria and -other South German States for the purpose of concluding treaties. -American generals, members of the foreign diplomatic body in Paris, -including a “coloured gentleman,” and envoys of the Imperialist party -wished to speak to the busy statesman in his small room upstairs, -and, as a matter of course, English newspaper correspondents eagerly -tried to force their way into his presence. Then there were Government -couriers with their despatch bags, Chancery attendants with telegrams, -orderlies with messages from the general staff, and besides all these -a superfluity of work which was as difficult as it was important. In -short, what with deliberating on old schemes and forming new ones, -seeking how to overcome difficulties, vexation and trouble, the -disappointment of well-grounded expectations, now and then a lack of -support and readiness to meet his views, the foolish opinions of the -Berlin press and their dissatisfaction notwithstanding our undreamt -of success, together with the agitation of the Ultramontanes, it was -often hard to understand how the Chancellor, with all these calls -upon his activity and patience, and with all this disturbance and -friction, was, on the whole, able to preserve his health and maintain -that freshness which he showed so frequently late in the evening in -conversations both serious and humorous. During his stay at Versailles -he was only once or twice unwell for three or four days. - -The Minister allowed himself little recreation--a ride between 3 and -4 o’clock, an hour at table with half an hour for the cup of coffee -which followed it in the drawing-room, and now and then, after 10 P.M., -a longer or shorter chat at the tea-table with whoever happened to be -there, and a couple of hours sleep after daybreak. The whole remainder -of the day was devoted to business, studying or writing in his room, or -in conversations and negotiations,--unless a sortie of the French or -some other important military operation called him to the side of the -King, or alone to some post of observation. - -Nearly every day the Chancellor had guests to dinner, and in this way -we came to see and hear almost all the well-known and celebrated men -prominently connected in the war. Favre repeatedly dined with us, -reluctantly at first, “because his countrymen within the walls were -starving,” but afterwards listening to wise counsel and exhortation and -doing justice like the rest of us to the good things of the kitchen and -cellar. Thiers, with his keen intelligent features, was on one occasion -amongst the guests, and the Crown Prince once did us the honour to -dine at our table, when such of the Chief’s assistants as were not -previously known to him were presented. At another time Prince Albrecht -was present. Of the Minister’s further guests, I will here only -mention Delbrück, President of the Bundeskanzleiamt, who was frequently -in Versailles for weeks at a time, the Duke of Ratibor, Prince Putbus, -von Bennigsen, Simson, Bamberger, Friedenthal and von Blankenburg, the -Bavarian Ministers Count Bray and von Lutz, the Würtemberg Ministers -von Wächter and Mittnacht, von Roggenbach, Prince Radziwill, and -finally Odo Russell, who was subsequently British Ambassador to the -German Empire. When the Chief was present the conversation was always -lively and varied, while it was frequently instructive as illustrating -his manner of regarding men and things, or as throwing light upon -certain episodes and incidents of his past life. - -Madame Jesse put in an appearance a few days before our departure and, -as previously observed, did not produce a good impression. She seems to -have made charges against us which the French press, even papers that -lay claim to some respectability, circulated with manifest pleasure. -Amongst other things we are alleged to have packed up her plate and -table linen. Furthermore, Count Bismarck tried to compel her to give -him a valuable clock. - -The first assertion was simply an absurdity, as there was no silver -in the house, unless it was in a corner of the cellar which was -walled up, and which--on the express directions of the Chief--was -left unopened. The true story about the clock was quite different -to that circulated by Madame Jesse. The article in question was the -timepiece in the drawing-room with the small bronze demon. Madame Jesse -offered the Chancellor this piece of furniture, which in itself was of -comparatively little value, at an exorbitant price, on the assumption -that he prized it as a witness to the important negotiations that had -taken place in her room. I believe she asked 5,000 francs for it. But -she overreached herself, and her offer was declined. “I remember,” -said the Minister afterwards in Berlin, “observing at the time that -possibly the impish figure on the clock, which made such faces, might -be particularly dear to her as a family portrait, and that I should be -sorry to deprive her of it.” - - - - - CHAPTER X - -AUTUMN DAYS AT VERSAILLES - - -The day after our arrival at Versailles I forwarded the following -statement with regard to the measures taken against Jacoby, in -accordance with the Chief’s views. It was an answer to the protests -which had been made by the German press against his arrest, and not -merely by the democratic and the progressist organs, which invariably -criticise political and military affairs from the standpoint of private -morals. - -“We still hear a great deal about the alleged illegality committed in -arresting Jacoby. That measure might have been inopportune; perhaps -less importance might have been attached to his demonstrations. But -there was nothing illegal in the course adopted, as we are now in a -state of war, when the civil code must yield to military necessity. The -imprisonment of Jacoby falls within the military jurisdiction, with -which the police and the judicial authorities have nothing to do. It is -in no sense to be regarded as a punishment. Jacoby is simply a prisoner -of war, just as would be a spy arrested in Germany, with whom of course -we do not wish otherwise to compare him. In other words, he was one of -the forces that increased the difficulty of attaining the object of -the war, and had accordingly to be rendered harmless. - -“This will be made clear by a glance at the numerous instances in -which those entrusted with the conduct of war are obliged to over-ride -the rights of person and property recognised by the Constitution. -For purposes of successful defence private property may be destroyed -without previously arranging the terms of compensation, houses may -be burned and trees cut down, an entrance may be forced into private -residences, street traffic may be stopped and every other means of -transport such as ships, carts, &c., can be either seized or destroyed -without the previous permission of the owner, that rule applying to -our own as well as to the enemy’s country. The removal of persons who -afford the enemy either moral or material support, or who merely give -rise to suspicion that they do so, comes under the same category of -laws which apply to countries in a state of war. - -“These principles are not contested in so far as they are applicable -to the immediate seat of war. The idea upon which they are based is -not, however, affected by the locality. Those who wield the power of -the State must exercise the rights and fulfil the duties accorded to -and imposed upon them for the purpose of securing the object of the -war, without regard to the distance from the actual scene of warfare -of the obstacles which require removal. They are bound to prevent -the occurrence of such incidents as render the attainment of peace -less easy. We are now carrying on a war for the purpose of enforcing -conditions which will hinder the enemy from attacking us in future. -Our opponents resist these conditions and will be greatly encouraged -and strengthened in their resistance by a declaration on the part of -Germans that these conditions are inexpedient and unjust. The Brunswick -working class manifesto and the Königsberg resolution have been -utilised to the utmost by the French press and have obviously confirmed -the Republicans now holding power in Paris in the idea that they are -right in rejecting those conditions. These French Republicans measure -the influence of their German sympathisers on the Governments of -Germany by the standard of their own experience. The impression which -those demonstrations at Brunswick and Königsberg produced in Germany -was probably little; but the point is, what effect did they have in -Paris? The effect there is such that similar demonstrations must be -rendered impossible in future, and their instigator must accordingly be -put out of harm’s way.” - -In the morning Keudell said to me we might remain in Versailles for -about three weeks. Metz would soon be obliged to capitulate, as they -now had only horseflesh to eat and no salt. They were still confident -in Paris, although there was great mortality amongst their cattle, -which were fed on compressed food. Burnside, who had been in the city, -confirmed this news. The Minister was less sanguine. The question -of uniforms for the secretaries was again brought up, and in this -connection the Chief remarked that the war might yet continue for a -considerable time, perhaps till Christmas, possibly till Easter, and -probably a portion of the troops would remain in France for years -to come. Paris should have been immediately stormed on the 19th of -September, or left entirely on one side. He then told his valet to send -to Berlin for his fur coats. - -In the further course of conversation the Minister said: “I heard -something really characteristic to-day. The host of Princes who have -followed us and who are lodging at the Hôtel des Reservoirs are living -at the expense of the town! They let the municipality feed them, though -they have merely come out of curiosity, and are nothing more than -distinguished loafers. It is particularly shabby of the Duke of Coburg, -who is a rich man, with an annual revenue of a million thalers. Such a -piece of meanness ought to be noticed in the press. It is shameful for -a Prince to allow himself to be fed by a town already so impoverished.” -The Chief again returned to this subject a little later, “The royal -household is a very comprehensive conception, and so it is impossible -to object to these gentlemen being fed. The King pays for the Crown -Prince, and the Crown Prince for the other princely personages. But it -is mean of the latter to help to suck the town dry, and the newspapers -should not overlook it.” - -I afterwards asked the Minister, who was alone with me in the -drawing-room, where he remained behind after taking a cup of coffee, -whether I should send the press particulars of the not very gentlemanly -conduct of the Princes. “Certainly, why not?” he replied; “and you can -also give the name of the Coburger--not in our own papers, however.” -The bolt was accordingly despatched to Metzler, of the Foreign Office -in Berlin, who was to pass it on to the _Kölnische Zeitung_. - -“An Englishman at the headquarters at Meaux” wrote to the _Daily -Telegraph_ that the Chief on the conclusion of his interview with Malet -said: “What gives myself and the King most anxiety is the influence -of a French Republic in Germany. We are very well aware how American -Republicanism has reacted upon Germany, and if the French oppose -us with a republican propaganda it will do us more harm than their -armies.” The Minister wrote on the margin of this statement: “An -absurd lie.” - -_Friday, October 7th._--Hatzfeldt informed us at lunch that the Greek -Minister in Paris, with a “family” of twenty-four or twenty-five -persons, has come out to us on his way to Tours to join the delegation -of the Government of National Defence. His boy told the Count that he -did not at all like Paris. They got too little meat to eat there. - -Prepared an article for the press from the following sketch: “We are -carrying on war, not with a view to a permanent occupation of France, -but to secure a peace on the conditions which we have laid down. For -that reason we desire to negotiate with a Government which represents -the will of France, and whose declarations and concessions will bind -France as well as ourselves. The present Government has not that -character. It must be confirmed by a National Assembly, or replaced by -another Government. A general election is necessary for that purpose; -and we are quite prepared to permit this to take place in those parts -of the country which we occupy, so far as strategic considerations -will allow. The present holders of power in Paris, however, have no -disposition to adopt this course. For personal considerations they -injure the interests of the country by inflicting upon it a continuance -of the evils of war.” - -Hatzfeldt complained at dinner that the Greeks, who are anxious to -get away, pestered him with their lamentations. “Yes,” said the -Chief, “they too must be regarded with suspicion. They must first -be identified according to their descriptions, and it must then be -seen whether they have been properly circumcised. But no, that is not -customary among the Greeks. What seems to me, however, more suspicious -even than this enormous diplomatic family, is Wittgenstein, who comes -out at the risk of his life on pretence of having despatches for me, -and who afterwards turns out to have none. I wonder do they fancy that -we shall tolerate this running to and fro between Paris and Kutusow?” - -“But,” said Hatzfeldt, “he might be able to bring us news from the -city.” - -The Chief: “For that purpose he should bear a character that inspires -confidence, and that he does not do.” - -The conversation then turned on the exhausted condition of the town -of Versailles, which has had heavy expenses to bear during the last -fortnight. The new Mayor, a M. Rameau, was granted an audience with the -Chief to-day. Referring to this the Minister said: “I told him that -they should raise a loan. ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘that would be possible, -but then he must ask permission to go to Tours, as he required the -authority of his Government for such a measure.’ Of course I could not -promise him that, and besides they would hardly give him the necessary -authority there. Probably they think at Tours that it is the duty of -the Versailles people to starve in order that we may be starved with -them. But they forget that we are the stronger and take what we want. -They have absolutely no idea what war is.” - -A reference to the neighbourhood between the palace and the Hôtel des -Reservoirs brought up the subject of the distinguished guests who are -staying at the latter house. Amongst other remarks upon the “troop of -princes,” the Chancellor said: “They have nothing decent to eat at that -hotel, possibly because the people think their highnesses wish to have -it gratis.” - -Finally some one broached the question of tolerance, and at first the -Chancellor expressed himself much in the same sense as he had done -at St. Avold. He declared in decided terms for tolerance in matters -of faith. “But,” he added, “the Freethinkers are also not tolerant. -They persecute believers, not indeed with the stake, since that is -impossible, but with insult and mockery in the press. Amongst the -people, so far as they are non-believers, there has also not been -much progress. What pleasure it would afford them to see Pastor Knack -hanged!” - -Somebody having mentioned that early Protestantism had shown no -tolerance, Bucher called attention to the fact that, according to -Buckle, the Huguenots were zealous reactionaries, as was, indeed, the -case with all the reformers of that period. “They were not exactly -reactionaries,” replied the Chief, “but petty tyrants--each parson was -a small Pope.” He then referred to the course taken by Calvin against -Servetus, and added “Luther was just the same.” I ventured to recall -Luther’s treatment of the followers of Karlstadt and Munzer, as well -as the case of the Wittenberg theologians after him, and Chancellor -Krell. Bucher related that towards the end of the last century the -Scottish Presbyterians punished a person for merely lending Thomas -Paine’s _Rights of Man_ with twenty-one years’ transportation, the -offender being immediately cast into chains. I pointed to the rigid -intolerance of the New England States towards the members of other -religious communions and to their tyrannical liquor law. “And the -Sabbath-keeping,” said the Chief, “that is a horrible tyranny. I -remember the first time I went to England on landing at Hull I whistled -in the street. An Englishman, whose acquaintance I had made on board -said to me, ‘Pray, sir, don’t whistle!’ I asked ‘Why not? is it -forbidden here?’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘but it is the Sabbath.’ That made -me so angry that I immediately took a ticket on another steamer for -Edinburgh, as it did not at all suit me not to be able to whistle when -I had a mind to.” Bucher remarked that in general the Sunday in England -was not so bad. He himself had always greatly enjoyed the stillness -after the rush and roar of the working day in London, where the noise -began early in the morning. The Chancellor then continued: “In other -respects I am not at all opposed to keeping the Sabbath holy. On the -contrary, as a landed proprietor, I promote it as much as possible. -Only I will not force the people. Every one must know best for himself -how to prepare for the future life. No work should be done on Sunday, -because it is wrong as being a breach of the Divine commandment, and -unfair to man, who requires rest. That of course does not apply to -the service of the State and in particular to the diplomatic service, -in which despatches and telegrams are delivered on Sundays which must -be dealt with at once. There can also be no objection to our country -people saving their hay or corn on a fine Sunday after a long spell -of bad weather. I could not bring myself to coerce my farmers in -those things.... I can afford to do as I think right myself, as the -damage done by a possible rainy Monday would not affect me. Our landed -proprietors consider that it is not respectable to allow their people -to work on Sunday even in such an emergency!” I mentioned that pious -families in America do not even cook on the Sabbath, and that on being -once invited to dinner in New York on a Sunday there was only cold -meat on the table. “In Frankfurt,” said the Chief, “when I had more -liberty we always dined very simply on Sundays, and I never ordered -the carriage out on account of the servants.” I ventured to remark -that in Leipzig all shops were closed on Sunday, with the exception of -the bakers’ and some tobacconists. “Yes, that is as it should be; but -I do not want to put pressure on anybody. I might possibly do it in -the country by not buying from a tradesman--that is if his goods were -not of exceptionally high quality, for then I do not know whether I -should be able to stand firm. Care should be taken, however, that noisy -trades, such as that of the blacksmith, should not be carried on in the -neighbourhood of a church on Sunday.” - -I was summoned to the Minister in the evening. “Thile[12] writes -to me,” he said, “that the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ has a -terrible article against the Catholics. Is it by you?” “I do not know -which he alludes to, as I have recently called attention on several -occasions to the proceedings of the Ultramontanes.” He then searched -for the extract, which he read over half aloud. “But that is perfectly -true and correct. Yes, that’s quite right. Our good Thile has been -thoroughly taken in by Savigny. He has gone out of his wits and howls -because we have not rescued the Pope and his whole family.” - -We were thirteen at table to-day, Dr. Lauer being one of the number. I -pointed this out to Bucher, who sat near me. “Don’t speak so loud,” he -replied. “The Chief has a very sharp ear, and he is superstitious on -that point.”[13] - -_Monday, October 10th._--Called to the Chief twice during the morning. -He went subsequently to the Crown Prince’s quarters, where he remained -for lunch. - -The conversation at dinner at first turned on the interview of the King -with Napoleon at Bellevue, near Sedan, respecting which Russell sent a -full report to _The Times_, although the two Sovereigns were alone and -the Chancellor himself was only aware of what had passed in so far as -the King had assured him that there had been absolutely no reference -to politics. “As a matter of fact,” said the Chancellor, “it would not -have been nice of ‘our Most Gracious’ to have maintained silence only -towards his Ministers. Russell must unquestionably have received his -news from the Crown Prince.” - -I now forgot how and by whom the subject of dangerous touring -expeditions was introduced, but the Minister himself related some -daring enterprises of his own. “I remember,” he said, “being once with -a party, amongst whom were the Orloffs, in South France, near the Pont -du Gard. An old Roman aqueduct of several stories crossed the valley. -Princess Orloff, a very spirited lady, proposed that we should go -across over it. There was a very narrow path, about a foot and a half -wide, along one side of the old water channel, and on the other side a -wall of big slabs of stone. It looked a very hazardous undertaking, but -I could not allow myself to be beaten by a woman. We two accordingly -started on this enterprise, Orloff going with the rest of the company -down by the valley. For some time we walked on all right along the -stone wall, from which we could see a depth of several hundred feet -beneath us. Further on, however, the stones had fallen off and we had -to pick our way along the narrow ledge. Then we came to another stretch -of relatively easy going, but after there was another very bad bit on -an unsafe ledge. Screwing up my courage I stepped out quickly after -the Princess, and grasping her with one arm, jumped down with her into -the channel some four to five feet deep. Our companions below, who had -suddenly lost sight of us, were in the greatest anxiety until at length -we came out on the other side.” - -In the evening I was called to the Chief to receive instructions -respecting Garibaldi, who, according to a telegram from Tours, had -arrived there and offered his services to the French Republic. The -Chancellor said: “But just tell me why you sometimes write in such -a sledge-hammer style? It is true I have not seen the text of your -telegram about Russell, but your recent article on the Ultramontanes in -the _Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung_ was very strongly worded. Surely -the Saxons are usually regarded as a very polite race, and if you have -any ambition to become Court Historian to the Foreign Office, you must -not be so violent.” I ventured to reply that I could also be polite, -and was capable of irony without rudeness. “Well, then,” he said, “be -polite but without irony. Write diplomatically. Even in a declaration -of war one observes the rules of politeness.” - -_Tuesday, October 11th._--It appears from the conversation at dinner -that an assembly of a congress of German Princes at Versailles has -been for some time past under consideration. It is hoped that the King -of Bavaria will also come. In that case Delbrück thinks “it would be -well to place at his disposal one of the historic apartments in the -palace--possibly the bedroom of Louis XIV. With his character he would -be certainly delighted at such an arrangement, and would not be too -exacting in the matter of comfort.” The Chief dined to-day with the -Crown Prince, and did not return until 10 o’clock, when he had an -interview with Burnside. - -_Wednesday, October 12th._--Amongst other things I wrote to-day another -article on the hostile attitude assumed by the Ultramontanes towards us -in this war. - -It was directed against the _Schlesische Haus-Blätter_, and concluded -as follows: “We should have thought that it was impossible at this -time of day to be misunderstood in using the terms ‘ultramontane’ and -‘ultramontanism.’ We should have thought that honest Catholics would -as clearly understood what was meant thereby as do other Christians, -and that as honest Catholics they could not possibly take offence -at strictures upon ultramontane agitation and attacks. Acting on -this supposition, we called attention to the resistance offered -by that party to the latest development of German affairs. To our -great astonishment, however, we learn through a Silesian journal -that our article, in which the party in question was described as -ultramontane, has actually given offence, and been regarded as a -censure and impeachment of Catholicism itself. We deprecate any -such interpretation of our meaning. Nothing was more remote from our -intention. From our standpoint Ultramontanism has just as little in -common with the faith of the Catholic Church as Atheism and Nihilism -have with the Protestant Church. Ultramontanism is of a purely -political character. It is the spirit of a sect with exclusively -worldly aims, namely, the restoration as far as possible of universal -empire on a mediæval theocratic basis. It does not recognise the claims -of patriotism, and it considers the end to justify the means. In -speaking of the Ultramontanes as zealous opponents of Germany in the -present war, the examples which we gave made it sufficiently clear to -whom we referred. For the purpose of removing all doubt on this point, -however, and to prevent the possibility in future of circles for whom -we entertain feelings of respect taking unnecessary offence at remarks -which were not intended for them, we will here add a few further -examples. - -“When we complained of the hostility of the Ultramontanes we were -thinking of those French priests who were convicted upon trustworthy -evidence of having fired upon our soldiers. In repeating these charges -we have other priests in mind who, a few days ago, under the pretext of -bringing the last consolation to the dying, sneaked through our camp -outside Paris as spies; and to the manifesto of the former ultramontane -deputy, Keller, an Alsacian, published in the _Union_, which declares -that the war against us is a ‘holy war,’ and that every shot fired at a -German is an _œuvre sainte_. We imagine that after this explanation our -Silesian contemporary will no longer doubt our respect for the Catholic -Church, and will not itself desire to identify the Catholic cause with -those who thus act and speak, and are guilty of such a gross abuse of -the conception of ‘holiness.’” - -On my submitting the article to the Chief he said: “You still write -too bluntly for me. But you told me that you were capable of delicate -irony. Here, however, there is much more irony than delicacy.” (I -had only reproduced his own expressions, which, however, shall be -avoided in future.) “Write it all in a different strain. You must -write politically, and in politics the object is not to give offence.” -The Chief then altered the article in part, the first paragraph -assuming the following form: “We had not believed that at this time -of day the use of the expressions ‘ultramontane’ and ‘ultramontanism’ -could lead to any misunderstanding. We imagined that Catholics had -as clear a conception of the meanings of those words as the members -of other Christian communities, and that they would understand that -no offence was intended to them in complaining of the attacks of the -Ultramontanes. It was on this supposition that we dealt with the -opposition of the party in question to the latest development of German -affairs, and we are surprised to find that a Silesian newspaper, -notorious for its violence of language, has inverted our meaning, -substituting the Catholic Christian world for the coterie which we -attacked.” The Minister struck out the adjective “zealous” before -“opponents of Germany,” and also the following sentence beginning -with the words “For the purpose of removing.” The concluding passage -read as follows after the Minister had corrected it: “In complaining -of the Ultramontanes we were thinking, as we expressly stated, of -the party of the _Münchener Volksboten_ and similar organs, whose -slanderous jibes stir up the Germans against each other, and who -encouraged the French to attack Germany and are partly responsible -for the present war, inasmuch as they represented French victory to -be easy and certain, and the German people to be disunited; we had in -mind the priests of Upper Alsace and the French priests who instigated -the country population to murderous attacks upon our troops in which -they themselves took part; we had further in view those priests who -sullied the cloth, sneaking into our camp as spies under pretence of -bringing the last consolation to the dying, and who are at the present -moment being tried by court-martial for this conduct; and we were -also thinking of a manifesto published in the _Union_ by the former -ultramontane deputy, Keller, an Alsacian, in which the present war was -represented as a crusade, and every shot fired at a German as an _œuvre -sainte_. We imagine that the Silesian journal in question will hardly -succeed in obtaining credence when it casts doubt upon our respect -for the Catholic Church. It will not desire to identify the cause of -Catholicism with that of men who have been guilty of such a wicked -abuse of sacred things and of genuine faith.” - -The Chief dined with the King to-day, but afterwards joined us at -table, where he complained of the way in which the smaller potentates -worried “their” Chancellor with all sorts of questions and counsels, -“until Prince Charles noticed my appealing glance and saved me from -their clutches.” - -After dinner a gentleman who has come from Paris, supposed to be -a Spanish diplomat, succeeded in obtaining an interview with the -Chancellor, and remained with him for a long time. Like other gentlemen -who have come from the city he will not be allowed to return. Some of -us considered the visit rather suspicious. - -Burnside came in while we were at tea. He wishes to leave here and -go to Brussels, in order to find apartments for his wife, who is -now at Geneva. He says that Sheridan has left for Switzerland and -Italy. Apparently the Americans can do nothing further in the way of -negotiations. The general wished to see the Chief again this evening. -I dissuaded him, pointing out that although, owing to his great -regard for the Americans, the Chancellor would receive him if he were -announced, yet consideration ought to be paid to the heavy pressure -upon his time. This was quite in accord with the Chief’s wishes, as on -my being summoned to him at 10.30 P.M. he said: “As you know Burnside, -please point out to him how much I am occupied, but in such a way that -he will not think I have prompted you. He never quite finishes what he -has got to say, but always keeps back something for another time. It is -only fair that he should know how busy I am, and that I am a matter of -fact man. I have a weakness for these Americans, and they know it, but -they ought to have some consideration for me. Point that out to him, -and say that I must make short work of it, even with crowned heads. -Besides, I require six or seven hours daily for my work, and must -therefore remain at it until late into the night.” - -_Thursday, October 13th._--Read and made use of a report from Rome -giving the result of the plebiscite, which shows that there is no -longer any Papal party there. It would appear as if the whole political -organisation of the Papal State has fallen into dust, like a corpse -that, after remaining unchanged for a thousand years in its leaden -shell, has been suddenly exposed to the air. There is nothing left -of it--not a memory nor even a void which it had filled. The voting, -which had to be conducted according to the Italian Constitution, is a -voluntary manifestation of opinions which either involve no sacrifice -or a very slight one, except, of course, to the emigrants. So far as -those opinions indicate an antipathy to the political _régime_ of the -Papacy, there can be no possibility of a reaction. On the other hand, -whether the Romans will desire to be and to remain subjects of the -King of Italy will depend, so far as the permanence of his rule is -concerned, upon the manner in which they are governed. - -I received this report from the Chancellor, with instructions to -utilise it in the press. The statistical information, however, was all -that was to be taken. “It would appear therefrom,” he added, “that -there has been some trickery. But do not draw any moral against either -the Pope or Italy.” - -To judge by a letter from Saint Louis, dated the 13th of September, -national sentiment amongst the Germans in America would seem to have -been greatly stimulated by the success of the war, and to be now much -stronger than their republican leanings. “A German who has lived here -for twenty years, who was formerly your deadly foe, but whose ideal you -now are,” thus enthusiastically addresses the Chancellor: “Forward, -Bismarck! Hurrah for Germany! Hurrah for William the First, Emperor of -Germany!” Bravo! But it appears that our Democrats must emigrate before -they can be brought to entertain such feelings. - -The conversation at dinner was not of particular interest to-day. While -taking our coffee, the Chancellor again read us a portion of a letter -from “Johanna” (his wife), which contained some very severe judgments -upon the French, referring, amongst other things, to Paris as an -“abominable Babel.” - -_Friday, October 14th._--Busy working for the post up to midday. -Telegraphed afterwards to London and Brussels respecting the false -assertions of Ducrot in the _Liberté_. Also reported that General -Boyer, Bazaine’s first adjutant, had arrived at Versailles from Metz -for the purpose of negotiating with us. The Chief, however, does not -seem to wish to treat seriously with him, at least to-day. He said in -the bureau: “What day of the month is it?” “The 14th, Excellency.” “Ah, -that was Hochkirchen and Jena, days of disaster for Prussia. We must -not begin any business to-day.” It may also be observed that to-day is -a Friday. - -At dinner the Chief, after thinking for a moment, said, smiling: “I -have a lovely idea in connection with the conclusion of peace. It -is to appoint an International Court for the trial of all those who -have instigated the war, newspaper writers, deputies, senators, and -ministers.” Abeken added that Thiers would also be indirectly involved, -especially on account of his Chauvinistic _History of the Consulate -and Empire_. “The Emperor also,” said the Chief. “He is not quite so -innocent as he wants to make out. My idea was that each of the great -Powers should appoint an equal number of judges, America, England, -Russia and so forth, and that we should be the prosecutors. But the -English and the Russians would of course not agree to it, so that the -Court might after all be composed of the two nations who have suffered -most from the war, that is to say, of Frenchmen and Germans.” The -Minister also said: “I have read the article in the _Indépendance -Belge_, which Grammont is believed to have written. He blames us for -not having set Napoleon at liberty at Sedan, and he is not pleased at -our marching on Paris, instead of merely occupying Alsace and Lorraine -as a pledge. I thought at first it might have come from Beust or some -other good friend in Austria, but I am now convinced that it must have -been written by a Frenchman.” He gave his reasons for this opinion, -and then continued: “His argument would be just if his assumption -were correct, namely, that we really did not want Alsace, but only an -indemnity. But as it is it will be better to have Paris as well as -Alsace as pledges. When one wants something decent the pledge can never -be of too great value.” - -A reference was made to Boyer, who created a great sensation in the -town, where the uniform of a French general has not been seen for a -long time past, and who was greeted by the crowd with shouts of “Vive -la France!” He declared, it is said, that the army in Metz remained -faithful to the Emperor, and would have nothing to do with the republic -of Parisian lawyers. The Chancellor also expressed himself to this -effect, adding: “The General is one of those people who become suddenly -lean when they grow excited. Unquestionably he is also a thorough -scoundrel, but he can still blush.” In reading the following further -remarks by the Minister, it must be remembered that Gambetta had -already preached war _à outrance_, and that the Parisian press almost -daily recommended some new infamy. - -The Chancellor referred to various horrors that had again been -committed recently by bands of guerillas. He quoted the proverb, -_Wie es in den Wald schallt, so schallt es wieder heraus_, (The -wood re-echoes what is shouted into it,) and said that to show any -consideration to these treacherous franctireurs was a “culpable -laziness in killing.” “It is treason to our country.” “Our people are -very good marksmen, but bad executioners. Every village in which an act -of treachery has been committed should be burnt to the ground, and all -the male inhabitants hanged.” - -Count Bismarck-Bohlen then related that the village of Hably, where -a squadron of Silesian hussars was set upon by franctireurs with the -knowledge of the inhabitants so that they only succeeded in bringing -away eleven horses, was actually burnt to the ground. The Chief, as was -only right and proper, commended this act of energy. - -Bohlen further stated that sixty Bavarian infantrymen who were with -the cavalry detachment had not kept proper watch, and that when the -franctireurs poured in from all sides at 3 o’clock in the morning they -took to their heels. The Chief said: “That fact should be published in -order that we may take proper precautions later when we enter into a -military convention with Bavaria.” - -The Chancellor’s policy appears to be hampered by other influences. He -said at table: “It is really a great nuisance that I must first discuss -every plan I form with five or six persons, who as a rule know nothing -about the matter. I must listen to their objections, and am forced to -refute them politely. In this way I have been recently obliged to spend -three whole days over an affair that I could otherwise have settled -in three minutes. It is exactly as if I began to give my opinion on -the position of a battery, and the officer--whose business I do not -understand--were obliged to reply to my argument.” - -The Chief afterwards related the following: “Moltke and Roon were with -me yesterday, and I explained to them my ideas. Roon, who is accustomed -to Parliamentary procedure, was silent and let me speak, and then -agreed with what I said. ‘Molk,’ whose profile resembles more and more -every day that of a bird of prey, also appeared to be listening. But -when I had finished he came out with something utterly different, and -I saw that he had not paid the least attention to my explanation, but -had on the contrary been spinning out some ideas of his own which had -nothing to do with the matter. ‘Molk’ is an exceedingly able man, and I -am convinced that whatever he gave his attention to he would do well. -But for years past he has devoted himself to one single subject, and -he has come to have no head and no interest for anything else. It put -me in a temper to find I had been talking to deaf ears, but I took my -revenge. Instead of repeating my explanation I observed to Roon: ‘You -have given me your opinion, therefore you have followed what I said. -Will you now have the kindness to explain the matter once more?’” - -_Sunday, October 16th._--This morning I received another letter from -Bamberger, who writes from Lausanne. He thinks Bismarck can do what he -likes if he will only follow a sound German policy, that is to say, -“if a United German State is now firmly established.” “In Germany -people are convinced that this solution rests with the Chancellor of -the Confederation, and all opposition offered to it is attributed by -public opinion to the Minister. People say to themselves that if Count -Bismarck did not secretly encourage that opposition it would not dare -to manifest itself in such a great crisis.” Finally Bamberger asked -whether he should come here. At his request I submitted a number of -points in his letter to the Minister. The Chief said he would be very -pleased to see Bamberger here, as his local knowledge of Paris would be -very useful once we got in the city. “Then he can also on his return -explain many things in his own circles which it would be difficult to -write. It is strange, though, that they should think I do not desire -to see Germany united. The cause is not progressing as it ought to do, -owing to the constant tergiversation of Bavaria and Würtemberg, and -because we do not know exactly what King Lewis thinks. For the same -reasons, if this unity is at length secured, many things to which many -people look forward will still be wanting.” - -_Monday, October 17th._--In the evening we were told to pack our boxes, -and that the carriages were to take their place behind those of the -King’s suite opposite the Prefecture, in case of an alarm in the night. -A sortie has been expected since yesterday. - -_Tuesday, October 18th._--The Chief took lunch with us to-day, a thing -which has seldom happened recently. - -The Chief then read a number of particularly edifying private letters -to the Emperor Napoleon which had been published by the Provisional -Government, his comments upon them also containing occasional -references to personages in Berlin. The Minister said, with reference -to a letter from Pourtales: “Schleinitz was very discreet in speaking -of his colleagues, but being a vain old coxcomb he was exceedingly -loquacious with women of all sorts and conditions.” (Turning to -Delbrück:) “You should just have a glance at the police reports which -Manteuffel had prepared on this subject.” - -The Minister afterwards referred to a statement in the _Kraj_, and in -connection therewith to the Poles in general. He spoke a good deal -about the victories of the Great Elector in the East, and the alliance -with Charles the Tenth of Sweden, which had promised him great -advantages. It was a pity, however, that his relations with Holland -prevented him from following up those advantages and fully availing -himself of them. He would otherwise have had a good prospect of -extending his power in Western Poland. On Delbrück remarking that then -Prussia would not have remained a German State, the Chief replied: “It -would not have done any great harm. In that case there would have been -a northern State somewhat similar to Austria in the South. Poland would -have been for us what Hungary is to Austria.” This observation reminded -me of what he had previously said on one occasion, namely, that he had -advised the Crown Prince to have his son taught the Polish language, -which, however, to his regret, was not done. - -_Wednesday, October 19th._--At dinner, at which Count Waldersee joined -us, the Minister remarked: “It would be a good plan if the inhabitants -of a few square miles of those districts where our troops are fired at -from behind hedges, and where the rails are loosened and stones laid -upon the railway lines, were transported to Germany and kept under -close watch there.” Bucher related how, on his journey hither, an -officer had borrowed his revolver and played with it ostentatiously -while they were passing under a bridge from which French scamps were -accustomed to spit down upon our people. The Chief exclaimed: “Why -_play_? He should have waited till they had done it, and then fired at -them.” - -If I rightly understand, Weimar had “commanded” the Chancellor to call -upon him this evening, as he wished to obtain information on some -subject. The Chief said: “I sent him word that I was detained by my -health and the business of State.” - -Waldersee understands that, during the burning of the Palace of Saint -Cloud, some of the minor Princes had “saved for themselves” various -“souvenirs,” such as vases, trinkets and books, but were forced to -return them by order of the Crown Prince. Bohlen made some outrageous -jokes upon the Weimar Order of the White Falcon, which led to a -discussion on Orders in general, and the plentiful crop of this species -of fruit which many people have already harvested. “Yes,” said the -Chief, “such quantities of tinplate! If it were only possible to give -away the Orders of which one has too many! To you, for instance, Dr. -Busch. How would you like it?” “No, thank you, Excellency,” I replied; -“very many thanks. But, yes; if I could have one of those that you -have worn yourself, as a memento, that would be something different. -Otherwise I do not want any.” - -_Thursday, October 20th._--Morning and afternoon busy writing various -articles and telegrams. - -The arrest of Jacoby by the military authorities was one of the -subjects discussed at dinner, and the Chief once more expressed great -doubts as to its expediency. Bismarck-Bohlen was highly pleased that -“the chattering scoundrel had been locked up!” The Chancellor’s reply -was very characteristic. He said: “I am not at all pleased. A party -man might be, because it would gratify his vindictiveness. A statesman -knows no such feeling. In politics the only question is, what good -result will it do to ill-treat a political opponent?” - -Some one remarked that the Grand Duke of Weimar was very angry because -the Chief had not gone to see him as desired, whereupon the Minister -turned to Keudell, and said rather sharply: “Tell ---- (I could not -catch the name) immediately that I was indignant at his Gracious -Master making such claims upon my time and health, and that he should -have such an erroneous idea of the duties which I have to discharge.” -“I can now understand how poor Wartsdorf came to die so young.” “The -Coburger worries me almost as much. He has written me a twelve-page -letter on German politics, but I have given him a proper answer. I told -him that of all the points he mentioned there was only one which had -not been long since dealt with, and that one was not worth discussing. -He did us a good service, however, in 1866. It is true that previously -he was bad enough--when he wished to be Emperor of Germany, and put -himself at the head of a secret shooting club. At that time I seriously -intended to have him kidnapped by a regiment of hussars and brought to -Magdeburg, and I submitted my proposal to the King. He is eaten up with -vanity.” The Minister then related that the Duke had ordered a picture -to be painted of himself as the victor of Eckernförde, seated on a -prancing charger with a bombshell exploding at his feet; while, as a -matter of fact, “he did not on that occasion display any heroism, but, -on the contrary, kept at a respectable distance from gunshot--which was -quite a sensible thing for him to do.” - -The German liberal press is still uneasy with respect to the arrest of -Jacoby. The Chief seems to consider it of great importance that his -view of the affair should not be misunderstood, and that it should -be generally adopted. The _Weser Zeitung_ of the 16th instant, which -arrived to-day, has an article which criticises the Minister’s previous -declarations on this subject in a hostile spirit. It concludes as -follows: “To sum up, we must hold to our view that Jacoby has been -treated unjustly, and although we anticipate no fearful consequences -from this action, we nevertheless regret this episode in the history of -a glorious epoch.” - -The Chief dictated the following reply:-- - -“The _Weser Zeitung_ of the 16th instant heads its columns with -an article which speaks of the advice forwarded to the Königsberg -magistrates by the Chancellor of the Confederation, through the Chief -President von Horn, respecting the Jacoby affair. Be good enough to -permit a few words of explanation in connection with that criticism. -The remarks of the _Weser Zeitung_ refer to two different subjects. The -statement of the Chancellor in his communication to the Chief President -is a purely theoretical discussion as to whether action inadmissible in -peace may not be taken by military authorities after war has actually -broken out. The opinions therein expressed are almost the same as -these which must have been entertained by the _Weser Zeitung_ itself -when it remarked, ‘We can easily conceive cases in which we should be -prepared with all our hearts to grant not only an indemnity but a vote -of thanks for the somewhat illegal arrest of any worthless individual -who obstructed this holy war.’ That is exactly the opinion of the -Chancellor. If that much were not granted, it would then be impossible -on an invasion of North German territory to deliver battle on our -own soil, unless some extensive and entirely uninhabited heath were -discovered and retained for the purpose, and even then the proprietor -of that piece of ground would be afterwards able to claim compensation -for the damage done to his property. - -“Either the authorities entrusted with the conduct of the military -operations must, notwithstanding the actual outbreak of hostilities, -be bound by the Constitution and the law, or they must be held at -liberty to take such reasonable measures as they consider necessary -with a view to the fulfilment of their task. Theoretically, this -question must be answered with a bare affirmative or negative. If it -be answered in the negative it is hard to say by how many judicial -officials every detachment of the fighting force on native soil would -have to be accompanied, and what legal formalities gone through in the -case of each separate house and person before the military authorities -could feel that they were constitutionally within their rights in -the course they desired to adopt. If the question is answered in the -affirmative, then it must be recognised that it is impossible to codify -the regulations governing the discretionary power which must be vested -in the military commander in war, in such a manner that the general or -soldier who executes his orders on native soil can in every instance -refer to the particular paragraph of the Constitution or the law -justifying his action. - -“The Chancellor of the Confederation cannot possibly have had any other -intention than to lay down the principles just stated theoretically, -since, as a constitutional Prussian Minister of State, it is not -competent for him to express any opinion as to whether the military -commander has acted rightly in exercising the power vested in him, -or as to the extent to which he may have exercised it. The military -governors, who are appointed before the outbreak of war, are neither -nominated by the Minister nor are they under his control. They are, -on the contrary, appointed without his concurrence on the authority -of the commander-in-chief, like all other military commanders. The -Chancellor of the Confederation and the other Ministers of State are -not the superiors of the military governors, and the latter would not -obey the directions of the Ministers, but only those of the military -authorities which reach them without any Ministerial co-operation. - -“It is therefore an entirely unpractical course for those who -consider themselves unjustly treated under the orders of the military -authorities to direct their complaints to the Ministers of State. They -can only demand redress from the military superiors of those against -whom they enter complaint. It may therefore be taken for granted that -the Chancellor of the Confederation has not considered himself to be -in a position to officially express an opinion on the expediency of -the course adopted in a single instance, such as that of Jacoby, but -has, on the contrary, merely dealt from a theoretical standpoint, with -the question whether, during war and in the interest of its successful -prosecution, the arrest of individuals whose action in the judgment of -the military authorities is injurious to us and advantageous to the -enemy is temporarily permissible. - -“Stated in these general terms, the question can hardly be answered -in the negative by practical politicians and soldiers, although they -may entertain many scruples both on theoretical and judicial grounds -against martial law as a whole. The concrete question, however, -whether this right, if it exists, was properly exercised in the case -of Jacoby, is as much beyond the competence of the Ministry as, say, -the question whether it is necessary or desirable in delivering battle -on native soil to set a particular village on fire, or to arrest -without legal process a private person at a distance of fifty miles -from the battle-field because he is suspected of favouring the enemy. -A discussion of the means by which the military commander could be -rendered responsible for what the parties concerned may consider a -false, hasty or improper course is foreign to our purpose. We have -merely been at pains to show that the constitutional attributes of the -Ministry do not give it any authority to interfere directly in such -cases.” - -_Friday, October 21st._--The heavy firing which began early this -morning increased as the day wore on. We did not allow this to disturb -us, however. Various articles were completed, including one on the -departure of the Nuncio and other diplomats from Paris. - -At lunch Keudell stated that the French artillery had destroyed the -porcelain factory at Sèvres. Hatzfeldt told us that his mother-in-law, -an American lady who had remained in Paris, had sent him good news -respecting the ponies of which he had often spoken to us. They were -fine and fat. The question was whether she should now eat them. He was -about to answer, “Yes, in God’s name!” but he intended to get the price -of these animals included in the indemnity to be paid by the French -Government. - -Between 1 and 2 o’clock the firing seemed to have approached the woods -to the north of the town. The artillery fire was severe, the reports -following each other in rapid succession, while the rattle of the -mitrailleuse could also be recognised. It gave the impression that a -regular battle had developed, and was drawing nearer to us. The Chief -ordered his horse to be saddled, and rode off. The rest of us also -followed in the direction in which the fight seemed to be raging. We -saw the familiar white clouds that accompany shell fire rise and burst -in the air to the left, over the wood through which the road to Jardy -and Vaucresson leads. Orderlies were galloping along the road thither, -and a battalion was marching towards the point where the engagement was -taking place. The fight continued until after 4 o’clock, and then one -only heard isolated discharges from the large fort on Mont Valérien, -and finally they too ceased. As was only natural, great excitement -prevailed during the afternoon amongst the French in the town, and the -groups who stood before the houses probably expected every moment, as -the noise of the firing came nearer and nearer, to see our troops in -full flight before the red breeches. They afterwards drew long faces -and shrugged their shoulders. - -In the evening the Chief said we ought not to permit groups of people -to collect in the streets on the occasion of an engagement, and that -the inhabitants should be ordered in such circumstances to remain -within doors, the patrols being instructed to fire upon those refusing -obedience. - -_Sunday, October 22nd._--This has now been done, Voigts-Rhetz, the -Commandant of Versailles, having issued an order to the effect that -on the alarm signal being given, all the inhabitants must immediately -return to their houses, failing which the troops had received -instructions to fire upon them. - -The Parisian Prefect of Police, Keratry, has appeared in Madrid with -the object of submitting two proposals to General Prim. The first is -that France and Spain should enter into an offensive and defensive -alliance, under which the latter country should send an army of fifty -thousand men to the assistance of the French. The object of the -alliance would be the common defence of the nations of the Latin race -against the supremacy of the Germanic race. On Prim declining this -strange offer (strange inasmuch as the Spanish support of France, which -but three months before had in the most arrogant manner forced its own -policy upon Spain, would be an unexampled piece of self-renunciation -and a misconception of the clearest interests of the Spanish people), -the French intermediary asked that at least a decree should be issued -permitting the import of arms into France. This suggestion was also -rejected by Prim. - -The surrender of Metz is expected within the next week. Prince -Frederick Charles desires, if I rightly understand, a capitulation on -the same conditions as at Sedan and Toul; while the Chancellor, for -political reasons, is in favour of a more considerate treatment of the -garrison. The King seems to hesitate between the two courses. - -The Chief said yesterday to the Mayor of Versailles: “No elections, no -peace. But the gentlemen of Paris will not hear of them. The American -generals who were in Paris with the object of inducing them to hold -the elections tell me that there is no getting them to consider the -matter. Only Trochu said they were not yet so hard pressed that they -need enter into negotiations,--the others would not hear of them, not -even of submitting the question to the country.” “I told him finally,” -said the Minister, “that we should have no alternative but to come to -an understanding with Napoleon, and to force him back upon the French -again. He did not believe we would do that, as it would be the grossest -insult we could offer them. I replied that it was nevertheless in the -interests of the victor to leave the defeated nation under a _régime_ -which would have to rely solely upon the army. In such circumstances it -would be impossible to think of foreign wars. In conclusion, I advised -him not to make the mistake of thinking that Napoleon had no hold upon -the people. He had the army on his side. Boyer had negotiated with me -in the name of the Emperor. How far the present Government in Paris had -the support of the people remained to be seen. The rural population -could hardly share the opinion that peace was not to be thought of. -He then gave his own view respecting the conditions of peace, namely, -the razing of their fortresses and ours, and the disarmament of both -countries in proportion to the population, &c. As I told him at the -commencement, these people have no right conception of what war really -is.” - -The _Nouvelliste_ being now the only newspaper in Versailles, and as -it sensibly avoids unnecessarily hurting the patriotic sentiments of -the French, the people here take some account of it. Löwinsohn tells -us that the number of copies sold varies, some issues have been quite -cleared out, while of others he has only thirty to fifty, and of -yesterday’s 150 copies on hand. Up to the present his weekly balance -shows no loss. - -In the evening wrote an article for the _Norddeutsche_ in which the -following ideas are developed. The first condition upon which the -Chancellor of the Confederation insisted in speaking to the various -persons who have desired to negotiate with him respecting peace was -the election of an Assembly representing the will of France. He -addressed the same demand to the emissaries of the Republicans and to -the Imperialists, and to another third party. He desires to grant all -possible facilities for thus consulting the wishes of the population. -The form of government is a matter of entire indifference to us. But we -can only deal with a real Government recognised by the nation. - -The _Nouvelliste_ will shortly publish the following ideas in a -French dress: “At the present moment in France, events are constantly -occurring which are not only opposed to common sense, but are -frequently an outrage on all moral feeling. Former Papal Zouaves, and -not alone Frenchmen, serve without scruple in the army of a Republic -which is governed by Voltairians. Garibaldi comes to Tours, and offers, -as he says, what remains of his life to the service of France. He can -hardly have forgotten that this same France, twenty years before, -destroyed the Roman Republic, while the wounds which it inflicted upon -his country at Mentana must be still fresh in his memory. Nor can we -have forgotten how his native town of Nice was filched from the Italian -fatherland by this same France, and that it is at the present moment -only restrained by a state of siege from throwing off the French yoke.” - -Delbrück mentioned that during the preliminary negotiations for the -reorganisation of Germany, Bavaria laid claim to a kind of joint -participation in the representation of the Federal State in foreign -countries, the Bavarian idea being that when the Prussian, or -rather the German, Minister or Ambassador was absent, the Bavarian -representative should have the conduct of affairs. The Chief said: “No, -whatever they like, but that is really impossible. The question is not -what Ambassador we are to have, but what instructions he is to receive, -and under that arrangement there would be two Ministers for Foreign -Affairs in Germany.” The Count then proceeded to further develop this -point of view, illustrating it by examples. - -_Monday, October 24th._--Strange news comes from Marseilles. It appears -that the Red Republicans have there gained the upper hand. Esquiros, -the Prefect of the Mouths of the Rhone, belongs to this variety of -French Republicans. He has suppressed the _Gazette du Midi_, because -the clubs of his party maintain that it favours the candidature of -the Comte de Chambord, whose proclamation it has published. He has -also expelled the Jesuits. A decree has been issued by Gambetta, -declaring the Prefect to be dismissed, and his measures against the -newspaper mentioned and the Jesuits to be abrogated. Esquiros, however, -supported by the working classes, has declined to obey this order of -the Government Delegation at Tours, and continues to hold his post. The -_Gazette du Midi_ is still suppressed, and the Jesuits are expelled. -Just as little heed was paid to Gambetta’s decree disbanding the Civic -Guard, which was recruited from Red Republicans, and is not to be -confounded with the Marseilles National Guard. The Chief remarked with -reference to this news: “It looks as if things were tending towards -civil war; and it is possible that we may shortly have a Republic of -South France.” I worked up this news into paragraphs, written in the -sense of the foregoing comment. - -At 4 o’clock M. Gauthier, who comes from Chislehurst, called upon the -Chancellor. - -_Tuesday, October 25th._--This morning the Chief said, in reference to -a statement in the _Pays_ mentioning an indemnity of three and a half -milliards: “Nonsense! I shall demand much more than that!” - -During dinner the subject of “William Tell” was introduced, I cannot -now remember how, and the Minister confessed that, even as a boy, he -could not endure that character; first, because he shot at his own son, -and secondly, because he killed Gessler in a treacherous way. “It would -have been more natural and noble to my mind if, instead of shooting at -the boy, for after all the best archer might hit him instead of the -apple, he had immediately shot down the Governor. That would have been -legitimate wrath provoked by a cruel command. But the lurking and -skulking is not to my taste. It is not the proper style for a hero, not -even for franctireurs.” - -Two copies of the _Nouvelliste_ are pasted up daily in different parts -of the town, and are read by the people, although, when a German passes -by, the group engaged in perusing them greets him with such criticisms -as, “_Mensonges!_” or “_Impossible!_” One of Stieber’s attendant -spirits, or some other guardian of the truth, caught a working man -to-day in the act of writing the word “Blague” on one of the copies -posted up in the neighbourhood of the Prefecture. It is said that he is -to be transported to Germany. - -_Wednesday, October 26th._--In the morning I translated Granville’s -despatch for the King, and afterwards prepared an abstract of it for -the press. The latter was accompanied by the remark that we had already -twice offered the French an armistice on favourable terms, once through -Favre, and again, on the 9th of October, through Burnside, but that -they would not accept it because we desired it. Then telegraphed to -London that Thiers is receiving a safe conduct to our headquarters and -permission to proceed thence to Paris. Also that the Comte de Chambord -had a meeting at Coppet with the Comte de Paris. - -In the evening I wrote another article on the instructions of the Chief -to the following effect. It is rumoured that Vienna diplomacy has again -taken steps to induce the Germans to grant an armistice. We find it -difficult to credit this report. The only advantage to the French of an -armistice at the present moment would be to strengthen their resistance -and to render it more difficult for us to enforce the conditions which -we recognise as essential. Can that be the object Austria has in view -in taking this measure? The following considerations are of an obvious -nature. If the authorities in Vienna deprive us of the fruits of our -victory, if we are prevented from securing that safe western frontier -which we are striving to win, a new war with France is unavoidable, or -rather the continuation of the one thus interrupted. It is quite clear -where in such circumstances France would seek allies and probably find -them. It is equally certain that in that case Germany would not wait -until the recovery of France from her present chaotic condition, which -would be promoted by a cessation of the war now in progress. Germany -would be obliged to deal first with this future ally of France and -to seek to render it powerless, and the latter standing alone would -have to bear the cost of its own act in preventing us from attaining -our present object. In other words, it might then happen that Austria -would have to compensate us by the cession of Bohemia for the loss of -Lorraine, which it once before alienated from the German Empire. - -_Friday, October 28th._--In the afternoon Moltke sent the Chief a -telegram which reported that the capitulation of Metz was signed to-day -at 12.45 P.M. The French army thus made prisoners number in all 173,000 -men, including 16,000 sick and wounded. Bennigsen, Friedenthal, and Von -Blankenburg, a friend of the Chancellor’s in his youth, joined us at -dinner. From the French officers captured at Metz and their approaching -transportation to Germany, the conversation turned upon General Ducrot -and his disgraceful escape from Pont à Mousson. The Minister said: “He -has written me a long letter explaining that there is no foundation for -the charge of breach of faith we have brought against him, but he has -not materially modified my view of the case.” The Chief then related -that recently an “intermediary of Gambetta’s” had called upon him, and -that towards the close of the conversation he asked whether we would -recognise the Republic. “I replied,” continued the Chief, “certainly, -without any doubt or hesitation. Not only the Republic, but, if you -like, a Gambetta dynasty; only it must secure us the advantages of a -safe peace.” “Or for the matter of that any dynasty, whether it be a -Bleichröder or a Rothschild one.” - -The _Nouvelliste_ is to be stopped, and to be replaced by a journal of -larger size bearing the title, _Moniteur Officiel de Seine et Oise_, -which will be published at the expense of the Government. - -_Saturday, October 29th._--At dinner our great success at Metz was -discussed. “That exactly doubles the number of our prisoners,” said -the Minister--“no, it does more. We now have in Germany the army which -Napoleon had in the field at the time of the battles of Weissenburg, -Wörth, and Saarbrücken, with the exception of those whom we killed. -The troops which the French now have were afterwards brought from -Algiers and Rome, and newly recruited, together with a few thousand men -under Vinoy who made off before Sedan. We have also nearly all their -generals.” The Chief then said Napoleon had requested that Marshals -Bazaine, Lebœuf, and Canrobert, who had been taken at Metz, should be -sent to him at Wilhelmshöhe. The Minister added: “That would make a -whist party. I have no objection, and shall recommend the King to do -so.” He then went on to say that so many extraordinary events which -no one could have imagined previously were now of daily occurrence -that one might regard the most wonderful as being within the range of -possibility. “Amongst other things it might well happen that we should -hold a German Reichstag in Versailles, while Napoleon might summon the -Legislative Chamber and the Senate to Cassel to consider the terms of -peace. Napoleon is convinced that the former representative body is -still legally in existence, an opinion against which there is little -to be said, and that he could summon it to meet wherever he liked--of -course, however, only in France. Cassel would be a debatable question.” -The Chief then said that he had invited the representatives of the -parties “with whom it is possible to discuss matters”--Friedenthal, -Bennigsen, and Blankenburg--to come here in order to ascertain their -views respecting a session of our Parliament at Versailles. “I was -obliged to omit the Progressist party, as they only desire what is not -possible. They are like Russians, who eat cherries in winter and want -oysters in summer. When a Russian goes into a shop he asks for _Kaknje -bud_, that is to say, for what does not exist.” - -After the first course Prince Albrecht, the father, came in and took a -seat on the Chief’s right. The old gentleman, like a genuine Prussian -Prince, always gallant and loyal to his duty, has pressed forward -with his cavalry beyond Orleans. He tells us that the engagement in -Châteaudun was “horrible.” He warmly praised the Duke of Meiningen, who -had also shirked no danger or privation. On this the Chief remarked: -“I have nothing to say against Princes who go with the army and as -officers and leaders share the dangers and hardships of the soldiers. -But I should prefer to see those who loaf around here at Pückler’s -expense, and who are mere spectators of the man-hunt, anywhere rather -than at headquarters. It is all the more unpleasant to me to have them -here, as they storm me with questions and force wise counsels upon -me respecting matters that are in course of development and which are -now being worked out.”... “May I ask,” said the Prince (doubtless to -get away from this subject), “how the Countess is?” “Oh, she is quite -well,” replied the Chief, “now that our son is better. She still -suffers from her ferocious hatred of the Gauls, all of whom she would -wish to see shot and stabbed to death, down to the little babies--who -after all cannot help having such abominable parents.” - - - - - CHAPTER XI - -THIERS AND THE FIRST NEGOTIATIONS FOR AN ARMISTICE AT VERSAILLES - - -On the morning of the 30th of October, while taking a walk along the -Avenue de Saint Cloud, I met Bennigsen, who was to start for home with -Blankenburg in a few days. On my asking what progress had been made -in Germany with the question of unity he said that the prospects were -very good. The only point which the Bavarians still insisted upon was a -certain degree of independence for their army. The feeling amongst the -majority of the people was all that could be desired. - -On my return to the house a little after 10 o’clock Engel told me -that Thiers had arrived shortly before, but had left again almost -immediately. He had come from Tours, and had only called to get a safe -conduct through our lines, as he wished to go to Paris. Hatzfeldt had -breakfasted with Thiers at the Hôtel des Reservoirs, and afterwards -saw him into the carriage, in which, accompanied by Lieutenant von -Winterfeldt, he was conducted to the French outposts. He told us at -lunch that Thiers “still remained the same bright witty old gentleman, -but was weak as a baby.” Hatzfeldt had been the first to recognise -him on his calling at our place, and told him that the Chief was -just getting up. He then showed him into the salon, and informed the -Minister, who hastily finished his toilet and shortly afterwards came -down. They were, however, only together alone for a few minutes, the -Chief then instructing Hatzfeldt to make the necessary preparations for -Thiers’ visit to Paris. The Minister afterwards told Hatzfeldt that -Thiers said to him immediately after they had exchanged greetings, that -he had not come to speak to him. “That strikes me as quite natural,” -added Hatzfeldt, “as although Thiers would like to conclude peace -with us (just because it would be Thiers’ peace, since he is terribly -ambitious) he does not know what the people in Paris would say to it.” - -In the meantime the Chief had ridden off with his cousin to the review -of 9,000 Landwehr Guards which was being held this morning by the King. -At lunch the Chief referred to the Landwehr, who had arrived that -morning, and said they were tall, broad-shouldered fellows, who must -have impressed the people of Versailles. “The front of one of their -companies is at least five feet broader than that of a French company, -particularly in the Pomeranian Landwehr.” The Minister then turned to -Hatzfeldt, and said: “I hope you have not mentioned anything about Metz -to Thiers.” “No, and he also said nothing about it, although there is -no doubt that he knows.” “He certainly does, but I did not speak about -it either.” Hatzfeldt then observed once more that Thiers was very -charming in his manner, but had lost nothing of his old vanity and -self-complacency. As evidence of this Hatzfeldt mentioned that Thiers -had told him that a few days before he met a peasant whom he asked -whether he desired to see peace concluded. “Certainly, very much.” -“Whether he knew who he (Thiers) was?” “No,” the peasant replied, and -appealed to a neighbour who had come on the scene, and who passed as -the oldest inhabitant. This ancient was of opinion that M. Thiers must -be a member of the Chamber. Hatzfeldt added, “It was obvious that -Thiers was angry at not being better known.” - -The Chief went out for a moment, and brought back a case containing -a gold pen, which a jeweller of Pforzheim presented to him for the -purpose of signing the Treaty of Peace. - -At dinner the Chief again spoke at some length of the possibility of -holding a Session of the German Reichstag at Versailles, while the -French Legislative Chamber should at the same time meet at Cassel. -Delbrück observed that the hall of the Diet at Cassel would not be -large enough for such an assembly. “Well then,” said the Chief, “the -Senate could meet somewhere else--in Marburg or Fritzlar, or some -similar town.” - -_Monday, October 31st._--In the morning wrote some articles, one of -which advocated the idea of an international court for the trial of -those who had instigated this war against us. Also directed attention -to the case of M. Hermieux, the commandant of a French battalion, who -like Ducrot had broken his word by making his escape from hospital, and -whose description was now published in the newspapers. - -Gauthier called again at 12 o’clock, and had another long interview -with the Chief. - -Hatzfeldt announced at tea that on paying a visit early in the evening -at the Hôtel des Reservoirs he learned by accident that M. Thiers -had returned, and he had afterwards spoken to him. Thiers informed -him that on the day before he had been engaged from 10 o’clock at -night until 3 in the morning in negotiating with the members of the -Provisional Government; he rose again at 6 A.M. and from that time -until 2 in the afternoon received visitors of all descriptions, after -which he drove back here. He wishes to have a conference with the -Chancellor to-morrow. “He began to speak of disturbances having taken -place yesterday in Paris,” continued Hatzfeldt, “but on an exclamation -of surprise escaping me he immediately changed the subject.” - -In the evening I was instructed to see that the decree addressed to -Vogel von Falkenstein and published in the _Staatsanzeiger_ of the 27th -instant, was reproduced by our other papers. It was to be accompanied -by a collection of newspaper reports respecting the ill-treatment -of German prisoners by the French. I then began a second article -against Beust’s intervention in our quarrel with the French, based -on the suggestions of the Chief, who said it was to be “very sharply -worded.” This however was not sent off, as the situation altered in the -meantime. I reproduce the article here as being characteristic of the -position of affairs at the moment. It ran as follows:-- - -“If in a struggle between two Powers, one of whom proves obviously -weaker and is at length on the point of being defeated, a third Power, -which has hitherto been neutral, urges an armistice, its motive must -certainly be regarded less as a benevolent desire for the welfare -of both parties than as anxiety for the weaker State and as evident -partisanship in favour of the same. It is, in fact, an armistice in -favour of the Power that is on the point of being defeated, and to the -disadvantage of that which has won the upper hand. If this third Power -furthermore endeavours to induce other neutral States to take similar -action, thus strengthening and giving more weight to its own proposal, -then it is clearly departing still further from a neutral attitude. -Its one-sided warnings are transformed into partisan pressure, its -proceedings become intrigues, and its whole action presents an -appearance of threatened violence. - -“This is the case with Austria-Hungary if it be true, as the Vienna -official organs boast, that it has taken the initiative in an attempt -of the neutral Powers to negotiate an armistice between defeated France -and victorious Germany. The conduct of Count Beust becomes more clearly -offensive when it is known that it was suggested by M. Chaudordy, -Favre’s representative at Tours, and originated in a previous -understanding between the Vienna Cabinet and the Delegation of the -Provisional Government in that city. The true character of this action -on the part of Austro-Hungarian diplomacy as a hostile interference in -our settlement with France becomes more manifest from the manner in -which its representative in Berlin supports the English suggestions. -The British Foreign Office adopts a tone of perfect impartiality, and -of benevolence towards Germany; the Italians do the same, while the -Russian representative has kept entirely aloof from all intervention. -All three Powers have done their utmost at Tours to promote an -unprejudiced and reasonable view of the situation on the part of the -French. On the other hand, the despatches read by Herr von Wimpffen -in Berlin (we do not know what Austria-Hungary has advised at Tours) -speak in a tone which is anything but friendly. They emphasise the -statement that Vienna still believes in general European interests. The -authorities there fear that history would condemn the neutral Powers -if the catastrophe which is threatening Paris were to occur without a -voice being raised on their part to avert it. It is evidently intended -as a severe and offensive censure when they say humanity demands that -the conditions of peace should be made less onerous for the vanquished, -but that Germany will not permit any voice to reach the ears of its -defeated foe except that which proclaims the commands of the victor. -The whole despatch is characterised throughout by a vein of irony which -distinguishes it in a manner little to its advantage from that of the -English Government. - -“From all these circumstances it is as clear that the action of -Count Beust is guided by hostile intentions towards us as that Lord -Granville’s attitude is based on good will. We wonder if the Vienna -Chancellor well considered the possible consequences of this new -manœuvre. It is not probable after the fall of Metz that the attempt -made by Austria to hinder Germany in the complete attainment of that -peace which we have in view with the object of securing a safe Western -frontier will be successful. But we shall remember that attempts to -prejudice our interests and the good impression made in Germany by -the previous neutrality of Austria-Hungary will be destroyed, and a -friendly _rapprochement_ with the dual monarchy, a basis for which -was being laid, will be postponed--probably for a considerable time. -But let us consider another possibility. Take it that through the -intervention of Count Beust the demands which we make upon France are -curtailed, and that we are actually obliged to renounce a portion of -the old and new debts which we are on the point of collecting--does the -Chancellor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire believe that we shall not -remember at the first opportunity to make our ill-disposed neighbour -on the South-East compensate us for what he helped to deprive us of in -the West? Does he believe that we shall foolishly put off the day of -reckoning with a neighbour who takes every opportunity of displaying -his hostility, until his French _protégé_ has recovered sufficiently to -give him the support of a more valuable alliance in gratitude for the -assistance given against Germany?” - -_Tuesday, November 1st._--At dinner Bohlen reported that the Coburger -is doing his utmost to create a feeling of discontent--he says nothing -happens, nothing is being done, no progress is being made. “What! He!” -exclaimed the Chief, with an indescribable expression of contempt on -his features. “He should be ashamed of himself. These Princes that -follow the army like a flight of vultures! These carrion crows, who -themselves do nothing whatever except inspect the battle-fields, &c.” -Some one then spoke of the last engagement, and said that a portion of -the 1200 prisoners that had been taken were franctireurs. “Prisoners!” -broke in the Chief, who still seemed to be extremely angry. “Why do -they continue to make prisoners? They should have shot down the whole -1200 one after the other.” - -Mention was made of the decree of the Minister of War or of the -Commandant of the Town, ordering that particulars should be published -of all valuables found in houses deserted by their owners, and that if -not reclaimed within a certain time they were to be confiscated for -the benefit of the war chest. The Minister said that he considered -this decree to be perfectly justified, adding: “As a matter of fact -such houses should be burned to the ground, only that punishment -would also fall in part on the sensible people who have remained -behind; and so unfortunately it is out of the question.” The Chief then -observed, after a pause, and apparently without any connection with -what had been previously said: “After all, war is, properly speaking, -the natural condition of humanity.” He remained silent for a while, -and then remarked: “It just occurs to me that the Bavarian proposes -to surprise me to-day,” by which he meant that Count Bray was about -to visit him. This led the conversation to the Bavarian Ambassador in -Berlin, Pergler von Perglas, of whom the Chief does not appear to have -a high opinion. “He is as bad as he can be. I do not say that because -he is a Particularist, as I do not know how I should think myself if I -were a Bavarian. But he has always been in favour of the French.” (The -Minister maintained, if I heard him rightly, that this was owing to his -wife.) “I never tell him anything when he comes to me, or at least not -the truth.” - -Shortly afterwards the Chief told us that Thiers had been with him for -about three hours to-day with the object of negotiating an armistice. -Probably however it would not be possible to come to an understanding -as to the conditions which he proposes or is prepared to grant. Once -during the conversation Thiers wished to speak of the supply of -provisions now in Paris; but the Minister interrupted him, saying, -“Excuse me, but we know that better than you who have only been in the -city for one day. Their store of provisions is sufficient to last until -the end of January.” “What a look of surprise he gave me! My remark was -only a feeler, and his astonishment showed that what I had said was not -true.” - -At dessert the Minister spoke of the large quantity he had eaten. “But -then it is my only meal. It is true I take breakfast, but then it is -merely a cup of tea without milk and two eggs,--and after that nothing -till evening. Then I over-eat myself, like a boa-constrictor, and can’t -sleep. Even as a child, and ever since that time, I have always gone -to bed late, never before midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly, but -wake soon again and find that it is not more than half-past 1 o’clock. -All sorts of things then come into my head, particularly if I have been -unfairly treated,--and that must be all thought out. I afterwards write -letters, and even despatches, but of course without getting up--simply -in my head. Formerly, for some time after my appointment as Minister, I -used to get up and actually write them down. When I read them over next -morning however they were worth nothing,--mere platitudes, confused -trivial stuff such as might have appeared in the _Vossische Zeitung_, -or might have been composed by his Serene Highness of Weimar. I do not -want to, I should prefer to sleep. But the thinking and planning goes -on. At the first glimmer of dawn I fall off again, and then sleep till -10 o’clock or even later.” - -_Wednesday, November 2nd._--On returning from a long walk at about -4.30 P.M. I heard that Thiers had remained with the Chief until a -few minutes before, and looked rather pleased on taking his leave. -During dinner the Minister observed, referring to his visitor of -to-day: “He is a clever and amiable man, bright and witty, but -with scarcely a trace of the diplomatist--too sentimental for that -trade.” “He is unquestionably a finer nature than Favre. But he is -no good as a negotiator (_Unterhändler_)--not even as a horsedealer -(_Pferdehändler_).” “He is too easily bluffed, betrays his feelings, -and allows himself to be pumped. Thus I have ascertained all sorts of -things from him, amongst others that they have only full rations in -Paris for three or four weeks.” - -With respect to our attitude towards the approaching French elections, -I called attention in the press to the following example, which may -decide us to exclude Alsace-Lorraine from the voting, and to which we -can refer those who allege such an exclusion to be unprecedented. An -American informs us that in the last war between the United States -and Mexico an armistice was agreed upon with the object of giving -the Mexicans time to choose a new Government, which should conclude -peace with the United States. The provinces, the cession of which was -demanded by the United States, were not permitted to take part in -this election. This is the sole precedent, but it entirely covers the -present case. - -_Thursday, November 3rd._--A fine bright morning. Already at 7 A.M. -the iron lions on Mont Valérien began to fill the surrounding wooded -valleys with their roaring. - -I make abstracts for the King of two articles that appeared in the -_Morning Post_ of the 28th and 29th of October, which are understood -to have come from Persigny or Prince Napoleon. The assertion in these -articles that in the negotiations with the delegate of the Empress our -demand extended only to Strassburg, and a narrow strip of land in the -Saar district, with about a quarter of a million inhabitants, is (the -Chief tells me) based on a misunderstanding. - -I am instructed to telegraph that in consequence of yesterday’s -negotiations the Chancellor has offered M. Thiers a truce of -twenty-five days on the basis of the military _status quo_. Thiers -returned at 12 o’clock, and negotiated with the Chief until 2.30 P.M. -The demands of the French are exorbitant. At lunch we hear that in -addition to a twenty-eight days’ armistice for the elections and the -meeting of the National Assembly thus chosen to determine the position -of the Provisional Government, they demand nothing less than the right -to provision Paris and all other fortresses held by them and besieged -by us, and the participation of the Eastern provinces, of which we -require the cession in the elections. Ordinary logic finds it difficult -to conceive how the provisioning of fortresses can be deemed consistent -with the maintenance of the military _status quo_. - -Amongst other subjects discussed at dinner were the elections in -Berlin. Delbrück was of opinion that they would be more favourable -than hitherto. Jacoby, at any rate, would not be re-elected. Count -Bismarck-Bohlen thought otherwise. He anticipated no change. The -Chancellor said: “The Berliners must always be in opposition and have -their own ideas. They have their virtues--many and highly estimable -ones--they fight well, but they would not consider themselves to be as -clever as they ought to be unless they knew everything better than the -Government.” That failing, however, was not confined to Berliners, the -Chief added. All great cities were much the same in that respect, and -many were even worse than Berlin. They were in general more unpractical -than the rural districts, where people were in closer contact with -nature, and thus not only got into a more natural and practical way -of thinking. “Where great numbers of men are crowded together they -easily lose their individuality and dissolve into one mass. All sorts -of opinions are in the air, they arise from hearsay and repetition, -and are little or not at all founded on facts, but are propagated by -the newspapers, popular meetings and conversations over beer, and then -remain firmly, immutably rooted. It is a sort of false second nature, -a faith or superstition held collectively by the masses. They reason -themselves into believing in something that does not exist, consider -themselves in duty bound to hold to that belief, and wax enthusiastic -over narrow-minded and grotesque ideas. That is the case in all -great cities, in London for instance, where the cockneys are quite a -different race to other Englishmen--in Copenhagen, in New York, and -above all in Paris. The Parisians, with their political superstitions, -are quite a distinct people in France,--they are caught and bound up in -a circle of ideas which are a sacred tradition to them, although when -closely examined they turn out to be mere empty phrases.” - -So far as Thiers was concerned, the Minister only told us that shortly -after the commencement of their conference to-day he suddenly asked him -whether he had obtained the authority necessary for the continuance of -the negotiations. “He looked at me in astonishment, on which I said -that news had been received at our outposts of a revolution having -broken out in Paris since his departure, and that a new Government -had been proclaimed. He was visibly perturbed, from which it may -be inferred that he considers a victory of the Red Republicans as -possible, and the position of Favre and Trochu as insecure.” - -Thiers was again with the Chief from 9 o’clock till after 10. - -_Friday, November 4th._--Beautiful bright morning. At the desire of -the Minister I send the _Daily News_ an account of his conversation -with Napoleon at Donchery. He had principally conversed with the -Emperor within the weaver’s house, upstairs--for about three-quarters -of an hour--and spent but a short time with him in the open air, -as the Minister himself stated in his official report to the King. -Furthermore, in speaking to Napoleon, he had not pointed the forefinger -of the left hand into the palm of his right, which was not at all -a habit of his. He had not once made use of the German language in -speaking to the Emperor--he had never done so, and also not on that -occasion. “I did, however,” the Minister continued, “speak German to -the people of the house, as the man understood a little and the woman -spoke it very well.” - -From 11 o’clock onwards Thiers conferred once more with the Chancellor. -He yesterday sent his companion, a M. Cochery, back to Paris, to -ascertain if the Government of the 4th of September still existed. The -answer appears to have been in the affirmative. - -Bamberger dined with us. The Chief said, amongst other things: “I see -that some newspapers hold me responsible that Paris has not yet been -bombarded. I do not want anything serious to be done, I object to a -bombardment. Nonsense! They will ultimately make me responsible for -our losses during the siege, which are certainly already considerable, -as we have probably lost more men in these small engagements than a -general attack would have cost us. I wanted the city to be stormed at -once, and have all along desired that to be done--or it would have been -still better to have left Paris on one side and continued our march.” - -Thiers was once more with the Chief from 9 P.M. until after 11 o’clock. -While they were conferring a telegram arrived announcing that Beust has -abandoned his former attitude in so far as he declares that if Russia -raises objections to the Prussian demands upon France, Austria will do -the same, but otherwise not. This telegram was at once sent in to the -Chief. - -_Saturday, November 5th._--About 1 o’clock there was a short conference -between the Chancellor, Delbrück, and other German Ministers. We -afterwards ascertained that the Chief reported the result of his -negotiations with Thiers, and also announced the impending arrival of -the German Sovereigns not yet represented at Versailles. - -On our sitting down to dinner Delbrück was at first the only Minister -present. Later on we were joined by the Chancellor, who had dined with -the King. While Engel was pouring him out a glass of spirits the Chief -recalled a pretty dictum. Recently a general (if I am not mistaken it -was at Ferrières, and I fancy I heard the name of the great thinker, -Moltke), speaking of the various beverages of mankind, laid down the -following principle:--“Red wine for children, champagne for men, and -brandy for generals.” - -The Chancellor, who had been dining with the King, joined us in the -evening and complained to Delbrück of the way in which he had been -beset at the King’s quarters by the Princes, who prevented him from -discussing something of importance with Kutusow. “I really could -not talk to him properly. The Serene Highnesses fluttered about me -like crows round a screech-owl, and tore me away from him. Each of -them seemed to delight in being able to buttonhole me longer than -the others. At length I asked Prince Charles if he could not get his -brother-in-law to wait until I had finished what I had to say to -Kutusow, as it was an important matter of State. But although I have -often spoken to him previously in the same sense he did not seem to -understand me, and the end of it was that he took offence.”... “At -last they heard that the leg or the back of the old coronation chair -had been discovered in one of the other rooms, and they all trooped -off to inspect the wonder, while I took this opportunity to bolt.” At -that moment a despatch was delivered stating that Favre and the other -members of the Government in Paris had once more got on the high horse, -and proclaimed that they would not hear of a cession of territory, -and that their sole task was the defence of the fatherland. The Chief -observed: “Well, then, we need not negotiate any further with Thiers.” - -Later on the Minister said that Thiers probably still intended to write -another historical work. “Time after time he spins out our negotiation -by introducing irrelevant matters. He relates what has occurred or been -advised here and there, inquires as to the attitude of this or that -person, and what would have happened in such and such circumstances. -He reminded me of a conversation I had with the Duc de Bauffremont in -the year 1867, in the course of which I said that in 1866 the Emperor -had not understood how to take advantage of the situation, that he -could have done a good stroke of business although not on German soil, -&c. Roughly that is quite correct. I remember it very well. It was in -the gardens of the Tuileries, and a military band was playing. In the -summer of 1866 Napoleon lacked courage to do what he ought to have -done from his point of view. When we attacked Austria he should have -occupied ----, the object of the Benedetti proposal, and held it as a -pledge. We could not have prevented him at that time, and most probably -England would not have stirred--in any case he could have waited. If -the _coup_ succeeded he might have placed himself back to back with -us, encouraging us to further aggression. But (turning to Delbrück, -first leaning a little forward and then sitting straight upright, a -habit of his on such occasions), he is and remains a muddle-headed -fellow.” - -Thiers, after having had a conversation with Favre and Ducrot on the -bridge of Sèvres, returned and had another conference with the Chief -which lasted from 8.30 to 9.30. Favre and Ducrot had declared that our -conditions for an armistice could not be accepted, but that they would -ascertain the opinions of their colleagues, and bring Thiers a definite -answer to-morrow. - -_Sunday, November 6th._--The Chief read to us at dinner a portion of -his wife’s letter which was to the following effect:--“I fear you will -not be able to find a Bible in France, and so I shall shortly send -you the Psalms in order that you may read the prophecies against the -French--‘I tell thee, the godless shall be destroyed!’” The Minister -had also received a “despairing letter” from Count Herbert, whose -wound was now healed, because he had been transferred to a depôt. “He -says that all he has had out of the whole war has been a fortnight’s -ride with his regiment and then three months on his back. I wished to -see whether anything could be done, and to-day I met the Minister of -War. He dissuaded me, however, with tears in his eyes--he had once -interfered in a similar way and lost his son in consequence.” - -_Monday, November 7th._--Early in the morning the Chief instructs me -to telegraph to London: “In the negotiations with M. Thiers, which -lasted for five days, he was offered an armistice of any duration up -to twenty-eight days on the basis of the military _status quo_, for -the purpose of holding elections, which should also be allowed to take -place in the portions of France occupied by the German troops; or, as -an alternative, our assistance and sanction for holding the elections -without a truce. After a renewed conference with the Paris Government -at the outposts, M. Thiers was not authorised to accept either of -these offers. He demanded first of all permission to provision Paris, -without offering any military equivalent. As this proposal could not -be accepted by the Germans on military grounds, M. Thiers yesterday -received instructions from Paris to break off the negotiations.” - -The following particulars have been ascertained from other sources: The -instruction referred to, was received by Thiers in the form of a curt -letter from Favre desiring him to return to Tours, whither he has gone, -to-day. The Chancellor tells me that Thiers was very depressed at the -foolish obstinacy of the Paris Government, of which both he himself and -several of the Ministers disapprove. Favre and Picard, particularly -the latter, are desirous of peace, but are too weak to withstand the -opposition of the others. Gambetta and Trochu will not hear of the -elections, which would in all probability put an end to their rule. - -I write articles to the following effect: We were prepared to do -everything possible, but all our concessions were rejected owing to the -ambition of MM. Favre and Trochu, who do not want to be forced by the -true representatives of the French people to give up the power which -fell into their hands through an insurrection. It is that ambition -alone which prolongs the war. We, on the other hand, have shown that we -desire peace, by carrying our complaisance to the utmost point. - -The postponement of the bombardment was again discussed at dinner. The -Chancellor said he could not understand the absurd rumour circulated -in the newspapers, to the effect that he was opposed to the bombardment -while the military authorities were pressing for it. “Exactly the -contrary is the case. No one is more urgent in favour of it than I am, -and it is the military authorities who hesitate. A great deal of my -correspondence is taken up in dispelling the scruples and excessive -circumspection of the military people. It appears that the artillery -are constantly requiring more time for preparation and particularly a -larger supply of ammunition. At Strassburg, they also asked for much -more than was necessary, as notwithstanding the foolish waste of powder -and shell, two-thirds of the supply collected was never used.” Alten -objected that even if the forts in question were captured they would -be then subjected to the fire from the enceinte, and we should have to -begin over again. “That may be,” said the Minister, “but they ought to -have known that sooner, as there was no fortress we knew so much about -from the commencement as Paris.” - -Somebody remarked that in the two balloons that had been seized five -persons had been taken prisoners. The Chief considered that they ought -to be treated as spies without any lengthy deliberation. Alten said -they would be brought up before a court-martial, whereupon the Minister -exclaimed, “Well, nothing will happen to them there!” He then observed -how stout and strong Count Bill was. At his age he himself was slight -and thin. “At Göttingen I was as thin as a knitting-needle.” Mention -having been made of the circumstance that the sentry posted outside -the villa occupied by the Crown Prince had been shot at and wounded -the night before, and that the town would be obliged to pay him five -thousand francs as compensation, the Chief said that in going out in -the evening he would not take his sword but rather a revolver--“as -although in certain circumstances I should be quite willing to let -myself be murdered, I should not like to die unavenged.” - -After dinner I was instructed by the Chancellor to again telegraph an -account of the negotiations with Thiers, only in a somewhat different -form. On my venturing to observe that the contents of the despatch had -been telegraphed in the morning he replied, “Not quite accurately; -you see here ‘Count Bismarck proposed, &c.’ You must notice such fine -shades if you want to work in the first Foreign Office of the world.” - -_Tuesday, November 8th._--In the morning I sent off a telegram stating -that the prisoners taken in the balloons have been transported to -a Prussian fortress in order to be tried there by court-martial. -Furthermore that the confiscated letters compromised diplomats and -other personages who have been permitted to remain in communication -with the outer world out of consideration for their position and sense -of honour. Such communication would no longer be tolerated. - -At about 12.30 P.M., while we were at lunch, the Chief received a -visit from Archbishop Ledochowski of Posen, and it was understood that -his business was to submit an offer of the Pope to intervene with the -French Government. They probably hope in this way to purchase the -intervention of the German Government on behalf of the Holy Father. -The Archbishop remained till nearly 3 o’clock, and on his leaving -the Chief went to see the King. He subsequently took dinner at the -Crown Prince’s, where the Grand Duke of Baden, who had arrived in the -meantime, also dined. - -Delbrück, General Chauvin, and Colonel Meidam, the officer in command -of the Field Telegraph, were the Chief’s guests at dinner. Mention -was made of the improper use of the telegraph wire by distinguished -personages for their private purposes. - -After a while the Chancellor remarked: “I hear that the Augustenburger -also telegraphs. That really should not be. Nor has the Coburger any -right to do so. The telegraph is for military and diplomatic purposes, -and not for minor potentates to use for inquiries respecting their -kitchens, stables and theatres. None of them has any rights here. Their -rights ceased on passing the German frontier.” - -On some one referring to the destruction of the telegraph wires and -other similar misconduct on the part of franctireurs and peasants near -Epernay, the Minister said: “They should have immediately sent three or -four battalions there, and transported six thousand peasants to Germany -until the conclusion of the war.” - -Amongst other subjects discussed at tea was the rumour that the -postponement of the bombardment was in part due to the influence of -ladies, the Queen and the Crown Princess being mentioned in this -connection. The Chief was in the drawing-room engaged in conference -with the Bavarian General von Bothmer on the military question in -connection with the closer unification of Germany now in progress. The -Minister joined us afterwards, remaining for about an hour. On sitting -down he breathed a deep sigh and said: “I was thinking just now, what I -have indeed often thought before--If I could only for five minutes have -the power to say: ‘That must be done thus and in no other way!’--If one -were only not compelled to bother about the ‘why’ and the ‘wherefore,’ -and to argue and plead for the simplest things!--Things made much more -rapid progress under men like Frederick the Great, who were generals -themselves and also knew something about administration, acting as -their own Ministers. It was the same with Napoleon. But here, this -eternal talking and begging!” - -After a while the Chief said, with a laugh: “I have been busy to-day -educating princes.” - -“How so, Excellency?” asked Hatzfeldt. - -“Well, I have explained to various gentlemen at the Hôtel des -Reservoirs what is and what is not proper. I have given the Meininger -to understand through Stein that he is not to be allowed to use the -Field Telegraph for giving instructions about his kitchen garden and -theatre. And the Coburger is still worse. Never mind, the Reichstag -will set that right and put a stop to all that kind of thing. But only -I shall not be there.” - -Hatzfeldt asked: “Has your Excellency seen that the Italians have -broken into the Quirinal?” - -“Yes, and I am curious to know what the Pope will now do. Leave the -country? But where can he go? He has already requested us to ask the -Italians whether he would be allowed to leave and with fitting dignity. -We did so, and they replied that the utmost respect would be paid -to his position, and that their attitude would be governed by that -determination in case he desired to depart.” - -“They would not like to see him go,” added Hatzfeldt; “it is in their -interests that he should remain in Rome.” - -The Chief: “Yes, certainly. But perhaps he may be obliged to leave. But -where could he go? Not to France, because Garibaldi is there. He would -not like to go to Austria. To Spain? I suggested to him Bavaria.” The -Minister then reflected for a moment, after which he continued: “There -remains nothing for him but Belgium or North Germany. As a matter of -fact he has already asked whether we could grant him asylum. I have no -objection to it--Cologne or Fulda. It would be passing strange, but -after all not so very inexplicable, and it would be very useful to us -to be recognised by Catholics as what we really are, that is to say, -the sole power now existing that is capable of protecting the head -of their Church. Stofflet and Charette, together with their Zouaves, -could then go about their business. We should have the Poles on our -side. The opposition of the Ultramontanes would cease in Belgium and -Bavaria. Malinkrott would come over to the Government side. But the -King will not consent. He is terribly afraid. He thinks all Prussia -would be perverted, and he himself would be obliged to become a -Catholic. I told him, however, that if the Pope begged for asylum -he could not refuse it. He would have to grant it as ruler over ten -million Catholic subjects who would desire to see the head of their -Church protected. Besides, imaginative people, particularly women, -may possibly feel drawn towards Catholicism by the pomp and ritual of -St. Peter’s, with the Pope seated upon his throne and bestowing his -benediction. The danger would not be so great, however, in Germany, -where the people would see the Pope amongst them as a poor old man -seeking assistance--a good old gentleman, one of the Bishops, who ate -and drank like the rest, took his pinch of snuff, and even perhaps -smoked a cigar. And after all even if a few people in Germany became -Catholic again (I should certainly not do so) it would not matter much -so long as they remained believing Christians. The particular sect is -of no consequence, only the faith. People ought to be more tolerant in -their way of thinking.” The Chief then dilated on the comic aspect of -this migration of the Pope and his Cardinals to Fulda, and concluded: -“Of course the King could not see the humorous side of the affair. But -(smiling) if only the Pope remains true to me I shall know how to bring -his Majesty round.” - -Some other subjects then came up. Hatzfeldt mentioned that his Highness -of Coburg had fallen from his horse. “Happily, however, without being -hurt,” hastily added Abeken, with a pleased expression. This led the -Chief to speak of similar accidents that had happened to himself. - -“I believe I shall be more than within the mark in saying that I must -have fallen from horseback fifty times. It is nothing to be thrown from -your horse, but when the horse lies on top of you, then it’s a bad -case. The last time was at Varzin, when I broke three ribs. I thought -it was all up with me. It was not, however, so dangerous as it seemed, -but it was terribly painful.... But as a young man I had a remarkable -accident, which shows how our thinking powers are dependent upon the -brain. I was riding home one evening with my brother, and we were both -galloping as hard as our horses could go. Suddenly my brother, who -was in front, heard a fearful bang. It was my head that had struck -against the road. My horse had shied at a lantern in a cart coming in -the opposite direction, and reared so that he fell backwards, and I -tumbled on my head. At first I lost consciousness, and on returning to -my senses my power of thinking remained on some points quite clear, -but had quite deserted me on others. I examined my horse and found -that the saddle was broken, so I called the groom and rode home on his -horse. When the dogs there barked at me by way of greeting, I thought -they did not belong to us, got cross with them and drove them away. -Then I said the groom had fallen from his horse and they should send -a stretcher to bring in; and I got very angry when, taking their cue -from my brother, they showed no disposition to move. Were they going -to leave the unfortunate man lying in the road? I did not know that I -was myself and was at home, or rather I was both myself and the groom. -I asked for something to eat and afterwards went to bed. After having -slept through the night I woke up next morning all right again. It was -a strange case. I had examined the saddle, taken another horse, and so -forth. I had done everything that was practically required. In that -respect the fall had produced no confusion in my ideas. A singular -example which shows that the brain harbours various intellectual -powers--only one of these had remained stupefied by my fall for a -somewhat longer time. - -“I well remember another incident of the kind. I was riding rapidly -through some young timber in a large wood a considerable distance from -home. As I was crossing over a hollow road the horse stumbled and -fell, and I lost consciousness. I must have lain there senseless for -about three hours, as it was already twilight by the time I stirred. -The horse was standing near me. As I said, the place was at a great -distance from our estate, and I was entirely unacquainted with the -district. I had not yet quite recovered my senses, but on this occasion -also I did what was necessary. I took off the martingale, which was -broken, and followed the road across a rather long bridge which, as I -then ascertained, was the nearest way to a farm in the neighbourhood. -The farmer’s wife ran away on seeing a big man standing before her -with his face all covered with blood. Her husband, however, came to me -and wiped away the blood. I told him who I was, and as I was hardly -fit for such a long ride home I asked him to drive me there, which he -accordingly did. I must have been shot fifteen feet out of the saddle -and fallen against the root of a tree. On the doctor examining my -injuries, he said it was against all the rules of his art that I had -not broken my neck. - -“I have also been a couple of other times in danger of my life,” -continued the Chief. “For instance, before the Semmering railway was -finished (I believe it was in 1852) I went with a party through one of -the tunnels. It was quite dark inside. I went ahead with a lantern. -Now right across the floor of the tunnel was a rift or gully, which -must have been about fifteen feet deep and half as wide again as this -table. A plank was laid across it, with a raised skirting board on both -sides to prevent the wheelbarrows from slipping off. This plank must -have been rotten, as when I reached the middle it broke in two and I -fell down; but having probably involuntarily stretched out my arms, I -remained hanging on the skirting. The lantern having gone out, those -behind thought I had fallen into the gully, and were not a little -surprised when the reply to their question, ‘Are you still alive?’ -instead of coming from the depths below came from just under their -feet. I answered, ‘Yes, here I am.’ I had in the meantime recovered -hold also with my feet, and I asked whether I should go on or come -back. The guide thought I had better go on to the other side, and so -I worked my way over. The workman who acted as our guide then struck -a light, got another plank, and brought the party across. That plank -was a good example of the slovenly way in which such things were -managed in Austria at that time; because I cannot believe that it -was intentional. I was not hated in Vienna then as I am now--on the -contrary.” - -_Thursday, November 10th._--In the morning I am instructed by the Chief -to telegraph that great distress has been occasioned in France, and -that still more is to be anticipated, in consequence of the application -by the Provisional Government of Savings Bank funds for the relief of -the poor, and of the property of corporations, to military purposes. -I had permission to study the documents connected with the abortive -negotiations for an armistice. - -Thiers had stated in a memorandum the principles which he, and the -French Government which he represented, regarded as a basis for the -proposed armistice. It was to the following effect: The object of the -understanding was to put an end as soon as possible to the bloodshed, -and to permit the convocation of a National Assembly which would -represent the will of France in dealing with the European Powers, -and be in a position sooner or later to conclude peace with Prussia -and her allies. The armistice must last for twenty-eight days, of -which twelve would be required for canvassing the constituencies, one -for the polling, five for the elected deputies to meet in some given -place, and ten for examining the returns and appointing the bureau -of the Assembly. Tours might for the present remain the seat of such -an Assembly. The elections must be allowed to take place free and -unhindered in all parts of France, including those occupied by the -Prussians. Military operations on both sides to cease, although both -parties would be at liberty to enlist recruits and proceed with works -of defence. The armies to be at liberty to obtain for themselves -supplies of provisions, but requisitions on the other hand to be -suspended as “constituting a military operation which should cease -together with other hostilities.” Moreover fortified places were to be -provisioned for the duration of the truce in proportion to the strength -of the population and garrison. For this purpose Paris to be allowed to -receive the following live stock and other provisions over four railway -lines to be determined: 34,000 bullocks, 80,000 sheep, 8,000 pigs, -5,000 calves, 100,000 metric centals of corned meat, 8,000,000 metric -centals of hay or straw as fodder for the cattle in question, 200,000 -metric centals of flour, 30,000 metric centals of dried vegetables, -100,000 tons of coal, and 500,000 cubic metres of fire-wood. In these -calculations the population of Paris and its suburbs, including the -garrison of 400,000 men, was estimated at 2,700,000 to 2,800,000 -inhabitants. - -These demands on the part of the French could not be accepted. Had -we agreed to them we should have surrendered the greater and more -important portion of the advantages we had gained in the last seven -weeks, at the cost of great sacrifices and severe exertions. In -other words, we should in the main have returned to the position in -which we were on the 19th of September, the day on which our troops -completed the investment of Paris. We are asked to allow Paris to -provision itself, when even now it suffers from scarcity and will -shortly be obliged to starve or surrender. We are to suspend our -military operations just at the moment when the fall of Metz and the -release of the army of Prince Frederick Charles enable us to extend and -render them more effective. We are quietly to permit recruiting and -organisation, by means of which the French Republic is to create a new -field force, while we require no recruits. At the same time that we -are to allow Paris and the other French fortresses to supply themselves -with provisions, we are to provide for our own troops without the -requisitions which are necessary in an enemy’s country. We are to -make all these concessions without any military equivalent--such, for -instance, as the evacuation of one or two of the Paris forts in return -for the liberty to provision the city--and without being offered any -clear prospect of peace. The first object of the armistice according -to the Thiers memorandum, namely, the restoration of an orderly -state of affairs by the lawful election of a Constituent Assembly, -is unquestionably more in the interest of the French themselves than -in ours; and, considering the constant excitement maintained by the -inflammatory proclamations of the Provisional Government, it may -possibly not be secured even under a new administration. More orderly -conditions could be brought about even now without a truce if the -present Government were seriously disposed to work in that direction. -It was absolutely impossible on the German side to have anything -to do with such proposals. A different arrangement altogether was -needful, and therefore the Chancellor of the Confederation offered M. -Thiers a truce of twenty-five to twenty-eight days on the basis of -the maintenance of the military _status quo_, which would enable the -French to carry on the elections in peace, and to convoke the Assembly -thus constituted. This also was a concession on our part in which the -advantages were all on the French side. If, as Thiers asserted, Paris -was supplied with provisions and other necessaries for several months, -it is not easy to see why the Provisional Government broke off the -negotiations which, at the outside, would have prevented the Parisians -from making useless sorties. France, on the other hand, would have -had the great advantage of having a line of demarcation drawn which -would have arrested the advance of the German forces, restricting the -unopposed occupation of further districts by our army that had been -set free by the fall of Metz. In the meantime Thiers refused this -very acceptable offer, and maintained that the provisioning of Paris -was an indispensable condition for an understanding, while he was not -empowered to give any prospect of a military equivalent for the same, -such as the evacuation of one of the Paris forts. - -On coming in to dinner, the Chief mentioned that the Minister of War is -seriously ill. He feels very weak, and will scarcely be able to rise -from his bed for a fortnight. The Count afterwards made some jokes -about the water supplied to us for washing. “The inhabitants of the -local reservoir,” he said, “seem to have their seasons. First came -the scolopendria, which are particularly distasteful to me, ‘moving -their thousand limbs together’ (Schiller’s Diver). Then followed the -wood lice, which I cannot bear to touch, although they are perfectly -harmless. I’d sooner grasp a snake. Now the leeches have arrived. I -found quite a small specimen to-day, doubled up into a button. I tried -to induce him to deploy, but he declined--remained a button. I then -poured some well water over him, and he stretched out straight, long -and thin like a needle, and made off with himself.” The conversation -then turned on a variety of simple but nevertheless estimable -delicacies, such as fresh and salt herrings, new potatoes, spring -butter, &c. The Minister observed to Delbrück, who also approved of -those good things: “The sturgeon is a fish which is also to be found -here, but it is not appreciated as it ought to be. In Russia they -recognise its good qualities. It is often caught in the Elbe in the -Magdeburg district, but is only eaten by fishermen and poor people.” He -then explained its good points, and thus came to speak of caviare, and -treated of the several varieties with the knowledge of a connoisseur. - -“The fresh caviare which we now get in Berlin is very good,” he said, -“since it can be brought by rail from St. Petersburg in forty hours. I -have had it several times, and one of my principal complaints against -that fat Borck is that he intercepted forty pounds of this caviare -which I once sent to the King. I suspected something of the kind, as -the King made no mention of it, and did not send me any present in -return. Later on Perponcher or some one told me that on dropping in to -Borck’s room he saw there a barrel of caviare with a spoon standing in -it. That made me wild with him (_Das hat mir sehr verdrossen_).” - -The Chief remarked at dinner: “To-day, again, I noticed when it snowed -how many points of resemblance there are between the Gauls and the -Slavs. The same broad streets, with the houses standing close together, -the same low roofs, as in Russia. The only thing wanting here is the -green onion-shaped steeple. But, on the other hand, the versts and -kilometres, the arsheens and metres are the same. And then the tendency -to centralisation, the uniformity of views of the whole population and -the communistic trait in the popular character.” - -He then spoke of the wonderful “topsy turvy” world we live in nowadays. -“When one thinks that perhaps the Pope will shortly be residing in -a small town of Protestant Germany, that the Reichstag may meet in -Versailles, and the Corps Législatif in Cassel, that Garibaldi has -become a French general in spite of Mentana, and that Papal Zouaves are -fighting side by side with him!” He followed up this train of ideas for -some little time. - -The Minister then remarked suddenly: “Metternich has also written to me -to-day. He wants me to allow Hoyos to enter Paris, in order that he may -bring away the Austrians. I replied that since the 25th of October they -have had permission to come out, but that we could allow no more people -to enter, not even diplomats. We also receive none in Versailles, but I -would make an exception in his favour. He will then perhaps again raise -the Austrians’ claims respecting the property of the old Bund in the -German fortresses.” - -On the subject of doctors, and the way in which nature sometimes -comes to its own assistance, the Chief related that he was once with -a shooting party for two days at the Duke of ----. “I was thoroughly -out of sorts. Even the two days’ shooting and fresh air did me no -good. On the third day I visited the Cuirassiers at Brandenburg, who -had received a new cup. I was to be the first one to drink out of it, -thus dedicating it, and then it was to go the round of the table. It -held nearly a bottle. I made my speech, however, drank and set it -down empty, to the great surprise of the officers, who had but a poor -opinion of mere quill-drivers. That was the result of my Göttingen -training. And strangely, or perhaps naturally enough, it set me all -right again. On another occasion, when I was shooting at Letzlingen -in the time of Frederick William IV. the guests were asked to drink -from an old puzzle goblet. It was a stag’s horn, which contained about -three-quarters of a bottle of wine, and was so made that one could -not bring it close to the lips, yet one was not allowed to spill a -drop. I took it and drank it off at a draught, although it was very -cold champagne, and not a single drop fell on my white waistcoat. -Everybody was immensely surprised; but I said, ‘Give me another.’ The -King, however, who evidently did not appreciate my success, called out -‘No, no more.’ Such tricks were formerly an indispensable part of the -diplomat’s trade. They drank the weaker vessels under the table, wormed -all they wanted to know out of them, made them agree to things which -were contrary to their instructions, or for which, at least, they had -no authority. Then they were compelled to put their signatures at once, -and afterwards when they got sober they could not imagine how they had -done it.” - -Bismarck-Bohlen, who seemed to be particularly communicative to-day, -told the following anecdote about the Chief. At Commercy a woman -came to him to complain that her husband, who had tried to strike a -hussar with a spade, had been arrested. “The Minister listened to -her very amiably, and when she had done he replied in the kindliest -manner possible, ‘Well, my good woman, you can be quite sure that your -husband’ (drawing a line round his neck with his finger) ‘will be -presently hanged.’” - -_Saturday, November 12th._--While we were at lunch the Chief was out. -He shortly afterwards passed through the dining-room into the saloon, -accompanied by a bearded officer in a Prussian uniform, the Grand Duke -of Baden. - -In about ten minutes the Chief returned to table. He was very angry and -indignant, and said: “This is really too bad! No peace from these Grand -Dukes even at one’s meals. They will eventually force their way into -one’s bedroom. That must be put a stop to. It is not so in Berlin. -There the people who want something from me announce their visits in -writing, and I fix a suitable time for them to call. Why should it not -be the same here?” - -After a while the Chief said to one of the attendants who was waiting -upon us, “Remember in future in such cases to say that I am not at -home. Whoever brings any visitor to me unannounced will be put under -arrest and sent off to Berlin;” and after eating a few mouthfuls more, -he went on: “As if it were anything of importance! But merely curiosity -and a desire to kill time. He shall see, however, I will shortly pay -him a surprise visit on some official matter, so that he cannot send me -away....” - -The conversation then turned on Roon’s asthma, which according to -Lauer is now improving. His rage at the appearance of the Grand Duke -during the dinner hour still visibly affected the Chief, who asked -Lauer, “What should one drink with marena when in a bad temper?” and on -Lauer recommending something the name of which I could not catch, the -Minister continued: “It upsets my digestion when anything exasperates -me at meals; and here I have had good reason to be angry. They think -that one is only made for their use.” Then addressing the servant again -the Chief said: “Mind you send away the red lackeys, and say that I am -not at home. Remember that! And you, Karl (to Bohlen), must take care -that this is done.” - -The name of Arnim Boitzenburg, the former Minister, then came up. The -Chancellor said he had been his chief at Aix-la-Chapelle, and he went -on to describe him as “amiable, clever, but unstable and incapable of -persistent or energetic action. He was like an india-rubber ball that -bounces again and again, but each time with diminishing force until at -length it ceases to move. He first had an opinion, then weakened it by -arguing against it himself, and went on criticising his own criticism, -until at last there was nothing left and nothing done.” - -Delbrück praised the son-in-law (Harry Arnim) as being well-informed -and intelligent, though unsympathetic and unambitious. This was -confirmed by the Chief, who said: “Yes, he is a rocket in which they -forgot to put in the powder. He has, however, a good head, but his -reports are not the same on any two successive days--often on the same -day two thoroughly contradictory views. No reliance can be placed upon -him.” - -Arnim’s lack of ambition led some one to speak of orders and titles, -and the Chief said his first decoration was a medal for saving life, -which he received for having rescued a servant from drowning. “I was -made an ‘Excellency’ at the palace in Königsberg in 1861. I however, -already had the title in Frankfurt, only there I was not a Prussian -but a Federal Excellency. The German Princes had decided that each -Minister to the Diet should have that title. For the matter of that I -did not trouble myself much about it--nor afterwards either--I was a -distinguished man without it.” - -_Sunday, November 13th._--The Chancellor, in a general’s uniform and -helmet, and wearing several orders, went to-day to dine with the King. -As he was leaving, Bohlen said to him: “But you ought to have the -ribbon of the Iron Cross in your button-hole.” - -“It is there already,” replied the Minister. “In other circumstances I -should not wear it. I am ashamed before my own sons and many others who -have earned it but not got it, while all the loafers at headquarters -swagger about with it.” - -In the evening the Chancellor desired me to send a _démenti_ of a false -report published by the Augsburg _Allgemeine Zeitung_, to the effect -that Count Arnim paid a visit to headquarters before his departure for -Rome. The Chief at the same time remarked: “I have told you more than -once that you must not write so violently. Here you are again, speaking -of ‘hallucination’ (in correction of an article by Archibald Forbes in -the _Daily News_). Why not be civil? I, too, have to be civil. Always -this carping, malignant style! You must learn to write differently if -you want to work in such a distinguished Foreign Office, or we must -make other arrangements. And such a bullying style! Just like Brass, -who might have had a brilliant position if he were not so brutal.” -“Hallucination” was the word used by the Minister himself; but in -future I shall be careful to sift my phrases so as to eliminate all -rough words and only let soft ones find their way into the press. - -Hatzfeldt told me at tea that the Chief had also “carried on awfully” -with him, adding that if he remained in such a temper for long he -(Hatzfeldt) would think of leaving. The Count will, however, in all -probability, take plenty of time to reconsider this matter. - -_Tuesday, November 15th._--The Chief is still unwell. Theiss reports -that the Court have their things ready packed to-day, and this is -confirmed at lunch. The position of affairs between here and Orleans -is not as good as it might be. The Minister also on sitting down to -table mentions the possibility of our having to retire, and evacuate -Versailles for a time. There might be an attack from Dreux combined -with a sortie on a large scale from Paris. He had repeatedly spoken of -that possibility to members of the general staff. Even a layman could -see that a successful attempt of that kind in which not only the Court -and general staff but also the heavy siege guns would be in danger -of falling into the hands of the enemy, must be the sole chance of -relieving Paris, and that the French, therefore, may well hazard the -attempt. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - -GROWING DESIRE FOR A DECISION IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS - - -_Wednesday, November 16th._--The Chief is still unwell. One of the -causes is supposed to be his mortification at the course of the -negotiations with the South German States (which once more seem as if -they would come to a standstill) and at the conduct of the military -authorities, who have on various occasions neglected to consult him, -although the matters dealt with were not merely military questions. - -Count Waldersee dines with us. The Chief complains once more that -the military authorities are proceeding too slowly for him, and do -not inform him of all matters of importance. He had only succeeded, -“after repeated requests,” in getting them to send him at least -those particulars which they telegraph to the German newspapers. It -was different in 1866. He was then present at all councils, and his -view was frequently accepted. For instance, it was due to him that a -direct attack upon Vienna was given up, and that the army marched on -to the Hungarian frontier. “And that is only as it should be. It is -necessary for my business. I must be informed of the course of military -operations, in order that I may know the proper time at which to -conclude peace.” - -_Thursday, November 17th._--Alten and Prince Radziwill are the Chief’s -guests at dinner. A rumour is mentioned to the effect that Garibaldi -and 13,000 of his volunteers have been made prisoners. The Minister -observed: “That is really disheartening--to make prisoners of 13,000 -franctireurs who are not even Frenchmen! Why have they not been shot?” - -He then complained that the military authorities so seldom consulted -him. “This capitulation of Verdun, for instance--I should certainly -not have advised that. To undertake to return their arms after peace -had been concluded, and still more to let French officials continue -the administration as they please. The first condition might pass, as -the conditions of peace might provide that the weapons should not be -returned. But that _librement_! It ties our hands in the interval, -even should they place all kinds of obstacles in our way and act as -if there were absolutely no war. They can openly stir up a rising in -favour of the Republic, and under this agreement we can do nothing -to prevent them.” After dwelling upon this topic for some time, the -Minister concluded by saying: “At all events, such a capitulation is -unprecedented in history.” - -Some one referred to the article written by a diplomat in the -_Indépendance Belge_ prophesying the restoration of Napoleon. “No -doubt,” observed the Chancellor, “Napoleon fancies something of the -kind will happen. Moreover, it is not entirely impossible. If he made -peace with us he might return with the troops he has now in Germany. -Something in the style of Klapka’s Hungarian Legion on a grand scale, -to work in co-operation with us. And then his Government is still the -legal one. Order being once restored, he would at the outside require -an army of 200,000 men for its maintenance. With the exception of -Paris, it would not be necessary to garrison the large towns with -troops. Perhaps Lyons and Marseilles. The National Guards would be -sufficient for the protection of the others. If the republicans were to -rise in rebellion they could be bombarded and shelled out.” - -A telegram reporting Granville’s statement with regard to the Russian -declaration concerning the Peace of Paris was sent by the King to -the Chief, who read it over to us. It was to the effect that Russia, -in taking upon herself to denounce a portion of the Treaty of 1856, -assumed the right to set aside the whole on her own initiative, a right -which was only possessed by the signatory Powers collectively. England -could not tolerate such an arbitrary course, which threatened the -validity of all treaties. Future complications were to be apprehended. -The Minister smiled, and said: “Future complications! Parliamentary -speech-makers! They are not going to venture. The whole tone is also -in the future. That is the way in which one speaks when he does not -mean to do anything. No, there is nothing to be feared from them now, -as there was nothing to be hoped from them four months ago. If at the -beginning of the war the English had said to Napoleon, ‘There must be -no war,’ there would have been none.” - -After a while the Minister continued: “Gortschakoff is not carrying -on in this matter a real Russian policy (that is, one in the true -interests of Russia), but rather a policy of violent aggression. People -still believe that Russian diplomats are particularly crafty and -clever, full of artifices and stratagems, but that is not the case. -If the people at St. Petersburg were clever they would not make any -declaration of the kind, but would quietly build men-of-war in the -Black Sea and wait until they were questioned on the subject. Then they -might reply that they knew nothing about it, but would make inquiries, -and so let the matter drag on. That might continue for a long time, and -finally people would get accustomed to it.” - -Another telegram announced the election of the Duke of Aosta as King of -Spain. The Chief said: “I pity him--and them. He is, moreover, elected -by a small majority--not by the two-thirds originally intended. There -were 190 votes for him and 115 against.” Alten was pleased that the -monarchical sentiments of the Spaniards had ultimately prevailed. “Ah, -those Spaniards!” exclaimed the Chief. “They have no sense of what -is honourable or becoming! They showed that on the outbreak of this -war. If only one of those Castilians who pretend to have a monopoly of -the sense of honour had but expressed his indignation at the cause of -the present war, which was after all Napoleon’s intervention in their -previous election of a king, interfering with their free choice and -treating them as vassals!... As a matter of fact, these Spaniards are -all mere Angelo de Mirandas,--he was formerly a card sharper, and then -confidant of Prim’s and probably also of the King’s.” After the Chief -had made some further remarks, some one said that it was now all over -with the candidature of the Prince of Hohenzollern. “Yes,” replied the -Chief, “but only because he wishes it to be so. A couple of weeks ago -I told him that it was still time. But he no longer wanted to go on.” - -_Saturday, November 19th._--We were joined at dinner by General von -Werder, the Prussian Military Plenipotentiary at St. Petersburg. -The Chief, who looked very pleased, said, shortly after entering -the dining-room: “Well, we shall probably be able to come to an -understanding with Bavaria.” “Yes,” exclaimed Bohlen, “something of -that kind has already been telegraphed to one of the Berlin papers.” -“I am sorry for that,” replied the Minister; “it is premature. But of -course, wherever there is a mob of princes who have nothing to do and -who feel bored, nothing can be kept secret!” - -The conversation then turned on Vienna and Count Beust. The Chief said -Beust had apologised for the recent discourteous note. It was written -by Biegeleben, and not by himself. The reference to Biegeleben led -to the discussion of the Gagern family and to the once celebrated -Heinrich von Gagern (President of the Reichstag in the Paulskirche at -Frankfurt). “I remember,” the Chief said, “in 1850 or 1851, Manteuffel -was instructed to bring about an understanding between the Gagern and -the Conservative sections of the Prussian party--at least, as far as -the King was disposed to go in the cause of German unity. Manteuffel -selected Gagern and myself for this purpose, and so we were both -invited one day to a _souper à trois_ at his place. At first there was -little or no mention of politics, but Manteuffel afterwards made some -excuse for leaving us alone. When he left I immediately began to talk -politics, explaining my standpoint to Gagern in a plain, business-like -way. You should have heard Gagern! He assumed his Jove-like aspect, -lifted his eyebrows, ran his fingers through his hair, rolled his eyes -and cast them up to heaven so perpendicularly that you could hear the -joints in his neck crack, and poured out his grand phrases to me as if -I were a public meeting. Of course, that did not help him much with -me. I replied coolly, and we remained divided as before. When Jupiter -had retired, Manteuffel asked, ‘Well, what arrangement have you come to -together?’ ‘Oh,’ I replied, ‘no arrangement at all. The man is a fool. -He takes me for a public meeting! A mere watering-can of fine phrases! -Nothing can be done with him.’” - -The subject of the bombardment having been introduced, the Chief said: -“I told the King again yesterday that it was time to begin, and he had -no objection to make. He replied that he had given orders to begin, but -that the generals said they could not. I know exactly how it is. It is -Stosch, Treskow, and Podbielski.” - -Some one asked: “And Hindersin?” - -“He is also against it,” said the Chief. “Podbielski” (so I understood -him to say) “could be brought round. But the other two are influenced -by considerations affecting their own future.” - -It appeared from some further remarks of the Minister that, in his -opinion, first Queen Victoria, and then, at her instance the Crown -Princess, and, finally, the Crown Prince, persuaded by his consort, -will not have Paris bombarded; while the generals “cannot” bombard -the city out of consideration for the views of the Crown Prince, who -will, of course, be the future King, and will have the appointment of -Ministers of War, commandants of army corps, and field marshals. - -The late General von Möllendorff having been mentioned, the Minister -related the following anecdote: “I remember after the March rising, -when the King and the troops were at Potsdam, I went there too. A -council was being held as to what was to be done. Möllendorff was -present, and sat not far from me. He seemed to be in pain, and could -scarcely sit down for the beating he had received. All kinds of -suggestions were made, but no one knew exactly what was to be done. I -sat near the piano and said nothing, but played a few bars” (he hummed -the opening of the infantry march for the charge). “Old Möllendorff -suddenly stood up, his face beaming with pleasure, and, hobbling over, -threw his arms round my neck, and said: ‘That’s right. I know what you -mean. March on Berlin!’ There was nothing to be done with the King, -however, and the others had not the pluck.” - -After a while the Chancellor asked Werder: “How much does each visit -to the Tsar cost you?” I do not know what Werder’s answer was, but -the Chief went on: “It was always a rather costly business for -me--particularly in Zarskoje. There I had always to pay from 15 to 20 -and sometimes 25 roubles, according as I drove out to see the Emperor -with or without an invitation. It was always more expensive in the -former case. I had to fee the coachman and footman who brought me, the -majordomo who received me--he wore a sword when I came on invitation, -and then the running footman who conducted me through the whole length -of the castle--it must be about a thousand yards--to the Emperor’s -apartments. Well, he really earned his five roubles. And one never -got the same coachman twice. I could never recover these expenses. We -Prussians were altogether badly paid. Twenty-five thousand thalers -salary and 8,000 thalers for rent. For that sum I certainly had a house -as large and fine as any palace in Berlin. But all the furniture was -old, shabby, and faded, and when I had paid for repairs and other odds -and ends it cost me 9,000 a year. I found, however, that I was not -obliged to spend more than my salary, and so I helped myself out of -the difficulty by not entertaining. The French Minister had 300,000 -francs, and was in addition allowed to charge his Government with the -expense of any receptions which he chose to look upon as official.” - -“But you had at least free firing,” said Werder, “and at St. Petersburg -that amounts to something considerable in the course of the year.” - -“Excuse me, but I had not,” replied the Chief, “I was obliged to pay -for that too. Food would not have been so dear if the officials had not -made it so. I remember once seeing some very good timber in a Finnish -boat. I asked the peasants what the price was and they mentioned a -very moderate figure. But when I wanted to buy it they asked if it was -for the Treasury (he used the Russian term). I was imprudent enough -to reply that it was not for the Imperial Treasury (he again used -the Russian words) but for the Royal Prussian Legation. When I came -back to have the wood removed they had disappeared. Had I given them -the address of a tradesman, with whom I could afterwards have made -an arrangement, I might have got the wood at a third of the price I -usually paid. They evidently regarded the Prussian Minister as one of -the Tsar’s officials and thought to themselves: ‘No, when it comes to -payment he will say that we have stolen the wood, and have us locked -up until we give it to him for nothing.’” The Chief then gave some -instances of the way in which the Tschinowniks harassed and exploited -the peasantry, and afterwards returned to the subject of the poor pay -of Prussian Ministers as compared with those of other countries. “It is -just the same in Berlin,” he said. “The Prussian Minister has 10,000 -thalers, but the English Ambassador has 63,000, and the Russian 44,000, -while the latter’s Government bears the cost of all entertainments, -and if the Tsar stays with him he usually receives a full year’s salary -as compensation. Of course, in such circumstances, we cannot keep pace -with them.” - -_Tuesday, November 22nd._--Prince Pless, Major von Alten, and a -Count Stolberg dine with us. Mention is made of a great discovery of -first-rate wine in a cellar near Bougival, which has been confiscated -in accordance with the laws of war. Bohlen complains that none of it -has reached us. Altogether the Foreign Office is as badly provided as -possible. Care is always taken to set apart the most uncomfortable -lodgings for the Chief, and they have been invariably lucky in finding -such. “Yes,” said the Chancellor, laughing, “it is pure churlishness -on their part to treat me like that. And so ungrateful, as I have -always looked after their interests in the Diet. But they shall see me -thoroughly transformed. I started for the war devoted to the military, -but I shall go home a convinced Parliamentarian. No more military -budgets.” - -Prince Pless praises the Würtemberg troops. They make an excellent -impression and come next to our own in the matter of military -bearing. The Chancellor agrees but thinks the Bavarians also deserve -commendation. He appears to be particularly pleased at the summary -way in which they shoot down the “franc-voleurs.” “Our North German -soldiers follow orders too literally. When one of those footpads fires -at a Holstein dragoon he gets off his horse, runs after the fellow with -his heavy sword and catches him. He then brings him to his lieutenant, -who either lets him go or hands him over to his superior officer--which -comes to the same thing, as he is then set free. The Bavarian acts -differently. He knows that war is war, and keeps up the good old -customs. He does not wait until he is shot at from behind, but shoots -first himself.” - -In the evening I prepared Bernstorff’s despatch respecting the capture -of a German ship in English waters by the French frigate _Desaix_ for -our press; also the letter to Lundy on the export of arms from England -to France; and finally arranged that our papers should no longer defend -Bazaine against the charge of treason, “as it does him harm.” - -_Wednesday, November 23rd._--This morning I asked Bucher how the -Bavarian Treaties were getting on and whether they would not be finally -settled this evening. “Yes,” was the reply, “if nothing happens in -the meantime--and it need not be anything very important. Could you -imagine what it was that recently nearly wrecked the negotiations? -The question of collars or epaulettes! The King of Bavaria wanted -to retain the Bavarian collar, while his Majesty wished to have it -replaced by ours. The Chief, however, finally brought him round by -saying: ‘But, your Majesty, if the Treaty is not concluded now, and in -ten years’ time perhaps the Bavarians are arrayed against us in battle, -what will history say when it becomes known that the negotiations -miscarried owing to these collars?’ Moreover, the King is not the -worst--but rather the Minister of War.” As I was then called away I -could not for the moment unriddle this mystery. I afterwards learned -that the question was whether the Bavarian officers should in future -wear the badge of their rank on their collars as hitherto, or on their -shoulder straps like the North German troops. Bucher having alluded to -the strong Republican sympathies which Alten had yesterday displayed, -Pless also observed: “Really if we had known what sort of people these -Princes were at the time we were discussing the Criminal Code in -the Diet we should not have helped to make the provisions respecting -_lèse-majesté_ so severe.” The Chief remarked, with a laugh: “Every -one of us has already deserved ten years’ penal servitude if all our -jibbing at princes during the campaign were proved against us.” - -We were joined at dinner by Count Frankenberg and Prince Putbus. Both -wore the Iron Cross. The guests mentioned that people were very anxious -in Berlin for the bombardment to begin and grumbled a great deal at its -postponement. The rumour as to the influence of certain great ladies -being one of the causes of the delay appears to be very widespread. “I -have often told the King so,” said the Chief, “but it cannot be done; -they will not have it.” “The Queen?” suggested some one. “Several -queens,” corrected the Chancellor, “and princesses. I believe also that -Masonic influences and scruples have helped.” He then again declared -that he regarded the investment of Paris as a blunder. “I have never -been in favour of it. If they had left it alone we should have made -more progress, or at least we should have had a better position before -Europe. We have certainly not added to our prestige by spending eight -weeks outside Paris. We ought to have left Paris alone and sought the -French in the open country. But otherwise the bombardment ought to have -begun at once. If a thing has to be done, do it!” - -The conversation then turned upon the treatment of the French rural -population, and Putbus related that a Bavarian officer had ordered a -whole village to be burned to the ground and the wine in the cellars -to be poured out into the gutter because the inhabitants of the place -had acted treacherously. Some one else observed that the soldiers at -some other place had given a fearful dressing to a curé who had been -caught in an act of treachery. The Minister again praised the energy -of the Bavarians, but said with regard to the second case: “One ought -either to treat people as considerately as possible or to put it out -of their power to do mischief--one or the other.” After reflecting for -a moment, he added: “Be civil to the very last step of the gallows, -but hang all the same. One should only be rude to a friend when one -feels sure that he will not take it amiss. How rude one is to his wife, -for instance! That reminds me, by the way, Herr von Keudell, will you -please telegraph to Reinfeld, ‘If a letter comes from Count Bismarck -hold it back, and forward it to the Poste Restante or to Berlin’? I -have written various things to my wife which are not overflowing with -loyal reverence. My father-in-law is an old gentleman of eighty-one, -and as the Countess has now left Reinfeld, where she was on a visit to -him, he would open and read the letter and show it to the pastor, who -would tell his gossips about it, and presently it would get into the -newspapers.” - -Bleibtreu’s sketch representing General Reille as he came up the hill -at Sedan to deliver Napoleon’s letter to the King was then mentioned, -and some one remarked that from the way in which the general was taking -off his cap, he looked as if he were going to shout Hurrah! The Chief -said: “His demeanour was thoroughly dignified and correct. I spoke to -him alone while the King was writing his reply. He urged that hard -conditions should not be imposed upon a great army which had fought so -bravely. I shrugged my shoulders. He then said rather than submit they -would blow up the fortress. I said, ‘Well, do so--_faites sauter_!’ I -asked him then if the Emperor could still depend upon the army and -the officers. He said yes. And whether his instructions and orders -still held good in Metz? Reille answered this question also in the -affirmative, and, as we saw, he was right at the time.... If Napoleon -had only made peace then I believe he would still be a respected ruler. -But he is a silly fool! I said so sixteen years ago when no one would -believe me. Stupid and sentimental. The King also thought for the -moment that it would be peace, and wanted me to say what conditions we -should propose. But I said to him ‘Your Majesty, we can hardly have -got as far as that yet.’ Their Highnesses and Serene Highnesses then -pressed so close to us that I had twice to beg the King to move further -off. I should have preferred to tell them plainly, ‘Gentlemen, leave us -alone; you have nothing to do here.’ The one thing which prevented me -from being rude to them was that the brother of our Most Gracious was -the ringleader and chief offender of the whole prying mob.” - -About 10 o’clock I went down to tea, and found Bismarck-Bohlen and -Hatzfeldt still there. The Chief was in the _salon_ with the three -Bavarian Plenipotentiaries. In about a quarter of an hour he opened one -side of the door, bent his head forward with his friendliest look, and -came in with a glass in his hand and took a seat at the table. - -“Well,” he said, his voice and looks betraying his emotion, “the -Bavarian Treaty is made and signed. German unity is secure, and the -German Emperor too.” We were all silent for a moment. I then begged -to be allowed to bring away the pen with which he had signed it. “In -God’s name, bring all three,” he said; “but the gold one is not amongst -them.” I went and took the three pens that lay near the document. -Two of them were still wet. Two empty champagne bottles stood close -by. “Bring us another bottle,” said the Chief to the servant. “It -is an event.” Then, after reflecting for a while, he observed: “The -newspapers will not be satisfied, and he who writes history in the -usual way may criticise our agreement. He may possibly say, ‘The -stupid fellow should have asked for more; he would have got it, as -they would have been compelled to yield.’ And he may be right so far -as the ‘compelled’ is concerned. But what I attached more importance -to was that they should be thoroughly pleased with the thing. What -are treaties when people are compelled to enter into them! And I know -that they went away pleased.... I did not want to squeeze them or to -make capital out of the situation. The Treaty has its deficiencies, -but it is for that reason all the more durable. The future can supply -those deficiencies.... The King also was not satisfied. He was of -opinion that such a Treaty was not worth much. My opinion is quite -different. I consider it one of the most important results which we -have attained during recent years. I finally succeeded in carrying it -through by exciting apprehensions of English intervention unless the -matter were speedily settled.... As to the question of the Emperor, I -made that proposal palatable to them in the course of the negotiations -by representing that it must be easier and more satisfactory for their -sovereign to concede certain rights to the German Emperor than to the -neighbouring King of Prussia.” - -On the Minister then speaking somewhat slightingly of the King of -Bavaria, he was like a boy, did not know his own mind, lived in -“dreams,” and so on--Abeken (who had entered in the meantime, and was -naturally aggrieved at these remarks) said: “But surely the young King -is a very nice man!” “So are all of us here,” said the Chief, as he -looked round at the whole company one after another. Loud laughter from -the Centre and the Left. Over a second bottle of champagne which he -drank with us, the Chief came (I forget how the subject was introduced) -to speak of his own death. He asserted that he should die in his 71st -year, a conclusion which he arrived at from some combination of figures -which I could not understand. I said: “Excellency must not do that. It -would be too early. One must drive away the Angel of Death!” - -“No,” he replied. “In 1886--still fifteen years. I know it. It is a -mystic number.” - -_Thursday, November 24th._--Busily engaged all the morning with -various articles on the Treaty with Bavaria, written in the sense of -the Chief’s utterances of last night. Wollmann told me that a Colonel -Krohn had arrested a lawyer at a place in the Ardennes for having -treacherously entered into communication with a band of franctireurs, -and the court-martial having sentenced the man to death, he had -presented a petition for pardon. The Chief had, however, written to the -Minister of War to-day that he would advise the King to let justice -take its course. - -Colonel Tilly, of the General Staff, and Major Hill are the Chief’s -guests at dinner to-day. The Minister again complained that the -military authorities do not communicate sufficient information to him -and too seldom consult him. “It was just the same with the appointment -of Vogel von Falkenstein, who has now locked up Jacoby. If I have to -speak on that subject in the Reichstag, I shall wash my hands of the -matter. They could not possibly have done more to spoil the broth for -me.” “I came to the war,” he repeated, “disposed to do everything -for the military authorities, but in future I shall go over to the -advocates of Parliamentary government, and if they worry me much more, -I shall have a chair placed for myself on the extreme Left.” - -The Treaty with Bavaria was then mentioned, and it was said that the -difficulties which had been encountered arose partly on the National -side, on which the Minister observed, “It is really remarkable how -many clever people there are who, nevertheless, understand nothing -about politics. For instance, the man who always sat on my right here -(Delbrück). A very clever man, but no politician.” - -Suddenly changing the subject, he said: “The English are beside -themselves, and their newspapers demand war on account of a note which -is nothing more than a statement of opinion on a point of law--for that -is all that Gortschakoff’s Note amounts to.” - -Later on the Minister returned once more to the postponement of -the bombardment, which he regarded as dangerous from a political -standpoint. “Here we have now collected this enormous mass of siege -artillery. The whole world is waiting for us to begin, and yet the guns -remain idle up to the present. That has certainly damaged us with the -neutral Powers. The effect of our success at Sedan is very seriously -diminished thereby, and when one thinks on what grounds.” One of the -causes of the delay brought him to speak of the Crown Princess, of whom -he said: “She is in general a very clever person, and really agreeable -in her way, but she should not interfere in politics.” He then again -related the anecdote about the glass of water which he told me near -Crehanges, only this time it was in French that the Princess spoke. - -_Friday, November 25th._--In the morning I cut out for the King an -article from the _Neue Freie Presse_, in which Granville’s note is -described as timid and colourless; and arrange for the republication -by all our papers in France of the telegram of July last, in which -Napoleon stated that the whole French people approved of the -declaration of war which he had just despatched. - -Whilst I was walking with Wollmann in the afternoon, he told me an -anecdote of the Chief which is very neat--although I must add that my -informant is not quite trustworthy. Wollmann said: “On the night of -the 14th to the 15th of June, 1866, Manteuffel telegraphed that he -had crossed the Elbe, and asked how he was to treat the Hanoverians. -Thereupon the Minister wrote the answer: ‘Treat them as countrymen, -if necessary to death.’ He asked me: ‘Do you understand that?’ ‘Yes, -Excellency,’ I replied. ‘All right then,’ he added, ‘but, you see, it -is for a general.’” - -_Saturday, November 26th._--Wrote several articles, including one on -Trochu’s extraordinary production in the _Figaro_ of the 22nd instant, -praising those whom he considered specially deserving of commendation -in the defence of the city. The Chief read over to me some of the -passages he had marked, saying: “These heroic deeds of the defenders of -Paris are mostly of such an ordinary kind that Prussian generals would -not think them worth mentioning; while others are mere swagger and -obvious impossibilities. Trochu’s braves have made more prisoners when -they are all reckoned up than the whole French army during the entire -investment of Paris. Then here is this Captain Montbrisson, who is -commended for having marched at the head of his column to the attack, -and had himself lifted over a wall in order to reconnoitre,--that was -merely his duty. Then here this theatrical vanity, where Private Gletty -made prisoners of three Prussians, _par la fermeté de son attitude_. -The firmness of his attitude! And our Pomeranians ate humble pie -before him! That may do for a Boulevard theatre, or a circus,--but -in reality! Then this Hoff, who on several occasions slaughtered in -single combat no less than twenty-seven Prussians! He must be a Jew, -this triple nine-pounder! Probably a cousin of Malz-Hoff of the Old or -New Wilhelmstrasse--at any rate a Miles Gloriosus. And finally this -Terreaux, who captured a _fanion_, together with the _porte-fanion_. -That is a company flag for marking the line--which we do not use at -all. And the Commander-in-Chief of an army officially reports such -stuff! Really this list of commendations is just like the battle -pictures in the gallery of _toutes les gloires de la France_, where -each drummer at Sebastopol and Magenta is preserved for posterity, -simply because he beat his drum.” - -At dinner the Chief complained: “I was yesterday visited by a whole -series of misfortunes, one on top of the other. First of all some one -wanted to see me on important business (Odo Russell). I send word -requesting him to wait for a few moments, as I am engaged on a pressing -matter. On my asking for him a quarter of an hour later, I find he has -gone, and possibly the peace of Europe is at stake. - -“Then I go to see the King as early as 12 o’clock, and the consequence -is that I fall into the hands of the Grand Duke of Weimar, who obliges -me, as his Chancellor, to listen to a letter which he has written to -an august personage (the Emperor of Russia), and thus wastes a good -deal of my time.... I am to tell him what I think of the letter, but -I decline to do so. Have I then anything to object to it? he asked -in a piqued tone. I cannot say that either, although I would observe -that I should have written the letter differently. What do I wish -altered? I stick to my point, and say I cannot express an opinion, -because if the letter went with my corrections I should be held -responsible for its contents. ‘Well, then, I must speak to the King.’ -‘Do so,’ I reply coolly, ‘and take over the office of Chancellor of the -Confederation, if you like. But if the letter goes off, I for my part -shall immediately telegraph to the place of destination that I have -had nothing to do with it.’ I thus lost an hour, so that telegrams of -great importance had to wait, and in the meantime, decisions may have -been arrived at and resolutions taken which would have very serious -consequences for all Europe, and might change the political situation. -That all came of its being a Friday. Friday negotiations, Friday -measures!” - -Bucher told me the Crown Prince recently said to the Chancellor that -too little had been secured by the Bavarian Treaty. After such great -successes we ought to have asked for more. “Yes; but how were we to -get it?” asked the Chief. “Why, we ought to force them,” was the Crown -Prince’s reply. “Then,” said the Chancellor, “I can only recommend your -Royal Highness to begin by disarming the Bavarian Army Corps here,” a -remark which, of course, was intended ironically. - -_Sunday, November 27th._--We were joined at dinner by Count Lehndorff -and Count Holnstein. The latter is Master of the Horse to King Lewis, -and one of his confidential advisers. - -The Chief spoke at first of the Russian question. He said: “Vienna, -Florence, and Constantinople have not yet expressed their views; -but St. Petersburg and London have done so, and those are the most -important factors. There, however, the matter is satisfactory.” - -Subsequently affairs at Munich were discussed. Holnstein observing, -amongst other things, that the French Legation had greatly deceived -themselves before the outbreak of the war as to the attitude -of Bavaria. They judged by two or three ardently Catholic and -anti-Prussian _salons_, and even thought that Prince Luitpold would -become King. The Chief replied: “I never doubted that Bavaria would -join us, but I had not hoped that she would decide so speedily to do -so.” - -Holnstein told us that a shoemaker in Munich had made a good deal of -money by letting his windows, from which a good view could be had of -the captured Turcos as they marched by, and presented seventy-nine -florins to the fund for the wounded soldiers. People had come even -from Vienna to see that procession. This led the conversation to the -shooting of these treacherous Africans, on which the Chief said: “There -should have been no question of making prisoners of these blacks.” -Holnstein: “I believe they do not do so any longer.” The Chief: “If I -had my way every soldier who made a black man prisoner should be placed -under arrest. They are beasts of prey, and ought to be shot down. The -fox has the excuse that Nature has made him so, but these fellows--they -are abominably unnatural. They have tortured our soldiers to death in -the most shameful way.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - -REMOVAL OF THE ANXIETY RESPECTING THE BAVARIAN TREATY IN THE - REICHSTAG--THE BOMBARDMENT FURTHER POSTPONED. - - -_Monday, November 28th._--Prince Pless and Count Maltzahn dined with -us. At first the Minister spoke about Hume, the American spiritualist, -a doubtful character, who had been at Versailles, and who was to be -arrested if he showed himself here again. The Chief then said: “The -fellow managed to sneak into the Crown Prince’s. But that is explained -by the fact that whoever can speak even broken English is welcome -there. The next thing will be for them to appoint Colonel Walker my -successor as Chancellor of the Confederation.”[14] Bohlen exclaimed, “I -suppose you know that Garibaldi has been thrashed.” Some one observed -that if he were taken prisoner he ought to be shot for having meddled -in the war without authority. “They ought to be first put into a cage -like beasts in a menagerie,” said Bohlen. “No,” said the Minister; “I -have another idea. They should be taken to Berlin, and marched through -the town with these words on a placard suspended round their necks, -‘Italians, House of Correction, Ingratitude,’ and be then marched -through the town.” “And afterwards to Spandau,” suggested Bohlen. -The Chief added, “Or one might inscribe merely the words, ‘Italians, -Venice, Spandau.’” - -The Bavarian question and the situation at Munich was then discussed. -The Chief said: “The King is undecided. It is obvious that he would -rather not. He accordingly pretends to be ill, has toothache, keeps -to his bed, where the Ministers cannot reach him. Or he retires to a -distant hunting-box in the mountains to which there is no telegraph -line, nor even a proper road.” - -Some one having remarked that in the present circumstances he is, after -all, the best Bavarian ruler for our purposes, the Chief said: “Yes; -if he were to die he would be succeeded by little Otto, whom we have -had here. A poor creature, with very little intelligence. He would be -entirely in the hands of the Austrians and Ultramontanes. He has ruined -himself; that is, if he was ever worth anything.” - -General Reille’s name again brought up the question of Napoleon’s -surrender. “The King thought,” said the Chancellor, “on reading -Napoleon’s letter, that it meant more for us than it did. ‘He must -at least surrender Metz to us,’ said the King to me. I replied, ‘I -do not know, your Majesty; we are not aware what power he still has -over the troops.’ The Emperor should not have needlessly surrendered -himself as a prisoner, but have made peace with us. His generals would -have followed him.” The Minister then again related the incident of -the letter Weimar wished to write to the Emperor Alexander; and it -appeared that the day before yesterday the Chief had, in a moment of -irritation, represented the expressions which he had used in speaking -to the Grand Duke as stronger than they actually were. According to the -present account, Weimar said, in conclusion, that his only object was -a patriotic one. He (the Minister) replied he quite believed that, but -it would not make the letter any more useful. The letter has probably -not been sent off. - -The question of the bombardment then came up, and, in connection -therewith, the intrigues which are now being carried on by Bishop -Dupanloup, and the part he played in the opposition at the Vatican -Council. “Women and freemasons,” said the Chief, “are chiefly -responsible if our operations against Paris are not conducted as -energetically as they should be. Dupanloup has influenced Augusta.... -He also wrote me a pile of letters, and took me in to such an extent -that I sent them to Twickenham.” (The Chancellor must have meant -Chislehurst). “He must be packed off when our people get to Orleans, so -that Von der Tann may not be swindled by him.”... “That reminds me,” -continued the Chief, “that the Pope has written a very nice letter to -the French Bishops, or to several of them, saying that they should not -enter into any understanding with the Garibaldians.” - -Somebody having expressed anxiety about some matter which I was -unable to catch, the Chief observed: “A more important question -for me--indeed, the most important--is what will be done at Villa -Coublay; that is the main point. The Crown Prince said recently, when -I mentioned the matter to him, ‘I am ready to give up the command for -that purpose.’ I felt like replying, ‘And I am prepared to assume it.’ -Give me the post of Commander-in-Chief for twenty-four hours, and I -will take it upon myself. I would then give one command only: ‘Commence -the bombardment.’” - -Villa Coublay is a place not far from Versailles, where the siege -park has been collected and still remains, instead of being placed in -position. Bucher tells me that the Chancellor has appealed directly to -the King to hasten the bombardment. The Chief continued: “The assertion -of the generals that they have not enough ammunition is untrue. They do -not want to begin because the Heir Apparent does not wish it. He does -not wish it because his wife and his mother-in-law are against it. - -“They have brought together three hundred cannon and fifty or sixty -mortars, and five hundred rounds of ammunition for each gun. That is -certainly enough. I have been speaking to artillerymen, who said that -they had not used half as much ammunition at Strassburg as they have -collected here; and Strassburg was a Gibraltar compared to Paris. It -would be easy to fire the barracks on Mont Valérien, and if the forts -of Issy and Vanvres were properly shelled so that the garrisons should -be compelled to bolt, the enceinte (of course we know it) would be of -little importance. The ditch is not broader than the length of this -room. I am convinced that if we poured shells into the city itself for -five or six days, and they found out that our guns reached farther than -theirs--that is to say, 9,000 yards--Paris would give in. True enough -the wealthier quarters are on this side of the city, and it is a matter -of indifference to the people at Belleville whether we blow them to -pieces or not; indeed, they are pleased when we destroy the houses of -the richer classes. As a matter of fact, we ought to have attacked -Paris from another direction; or still better, left it altogether -alone, and continued our forward march. Now, however, that we have -begun, we must set about the affair in earnest. Starving them out may -last a long time, perhaps till the spring. At any rate, they have flour -enough up to January.... If we had begun the bombardment at the right -time, there would have been no question of the Loire army. After the -engagement at Orleans, where Von der Tann was obliged to retire, the -military authorities (not I) regarded our position in Versailles as -critical. Had we begun the bombardment four weeks ago, we should now -in all probability be in Paris, and that is the main point. As it is, -however, the Parisians imagine that we are forbidden to fire by London, -St. Petersburg, and Vienna; while, on the other hand, the neutral -Powers believe that we are not able to do so. The true reason, however, -will be known at a future time. One of its consequences will be to lead -to a restriction of personal rule.” - -In the evening I telegraphed to London that the Reichstag had voted -another hundred million thalers for the continuation of the war with -France, eight social democrats alone opposing the grant. Also that -Manteuffel has occupied Amiens. Several paragraphs were afterwards -written for the _Norddeutsche_, including one (on the directions of -the Chief) in which the moderate demands of the Chancellor in the -negotiations with Bavaria were defended as being not only right and -fair, but also wise and prudent. I said that the object was not so -much to secure this or that desirable concession from the authorities -at Munich as to make the South German States feel satisfied in forming -part of the new organisation of united Germany. Any pressure or -coercion for the purpose of obtaining further concessions would, in -view of the circumstance that they had fulfilled their patriotic duty, -be an act of ingratitude; while, in addition, it would have been, -above all things, impolitic to show ourselves more exacting in our -demands upon our allies. The discontent which would have resulted from -such an exercise of force would have far outweighed half a dozen more -favourable clauses in the Treaty. That discontent would soon have shown -the neutral Powers, such as Austria, where to insert the thin edge of -the wedge in order to loosen and ultimately destroy the unity which had -been achieved. - -At dinner I suggested to Bucher that it might be well to ask -the Chief’s leave to hint in the press at the real cause of the -postponement of the bombardment. He agreed with me that it would, -and added: “I myself have already vehemently attacked Augusta in -the newspapers.” On the Chancellor sending for me in the evening, I -said: “May I venture to ask your Excellency a question? Would you -have any objection if I made a communication, in an indirect way, to -non-official organs respecting the causes of the postponement of the -bombardment, in the sense in which they have repeatedly been discussed -at table?” He reflected for a moment, and then said, “Do as you like.” -I accordingly wrote two paragraphs--one for the _Vossische Zeitung_, -and one for the _Weser Zeitung_, which I had copied out by another hand -in Berlin, and forwarded to their destination. - -One of these paragraphs ran as follows:-- - -“Versailles, November 29th. It has been asserted here for some -considerable time past that the real cause of the postponement of the -bombardment is not so much a scarcity of ammunition for the siege guns -that were brought here weeks ago, nor the strength of the forts and -ramparts of Paris; in short, that the delay is not due to military -considerations, but rather to the influence of very highly placed -ladies, and--can it be credited?--of freemasons. I can assure you, -on very good authority, that these rumours are not unfounded. I have -no reason to apprehend a denial when I add that the interference of -one of these ladies has been prompted by a well-known French prelate, -who took a prominent part in the opposition at the Vatican Council. -For the moment we would only ask a few questions: Is it true humanity -to let masses of gallant soldiers fall a prey to the hardships of the -investment by postponing an artillery attack merely in order to save -a hostile city from damage? Is it good policy to let the impression -produced by Sedan upon the neutral Powers be frittered away by such -a postponement? Is that true freemasonry which troubles itself with -political questions? It was thought hitherto that politics were not -permitted to enter into the German lodges.” - -_Tuesday, November 29th._--In the afternoon I sent off another article -on the Treaty with Bavaria, which is to be reproduced and circulated in -Berlin. It is becoming more and more difficult to satisfy the people -there. - -Lieutenant-General von Hartrott joined us at dinner. The distribution -of the Iron Cross having been mentioned, the Chief observed: “The army -doctors should receive the black and white ribbon. They are under -fire, and it requires much more courage and determination to quietly -allow one’s self to be shot at than to rush forward to the attack.... -Blumenthal said to me that properly speaking he could do nothing to -deserve the Cross, as he was bound in duty to keep out of danger of -being shot. For that reason when in battle he always sought a position -from which he could see well but could not be easily hit. And he was -perfectly right. A general who exposes himself unnecessarily ought to -be put under arrest.” - -The Chancellor then remarked suddenly: “The King told me an untruth -to-day. I asked him if the bombardment was not to commence, and he -replied that he had ordered it. But I knew immediately that that was -not true. I know him. He cannot lie, or at least not in such a way -that it cannot be detected. He at once changes colour, and it was -particularly noticeable when he replied to my question to-day. When -I looked at him straight into his eyes he could not stand it.” The -conversation then turned upon the conduct of the war. The Minister -said: “Humility alone leads to victory; pride and self-conceit to an -opposite result.” - -The Chancellor, speaking of his friend Dietze, talked of his natural -inborn heartiness--_politesse du cœur_. Abeken asked if that term was -originally French, as Goethe uses it--_Höflichkeit des Herzens?_ “It -must come from the German, I fancy.” “It certainly does,” replied the -Chief. “It is only to be found amongst the Germans. I should call it -the politeness of good will--good nature in the best sense of the word, -the politeness of helpful benevolent feeling. You find that amongst our -common soldiers, although, of course, it is sometimes expressed rather -crudely. The French have not got it. They only know the politeness -of hatred and envy. It would be easier to find something of the kind -amongst the English,” he added; and then went on to praise Odo Russell, -whose pleasant, natural manner he greatly appreciated. “At first one -thing aroused a little suspicion against him in my mind. I have always -heard and found that Englishmen who know French well are not worth -much, and he speaks quite excellent French. But he can also express -himself very well in German.” - -At dessert the Minister said: “I recognise that I eat too much, or, -more correctly, too much at a time. It is a pity that I cannot get rid -of the absurd practice of only eating once a day. Formerly it was still -worse. In the morning I drank my tea and ate nothing until 5 o’clock -in the evening, while I smoked incessantly. That did me a great deal -of harm. Now, on the advice of my doctor, I take at least two eggs -in the morning and smoke little. But I should eat oftener; yet if I -take anything late I cannot sleep, as I only digest while awake. This -morning, however, I got up early. I was waked by the firing just at -the time when I sleep best, that is between 7 and 9 o’clock, and as it -seemed to be near I sent to inquire if the King was going to the scene -of the engagement. Otherwise he might start suddenly and go nobody -knows where, or where nothing is to be seen.” - -While at tea the conversation turned once more on the now constant -theme of the postponement of the bombardment, and afterwards on the -Geneva Convention, which the Minister said must be denounced, as it was -impossible to conduct war in that manner. - -“The principal reason why the bombardment is delayed,” said the -Chancellor, “is the sentimentality of the Queen of England, and the -interference of Queen Augusta.... That seems to be a characteristic of -the Hohenzollerns--their women folk have always a great influence upon -them. It was not so with Frederick the Great, but with his successor -and the late King, as well as the present Most Gracious and his future -Majesty. The most curious example is that of Prince Charles, who is -anything but a good husband, and yet depends upon his wife, indeed he -is thoroughly afraid of her and is guided by her wishes.... But it is -somewhat different with these two (the King and the Crown Prince). -They want to be praised. They like to have it said in the English and -French press that they are considerate and generous. They find that the -Germans praise them enough as it is.” - -It appears that Delbrück has not expressed himself very clearly in -his telegram respecting the prospect of the agreement with Bavaria -being sanctioned by the Diet. It seems as if there were not sufficient -members present to form the necessary quorum, and that it would be -opposed both by the Progressists and National Liberals. The Chief -observed: “So far as the Progressists are concerned, their conduct is -consistent. They wish to return to the state of affairs which prevailed -in 1849. But the National Liberals? If they will not have now what they -were striving for with all their might at the beginning of the year, -in February, and what it now depends upon them to secure, then we must -dissolve. The new elections will weaken the Progressist party still -more, and some of the National Liberals will also lose their seats. -But in that case the Treaties would not be completed. Bavaria would -reconsider the matter; Beust would put his finger in the pie, and we do -not know what the result would be. I cannot well go to Berlin. It is a -very uncomfortable journey and takes up a lot of time, and besides I am -really wanted here.” - -Proceeding from this point the Minister spoke of the position of -affairs in 1848. “At that period the situation was for a long time very -favourable for the unification of Germany under Prussia. The smaller -Sovereigns were for the most part powerless and despondent. If they -could only save their money, their domains and their appropriations -they were prepared to consent to everything. The Austrians were -engaged with Hungary and Italy. The Tsar Nicholas would not have -intervened at that time. If they had only acted in a resolute way -previous to May, 1849, and come to terms with the smaller States they -would doubtless have carried the South with them, particularly if the -Würtemberg and Bavarian armies joined the Baden revolution, which -was not impossible at that stage. Time was lost, however, through -hesitation and half measures, and so the opportunity was thrown away.” - -About 11 o’clock another telegram arrived from Verdy respecting this -morning’s sortie which was directed against La Haye. Five hundred red -breeches were made prisoners. The Chief bitterly regretted that further -prisoners should be taken, and that it was not possible to shoot -them down on the spot. “We have more than enough of them, while the -Parisians have the advantage of getting rid of so many mouths to feed, -which must now be supplied by us, and for whom we can hardly find room.” - -_Wednesday, November 30th._--Wrote fully to Treitschke, giving him -the reasons why the demands which he and those of his way of thinking -consider absolutely necessary had not been made upon the Bavarians. -Arranged to have a similar communication made to Schmidt. - -The Chief seems to be seriously considering the idea of asking the King -to relieve him of his office. According to Bucher he is already on the -point of resigning. - -“The Chief,” he said, “informed me of something to-day which nobody -else knows. He is seriously considering whether he will not break with -the King.” I said that in that case I should also take my leave. I did -not wish to serve under any one else. Bucher: “Nor I either. I, too, -would then resign.” - -At dinner, at which Prince Putbus and Odo Russell were present, the -Chief related that he had once tried to use his knowledge of State -secrets for the purpose of speculating in stocks, but that his attempt -was not successful. “I was commissioned in Berlin,” he said, “to -speak to Napoleon on the question of Neuchâtel. It must have been in -the spring of 1857. I was to inquire as to his attitude towards that -question. Now, I knew that his answer would be favourable, and that -this would mean a war with Switzerland. Accordingly, on my way through -Frankfurt, where I lived at that time, I called upon Rothschild, whom -I knew well, and told him I intended to sell certain stock which I -held, and which showed no disposition to rise. ‘I would not do that,’ -said Rothschild. ‘That stock has good prospects. You will see.’ -‘Yes,’ I said; ‘but if you knew the object of my journey you would -think otherwise.’ He replied that, however that might be, he could -not advise me to sell. But I knew better, sold out and departed. In -Paris, Napoleon was very pleasant and amiable. It was true he could -not agree, as the King wanted to let us march through Alsace-Lorraine, -which would create great excitement in France, but in every other -respect he entirely approved of our plans. It could only be a matter -of satisfaction to him if that nest of democrats were cleared out. -I was, therefore, so far successful. But I had not reckoned with -my King, who had in the meantime, behind my back, made different -arrangements--probably out of consideration for Austria; and so the -affair was dropped. There was no war, and my stock rose steadily from -that time forward, and I had reason to regret parting with them.” - -Villa Coublay and the bombardment were then referred to, and the -alleged impossibility of bringing up at once the necessary supply -of ammunition. The Chief said: “I have already informed the august -gentlemen a couple of times that we have here a whole herd of horses -that must be ridden out daily merely for exercise. Why should they not -be employed for once to better purpose?” - -It was mentioned that the Palazzo Caffarelli in Rome had been purchased -for the German Embassy, and both Russell and Abeken said it was a very -fine building. The Chancellor observed: “Well, we have also handsome -houses elsewhere, in Paris and in London. According to Continental -ideas, however, the London house is too small. Bernstorff has so -little room that he has to give up his own apartments when he has a -reception or any other function of the kind. His Secretary of Embassy -is better off in that respect. The Embassy in Paris is handsome and -well situated. Indeed, it is probably the best Embassy in Paris, and -represents a considerable money value, so that it has already occurred -to me whether it might not be well to sell it and give the interest on -the capital to the Ambassador as an allowance for rent. The interest -on two and a half million francs would be a considerable addition to -his salary, which only amounts to one hundred thousand francs. But -on thinking the matter over more I found that it would not do. It is -not becoming, not worthy of a great State, that its Ambassador should -live in a hired house, where he would be subject to notice to quit, -and on leaving would have to remove the archives in a cart. We ought, -and must have, our own houses everywhere.”... “Our London house is an -exceptional case. It belongs to the King, and everything depends on the -way in which the Ambassador knows how to look after his own interest. -It may happen that the King receives no rent--that actually does occur -sometimes.” - -The Chief spoke very highly of Napier, the former English Ambassador -in Berlin. “He was very easy to get on with. Buchanan was also a good -man, rather dry, perhaps, but absolutely trustworthy. Now we have -Loftus. The position of an English Ambassador in Berlin has its own -special duties and difficulties, if only on account of the personal -relations of the two Royal families. It demands a great deal of tact -and care.” (Presumably a quiet hint that Loftus does not fulfil those -requirements.) - -The Minister then led the conversation on to Grammont. He said: -“Grammont and Ollivier strike me also as a pretty pair! If that had -happened to me--if I had been the cause of such disasters, I would at -least have joined a regiment, or, for the matter of that, have become a -franctireur, even if I had had to swing for it. A tall, strong, coarse -fellow like Grammont would be exactly suited for a soldier’s life.” - -Russell mentioned having once seen Grammont out shooting in Rome -dressed in blue velvet. “Yes,” added the Chief, “he is a good -sportsman. He has the strength of muscle required for it. He would have -made an excellent gamekeeper. But as a Minister for Foreign Affairs, -one can hardly conceive how Napoleon came to select him.” - -The Minister joined us at the tea-table about 10 o’clock, and referred -again to the bombardment. He said: “I did not from the very beginning -wish to have Paris invested. If what the general staff said at -Ferrières were correct, namely, that they could dispose of a couple of -the forts in three days, and then attack the weak enceinte, it would -have been all right. But it was a mistake to let 60,000 regulars -keep an army of 200,000 men engaged in watching them.” “One month up -to Sedan, and here we have already spent three months, for to-morrow -is the 1st of December. If we had telegraphed immediately after Sedan -for siege guns we should be now in the city, and there would be no -intervention on the part of the neutral Powers. If I had known that -three months ago I should have been extremely anxious. The danger of -intervention on the part of the neutral Powers increases daily. It -begins in a friendly way, but it may end very badly.” Keudell remarked: -“The idea of not bombarding first arose here.” “Yes,” replied the -Chief, “through the English letters to the Crown Prince.” - -_Thursday, December 1st._--We were joined at dinner by a first -lieutenant, Von Saldern, who took part in the last engagement between -the 10th Army Corps and the Loire army. According to him that corps -was for a considerable time surrounded by the superior French force -at Beaune la Rolande, the enemy endeavouring to force their way -through one of our wings towards Fontainebleau. Our soldiers defended -themselves with the greatest gallantry and determination for seven -hours, Wedel’s troops and the men of the 16th regiment specially -distinguishing themselves. “We made over 1600 prisoners,” said Saldern, -“and the total loss of the French is estimated at four to five -thousand.” “I should have been better pleased,” said the Chief, “if -they had all been corpses. It is simply a disadvantage to us now to -make prisoners.” - -The Chief afterwards gave Abeken instructions respecting communications -to be made to the King. The Chancellor looked through a number of -despatches and reports with him. Pointing to one document he said: -“Do not give him that without an explanation. Tell him how the matter -arose, otherwise he will misunderstand it. That long despatch from -Bernstorff--well, you can show him that also. But the newspaper article -enclosed--the gentlemen of the Embassy take things very easy--I have -already said frequently that such articles must be translated, or, -better still, that they should be accompanied by a _précis_. And tell -his Majesty also,” said the Minister in conclusion, “that, properly -speaking, we ought not to allow the Frenchman to join the Conference in -London” (the approaching Conference on the revision of the Paris Treaty -of 1856), “as he would represent a Government which is not recognised -by the Powers, and which will have no legal existence for a long time -to come. We can do it to please Russia in this question. At any rate, -if he begins to speak of other matters he must at once be sent about -his business.” - -The Chief then related the following incident: “To-day, after calling -upon Roon, I made a round which may prove to have been useful. I -inspected Marie Antoinette’s apartment in the palace, and then I -thought I would see how the wounded were getting on. The servant who -acted as my guide had a pass-key, so I decided not to go in by the main -entrance, but by the back way. I asked one of the hospital attendants -what food the people had. Not very much. A little soup, which was -supposed to be bouillon, with broken bread and some grains of rice, -which were not even boiled soft. There was hardly any meat fat in it. -‘And how about wine? and do they get any beer?’ I asked. They got about -half a glass of wine during the day, he said. I inquired of another, -who had had none, and then of a third who had had some three days ago -and none since then. I then went on to question several of the men, -in all about a dozen, down to the Poles, who could not understand -me, but showed their pleasure at somebody taking an interest in them -by smiling. So that our poor wounded soldiers do not get what they -ought to, and suffer from cold besides, because the rooms must not be -warmed for fear of injuring the pictures. As if the life of one of our -soldiers was not worth more than all the trashy pictures in the palace! -The servant told me also that the oil lamps only remained alight until -11 o’clock, and that after that the men have to lie in the dark until -morning. I had previously spoken to a non-commissioned officer, who -was wounded in the foot. He said he did not want to complain, although -things could be much better. Some consideration was paid to him, but as -to the others! A member of the Bavarian Ambulance Corps now plucked up -courage, and said that wine and beer had been provided, but that half -of it had probably been intercepted somewhere; it was the same with -hot food and other presents. I then made my way to the chief surgeon. -‘How about provisions for the wounded?’ I asked. ‘Do they get enough to -eat?’ ‘Here is the bill of fare,’ he replied. ‘That is no good to me,’ -I said; ‘the people cannot eat paper. Do they get wine?’ ‘Half a litre -daily.’ ‘Excuse me, but that is not true. I have questioned the men, -and I cannot believe they were lying when they told me that they had -not received any.’ ‘I call God to witness that everything here is done -properly and according to instructions. Please come with me and I will -question the men in your presence.’ ‘I will do nothing of the kind,’ I -answered; ‘but measures shall be taken to have them questioned by the -auditor as to whether they have received what has been ordered for them -by the inspector.’ He turned deadly pale--I see him now--an old wound -showed up on his face. ‘That would be a great reflection upon me,’ he -said. ‘Certainly,’ I replied, ‘and it ought to be. I shall take care -that the affair is inquired into--and speedily.’”[15]... “What I should -like best would be to induce the King to visit the wounded with me.” -He afterwards added: “We have two classes in particular amongst whom -frauds occur: the weevils that have to do with the commissariat and -the officials in the public works department, especially in the water -works. Then the doctors. I remember not long ago--it must be about a -year and a half ago--there was a great inquiry into frauds connected -with the passing of recruits for the army, in which, to my amazement, -some thirty doctors were involved.” - -About 10.30 P.M. the Chief joined us at tea. After a while he remarked: -“The newspapers are dissatisfied with the Bavarian Treaty. I expected -as much from the beginning. They are displeased that certain officials -are called Bavarian, although they will have to conform entirely to -our laws. And the same with regard to the army. The beer tax is also -not to their liking, as if we had not had it for years past in the -Zollverein. And so on with a crowd of other objections, although after -all the important point has been attained and properly secured.”... -“They talk as if we had been waging war against Bavaria as we did in -1866 against Saxony, although this time we have Bavaria as an ally on -our side.”... “Before approving the treaty they want to wait and see -whether the unity of Germany will be secured in the form they prefer. -They can wait a long time for that. The course they are taking leads -only to fresh delays, while speedy action is necessary. If we hesitate -the devil will find time to sow dissensions. The treaty gives us a -great deal. Whoever wants to have everything runs the risk of getting -nothing. They are not content with what has been achieved. They require -more uniformity. If they would only remember the position of affairs -five years ago, and what they would then have been satisfied with!”... -“A Constituent Assembly! But what if the King of Bavaria should not -permit representatives to be elected to it? The Bavarian people would -not compel him, nor would I. It is easy to find fault, when one has no -proper idea of the conditions which govern the situation.” - -The Minister then came to speak on another subject: “I have just read a -report on the surprise of the Unna battalion. Some of the inhabitants -of Chatillon took part in it--others, it is true, hid our people. It is -a wonder that they did not burn down the town in their first outburst -of anger. Afterwards, of course, in cold blood that would not do.” - -After a short pause, the Chief took some coins out of his pocket and -played with them for a moment, remarking at the same time: “It is -surprising how many respectably dressed beggars one meets with here. -There were some at Reims, but it is much worse here.”... “How seldom -one now sees a gold piece with the head of Louis Philippe or Charles -X.! When I was young, between twenty and thirty, coins of Louis XVI. -and of the fat Louis XVIII. were still to be seen. Even the expression -‘louis d’or’ is no longer usual with us. In polite circles one speaks -of a friedrich d’or.” The Chancellor then balanced a napoleon on the -tip of his middle finger, as if he were weighing it, and continued: -“A hundred million double napoleons d’or would represent about the -amount of the war indemnity up to the present--later on it will be -more, four thousand million francs. Forty thousand thalers in gold -would make a hundredweight, thirty hundredweight would make a load for -a heavy two-horse waggon--(I know that because I once had to convey -fourteen thousand thalers in gold from Berlin to my own house. What a -weight it was!)--that would be about 800 waggon loads.” “It would not -take so long to collect the carts for that purpose as it does for the -ammunition for the bombardment,” observed some one, who, like most -of us, was losing patience at the slow progress of the preparations. -“Yes,” said the Chief; “Roon, however, told me the other day, he -had several hundred carts at Nanteuil, which could be used for the -transport of ammunition. Moreover some of the waggons that are now -drawn by six horses could do with four for a time, and the two spare -horses thus could be used for bringing up ammunition. We have already -318 guns here, but they want forty more, and Roon says he could have -them also brought up. The others however won’t hear of it.” - -Hatzfeldt afterwards said: “It is only six or seven weeks since they -altered their minds. At Ferrières, while we were still on good terms -with them, Bronsart and Verdy said we could level the forts of Issy -and Vanvres to the ground in thirty-six hours, and then attack Paris -itself. Later on it was suddenly found to be impossible.” “Because of -the letters received from London,” exclaimed Bismarck-Bohlen. I asked -what Moltke thought of the matter. “He does not trouble himself about -it!” answered Hatzfeldt. But Bucher declared that Moltke wanted the -bombardment to take place. - -_Friday, December 2nd._--I see Neininger in the morning and learn -that he succeeded in obtaining an audience from the Chief by playing -the informer. He hinted to a Dr. Schuster of Geneva that “there might -possibly be collusion between the foreign settlement collected round -headquarters, and the _personnel_ of the Government of National -Defence,” and also that there were “fresh symptoms of intimate -relations being maintained across the German investing lines with -the Oriental colony at Versailles.” Schuster managed to convey these -hints to the Minister. The “Oriental colony,” however, (a title which -is intended to apply chiefly to Löwinsohn, and after him to Bamberg) -appears to be innocent, and the intrigue to have been contrived merely -for the purpose of providing a better position for Neininger on the -_Moniteur_ by securing the dismissal of the other two journalists. - -Subsequently wrote some letters and articles again setting forth the -Chief’s views in the matter of the Bavarian Treaty, and translated for -the King the leading article in _The Times_ on Gortschakoff’s reply to -Granville’s despatch. - -Alten, Lehndorff and a dragoon officer Herr von Thadden, were the -Chief’s guests at dinner. - -The Chief said that he had taken measures for providing our sentries -with more comfortable quarters. “Up to the present they occupied Madame -Jesse’s coach-house, which has no fireplace. That would not do any -longer, so I ordered the gardener to clear out half of the greenhouse -for them. ‘But Madame’s plants will be frozen,’ said the gardener’s -wife. ‘A great pity,’ said I. ‘I suppose it would be better if the -soldiers froze.’” - -The Chief then referred to the danger of the Reichstag rejecting, or -even merely amending, the treaty with Bavaria. “I am very anxious -about it. People have no idea what the position is. We are balancing -ourselves on the point of a lightning conductor. If we lose the -equilibrium, which at much pains I have succeeded in establishing, -we fall to the ground. They want more than can be obtained without -coercion, and more than they would have been very pleased to accept -before 1866. If at that time they had got but half what they are -getting to-day! No; they must needs improve upon it and introduce more -unity, more uniformity; but if they change so much as a comma, fresh -negotiations must be undertaken. Where are they to take place? Here -in Versailles? And if we cannot bring them to a close before the 1st -of January--which many of the people in Munich would be glad of--then -German unity is lost, probably for years, and the Austrians can set to -work again in Munich.” - -Mushrooms dressed in two ways were the first dish after the soup. -“These must be eaten in a thoughtful spirit,” said the Chief, “as they -are a present from some soldiers who found them growing in a quarry or -a cellar. The cook has made an excellent sauce for them. A still more -welcome gift, and certainly a rare one, was made to me the other day by -the--what a shame! I have quite forgotten. What regiment was it sent -me the roses?” “The 46th,” replied Bohlen. “Yes; it was a bouquet of -roses plucked under fire, probably in a garden near the outposts.” “By -the way, that reminds me that I met a Polish soldier in the hospital -who cannot read German. He would very much like to have a Polish prayer -book. Does anybody happen to have something of that kind?” Alten said -no, but he could give him some Polish newspapers. The Chief: “That -won’t do. He would not understand them, and besides they stir up the -people against us. But perhaps Radziwill has something. A Polish novel -would do--_Pan Twardowski_ or something of that kind.” Alten promised -to see if he could get anything. - -Mention was made of Ducrot, who in all likelihood commanded the French -forces engaged in to-day’s sortie, and it was suggested he had good -reason not to allow himself to be made prisoner. “Certainly,” said the -Minister. “He will either get himself killed in action; or if he has -not courage enough for that, which I am rather inclined to believe, he -will make off in a balloon.” - -Some one said Prince Wittgenstein (if I am not mistaken, a Russian -aide-de-camp) would also be glad to leave Paris. - -Alten added: “Yes, in order that he might go in again. I fancy it is a -kind of sport for him.” - -The Chief: “That might be all very well for a person who inspired -confidence. But I never trusted him, and when he wished to return to -Paris recently, neither I nor the general staff wanted to let him -through. He succeeded in obtaining permission surreptitiously through -the good nature of the King. Never mind. Possibly things may yet be -discovered about him that will ruin him in St. Petersburg.” - -The subject of Stock Exchange speculation was again introduced, and -the Chief once more denied the possibility of turning to much account -the always very limited knowledge which one may have of political -events beforehand. Such events only affect the Bourse afterwards, and -the day when that is going to happen cannot be foreseen. “Of course, -if one could contrive things so as to produce a fall--but that is -dishonourable! Grammont has done so, according to what Russell recently -stated. He doubled his fortune in that way. One might almost say that -he brought about the war with that object. Moustier also carried on -that sort of business--not for himself, but with the fortune of his -mistress--and when it was on the point of being discovered, he poisoned -himself. One might take advantage of one’s position in a rather less -dishonest way by arranging to have the Bourse quotations from all the -Stock Exchanges sent off with the political despatches by obliging -officials abroad. The political despatches take precedence of the -Bourse telegrams, so that one would gain from twenty minutes to half an -hour. One would then want a quick-footed Jew to secure this advantage. -I know people who have done it. In that way one might earn fifteen -hundred to fifteen thousand thalers daily, and in a few years that -makes a handsome fortune. But, all the same, it remains ugly; and my -son shall not say of me that that was how I made him a rich man. He -can become rich in some other way--through speculation with his own -property, through the sale of timber, by marriage, or something of the -kind. I was much better off before I was made Chancellor than I am now. -My grants have ruined me. My affairs have been embarrassed ever since. -Previously I regarded myself as a simple country gentleman; now that -I, to a certain extent, belong to the peerage, my requirements are -increasing and my estates bring me in nothing. As Minister at Frankfurt -I always had a balance to my credit, and also in St. Petersburg, where -I was not obliged to entertain, and did not.” - -In the afternoon Friedlander called upon me with an invitation, -which I was obliged to decline. Our fat friend knew exactly why the -bombardment did not take place. “Blumenthal will not agree to it -because the Crown Prince does not want it,” he said; “and behind him -are the two Victorias.” So an Artillery officer told him a few days ago. - -_Addendum._--According to a pencil note which I have now laid hands on, -Bohlen remarked yesterday at dinner that he understood many valuable -pictures and manuscripts removed by the French from Germany had not -been returned. Some one else observed that it would be difficult to -put this right now. “Well,” said the Chief, “we could take others of -equal value in their stead. We could, for instance, pack up the best -of the pictures out of the Gallery here.” “Yes, and sell them to the -Americans,” added Bohlen; “they would give us a good price for them.” - -According to another note the Chancellor related (doubtless on -the occasion when Holnstein dined with us): “In Crehanges the -Augustenburger again tricked me into shaking hands with him. A Bavarian -Colonel or General came over to me and held out his hand, which I -took. I could not put a name to the face, and when I had, it was too -late. If I could only come across him again, I would say to him, ‘You -treacherously purloined a hand from me at Crehanges; will you please -restore it?’” - -I afterwards wrote an article on the neutrality of Luxemburg, and the -perfidious way in which people there are taking advantage of it to -help the French in every sort of way. It ran as follows:--We declared -at the commencement of the war that we would respect the neutrality -of the Grand Duchy, the neutrality of its government and people being -thereby assumed. That condition, however, has not been fulfilled, the -Luxemburgers having been guilty of flagrant breaches of neutrality, -although we on our part have kept our promise in spite of the -inconvenience to which we have often been put, especially in connection -with the transport of our wounded. We have already had occasion to -complain of the fortress of Thionville having been provisioned by -trains despatched at night with the assistance of the railway officials -and police authorities of the Grand Duchy. After the capitulation of -Metz numbers of French soldiers passed through Luxemburg with the -object of returning to France and rejoining the French army. The French -Vice-Consul opened a regular office at the Luxemburg railway station, -where soldiers were provided with money and passports for their -journey. The Grand Ducal Government permitted all this to go on without -making any attempt to prevent it. They cannot, therefore, complain if -in future military operations we pay no regard to the neutrality of the -country, or if we demand compensation for the injury done by breaches -of neutrality due to such culpable negligence. - -_Sunday, December 4th._--We were joined at dinner by Roggenbach, a -former Baden Minister, and von Niethammer, a member of the Bavarian -Ambulance Corps, whose acquaintance the Chief made recently in the -hospital. - -The Chief spoke at first of having again visited the wounded, and -afterwards added:--“Leaving Frankfurt and St. Petersburg out of -account, I have now been longer here than in any other foreign town -during my whole life. We shall spend Christmas here, which we had not -expected to do, and we may remain at Versailles till Easter and see the -trees grow green again, whilst we wait for news of the Loire army. Had -we only known we might have planted asparagus in the garden here.” - -The Minister afterwards said, addressing Roggenbach:--“I have just -looked through the newspaper extracts. How they do abuse the treaties! -They simply tear them into shreds. The _National Zeitung_, the -_Kölnische_,--the _Weser Zeitung_ is still the most reasonable, as it -always is. Of course one must put up with criticism; but then one is -responsible if the negotiations come to nothing, while the critics have -no responsibility. I am indifferent as to their censure so long as the -thing gets through the Reichstag. History may say that the wretched -Chancellor ought to have done better; but I was responsible. If the -Reichstag introduces amendments every German Diet can do the same, and -then the thing will drag on and we shall not be able to secure the -peace we desire and need. We cannot demand the cession of Alsace if no -political entity is created, if there is no Germany to cede it to.” - -The question of the peace negotiations to follow in the approaching -capitulation of Paris was then discussed, and the difficulties which -might arise. The Chief said:--“Favre and Trochu may say, ‘We are -not the Government. We were part of it at one time, but now that -we have surrendered we are private persons. I am nothing more than -Citizen Trochu.’ But at that point I should try a little coercion on -the Parisians. I should say to them: ‘I hold you, two million people, -responsible in your own persons. I shall let you starve for twenty-four -hours unless you agree to our demands.’ Yes, and yet another -four-and-twenty hours, come what might of it. - -“I would stick to my point--but the King, the Crown Prince, the women -who force their sentimental views upon them, and certain secret -European connections--I can deal with those in front of me--but those -who stand behind me, behind my back, or rather who weigh upon me so -that I cannot breathe!--people for whom the German cause and German -victories are not the main question; but, rather, their anxiety to be -praised in English newspapers. Ah, if one were but the Landgrave!--I -could trust myself to be hard enough. But, unfortunately, one is not -the Landgrave.[16] Quite recently, in their maudlin solicitude for -the Parisians, they have again brought forward a thoroughly foolish -scheme. Great stores of provisions from London and Belgium are to be -collected for the Parisians. The storehouses are to be within our -lines, and our soldiers are merely to look at them, but not to touch -them, however much they may themselves suffer from scarcity and hunger. -These supplies are to prevent the Parisians starving when they shall -have capitulated. We, in this house, it is true, have enough, but the -troops are on short commons; yet they must suffer in order that the -Parisians, when they learn that supplies have been collected for them, -may postpone their capitulation till they have eaten their last loaf -and slaughtered their last horse. I shall not be consulted, otherwise -I’d rather be hanged than consent to it. But I am, nevertheless, -responsible. I was imprudent enough to call attention to the famine -that must ensue. It is true I mentioned it merely to the diplomatists. -But they have thus become aware of the fact. Otherwise it would not -have occurred to them.” - -Swiss cheese having been handed round, some one raised the question -whether cheese and wine went well together. “Some descriptions with -certain wines,” was the Minister’s decision. “Not strong ones like -Gorgonzola and Dutch cheese, but others are all right. I remember that -at the time when people drank hard in Pomerania--two hundred years -ago or more--the good folks of Rammin were the greatest topers in the -country. One of them happened to get a supply of wine from Stettin, -which was not quite to his liking. He complained accordingly to the -merchant, who replied: ‘_Eet kees to Wien, Herr von Rammin, deen smeckt -de Wien wie in Stettin ook to Rammin._’” (Low German: “Eat cheese to -your wine, good sir, from Rammin, then the wine will taste as good in -Rammin as it does here in Stettin.”) - -Abeken, who had been with the King, came in afterwards, and reported -that his Majesty considered it would be well to write again to the -Emperor of Russia, and give him the views held here respecting the -Gortschakoff Note. The Chief said: “I think not. Enough has been -already written and telegraphed on the subject. They know in St. -Petersburg what we think. At least we must not write discourteously, -but rather in a friendly and amiable spirit: It is better however to -say nothing. If it were England! But we shall still want Russia’s good -will in the immediate future. When that is no longer necessary, we can -afford to be rude.” - -Bohlen said: “They are quite beside themselves in Berlin. They will -have tremendous rejoicings there to-morrow, about the Emperor. They are -going to illuminate the town, and are making immense preparations--a -regular scene from fairyland!” “I fancy that will have a good effect -on the Reichstag,” observed the Chief. “It was really very nice -of Roggenbach to start off at once for Berlin” (in order to urge -moderation upon the grumblers in the Reichstag). “They” (the members -of Parliament, or the Berliners?) “attach much more importance to the -title of Emperor than the thing really deserves--although I do not mean -to say it is of no value.” - -“That was really funny,” said Bohlen, “what Holnstein told us about his -interview with the King of Bavaria while he had a toothache!” - -“And the way I wrote to him in order to bring him round,” added the -Chancellor. “I knew that he could not bear me, and did not trust me. -So I wrote to him at last, that one of our estates had been granted to -our family by Ludwig, the Bavarian, as Lord of Brandenburg, and that -consequently we had had relations with his house for more than five -centuries. That was true, in so far as the estates which we now hold -were given to us in exchange for those which the Hohenzollerns extorted -from us. Holnstein said the letter must have pleased the King very -much, as he asked to read it again. It was Holnstein who did most in -this matter. He played his part very cleverly. Tell me (to Bohlen), -what Order can we give him?” - -Bohlen: “He got the first class of the red fowl (the Red Eagle), when -the Crown Prince was in Munich.” - -“Well then,” said the Chief, “he has got the highest decoration that -can be given to him.” - -Bohlen: “Well, the King might give him the Imperial German Order, about -which Stillfried is already meditating, or he can found a new Prussian -Order, and thus supply a long-felt want.” - -The Chief: “The Green Lion.” - -Bohlen: “The German Order, with a black, white, and red ribbon.” - -The Chief: “Or with the colours of the German Knights, a white ribbon -with small black stripes. It looks very well. The King did not rightly -know what it was all about when Holnstein requested an audience. He -said to me, ‘I observed to Holnstein, that I supposed he wished to see -Versailles.’ Of course, he (King William) could not have arranged that -himself”--(_i.e._, he could not have arranged to acquire the Imperial -dignity through the good offices of Bavaria.) - -Werther, our Minister at Munich, seems to have reported that it was -intended there to commission Prince Luitpold with the proclamation of -the Emperor. The Chancellor observed: “A singular idea! Another example -of the way in which Bray treats matters of business. How is he to do -it? Step on to a balcony, and proclaim it?--to whom? That might do if -all the Princes were here--but with the three or four now present! -I had hoped that we should have made peace before German unity was -secured.” - -Bohlen: “How pleased the King will feel at being made Emperor! and -still more so, the Crown Prince!” - -The Chief: “Yes, and no doubt he is already thinking about the cut of -the Imperial robes.” - -_Monday, December 5th._--The Chief sent for me, and gave me his -instructions for a _démenti_ with regard to the Bavarian Treaty, -in which his ideas were to be somewhat differently expressed. It -was to the following effect. The rumour that the Chancellor of the -Confederation only concluded the treaties with the South German States, -in anticipation that they would be rejected, or at least amended in -the Reichstag, is entirely without foundation. The debate on the -treaties must be brought to a close during the month of December, and -they must be adopted in their entirety, in order that they may come -into force on the 1st of January. Otherwise, everything will remain -uncertain. If the representatives of North Germany alter the treaties, -the South German Diets will be entitled to make further amendments in -a contrary sense, and there is no knowing how far that right might -not be exercised. In such circumstances, the nation might have still -to wait a long time for its political unity. (“Perhaps ten years,” -said the Chief, “and _interim aliquid fit_.”) In that case, also the -Treaty of Peace might not be what we desire. The treaties may be -deficient, but they can always be gradually improved by the Reichstag, -in co-operation with the Bundesrath, and through the pressure of public -opinion and national sentiment. There is no hurry about that. If public -opinion brings no pressure to bear in that direction, it is obvious -that the present arrangement meets the views of the majority of the -nation. Men of national sentiment at Versailles are very anxious and -uneasy at the prevailing dispositions in Berlin. They are, however, -to some extent reassured by the fact that the _Volkszeitung_ opposes -the Bavarian Treaty, as people have gradually grown accustomed to find -that all persons of political insight as a rule reject whatever that -journal praises and recommends, and are disposed to adopt whatever it -deprecates and censures. - -At dinner Bamberger, the member of the Reichstag, was on the -Chief’s left. He is also going to Berlin in order to plead for the -adoption, without alteration, of the treaties with South Germany. The -conversation first turned on doctors and their knowledge, whereupon -the Chief (I cannot now remember on what grounds) delivered the -following weighty judgment: “Ah, yes, if doctors were only sensible -men; but as it is, they are dolts.” The question of the treaties was -then discussed, and the attitude of the Princes in this matter was -admitted to be correct. “Yes, but the Reichstag,” said the Chancellor; -“it reminds me of Kaiser Heinrich and his ‘Gentlemen, you have spoiled -my sport.’[17] In that instance it ultimately turned out all right, but -in this! All the members of the Reichstag might sacrifice themselves -one after another upon the altar of the Fatherland--it would be all to -no purpose.” After reflecting for a moment, the Minister continued, -with a smile: “Members of the Diet and the Reichstag should be made -responsible, like Ministers, no more and no less, and placed on a -footing of absolute equality. A Bill should provide for the impeachment -for treason of members of Parliament when they reject important State -treaties, or, as in Paris, approve of a war undertaken on frivolous -pretexts. They were all in favour of the war, with the exception of -Jules Favre. Perhaps I shall bring in some such measure one day.” - -The conversation then turned upon the approaching capitulation of -Paris, which must take place, at latest, within a month. “Ah!” sighed -the Chancellor, “it is then that my troubles will begin in earnest.”... -Bamberger was of opinion that they should not be allowed merely to -capitulate, but should immediately be called upon to conclude peace. -“Quite so,” said the Chief. “That is exactly my view, and they should -be forced to do so by starvation. But there are people who want, above -all else, to be extolled for their humane feelings, and they will spoil -everything--altogether forgetting the fact that we must think of our -own soldiers, and take care that they shall not suffer want and be shot -down to no purpose. It is just the same with the bombardment. And then -we are told to spare people who are searching for potatoes; they should -be shot too, if we want to reduce the city by starvation.” - -After 8 o’clock, I was called to the Chief several times, and wrote -two paragraphs for the _Spenersche Zeitung_ in accordance with his -instructions. The first ran as follows:--“The Vienna newspapers -recently stated that ‘the German Austrians did not wish for war, and -the majority of the Austrian Slavs just as little.’ But there is in -Austria, and in Hungary, a not very numerous but influential party -which does desire war. When inquiry is made as to their real motive -for doing so, it is found to arise from pride and arrogance, from a -kind of frivolous chivalry, from a real hunger for political luxuries, -from the determination to play the Grand Seigneur before the world. -The Austrians of this party, in which very distinguished personages -are the moving spirits, seem to us to resemble the princely family of -Esterhazy. It is an ancient house, of high rank, with great estates and -a large fortune. Its members might well have been content to occupy -so eminent a position. But the evil genius of the family continually -drove them into extravagance, into making too great demands upon their -resources, into squandering enormous sums on horses, diamonds, &c., -with the object of displaying their wealth and importance; so that -they fell into debt, and, finally, came to the verge of bankruptcy. -The Esterhazy Lottery was then resorted to, and actually did tide them -over their difficulties. The family was saved. But scarcely have they -begun to breathe freely, and to regain their footing, when their evil -genius once more inspires them, and the old game goes on again, until, -at length, a time will come when even a lottery will no longer save -them. The Austrian party to which we have already referred seems to us -to present a close resemblance to the Esterhazys. The State is a fine -property, with excellent natural advantages, a rich soil, and a great -variety of valuable resources. But the policy of the proprietors is -exactly the same as that of the Esterhazys. They must always overreach -themselves, and try to be more than they really are. The evil genius -of the State regards as a necessity what is in reality mere luxury, -self-conceit, and the desire to cut a great figure in the world. In -that way, the ancient and wealthy house has become a comparatively -poor one, with a touch of the Quixotic, and a still stronger flavour -of unfair dealing, which is very badly suited to our matter-of-fact -age, when so much importance is attached to the ability to pay one’s -way. Every now and then, the State, like its prototype the Esterhazys, -escapes out of its troubles by means of a lottery, or of some not -particularly respectable financial manœuvre; but then it suddenly -puts forward fresh claims to a position beyond its means, presumes to -play the part of a great Power, squanders millions on mobilisation, -as its prototype does on stables and diamonds, and thus sinks deeper -and deeper into financial difficulties. Instead of being able to -satisfy its creditors by good management and a modest bearing, it moves -steadily forward, without pause or rest, towards that bankruptcy which -for a considerable space has only been a question of time.” - -The foregoing is an almost literal reproduction of the Chief’s own -words. I did not venture, however, to incorporate his concluding -remarks, which were as follows: “The Hapsburgs have really -become great through plundering old families--the Hungarians, -for instance. At bottom they are only a family of police spies -(_polizeilich-Spitzelfamilie_) who lived upon and made their fortune by -confiscations.” - -The second paragraph, which referred to a statement in the -_Indépendance Belge_, pointed out that the relationship between the -Orleans and the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine through the Duc d’Alençon, -could not induce us Germans to regard them with any special favour. -The paragraph was to the following effect. It is known that Trochu -declined the offer of the Princes of the House of Orleans to take part -in the struggle against us. The _Indépendance Belge_ now states that -the Duc d’Alençon, second son of the Duc de Nemours, who was at that -time incapacitated by illness from joining his uncles and cousins in -their offer of service, has now sought salvation by adopting a similar -course. The Brussels organ adds the significant remark: “It will be -remembered that the Duc d’Alençon is married to a sister of the Empress -of Austria.” We understand that hint, and believe we shall be speaking -in the spirit of German policy in replying to it as follows:--The -Orleans are quite as hostile to us as the other dynasties that are -fishing for the French throne. Their journals are filled with lies and -abuse directed against us. We have not forgotten the hymn of praise -which the Duc de Joinville raised after the battle of Wörth to the -franctireurs who had acted like assassins. The only French Government -we care for is that which can do us the least harm, because it is most -occupied with its own affairs, and with maintaining its own position -against its rivals. Otherwise Orleanists, Legitimists, Imperialists, -and Republicans are all of the same value or no value to us. And as -for those who throw out hints about the Austrian relationship, they -would do well to be on their guard, as we are on ours. There is in -Austria-Hungary one party in favour of Germany and another hostile -to her,--a party that wants to continue the policy of Kaunitz in the -Seven Years’ War, a policy of constant conspiracy with France against -German interests, and particularly against Prussia. That is the policy -which has recently been connected with Metternich’s name, and which was -pursued from 1815 to 1866. Since then more or less vigorous attempts -have been made to continue it. It is the party of which the younger -Metternich is regarded as the leader. He has for years past been -looked upon as the most ardent advocate of a Franco-Austrian alliance -against Germany, and one of the principal instigators of the present -war. If the Orleans believe that their prospects are improved by their -connection with Austria, they ought also to know that for that very -reason they have nothing to hope from us. - -After Bucher, Keudell and myself had been for some time at tea, we were -joined by the Chief, and afterwards by Hatzfeldt, who had been with the -King. He said it was intolerably dull there. - -“Grimm, the Russian Councillor of State, gave us a variety of wearisome -particulars about Louis Quatorze and Louis Quinze. The W. worried us, -and me in particular, with silly questions.” (He pouted his lips, -assumed a killing smile, and bent his head to one side, imitating -the Grand Duke’s affectations.) “He informed us that the students -at St. Cyr all received a portrait of Madame Maintenon, and that he -himself had one also. The King, who had occasionally rubbed his eyes, -observed somewhat pointedly, ‘I suppose they were photographs.’ ‘No, -oh no, engravings.’ ‘Well, then, what did you do with yours?’ the King -asked. ‘Why, nothing, I kept it.’ The Grand Duke then asked me--he had -obviously prepared the question in advance, and perhaps learnt it by -heart--‘Is the _Revue des Deux Mondes_ still published? An interesting -newspaper.’ I replied, ‘I do not know, your Royal Highness.’ ‘Who is -the editor?’ ‘I do not know that either.’ ‘So-o-o!’ The aides-de-camp -were cruelly bored, and one of them nudged Lehndorff, begging him in a -whisper to give the old fool a rap on the head with his crutch.” - -“Yes, he is a fearful bore,” added the Chief. “What a miserable -position it must be for a man whose father was a Court official to -him or one like him, and who has to assume the same office himself--a -chamberlain or something of that kind, who has to listen day after day -to all that twaddle, and has no prospect of ever becoming anything -else! The Queen is just such another. She was educated in the same -school. I remember she once questioned me on a literary subject, I -believe it was about some French book or other. ‘I do not know, your -Majesty,’ I replied. ‘Ah, I suppose that does not interest you.’ ‘No, -your Majesty.’ Radowitz was very strong on those subjects. He boldly -gave every kind of information, and in that way secured a great deal -of his success at Court. He was able to tell exactly what Maintenon -or Pompadour wore on such and such a day; such and such a gewgaw on -her neck, her head-dress trimmed with colibris or grapes, her gown -pearl-grey or peacock-green with furbelows or lace of this or that -description--exactly as if he had been there at the time. The ladies -were all ear for these toilette lectures, which he poured forth with -the utmost fluency.” - -The conversation then turned upon Alexander von Humboldt, who appears -to have been a courtier too, but not of the amusing variety. The Chief -said: “Under the late King I was the sole victim when Humboldt chose -to entertain the company in his own style. He usually read, often for -hours at a time, the biography of some French savant or architect in -whom nobody in the world except himself took the slightest interest. -He stood by the lamp holding the paper close to the light, and -occasionally paused for the purpose of making some learned observation. -Although nobody listened to him he had the ear of the house. The Queen -was all the time at work on a piece of tapestry, and certainly did -not understand a word of what he said. The King looked through his -portfolios of engravings, turning them over as noisily as possible, -evidently with the intention of not hearing him. The young people on -both sides and in the background enjoyed themselves without the least -restraint, so that their cackling and giggling actually drowned his -reading, which however rippled on without break or stop like a brook. -Gerlach, who was usually present, sat on his small round chair which -could barely accommodate his voluminous person, and slept so soundly -that he snored. The King was once obliged to wake him, and said, -‘Pray, Gerlach, don’t snore so loud!’ I was Humboldt’s only patient -listener, that is to say I sat silent and pretended to listen, at the -same time following my own thoughts, until at length cold cake and -white wine were served. It put the old gentleman in very bad humour -not to be allowed to have the talk all to himself. I remember once -there was somebody there who managed to monopolise the conversation, -quite naturally, it is true, as he was a clever raconteur and spoke -about things that interested everybody. Humboldt was beside himself. -In a peevish surly temper he piled his plate so high (pointing with -his hand) with _pâté de foie gras_, fat eels, lobsters’ tails, and -other indigestible stuff,--a real mountain,--it was astounding that -an old man could put it all away. At last his patience was exhausted, -and he could not stand it any longer. So he tried to interrupt the -speaker. ‘On the peak of Popocatapetl,’ he began,--but the other went -on with his story. ‘On the peak of Popocatapetl, seven thousand fathoms -above’--but he again failed to make any impression, and the narrative -maintained its easy flow. ‘On the peak of Popocatapetl, seven thousand -fathoms above the level of the sea,’ he exclaimed in a loud and excited -tone,--but with as little success as before. The talker talked on, and -the company had no ears for anybody else. That was something unheard -of, outrageous! Humboldt threw himself back in morose meditation over -the ingratitude of mankind, and shortly afterwards left. The Liberals -made a great deal of him, and counted him as one of themselves. He -was however a sycophant who aspired to the favour of Princes and who -was only happy when basking in the sunshine of royalty. That did -not prevent him however from criticising the Court afterwards to -Varnhagen, and repeating all sorts of discreditable stories about it. -Varnhagen worked these up into books, which I also bought. They are -fearfully dear when one thinks how few lines in large type go to the -page.” Keudell observed that they were nevertheless indispensable for -historical purposes. “Yes, in a certain sense,” replied the Chief. -“Taken individually the stories are not worth much, but as a whole -they are an expression of the sourness of Berlin at a period when -nothing of importance was happening. At that time everybody talked -in that maliciously impotent way. It was a society which it would be -hardly possible to realise to-day without the assistance of such books, -unless one had personal experience of it. A great deal of outward show -with nothing genuine behind it. I remember, although I was a very -little fellow at the time, it must have been in 1821 or ’22. Ministers -were still like strange animals, regarded with wonder as something -mysterious. There was once a large party, which was at that time called -an _assemblée_, given at Schuckmann’s--what a monstrous huge beast he -was as a Minister! My mother also went there. I remember it as if it -were to-day. She wore long gloves that went up to here.” (He pointed -to the upper part of his arm.) “A dress with a short waist, her hair -puffed out on both sides, and a big ostrich feather on her head.” (The -Chief left this anecdote unfinished, if indeed there was any conclusion -to it, and returned to his former subject.) “Humboldt, however,” he -continued, “had a great many interesting things to tell when one was -alone with him, about the times of Frederick William III., and in -particular about his own first sojourn in Paris. As he liked me, owing -to the attention with which I listened to him, he told me a number of -pretty anecdotes. It was the same with old Metternich, with whom I -spent a few days at Johannisberg. Thun afterwards said to me, ‘I do -not know how you have managed to get round the old Prince, but he has -indeed looked into you as if you were a golden goblet, and he told me -if you do not come to an understanding with him then I really don’t -know what to say.’ ‘I can explain that to you,’ I replied. ‘I listened -to all his stories, and often prompted him to continue them. That -pleases the garrulous old people.’” - -Hatzfeldt said that Moltke had written to Trochu telling him how -affairs stood at Orleans, and expressing his readiness to allow one of -Trochu’s officers to satisfy himself of the truth of his statement. He -would be furnished with a safe conduct to Orleans. The Chief said: “I -know that. But he should not have done so. They ought to find that out -for themselves. Our lines are now thin at various points, and they have -also a pigeon post. They will only imagine we are in a hurry to get -them to capitulate.” - -_Tuesday, December 6th._--In the morning I telegraphed to Berlin and -London more detailed particulars of the victory at Orleans. Then wrote -articles for the _Moniteur_ and the German papers on the way in which -French officers interned in Germany are breaking their parole. So long -as this unworthy conduct receives approval and encouragement from the -Government of National Defence, it is impossible for us to carry on any -negotiations with it. - -Dr. Lauer and Odo Russell dined with us to-day. The conversation was -not of particular interest. We had, however, a delicious Palatine -wine--Deidesheimer Hofstück and Forster Kirchenstück, a noble juice, -rich in all virtues, fragrant, and fiery. _Aus Feuer ward der Geist -erschaffen_. Even Bucher, who usually drinks only red wine, did justice -to this heavenly dew from the Haardt Hills. - -I afterwards wrote an article in which I politely expressed surprise -at the brazen impudence with which Grammont reminds the world of his -existence in the Brussels _Gaulois_. He who, through his unparalleled -ineptitude, has brought so much misery upon France, should, like his -colleague Ollivier, have hidden himself in silence and been glad to be -forgotten. Or, inspired by his ancient name, he should have joined the -army and fought for his country, so as in some degree to expiate the -wrong he has done it. Instead of doing anything of the kind, however, -he dares to remind the world that he still lives, and once conducted -the foreign policy of France. “A blockhead, a coward, an impudent -fellow!” said the Chief, when he instructed me to write this article. -“You can use the strongest expressions in dealing with him.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - -THE PROSPECTS OUTSIDE PARIS IMPROVE - - -_Wednesday, December 7th._--At dinner the Chief related some of his -Frankfurt reminiscences. “It was possible to get on with Thun,” he -said. “He was a respectable man. Taken altogether, Rechberg[18] was -also not bad. He was at least honourable from a personal standpoint, -although violent and irascible--one of those passionate, fiery blondes! -It is true that as an Austrian diplomat of those days he was not able -to pay too strict a regard to truth. I remember his once receiving a -despatch in which he was instructed to maintain the best relations with -us, a second despatch being sent to him at the same time enjoining him -to follow an exactly opposite course. I happened to call upon him, and -he inadvertently gave me the second despatch to read. I saw immediately -how matters stood and read it through. Then handing it back to him I -said: ‘I beg your pardon, but you have given me the wrong one.’ He -was fearfully embarrassed, but I consoled him, saying I would take no -advantage of his mistake, using it merely for my personal information.” -“The third, however,--Prokesch--was not at all to my liking. In the -East he had learnt the basest forms of intrigue and had no sense of -honour or truth. A thoroughpaced liar. I remember being once in a large -company where some Austrian assertion which was not in accordance with -the truth was being discussed. Prokesch, raising his voice in order -that I might hear him, said: ‘If that be not true, then the Imperial -and Royal Cabinet has commissioned me to commit an act of perfidy, -indeed his Imperial and Apostolic Majesty has _lied_ to me!’ and he -emphasised the word _lied_. He looked at me whilst he was speaking, -and, when he had finished, I replied, quietly: ‘Quite so, Excellency!’ -He was obviously aghast, and as he looked round and found all eyes -cast down and a deep silence which showed approval of what I had said, -he turned away without a word and went into the dining-room where the -table was laid. He had recovered himself, however, after dinner, and -came over to me with a full glass in his hand--but for that I should -have thought he was going to challenge me--and said, ‘Well, let us make -peace.’ ‘Certainly,’ I replied, ‘but what I said in the other room was -true, and the protocol must be altered.’ The protocol was altered, an -admission that it had contained an untruth. A rascally fellow!” - -_Thursday, December 8th._--Some one asked at dinner how the question -of Emperor and Empire now stood. The Chief replied _inter alia_: “We -have had a great deal of trouble with it in the way of telegrams and -letters. But after all Holnstein has done the greater part of the work. -He is a clever fellow, and not in the least spoilt by or prepossessed -in favour of Court manners.” Putbus asked what position he held. -“Master of the Horse. He showed himself very willing and energetic, -making the journey to Munich and back in six days. In the present -condition of the railways that requires a great deal of good will. Of -course he has the necessary physique. Indeed, not merely to Munich, but -to Hohenschwangau,--and there saw the King who had just been operated -under chloroform for a tumour in the gum. But King Lewis also greatly -contributed to the speedy settlement of the matter. He received the -letter immediately, and at once gave a definite answer. He might easily -have said that he must first take some fresh air in the mountains, -and would answer in three or four days. The Count has certainly done -us a very good service in the affair; but I really do not know how we -can reward him.” I forget how the conversation came to deal with the -terms “Swell,” “Snob,” and “Cockney,” which were the subject of much -discussion. The Chief mentioned a certain diplomat as a “swell,” and -observed: “It is really a capital word, but we cannot translate it -into German. ‘_Stutzer_,’ perhaps, but that conveys at the same time -pompousness and self-importance. ‘Snob’ is something quite different, -while it is also very difficult for us to render properly. It denotes -a variety of attributes, but principally one-sidedness, narrowness, -slavery to local or class prejudices, philistinism. A ‘snob’ is -something like our ‘_Pfalbürger_,’ yet not quite. It includes also a -petty conception of family interests, political narrow-mindedness, -rigid adherence to ideas and habits that have become a second nature. -There are also female snobs and very distinguished ones. The feminine -half of our Court are snobs. Our two most exalted ladies are snobs. The -male element is not snobbish. One may also talk of party snobs--those -who in larger political issues cannot emancipate themselves from the -rules that govern private conduct--the ‘Progressist snob.’ The cockney -again is quite another person. That term applies more particularly to -Londoners. There are people there who have never been outside their -own walls and streets, never got away from the brick and mortar, who -have never seen life anywhere else nor travelled beyond the sound of -Bow Bells. We have also Berliners who have never left their city. But -Berlin is a small place compared to London, or even Paris, which has -also its cockneys, although they are known by another name there. There -are hundreds of thousands in London who have never seen anything but -London. In such great cities conceptions are formed which permeate -the whole community, and harden into the most inveterate prejudices. -Such narrow and silly ideas arise in every great centre of population -where the people have no experience, and often not the faintest notion -of how things look elsewhere. Silliness without conceit is endurable, -but to be silly and unpractical, and at the same time conceited, is -intolerable. Country life brings people into much closer contact -with realities. They may be less educated there, but what they know -they know thoroughly. There are, however, snobs in the country also. -(Turning to Putbus.) Just take a really clever shot. He is convinced -that he is the first man in the world, and that sport is everything, -and that those who do not understand it are worth nothing. And then -a man who lives on his estate in a remote district, where he is -everything, and all the people depend upon him; when he comes to the -wool-market and finds that he is not of the same importance with the -townspeople as he is at home, he gets into a bad temper, sits sulking -on his sack of wool, and takes no notice of anything else.” - -At tea, Keudell said that I ought really to see, not merely those -political despatches, reports and drafts which I received from the -Minister, but everything that came in and went out. He would speak on -the subject to Abeken, who acts here as Secretary of State. I accepted -his proposal with many thanks. - -Bucher informed me that the Minister had made some very interesting -remarks in the drawing-room while they were taking coffee. Prince -Putbus mentioned his desire to travel in far distant lands. “It might -be possible to manage that for you,” said the Chief. “You might be -commissioned to notify the foundation of the German Empire to the -Emperor of China and the Tycoon of Japan.” The Minister then discussed -at length the duties of the German aristocracy, of course with special -reference to his guest. - -The King was faithful to his duty, but he was born in the last century, -and thus he regarded many things from a point of view which was no -longer suitable to the times. He would allow himself to be cut to -pieces in the interests of the State, as he understood them, if he -knew that his family would be provided for. The future king was quite -different. He had not this strong sense of duty. When he found himself -in good case, had plenty of money at his disposal, and was praised by -the newspapers, he was quite satisfied. He would choose his Ministers -in the English fashion from the Liberal or from other parties just as -things happened in the Diet, in order to avoid trouble. In that way, -however, he would ruin everything, or at least produce a condition -of constant instability. The great nobles ought then to intervene. -They must have a sense of the necessities of the State and recognise -their mission, which is to preserve the State from vacillation and -uncertainty in the struggles of parties, to give it a firm support, -&c. There was no objection to their associating with a Strousberg, but -they would do better to become bankers straight away. - -_Monday, December 12th._--The Chief’s indisposition seems to have again -grown worse, and it is said that he is in a particularly bad humour. -Dr. Lauer has been to see him. _The Times_ contains the following -communication which it would be impossible for us to improve upon.[19] - - -An excellent letter which we must submit to the Versailles people in -the _Moniteur_. - -Busily engaged all the evening. Translated for the King articles -published by _The Times_ and _Daily Telegraph_ warmly approving of the -restoration of the German Empire and the imperial dignity. - -_The Times_ article, after stating that not merely the fact of the -restoration of the German Empire but also the manner in which it -had been brought about could only be regarded with the liveliest -satisfaction, proceeds as follows:-- - -“The political significance of this change cannot be placed too high. -A mighty revolution has been accomplished in Europe, and all our -traditions have suddenly become antiquated. No one can pretend to -predict the relations of the Great Powers; but it is not very difficult -to forecast in a general way the political tendencies of the time on -which we are about to enter. There will be a powerful united Germany, -presided over by a family which represents not only its interests, but -its military fame. On the one side will be Russia, strong and watchful -as ever; but on the other side will be France, which, whether patient -under her reverses or burning for revenge, will be for a time incapable -of playing that great part in Europe which belonged to her even under -the feebleness of the Restoration. Thus, whereas we had formerly two -strong centralised military empires, with a distracted, unready nation -between them, which might be ground to powder whenever the two closed -to crush it, there is now a firm barrier erected in Central Europe, and -the fabric is correspondingly strengthened. In this the policy of past -generations of English statesmen is fulfilled. They all desired the -creation of a strong Central Power, and laboured for it in peace and -war by negotiations and alliances, now with the Empire, now with the -new State which had arisen in the North.” - -On the instructions of the Chief, I also wrote a paragraph for the -press to the effect that we are no longer opposed by France, but -rather by the cosmopolitan Red Republicans, Garibaldi and Mazzini (who -are with Gambetta, and act as his counsellors), and Polish, Spanish, -and Danish adherents of that party. The aims of these good people -are indicated in a letter from the son of the Prefect Ordinaire, -who describes himself as an officer in Garibaldi’s General Staff. -This letter, which is dated from Autun on the 16th of November, and -addressed to the editor of the newspaper _Droits de l’Homme_, contains -the following passage:-- - -“You will see from the post-mark where we are now stationed--in one of -the most priest-ridden towns of France. It is the centre of monarchical -reaction. It looks less like a town than an enormous monastery, huge -black walls and barred windows, behind which monks of all colours -intrigue and pray in darkness and silence for the success of the good -cause. In the streets our red shirts are constantly brushing against -the black cassock of the priest. The whole population, from the -tradespeople downwards, present a mystic aspect, and appear as if they -had been all drenched in holy water. We are regarded here as if we -had been inscribed upon the Index, and the calumnies that are rained -upon us rival the deluge. A breach of discipline (which is unavoidable -in the case of a volunteer army) is immediately exaggerated into a -great crime. Trifles are transformed into outrages that deserve to be -punished by death. The mountain frequently gives birth to a mere mouse, -but the bad impression produced upon the public mind remains. - -“Would you believe it? The officials themselves put difficulties -in our way! They echo, I hope unwittingly, the calumnies that are -circulated against us, and regard us with evident ill will. Indeed, -our fellow citizens are almost inclined to look upon our army as a -band of brigands. Can you imagine that the monarchists have not in the -least renounced their mischievous endeavours, and hate us because we -have sworn never to permit the re-erection of those mountebank stages -from which kings and emperors have ordered nations as the humour -took them? Yes, we proclaim the fact aloud that we are soldiers of -the Revolution, and I would add not of the French Revolution alone, -but of the cosmopolitan revolution. Italians, Spaniards, Poles, and -Hungarians, in gathering under the French flag, clearly understand -that they are defending the Universal Republic. The real nature of -the struggle is now evident. It is a war between the principle of the -divine right of kings and of force, and that of popular sovereignty, -civilisation, and freedom. The fatherland disappears before the -Republic. - -“We are citizens of the world, and whatever may happen we will fight to -the death for the realisation of that noble ideal of the United States -of Europe, that is to say, the fraternisation of all free peoples. The -monarchical reactionaries know that, and so they reinforce the Prussian -forces with their own legions. We have the enemies’ bayonets in front, -and treason behind us. Why is not every old official sent about his -business? Why are not all the old generals of the Empire ruthlessly -cashiered? Cannot the Government of National Defence see that they -are being betrayed, and that these people, with their hypocritical -manœuvres, shameful capitulations, and inexplicable retreats are -preparing for a Bonapartist restoration, or, at least, for the -accession of an Orleans or a Bourbon? - -“But the Government, which has undertaken the task of delivering the -contaminated soil of France from foreign hordes, should take care. In -times like the present, and under the fearful conditions in which we -find ourselves, it is not enough to be honest. It is also necessary -to show energy, to keep a cool head, and not to allow one’s self to -be drowned in a glass of water. Let the Cremieuxs, the Glais-Bizoins, -and the Fourichons remember the manner in which the men of 1792 and -’93 acted! To-day we need a Danton, a Robespierre, the men of the -Convention! Away with you, gentlemen! Make room for the Revolution! -That alone can save us. Great crises demand great measures!” - -The fatherland disappears before the Republic! Resort to the great -measures adopted by Danton and Robespierre! Behead every one who -differs from us in religious and political affairs, and establish the -guillotine as a permanent institution. Dismiss Generals Chanzy and -Bourbaki, Faidherbe and Vinoy, Ducrot and Trochu, and appoint private -soldiers in their place. That is the gospel preached by the son of a -Prefect in the department of Doubs, an officer of Garibaldi’s General -Staff. I wonder whether these proposals will commend themselves to many -of the Versailles people when they see this letter in the _Moniteur_ -one of these days? - -_Tuesday, December 13th._--In the morning wrote another article on the -confession of faith of the cosmopolitan Republicans. The Chief’s health -is somewhat better, only he feels very exhausted.... - -At lunch Bucher, Hatzfeldt, and Keudell declared in all seriousness -that they thought the Chancellor would resign. It was jestingly -suggested that he would be followed by a Ministry under Lasker, -who would be “a kind of Ollivier,” and then half in joke, half in -earnest, the possibility was discussed of our having for a Chancellor -Delbrück,--“a very clever man, but no politician.” - -I regarded it as absolutely inconceivable that the Chief could ever be -allowed to resign, even if he requested to be relieved from office. -They thought, nevertheless, that it was possible. I said that in such -circumstances they would be obliged to recall him in less than a month. -Bucher questioned whether he would come back, and said positively -that so far as he knew him, if the Count once retired he would never -take office again. He enjoyed himself far too well at Varzin, free -from business and worry of every kind. He liked best of all to be in -the woods and fields. The Countess had once said to him: “Believe me, -a turnip interests him (Bismarck) more than all your politics.” That -statement, however, must not be too hastily accepted, and must be -limited to a temporary state of feeling. - -About 1.30 P.M. I was summoned to the Chancellor. He wished me to -call attention to the difficulties of the King of Holland with regard -to a new Ministry, and to point to this as the result of a purely -Parliamentary system under which the advisers of the Crown must -retire, whatever the condition of affairs may be, when a majority of -the representatives is opposed to them on any question. He observed: -“I remember when I became Minister that there had been twenty or -twenty-one Ministries since the introduction of the constitutional -system. If the principle of Ministers retiring before a hostile -majority be too strictly enforced, far too many politicians will be -used up. Then mediocrities will have to be taken for the post, and -finally there will be no one left who will care to devote himself to -such a trade. The moral is that either the advantages of a Minister’s -position must be increased, or the Parliamentary system must be applied -less stringently.” - -The Chief went out for a drive at 3 o’clock, after Russell had again -called upon him. - -He talked after dinner about his negotiations with Russell and the -demands of Gortschakoff. He said amongst other things: “They do not -want in London to give an unqualified approval to the proposal that -the Black Sea shall be again given up to Russia and the Turks with -full sovereignty over its coast. They are afraid of public opinion in -England, and Russell returns again and again to the idea that some -equivalent might possibly be found. He asked, for instance, whether it -would not be possible for us to join in the agreement of the 16th of -April, 1856. I replied that Germany had no real interest in the matter. -Or whether we would bind ourselves to observe neutrality in case of a -conflict some day breaking out there. I told him I was not in favour -of a conjectural policy, such as his suggestion involved. It would -depend altogether on circumstances. For the present we saw no reason -why we should take any part in the matter. That ought to suffice for -him. Besides I did not believe that gratitude had no place in politics. -The present Tsar had always acted in a friendly and benevolent manner -towards us. Austria, on the other hand, was up to the present little -to be trusted and took up at times a very dubious attitude. Of course -he knew himself how far we were indebted to England. The friendship -of the Tsar was the legacy of old relations, based partly on family -connections, but partly also on the recognition that our interests are -not opposed to his. We did not know what those relations would be in -future, and therefore it was impossible to speak about them.... Our -position would now be different to what it was formerly. We should -be the only Power that had reason to be satisfied; we had no call to -oblige any one of whose willingness to reciprocate our services we -could not altogether feel sure.... He returned again and again to the -suggestion as to an equivalent, and at length asked me if I could not -propose something. I spoke of making the Dardanelles and the Black Sea -free to all. That would please Russia, as she could then pass from the -Black Sea into the Mediterranean, and Turkey also as she could have her -friends, including the Americans, near her. It would remove one of the -reasons why the Americans held with the Russians, namely, their desire -for free navigation in all seas. He seemed to recognise the truth of -that.” The Chancellor added: “As a matter of fact, the Russians should -not have been so modest in their demands. They ought to have asked for -more, and then the matter of the Black Sea would have been granted to -them without any difficulty.” Turning to Abeken the Minister said: -“Write that to Bernstorff and also to Reuss for his information. In -writing to the latter, suggest that in St. Petersburg they should try -to find something harmless that would look like an equivalent.” - -The conversation then turned upon the four new points of international -law respecting navigation--that no privateers should be fitted out, -that goods should not be seized so far as they were not contraband of -war, and that a blockade was only valid when effective, &c. The Chief -remarked that one of these was flagrantly violated by the French in -burning a German ship. He concluded the conversation on this head by -saying, “We must see how we are to get rid of this rubbish.” - -_Wednesday, December 14th._--The German party of centralisation are -still dissatisfied with the Bavarian Treaty. Treitschke writes me -from Heidelberg on the subject in an almost despairing tone: “I quite -understand that Count Bismarck could not have acted otherwise, but it -remains a very regrettable affair all the same. Bavaria has once more -clogged our feet as she did in 1813 in the Treaty of Ried. So long -as we have our leading statesman we can manage to move in spite of -that. But how will it be later on? I cannot feel that unquestioning -confidence in the vitality of the new Empire which I had in that of -the North German Confederation. I only hope that the nation will -prosper, owing to its own healthy vigour, in spite of constitutional -deficiencies.” - -The Chief and Count Holnstein dined with us. Politics were not -discussed. The Minister was very cheerful and communicative, and spoke -on a variety of subjects. He said, amongst other things, that as a -young man he was a swift runner and a good jumper. His sons, on the -other hand, are unusually strong in the arms. He should not care to try -a fall with either of them. - -The Minister then sent for the gold pen that had been presented to him -by Bissinger, the jeweller, and mentioned that the Countess had written -to him asking about it, remarking that “doubtless it was a lie, like -the story of the baby at Meaux.” We now heard for the first time that a -new-born baby, the child of one of the French soldiers who had fallen -in one of the recent battles, was supposed to have been smuggled into -the Chief’s bed. This was, of course, a mere newspaper invention. - -The conversation afterwards turned on the deputation from the -Reichstag, which was already at Strassburg, and would arrive here -to-morrow. The Chancellor said: “We must begin to think what we are to -reply to their address. The speech-making will be a real pleasure to -Simson. He has been already engaged in several affairs of the kind--in -the first deputation to the Hohenzollernburg respecting the imperial -dignity. He makes a good speech, loves to talk, and thoroughly enjoys -himself on such occasions.” - -Abeken observed that Löwe, the member of the Reichstag, said that he -also had taken part in such a function, but had afterwards plenty of -opportunity to think over the matter in a foreign country. - -“Ah! Was he also engaged in the 1849 affair?” asked the Chief. - -“Yes,” said Bucher; “he was President of the Reichstag.” - -“But,” said the Chief, “he need not have left his country on account of -the part he took in the proposal as to the Emperor. It must have been -because of his journey to Stuttgart, which was quite a different story.” - -The Minister then spoke of the Hohenzollernburg, where each branch -of the family had a special suite of apartments; of an old castle in -Pomerania, where all members of the family of Dewitz had a right to -lodgings,--it was now reduced to a picturesque ruin, after having -long served as a stone quarry for the inhabitants of the neighbouring -country town; and afterwards of a landed proprietor who had a singular -way of raising money. “He was always hard up, and on one occasion, when -he was in desperate straits, his woods were attacked by caterpillars, -then a fire broke out, and finally a number of trees were blown down by -a gale. He was miserable, and thought he was bankrupt. So the timber -had to be sold, and he suddenly found himself in possession of a lot -of money, fifty or sixty thousand thalers, which set him on his legs -again. It had never occurred to him that he could have his trees cut -down.” - -This story led the Chief to speak of another extraordinary gentleman, -a neighbour of his. (Query, in Varzin.) “He had ten or twelve estates, -but was always short of ready money, and frequently felt a desire to -spend some. When he wished to invite some people to a decent lunch -he usually sold an estate, so that at length he had only one or two -left. Some of his own tenants bought one of the former lot from him -for 35,000 thalers, paying him 5,000 thalers down. They then sold a -quantity of timber for shipbuilding purposes, for 22,000 thalers, an -idea which, of course, had never occurred to him.” - -The Minister then referred to the Hartschiere (big tall men, chosen for -the Royal Body Guard on account of their size) in Munich, who made a -great impression upon him owing to their bulk and general character, -and who are understood to be excellent connoisseurs of beer. - -Finally it was mentioned that Count Bill was the first German to ride -into Rouen. Somebody remarked that his appearance would have convinced -the inhabitants of that city that our troops had not up to the present -been put on short rations. This led the Chancellor to speak again of -the strength of his “youngsters.” “They are unusually strong for their -age,” he said, “although they have not learnt gymnastics--very much -against my desire, but it is not considered the proper thing for the -sons of a diplomatist.” - -While enjoying his after dinner cigar the Chief asked if the members of -his staff were smokers. Yes, every one of them, Abeken replied. “Well, -then,” said the minister, “Engel must divide the Hamburg cigars amongst -them. I have received so many that if the war were to last for twelve -months I should still bring some home with me.” - -_Thursday, December 15th._--Count Frankenberg and Count Lehndorff -joined us at dinner, Prince Pless coming in half an hour later. The -Chief was in high spirits and very talkative. The conversation at first -turned on the question of the day, that is to say, the commencement of -the bombardment. The Minister said it might be expected within the next -eight or ten days. It would possibly not be very successful during the -first weeks, as the Parisians had had time to take precautions against -it. Frankenberg said that in Berlin, and particularly in the Reichstag, -no subject was so much discussed as the reasons why the bombardment had -been postponed up to the present. Everything else gave way to that. -The Chief replied; “Yes, but now that Roon has taken the matter in -hand something will be done. A thousand ammunition waggons with the -necessary teams are on their way here, and it is said that some of the -new mortars have arrived. Now that Roon has taken it up something will -at last be done.” - -The manner in which the restoration of the imperial dignity in -Germany had been brought before the Reichstag was then discussed, and -Frankenberg as well as Prince Pless were of opinion that it might -have been better managed. The Conservatives had not been informed -beforehand, and the statement was actually made when they were sitting -at lunch. To all appearance Windthorst was not wrong when, with his -usual dexterity in seizing his opportunities, he remarked that he had -expected more sympathy from the Assembly. - -“Yes,” said the Chief, “there ought to have been a better stage -manager for the farce. It should have had a more effective -_mise-en-scène_,--but Delbrück does not understand that sort of thing. -Some one should have got up to express his dissatisfaction with the -Bavarian Treaties, which lacked this, that, and the other. Then he -should have said: ‘If, however, an equivalent were found to compensate -for these defects, something in which the unity of the nation would -find expression, that would be different,’--and then the Emperor -should have been brought forward.”... “Moreover, the Emperor is more -important than many people think. I could not tell them. (that is to -say, the Princes) what it all means--if I had, I certainly should -not have succeeded.... I admit that the Bavarian Treaty has defects -and deficiencies. That is, however, easily said when one is not -responsible. How would it have been, then, if I had refused to make -concessions and no treaty had been concluded? It is impossible to -conceive all the difficulties that would have resulted from such a -failure, and for that reason I was in mortal anxiety over the easy -unconcern of centralising gentlemen in the Diet.”... “Last night, after -a long interval, I had again a couple of hours of good deep sleep. At -first I could not get off to sleep, worrying and pondering over all -sorts of things. Then suddenly I saw Varzin before me, quite distinctly -to the smallest detail like a big picture, with all the colours -even--green trees, the sunshine on the stems and a blue sky above it -all. I saw each single tree. I tried to get rid of it, but it came back -and tormented me, and at length when it faded away it was replaced by -other pictures, documents, notes, despatches, until at last towards -morning I fell asleep.” - -Whilst Bucher and myself were alone at tea, he told me that Delbrück, -who is the “Liberal Minister,” holds with the Liberals and is “thinking -of the future.” “At an early stage of his career the Chief offered -him the Ministry of Commerce. Delbrück declined it, saying: ‘Yes, -Excellency, but you may not remain long yourself, and I should prefer -not to accept it. What should I do if you retired? I should be obliged -to go too and renounce official life, and of course that would not -do.’” - - - - - CHAPTER XV - -CHAUDORDY AND THE TRUTH--OFFICERS OF BAD FAITH--FRENCH GARBLING--THE - CROWN PRINCE DINES WITH THE CHIEF. - - -_Friday, December 16th._--In the morning I wrote several articles on M. -de Chaudordy’s circular as to the barbarity with which we are alleged -to conduct the war. They were to the following effect. In addition to -the calumnies that have been circulated for months past by the French -press with the object of exciting public opinion against us, a document -has now been issued by the Provisional Government itself for the -purpose of prejudicing foreign Courts and Cabinets by means of garbled -and exaggerated accounts of our conduct in the present war. An official -of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Tours, M. de Chaudordy, impeaches -us in a circular to the neutral Powers. Let us consider the main points -in his statement and see how the matter stands in reality, and who can -be justly charged with barbarous methods of warfare, ourselves or the -French. - -He asserts that we make excessive requisitions, and abuse our power in -the occupied towns and districts to extort impossible contributions. -We are further stated to have seized private property, and to have -cruelly burnt down towns and villages, whose inhabitants have offered -resistance, or have in any way assisted in the defence of their -country. Our accuser says: “Commanding officers have ordered a town to -be plundered and burnt down as a punishment for the acts of individual -citizens whose sole crime consisted in resisting the invaders, thus -misusing the inexorable discipline imposed upon their troops. Every -house in which a franctireur had been concealed, or received a meal, -has been burnt down. How can this be reconciled with respect for -private property?” The circular states that in firing upon open towns -we have introduced a procedure hitherto unexampled in war. Finally, -in addition to all our other cruelties, we take hostages with us on -railway journeys to secure ourselves against the removal of the rails -and other injuries and dangers. - -In reply to these charges we offer the following observations. If M. de -Chaudordy understood anything about war, he would not complain of the -sacrifices which our operations have imposed upon the French people, -but would, on the contrary, be surprised at our relative moderation. -Moreover, the German troops respect private property everywhere, -although they can certainly not be expected, after long marches and -severe fighting, and after enduring cold and hunger, to refrain from -securing as comfortable quarters as possible, or from demanding, or, if -the inhabitants have fled, helping themselves to absolute necessaries -such as food, drink, firing, &c. Moreover, instead of seizing private -property, as M. de Chaudordy asserts, our soldiers have frequently done -the reverse, and at the risk of their own lives, rescued for the owners -works of art and other valuables which were endangered by the fire of -the French guns. We have burnt down villages, but does our accuser -know nothing of our reasons for doing so? Is he not aware that in -those villages franctireurs have treacherously fired upon our people, -and that the inhabitants have given every possible assistance to the -murderers? Has he heard nothing of the franctireurs who recently left -Fontaines, and who boldly stated that the object of their march was to -inspect the houses in the neighbourhood which were worth pillaging? Can -he bring forward a single well-established case of outrage committed -by our soldiers such as those of which the Turcos and French guerillas -have been guilty? Have our troops cut off the noses or ears of their -wounded or dead opponents, as the French did at Coulours on the 30th -of November? On the 11th of December, when 800 German prisoners should -have been brought into Lille, only 200 of them actually arrived. Many -of these were severely wounded, yet instead of affording them succour, -the people of the town pelted them with snowballs, and shouted to the -soldiers to bayonet them. The frequency with which the French have -fired at the bearers of flags of truce is something unheard of. There -is good evidence for the truth of the following incident, however -incredible it may appear. On the 2nd of December, a German sergeant -named Steinmetz, at the express desire of an officer of the Garibaldian -troops, wrote a letter to his lieutenant in Mirecourt, stating that -if our side took reprisals against Vittel or other places in the -neighbourhood, the ears of fourteen Prussian prisoners, who had fallen -into the hands of the guerillas in a surprise attack, would be cut off. - -In many instances we have not treated those volunteers as soldiers, -but that was only in cases where they did not act as soldiers, but -on the contrary, followed the principles recommended by the Prefect, -Luce Villiard, in the address issued by him through the Maires to the -peasants of the Côte d’Or department. M. Villiard said: “The country -does not demand that you should collect in large masses and openly -oppose the enemy. It expects that every morning three or four resolute -men amongst you shall leave your villages and select some good natural -position from which you can fire upon the Prussians without risk. -You must above all direct your fire against the enemy’s cavalry, and -bring their horses in to the chief district towns. I will distribute -premiums amongst you, and your heroic deeds shall be published in all -the newspapers of the Provinces as well as in the Official Journal.” - -We have bombarded open cities, such as Orleans, but is M. de Chaudordy -not aware that they were occupied by the enemy? And has he forgotten -that the French bombarded the open towns of Saarbrücken and Kehl? -Finally, as to the hostages who were obliged to accompany the railway -trains, they were taken not to serve as a hindrance to French heroism, -but as a precaution against treacherous crime. The railway does not -convey merely soldiers, arms, ammunition and other war material, -against which it may be allowable to use violent measures: it also -conveys great numbers of wounded, doctors, hospital attendants and -other perfectly harmless persons. Is a peasant or a franctireur to -be allowed to endanger hundreds of those lives by removing a rail or -laying a stone upon the line? Let the French see that the security of -the railway trains is no longer threatened and the journeys made by -those hostages will be merely outings, or our people may even be able -to forgo such precautionary measures. We forbear to deal any further -with the charges of M. de Chaudordy. The European Cabinets are aware -of the humane sentiments which inspire German methods of warfare, and -they will easily be able to form a just estimate of the value of these -charges. War, moreover, is and remains war, and it cannot be waged with -velvet gloves. We should perhaps less frequently employ the iron gloves -if the Government of National Defence had not declared a people’s war, -which invariably leads to greater harshness than a conflict between -regular armies. - -Bohlen, who is still unwell, Hatzfeldt, who is indisposed, and Keudell, -who received a command to dine with the King, were absent from dinner. -Count Holnstein and Prince Putbus were present as guests. The first -subject to be touched upon was the Bavarian Treaty, which Holnstein -expected would be approved of by the second Bavarian Chamber, in which -a two-thirds majority was necessary. It was already known that there -were only some forty members opposed to it. It was also practically -certain that it would not be rejected by the Upper House. - -“Thuengen will doubtless be in favour of it,” observed the Chief. - -“I believe so,” replied Holnstein, “as he also voted in favour of -joining in the war.” - -“Yes,” said the Minister, “he is one of the honest Particularists; but -there are some who are not honest and who have other objects in view.” - -“Certainly,” added Holnstein. “Some of the patriots showed that quite -clearly. They omitted the words, ‘For King and Country,’ retaining only -‘Mit Gott.’” - -Putbus then referred to the approaching holidays, and said it would -be a good idea to give the people in the hospital a Christmas tree. -A collection had been started for that purpose, and 2,500 francs had -already been received. “Pless and I put down our names,” he said. -“The subscription list was then laid before the Grand Duke of Weimar, -and he gave 300 francs; and the Coburger, who was then attacked, gave -200. He would certainly have been glad to get out of it. He should at -least have contrived not to give more than Weimar or less than Pless.” -“It must certainly have been very disagreeable to him,” said the -Minister. Putbus: “But why? He is a rich man!” The Chief: “Very rich!” -Putbus: “Why, certainly, he has come in for an enormous forest which -is worth over a million.” The Chief: “The Crown Princess secured that -for him through all sorts of stratagems, which she also tried on with -me. But I have done with him. He shall never get my signature again.” -Putbus: “Besides, 200 francs! He ought not to feel it so much. It is -not much more than fifty thalers. But it is just like him!” Putbus -then said they intended to submit the list of subscriptions to his -Majesty, whereupon the Chief remarked: “Then you will also allow me -to join.” Putbus afterwards added that Weimar had “not shown himself -over-generous in other matters. He established an ambulance for his -regiment, where a couple of officers are now being cared for. He -demanded payment for their keep from the Commandant, which of course -only the doctors are entitled to do.” “But surely they have not given -it to him?” said the Chief. Putbus: “Oh, yes; they have though, but not -without making some remarks on the subject that led to a great deal of -bad language on his part.” - -It was then mentioned that a French balloon had fallen down near -Wetzlar and that Ducrot was said to be in it. “I suppose he will be -shot then,” said Putbus. “No,” replied the Chief. “The common jail. Ten -years’ penal servitude. If he is brought before a court-martial nothing -will happen to him. But a Council of Honour would certainly condemn -him. So I have been told by officers.” - -“Any other news on military matters?” asked Putbus. - -“Perhaps at the General Staff,” replied the Minister, “but we know -nothing here. We only get such information as can be obtained by dint -of begging, and that is little enough.” - -Later on it was stated that the Government of National Defence was -thinking of contracting a new loan. Turning to me, the Minister -said: “It may be useful to call attention in the press to the danger -investors run in lending money to this Government. It would be well to -say that the loans made to the present Government might possibly not -be recognised by that with which we concluded peace, and that we might -even make that one of the conditions of the peace. That should be sent -to the English and Belgian press in particular.” - -Löwinsohn mentioned to me in the evening that a Conservative of high -position, from whom he sometimes obtained information, had said to -him that his friends were anxious to know what the King was going to -say to the deputation from the Reichstag. It was understood that he -was not pleased at their coming, as only the first Reichstag which -would represent all Germany, and not the North German Reichstag, -could tender him the imperial crown. (Doubtless the King is thinking -less of the Reichstag, which cannot proffer him the imperial dignity -independently, but only in concert with the Princes in the name of the -whole people, than of the Princes themselves, all of whom will not as -yet have replied to the proposal of the King of Bavaria.) Furthermore, -this Conservative of high position would prefer to see the King become -Emperor of Prussia. (A matter of taste.) Under the other arrangement -Prussia will be lost in Germany, and that arouses scruples in his mind. -Löwinsohn also reported that the Crown Prince is very indignant at -certain correspondents who compared Châteaudun to Pompeii, and drew -lively pictures of the devastation of the country owing to the war. I -suggested to Löwinsohn that he should deal with the subject of the new -French loan and that of “Chaudordy and Garibaldi’s ear-clippers” in the -_Indépendance Belge_, with which he is connected. He promised to do -this to-morrow. - -An article for the _Kölnische Zeitung_ on the new French loan was -accordingly despatched in the following form:-- - -“Yet another loan! With wicked unconcern the gentlemen who now preside -over the fortunes of France and who are plunging her deeper and deeper -into moral and material ruin, are also trying to exploit foreign -countries. This was to be anticipated for some time past, and we are -therefore not surprised at it. We would, however, call the attention -of the financial world to the very obvious dangers accompanying the -advantages which will be offered to them. We will indicate there in -a few words, in order to make the matter clear. High interest and a -low rate of issue may be very tempting. But, on the other hand, the -Government which makes this loan is recognised neither by the whole -of France nor by a single European Power. Moreover, it should be -remembered that we have already stated our intention that measures -would be taken to prevent the repayment of certain loans which French -municipalities tried to raise for the purposes of the war. We imagine -that is a sufficient hint that the same principle might be applied -on a larger scale. The French Government which concludes peace with -Prussia and her allies (and that will presumably not be the present -Government) will in all probability be bound, among other conditions -of peace, not to recognise as binding the engagements for payment of -interest and redemption of loans made by MM. Gambetta and Favre. The -Government referred to will unquestionably have the right to do this, -as those gentlemen, although it is true they speak in the name of -France, have received no mission and no authority from the country. -People should therefore be on their guard.” - -Wollmann came up to me after 10 o’clock, and said that the deputation -from the Reichstag had arrived. Their chairman, Simson, was now with -the Chief, who would doubtless inform him of the King’s disinclination -to receive them before all the Princes had sent letters declaring their -approval. These letters would go first to the King of Bavaria, who -would afterwards send them to our King. All the Princes had already -telegraphed their approval--only Lippe still appeared to entertain -scruples. Probably in consequence of this postponement it will be -necessary for a few members of the deputation to fall ill. - -_Saturday, December 17th._--In the course of the forenoon I wrote a -second paragraph on the new French loan. - -In the afternoon wrote another article on the ever-increasing instances -of French officers breaking their parole and absconding from the -places where they were interned, and returning to France to take -service against us again. Over fifty of these cases have occurred up -to the present. They include officers of all ranks, and even three -generals--namely, Ducrot, Cambriel, and Barral. After the battle of -Sedan we could have rendered the army that was shut up in that fortress -harmless by destroying it. Humanity, however, and faith in their -pledged word induced us to forgo that measure. The capitulation was -granted, and we were justified in considering that all the officers had -agreed to its terms and were prepared to fulfil the conditions which it -imposed. If that was not the case we ought to have been informed of the -fact. We should then have treated those exceptions in an exceptional -way, that is to say, not accorded to the officers in question the -same treatment that was granted to the others. In other words, they -would not have been allowed the liberty which they have now abused in -such a disgraceful manner. It is true that the great majority of the -captive officers have kept their word, and one might therefore have -dismissed the matter with a shrug of the shoulders. But the affair -assumes another aspect when the French Provisional Government approves -this breach of their pledged word by reappointing such officers to -the regiments that are opposing us in the field. Has there been a -single case in which one of these deserters was refused readmission to -the ranks of the French army? Or have any French officers protested -against the readmission of such comrades into their corps? It is, -therefore, not the Government alone, but also the officers of France, -who consider this disgraceful conduct to be correct. The consequence, -however, will be that the German Governments will feel bound in duty -to consider whether the alleviation of their imprisonment hitherto -accorded to French officers is consistent with the interests of -Germany. And further, we must ask ourselves the question whether we -shall be justified in placing confidence in any of the promises of the -present French Government when it wants to treat with Germany, without -material guarantees and pledges. - -We were joined at dinner by Herr Arnim-Krochlendorff, a brother-in-law -of the Chief, a gentleman of energetic aspect, and apparently a little -over fifty. The Minister was in very good humour, but the conversation -this time was not particularly interesting. It chiefly turned upon -the bombardment, and the attitude assumed towards that question by a -certain party at headquarters. Arnim related that when Grävenitz spoke -to the Crown Prince on the matter, the latter exclaimed: “Impossible! -nothing to be done; it would be to no purpose,” and when Grävenitz -ventured to argue the point, the Prince declared: “Well, then, if -you know better, do it! Bombard it yourself!” To which Grävenitz -replied: “Your Royal Highness, I can only fire a _feu de joie_ (_ich -kann nur Victoria schiessen_).” The Chief remarked: “That sounds -very equivocal.” The Crown Prince told me the same thing, viz., if I -thought the bombardment would be successful, I had better take over the -command. I replied that I should like to very much--for twenty-four -hours, but not longer. He then added in French, doubtless on account -of the servants: “For I do not understand anything about it, although -I believe I know as much as he does, for he has no great knowledge of -these matters.” - -_Sunday, December 18th._--At 2 o’clock the Chief drove off to the -Prefecture for the purpose of introducing the deputation of the -Reichstag to the King. The Princes residing in Versailles were in -attendance upon his Majesty. After 2 o’clock the King, accompanied -by the Heir Apparent and Princes Charles and Adalbert, entered -the reception room where the other Princes, the Chancellor of the -Confederation, and the Generals grouped themselves around him. Among -those present were the Grand Dukes of Baden, Oldenburg and Weimar, the -Dukes of Coburg and Meiningen, the three Hereditary Grand Dukes, Prince -William of Würtemberg and a number of other princely personages. Simson -delivered his address to the King, who answered very much in the sense -that had been anticipated. A dinner of eighty covers, which was given -at 5 o’clock, brought the ceremony to a close. - -On our way back from the park Wollmann told me that the Chief had -recently written to the King requesting to be permitted to take part in -the councils of war. The answer, however, was that he had always been -called to join in councils of a political nature, as in 1866, that a -similar course would also be followed in future, and that he ought to -be satisfied with that. (This story is probably not quite correct, for -Wollmann is incapable of being absolutely accurate.) - -_Monday, December 19th._--I again wrote calling attention to the -international revolution which arrays its guerilla bands and heroes of -the barricades against us. The article was to the following effect. -We understood at first that we were only fighting with France, and -that was actually the case up to Sedan. After the 4th of September -another power rose up against us, namely the universal Republic, an -international association of cosmopolitan enthusiasts who dream of the -United States of Europe, &c. - -In the afternoon I took a walk in the park, in the course of which -I twice met the Chief driving with Simson, the President of the -Reichstag. The Minister was invited to dine with the Crown Prince at -7 o’clock, but first joined our table for half an hour. He spoke of -his drive with Simson: “The last time he was here was after the July -Revolution in 1830. I thought he would be interested in the park and -the beautiful views, but he showed no sign of it. It would appear that -he has no feeling for landscape beauty. There are many people of that -kind. So far as I am aware, there are no Jewish landscape painters, -indeed no Jewish painters at all.” Some one mentioned the names of -Meyerheim and Bendemann. “Yes,” the Chief replied, “Meyerheim; but -Bendemann had only Jewish grandparents. There are plenty of Jewish -composers--Mendelssohn, Halevy--but painters! It is true that the Jew -paints, but only when he is not obliged to earn his bread thereby.” - -Abeken alluded to the sermon which Rogge preached yesterday in the -palace church, and said that he had made too much of the Reichstag -deputation. He then added some slighting remarks about the Reichstag -in general. The Chief replied: “I am not at all of that opinion--not -in the least. They have just voted us another hundred millions, and -in spite of their doctrinaire views they have adopted the Versailles -treaties, which must have cost many of them a hard struggle. We ought -to place that, at least, to their credit.” - -Abeken then talked about the events at Ems which preceded the outbreak -of the war, and related that on one occasion, after a certain despatch -had been sent off, the King said, “Well, he” (Bismarck) “will be -satisfied with us now!” And Abeken added, “I believe you were.” “Well,” -replied the Chancellor, laughing, “you may easily be mistaken. That is -to say I was quite satisfied with you. But not quite as much with our -Most Gracious, or rather not at all. He ought to have acted in a more -dignified way--and more resolutely.” “I remember,” he continued, “how I -received the news at Varzin. I had gone out, and on my return the first -telegram had been delivered. As I started on my journey I had to pass -our pastor’s house at Wussow. He was standing at his gate and saluted -me. I said nothing, but made a thrust in the air--thus” (as if he were -making a thrust with a sword). “He understood me, and I drove on.” The -Minister then gave some particulars of the wavering and hesitation -that went on up to a certain incident, which altered the complexion of -things, and was followed by the declaration of war. “I expected to find -another telegram in Berlin answering mine, but it had not arrived. In -the meantime I invited Moltke and Roon to dine with me that evening, -and to talk over the situation, which seemed to me to be growing more -and more unsatisfactory. Whilst we were dining, another long telegram -was brought in. As I read it to them--it must have been about two -hundred words--they were both actually terrified, and Moltke’s whole -being suddenly changed. He seemed to be quite old and infirm. It -looked as if our Most Gracious might knuckle under after all. I asked -him (Moltke) if, as things stood, we might hope to be victorious. On -his replying in the affirmative, I said, ‘Wait a minute!’ and seating -myself at a small table I boiled down those two hundred words to about -twenty, but without otherwise altering or adding anything. It was -Abeken’s telegram, yet something different--shorter, more determined, -less dubious. I then handed it over to them, and asked, ‘Well, how does -that do now?’ ‘Yes,’ they said, ‘it will do in that form.’ And Moltke -immediately became quite young and fresh again. He had got his war, -his trade. And the thing really succeeded. The French were fearfully -angry at the condensed telegram as it appeared in the newspapers, and -a couple of days later they declared war against us.” - -The conversation then wandered back to Pomerania, and if I am not -mistaken to Varzin, where the Chief had, he said, taken much interest -in a Piedmontese who had remained behind after the great French wars. -This man had raised himself to a position of consequence, and although -originally a Catholic, had actually become a vestryman. The Minister -mentioned other people who had settled and prospered in places where -they had been accidentally left behind. There were also Italians taken -as prisoners of war to a district in Further Pomerania, where they -remained and founded families whose marked features still distinguish -them from their neighbours. - -The Minister did not return from the Crown Prince’s until past ten -o’clock, and we then heard that the Crown Prince was coming to dine -with us on the following evening. - -_Tuesday, December 20th._--On the instructions of the Chief I wrote two -articles for circulation in Germany. - -The first was as follows: “We have already found it necessary on -several occasions to correct a misunderstanding or an intentional -garbling of the words addressed by King William to the French people on -the 11th of August last. We are now once more confronted with the same -attempt to falsify history, and to our surprise in a publication by -an otherwise respectable French historian. In a pamphlet entitled _La -France et la Prusse devant l’Europe_, M. d’Haussonville puts forward an -assertion which does little credit to his love of truth, or let us say -his scientific accuracy. The whole pamphlet is shallow and superficial. -It is full of exaggerations and errors, and of assertions that have no -more value than mere baseless rumours. Of the gross blunders of the -writer, who is obviously blinded by patriotic passion, we will only -mention that, according to him, King William was on the throne during -the Crimean War. But apart from this and other mistakes, we have here -only to deal with his attempt to garble the proclamation issued to the -French in August last, which, it may be observed, was written in French -as well as in German, so that a misunderstanding would appear to be -out of the question. According to M. d’Haussonville the King said: ‘I -am only waging war against the Emperor and not at all against France.’ -(_Je ne fais la guerre qu’à l’Empereur, et nullement à la France._) As -a matter of fact, however, the document in question says: ‘The German -nation, which desired and still desires to live in peace with France, -having been attacked at sea and on land by the Emperor Napoleon, I have -taken the command of the German armies for the purpose of repelling -this aggression. Owing to the course taken by the military operations, -I have been led to cross the French frontier. I wage war against the -soldiers and not against the citizens of France.’ (_L’Empereur Napoléon -ayant attaqué par terre et par mer la nation allemande, qui désirait -et désire encore vivre en paix avec le peuple français, j’ai pris le -commandement des armées allemandes pour repousser l’agression, et -j’ai été amené par les événements militaires à passer les frontières -de la France. Je fais la guerre aux soldats, et non aux citoyens -français._) The next sentence excludes all possibility of mistake as -to the meaning of the foregoing statement: ‘They (the French citizens) -will accordingly continue to enjoy complete security of person and -property so long as they themselves do not deprive me of the right -to accord them my protection by acts of hostility against the German -troops.’ (_Ceux-ci continueront, par conséquent, à jouir d’une -complète sécurité pour leur personnes et leur biens, aussi longtemps -qu’ils ne me priveront eux-mêmes par des entreprises hostiles contre -les troupes allemandes du droit de leur accorder ma protection._) There -is, in our opinion, a very obvious difference between d’Haussonville’s -quotation and the original proclamation, and no obscurity can possibly -be discovered in the latter to excuse a mistake.” - -The second item ran thus: “The Delegation from the Government of -National Defence, which is at present in Bordeaux, has satisfied itself -that further resistance to the German forces is useless, and it would, -with the approval even of M. Gambetta, be prepared to conclude peace -on the basis of the demands put forward by Germany. It is understood, -however, that General Trochu has decided to continue the war. The -Delegation entered into an engagement from Tours with General Trochu -not to negotiate for peace without his consent. According to other -reports General Trochu has had provisions for several months stored -in the fortress of Mont Valérien, so that he may fall back upon that -position after Paris has had to capitulate with a sufficient force -to exercise influence upon the fate of France after the conclusion -of peace. His object, it is believed, is to promote the interests of -the Orleans family, of which General Trochu is understood to be an -adherent.” - -On my taking these paragraphs into the office to have them sent off, -Keudell told me the Chief had agreed that henceforth all State papers -received and despatched should be shown to me if I asked for them. - -The Crown Prince and his aide-de-camp arrived shortly after six -o’clock. The former had on his shoulder straps the badges of his -new military rank as field-marshal. He sat at the head of the table, -with the Chief on his right and Abeken on his left. After the soup -the conversation first turned on the subject which I had this morning -worked up for the press, namely, that according to a communication from -Israel, the secretary of Laurier, who acts as agent for the Provisional -Government in London, Gambetta no longer believed in the possibility -of successful resistance, and was disposed to conclude peace on the -basis of our demands. Trochu was the only member of the Government who -wished to continue the struggle, but on his undertaking the defence of -Paris, the others had bound themselves to act in concert with him in -this respect. - -The Chancellor observed: “He is understood to have had Mont Valérien -provisioned for two months, so that he may fall back upon that position -with the regular troops when it becomes necessary to surrender the -city--probably in order to influence the conclusion of peace.” He then -continued: “Indeed, I believe that France will break up into several -pieces--the country is already split up into parties. There are great -differences of opinion between the different districts. Legitimists -in Brittany, Red Republicans in the south, and Moderate Republicans -elsewhere, while the regular army is still for the Emperor, or at least -the majority of the officers are. It is possible that each section will -follow its own convictions, one being Republican, another Bourbon, and -a third Orleanist, according to the party that happens to have the most -adherents, and then Napoleon’s people--tetrarchies of Judea, Galilee, -&c.” - -The Crown Prince said it was believed that Paris must have a -subterranean communication with the outer world. The Chief thought so -too, and added: “But they cannot get provisions in that way, although, -of course, they can receive news. I have been thinking whether it -might not be possible to flood the catacombs from the Seine, and thus -inundate the lower parts of the city. Of course the catacombs go under -the Seine.” - -The Chief then said that if Paris could be taken now it would produce -a good effect upon public opinion in Bavaria, whence the reports were -again unsatisfactory. Bray was not to be trusted, had not the interests -of Germany at heart, inclined to the Ultramontanes, had a Neapolitan -wife, felt happiest in his memories of Vienna, where he lived for a -long time, and seemed disposed to tack about again. “The King is, after -all, the best of them all in the upper circles,” said the Chancellor, -“but he seems to be in bad health and eccentric, and nobody knows what -may yet happen.” “Yes, indeed,” said the Crown Prince. “How bright -and handsome he was formerly--a little too slight, but otherwise the -very ideal of a young man. Now his complexion is yellow, and he looks -old. I was quite shocked when I saw him.” “The last time I saw him,” -said the Chancellor, “was at his mother’s at Nymphenburg, in 1863, -when the Congress of Princes was being held. Even at that time he had -a strange look in his eyes. I remember that, when dining, he on one -occasion drank no wine, and on another took eight or ten glasses--not -at intervals, but hastily, one glass after another, at one draught, so -that the servant scarcely liked to keep on filling his glass.” - -The conversation then turned on the Bavarian Prince Charles, who was -said to be strongly anti-Prussian, but too old and feeble to be very -dangerous to the cause of German unity. Some one remarked: “Nature has -very little to do with him as it is.” “That reminds me of old Count -Adlerberg,” said the Minister, “who was also mostly artificial--hair, -teeth, calves, and one eye. When he wanted to get up in the morning -all his best parts lay on chairs and tables near the bed. You remember -the newly-married man in the _Fliegende Blätter_ who watched his bride -take herself to pieces, lay her hair on the toilet table, her teeth on -the chimney-piece, and other fragments elsewhere, and then exclaimed, -‘But what remains for me?’” Moreover, Adlerberg, he went on to say, was -a terrible bore, and it was owing to him that Countess Bismarck once -fainted at a diplomatic dinner where she was seated between him and -Stieglitz. “She always faints when she is exceptionally bored, and for -that reason I never take her with me to diplomatic dinners.” “That is -a pretty compliment for the diplomats,” observed the Crown Prince. - -The Chief then related that one evening, not long ago, the sentry on -guard at the Crown Prince’s quarters did not want to let him go in, -and only agreed to do so on his addressing him in Polish. “A few days -ago I also tried to talk Polish with the soldiers in the hospital, -and they brightened up wonderfully on hearing a gentleman speak their -mother tongue. It is a pity that my vocabulary was exhausted. It would, -perhaps, be a good thing if their commander-in-chief could speak to -them.” “There you are, Bismarck, coming back to the old story,” said -the Crown Prince, smiling. “No, I don’t like Polish and I won’t learn -it. I do not like the people.” “But, your Royal Highness, they are, -after all, good soldiers and honest fellows when they have been taught -to wash themselves and not to pilfer.” The Crown Prince: “Yes, but when -they cast off the soldier’s tunic they are just what they were before, -and at bottom they are and still remain hostile to us.” The Chief: -“As to their hostility, that only applies to the nobles and their -labourers, and all that class. A noble, who has nothing himself, feeds -a crowd of people, servants of all sorts, who also belong to the minor -nobility, although they act as his domestics, overseers, and clerks. -These stand by him when he rises in rebellion, and also the Komorniks, -or day labourers.... The independent peasantry does not join them, -however, even when egged on by the priests, who are always against us. -We have seen that in Posen, when the Polish regiments had to be removed -merely because they were too cruel to their own fellow countrymen.... -I remember at our place in Pomerania there was a market, attended, on -one occasion, by a number of Kassubes (Pomeranian Poles). A quarrel -broke out between one of them and a German, who refused to sell him -a cow because he was a Pole. The Kassube was mortally offended, and -shouted out: ‘You say I’m a Polack. No, I’m just as much a Prussack -as yourself;’ and then, as other Germans and Poles joined in, it soon -developed into a beautiful free fight.” - -The Chief then added that the Great Elector spoke Polish as well -as German, and that his successors also understood that language. -Frederick the Great was the first who did not learn it, but then he -also spoke better French than German. “That may be,” said the Crown -Prince, “but I am not going to learn Polish. I do not like it. They -must learn German.” With this remark the subject was allowed to drop. - -At dessert the Crown Prince, after asking if he might smoke a pipe, -pulled out a short one with a porcelain bowl, on which an eagle was -painted, while the rest of us lit our cigars. - -After dinner the Crown Prince and the Minister retired with the -Councillors to the drawing-room, where they took coffee. Later on we -were all sent for, and formally presented to the future Emperor by -the Chief. We had to wait for about a quarter of an hour while the -Chancellor was deep in conversation with the Crown Prince. His august -guest stood in the corner near one of the windows. The Chief spoke to -him in a low tone, with his eyes mostly cast down, while the Crown -Prince listened with a serious and almost sullen look. - -After the presentation I returned to the bureau, where I read the -diplomatic reports and drafts of the last few days, amongst others -the draft of the King’s reply to the Reichstag deputation. This had -been prepared by Abeken, and greatly altered by the Chief. Then an -instruction from the Minister to the Foreign Office to the effect that -if the _Provinzial-Correspondenz_ should again contain a commendation -of Gambetta’s energy or anything of that kind, every possible means -should be immediately employed to prevent the publication. Also a -report from Prince Reuss to the effect that Gortschakoff had replied in -a negative sense to a sentimental communication of Gabriac’s, adding -that all the Russian Cabinet could do for the French at present was -to act as letter-carrier in conveying their wishes to the Prussian -Government. - -At tea Hatzfeldt told me he had been trying to decipher a Dutch report -from Van Zuylen, which had been brought out with Washburne’s mail, and -had succeeded, though there were still a few doubtful points. He then -showed it to me, and together we contrived to puzzle out some more of -it. The despatch seems to be based throughout on good information, and -to give a faithful account of the situation. - -At 10.30 P.M. summoned to the Chief, who wants the _Moniteur_ to -mention Gambetta’s inclination to forgo further resistance and Trochu’s -plan respecting Mont Valérien. - -_Wednesday, December 21st._--At dinner the Chief spoke of his -great-grandfather, who, if I rightly understood him, fell at Czaslau. -“The old people at our place often described him to my father. He was -a mighty hunter before the Lord, and a great toper. Once in a single -year he shot 154 red deer, a feat which Prince Frederick Charles -will scarcely emulate, although the Duke of Dessau might. I remember -being told that when he was stationed at Gollnow, the officers messed -together, the Colonel presiding over the kitchen. It was the custom -there for five or six dragoons to march in and fire a volley from their -carbines at each toast. Altogether they had very curious customs. For -instance, instead of a plank bed they had as a punishment a so-called -wooden donkey with sharp edges, upon which the men who had been guilty -of any breach of discipline were obliged to sit, often for a couple of -hours--a very painful punishment. On the birthday of the Colonel or of -other officers, the soldiers always carried this donkey to the bridge -and threw it into the river. But a new one was invariably provided. -The Burgomaster’s wife told my father that it must have been renewed a -hundred times. I have a portrait of this great-grandfather in Berlin. I -am the very image of him, that is to say, I was when I was young--when -I saw myself in the looking-glass.” - -The Minister then related that it was owing to a relative of his, -Finanzrath Kerl, that he was sent to Göttingen University. He was -consigned to Professor Hausmann, and was to study mineralogy. “They -were thinking, no doubt, of Leopold von Buch, and fancied it would be -fine for me to go through the world like him, hammer in hand, chipping -pieces off the rocks. Things, however, turned out differently. It would -have been better if I had been sent to Bonn, where I should have met -countrymen of my own. At Göttingen I had no one from my own part of the -country, and so I met none of my University acquaintances again until -I saw a few of them in the Reichstag.” - -Abeken said that after a brisk fire from the forts this morning there -had been a sortie of the Paris garrison, which was principally directed -against the positions occupied by the Guards. It was, however, scarcely -more than an artillery engagement, as the attack was known beforehand -and preparations had been made to meet it. Hatzfeldt said he should -like to know how they were able to discover that a sortie was going -to take place. It was suggested that in the open country movements -of transport and guns could not escape detection, as large masses of -troops could not be concentrated on the point of attack in one night. -“That was quite true,” observed the Chief, with a laugh; “but often -a hundred louis d’ors also form an important part of this military -prescience.” - -After dinner I read drafts and despatches, from which I ascertained, -amongst other things, that as early as the 1st of September, Prussia -had intimated in St. Petersburg that she would put no difficulties in -the way of such action in the matter of the Black Sea as has now been -taken. - -Later on I arranged that Löwinsohn should deal with the Gambetta-Trochu -question in the _Indépendance Belge_. Also informed him that Delbrück -would be here again on the 28th inst. - -_Thursday, December 22nd._--This time there were no strangers at -dinner. The Chief was in excellent spirits, but the conversation was of -no special importance. - -A reference was made to yesterday’s sortie, and the Chief remarked: -“The French came out yesterday with three divisions, and we had only -fifteen companies, not even four battalions, and yet we made nearly a -thousand prisoners. The Parisians with their attacks, now here and now -there, remind me of a French dancing master conducting a quadrille. - - “Ma commère, quand je danse - Mon cotillon, va-t-il bien? - Il va de ci, il va de là, - Comme la queue de notre chat.” - -Later on the Chief remarked: “Our august master is not at all pleased -at the idea of Antonelli at length deciding to come here. He is -uneasy about it. I am not.” Abeken said: “The newspapers express very -different opinions about Antonelli. At one time he is described as a -man of great intelligence and acumen; then again as a sly intriguer, -and shortly afterwards as a stupid fellow and a blockhead.” The -Chief replied: “It is not in the press alone that you meet with such -contradictions. It is the same with many diplomats. Goltz and our -Harry (von Arnim). We will leave Goltz out of the question--that was -different. But Harry--to-day this way and to-morrow that! When I used -to read a number of his reports together at Varzin, I found his opinion -of people change entirely a couple of times every week, according as he -had met with a friendly or unfriendly reception. As a matter of fact, -he sent different opinions by every post, and often by the same post.” - -Afterwards read reports from Rome, London, and Constantinople, and the -replies sent to them. According to Arnim’s despatch, Monsignor Franchi -informed him that the Pope and Antonelli wished to send a mission to -Versailles to congratulate the King on his accession to the imperial -dignity, and at the same time to induce the French clergy to promote -the liberation of the country from Gambetta, and the negotiation of -peace with us on the basis of a cession of territory. In certain -circumstances Antonelli himself would undertake the task, in which -the Archbishop of Tours had failed, of securing an acceptable peace. -In reply to this communication Arnim was informed that it was still -uncertain whether Bavaria would agree to the scheme of Emperor and -Empire. We should, nevertheless, carry it through. But, in that case, -its chief support having been found in public opinion, the (mainly -Ultramontane) elements of resistance would be in still more marked -opposition to the new Germany. Bernstorff reports that the former -Imperial Minister, Duvernois, had called upon him at Eugénie’s instance -and suggested a cession of territory to us equal in extent to that -acquired by the Empire in Nice and Savoy. The Empress wished to issue -a proclamation. Persigny was of a different opinion, as he considered -the Empress to be impossible. Bonnechose, the Archbishop of Rouen, -expressed a similar opinion to Manteuffel. The reply sent to Bernstorff -was that we could not negotiate with the Empress (who, moreover, does -not appear to be reliable or politically capable), unless Persigny was -in agreement with her, and that Duvernois’ overture was unpractical. -Aali Pasha is prepared to agree to the abolition of the neutrality of -the Black Sea, but demands in compensation the full sovereignty of the -Porte over the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. This was telegraphed by -us to St. Petersburg, and there agreed to; whereupon Brunnow (the -Russian Ambassador in London) received the necessary instructions in -the matter. - -_Friday, December 23rd._--It was mentioned at dinner that General von -Voigts-Rhetz was outside Tours, the inhabitants having offered so much -resistance that it was found necessary to shell the town. The Chief -added, “He ought not to have stopped firing when they hoisted the white -flag. I would have continued to shell them until they sent out four -hundred hostages.” He again condemned the leniency of the officers -towards civilians who offer resistance. Even notorious treachery was -scarcely punished as it ought to be, and so the French imagined that -they could do what they liked against us. “Here is, for instance, this -Colonel Krohn,” he continued. “He first has a lawyer tried for aiding -and abetting franctireurs, and then, when he sees him condemned, he -sends in first one and then another petition for mercy, instead of -letting the man be shot, and finally despatches the wife to me with a -safe conduct. Yet he is generally supposed to be an energetic officer -and a strict disciplinarian, but he can hardly be quite right in his -head.” - -From the discussion of this foolish leniency the conversation turned -on General von Unger, Chief of the Staff to the 7th Army Corps, who -had gone out of his mind, and had to be sent home. He is, it seems, -generally moody and silent, but occasionally breaks out into loud -weeping. “Yes,” sighed the Chief, “officers in that position are -terribly harassed. Constantly at work, always responsible, and yet -unable to get things done, and hampered by intrigue. Almost as bad as -a Minister. I know that sort of crying myself. It is over-excitement -of the nerves, hysterical weeping. I, too, had it at Nikolsburg, and -badly. A Minister is just as badly treated--all sorts of worries--an -incessant plague of midges. Other things can be borne, but one must -be properly treated. I cannot endure shabby treatment. If I were not -treated with courtesy, I should be inclined to throw my riband of the -Black Eagle into the dustbin.” - -The Versailles _Moniteur_ having been mentioned, the Chief observed: -“Last week they published a novel by Heyse, the scene of which is laid -in Meran. Such sentimental twaddle is quite out of place in a paper -published at the cost of the King, which after all this one is. The -Versailles people do not want that either. They look for political -news and military intelligence from France, from England, or, if you -like, from Italy, but not such namby-pamby trash. I have also a touch -of poetry in my nature, but the first few sentences of that stuff were -enough for me.” Abeken, at whose instance the novel was published, -stood up for the editor, and said the story had been taken from the -_Revue des Deux Mondes_, an admittedly high-class periodical. The -Chief, however, stuck to his own opinion. Somebody remarked that the -_Moniteur_ was now written in better French. “It may be,” said the -Minister, “but that is a minor point. However, we are Germans, and as -such we always ask ourselves, even in the most exalted regions, if -we please our neighbours and if what we do is to their satisfaction. -If they do not understand, let them learn German. It is a matter -of indifference whether a proclamation is written in a good French -style or not, so long as it is otherwise adequate and intelligible. -Moreover, we cannot expect to be masters of a foreign language. A -person who has only used it occasionally for some two and a half -years cannot possibly express himself as well as one who has used it -for fifty-four years.” Steinmetz’s proclamation then received some -ironical praise, and a couple of extraordinary expressions were quoted -from it. Lehndorff said: “It was not first-class French, but it was, -at any rate, intelligible.” The Chief: “Yes, it is their business to -understand it. If they cannot, let them find some one to translate it -for them. Those people who fancy themselves merely because they speak -good French are of no use to us. But that is our misfortune. Whoever -cannot speak decent German is a made man, especially if he can murder -English. Old ---- (I understood: Meyendorff) once said to me: ‘Don’t -trust any Englishman who speaks French with a correct accent.’ I have -generally found that true. But I must make an exception in favour of -Odo Russell.” - -The name of Napoleon III. then came up. The Chief regarded him as a -man of limited intelligence. “He is much more good-natured and much -less acute than is usually believed.” “Why,” interrupted Lehndorff, -“that is just what some one said of Napoleon I.: ‘a good honest fellow, -but a fool.’” “But seriously,” continued the Chief, “whatever one may -think of the _coup d’état_ he is really good-natured, sensitive, even -sentimental, while his intellect is not brilliant and his knowledge -limited. He is a specially poor hand at geography, although he was -educated in Germany, even going to school there,--and he entertains -all sorts of visionary ideas. In July last he spent three days -shilly-shallying without being able to come to a decision, and even -now he does not know what he wants. People would not believe me when -I told them so a long time ago. Already in 1854-55 I told the King, -Napoleon has no notion of what we are. When I became Minister I had a -conversation with him in Paris. He believed there would certainly be -a rising in Berlin before long and a revolution all over the country, -and in a plebiscite the King would have the whole people against -him. I told him then that our people do not throw up barricades, and -that revolutions in Prussia are only made by the Kings. If the King -could only bear the strain for three or four years he would carry his -point. Of course the alienation of public sympathy was unpleasant and -inconvenient. But if the King did not grow tired and leave me in the -lurch I should not fail. If an appeal were made to the population, -and a plebiscite were taken, nine-tenths of them would vote for the -King. At that time the Emperor said of me: ‘_Ce n’est pas un homme -sérieux._’ Of course I did not remind him of that in the weaver’s house -at Donchery.” - -Somebody then mentioned that letters to Favre began “Monsieur -le Ministre,” whereupon the Chief said: “The next time I write -to him I shall begin _Hochwohlgeborner Herr!_” This led to a -Byzantine discussion of titles and forms of address, _Excellenz_, -_Hochwohlgeboren_, and _Wohlgeboren_. The Chancellor entertained -decidedly anti-Byzantine views. “All that should be dropped,” he -said. “I do not use those expressions any longer in private letters, -and officially I address councillors down to the third class as -_Hochwohlgeboren_.” - -Abeken, a Byzantine of the purest water, declared that diplomats -had already resented the occasional omission of portions of their -titles, and that only councillors of the second class were entitled -to _Hochwohlgeboren_. “Well,” said the Chief, “I want to see all that -kind of thing done away with as far as we are concerned. In that way we -waste an ocean of ink in the course of the year, and the taxpayer has -good reason to complain of extravagance. I am quite satisfied to be -addressed simply as ‘Minister President Count von Bismarck.’” - -_Saturday, December 24._--Bucher told us at lunch he had heard from -Berlin that the Queen and the Crown Princess had become very unpopular, -owing to their intervention on behalf of Paris; and that the Princess, -in the course of a conversation with Putbus, struck the table and -exclaimed: “For all that, Paris shall not be bombarded!” - -We are joined at dinner by Lieutenant-Colonel von Beckedorff, an old -and intimate friend of the Chief, who said to him: “If I had been an -officer--I wish I were--I should now have an army and we should not be -here outside Paris.” He proceeded to give reasons for believing that -it was a mistake to have waited and invested Paris. With regard to the -operations of the last few weeks, he criticised the advance of the -army so far to the north and south-west and the intention of advancing -still further. “If it should become necessary to retire from Rouen and -Tours, the French will think they have beaten us. It is an unpractical -course to march on every place where a mob has been collected. We ought -to remain within a certain line. It may be urged that in that case -the French would be able to carry on their organisation beyond that -line. But they will always be able to do that even if we advance, and -we may be obliged ultimately to follow them to the Pyrenees and the -Mediterranean.” “When we were still at Mainz, I thought that the best -plan would be for us to take what we wanted to keep and occupy some -five other departments as a pledge for the payment of the cost of the -war, and then let the French try to drive us out of our positions.” - -A further discussion of the conduct of the war followed, in the course -of which the Chief remarked: “With us it occasionally happens that it -is not so much the generals who begin and direct the course of battles -as the troops themselves. Just as it was with the Greeks and Trojans. -A couple of men jeer at each other and come to blows, lances are -flourished, others rush in with their spears, and so it finally comes -to a pitched battle. First the outposts fire without any necessity, -then if all goes well others press forward after them; at the start a -non-commissioned officer commands a batch of men, then a lieutenant -advances with more men, after him comes the regiment, and finally the -general must follow with all the troops that are left. It was in that -way that the battle of Spicheren began, and also that of Gravelotte, -which properly speaking should not have taken place until the 19th. -It was different at Vionville. There our people had to spring at the -French like bulldogs and hold them fast. At St. Privat the Guards made -a foolish attack merely out of professional jealousy of the Saxons, and -then when it failed threw the blame on the Saxon troops, who could not -have come a minute sooner with the long march they had had to make, and -who afterwards rescued them with wonderful gallantry.” - -Later on I was summoned to see the Chief. Various articles are to be -written on the barbarous manner in which the French are conducting the -war--and not merely the franctireurs, but also the regulars, who are -almost daily guilty of breaches of the Geneva Convention. The French -appear only to know, and appeal to, those clauses that are advantageous -to themselves. In this connection should be mentioned the firing -at flags of truce, the ill-treatment and plundering of doctors and -hospital bearers and attendants, the murder of wounded soldiers, the -misuse of the Geneva Cross by franctireurs, the employment of explosive -bullets, and the treatment of German ships and crews by French cruisers -in breach of the law of nations. The conclusion to be as follows:--The -present French Government is greatly to blame for all this. It has -instigated a popular war and can no longer check the passions it has -let loose, which disregard international law and the rules of war. They -are responsible for all the severity which we are obliged to employ -against our own inclinations and contrary to our nature and habits, as -shown in the conduct of the Schleswig and Austrian campaigns. - -At 10 P.M. the Chief received the first class of the Iron Cross. - -At tea Hatzfeldt informs me that he is instructed to collect all the -particulars published by the newspapers respecting the cruelties of -the French, and asks whether I would not prefer to undertake that -task. After I promised to do so, he continued: “Moreover, I believe -the Chief only sent for me in order to tell me his opinion of the new -decoration.” He said to Hatzfeldt: “I have already enough of these -gewgaws, and here is the good King sending me the first class of the -Iron Cross. I shall be thoroughly ridiculous with it, and look as if -I had won a great battle. If I could at least send my son the second -class which I no longer want!” - -_Sunday, December 25th._--Cardinal Bonnechose of Rouen is said to -be coming here. He and Persigny want to convoke the old Legislative -Assembly, and still more the Senate, which is composed of calmer and -riper elements, in order to discuss the question of peace. The Chief -is believed to have made representations to the King respecting the -expediency, on political grounds, of greater concentration in the -military operations. - -We had no guests at dinner, and the conversation was, for the most -part, not worth repeating. The following may, however, be noted. Abeken -said he had observed that I was keeping a very complete diary, and -Bohlen added in his own lively style: “Yes, he writes down: ‘At 45 -minutes past 3 o’clock Count or Baron So-and-so said this or that,’ -as if he were going to swear to it at some future time.” Abeken said: -“That will one day be material for history. If one could only live -to read it!” I replied that it would certainly furnish material for -history, and very trustworthy material, but not for thirty years to -come. The Chief smiled and said: “Yes, and the reference will then be: -‘Conferas Buschii, cap. 3, p. 20.’” - -After dinner I read State documents and ascertained from them that an -extension of the German frontier towards the west was first officially -submitted to the King, at Herny, on the 14th of August. It was only on -the 2nd September that the Baden Government sent in a memorial in the -same sense. - -_Monday, December 26th._--Waldersee dined with us. The conversation -was almost entirely on military subjects. With respect to the further -conduct of the war, the Chief said that the wisest course would be to -concentrate our forces in Alsace-Lorraine, the department of the Meuse, -and another neighbouring department, which would amount to a strip of -territory with about 2,600,000 inhabitants. If one took in a few other -departments in addition, without Paris, it would amount to about seven -millions, or with Paris to about nine million inhabitants. In any case -the operations should be limited to a smaller area than that occupied -by our armies at present. - -People’s ability to carry liquor was then discussed, and the Chief -observed: “Formerly drink did not affect me in the least. When I -think of my performances in that line! The strong wines, particularly -Burgundy!” The conversation afterwards turned for a while on -card-playing, and the Minister remarked that he had also done a good -deal in that way formerly. He had once played twenty-one rubbers of -whist, for instance, one after the other--“which amounts to seven hours -time.” He could only feel an interest in cards when playing for high -stakes, and then it was not a proper thing for the father of a family. - -This subject had been introduced by a remark of the Chief’s that -somebody was a “Riemchenstecher.” He asked if we understood what the -word meant, and then proceeded to explain it. “Riemchenstechen” is an -old soldiers’ game, and a “Riemchenstecher” is not exactly a scamp, but -rather a sly, sharp fellow. The Minister then related how he had seen a -father do his own son at cards out of a sum of twelve thousand thalers. -“I saw him cheat, and made a sign to the son, who understood me. He -lost the game and paid, although it cost him two years’ income. But he -never played again.” - -After dinner wrote another article on the barbarity with which -the French wage war, and cut out for the King an article from the -_Staatsbuergerzeitung_, recommending a less considerate treatment of -the enemy. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - -FIRST WEEK OF THE BOMBARDMENT - - -On Tuesday, the 27th of December, the long-wished-for bombardment of -Paris at length began, commencing on the east side. As the following -particulars show, we at first knew nothing of it, and afterwards also -it was only for a few days that the firing gave an impression of being -particularly violent. We very soon grew accustomed to it, and it never -entirely diverted our attention even from trifles, nor caused any -lengthy interruption of our work or of the flow of thought. The French -forts had been prepared for it. The diary may now resume its narrative. - -From early morning on Tuesday until far into the day there was a heavy -fall of snow and rather severe cold. In the morning Theiss, who serves -Abeken as well as myself, and who seems to consider that our old -Geheimrath is a Catholic, told me:--“He always reads his prayers in the -morning. I believe it is Latin. He speaks very loud, so that he can -sometimes be heard in the antechamber. Probably it’s a mass.” He then -added that Abeken supposed the heavy firing that was heard from 7 A.M. -was the commencement of the bombardment. - -Wrote several letters to Berlin with instructions as to articles. -Bray is to be sharply attacked by our newspapers. After 12 o’clock -I telegraph to London on the instructions of the Chief that the -bombardment of the outer fortifications began this morning. Our -artillery has commenced with an attack upon Mont Avron, a redoubt near -Bondy, and it appears that the Saxons had the honour to fire the first -shot. - -The Minister remained in bed the whole day, not because he was -particularly unwell, but, as he told me, to maintain an equable -warmth. He was also absent from dinner, at which we were joined by -Count Solms. The only point of note in the conversation was Abeken’s -mention of a very pretty poem in the _Kladderadatsch_, on the Duke of -Coburg--probably a panegyric. - -The Bonapartists seem to have become very active, and to entertain -great plans. According to Bernstorff’s despatches Persigny and -Palikao intend to get us to grant neutrality to Orleans, and to -convoke there the Corps Législatif to decide whether the country is -to have a republic or a monarchy, and if the latter which dynasty -is to reign. It is intended, however, to wait for a while, until -greater discouragement shall have made the people more accommodating. -Bonnechose proposes to attempt a negotiation for peace between Germany -and France. This prelate was formerly a lawyer, and only entered holy -orders subsequently. He is considered to be intelligent, is connected -with the Jesuits, and although in politics he is really a Legitimist he -has a high opinion of Eugénie because of her piety. He was an ardent -supporter of the doctrine of infallibility, and expects to be elected -Pope, which position he has indeed some prospect of attaining. The -Archbishop told Professor Wagener, who had been sent to see him by -Manteuffel respecting the hospital arrangements, that he could induce -Trochu, with whom he is acquainted, to surrender Paris in case we did -not insist upon a cession of territory. The Archbishop suggested that -instead of a cession of territory we might demand the return of Nice -and Savoy to Victor Emmanuel, and then oblige the latter to restore -their territories to the Pope and to the Sovereigns of Tuscany and -Naples. In that way we should win renown as the protectors of order, -and the restorers of justice in Europe. A strange idea indeed! - -The Chief has given directions to adopt the severest measures against -Noquet le Roi, where a surprise by franctireurs was assisted by -the inhabitants. He has also rejected the appeal of the mayor and -municipality of Chatillon to be relieved from a contribution of a -million francs imposed upon the town as a penalty for similar conduct. -In both cases he was guided by the principle that the population must -be made to suffer by the war in order to render them more disposed to -peace. - -At 11 P.M. called to the Chief, who gave me several newspaper articles -from Berlin “for the collection” (of examples of French barbarity in -the conduct of the war which I have begun under his instructions), as -well as two other articles that are to be sent to the King. - -_Wednesday, December 28th._--Snowfall and moderately cold. The Chief -again kept to his room to-day. He handed me a letter in French, dated -the 25th instant, which he had received from “Une Américaine.” I am to -make what use I like of it. It runs as follows:-- - -“Graf von Bismarck. Jouissez autant que possible, Herr Graf, du climat -frais de Versailles, car, un jour, vous aurez à supporter des châleurs -infernales pour tous les malheurs que vous avez causés à la France et -à l’Allemagne.” That is all! - -His Excellency Herr Delbrück again lunches with us. He is convinced -that the Second Bavarian Chamber will ultimately approve the Versailles -treaties just as the North German Diet did, respecting whose decision -he had been really uneasy for some days. - -_Thursday, December 29th._--The Minister still remains in bed, but -works there, and does not seem to be particularly unwell. - -In the afternoon I translated for the King Granville’s despatch -to Loftus respecting Bismarck’s circular on the Luxemburg affair. -Afterwards studied documents. In the middle of October the Chief -received a memorial from Coburg with proposals as to a reorganisation -of Germany. These also included the restoration of the imperial -dignity, and finally the substitution for the Bundesrath of a -Federal Ministry, and the creation of a Reichsrath to consist of -representatives of the Governments and delegates from the Diets. The -Chief replied to this memorial that some of the ideas brought forward -were already for some time past in process of realisation. He could not -agree to the proposals as to a Federal Ministry and the Reichsrath, as -he considered them calculated to hamper the new organisation, and, if -necessary, he would openly declare against them. It is reported from -Brussels that the King of the Belgians is well disposed towards us, -but has no means of controlling the anti-German press of the country. -The Grand Duke of Hesse has stated that Alsace and Lorraine must -become Prussian provinces. Dalwigk (his Minister), who is as opposed -to us as ever, wishes to see the territory to be ceded by France -incorporated with Baden. The Grand Duchy would then cede the district -near Heidelberg and Mannheim to Bavaria, whose connection with the -Palatinate on the left bank of the Rhine would be thus re-established. -In Rome the Pope wishes to undertake “mediation” between ourselves and -France. The expression quoted was objected to by Arnim as inappropriate. - -The following particulars relating to the King of Bavaria are contained -in a report from Munich: “His kingdom is not of this world. It has been -further observed that Major Sauer has no longer any influence upon him, -while that of Privy Councillor Eisenhart has increased, as indeed also -that of Count Holnstein. He is not coming to Versailles, in the first -place because he would be obliged to ride, which he can no longer do -with comfort, and in the next place because he does not like to play -second fiddle. All that Bray thinks of is to keep his own position in -Vienna warm, if only for the sake of his livelihood.” Lutz is “the -_tête forte_ in the Ministry, and is very ambitious.” The Princes Karl -and Ludwig are strongly anti-Prussian. The Nuncio’s secretary exercises -a great influence with his chief.--Read a letter from King Lewis to -our Crown Prince. It was written at the commencement of the war. The -handwriting is coarse and ugly and the lines are not straight. It -expresses a hope that the independence of Bavaria will be respected. -Otherwise the tone of the epistle is soundly patriotic. - -In the evening I handed Bucher, as material for an article, all the -newspaper reports I have collected on the barbarous conduct of the war -by the French, contrary to the law of nations. - -At 10 o’clock I was called to the Chief, who was lying before the -fire on the sofa, wrapt in a blanket. He said: “Well, we’ve got him!” -“Whom, your Excellency?” “Mont Avron.” He then showed me a letter -from Count Waldersee, reporting that this redoubt was occupied by the -troops of the 12th Army Corps this afternoon. “It is to be hoped that -they have laid no mine and that the poor Saxons will not be blown up.” -I telegraphed the news of this first success in the bombardment to -London, but in cipher, “as otherwise the general staff might be angry.” - -Subsequently the Chancellor sent for me once more to show me an -outburst of the Vienna _Tageblatt_ which has been reproduced by the -_Kölnische Zeitung_. It declares that Bismarck has been thoroughly -deceived as to the power of resistance of Paris, and in his overhaste, -which has already cost the lives of hundreds of thousands (why not at -once say millions?), has put forward excessive demands in connection -with the peace. We reply, through the _Spenersche Zeitung_, that up to -the present no one knows what the Chancellor’s conditions are, as he -has not yet had any opportunity of stating them officially, but they -do not in any case go so far as German public opinion, which almost -unanimously demands the cession of all Lorraine. No one can say either -what his views were respecting the power of resistance of Paris, as he -has never had to give official expression to them. - -_Friday, December 30th._--The bitter cold of the last few days still -continues. In consequence of his indisposition the Chief still keeps -to his room, and is indeed mostly in bed. In the morning, on his -instructions, I telegraphed particulars of the occupation of Mont -Avron, and of the disgraceful conduct of the French authorities, who, -according to the official acknowledgment of the delegation at Tours, -have offered a premium to imprisoned officers to return to France, in -breach of their word of honour. On the suggestion of the Chief I write -paragraphs on this subject for the German press as well as for the -local _Moniteur_ to the following effect:-- - -“We have frequently had occasion to direct attention to the profound -demoralisation manifested by French statesmen and officers in the -matter of military honour. A communication, which reaches us from a -trustworthy source, proves that we had not up to the present realised -how deep and widespread that evil is. We have now before us an official -order issued by the French Ministry of War, the 5th Bureau of the 6th -Department, which bears the title ‘Solde et revues.’ It is dated from -Tours on the 13th of November, and is signed by Lieutenant-Colonel -Alfred Jerald, and by Colonel Tissier of the general staff of the -17th Army Corps. This order, which is based upon another dated the -10th of November, assures all French officers imprisoned in Germany, -without distinction, a money payment in case they escape from custody. -We repeat, all the French officers without distinction; that is to -say also those who have given their word of honour not to escape. The -premium offered for such dishonourable conduct amounts to 750 francs. -A measure of this description needs no comment. Honour (which is the -dearest treasure of every German officer and--duty and justice demand -that we should add--formerly also of all French officers) is regarded -by the men who came to power on the 4th of September as a commodity -to be bought and sold, and indeed very cheaply. In this way officers -of the French army will come to believe that France is no longer -administered by a Government, but is on the contrary exploited by a -trading firm, and one with lax principles of honesty and decency, under -the title of ‘Gambetta and Co.’ ‘Who’ll buy gods?’ ‘Who’ll sell his -word of honour?’” - -Afterwards I write another short article on an error frequently -committed by the _Kölnische Zeitung_ and recently repeated in -connection with the Chancellor’s despatch to Vienna. The great Rhenish -newspaper writes: “Ever since 1866 we have been amongst those who -have persistently warned both Vienna and Berlin to dismiss their -idle jealousies and to come to the best understanding possible in -the circumstances. We have often regretted the _personal irritation_ -between Bismarck and Beust which appears to stand in the way of such -a _rapprochement_, &c.” The reply is to the following effect: “It has -been observed that the _Kölnische Zeitung_ has already frequently -sought to explain political acts and omissions of the Chancellor of -the Confederation by personal motives, personal likes and dislikes, -personal disposition and ill humour; and we have here a further -instance of this unjustifiable course. We cannot imagine why such -suspicions are time after time brought forward. We only know that -absolutely no feeling of personal irritation exists between the -Chancellor of the North German Confederation and the Chancellor of the -Austria-Hungarian Monarchy, and indeed that, previous to 1866, when -they often came into personal contact, they were on excellent terms, as -Count Bismarck himself declared in the North German Reichstag. Since -then nothing has happened between them as private persons calculated -to create bitterness, if for no other reason than because they have -had no personal intercourse. If they have taken up a position more or -less antagonistic to each other the reasons are obvious. Up to the -present they were the representatives of different political systems, -and acted upon different political principles which it was difficult -although not quite impossible to reconcile. This, and this alone, -is the sole explanation of what the _Kölnische Zeitung_ ascribes to -personal motives, from which the thoughts and acts of no statesman of -the present day is farther removed than those of the Chancellor of -the Confederation. It may also be remarked incidentally that not only -has Count Bismarck not been ‘thoroughly’ deceived as to the power of -resistance of Paris, but he has not been deceived at all. His opinion -has never been asked on the subject; but we know on the best authority -that months ago he regarded the capture of the city as difficult, and -was decidedly opposed to the investment even before the fall of Metz.” - -In reading documents in the evening I find that the Chief has had a -letter sent to General Bismarck-Bohlen stating that he does not agree -with the general in thinking that his main task should be to alleviate -the misery caused by the war, and to render the Alsacians well disposed -towards the future masters of the country. For the moment his first -business must be to promote the objects of the war and to secure the -safety of the troops. He should therefore expel such French officials -as will not take service under us, including the magistrates who will -not discharge the duties of their office; and he should also withhold -the payment of pensions directing the pensioners to apply to the -Government at Tours. Under such conditions the people would be more -disposed to call for peace. - -_Saturday, December 31st._--All our people are ailing. I also begin -to feel exhausted. It will be well to shorten the night work which my -diary entails, or to interrupt it altogether for a few days. - -_Tuesday, January 3rd._--I observe that the opinion already expressed -by the Chief on several occasions, that the dispersion of the German -forces towards the north and south-west is dangerous, and that more -in concentration is desirable, is also held elsewhere. A military -authority has written on this subject in the Vienna _Presse_; and -the _National Zeitung_ of the 31st of December publishes an article -which is even more in harmony with the Chief’s views. It says, _inter -alia_:--“The withdrawal of our troops from Dijon and the non-occupation -of Tours, to the gates of which a division of the 10th Army Corps -had advanced, give perhaps an indication of the views entertained -generally on the German side, and which will govern the continuation -of the campaign. It may possibly be expected that France will forgo -further resistance after the fall of Paris, and will agree to the -German conditions of peace. That, however, is not certain, and it is -necessary to be prepared for an opposite contingency. In any case the -fall of Paris will not be immediately followed by the establishment -of a Government generally recognised and supported by a National -Assembly, with which we could enter into negotiations for peace. Then -if hostilities are to be continued they cannot aim at conquering the -whole of such an extensive country as France. Our army, as hitherto, -might indeed be everywhere victorious and disperse the hostile forces. -That, however, would not be sufficient. It would be necessary to -organise a new civil administration in all the conquered districts -and to subject the population to its rule. Even in the country lying -between the Channel and the Loire our forces would not be sufficient -to completely secure the safety of communications and to maintain the -authority of a foreign administration in each town and village, to -prevent treacherous attacks and to collect the taxes as well as the -contributions and supplies that are indispensable for the purposes -of the war. To extend the area of occupation indefinitely would not -only be to overtax our military power, however highly we may rate it, -but to unduly drain our home services for the necessary supply of -civil administrators. Therefore, if peace is not attainable within a -very short time our military authorities must set clear and distinct -limits to the task which they propose to themselves. They must select a -fixed portion of French territory, which they can occupy so completely -that we shall have full command over it, and can retain it as long as -may be desired. This portion should include the capital and the best -provinces, with the finest and most warlike population, and it would -have, of course, to bear the whole burden and cost of the war until -a peace party had grown up throughout the country strong enough to -force its views upon the Government of the day. The occupied territory -should be so limited as to make its defence as easy as possible from -a military point of view. Of course further offensive operations for -temporary purposes might be undertaken beyond those lines, but there -should from the beginning be no intention of going permanently beyond -them. In the meantime the work of annexation should be proceeded with -in those districts which Germany requires for the security of her -frontier without awaiting the conclusion of peace.” - -_Friday, January 6th._--Up to yesterday the cold was very severe. The -Chief has been unwell nearly the whole week. Yesterday for the first -time he went out for a short drive, and again this afternoon. The -Bureau has been reinforced by two officials, namely Oberregierungsrath -Wagener and Baron von Holstein, a secretary of embassy. Amongst -the articles which I have written within the last few days was one -concerning the withdrawal of a number of railway waggons from home -traffic, and consequently from the use of German industry, solely for -the purpose of collecting provisions here in anticipation of the time -when famine shall at length compel Paris to surrender. I described this -as humane, but unpractical and impolitic, as the Parisians, when they -hear that we have made preparations for that event, will continue their -resistance to the last crust of bread and the last joint of horseflesh. -We shall, therefore, ourselves be contributing through such acts of -humanity to a prolongation of the siege. It is not for us to provide -against the threatened danger of famine by establishing storehouses -or collecting the means of transport for reprovisioning the city, but -rather for the Parisians themselves by means of a timely capitulation. -I yesterday translated for the use of the King two English documents -respecting the sinking of English coal ships near Rouen by our troops, -who considered the measure necessary. - -After dinner I read despatches and drafts. A demand has been addressed -to the German railways to supply a number of waggons (“2,800 axles”) -for the purpose of transporting provisions to Paris. The Chief -entered an energetic protest against this measure, which would be -prejudicial to us from a political standpoint, as the knowledge of -those provisions would enable the holders of power in Paris to exhaust -all their supplies before finally yielding, without any fear of famine -at the last moment. A telegram was sent to Itzenplitz on the 3rd of -January suggesting that he should not deliver a single waggon for this -purpose, and asking him to reply by wire whether he would decline such -requisitions. If not, the Chief “would request his Majesty to relieve -him from all responsibility.” Itzenplitz telegraphed back that he -agreed with the views of the Chancellor of the Confederation, and -would act accordingly. A letter from the King of Sweden, addressed to -a Commandant Verrier in Erfurt, is to be returned through the Dead -Letter Office. His Swedish Majesty, whom we know not to be particularly -well disposed towards us, says in this epistle, which, by the way, is -written in bad French with many orthographical errors, that he regrets -to have to watch the struggle with “folded arms,” and to be obliged -to “eat his bread in peace.” “_Nous nous armons tardivement, hélas! -mais avec vigueur, et j’espère que le jour de vengeance arrivera!_” -Vengeance? What have the Swedes to avenge upon us? It would seem as -if Prince Charles of Rumania were no longer able to manage the local -extremists, and were thinking of abdicating and leaving the country. -“We have no political interests in Rumania.” The Chief has made -representations to the King suggesting a limitation of the seat of war -for political reasons, namely on the ground that only thus shall we be -able to maintain our position in the occupied portions of France and -take full advantage of our occupation; and he has further proposed that -we should give notice to withdraw from the Geneva Convention, which is -unpractical. Bonnechose has, at the instance of the Pope, addressed -a letter to King William in favour of peace, but of an “honourable” -peace, that is to say, one that would not involve a cession of -territory. That we could have had twelve weeks ago from Monsieur Favre, -if the Chief had not preferred a _useful_ peace. For this reason -the Minister recommended that the letter should be left unanswered. -According to an intimation from Persigny, Prince Napoleon wishes to -come to Versailles in order to act as intermediary. He is a highly -intelligent and amiable gentleman, but enjoys little consideration in -France, and therefore the Chancellor declined to negotiate with him. In -the London Conference on the Black Sea question we are to give every -possible support to Russia’s demands. The Dowager Queen at Dresden -has suggested to Eichmann (the Prussian Minister) that it would be an -indication of confidence in Saxony if we were to allow them to garrison -Königstein with Saxon troops alone. - -_Saturday, January 7th._--Haber suggested that possibly some political -documents of importance for us might be found in Odillon Barrot’s -house at Bougival. I asked the Minister’s permission to go over there -with Bucher. He replied: “That is all very well, but is it a private -library? I must preserve the things for M. Odillon Barrot. But you -can see if there is anything political amongst them.” It proved on -examination to be a well-chosen library, containing historical and -political works, as well as polite literature. It included also a -number of English books, but contained nothing of the character -suspected by Haber. - -This evening the Minister dines with us again. - -We hear at tea that the bombardment of the forts on the north side of -Paris has also begun, and shows good results. Fires have broken out in -Vaugirard and Grenelles--whence probably the smoke arose which we saw -yesterday from the hills between Ville d’Avray and Sèvres. - -Keudell thinks I ought to tell the Chief. I go up to him at a quarter -to 11. He thanks me, and then asks, “What time is it?” I answer “Nearly -11, Excellency.” “Well, then, tell Keudell to prepare the communication -for the King.” I ascertain down stairs that this is a complaint that by -11 o’clock at night the military authorities have not communicated to -the Minister matters of which civilians were informed at 2 P.M. - -_Sunday, January 8th._--At dinner the Chief gave some further -reminiscences of his youth. He spent the time from his sixth to his -twelfth year at the Plahmann Institute in Berlin, an educational -establishment worked on the principles of Pestalozzi and Jahn. It -was a period he could not think of with pleasure. The _régime_ was -artificially Spartan. While there he never fully satisfied his hunger, -except when he was invited out. “The meat was like india-rubber, not -exactly hard, but too much for one’s teeth. And carrots--I liked them -raw,--but cooked, and with hard potatoes, square junks!” - -This led up to the pleasures of the table, the Chief giving his views -chiefly of certain varieties of fish. He had a pleasant recollection -of fresh-river lampreys, of which he could eat eight or ten; he then -praised schnäpel, a kind of whiting, and the Elbe salmon, the latter -being “a happy mean between the Baltic salmon and that of the Rhine, -which is too rich for me.” With regard to bankers’ dinners, “nothing is -considered good unless it is dear,--no carp because it is comparatively -cheap in Berlin, but _zander_ (a kind of perch-pike) because it is -difficult to carry. As a matter of fact I do not care for these, and -just as little for lampreys, of which the flesh is too soft for me. -But I could eat marena every day of the week. I almost prefer them to -trout, of which I only like those of a medium size, weighing about -half-a-pound. The large ones that are usually served at dinners in -Frankfurt, and which mostly come from the Wolfsbrünnen near Heidelberg, -are not worth much. They are expensive, and so one must have them. -That’s also the way at Court with oysters. They don’t eat any in -England when the Queen is present, as they are too cheap there.” - -The conversation then turned on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which was -compared with the Brandenburg Gate. The Chief said of the latter: “It -is really beautiful in its way--particularly without the two pillared -porticos. I have advised the King to let it stand free, and have the -guard houses removed. It would be much more effective, as it would no -longer be squeezed in and partly concealed as it is now.” - -Wagener having mentioned his former journalistic work, the Minister -said: “I know my first newspaper article was about shooting. At that -time I was still a wild junker. Some one had written a spiteful article -on sport, which set my blood boiling, so that I sat down and wrote a -reply, which I handed to Altvater, the editor, but without success. He -answered very politely, but said it would not do, he could not accept -it. I was beside myself with indignation that any one should be at -liberty to attack sportsmen without being obliged to listen to their -reply; but so it was at that time.” - -The defence put forward by the Luxemburg Government in reply to our -complaints respecting breaches of neutrality is insufficient. It -perhaps shows the good will of that Government, but certainly the facts -prove that they are not able to maintain their own neutrality. They -have been again warned, further evidence being given in support of -our charges. If this does not prove effective, we shall be obliged to -occupy the Grand Duchy, and hand over his passports to the Grand Ducal -Minister in Berlin. A communication to the same effect has been made to -the Powers that signed the Treaty of 1867. According to a memorandum in -which the Chief proposed to the King that, the statesmen who concluded -the treaties providing for the accession of Baden and Würtemberg to the -North German Confederation should receive decorations, an exception was -to be made in the case of Dalwigk, because he had constantly intrigued -and worked against Prussia and the cause of German unity, and only -finally gave way on the compulsion of necessity; and his decoration -would, therefore, have a bad effect upon public opinion, which had -frequently urged the exercise of Prussian influence to secure his -dismissal. - -_Monday, January 9th._--It is reported from London that Prince Napoleon -has a plan under consideration for concluding on his own authority a -peace satisfactory to us, and then after the capitulation of Paris -convoking the two Chambers to ratify the treaty, and to decide upon the -future form of government, and eventually upon the future dynasty. This -plan would be supported by Vinoy and Ducrot. The Orleanists are also -active, and hope to win over Thiers to their side. Bernstorff reports -that it has been ascertained from a servant of Dr. Reitlinger, Favre’s -secretary, that he has endeavoured to hatch a democratic conspiracy -in South Germany. Gladstone has received Reitlinger, and promised to -support him in every possible way. - -In the afternoon I drafted a telegram as to the further successful -progress of the bombardment. On submitting it to the Chief, he struck -out a passage in which it was mentioned that our shells had fallen in -the Luxemburg Gardens, as being “impolitic.” He also instructed me to -telegraph to the Foreign Office in Berlin to omit this passage from the -report of the general staff. - -The following pretty story is making the round of the newspapers. It -is taken from the private letter of a German officer, and was first -published in the _Leipziger Tageblatt_. “One day the aide-de-camp, -Count Lehndorff, visited Captain von Strantz at one of the outposts at -Ville d’Avray, near Paris. In reply to the Count’s question as to how -he was getting on, the Captain said: ‘Oh, very well; I have just been -dining for the sixty-seventh time off roast mutton.’ The Count laughed, -and after a while drove off again. Next day a policeman called upon the -captain with the following message: ‘It having come to the knowledge -of his Excellency Count Bismarck, Chancellor of the Confederation, -that Captain von Strantz would doubtless be dining to-day off his -sixty-eighth joint of roast mutton, his Excellency sends him herewith -four ducks as a change of menu.’” This anecdote has the advantage over -most of those appearing in the press, that it is in the main correct. -But the policeman did not call on the next day. Count Lehndorff dined -with us a few days before Christmas. - -The Chief was shaved as usual on coming to dinner to-day. He first -mentioned that Count Bill had received the Iron Cross, and seemed to -think that it should more properly have been given to his elder son, as -he was wounded in the cavalry charge at Mars la Tour. “The wound was -an accident,” he went on, “and others who were not wounded may have -been equally brave. But it is, after all, a distinction, a kind of -compensation for the wounded.” “I remember when I was a young man that -one Herr von Reuss went about Berlin also wearing the Cross. I thought -to myself what wonders he must have done; but I afterwards ascertained -that he had an uncle who was a Minister, and he had been attached to -the general staff as a kind of private aide-de-camp.” - -The Chancellor suddenly remarked; “It must be three weeks since I saw -Serenissimus.[20] It is not so long since I saw Serenior.[21] I cut the -Sereni.” The Chancellor then continued, obviously with reference to -the Sereni, that is the Princes at the Hôtel des Reservoirs, or one of -them, but without any connecting sentence: “I remember at Göttingen I -once called a student a silly youngster. (Dummer Junge, the recognised -form of offence when it is intended to provoke a duel.) On his sending -me his challenge I said I had not wished to offend him by the remark -that he was a silly youngster, but merely to express my conviction.” - -While we were discussing pheasant and sauerkraut some one remarked -that the Minister had not been out shooting for a long time, although -the woods between Versailles and Paris were full of game. “Yes,” he -replied, “something has always happened to prevent me. The last time -was at Ferrières, the King was away and he had forbidden shooting, that -is to say, in the park, just as he has now given orders that Ferrières -must be spared, merely because it belongs to a rich Jew. We did not go -into the park, and there was plenty of game, but not much of it was -shot as the cartridges were bad.” Holstein, who, by the way, turns -out to be exceedingly amiable, hard-working and helpful, remarked: -“This is the account given of the affair, Excellency. You were aware -of his Majesty’s orders, and of course desired to obey them. But it -unfortunately happened as you were taking a walk on one occasion you -were suddenly set upon by three or four pheasants and were obliged to -shoot them down in self-defence.” - -The French Rothschild recalled the German one, of whom the Chief -related a very amusing story. He said: “When the members of the -Reichstag were here recently, I was seated next to Rothschild at the -Crown Prince’s. The Prince sat next to me, and on his other side was -Simson. Rothschild smokes a grew deal, and smelt of that and other -things, and so I thought I would play a little practical joke before -we sat down. But it did not succeed. It is only after dinner that -stewards of the household begin to be sensible and listen to a body. -I had my revenge however, by letting my neighbour have the benefit of -my remarks. I said to him, ‘You should have a house in Berlin, and -invite people to see you, and so on.’ ‘What do you mean?’ he asked, in -a loud and almost angry voice. ‘Am I to give dinners in a restaurant?’ -‘Well, you might do that too,’ I replied, ‘but to other people, not -to me. In my opinion you owe it to the credit of your house. But the -best thing would be to have a place of your own in Berlin. You know -there is nothing to be expected any longer from the Paris and London -Rothschilds, and so you ought to do something in Berlin. People are -constantly surprised that you have not yet got into the Almanach de -Gotha. Of course, what has not been done up to now may yet happen, but -I am afraid you are not going the right way to work.’” - -Finally polite literature came to be discussed, and Spielhagen’s -“Problematische Naturen” was mentioned. The Chancellor had read it, -and did not think badly of it, but he said: “I shall certainly not -read it a second time. One has absolutely no time here. Otherwise -a much-occupied Minister might well take up such a book and forget -his despatches over it for a couple of hours.” Freytag’s “Soll und -Haben” was also mentioned, and his description of the Polish riots, -as well as the story of the bread-and-butter miss and the ball, were -praised, while his heroes were considered insipid. One said they had -no passion, and another no souls. Abeken, who took an active part in -the conversation, observed that he could not read any of these things -twice, and that most of the well-known modern authors had only produced -one good book apiece. “Well,” said the Chief, “I could also make you a -present of three-fourths of Goethe--the remainder, certainly--I should -like to live for a long spell on a desert island with seven or eight -volumes out of the forty.” Fritz Reuter was then referred to, and -the Minister remarked, “‘Uit de Franzosentid,’ very pretty but not a -novel.” “Stromtid” was also mentioned. “H’m,” said the Chief, “_Dat is -as dat ledder is_ (that’s just how it is, a favourite expression of one -of the characters in the book)--that, it is true, is a novel, and it -contains many good and others indifferent, but all through the peasants -are described exactly as they are.” - -In the evening I translated for the King a long article from _The -Times_ on the situation in Paris. Afterwards at tea Keudell spoke very -well and sensibly of certain qualities of the Chancellor, who reminded -him of Achilles, his great gifts, the youthfulness of his character, -his quickness of temper, his tendency to _Weltschmerz_, his inclination -to withdraw from great affairs and his invariably victorious action. -Our times could boast a Troy, and also an Agamemnon, shepherd of the -nations. - -_Tuesday, January 10th._--Earth and sky are full of snow. A shot is -only to be heard now and again from our batteries, or from the forts. -Count Bill is here, and General von Manteuffel calls at 1 o’clock. They -are passing through on their way to the army that is to operate against -Bourbaki in the south-east under Manteuffel. During the afternoon I -telegraph twice to London reporting the retreat of Chanzy at Le Mans, -with the loss of a thousand men who were made prisoners, and Werder’s -victorious resistance at Villersexel to a superior French force -advancing to the relief of Belfort. - -The first subject mentioned at dinner is the bombardment. The Chief -holds that most of the Paris forts are of little importance, except -perhaps Mont Valérien--“Not much more than the redoubts at Düppel.” -That is to say the moats are not very deep, and formerly the walls were -also weak. The conversation then turns on the International League -of Peace and its connection with social democracy as shown by the -fact that Karl Marx, who is now living in London, has been appointed -President of the German branch. Bucher describes Marx as an intelligent -man with a good scientific education and the real leader of the -international labour movement. With reference to the League of Peace -the Chief says that its efforts are all of an equivocal character, and -that its aims are something very different to peace. It is a cloak for -communism. “But,” he concludes, “certain august personages have even -now no idea of that. Foreign countries and peace!” In this connection -he referred to the influence and attitude of Queen Augusta. - -Count Bill, according to the Chief, “looks from a distance like an old -staff officer, he is so stout.” He was very lucky in being selected to -accompany Manteuffel. Of course, it would only be a temporary billet, -but he would see a great deal of the war. “For his age he has a good -opportunity to learn something. That was impossible for one of us -at eighteen. I should have been born in 1795 to have taken part in -the campaign of 1813.” “Nevertheless since the battle of--(I could -not catch the name, but he referred apparently to an engagement in -the Huguenot War) there was not one of my ancestors who did not draw -the sword against France. My father and three of his brothers were -engaged against Napoleon I. Then my grandfather fought at Rossbach; -my great-grandfather against Louis XIV., and his father against the -same King in the little war on the Rhine in 1672 or 1673. Then several -of us fought on the imperial side in the Thirty Years’ War, others, -it is true, joining the Swedes. And finally still another was amongst -the Germans who fought as mercenaries on the Huguenot side. One--there -is a picture of him at Schönhausen with his children--was an original -character. I still have a letter from him to his brother-in-law in -which he says, ‘The cask of Rhine wine costs me eighty reichsthalers. -If my worthy brother-in-law considers that too dear I will, so -God spares me, drink it myself.’ And another time: ‘If my worthy -brother-in-law maintains so-and-so, I hope, so God preserves me, to -come into closer contact with his person than will be pleasant to him.’ -And again in another place: ‘I have spent 12,000 reichsthalers on the -regiment, but I hope, if God spares me, to make as much out of it in -time.’ The economies referred to consisted probably in drawing pay -for men who were on furlough or who only existed on paper. Certainly -the commander of a regiment was better off at that time than now.” -Some one observed that was also the rule at a later period, so long -as regiments were recruited, paid, and clad by the colonels and hired -by the Princes, and possibly the same thing still happened in other -countries. The Chief: “Yes, in Russia for instance, in the great -cavalry regiments in the Southern provinces which often have as many -as sixteen squadrons. There the colonel had, and doubtless yet has -other sources of income. A German once told me, for instance, that -on a new colonel taking over the command of a regiment--I believe it -was in Kursk or Woronesch--the peasants of this wealthy district came -to him with waggons full of straw and hay, and begged the ‘little -father’ to be gracious enough to accept them. ‘I did not know what -they wanted,’ said the colonel, ‘and so I told them to be off and leave -me in peace. But the ‘little father’ ought to be fair, they urged, -his predecessor had been satisfied with that much, and they could not -give more, as they were poor people. At length I got tired of it, -particularly as they became very pressing and went down on their knees -entreating me to accept it, and I had them bundled out of doors. But -then others came with loads of wheat and oats. Then I understood what -was meant, and took everything as my predecessor had done, and when -the first lot returned with more hay I told them that what they had -brought before was enough and they could take back the rest. And thus -I secured an annual sum of 20,000 roubles, as I charged the Government -for the hay and oats required by the regiment.’ He related that quite -frankly and unabashed in a drawing-room in St. Petersburg, and I was -the only one who was surprised at it.” “But what could he have done to -the peasants?” asked Delbrück. “He himself could have done nothing,” -replied the Chief, “but he might have ruined them in another way. He -only required _not_ to forbid the soldiers to take what they liked from -them.” - -Manteuffel was again spoken of, and somebody mentioned that he had -broken his leg at Metz, and had to be carried on the battle-field. -Manteuffel was greatly surprised that we had not known this, and the -Minister remarked that he must certainly have thought us very badly -informed as to the incidents of the war. Later on the Chief said: “I -remember how I sat with him and ---- (I did not catch the name) on -the stones outside the Church at Blekstein. The King came up, and I -proposed that we should greet him like the three witches in _Macbeth_: -‘Hail, Thane of Lauenburg! Hail, Thane of Kiel! Hail, Thane of -Schleswig!’ It was when I was negotiating the Treaty of Gastein with -Blome. I then played quinze for the last time in my life. Although I -had not played then for a long time, I gambled recklessly, so that the -others were astounded. But I knew what I was at. Blome had heard that -quinze gave the best opportunity of testing a man’s character, and he -was anxious to try the experiment on me. I thought to myself, I’ll -teach him. I lost a few hundred thalers, for which I might well have -claimed reimbursement from the State as having been expended on his -Majesty’s service. But I got round Blome in that way, and made him do -what I wanted. He took me to be reckless, and yielded.” - -The conversation then turned upon Berlin, some one having remarked -that it was from year to year assuming more the appearance of a great -capital, also in its sentiments and way of thinking, a circumstance -which to some extent reacted on its Parliamentary representatives. -“They have greatly altered during the last five years,” said Delbrück. -“That is true,” said the Chief; “but in 1862, when I first had to -deal with those gentlemen, they recognised what a hearty contempt I -entertained for them, and they have never become friends with me again.” - -The Jews then came to be discussed, and the Minister wished to know -how it was that the name Meier was so common amongst them. That -name was after all of German origin, and in Westphalia it meant a -landed proprietor, yet formerly the Jews owned no land. I submitted -that the word was of Hebrew origin and occurred in the Old Testament -and also in the Talmud, being properly Meïr and akin to “Or,” -_i.e._, light, brilliance, whence the signification of Enlightened, -Brilliant, Radiant. The Chief then inquired the meaning of Kohn, a -name very common amongst them also. I said it signified Priest, and -was originally Kohen From Kohen it became Kohn, Kuhn, Cahen, and Kahn. -Kohn and Kahn were also occasionally transformed into Hahn, a remark -which caused some amusement as it probably reminded the company of the -“Presshahn,” who is at the head of the Berlin Literary Bureau. “I am -of opinion,” continued the Minister, “that to prevent mischief, the -Jews will have to be rendered innocuous by cross breeding. The results -are not bad.” He then mentioned some noble houses, Lynars, Stirums, -Gusserows: “All very clever, decent people.” He then reflected for -a while and, omitting one link from the chain of thought, probably -the marriage of distinguished Christian ladies to rich or talented -Israelites, he proceeded: “It is better the other way on. One ought to -put a Jewish mare to a Christian stallion of German breed. The money -must be brought into circulation again, and the race is not at all bad. -I do not know what I shall one day advise my sons to do.” - -I spent the whole time after dinner at work, principally reading -despatches. The Rumanian (Prince Charles) has sent the Chancellor a -letter, written in his own hand, requesting advice in his difficulties. -He seems to be in the greatest perplexity, and the Powers will not -help him. England and Austria are at least indifferent; the Porte -is inclined to look upon the unification of the Principalities as to -its interests; France is now of no account; the Tsar Alexander is, it -is true, well disposed to Prince Charles but will not interfere; and -intervention on the part of Germany, who has no practical interests in -Rumania, is not to be expected. Therefore, if the Prince cannot help -himself out of his difficulties, he had better retire before he is -obliged to. Such was the counsel addressed to him by the Chief through -Keudell. Beust has been informed of this. It would appear that Beust’s -despatch in reply to the announcement of the approaching union of -South Germany with the North, shows a new departure in his political -views, and it is possible that even under him satisfactory relations -may be developed and maintained between the two newly-organised Powers, -Germany and Austria-Hungary. He reported that a new comic paper, _Der -Bismarck_, was being founded in Vienna, and that he would do everything -in his power to prevent this abuse of the name. The Chief has recently -addressed a communication to the King in which he requests: (1) That -the telegrams of the General Staff before being despatched to Berlin -should be submitted to him and his approval obtained, as they might -have political bearings--as, for example, in the case of the shells -that fell in the Luxemburg Gardens. (2) That he should receive full -information of the course of military operations, instead of being -indebted for detailed particulars to the newspapers and private -persons. Subalterns and members of the Ambulance Corps were kept better -informed than he. - -At 10.30 P.M. the Chief comes down to tea, at which Count Bill also -joins us. Abeken returns from Court and brings the news that the -fortress of Péronne, with a garrison of 3,000 men, has capitulated. -The Chief, who was just looking through the _Illustrirte Zeitung_, -sighed and exclaimed: “Another 3,000! If one could only drown them in -the Seine--or at least their Commander, who has broken his word of -honour!” - -This led the conversation to the subject of the numerous prisoners -in Germany, and Holstein said it would be a good idea to hire them -out to work on the Strousberg railway. “Or,” said the Chief, “if the -Tsar could be induced to settle them in military colonies beyond the -Caucasus. It is said to be a very fine country. This mass of prisoners -will really form a difficulty for us after the peace. The French -will thus have an army at once, and one fresh from a long rest. But -there will really be no alternative. We shall have to give them back -to Napoleon, and he will require 200,000 men as a Pretorian Guard to -maintain himself.” “Does he then really expect to restore the Empire?” -asked Holstein. “Oh, very much,” replied the Chief, “extremely, quite -enormously much. He thinks of it day and night, and the people in -England also.” - -Holstein then related how certain people belonging to the English -Embassy had behaved very unbecomingly outside the place where the -French prisoners are confined in Spandau, and had fared badly in -consequence. Cockerell was knocked down and beaten black and blue, so -that he afterwards looked “quite as if he had been painted.” Loftus -did not at first want to intervene, but was ultimately induced by the -other diplomats to enter a complaint. “Did they give this Cockerell a -sound hiding?” asked Count Bill. “Oh, certainly,” replied Holstein, -“and Miss ---- (name escaped me), who tried to interfere on his behalf, -also received a few blows.” “Well, I am glad Cockerell got a proper -dressing,” said the Chief, “it will do him good. I am sorry for the -lady. But it is a pity that Loftus” (the British Ambassador) “himself -did not get thrashed on the occasion, as we should then be rid of him.” - -_Wednesday, January 11th._--Bernstorff reports that Clement Duvernois, -a former Minister of Napoleon, wishes to come here in order to -negotiate for peace in the name of the Empress. She will agree in -principle to the cession of territory and the new frontier demanded -by us, and also to the payment of a war indemnity and the occupation -of a certain portion of France by our troops until it is paid, and -will promise not to enter into negotiations respecting peace with any -other Power than Germany. Duvernois is of opinion that although the -Empress is not popular, yet she would act energetically, and as a -legal ruler would have more authority and offer us a better security -than any person elected by and dependent upon the representatives of -the country. Duvernois assisted in provisioning Paris and accordingly -knows that it must surrender shortly, and therefore as time presses, he -is anxious to hurry on negotiations. Will he be received if he comes? -Perhaps, if only in order to make the members of the Government in -Paris and Bordeaux more yielding. - -During dinner the bombardment was discussed, as is now usually the -case. Paris was said to be on fire, and some one had clearly seen thick -columns of smoke rising over the city. “That is not enough,” said the -Chief. “We must first smell it here. When Hamburg was burning the smell -could be distinguished five German miles off.” The opposition offered -by the “Patriots” in the Bavarian Chamber to the Versailles Treaty was -then referred to. The Chief said: “I wish I could go there and speak -to them. They have obviously got into a false position and can neither -advance nor retire. I have already been doing my best to bring them -into the right way. But one is so badly wanted here in order to prevent -absurdities and to preach sense.” - -_Thursday, January 12th._--At dinner the conversation again turned on -the bombardment. On somebody observing that the French complain of -our aiming at their hospitals, the Chief said: “That is certainly not -done intentionally. They have hospitals near the Pantheon and the Val -de Grâce, and it is possible that a few shells may have fallen there -accidentally. H’m, Pantheon, Pandemonium?” Abeken had heard that the -Bavarians intended to storm one of the south-eastern forts that had -returned our fire in a weak way. The Chief commended the Bavarians, -adding: “If I were only in Munich now, I would bring that home to their -members of Parliament in such a way that I should immediately win them -over to our side.” - -The Chancellor then told us that the King preferred the title “Emperor -of Germany” to that of “German Emperor.” “I gave him to understand -that I did not care a brass farthing. He was of a different opinion. -Rather the country than the people. I then explained to him that the -first would be a new title and would at least have no historical basis. -There had never been an Emperor of Germany, and though it was true -there had also been no German Emperor, there had been a German King.” -Bucher confirmed that statement and remarked that Charlemagne assumed -the title of “Imperator Romanorum.” Subsequently the Emperor was called -“Imperator Romanus, semper augustus, and German King.” - -At 11 P.M. the King sent the Chief a pencil note in his own -handwriting on a half sheet of letter paper, informing him that we had -just won a great victory at Le Mans. The Minister, who was visibly -pleased and touched at this attention, said as he handed me the slip of -paper in order that I should telegraph the news: “He thinks the General -Staff will not let me know, and so he writes himself.” - -_Friday, January 13th._--Arnim sends a florid account from Rome of -the visit paid by Victor Emmanuel to the Eternal City. He mentions -a report received from the Nuncio at Bordeaux respecting an attempt -by the Government Delegation in that city to secure the intervention -of the Pope for the purpose of negotiating a peace. The Cardinal in -communicating this to the Minister added that the French are now -disposed to make greater concessions than at Ferrières, and asked if in -principle the Pope’s mediation would be agreeable to us. Arnim replied -that the French Government knew our conditions and could conclude -peace at any time on that basis. Arnim states that the efforts made by -the Curia on behalf of peace are sincere, but are based on interested -motives. The Cardinal asked if it was not intended to grant France -any compensation for the proposed cession of territory, whereupon -Arnim replied that we had no right to dispose of the territory of -other States. The Cardinal obviously had Italy in view, and meant that -France should indemnify herself by annexing Piedmont and reinstating -the Pope in Rome. The despatch concludes as follows: “My presence here -complicates our position, as it awakens hopes that cannot be realised, -and maintains intimate relations that clog our footsteps without making -the ground upon which we stand any firmer.” Thile reports that Queen -Augusta told him the sinking of the English coal ships near Rouen -had made more bad blood in England than was believed here. The Crown -Princess knew from the letters of her mother that sympathy for our -cause was daily decreasing there. Thile replied that he was surprised -to hear it, as Bernstorff made no mention of it. - -We are joined at dinner by Regierungspräsident von Ernsthausen, a -portly gentleman, still young, and by the Chief, who is to dine with -the Crown Prince, and only remains until the Varzin ham comes to -table, of which he partakes “for the sake of home memories.” Turning -to Ernsthausen, he says: “I am invited to the Crown Prince’s, but -before going there I have another important interview for which I must -strengthen myself.” “Wednesday will be the 18th, and the Festival of -the Orders, so we can publish the proclamation to the German people on -that day.” (The Proclamation of Emperor and Empire, upon which Bucher -is now at work.) (To Ernsthausen): “The King is still in doubt about -‘German Emperor’ or ‘Emperor of Germany.’ He inclines to the latter. -But it does not appear to me that there is much difference between the -two titles. It is like the Homousios or Homoiousios in the Councils of -the Church.” Abeken corrected: “Homöusios.” The Chief: “We pronounce -it _oi_. In Saxony they have the Iotacism. I remember in our school -there was a pupil from Chemnitz who read that way” (and he then quoted -a Greek sentence), “but the teacher said to him ‘Stop! That won’t do! -We don’t hail here from Saxony.’” - -After dinner I read the latest despatches and some older drafts. -Those of special interest were instructions from the Chief to the -Minister of Commerce that the amount expended for the provisioning of -Paris could not be included in the Budget; and a memorandum in which -Moltke defended the supply of provisions for the Parisians. The 2,800 -waggons with provisions were, he says, not intended solely for the -Parisians, but also for our own troops--for the former seven million -rations of two pounds each for three days--and it would be well if -there were still more waggons in France. The Chief returned from the -Crown Prince’s at 9.30 P.M., and shortly afterwards he instructed -me to telegraph that we had made 8,000 prisoners at Le Mans, and -captured twelve guns, and that Gambetta, who wished to be present at -the battle, nearly fell into our hands, but just made his escape in -time. Afterwards I cut out Unruh’s speech dealing with the scarcity of -locomotives on the German railways, for submission to the King. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - -LAST WEEKS BEFORE THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS - - -_Saturday, January 14th._--Count Lehndorff dined with us to-day. The -Chief mentions that Jules Favre has written to him. He wishes to go -to the Conference in London, and asserts that he only ascertained on -the 10th inst. that a safe conduct was held in readiness for him. He -desires to take with him an unmarried and a married daughter, together -with her husband--who has a Spanish name--and a secretary. “He would -doubtless prefer a pass for M. le Ministre et suite. He has the longing -of a vagabond for a passport.” But he is not to receive one at all, -the soldiers being simply instructed to let him through. Bucher is to -write that it will be best for him to go by way of Corbeil, as he will -not then have to leave the carriage which he brings from Paris and to -walk for some way on foot, afterwards taking another carriage. His best -route will also be by Lagny and Metz, and not by Amiens. If he does not -wish to go by way of Corbeil he is to say so, and then the military -authorities will be instructed accordingly. “One would be inclined to -think,” added the Chief, “from his desire to take his family with him, -that he wants to get out of harm’s way.” - -In the further course of conversation the Minister observed: -“Versailles is really the most unsuitable place that could have been -chosen from the point of view of communications. We ought to have -remained at Lagny or Ferrières. But I know well why it was selected. -All our princely personages would have found it too dull there. It is -true they are bored here too, and doubtless everywhere else.” - -The Chief then went on to talk of German Princes in general, and said: -“Originally they were all Counts, that is to say, officials of the -Empire. The Zehringers, it is true, are an old princely family--apart -from any fresh blood that has been infused into the stock. The Austrian -Princes and Counts have only become rich and powerful through grants -of confiscated estates. The Schwarzenbergs, for instance, through the -property of a gentleman with a very unappetising name--Schmiersicki.” -The Chancellor then went into further particulars, and continued: -“They (the Hapsburgs) were grateful for services rendered to them, and -rewarded their people with rich grants. It was different with us. Our -nobles were squeezed. Any one who had large estates was forced to give -them up or to make a bad exchange.” - -The Chancellor afterwards spoke about Manteuffel, and said: “He is -now heaping up coals of fire on my head by taking Bill with him. We -were on bad terms during the last few years. One of the reasons was -his extravagance in Schleswig. He kept a regular Court there, and gave -great dinners of forty to fifty covers, spending three to four thousand -thalers a month. That was all very well before the war, but later on, -when I had to account for it to the Treasury Committee, it could not go -on, and when I had to tell him so, he was angry.” - -After dinner I wrote an article for the _Moniteur_, under instructions -from the Chief, respecting the difficulty of provisioning Paris when -it surrenders. It ran thus: “We find the following paragraph on the -provisioning of Paris in the _Journal Officiel_: ‘According to a -despatch from Bordeaux, dated January 3rd, the Government of National -Defence has collected a large quantity of necessaries in view of -furnishing Paris with a fresh supply of provisions. In addition to the -markets now in course of erection there is already collected, near the -means of transport and beyond the range of the enemy’s operations, a -mass of supplies that only wait the first signal to be despatched.’ -When this question of reprovisioning Paris is considered from a -practical point of view, it will be seen that it bristles with serious -difficulties. If the statement of the _Journal Officiel_ that the -stores are beyond the range of the German sphere of action be correct, -it must be taken that they are some 200 miles away from Paris. Now the -condition to which the railways leading to Paris have been reduced -by the French themselves is such that it would require several weeks -at least to transport such a quantity of provisions to Paris. There -is another consideration which must also not be overlooked, namely, -that in addition to the famishing population of Paris, the German army -has a right to see that its supplies are replenished by the railways, -and that consequently the German officials with the best will in the -world can only spare a portion of the rolling stock to be employed in -reprovisioning Paris. It follows that if the Parisians put off the -surrender of the city until they have eaten their last mouthful of -bread, believing that large supplies are within easy reach, a fatal -blunder may be committed. We trust that the Government of National -Defence will very seriously consider the circumstances, and weigh -well the heavy responsibility it incurs in adopting the principle of -resistance to the bitter end. Every day increases instead of lessening -the distance between the capital and the provincial armies, whose -approach is awaited with so much impatience in Paris, which is closely -invested and entirely cut off from the outer world. Paris cannot be -rescued by fictitious reports. To suppose that it can wait till the -last moment, for the simple reason that neither the provinces nor -the enemy could allow a city of two and a half million inhabitants -to starve, might prove to be a terrible miscalculation, owing to the -absolute impossibility of preventing it. The capitulation of Paris at -the very last hour might--which God forbid!--be the commencement of a -really great calamity.” - -_Sunday, January 15th._--Rather bright, cold weather. The firing is -less vigorous than during the last few days. The Chief slept badly -last night, and had Wollmann called up at 4 A.M. in order to telegraph -to London respecting Favre. In the morning read despatches. Andrassy, -the Hungarian Premier, declared to our Ambassador in Vienna that he -not only approved of Beust’s despatch of December 26th and shared the -views therein expressed respecting the new Germany, but had desired -and recommended such a policy all along. He had “always said we should -reach out our hand to Germany and shake our fist at Russia.” The -reservation at the commencement of the document in question might have -been omitted, as the reorganisation of Germany does not affect the -Treaty of Prague. - -The letters in which the German Princes declare their approval of the -King of Bavaria’s proposal for the restoration of the imperial dignity -all express practically the same views. Only the elder line of the -Reuss family was moved to base its consent upon different grounds. -It regards the imperial title as “an ornamental badge of the dignity -of the Federal Commander-in-Chief, and of the right of Presidency.” -The letter then continues, literally: “I do this” (that is approve), -“fully confident that the bestowal of this dignity upon his Majesty -the King of Prussia will not affect the newly-established relations -of the Confederation.” Oberregierungsrath Wagner drafted the answers -to these letters of approval, as also the proclamation to the German -people concerning the Emperor and the Empire, which is to be published -shortly. I hear that he sometimes draws up the speech from the throne, -as he has a certain loftiness of style which the Chief likes. Read a -letter from King William to the Chancellor written in his own hand. -Contents: On the 10th of January Prince Luitpold requested an audience -of our Majesty. This was granted to him before dinner. The Prince -then delivered a message from the King of Bavaria, suggesting that -the Bavarian army should be relieved from taking the military oath of -obedience to the Federal Commander-in-Chief, and that the stipulation -to that effect should be struck out of the treaty with Bavaria. The -Prince urged, as an argument in support of this proposal, that such -a stipulation as that in question limited the sovereignty of the -King of Bavaria. No such obligation had been imposed upon the South -German States during the present war, and the obedience and loyalty -of the Bavarian army might be taken as a matter of course in the -united Germany of the future. He also observed incidentally that the -reason why the dissatisfaction in Bavaria was so great was because -it had been hoped that the imperial dignity would be held alternately -by Bavaria and Prussia. The King replied that he could not give an -immediate answer to this unforeseen demand; he must first look through -the treaties. For the moment he could only say that by yielding in the -matter of the military oath he would offend the other Princes, and that -they might put forward a similar demand, which would loosen the ties -that were to bind the new Germany together. That would necessarily -damage the King of Bavaria’s position in particular, as the concessions -made to Bavaria were already regarded with great disfavour by public -opinion. King William writes that he said nothing whatever about the -alternation of the imperial dignity. The Chief telegraphed to Werther -(Minister at Munich) that the proposal respecting the military oath -could not be entertained. - -The Chief dined with the King to-day. Nothing worthy of note was said -at our table. After dinner I again read drafts and despatches. Amongst -the latter was a letter from King Lewis to the Chancellor, in which -he thanks the Minister for his good wishes for the new year, and -reciprocates them. He then claims an extension of territory on the -ground of the importance of Bavaria and the gallant co-operation of her -troops. From the construction of the sentence it is not quite clear -whether this extension of territory is intended for Bavaria herself, -but very probably it is. - -Called to the Chief at 9 P.M. I am to write an article, based upon -official documents, on our position towards American ships conveying -contraband of war. In doing so I am to be guided by the 13th article of -the Treaty of 1799. We cannot seize such vessels, but only detain them, -or seize the contraband goods, for which a receipt must be given, and -in both cases we must make fair compensation. - -_Monday, January 16th._--Thawing. A dull sky, with a strong south-west -wind. It is again impossible to see far, but no further shots are heard -since yesterday afternoon. Has the bombardment stopped? Or does the -wind prevent the sound from reaching us? - -In the morning I read Trochu’s letter to Moltke, in which he complains -that our projectiles have struck the hospitals in the south of Paris, -although flags were hung out indicating their character. He is of -opinion that this cannot have been by accident, and calls attention -to the international treaties according to which such institutions -are to be held inviolable. Moltke strongly resented the idea of its -having been in any way intentional. The humane manner in which we -have conducted the war, “so far as the character which was given to -it by the French since the 4th of September permitted,” secured us -against any such suspicion. As soon as a clearer atmosphere and greater -proximity to Paris enabled us to recognise the Geneva flag on the -buildings in question it might be possible to avoid even accidental -injury. Treitschke writes requesting me to ask the Chief if, in view of -his deafness, he should allow himself to be elected for the Reichstag. -I lay the letter before the Minister, who says: “He must know from -experience how far his infirmity is a hindrance. For my part, I should -be extremely pleased if he were elected. Write him to that effect. Only -he should not speak too much.” - -Prince Pless and Maltzahn dine with us. We learn that the proclamation -to the German people is to be read the day after to-morrow, at the -festival of the Orders, which will be held in the Gallerie des Glaces -at the Palace. There, in the midst of a brilliant assembly, the King -will be proclaimed Emperor. Detachments of troops with their flags, the -generals, the Chancellor of the Confederation, and a number of princely -personages will attend. The Chief has altered his mind as to letting -Favre pass through our lines, and has written him a letter which -amounts to a refusal. “Favre,” he said “with his demand to be allowed -to attend the Conference in London, reminds me of the way children -play the game of Fox in the Hole. They touch and then run off to a -place where they cannot be caught. But he must swallow the potion he -has brewed. His honour requires it, and, so I wrote him.” This change -of view was due to Favre’s circular of the 12th of January. Later on, -the Chief said he believed he was going to have an attack of gout. -Altogether he was not in good humour. While he was reckoning up the -fortresses taken by us, Holstein addressed a remark to him. The Chief -looked straight at him with his large grey eyes, and said in a dry -cutting tone: “One should not be interrupted when engaged in counting. -I have now lost count altogether. What you want to say might be said -later.” - - -I here introduce a survey of this incident, with particulars of -documents which afterwards came to my knowledge. - -Favre, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, was informed on the 17th of -November (in a despatch from Chaudordy, dated from Tours, on the 11th -of the month), that it had been reported from Vienna, that the Russian -Government no longer considered itself bound by the stipulations of -the Treaty of 1856. Favre replied immediately. While recommending the -strictest reserve, until the receipt of official information, he said -that no opportunity should be neglected of emphasising the right of -France, to take part in such international deliberations as the Russian -declaration might provoke. Negotiations were then conducted, both -verbally, and in writing, between the various Powers and the French -Provisional Government, in which the French endeavoured to induce -the representatives of those Powers to admit the justice of their -contention, that the representatives of France “would be bound in duty -to bring up at the same time for discussion another matter of entirely -different import.” The Delegation at Tours, while giving expression to -these views, was of opinion that any invitation given by Europe should -be accepted, even, should no promise be obtained beforehand, nor even -an armistice. On the 31st of December, Gambetta wrote to Favre: “You -must be prepared to leave Paris, to attend the London Conference if, -as is stated, England has succeeded in obtaining a passport.” Before -this communication arrived, Favre had announced to Chaudordy that the -Government had decided that France, “if called upon in regular form,” -would send a representative to the London Conference, provided its -Parisian representatives, who were verbally invited by England, were -supplied with the necessary passport. To this the English Cabinet -agreed, and Chaudordy informed Favre in a despatch which arrived in -Paris on the 8th of January, and also contained the announcement, that -he, Favre, had been appointed by the Government to represent France at -the Conference. This communication was confirmed in a letter from Lord -Granville to Favre, dated the 29th of December, and received in Paris, -on the 10th of January, which ran as follows: - -“M. de Chaudordy has informed Lord Lyons that your Excellency has -been proposed as the representative of France at the Conference. -He has at the same time requested that I should procure a passport -permitting your Excellency to go through the Prussian lines. I -immediately requested Count Bernstorff to ask for such a passport, -and to send it to you by a German officer with a flag of truce. I was -informed yesterday by Count Bernstorff that a passport will be at your -Excellency’s disposal on its being demanded at the German headquarters -by an officer despatched from Paris for the purpose. He added that it -cannot be delivered by a German officer, so long as satisfaction is not -given to the officer who was fired at while acting as the bearer of a -flag of truce. I am informed by M. Tissot, that much time would be lost -before this communication could be forwarded to you by the delegation -at Bordeaux, and I have accordingly proposed to Count Bernstorff -another way in which it may be transmitted to you. Requesting your -Excellency to permit me to take this opportunity of expressing my -satisfaction at entering into personal communication with you, &c.” - -Favre regarded the last sentence in this letter as a recognition of -the present French Government, and an invitation that he might take -advantage of to address the Powers in London on French affairs. In -the circular of the 12th of January which he addressed to the French -Ministers, he says:-- - -“The Government, directly invited in this despatch, cannot, without -surrendering the rights of France, refuse the invitation thus conveyed -to her. It may certainly be objected that the time for a discussion -concerning the neutralisation of the Black Sea has not been happily -chosen. But the very fact that the European Powers should thus have -entered into relations with the French Republic at the present decisive -moment when France is fighting single-handled for her honour and -existence, lends it an exceptional significance. It is the commencement -of a tardy exercise of justice, an obligation which cannot again be -renounced. It endues the change of Government with the authority of -international law, and leaves a nation which is free notwithstanding -its wounds to appear in an independent position upon the stage of -the world’s history, face to face with the ruler who led it to its -ruin, and the Pretenders who desire to reduce it into subjection to -themselves. Furthermore, who does not feel that France, admitted to -a place amongst the representatives of Europe, has an unquestionable -right to raise her voice in that council? Who can prevent her, -supported by the eternal laws of justice, from defending the principles -that secure her independence and dignity? She will surrender none of -those principles. Our programme remains unaltered, and Europe, who has -invited the man who promulgated that programme, knows very well that it -is his determination and duty to maintain it. There should, therefore, -be no hesitation, and the Government would have committed a grave error -if it had declined the overtures made to it. - -“While recognising that fact, however, the Government consider, as I -do, that the Minister for Foreign Affairs should not leave Paris during -the bombardment of the city by the enemy, unless greater interests -were at stake.” (Then follows a long sentimental lamentation as to the -damage caused by the “rage of the aggressor” in throwing bombs into -churches, hospitals, nurseries, &c., with the intention of “spreading -terror.” The document then proceeds): “Our brave Parisian population -feels its courage rise as the danger increases. Thus exasperated and -indignant, but animated by a firm resolve, it will not yield. The -people are more determined than ever to fight and conquer, and we also. -_I cannot think of separating myself from them during this crisis._ -Perhaps it will soon be brought to a close by the protests addressed to -Europe and to the members of the Corps Diplomatique present in Paris. -_England will understand that until then my place is in the midst of my -fellow citizens._” - -Favre made the same declaration, or rather the first half of it, two -days before in the reply sent to Granville’s despatch, in which he -says: “I cannot assume the right to leave my fellow citizens at a -moment when they are subjected to such acts of violence” (against -“an unarmed population,” as--in the line immediately preceding--he -describes a strong fortress with a garrison of about 200,000 soldiers -and militia). He then continues: “Communications between Paris and -London, thanks to those in command of the besieging forces” (what -naïveté!) “are so slow and uncertain that with the best will I cannot -act in accordance with the terms of the invitation contained in your -despatch. You have given me to understand that the Conference will meet -on the 3rd of February, and will then probably adjourn for a week. -Having received this information on the evening of the 10th of January, -I should not be able to avail myself in time of your invitation. -Besides, M. de Bismarck, in forwarding the despatch, did not enclose -the passport, which, nevertheless, is absolutely essential. He demands -that a French officer shall proceed to the German headquarters to -receive it, on the plea of a complaint addressed to the Governor of -Paris with regard to the treatment of the bearer of a flag of truce, -an incident which occurred on the 23rd of December. M. de Bismarck adds -that the Prussian Commander-in-Chief has forbidden all communication -under flags of truce until satisfaction is given for the incident -in question. I do not inquire whether such a decision, contrary to -the laws of war, is not an absolute denial of a higher right, always -hitherto maintained in the conduct of hostilities, which recognises -the exigencies of a situation and the claims of humane feeling. I -confine myself to informing your Excellency that the Governor of -Paris hastened to order an inquiry into the incident referred to by -M. de Bismarck, and that this inquiry brought to his knowledge much -more numerous instances of similar conduct on the part of Prussian -sentries which had never been made a pretext for interrupting the -usual exchange of communications. M. de Bismarck appears to have -acknowledged the accuracy of these remarks, at least in part, as he has -to-day commissioned the United States Minister to inform me that, with -the reservation of inquiries on both sides, he to-day re-establishes -communications under flags of truce. There is, therefore, no necessity -for a French officer to go to the Prussian headquarters. I will put -myself in communication with the Minister of the United States for the -purpose of receiving the passport which you have obtained for me. As -soon as it reaches my hands, _and the situation in Paris permits me_, I -shall proceed to London, confident that I shall not appeal in vain in -the name of my Government to the principles of justice and morality, in -securing due regard for which Europe has such a great interest.” - -So far M. Favre. The condition of Paris had not altered, the protests -addressed to Europe had not put an end to the crisis, nor could they -have done so, when Favre, on January 13th, that is, three days after -the letter to Granville, and on the day of the issue of his circular to -the representatives of France abroad, sent the following despatch to -the Chancellor of the Confederation:-- - -“M. le Comte,--Lord Granville informs me in his despatch of December -29th, which I received on the evening of January 10th, that your -Excellency, at the request of the English Cabinet, holds a passport at -my disposal which is necessary to enable the French Plenipotentiary -to the London Conference to pass through the Prussian lines. As I -have been appointed to that office, I have the honour to request your -Excellency to give instructions to have this passport, made out in my -name, sent to me as speedily as possible.” - -I reproduce all these solely with the object of illustrating the great -difference between the character and capacity of Favre and of Bismarck. -Compare the foregoing documents with those which the Chancellor -drafted. In the former, indecision, equivocation, affectation, and fine -phrases, ending in the very opposite of what had been emphatically -laid down a few lines or a few days previously. In the latter, on the -contrary, decision, simplicity, and a natural and purely business-like -manner. On January 16th the Chancellor replied to Favre as follows -(omitting the introductory phrases):-- - -“Your Excellency understands that, at the suggestion of the Government -of Great Britain, I hold a passport at your disposal for the purpose of -enabling you to take part in the London Conference. That supposition -is, however, not correct. I could not enter into official negotiations, -which would be based on the presupposition that the Government of -National Defence is, according to international law, in a position -to act in the name of France, so long at least as it has not been -recognised by the French nation itself. - -“I presume that the officer in command of our outposts would have -granted your Excellency permission to pass through the German lines -if your Excellency had applied for the same at the headquarters of -the besieging forces. The latter would have had no reason to take -your Excellency’s political position and the object of your journey -into consideration, and the authorisation granted by the military -authorities to pass through our lines, which, from their standpoint, -they need not have hesitated to grant, would have left the Ambassador -of his Majesty the King in London a free hand to deal without prejudice -with the question whether, according to international law, your -Excellency’s declarations could be accepted as the declarations of -France. Your Excellency has rendered the adoption of such a course -impossible by officially communicating to me the object of your -journey, and the official request for a passport for the purpose of -representing France at the Conference. The above-mentioned political -considerations, in support of which I must adduce the declaration which -your Excellency has published, forbid me to accede to your request for -such a document. - -“In addressing this communication to you, I must leave it to yourself -and your Government to consider whether it is possible to find another -way in which the scruples above mentioned may be overcome, and all -prejudice arising from your presence in London may be avoided. - -“But even if some such way should be discovered, I take the liberty -to question whether it is advisable for your Excellency at the present -moment to leave Paris and your post as a member of the Government -there, in order to take part in a Conference on the question of the -Black Sea, at a time when interests of much greater importance to -France and Germany than Article XI. of the Treaty of 1856 are at stake -in Paris. Your Excellency would also leave behind you in Paris the -agents of neutral States and the members of their staffs who have -remained there, or rather been kept there, notwithstanding the fact -that they have long since obtained permission to pass through the -German lines, and are therefore the more specially committed to the -protection and care of your Excellency as the Minister for Foreign -Affairs of the _de facto_ Government. - -“I can hardly believe that in a critical situation, _to the creation of -which you have so largely contributed_, your Excellency will deprive -yourself of the possibility of co-operating towards that solution, for -which you are equally responsible.” - - -I now let the diary resume its narrative. - -_Tuesday, January 17th._--We were joined at dinner by the Saxon, -Count Nostitz-Wallwitz, who, it is understood, is to take up an -administrative appointment here, and a Herr Winter, or von Winter, -who is to be Prefect at Chartres. On some one referring to the future -military operations, the Chief observed: “I think that when, with God’s -help, we have taken Paris, we shall not occupy it with our troops. -That work may be left to the National Guard in the city. Also a French -commandant. We shall occupy merely the forts and walls. Everybody will -be permitted to enter, but nobody to leave. It will, therefore, be a -great prison until they consent to make peace.” - -The Minister then spoke to Nostitz about the French Conseils Généraux, -and said we should try to come to an understanding with them. They -would form a good field here for further political operations. “So -far as the military side of the affair is concerned,” he continued, -“I am in favour of greater concentration. We should not go beyond -a certain line, but deal with that portion thoroughly, making the -administration effectual, and in particular collect the taxes. The -military authorities are always for advancing. They have a centrifugal -plan of operations and I a centripetal. It is a question whether we -ought to hold Orleans, and even whether it would not be better to -retire also from Rouen and Amiens. In the south-east--I do not know -why--they want to go as far as Dijon. And if we cannot supply garrisons -for every place within our sphere of occupation, we should from time to -time send a flying column wherever they show themselves recalcitrant, -and shoot, hang and burn. When that has been done a couple of times -they will learn sense.” Winter was of opinion that the mere appearance -of a detachment of troops entrusted with the task of restoring order, -would be sufficient in such districts. The Chief: “I am not so sure. A -little hanging would certainly have a better effect, and a few shells -thrown in and a couple of houses burned down. That reminds me of the -Bavarian who said to a Prussian officer of artillery: ‘What do you -think, comrade; shall we set that little village on fire, or only knock -it about a little?’ but they decided after all to set it on fire.” - -I do not now remember how it was that the Chief came to speak again of -his letter he wrote yesterday to Favre. “I have given him clearly to -understand that it would not do, and that I could not believe that he -who had taken part in the affair of the 4th of September would fail to -await the issue. I wrote the letter in French, first because I do not -regard the correspondence as official but rather as private, and then -in order that every one may be able to read it in the French lines -until it reaches him.” Nostitz asked how diplomatic correspondence in -general was now conducted. The Chief: “In German. Formerly it was in -French. But I have introduced German--only, however, with Cabinets -whose language is understood in our own Foreign Office. England, Italy -and also Spain--even Spanish can be read in case of need. Not with -Russia, as I am the only one in the Foreign Office who understands -Russian. Also not with Holland, Denmark and Sweden--people do not learn -those languages as a rule. They write in French and we reply in the -same language.” “At Ferrières I spoke to Thiers” (he meant Favre) “in -French. But I told him that was only because I was not treating with -him officially. He laughed, whereupon I said to him: ‘You will see that -we shall talk plain German to you in the negotiations for peace.’” - -At tea we hear from Holstein that the bombardment on the south side -has been stopped, Blumenthal, who was always against it, having got -his way. It is hoped, however, that the Crown Prince of Saxony will -proceed vigorously with the bombardment on the north side. One would -like to tell this to our own Crown Prince, and to ask him what would be -said when it was known that the Saxons had forced Paris to capitulate? -“Unless you are quite certain of that,” said Wagener, “and have it on -absolutely trustworthy authority, do not let the Chief hear of it. I -should not like to guarantee that in that case he would not be off -to-morrow. He is a volcano whose action is incalculable, and he does -not stand jokes in such matters.” Holstein, however, appears to have -been misinformed. At least Count Dönhoff, who came in afterwards, -declared that our siege guns in the south were also at work, but that -owing to the south-west wind we did not hear the firing, and, moreover, -it was not so heavy as during the preceding days. Fire would probably -be opened to-morrow from St. Denis upon the city, a pleasant surprise -for the inhabitants of the northern quarters. - -_Wednesday, January 18th._--In the morning read despatches and -newspapers. Wollmann tells me that an order has been issued promoting -our Chief to the rank of Lieutenant-General. When Wollmann took the -order up to him and congratulated him, the Chancellor threw it angrily -on the bed and said: “What is the good of that to me?” (“_Wat ik mich -davor koofe?_”--low German dialect.) Doubtless imagination, but it -appears to be correct that the Minister is to-day in very bad humour -and exceptionally irritable. - -The festival of the Orders and the Proclamation of the German Empire -and Emperor took place in the great hall of the palace between 12 and -1.30 P.M. It was held with much military pomp and ceremony, and is said -to have been a very magnificent and imposing spectacle. In the meantime -I took a long walk with Wollmann. - -The Chief did not dine with us, as he was bidden to the Emperor’s -table. On his return I was called to him twice to receive instructions. -His voice was an unusually weak voice, and looked very tired and worn -out. - -The Chief has received a communication from a number of diplomats -who have remained behind in Paris. Kern, the Swiss Minister, who is -their spokesman, requests the Chancellor to use his influence in order -to obtain permission for the persons committed to their protection -to leave the city. At the same time our right to bombard Paris is -questioned, and it is insinuated that we intentionally fire at -buildings that ought to be respected. The reply is to point out that -we have already repeatedly, through their diplomatic representatives, -called the attention of the citizens of neutral states living in -Paris to the consequences of the city’s prolonged resistance. This -was done as early as the end of September, and again several times in -October. Furthermore, we have for months past allowed every citizen of -a neutral State, who was able to give evidence of his nationality, to -pass through our lines without any difficulty. At the present time, -for military reasons, we can only extend that permission to members -of the Corps Diplomatique. It is not our fault if subjects of neutral -states have not hitherto availed themselves of the permission to seek -a place of safety for their persons and their property. Either they -have not wished to leave, or they have not been allowed to do so by -those who at present hold power in Paris. We are fully justified -by international law in bombarding Paris, as it is a fortress, the -principal fortress of France--an entrenched camp which serves the enemy -as a base of offensive and defensive action against our armies. Our -generals cannot, therefore, be expected to refrain from attacking it, -or to handle it with velvet gloves. Furthermore, the object of the -bombardment is not to destroy the city, but to capture the fortress. If -our fire renders residence in Paris uncomfortable and dangerous, those -who recognise that fact ought not to have gone to live in a fortified -town, or should not have remained there. They may, therefore, address -their complaints not to us, but to those who transformed Paris into -a fortress, and who now use its fortifications as an instrument of -war against us. Finally, our artillery does not intentionally fire at -private houses and benevolent institutions, such as hospitals, &c. That -should be understood as a matter of course from the care with which we -have observed the provisions of the Geneva Convention. Such accidents -as do occur are due to the great distance at which we are firing. It -cannot, however, be tolerated that Paris, which has been and still is -the chief centre of military resistance, should bring forward these -cases as an argument for forbidding the vigorous bombardment which is -intended to render the city untenable. Wrote articles to the above -effect. - -_Thursday, January 19th._--Dull weather. The post has not been -delivered, and it is ascertained on inquiry that the railway line -has been destroyed at a place called Vitry la Ville, near Châlons. -From 10 A.M. we hear a rather vigorous cannonade, in which field guns -ultimately join. I write two articles on the sentimental report of -the _Journal des Débats_, according to which our shells only strike -ambulances, mothers with their daughters, and babies in swaddling -clothes. What evil-minded shells! - -Keudell tells us at lunch that to-day’s cannonade was directed against -a great sortie with twenty-four battalions and numerous guns in the -direction of La Celle and Saint Cloud. In my room after lunch Wollmann -treats me to a number of anecdotes of doubtful authenticity. According -to him the Chief yesterday remarked to the King, when his Majesty -changed the Minister’s title to that of Chancellor of the Empire, that -this new title brought him into bad company. To which the King replied -that the bad company would be transformed into good company on his -joining it. (From whom can Wollmann have heard that?) My gossip also -informs me that the King made a slip of the tongue yesterday at the -palace, when in announcing his assumption of the title of Emperor he -added the words “by the Grace of God.” This requires to be confirmed by -some more trustworthy authority. Another story of Wollmann’s seems more -probable, namely, that the Minister sends in a written request to the -King, almost every day, to be supplied with the reports of the General -Staff respecting the English coal ships sunk by our people near Rouen. -He used in the same way to telegraph day after day to Eulenburg who -has always been very dilatory: “What about Villiers?” And before that -in Berlin he had a request addressed to Eulenburg at least once every -week: Would he kindly have the draft of the district regulations sent -forward as early as possible? - -Towards 2 o’clock, when the rattle of the mitrailleuse could be clearly -distinguished, and the French artillery was at the outside only half -a German mile in a straight line from Versailles, the Chief rode out -to the aqueduct at Marly, whither the King and the Crown Prince were -understood to have gone. - -The affair must have caused some anxiety at Versailles in the meantime, -as we see that the Bavarian troops have been called out. They are -posted in large masses in the Place d’Armes and the Avenue de Paris. -The French are camped, sixty thousand strong it is said, beneath Mont -Valérien and in the fields to the east of it. They are understood to -have captured the Montretout redoubt, and the village of Garches to -the west of Saint Cloud, which is not much more than three-quarters -of an hour from here, is also in their hands. They may, it is feared, -advance further to-morrow and oblige us to withdraw from Versailles, -but this seems to be at least an exaggeration. At dinner there is -scarcely any talk of immediate danger. Geheimrath von Löper, who -is understood to be Under Secretary in the Ministry of the Royal -Household, dines with us. We hear that there is no longer any danger -for our communications in the south-east, as Bourbaki, after pressing -Werder very hard for three days without however being able to defeat -him, has given up the attempt to relieve Belfort and is now in full -retreat, probably owing to the approach of Manteuffel. The Chief then -refers to a report that the taxes cannot be collected in various -districts of the occupied territory. He says it is difficult, indeed -impossible, to garrison every place where the population must be made -to pay the taxes. “Nor,” he adds, “is it necessary to do so? Flying -columns of infantry accompanied by a couple of guns are all that is -needed. Without even entering into the places, the people should be -simply told, ‘If you do not produce the taxes in arrear within two -hours we shall pitch some shells in amongst you.’ If they see that we -are in earnest they will pay. If not the place should be bombarded, and -that would help in other cases. They must learn what war means.” - -The conversation afterwards turned on the grants that were to be -expected after the conclusion of peace, and alluding to those made -in 1866, the Chief said, _inter alia_: “They should not be grants of -money. I at least was reluctant for a long time to accept one, but at -length I yielded to the temptation. Besides, it was worse still in my -case, as I received it not from the King but from the Diet. I did not -want to take any money from people with whom I had fought so bitterly -for years. - -“Moreover, the King was to some extent in my debt, as I had sent him -forty pounds of fine fresh caviare--a present for which he made me no -return. It is true that perhaps he never received it. Probably that fat -rascal Borck intercepted it.” “These rewards ought to have taken the -form of grants of land, as in 1815; and there was a good opportunity of -doing so, particularly in the corner of Bavaria which we acquired, and -which consisted almost entirely of State property.” - -While we were alone at tea, Bucher told me that “before the war he had -a good deal to do with the Spanish affair.” (This was not exactly news -to me, as I remembered that long before that he suddenly ordered the -_Imparcial_, and gave directions for various articles directed against -Montpensier.) He had negotiated in the matter with the Hohenzollerns, -father and son, and had also spoken to the King on the affair in an -audience of one hour’s duration which he had had with him at Ems. - -_Friday, January 20th._--I am called to the Chief at 12 o’clock. He -wishes to have his reply to Kern’s communication, and the letter in -which he declined to supply Favre with a passport, published in the -_Moniteur_. - -Bohlen again came to dinner, at which we were also joined by Lauer -and von Knobelsdorff. The Chief was very cheerful and talkative. He -related, amongst other things, that while he was at Frankfurt he -frequently received and accepted invitations from the Grand Ducal Court -at Darmstadt. They had excellent shooting there. “But,” he added, “I -have reason to believe that the Grand Duchess Mathilde did not like -me. She said to some one at that time: ‘He always stands there and -looks as important as if he were the Grand Duke himself.’” - -While we were smoking our cigars, the Crown Prince’s aide-de-camp -suddenly appeared, and reported that Count ---- (I could not catch the -name) had come, ostensibly on behalf of, and under instructions from, -Trochu, to ask for a two days’ armistice in order to remove the wounded -and bury those who fell in yesterday’s engagement. The Chief replied -that the request should be refused. A few hours would be sufficient for -the removal of the wounded and the burial of the dead; and, besides, -the latter were just as well off lying on the ground as they would be -under it. The Major returned shortly afterwards and announced that -the King would come here; and, hardly a quarter of an hour later, his -Majesty arrived with the Crown Prince. They went with the Chancellor -into the drawing-room, where a negative answer was prepared for -Trochu’s messenger. - -About 9 P.M. Bucher sent me up a couple of lines in pencil to the -effect that the letter to Kern should be published in the _Moniteur_ -to-morrow, but that the communication to Favre should be held over for -the present. - -_Saturday, January 21st._--At 9.30 A.M. the _Moniteur_ is delivered, -and contains the Chief’s letter to Favre. Very disagreeable; but I -suppose my letter to Bamberg only arrived after the paper was printed. -At 10 o’clock I am called to the Minister, who says nothing about this -mishap, although he has the newspaper before him. He is still in bed, -and wishes the protest of the Comte de Chambord against the bombardment -cut out for the King. I then write an article for the _Kölnische -Zeitung_, and a paragraph for the local journal. - -Voigts-Rhetz, Prince Putbus, and the Bavarian Count Berghem were the -Chancellor’s guests at dinner. The Bavarian brought the pleasant news -that the Versailles treaties were carried in the second chamber at -Munich by two votes over the necessary two-thirds majority. The German -Empire was, therefore, complete in every respect. Thereupon the Chief -invited the company to drink the health of the King of Bavaria, “who, -after all, has really helped us through to a successful conclusion.” -“I always thought that it would be carried,” he added, “if only by one -vote--but I had not hoped for two. The last good news from the seat of -war will doubtless have contributed to the result.” - -It was then mentioned that in the engagement the day before yesterday -the French brought a much larger force against us than was thought at -first, probably over 80,000 men. The Montretout redoubt was actually -in their hands for some hours, and also a portion of Garches and Saint -Cloud. The French had lost enormously in storming the position--it -was said 1,200 dead and 4,000 wounded. The Chancellor observed: “The -capitulation must follow soon. I imagine it may be even next week. -After the capitulation we shall supply them with provisions as a -matter of course. But before they deliver up 700,000 rifles and 4,000 -guns they shall not get a single mouthful of bread--and then no one -shall be allowed to leave. We shall occupy the forts and the walls -and keep them on short commons until they accommodate themselves to a -peace satisfactory to us. After all there are still many persons of -intelligence and consideration in Paris with whom it must be possible -to come to some arrangement.” - -Then followed a learned discussion on the difference between the titles -“German Emperor” and “Emperor of Germany,” and that of “Emperor of -the Germans” was also mooted. After this had gone on for a while the -Chief, who had taken no part in it, asked: “Does any one know the Latin -word for sausage (Wurscht)?” Abeken answered “Farcimentum,” and I said -“Farcimen.” The Chief, smiling: “Farcimentum or farcimen, it is all the -same to me. _Nescio quid mihi magis farcimentum esset._” (“_Es ist mir -Wurst_” is student’s slang, and means “It is a matter of the utmost -indifference to me.”) - -_Sunday, January 22nd._--In the forenoon I wrote two paragraphs for the -German newspapers, and one for the _Moniteur_, in connection with which -I was twice called to see the Chief. - -Von Könneritz, a Saxon, General von Stosch, and Löper joined us at -dinner. There was nothing worth noting in the conversation except that -the Minister again insisted that it would be only fair to invest the -wounded with the Iron Cross. “The Coburger,” he went on, “said to me -the other day, ‘It would really be a satisfaction if the soldiers also -got the Cross now.’ I replied, ‘Yes, but it is less satisfactory that -we two should have received it.’” - -_Monday, January 23rd._--I telegraph that the bombardment on the north -side has made good progress, that the fort at Saint Denis has been -silenced, and that an outbreak of fire has been observed in Saint Denis -itself as well as in Paris. All our batteries are firing vigorously, -although one cannot hear them. So we are told by Lieutenant von Uslar, -of the Hussars, who brings a letter to the Chief from Favre. What can -he want? - -Shortly after 7 P.M. Favre arrived, and the Chancellor had an interview -with him, which lasted about two and a half hours. In the meantime -Hatzfeldt and Bismarck-Bohlen conversed down stairs in the drawing-room -with the gentleman who accompanied Favre, and who is understood to be -his son-in-law, del Rio. He is a portrait painter by profession, but -came with his father-in-law in the capacity of secretary. Both were -treated to a hastily improvised meal, consisting of cutlets, scrambled -eggs, ham, &c., which will doubtless have been welcome to these poor -martyrs to their own obstinacy. Shortly after 10 o’clock they drove -off, accompanied by Hatzfeldt, to the lodgings assigned to them in a -house on the Boulevard du Roi, where Stieber and the military police -also happen to have their quarters. Hatzfeldt accompanied the gentlemen -there. Favre looked very depressed. - -The Chief drove off to see the King at 10.30 P.M., returning in about -three-quarters of an hour. He looks exceedingly pleased as he enters -the room where we are sitting at tea. He first asks me to pour him -out a cup of tea, and he eats a few mouthfuls of bread with it. After -a while he says to his cousin, “Do you know this?” and then whistled -a short tune, the signal of the hunter that he has brought down the -deer. Bohlen replies, “Yes, in at the death.” The Chief: “No, this -way,” and he whistled again. “A _hallali_,” he adds. “I think the thing -is finished.” Bohlen remarked that Favre looked “awfully shabby.” The -Chief said: “I find he has grown much greyer than when I saw him at -Ferrières--also stouter, probably on horseflesh. Otherwise he looks -like one who has been through a great deal of trouble and excitement -lately, and to whom everything is now indifferent. Moreover, he was -very frank, and confessed that things are not going on well in Paris. I -also ascertained from him that Trochu has been superseded. Vinoy is now -in command of the city.” Bohlen then related that Martinez del Rio was -exceedingly reserved. They, for their part, had not tried to pump him; -but they once inquired how things were going on at the Villa Rothschild -in the Bois de Boulogne, where Thiers said the General Staff of the -Paris army was quartered. Del Rio answered curtly that he did not know. -For the rest, they had talked solely about high-class restaurants -in Paris, which, they acknowledged, was an unmannerly thing to do. -Hatzfeldt on his return, after conducting the two Parisians to their -lodgings, reported that Favre was glad to have arrived after dark, and -that he does not wish to go out in the daytime in order not to create -a sensation, and to avoid being pestered by the Versailles people. - -_Tuesday, January 24th._--The Chief gets up before 9 o’clock and works -with Abeken. Shortly before 10 he drives off to see the King, or, -let us now say, the Emperor. It is nearly 1 o’clock when he returns. -We are still at lunch, and he sits down and takes some roast ham and -a glass of Tivoli beer. After a while he heaves a sigh and says: -“Until now I always thought that Parliamentary negotiations were the -slowest of all, but I no longer think so. There was at least one way -of escape there--to move ‘that the question should be now put.’ But -here everybody says whatever occurs to him, and when one imagines -the matter is finally settled, somebody brings forward an argument -that has already been disposed of, and so the whole thing has to be -gone over again, which is quite hopeless. That is stewing thought to -rags--mere flatulence which people ought really to be able to restrain. -Well, it’s all the same to me! I even prefer that nothing should have -been yet decided or shall be decided till to-morrow. It is merely the -waste of time in having to listen to them, but of course such people -do not think of that.” The Chief then said that he expected Favre to -call upon him again, and that he had advised him to leave at 3 o’clock -(Favre wishes to return to Paris) “on account of the soldiers who would -challenge him after dark, and to whom he could not reply.” - -Favre arrived at 1.30 P.M. and spent nearly two hours in negotiation -with the Chancellor. He afterwards drove off towards Paris, being -accompanied by Bismarck-Bohlen as far as the bridge at Sèvres. - -These negotiations were not mentioned at dinner. It would appear, -however, to be a matter of course that the preliminaries of the -capitulation were discussed. The Chief spoke at first of Bernstorff, -and said: “Anyhow, that is a thing I have never yet been able to -manage--to fill page after page of foolscap with the most insignificant -twaddle. A pile so high has come in again to-day”--he pointed with his -hand--“and then the back references: ‘As I had the honour to report in -my despatch of January 3rd, 1863, No. so-and-so; as I announced most -obediently in my telegram No. 1666.’ I send them to the King, and he -wants to know what Bernstorff means, and always writes in pencil on -the margin, ‘Don’t understand this. This is awful!’” Somebody observed -that it was only Goltz who wrote as much as Bernstorff: “Yes,” said the -Chief, “and in addition he often sent me private letters that filled -six to eight closely-written sheets. He must have had a terrible amount -of spare time. Fortunately I fell out with him, and then that blessing -ceased.” One of the company wondered, what Goltz would say if he now -heard that the Emperor was a prisoner, and the Empress in London, -while Paris was being besieged and bombarded by us. “Well,” replied -the Chief, “he was not so desperately attached to the Emperor--but the -Empress in London! Nevertheless, in spite of his devotion to her, he -would not have given himself away as Werther did.” - -The death of a Belgian Princess having been mentioned, Abeken, as in -duty bound, expressed his grief at the event. The Chief said: “How can -that affect you so much? To my knowledge, there is no Belgian here at -table, nor even a cousin.” - -The Minister then related that Favre complained of our firing at the -sick and blind--that is to say, the blind asylum. “I said to him, ‘I -really do not see what you have to complain about. You yourselves -do much worse, seeing that you shoot at our sound and healthy men.’ -He will have thought: What a barbarian!” Hohenlohe’s name was then -mentioned, and it was said that much of the success of the bombardment -was due to him. The Chief: “I shall propose for him the title of -Poliorketes.” The conversation then turned on the statues and paintings -of the Restoration, and their artificiality and bad taste. “I -remember,” said the Chief, “that Schuckmann, the Minister, was painted -by his wife, _en coquille_ I think it was called at that time, that is, -in a rose-coloured shell, and wearing a kind of antique costume. He was -naked down to the waist--I had never seen him like that.” “That is one -of my earliest remembrances. They often gave what used to be called -_assemblées_, and are now known as routs--a ball without supper. My -parents usually went there.” Thereupon, the Chief once more described -his mother’s costume, and then continued: “There was afterwards a -Russian Minister in Berlin, Ribeaupierre, who also gave balls, where -people danced till 2 o’clock in the morning, and there was nothing to -eat. I know that, because I and a couple of good friends were often -there. At length we got tired of it, and played them a trick. When it -got late, we pulled out some bread and butter from our pockets, and -after we had finished, we pitched the paper on the drawing-room floor. -Refreshments were provided next time, but we were not invited any -more.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - -DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS RESPECTING THE CAPITULATION OF PARIS - - -_Wednesday, January 25th._--Count Lehndorff dined with us, and talked -about hunting and hunting dinners, including a great banquet given -by some Baron which consisted of no less than twenty-four courses. -His brother was present and fell asleep propped on his elbows, while -a neighbour of his sunk into slumber on the shoulder of a governess -who was sitting next him. The dinner lasted over five hours and the -people were most horribly bored, as often happens in the country. The -Chief remarked: “I always know how to get over that difficulty. One -must put down a good bit of liquor right at the beginning, and under -its influence one’s neighbours to the left and right grow ever so much -cleverer and pleasanter.” - -The Minister then spoke about his first journey to St. Petersburg. -He drove in a carriage, as at first there was no snow. It fell very -heavily later on, however, and progress was terribly slow. It took him -five full days and six nights to reach the first railway station, and -he spent the whole time cramped up in a narrow carriage without sleep -and with the thermometer at fifteen degrees Reaumur below zero. In the -train, however he fell so fast asleep that on their arrival in St. -Petersburg, after a ten hours’ run, he felt as if he had been only five -minutes in the railway carriage. - -“The old times before the railways were completed had also their good -side,” continued the Minister. “There was not so much to do. The mail -only came in twice a week, and then one worked as if for a wager. But -when the mail was over we got on horseback, and had a good time of it -until its next arrival.” Somebody observed that the increased work, -both abroad and at the Foreign Office, was due more to the telegraph -than to the railways. This led the Chief to talk about diplomatic -reports in general, many of which, while written in a pleasant style, -were quite empty. “They are like feuilletons, written merely because -something has to be written. That was the case, for instance, with the -reports of Bamberg, our Consul in Paris. One read them through always -thinking: Now something is coming. But nothing ever came. They sounded -very well and one read on and on. But there was really nothing in them. -All barren and empty.” Another instance was then mentioned, Bernhardi, -our Military Plenipotentiary at Florence, of whom the Chief said: “He -passes for being a good writer on military subjects because of his work -on Toll. We do not know, however, how much of that he himself wrote. -Thereupon he was given the rank of major, although it is not certain -that he ever was an officer at all, and he was appointed Military -Plenipotentiary in Italy. Great things were expected of him there, and -in the matter of quantity he did a great deal--also in the matter of -style. He writes in an agreeable way, as if for a feuilleton, but when -I have got to the end of his closely-written reports in a small neat -hand, for all their length I have found nothing in them.”... - -The Minister then returned to the subject of tiresome journeys and -long rides. He said: “I remember after the battle of Sadowa I was the -whole day in the saddle on a big horse. At first I did not want to ride -him as he was too high and it was too much trouble to mount. At last, -however, I did so, and I was not sorry for it. It was an excellent -animal! But the long waiting above the valley had exhausted me and my -seat and legs were very sore. The skin was not broken, that has never -happened to me, but afterwards when I sat down on a wooden bench I -had a feeling as if I were sitting on something that came between me -and the wood. It was only a blister. After Sadowa we arrived late at -night in the market-place of Horsitz. There we were told that we were -to seek out our own quarters. That, however, was much easier said than -done. The houses were bolted and barred, and the sappers, who might -have broken in the doors for us, were not to arrive before five in -the morning.” “His Excellency knew how to help himself in a similar -case at Gravelotte,” interrupted Delbrück. The Chief continued his -story: “Well, I went to several houses at Horsitz, three or four, and -at length I found a door open. After making a few steps into the dark -I fell into a kind of pit. Luckily it was not deep, and I was able -to satisfy myself that it was filled with horse-dung. I thought at -first, ‘How would it be to remain here,’--on the dung-heap, but I soon -recognised other smells. What curious things happen sometimes! If that -pit had been twenty feet deep, and full, they would have had a long -search next morning for their Minister, and doubtless there would be no -Chancellor of the Confederation to-day.” “I went out again and finally -found a corner for myself in an arcade on the market-place. I laid -a couple of carriage cushions on the ground and made a pillow of a -third, and then stretched myself out to sleep. Later on some one waked -me. It was Perponcher, who told me that the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg -had a room for me and an unoccupied bed. That turned out to be correct, -but the bed was only a child’s cot. I managed to fix it, however, by -arranging the back of a chair at the end of it. But in the morning I -could hardly stand, as my knees had been resting on the bare boards.” -“One can sleep quite comfortably if one has only a sackful of straw, -however small. You cut it open in the middle, push the straw to the -two ends, and let yourself into the hollow part. I used to do that in -Russia when out hunting. I ripped the bag open with my hunting knife, -crept into it and slept like a log.” “That was when the despatch from -Napoleon came,” observed Bohlen. The Chief replied: “Yes, the one at -which the King was so pleased, because it showed that he had won a -great battle--his first great battle.” “And you were also glad,” said -Bohlen, “and you swore an oath that you would one day requite the Gauls -when an opportunity offered.”... - -Finally the Chief related: “Favre told me the day before yesterday -that the first shell that fell in the Pantheon cut off the head of the -statue of Henri IV.” “He doubtless thought that was a very pathetic -piece of news,” suggested Bohlen. “Oh, no,” replied the Chief, “I -rather fancy that, as a democrat, he was pleased that it should have -happened to a King.” Bohlen: “That is the second piece of bad luck that -Henri has had in Paris. First a Frenchman stabbed him there, and now we -have beheaded him.” - -The dinner lasted very long this evening, from 5.30 till after 7. -Favre was expected back from Paris every moment. He came at length at -7.30, again accompanied by his son-in-law with the Spanish name. It is -understood that neither hesitated this time, as they did on the former -occasion, to take the food that was offered to them, but, like sensible -people, did justice to the good things that were laid before them. It -is doubtless to be inferred from this that they have also listened to -reason in the main point, or will do so. That will soon appear, as -Favre is again conferring with the Chancellor. - -After dinner read drafts. Instructions have been sent to -Rosenberg-Grudcinski at Reims respecting the collection of taxes. The -Municipalities are to be called upon to pay five per cent. extra for -each day of arrears. Flying columns with artillery are to be sent to -districts where payment is obstinately refused. They are to summon the -inhabitants to pay up the taxes and if this is not done immediately -to shell the place and set it on fire. Three examples would render a -fourth unnecessary. It is not our business to win over the French by -considerate treatment or to take their welfare into account. On the -contrary, in view of their character, it is desirable to inspire them -with a greater fear of us than of their own Government, which, of -course, also enforces compulsory measures against them. According to a -report by the Minister of the Netherlands to his Government, the Red -Republicans in Paris attempted a rising the night before last, released -some of their leaders, and then provoked a riot outside the Hôtel de -Ville. The National Guard fired upon the Mobiles, and there were some -dead and wounded, but ultimately order was restored. - -About 10 o’clock, while Favre was still here, there was heavy firing -from big guns which continued for perhaps an hour. I went to tea at -10.30 P.M., and found Hatzfeldt and Bismarck-Bohlen in conversation -with Del Rio in the dining-room. He is a man of medium height, dark -beard, slightly bald, and wears a pince-nez. Shortly after I came down, -he left for his quarters at Stieber’s house, accompanied by Mantey, -and he was followed a quarter of an hour later by Favre. Del Rio spoke -of Paris as being the “centre du monde,” so that the bombardment is a -kind of target practice at the centre of the world. He mentioned that -Favre has a villa at Reuil and a large cellar in Paris with all sorts -of wine, and that he himself has an estate in Mexico of six square -German miles in extent. After Favre’s departure the Chief came out to -us, ate some cold partridge, asked for some ham, and drank a bottle -of beer. After a while he sighed, and sitting up straight in his -chair, he exclaimed: “If one could only decide and order these things -one’s self! But to bring others to do it!” He paused for a minute and -then continued: “What surprises me is that they have not sent out -any general. And it is difficult to make Favre understand military -matters.” He then mentioned a couple of French technical terms of which -Favre did not know the meaning. “Well, it is to be hoped that he had a -proper meal to-day,” said Bohlen. The Chief replied in the affirmative, -and then Bohlen said he had heard it rumoured that this time Favre had -not despised the champagne. The Chief: “Yes, the day before yesterday -he refused to take any, but to-day he had several glasses. The first -time he had some scruples of conscience about eating, but I persuaded -him, and his hunger doubtless supported me, for he ate like one who had -had a long fast.” - -Hatzfeldt reported that the Mayor, Rameau, had called about an hour -before and asked if M. Favre was here. He wanted to speak to him and -to place himself at his disposal. Might he do so? He, Hatzfeldt, had -replied that of course he did not know. The Chief: “For a man to come -in the night to a person who is returning to Paris is sufficient of -itself to bring him before a court-martial. The audacious fellow!” -Bohlen: “Mantey has doubtless already told Stieber. Probably this M. -Rameau is anxious to return to his cell.” (Rameau was obliged some time -since to study the interior of one of the cells in the prison in the -Rue Saint Pierre for a few days in company with some other members of -the corporation--if I am not mistaken, on account of some refusal or -some insolent reply about supplying provisions for Versailles.) - -The Minister then related some particulars of his interview with Favre. -“I like him better now than at Ferrières,” he said. “He spoke a good -deal and in long, well-rounded periods. It was often not necessary to -pay attention or to answer. They were anecdotes of former times. He -is a very good _raconteur_.” “He was not at all offended at my recent -letter to him. On the contrary, he felt indebted to me for calling his -attention to what he owed to himself.” “He also spoke of having a villa -near Paris, which was, however, wrecked and pillaged. I had it on the -tip of my tongue to say, ‘But not by us!’ but he himself immediately -added that it had doubtless been done by the Mobiles.” “He then -complained that Saint Cloud had been burning for the last three days, -and wanted to persuade me that we had set the palace there on fire.” -“In speaking of the franctireurs and their misdeeds, he wished to call -my attention to our guerillas in 1813--they indeed had been much worse. -I said to him: ‘I don’t want to deny that, but you are also aware -that the French shot them whenever they caught them. And they did not -shoot them all in one place, but one batch on the spot where the act -was committed, another batch at the next halt, and so on, in order to -serve as a deterrent.’” “He maintained that in the last engagement, on -the 19th, the National Guard, recruited from the well-to-do classes, -fought best, while the battalions raised from the lower classes were -worthless.” - -The Chief paused for a while and seemed to be reflecting. He then -continued: “If the Parisians first received a supply of provisions -and were then again put on half rations and once more obliged to -starve, that ought, I think, to work. It is like flogging. When it -is administered continuously it is not felt so much. But when it is -suspended for a time and then another dose inflicted, it hurts! I know -that from the criminal court where I was employed. Flogging was still -in use there.” - -The subject of flogging in general was then discussed, and Bohlen, who -favours its retention, observed that the English had re-introduced it. -“Yes,” said Bucher, “but first for personal insult to the Queen, on the -occasion of an outrage against the Royal person, and afterwards for -garrotting.” The Chief then related that in 1863, when the garrotters -appeared in London, he was often obliged to go after twelve o’clock -at night through a solitary lane, containing only stables and full of -heaps of horse-dung, which led from Regent Street to his lodgings in -Park Street. To his terror, he read in the papers that a number of -these attacks had taken place on that very spot. - -Then, after a pause, the Minister said: “This is really an unheard-of -proceeding on the part of the English. They want to send a gunboat up -the Seine” (Odo Russell put forward this demand, which the Chancellor -absolutely refused) “in order, they say, to remove the English families -there. They merely want to ascertain if we have laid down torpedoes and -then to let the French ships follow them. What swine! They are full -of vexation and envy because we have fought great battles here--and -won them. They cannot bear to think that shabby little Prussia should -prosper so. The Prussians are a people who should merely exist in -order to carry on war for them in their pay. This is the view taken by -all the upper classes in England. They have never been well disposed -towards us, and have always done their utmost to injure us.” “The -Crown Princess herself is an incarnation of this way of thinking. She -is full of her own great condescension in marrying into our country. -I remember her once telling me that two or three merchant families in -Liverpool had more silver-plate than the entire Prussian nobility. -‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘that is possibly true, your Royal Highness, but we -value ourselves for other things besides silver.’” - -The Minister remained silent for a while. Then he said: “I have often -thought over what would have happened if we had gone to war about -Luxemburg--should I now be in Paris or would the French be in Berlin? -I think I did well to prevent war at that time. We should not have -been nearly so strong as we are to-day. At that time the Hanoverians -would not have made trustworthy soldiers. I will say nothing about -the Hessians--they would have done well. The Schleswig-Holstein men -have now fought like lions, but there was no army there then. Saxony -was also useless. The army had been disbanded and had to be recruited -over again. And there was little confidence to be placed in the -South Germans. The Würtembergers, what excellent fellows they are -now, quite first rate! But in 1866 they would have been laughed at by -every soldier as they marched into Frankfurt like so many militiamen. -The Baden troops were also not up to the mark. Beyer, and indeed -the Grand Duke, has since then done a great deal for them.” “It is -true that public opinion throughout Germany would have been on our -side had we wished to fight for Luxemburg. But that was not enough -to compensate for such deficiencies. Moreover, we had not right on -our side. I have never confessed it publicly, but I can say it here: -after the dissolution of the Confederation the Grand Duke had become -the sovereign of Luxemburg and could have done what he liked with the -country. It would have been mean of him to part with it for money, but -it was open to him to cede it to France. Our right of occupation was -also not well founded. Properly speaking, after the dissolution of the -Confederation we ought no longer to have occupied even Rastatt and -Mainz. I said that in the Council--I had at that time yet another -idea, namely, to hand over Luxemburg to Belgium. In that case we -should have united it to a country on behalf of whose neutrality, as -people then thought, England would intervene. That would also have -strengthened the German element there against the French speaking -inhabitants, and at the same time have secured a good frontier. My -proposal was not received with any favour, and it is just as well as it -has turned out.” - -Bismarck-Bohlen drew attention to a capital cartoon in -_Kladderadatsch_: Napoleon waiting on the platform of the railway -station and saying “They have already given the signal to start.” He -has put on an ermine cloak for his journey to Paris, and is carrying -his portmanteau in his hand. The Chief, however, observed: “Doubtless -he thinks so, and he may be right. But I fear he will miss the train. -Yet, after all, there may be no other way left. He would be easier -to convince than Favre. But he would always require half the army to -maintain him on the throne.” - -_Thursday, January 26th._--The Chief drove off to see the King at 10.30 -A.M. - -Herr Hans von Rochow and Count Lehndorff dined with us. The Chief -talked about Favre: “He told me that on Sundays the boulevards are -still full of fashionably dressed women with pretty children. I -remarked to him, ‘I am surprised at that. I wonder you have not yet -eaten them!’” As some one noticed that the firing was particularly -heavy to-day, the Minister observed: “I remember in the criminal -court we once had a subordinate official--I believe his name was -Stepki--whose business it was to administer the floggings. He was -accustomed to lay on the last three strokes with exceptional vigour--as -a wholesome memento!” The conversation then turned upon Strousberg, -whose bankruptcy was said to be imminent, and the Chief said: “He once -told me, ‘I know I shall not even die in my own house.’ But for the -war, it would not have happened so soon, perhaps not at all. He always -kept afloat by issuing new shares, and the game succeeded, although -other Jews, who had made money before him, did their best to spoil it. -But now comes the war, and his Rumanians have fallen lower and lower, -so that at present one might ask how much they cost per hundredweight. -For all that, he remains a clever man and indefatigable.” The mention -of Strousberg’s cleverness and restless activity led on to Gambetta, -who was said to have also “made his five millions out of the war.” -But doubts were expressed on this point, and I believe rightly. After -the Dictator of Bordeaux, it was Napoleon’s turn to be discussed, -and according to Bohlen, people said he had saved at least fifty -millions during the nineteen years of his reign. “Others say eighty -millions,” added the Chief, “but I doubt it. Louis Philippe spoiled -the business. He had riots arranged, and then bought stocks on the -Amsterdam Exchange, but at last business men saw through it.” Hatzfeldt -or Keudell then observed that this resourceful monarch used to fall ill -from time to time with a similar object. - -Morny was then spoken of as having been specially ingenious in making -money in every possible way under the Empire. The Chief told us that -“when Morny was appointed Ambassador to St. Petersburg he appeared -with a whole collection of elegant carriages, some forty-three of them -altogether, and all his chests, trunks and boxes were full of laces, -silks, and feminine finery, upon which, as Ambassador, he had to pay -no customs duty. Every servant had his own carriage, and every attaché -and secretary had at least two. A few days after his arrival he sold -off the whole lot by auction, clearing at least 800,000 roubles. He -was a thief, but an amiable one.” The Chief then, pursuing the same -subject and quoting further instances, continued: “For the matter of -that, influential people in St. Petersburg understood this sort of -business--not that they were willing to take money directly. But when a -person wanted something, he went to a certain French shop, and bought -expensive laces, gloves or jewellery, perhaps for five or six thousand -roubles. The shop was run on behalf of some official or his wife. -This process repeated, say, twice a week, produced quite a respectable -amount in the course of the year.” - -Bohlen called out across the table: “Do, please, tell that lovely -story about the Jew with the torn boots who got twenty-five lashes.” -The Chief: “It came about in this way. One day a Jew called at our -Chancellerie declaring that he was penniless, and wanted to be sent -back to Prussia. He was terribly tattered, and he had on in particular -a pair of boots that showed his naked toes. He was told that he would -be sent home, but then he wanted to get other boots as it was so cold. -He demanded them as a right, and became so forward and impudent, -screaming and calling names, that our people did not know what to do -with him. And the servants also could not trust themselves to deal with -the furious creature. At length, when the row had become intolerable, -I was called to render physical assistance. I told the man to be quiet -or I would have him locked up. He answered defiantly: ‘You can’t do -that. You have no right whatever to do that in Russia!’ ‘We shall -see!’ I replied. ‘I must send you home, but I am not called upon to -give you boots, although perhaps I might have done so. But first you -shall receive punishment for your abominable behaviour.’ He then -repeated that I could not touch him. Thereupon I opened the window -and beckoned to a Russian policeman, who was stationed a little way -off. My Jew continued to shriek and abuse us until the policeman, a -tall stout man, came in. I said, ‘Take him with you--lock him up till -to-morrow--twenty-five!’ The big policeman took the little Jew with -him, and locked him up. He came again next morning quite transformed, -very humble and submissive, and declared himself ready for the journey -without new boots. I asked how he had got on in the interval. Badly, -he said, very badly. But what had they done to him? They had--well, -they had--physically maltreated him. I thought that when he got home -he would enter a complaint against me, or get his case into the -newspapers--the _Volkszeitung_, or some such popular organ. The Jews -know how to make a row. But he must have decided otherwise, for nothing -more was heard of him.” - -When I came down to tea at 10.30 P.M. I found the Chief in conversation -with the members of Parliament, Von Köller and Von Forckenbeck. The -Minister was just saying that more money would soon be required. “We -did not want to ask more from the Reichstag,” he said, “as we did -not anticipate that the war would last so long. I have written to -Camphausen, but he suggests requisitions and contributions. They are -very difficult to collect, as the immense area of country over which we -are dispersed requires more troops than we can spare for purposes of -coercion. Two million soldiers would be necessary to deal thoroughly -with a territory of 12,000 German square miles. Besides, everything -has grown dearer in consequence of the war. When we make a requisition -we get nothing. When we pay cash there is always enough to be had in -the market, and cheaper than in Germany. Here the bushel of oats costs -four francs, and if it is brought from Germany six francs. I thought -at first of getting the contributions of the different States paid in -advance. But that would only amount to twenty millions, as Bavaria will -keep her own accounts until 1872. Another way out of the difficulty -occurred to me, namely, to apply to our Diet for a sum on account. -But we must first find out what Moltke proposes to extort from the -Parisians, that is to say, from the city of Paris--for that is what -we are dealing with for the present.” Forckenbeck was of opinion that -the Chief’s plan would meet with no insurmountable resistance in the -Diet. It is true the doctrinaires would raise objections, and others -would complain that Prussia should again have to come to the rescue and -make sacrifices for the rest of the country, but in all probability -the majority would go with the Government. Köller could confirm that -opinion, which he did. - -Afterwards an officer of the dark blue hussars, a Count Arnim who -had just arrived from Le Mans, came in and gave us a great deal of -interesting news. He said the inhabitants of the town appeared to -be very sensible people who disapproved of Gambetta’s policy, and -everywhere expressed their desire for peace. “Yes,” replied the Chief, -“that is very good of the people, but how does it help us if with all -their good sense they allow Gambetta, time after time, to stamp new -armies of 150,000 men out of the ground?” Arnim having further related -that they had again made great numbers of prisoners, the Minister -exclaimed: “That is most unsatisfactory! What shall we do with them all -in the end? Why make so many prisoners? Every one who makes prisoners -ought to be tried by court-martial.” This, like many other similar -expressions, must doubtless not be taken literally, and applies only to -the franctireurs. - -_Friday, January 27th._--It is said that the bombardment ceased at -midnight. It was to have recommenced at 6 o’clock this morning in case -the Paris Government was not prepared to agree to our conditions for -a truce. As it has ceased, the Parisians have doubtless yielded. But -Gambetta? - -Moltke arrives at 8.30 A.M., and remains in conference with the Chief -for about three-quarters of an hour. The Frenchmen put in an appearance -shortly before 11. Favre (who has had his grey Radical beard clipped) -with thick underlip, yellow complexion, and light grey eyes; General -Beaufort d’Hautpoule, with his aide-de-camp, Calvel; and Dürrbach, a -“Chief of the Engineers of the Eastern Railway.” Beaufort is understood -to have led the attack on the redoubt at Montretout on the 19th. Their -negotiations with the Chief appear to have come to a speedy conclusion, -or to have been broken off. Shortly after twelve o’clock, just as we -sit down to lunch, they drive off again in the carriages that brought -them here. Favre looks very depressed. The general is noticeably red -in the face, and does not seem to be quite steady on his legs. Shortly -after the French had gone the Chancellor came in to us and said: “I -only want a breath of fresh air. Please do not disturb yourselves.” -Then, turning to Delbrück and shaking his head, he said: “There is -nothing to be done with him. Mentally incapable--drunk, I believe. I -told him to think it over until half-past one. Perhaps he will have -recovered by that time. Muddle-headed and ill-mannered. What is his -name? Something like Bouffre or Pauvre?” Keudell said: “Beaufort.” The -Chief: “A distinguished name, but not at all distinguished manners.” -It appears, then, that the general has actually taken more than he was -able to carry, perhaps in consequence of his natural capacity having -been weakened by hunger. - -At lunch it was mentioned that on his way here, Forckenbeck saw the -village of Fontenay still in flames. It had been fired by our troops as -a punishment for the destruction of the railway bridges by the mutinous -peasantry. Delbrück rejoiced with us “that at last adequate punishment -had been once more inflicted.” - -In the afternoon we heard that the Chancellor drove off shortly before -1 o’clock, first to see the Emperor, and then to Moltke’s, where he -and Podbielski again met the Frenchmen. The latter afterwards left -for Paris, about 4 o’clock, and will return to-morrow at noon for the -purpose of completing the capitulation. - -At dinner, the Chief, speaking of Beaufort, said he had behaved like -a man without any breeding. “He blustered and shouted and swore like -a trooper, and with his ‘moi, général de l’armée française,’ he was -almost unendurable. Favre, who is not very well bred either, said to -me: ‘J’en suis humilié!’ Besides, he was not so very drunk; it was, -rather, his vulgar manners. At the General Staff they were of opinion -that a man of that sort had been chosen in order that no arrangement -should be come to. I said that, on the contrary, they had selected him -because it did not matter for such a person to lose credit with the -public by signing the capitulation.” - -The Chief then continued: “I said to Favre during our last interview: -‘Vous avez été trahi--par la fortune.’ He saw the point clearly, but -only said: ‘A qui le dites-vous! Dans trois fois vingt quatre heures -je serai aussi compté au nombre des traîtres.’ He added that his -position in Paris was very critical. I proposed to him: ‘Provoquez donc -une émeute pendant que vous avez encore une armée pour l’etouffer.’ -He looked at me quite terror-stricken, as if he wished to say, How -bloodthirsty you are. I explained to him, however, that that was the -only right way to manage the mob.” “Then, again, he has no idea of how -things are with us. He mentioned several times that France was the -land of liberty, while Germany was governed by a despotism. I told -him, for instance, that we wanted money and that Paris must supply -some. He suggested that we should raise a loan. I replied that that -could not be done without the approval of the Diet. ‘Ah’ he said, ‘you -can surely get five hundred million francs without the Chamber.’ I -answered: ‘No, not five francs.’ But he would not believe it. I told -him that I had been at loggerheads with the popular representatives -for four whole years, but that the raising of a loan without the Diet -was the limit to which I went, and which it never occurred to me to -overstep. That seemed to disconcert him somewhat, but he only said -that in France ‘on ne se gênerait pas.’ And yet he returned afterwards -to the immense freedom which they enjoy in France. It is really funny -to hear a Frenchman talk in that way, and particularly Favre, who has -always been a member of the Opposition. But that’s their way. You can -give a Frenchman twenty-five lashes, and if you only make a fine speech -to him about the freedom and dignity of man of which those lashes are -the expression, and at the same time strike a fitting attitude, he will -persuade himself that he is not being thrashed.” - -“Ah, Keudell,” said the Chief suddenly, “it just occurs to me. I must -have my full powers drawn up for to-morrow, of course in German. The -German Emperor must only write German. The Minister can be guided by -circumstances. Official communications must be written in the language -of the country, not in a foreign tongue. Bernstorff was the first to -try to introduce that system in our case, but he went too far with it. -He wrote to all the diplomatists in German, and they replied, of course -by agreement, each in his own language, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and -what not, so that he had to have a whole army of translators in the -office. That was how I found matters when I came into power. Budberg -(the Russian Ambassador in Berlin) sent me a note in Russian. That was -too much for me. If they wanted to have their revenge Gortschakoff -should have written in Russian to our Ambassador in St. Petersburg. -That would have been the right way. It is only fair to ask that the -representatives of foreign countries should understand and speak the -language of the State to which they are accredited. But it was unfair -to send me in Berlin a reply in Russian to a note in German. I decided -that all communications received in other languages than German, -French, English and Italian should be left unnoticed and put away -in the archives. Budberg then wrote screed after screed, always in -Russian. No answer was returned and the documents were all laid by with -the State papers. At last he came himself and asked why he had received -no reply. ‘Reply!’ I exclaimed. ‘To what?’ Why, he had written a month -ago and had afterwards sent me several reminders. ‘Ah, quite so!’ I -said. ‘There is a great pile of documents in Russian down stairs, and -yours are probably amongst them. But we have no one who understands -Russian, and I have given instructions for all documents written in -a language we do not understand to be put away in the archives.’” It -was then arranged that Budberg should write in French, and the Foreign -Office also when it suited them. - -The Chief then talked about the French negotiators and said: “M. -Dürrbach introduced himself as ‘membre de l’administration du Chemin -de fer de l’Est; j’y suis beaucoup intéressé.’--If he only knew what -we intend.” (Probably the cession of the Eastern Railway.) Hatzfeldt: -“He threw up his hands in dismay when the General Staff pointed out -to him on the map the tunnels, bridges, &c., destroyed by the French -themselves. ‘I have always been against that’ he said, ‘and I pointed -out to them that a bridge could be repaired in three hours--but they -would not listen to me.’” The Chief: “Repaired after a fashion, -certainly, but not a railway bridge capable of carrying a train. They -will find it hard now to bring up provisions to Paris, particularly if -they have committed the same stupid destruction in the west. I think -they rely upon drawing supplies from Brittany and Normandy, where there -are large flocks of sheep, and from the ports. To my knowledge there -are plenty of bridges and tunnels in those parts too, and if they have -destroyed them they will find themselves in great straits. I hope, -moreover, that people in London will only send them hams and not bread!” - -_Saturday, January 28th._--At 11 o’clock the French negotiators again -arrived--Favre, Dürrbach and two others, who are understood to be also -leading railway officials; and two officers, another general, and an -aide-de-camp, both men with a good presence. They take lunch with us. -Then follows a lengthy negotiation at Moltke’s lodgings. The Chief -afterwards dictates to the Secretaries Willisch and Saint Blanquart -the treaties of capitulation and armistice, which are drawn up in -duplicate. They are afterwards signed and sealed by Bismarck and Favre, -at twenty minutes past seven, in the green room next to the Minister’s -study up stairs. - -The Frenchmen dined with us. The general (Valden is his name) ate -little and hardly spoke at all. Favre was also dejected and taciturn. -The aide-de-camp, M. d’Hérisson, did not appear to be so much affected, -and the railway officials, after their long privations, devoted -themselves with considerable gusto to the pleasures of the table. -According to what I can gather from the latter they have, as a matter -of fact, been on very short commons in Paris for some time past, -and the death rate last week amounted to about five thousand. The -mortality was especially heavy amongst children up to two years of -age, and coffins for these tiny French citizens were to be seen in all -directions. Delbrück declared afterwards that “Favre and the General -looked like two condemned prisoners who were going to the gallows next -morning. I pitied them.” - -Keudell expects that peace will soon be concluded and that we shall -be back in Berlin within a month. Shortly before 10 o’clock a bearded -gentleman apparently about forty-five, who gave his name as Duparc, -called and was immediately conducted to the Chief, with whom he spent -about two hours. He is understood to be the former French Minister -Duvernois, coming from Wilhelmshöhe with proposals for peace. The -capitulation and armistice do not yet mean the end of the war with -France. - -_Sunday, January 29th._--Our troops moved forward to occupy the forts. -In the morning read despatches respecting the London Conference, -and other subjects, as well as the treaties for the armistice and -capitulation signed yesterday. Bernstorff reported that Musurus became -very violent at one of the sittings of the Conference. He could not -conceive why the stipulation closing the Dardanelles against Russian -men-of-war should not be worded in an indirect and therefore less -offensive form for Russia, and at the same time quite as acceptable to -the Porte. From another of Bernstorff’s despatches the Chief appears -to have hinted that Napoleon should not miss the right moment. It is -also stated that Palikao, who was of the same opinion, thought it would -be dangerous to agree in the capitulation to leave the National Guard -under arms. Vinoy and Roncière, being in favour of the Emperor, would -doubtless be the right men to assume command of the troops in the city. - -Our copy of the capitulation fills ten folio pages, and is stitched -together with silk in the French colours, on the end of which Favre has -impressed his seal. - -We were joined at lunch by Count Henckel, who has been appointed -Prefect at Metz. He maintained that in about five years the elections -in his department would be favourable to the Government; indeed, he was -confident even now of being able to bring about that result. In Alsace, -however, the prospect was not so good, as Germans are not so docile -to authority as the French. He also mentioned that his department had -really suffered severely. At the commencement of the war it had some -thirty-two to thirty-five thousand horses, and now he believed there -were not more than five thousand left. - -Before dinner I read further drafts, including a memorandum, in which -the Chief explained to the King that it was impossible to demand from -Favre, after the conclusion of the capitulation, the surrender of the -flags of the French regiments in Paris. - -We were joined at dinner by Count Henckel and the French aide-de-camp -who was here yesterday. The latter, whose full name is d’Hérisson de -Saulnier, wore a black hussar uniform, with yellow shoulder straps and -embroidery on the sleeves. He is said to understand and speak German, -yet the conversation, into which the Chief entered with zest, was -for the most part carried on in French. In the absence of Favre and -the General (the former was still in the house, but as he was very -busy he had his dinner sent up to him in the small drawing-room) the -aide-de-camp was more lively and amusing than yesterday. He bore the -whole burden of the conversation for a considerable time, with a series -of droll anecdotes. The scarcity of food in the city had become of -late very painfully perceptible, but his experience would appear to -have been more with the amusing, than with the serious, side of the -question. He said that for him the most interesting period of their -fast was “while they were eating up the Jardin des Plantes.” Elephant -meat cost twenty francs per kilogramme and tasted like coarse beef, and -they had really had “filets de chameau” and “côtelettes de tigre.” A -dog flesh market was held in the Rue Saint Honoré, the price being two -francs fifty per kilo. There were hardly any more dogs to be seen in -Paris, and whenever people caught sight of one, they immediately hunted -it down. It was the same with cats. If a pigeon alighted on a roof a -view holloa was at once raised in the street. Only the carrier pigeons -were spared. The despatches were fastened in the middle of their tail -feathers, of which they ought to have nine. If one of them happened -to have only eight, they said: “ce n’est qu’un civil” and it had to -go the way of all flesh. A lady is said to have remarked: “Jamais je -ne mangerai plus de pigeon, car je croirais toujours avoir mangé un -facteur.” - -In return for these and other stories the Chief related a number of -things which were not yet known in the drawing-rooms and clubs of -Paris, and which people there might be glad to hear, as for instance -the shabby behaviour of Rothschild at Ferrières, and the way in which -the Elector of Hesse transformed Rothschild’s grandfather Amschel from -a little Jew into a great one. The Chancellor repeatedly referred to -the latter as the “Juif de cour,” and afterwards gave a description of -the domesticated Jews of the Polish nobility. - -On Bohlen reporting later on that he had, in accordance with -instructions, sent certain papers to “the Emperor,” the Chief observed: -“The Emperor? I envy those to whom the new title already comes so -trippingly.” Abeken returned from his Majesty’s and announced that “The -matter of the flags was settled.” The Chief: “Have you also fired off -my revolver letter?” Abeken: “Yes, Excellency, it has been discharged.” - -After dinner read drafts and reports, amongst the latter a very -interesting one in which Russia advises us to leave Metz and German -Lorraine to the French, and to annex a neighbouring piece of -territory instead. According to a recent despatch from St. Petersburg -Gortschakoff has suggested that Germany might take Luxemburg and leave -the French a corresponding portion of Lorraine. The geographical -position of the Grand Duchy indicated that it should form part of -Germany, and Prince Henry, who is devotedly attached to his separate -Court, alone stood in the way. King William wrote on the margin of the -despatch that this suggestion was to be absolutely rejected. The Chief -then replied as follows: The future position of Luxemburg would, it -is true, be an unpleasant one--not for us, but rather for the Grand -Duchy itself. We must not, however, exercise any compulsion, nor take -the property of others. We must therefore adhere to the programme -communicated five months ago to St. Petersburg, especially as we have -since then made great sacrifices. The realisation of that programme -is indispensable for the security of Germany. We must have Metz. The -German people would not tolerate any alteration of the programme. - -Favre did not leave till 10.15 P.M., and then not for Paris, but for -his quarters here in the Boulevard du Roi. He will come again to-morrow -at noon. - -The Chief afterwards joined us at tea. In speaking of the capitulation -and the armistice, Bohlen asked: “But what if the others do not -agree--Gambetta and the Prefects in the south?” “Well, in that case -we have the forts which give us the control of the city,” replied the -Chief. “The King also could not understand that, and inquired what was -to happen if the people at Bordeaux did not ratify the arrangement. -‘Well,’ I replied, ‘then we remain in the forts and keep the Parisians -shut up, and perhaps in that case we may refuse to prolong the -armistice on the 19th of February. In the meantime they have delivered -up their arms, and they must pay the contribution. Those who have given -a material pledge under a treaty are all the worse off if they cannot -fulfil its conditions.’” - -Favre had, it seems, confessed to the Chief that he had proceeded “un -peu témérairement” in the matter of the revictualling of Paris. He -really did not know whether he would be able to provide in good time -for the hundreds of thousands in the city. Somebody observed: “In case -of necessity Stosch could supply them with live stock and flour.” The -Chief: “Yes, so long as he can do so without injury to ourselves.” -Bismarck-Bohlen was of opinion that we need not give them anything; let -them see for themselves where they could get supplies, &c. The Chief: -“Well, then, you would let them starve?” Bohlen: “Certainly.” The -Chief: “But then how are we to get our contribution?” - -Later on the Minister said: “Business of State, negotiations with the -enemy, do not irritate me. Their objections to my ideas and demands, -even when they are unreasonable, leave me quite cool. But the petty -grumbling and meddling of the military authorities in political -questions, and their ignorance of what is possible and not possible -in such matters! One of them comes and wants this, another one that, -and when you have got rid of the first two, a third one turns up--an -aide-de-camp or aide-de-camp general--who says: ‘But, your Excellency, -surely that is impossible,’ or ‘We must have this too in addition, else -we shall be in danger of our lives.’ And yesterday they went so far as -to insist that a condition (_i.e._, for the surrender of the flags), -which was not mentioned in the negotiations, should be introduced into -a document that was already signed. I said to them, however: ‘We have -committed many a crime in this war--but falsification of deeds! No, -gentlemen, really that cannot be done.’” - -Bernstorff, it was mentioned, reports that he had informed the -Conference that from this time forward he represented the German Empire -and Emperor; and that the other members received this announcement -with approval. Thereupon the Chief remarked: “Bernstorff is after all -a man who has had business experience. How can he do such things? His -wife--what’s her name? Augusta--no, Anna--will have a fine opinion of -herself now. Imperial Ambassadress! I cannot lay much store by such -titles. A prosperous and powerful King is better than a weak Emperor, -and a rich Baron better than a poor Count.” “Such an Emperor as that -of Brazil or Mexico!” “With a salary of 800,000 florins,” interjected -Holstein. The Chief: “Well, that would be enough to get on with. They -require no firing and no winter clothes.” - -Hatzfeldt mentioned that a Spanish secretary of embassy had called. -He had come from Bordeaux and wanted to enter Paris in order to bring -away his countrymen. He also had a letter from Chaudordy for Favre, -and was in great haste. What answer should be given to him? The Chief -stooped down a little over the table, then sat bolt upright again, and -said: “Attempting to carry a despatch from one member of the enemy’s -Government to another through our lines--that is a case exactly suited -for a court-martial. When he comes back you will treat the matter in -a very serious way: receive him coolly, look surprised, and say that -we must complain to the new King of Spain with regard to such a breach -of neutrality and demand satisfaction. Besides, I am astonished that -Stiehle should have let the fellow pass. These soldiers always pay too -much deference to diplomats. And even if he had been an ambassador, -Metternich for instance, he should have been turned back even if he -had to freeze and starve in consequence. Indeed, such carrier service -borders closely on spying.” - -The rush of people to and out of Paris that was now to be apprehended -then came up for discussion. The Chief: “Well, the French will not let -so very many out, and we shall only let those pass who have a permit -from the authorities inside, and perhaps not all of those.” - -Some one said that Rothschild, who had been supplied with a safe -conduct, wanted to come out; upon which the Chief: “It would be well to -detain him--as a franctireur, and include him amongst the prisoners of -war. (To Keudell) Just inquire into the matter. I mean it seriously.” -Bohlen exclaimed: “Then Bleichröder will come rushing over here and -prostrate himself in the name of all the Rothschild family.” The -Chief: “In that case we will send him in to join them in Paris, where -he can have his share of the dog hunting.” - -Astonishment was then expressed that the _Daily Telegraph_ should -have already published a detailed epitome of the convention signed -yesterday, and in this connection Stieber, Favre’s fellow lodger, was -mentioned. The English correspondent had acknowledged, according to -Bucher, that he had received the news from Stieber, and the Minister -added: “I am convinced that Stieber opened Favre’s writing-desk with -a picklock, and then made extracts from his papers which he gave to -the Englishman.” This is scarcely probable, as Stieber’s knowledge of -French is inadequate for that purpose. He much more probably received -the news from his patron Bohlen, or perhaps from some officer who -heard it from the General Staff, who--as the Chancellor recently -remarked--“are very obliging and communicative in such matters.” - -_Monday, January 30th._--Favre and other Frenchmen, including the -Chief or Prefect of the Paris police, were busily engaged with the -Chief during the afternoon, and dined with him at 5.30 P.M. The -secretaries and I were to go to the Hôtel des Reservoirs, as there was -not room enough at table. I remained at home, however, and translated -Granville’s latest peace proposals for the Emperor. - -Abeken came up to me after dinner to get the translation, and was sorry -I had not been present as the conversation was specially interesting. -The Chief had told the Frenchmen, amongst other things, that to be -consistent in one’s policy was frequently a mistake, and only showed -obstinacy and narrow-mindedness. One must modify his course of action -in accordance with events, with the situation of affairs, with the -possibilities of the case, taking the relations of things into account -and serving his country as the opportunity offers and not according -to his opinions, which are often prejudices. When he first entered -into political life, as a young and inexperienced man, he had very -different views and aims to those which he had at present. He had, -however, altered and reconsidered his opinions, and had not hesitated -to sacrifice his wishes, either partially or wholly to the requirements -of the day, in order to be of service. One must not impose his own -leanings and desires upon his country. “La patrie veut être servie et -pas dominée.” This remark greatly impressed the Parisian gentlemen, of -course principally because of its striking form. Favre replied: “C’est -bien juste, Monsieur le Comte, c’est profond.” Another of the Frenchmen -also declared enthusiastically: “Oui, Messieurs, c’est un mot profond.” - -Bucher, when I went down to tea, confirmed the above particulars, -and related that Favre after praising the truth and profundity of -the Chief’s remark--which, of course, was made for the edification -of the Parisians, just as in general his table talk is intended for -the benefit of his guests--must needs add the following _bêtise_: -“Néanmoins c’est un beau spectacle de voir un homme, qui n’a jamais -changé ses principes.” The railway director, who appeared to Bucher -to be more intelligent than Favre, added, in reference to the “servie -et pas dominée,” that that amounted to men of genius subordinating -themselves to the will and opinions of the majority, and that -majorities were always deficient in intelligence, knowledge, and -character. The Chief made a lofty reply to this objection, stating that -with him (_i.e._, with the man of genius, the hero) the consciousness -of his responsibility before God was one of his guiding stars. He -opposed to the _droit du génie_, to which his interlocutor had given -such a high place, the sense of duty (doubtless meaning what Kant -describes as the categorical imperative), which he maintained to be -nobler and more powerful. - -A little after 11 o’clock the Chancellor joined us at tea. “I am really -curious,” he said, “to see what Gambetta will do. It looks as if he -wanted to think over the matter further, as he has not yet replied. I -think, too, he will ultimately give way. Besides, if not it will be -all right. I should have no objection to a little ‘Main line’ across -France. These Frenchmen are really very funny people. Favre comes to -me with a face like a martyred saint, and looks as if he had some -most important communication to make. So I say to him, ‘Shall we go -up stairs?’ ‘Yes,’ he says, ‘let us do so.’ But when we are there he -sits down and writes letter after letter, and I wait in vain for any -important statement or piece of news from him. As a matter of fact, he -had nothing to say. What he has done for us would go into two pages -of note-paper.” “And this Prefect of Police! I have never in my whole -life met such an unpractical man. We are expected to advise and help -them in everything. In the course of half an hour he fires all sorts -of requests into me, so that at last I nearly lost patience, and said -to him, ‘But, my good sir, would it not be better to let me have all -this in writing? Otherwise it cannot be properly attended to, for it is -impossible for me to carry it all in my head.’ Thousands of things pass -through one’s mind, and when I think seriously of one matter I lose -sight of all others.” - -The conversation then turned on the difficulty of supplying the -Parisians with provisions. Several railways were useless, at least -for the time being; to allow supplies to be drawn from those parts -of France immediately adjoining the districts we occupy might result -in scarcity and embarrassment to ourselves; and the port of Dieppe, -where they count upon receiving consignments from abroad, could only -hold a few vessels. The Chief reckoned out how many rations would be -required daily, and how much could be transported in moderately normal -circumstances. He found that the supply would be a very scanty one, and -that possibly large numbers might still have to starve. He then added: -“Favre himself said to me that they had held out too long. That was, -however, as he confessed, merely because they knew we had provisions -stored for them at Lagny. They had exact particulars on that point. At -one time we had collected for them there 1,400 loaded waggons.” - -The levying of taxes and contributions was then discussed, and the -Chief explained to Maltzahn the arrangements he wished to see made. -Instead of scattering our forces they should in general be massed in -the chief town of the department or arrondissement, and from these -centres flying columns should be despatched against those who refused -to pay taxes, as well as against the guerillas and their aiders and -abettors. - -With regard to the ten million francs contribution imposed upon the -district of Fontenay for the destruction of the railway bridges, -Henckel declared, as an expert, that that was an impossible -demand--they could not squeeze even two millions out of the people. -“Probably not one million,” remarked the Chief. “But that is our way of -doing things. All sorts of terrible threats are constantly uttered, and -then afterwards they cannot be carried out. The people end by seeing -through that sort of thing, and get accustomed to the threats.” - -Then followed a highly interesting and detailed review of the various -phases in the development of the scheme for the accession of the South -German states to the Northern Confederation. “While we were still in -Mainz,” related the Chancellor, “the King of Bavaria wrote a letter to -our most gracious master in which he expressed a hope that he would not -be mediatised. As a matter of course, his mind was set at ease on that -point. But the King did not want the answer to be quite so categorical. -That was the first conflict between the King and myself during the war. -I told him that King Lewis would probably in that case withdraw his -troops, and that he would be within his right in doing so. I remember -it was in the corner room. It was a hard struggle, and finally he left -me still in doubt as to what he was going to do. After the first great -victories and before Sedan, there was another idea, namely, that of -a military revolution and a military Emperor of Germany, who should -be proclaimed by the troops, including the Bavarians. That idea was -not to my liking. Subsequently, when Bray came here, they had thought -out a plan of their own in Munich. They felt themselves to be safe, -and wished for something more. Bray brought with him the plan of -the alternating imperial dignity. As Bray said to me, an agreement -could be come to between the North German Confederation and Bavaria -or between Germany and Bavaria. In the meantime we might very well -conclude treaties with Baden and Würtemberg, and afterwards come to an -understanding with Bavaria. I was quite satisfied with that. But when -I told it to Delbrück, he looked as if he were going to faint. I said -to him, ‘For Heaven’s sake, why not accept it? It is exactly what we -want.’ And so it was too. For when I informed Suckow and Mittnacht, -they were beside themselves with rage, and immediately came to terms -with me. Later on, however, the King (of Würtemberg) was induced to -strike out again in a new line. It was through Frau von Gasser, who had -great influence at the Court in Stuttgart. He wanted to act once more -with Bavaria. The Ministers, however, remained firm, and assured me -they would rather resign, and thus it came about that the Treaty with -Würtemberg was not concluded until afterwards in Berlin. Finally, after -all sorts of difficulties on both sides, the arrangement with Bavaria -was also settled. Now there was only one thing wanting--but that was -the most important of all! I saw a way, and wrote a letter--and after -that the credit belongs to a Bavarian Court official. He achieved an -almost impossible feat. In six days he made the journey there and -back, eighteen German miles, without a railway, to the palace in the -mountains where the King was staying--and in addition to that his -wife was ill at the time. It was really a great deal for him to do. -He arrives at the palace, finds the King unwell--suffering from a -tumour in the gum, or from the after effects of an operation under -chloroform. He is not to be seen. Well, but he had a letter from me to -deliver--very pressing. In vain; the King will not be disturbed; he -will do no business to-day. At last his Majesty’s curiosity is aroused, -and he wants to know what I have to communicate to him--and the letter -is well received. But there is no ink, no paper, no writing materials. -They send off a groom, who ultimately comes back with some coarse -letter paper; the King writes his answer, just as he is, in bed--and -the German Empire is made!” - -Jacoby’s arrest having been mentioned, the Chief observed: “Otherwise, -Falkenstein acted quite sensibly, but thanks to that measure of his and -to his refusal to release Jacoby when I requested him to do so, we were -unable to convoke the Diet for a whole month. As far as I am concerned, -he might have had Jacoby carved up for himself into rhinoceros cutlets, -but he ought not to have locked him up! All he had to show for his -pains was the possession of a dried up old Jew. The King, too, would -not at first listen to my representations. We were accordingly obliged -to wait, as the Diet would have been within its right in demanding his -liberation.” - -Jacoby’s name brought up that of another congenial mind, viz., Waldeck -(the Radical leader in the Prussian Diet), of whom the Chief gave the -following description: “Something like Favre, always consistent, his -views and decisions cut and dried in advance, and, in addition to that, -a stately presence and a venerable white beard, fine speeches delivered -with the earnestness of deep-toned conviction, even on trifling -matters, that is so impressive! He makes a speech in a voice throbbing -with devotion to principle in order to prove to you that this spoon is -in the glass, and he proclaims that any one who refuses to accept that -statement is a scoundrel! And all the world believes him, and praises -him for his staunchness in every key from treble to bass.” - -_Tuesday, January 31st._--The King of Sweden has delivered a bellicose -speech from the throne. Why, ye gods? I write two paragraphs under -instructions from the Chief, and then a third, which calls attention to -the sufferings during the bombardment of a number of inoffensive German -families who, for various reasons, remained behind in Paris after the -expulsion of their fellow countrymen, and commend Washburne, the -United States Minister, for the efforts he made to alleviate the lot -of these unfortunate people. In this respect he has really acted in a -manner that deserves our warmest thanks, and has been loyally assisted -by his subordinates. - -The Parisian gentlemen are again here, including Favre, who has sent -a telegram to Gambetta urgently requesting him to yield. It is to be -feared he will not do so. At least the Prefect of Marseilles is showing -his teeth and snarling at poor Favre with the patriotic declaration: -“Je n’obéis plus le capitule de Bismarck. Je ne le connais plus.” Proud -and staunch--but danger is best at a distance. - -At tea I hear from Bucher that the Chief has been speaking very -strongly about Garibaldi, that old dreamer, whom Favre declares to be -a hero. - -Subsequently Duparc had an interview with the Minister. Shortly after -ten the Chief joined us at tea. He first spoke of the unpractical -character of the Frenchmen who have been working with him during -the past few days. Two Ministers, Favre and Magnin, the Minister of -Finance who has accompanied him this time, spent half an hour to-day -worrying over one telegram. This led him to speak of the French in -general and of the entire Latin race, and to compare them with the -Germanic peoples. “The Germans, the Germanic race,” he said, “is, -so to speak, the male principle throughout Europe--the fructifying -principle. The Celtic and Slav peoples represent the female sex. That -principle extends as far as the North Sea and then across to England.” -I ventured to add: “And also as far as America and the Western States -of the Union, where some of our people form the best part of the -population and influence the manners of the rest.” “Yes,” he replied, -“those are their children, the fruit they bear.” “But that was to -be seen in France while the Franks had still the upper hand. The -Revolution of 1789 was the overthrow of the Germanic element by the -Celtic. And what have we seen since then? And this held good in Spain -so long as the Gothic blood predominated. And also in Italy, where in -the North the Germans also played a leading part. When that element -had exhausted itself, there was nothing decent left. It was much the -same thing in Russia, where the Germanic Waräger, the Ruriks, first -bound them together. As soon as the natives there prevail over the -German immigrants and the Germans of the Baltic Provinces, they fall -asunder into mere communes.” “It is true that the unmixed Germans are -not of much account either. In the south and west where they were -left to themselves, there were only Knights of the Empire, Imperial -Towns, and Immediate Villages of the Empire, each for itself, and all -tumbling to pieces. The Germans are all right when they are forced to -unite--excellent, irresistible, invincible--otherwise each one will -act according to his own ideas.” “Really, after all, an intelligent -absolutism is the best form of government. Without a certain amount -of it everything falls asunder. One wishes this thing and another -that, there is eternal vacillation, eternal delays.” “But we have no -longer any genuine absolutists--that is to say, no kings. They have -disappeared. The variety has died out.” “A Republic is perhaps after -all the right form of government, and it will doubtless come in the -future; but I dislike our Republicans. Formerly things were different, -when princes still appeared in brocaded coats and covered with stars. -They are declining everywhere, and that decline will be much greater in -future. One sees that in the younger generation. It is the case with -us also. No more _rocher de bronce._ They no longer want to govern, -and are glad when some one relieves them of the trouble. All they -care for is to be praised in the newspapers, and to get as much money -as possible for their personal requirements. The only one who still -conducts his business properly is the old King of Saxony.” “And when -they sit at the _table d’hôte_ in the Hôtel des Reservoirs, here near -the Palace of Louis XIV., and every one sees that they are ordinary -human beings--and how ordinary!--why, the halo is quite lost. And then -one fine morning three Grand Dukes pay their respects to me, and find -me in my dressing gown!” - -I ventured to relate that as a little child I pictured to myself the -King of Saxony, who was the only monarch I knew of at that time, as -resembling the king in the pack of cards--clad in ermine, and wearing -a crown with orb and sceptre, stiff, gorgeous, and imperturbable: -and that it was a fearful disappointment for me when my nurse once -pointed out to me a gentleman in the passage between the palace and -the Catholic church in Dresden, and told me that that little, crooked, -frail, old man, whose uniform became him so badly, was King Anton. The -Chief said:--“Our peasants also had very curious conceptions, and the -following story was current amongst them. It was to the effect that on -one occasion, when a number of us young people were gathered together -in some public place, we said something against the King, who happened -to be close to us, but was unknown to us. He suddenly stood up, -opened his mantle and showed the star on his breast. The others were -terrified, but it did not affect me, and I pitched him down the stairs. -I received ten years imprisonment for it and was not allowed to shave -myself. As I wore a beard at that time, a habit which I had acquired -in France (1842) where it was then the fashion, it was said that the -executioner came once every year on St. Sylvester’s night to shave it -off. Those who told this story were rich peasants and otherwise not at -all stupid, and they repeated it, not because they had anything against -me but quite in a friendly way, and full of sympathy for a young man’s -rashness. The pitching down stairs was rather a coarse invention, but -I was pleased all the same that it was only to me they gave credit for -not being intimidated by the star.” - -I thereupon asked the Chief if there was any truth in the story of the -beer glass he was said to have broken on some one’s head in a Berlin -restaurant because he had insulted the Queen or refused to drink her -health. “It was quite different,” he replied, “and had no political -significance whatever. As I was going home late one evening--it must -have been in the year 1847--I met some one who tried to pick a quarrel -with me. As I pulled him up on account of his language, I discovered -that he was an old acquaintance. We had not seen each other for a -long time, and on his proposing to me, ‘Come, let’s go to ----’ (he -mentioned a name), I went with him, although I really had had enough -already. But after getting our beer he fell asleep. Now there were a -lot of people sitting near us, one of whom had also taken more than he -could carry, and who was attracting attention by his noisy behaviour. -I quietly drank my beer, and this man got angry at my being so quiet -and began to taunt me. I took no notice, and that made him only the -more angry and his language grew more and more violent. I did not want -to have any quarrel, nor did I like to go away, as people would have -thought I was afraid. At last, however, he came over to my table and -threatened to throw the beer in my face. That was too much for me. I -stood up and told him to go away, and as he made a motion to throw -the beer at me, I gave him a blow under the chin, so that he fell -backwards, breaking the chair and the glass, and rolled across the -room right on to the wall. The landlady then came and I told her she -need not worry, as I would pay for the chair and the beer glass. I -said to the others: ‘You are witnesses, gentlemen, that I did not seek -a quarrel, and that I endured it as long as possible. But I cannot -be expected to allow a glass of beer to be poured on my head simply -because I was quietly drinking my glass. If the gentleman has lost a -tooth in consequence I shall be sorry. But I was obliged to defend -myself. Besides, if anybody wishes to know more, here is my card.’ It -turned out that they were quite sensible people and took my view of the -case. They were annoyed with their comrade and acknowledged that I was -in the right. I afterwards met two of them at the Brandenburg Gate. I -said: ‘I think, gentlemen; you were present when I had that affair in -the beer house in the Jägerstrasse. What has happened to my adversary? -I should be sorry if he had been hurt.’ I must explain to you that -he had to be carried away on that occasion. ‘Oh,’ they replied; ‘he -is all right, and his teeth are quite sound again. He is altogether -subdued, and extremely sorry for what he did. He had just entered the -army to serve his year, as he is a doctor, and it would have been very -unpleasant for him if people had heard of the affair, and especially -if it had come to the knowledge of his superiors.’” - -The Chief then related that when he was attending the University at -Göttingen he fought twenty-eight students’ duels in three terms, -and was always lucky enough to escape with a whole skin. Once his -opponent’s blade flew off, probably because it was badly screwed in, -and caught him in the face, where it remained sticking. Otherwise he -had never received a scar. “I had one very narrow escape, though, at -Greifswald. There they had introduced an extraordinary head-dress, a -white felt, sugar-loaf hat, and I took it into my head that I must snip -off the top of the sugar-loaf, and thus I exposed myself so that his -blade whizzed by close to my face. I bent back, however, in good time.” - -_Wednesday, February 1st._--It was stated at lunch that Gambetta -had approved of the armistice, but expressed surprise that we still -continued to attack the French in the south-east. Favre, with his -unbusinesslike habits, had omitted to telegraph to him that operations -were not suspended there. This, by the way, was at his own request. - -There were no guests at lunch. The Minister, speaking about Favre, -said: “I believe he came here to-day merely in consequence of our -conversation of yesterday, when I would not acknowledge that Garibaldi -was a hero. He was evidently anxious about him, because I would not -include him in the armistice. He pointed to the first article like a -thorough lawyer. I said: ‘Yes, that was the rule, but the exceptions -followed, and Garibaldi comes under them.’ I quite understood that a -Frenchman should bear arms against us--he defended his country, and -had a right to do so; but I could not recognise the right of this -foreign adventurer with his cosmopolitan Republic and his band of -revolutionaries from every corner of the earth. He asked me then what -we should do with Garibaldi in case we took him prisoner. ‘Oh,’ I said, -‘we will exhibit him for money, and hang a placard round his neck -bearing the word “Ingratitude.”’” - -The Chief then asked: “But where is Scheidtmann?” Somebody told him. -“He will have, I think, to give me legal advice in the matter” (viz., -the war contribution of two hundred millions to be paid by Paris). -“Is he not a lawyer?” Bucher said no, he had not studied at all, was -originally a tradesman, &c. The Chief: “Well, then, Bleichröder must -first go into action. He must go into Paris immediately, smell and be -smelt at by his brethren in the faith, and discuss with the bankers -how it is to be done. Surely he is coming?” Keudell: “Yes, in a few -days.” The Chief: “Please telegraph him at once, that we want him -immediately--then it will be Scheidtmann’s turn. I suppose he can -speak French?” No one could say. “I am disposed to select Henckel as -the third string. He is well acquainted with Paris, and knows the -financiers. A member of the _haute finance_ once said to me: ‘On the -Stock Exchange we always lay our money on lucky players,’ and if we are -to follow that rule Count Henckel is our man.” - -_À propos_ of German unity, the Minister told us that thirty years ago, -at Göttingen, he had made a bet with an American as to whether Germany -would be united within twenty-five years. “The winner was to provide -twenty-five bottles of champagne, and the loser was to cross the ocean -to drink them. The American wagered against union, and I in favour. The -interesting point is that, as far back as 1833, I must have had the -idea which has now, with God’s help, been realised, although at that -time I was opposed to all those who professed to desire such a change.” - -Finally, the Chief declared his belief in the influence of the moon on -the growth of the hair and of plants. This subject came up through his -jocularly congratulating Abeken on the style in which his locks had -been trimmed. “You look twice as young, Herr Geheimrath,” he said. “If -I were only your wife! You have had it cut exactly at the right time, -under a crescent moon. It is just the same as with trees. When they are -intended to shoot again they are felled when the moon is in the first -quarter, but when they are to be rooted up then it is done in the last -quarter, as in that case the stump decays sooner. There are people who -will not believe it, learned men, but the State itself acts on this -belief, although it will not openly confess to it. No woodman will -think of felling a birch tree which is intended to throw out shoots -when the moon is waning.” - -After dinner I read a number of documents relating to the armistice and -the revictualling of Paris, including several letters in Favre’s own -hand, which is neat and legible. One of the letters states that Paris -has only flour enough to last up to the 4th of February, and after that -nothing but horseflesh. Moltke is requested by the Chief not to treat -Garibaldi on the same footing as the French, and in any case to demand -that he and his followers shall lay down their arms--the Minister -desires this to be done on political grounds. Instructions have been -sent to Alsace that the elections for the Assembly at Bordeaux, which -is to decide as to the continuance of the war, or peace, and eventually -as to the conditions on which the latter is to be concluded, are not to -be hindered, but rather ignored. The elections are to be conducted by -the Maires and not by the Prefects in the districts we occupy. - -_Thursday, February 2nd._--We were joined at dinner by Odo Russell, -and a tall stout young gentleman in a dark blue uniform, who, I was -told, was Count Bray, a son of the Minister, and formerly attached -to the Bavarian Embassy in Berlin. The Chief said to Russell: “The -English newspapers and also some German ones have censured my letter -to Favre and consider it too sharply worded. He himself, however, does -not appear to be of that opinion. He said of his own accord: ‘You were -right in reminding me of my duty. I ought not to leave before this is -finished.’ The Minister praised this self-abnegation. He then repeated -that our Parisians were unpractical people and that we had constantly -to counsel and assist them. He added that they now wished apparently to -ask for alterations in the Convention of the 28th of January. Outside -Paris little disposition was shown to help in reprovisioning the city. -The directors of the Rouen-Dieppe railway, for instance, upon whom -they had relied for assistance, declared there was not enough rolling -stock, as the locomotives had been taken to pieces and sent to England. -Gambetta’s attitude was still doubtful, and he seemed to contemplate a -continuation of the war. It was necessary that France should soon have -a proper Government.” “If one is not speedily established I shall give -them a sovereign. Everything is already prepared. Amadeus arrived in -Madrid with a travelling bag in his hand as King of Spain, and he seems -to get on all right. My sovereign will come immediately with a retinue, -Ministers, cooks, chamberlains, and an army.” - -With regard to Napoleon’s fortune, very different opinions were -expressed. Some said it was large, others that it was inconsiderable. -Russell doubted if he had much. He thought the Empress at least could -not have much, as she had only deposited £6,000 in the Bank of England. -The Chancellor then related that on the way to Saint Cloud to-day he -met many people removing their furniture and bedding. Probably they -were inhabitants of neighbouring villages, who had nevertheless been -unable to leave Paris. “The women looked quite friendly,” he said, -“but on catching sight of the uniforms the men began to scowl and -struck heroic attitudes. That reminds me that in the old Neapolitan -army they had a word of command, when we say, ‘Prepare to charge, -right!’ the command was ‘Faccia feroce!’ (Look ferocious!). A fine -presence, a pompous style of speech, and a theatrical attitude are -everything with the French. So long as it sounds right and looks well -the substance is a matter of indifference. It reminds me of a citizen -of Potsdam who once told me he had been deeply impressed by a speech of -Radowitz’s. I asked him to show me the passage that had particularly -stirred his feelings. He could not mention one. I then took the speech -itself and read it through to him in order to discover its beauties, -but it turned out that there was nothing in it either pathetic or -sublime. As a matter of fact it was merely the air and attitude of -Radowitz, who looked as if he were speaking of something most profound -and significant and thrillingly impressive,--the thoughtful mien, -the contemplative eye, and the sonorous and weighty voice. It was -much the same with Waldeck, although he was not nearly such a clever -man nor so distinguished looking. In his case it was more the white -beard and the staunch convictions. The gift of eloquence has greatly -spoilt Parliamentary life. A great deal of time is consumed as every -one who thinks he has anything in him wants to speak, even when he -has nothing new to say. There are far too many speeches that simply -float in the air and pass out through the windows, and too few that -go straight to the point. The parties have already settled everything -beforehand, and the set speeches are merely intended for the public, -to show what members can do, and more especially for the newspapers -that are expected to praise them. It will come to this in the end, that -eloquence will be regarded as dangerous to the public welfare, and that -people will be punished for making long speeches. We have one body,” -he continued, “that is not in the least eloquent, and has nevertheless -done more for the German cause than any other, that is the Federal -Council. I remember, indeed, that at first some attempts were made in -that direction. I cut them short, however, though as a matter of fact I -had no right to do so, albeit I was President. I addressed them much as -follows: ‘Gentlemen, eloquence and speeches intended to affect people’s -convictions are of no use here, as every one brings his own convictions -with him in his pocket--that is to say, his instructions. It is merely -waste of time. I think we had better restrict ourselves to statements -of fact.’ And so we did. No one made a big speech after that, business -was speedily transacted, and the Federal Council has really done a -great deal of good.” - -_Friday, February 3rd._--In addition to a violently warlike -proclamation, Gambetta has issued a decree declaring a number of -persons ineligible for the new Representative Assembly. “Justice -demands that all those who have been accessory to the acts of the -Government which began with the outrage of the 2nd of December, and -ended with the capitulation of Sedan, should now be reduced to the -same political impotence as the dynasty whose accomplices and tools -they were. That is a necessary consequence of the responsibility which -they assumed in carrying out the Emperor’s measures. These include -all persons who have occupied the positions of Minister, Senator, -Councillor of State, or Prefect from the 2nd of December, 1851, to the -4th of September, 1870. Furthermore, all persons who, in the elections -to the legislative bodies during the period from the 2nd of December, -1851, to the 4th of September, 1870, have been put forward in any way -as Government candidates, as well as the members of those families that -have reigned in France since 1789, are ineligible for election.” - -The Chief instructs me to telegraph to London and Cologne with respect -to this decree, that the Government at Bordeaux has declared whole -classes of the population--Ministers, Senators, Councillors of State, -and all who have formerly been official candidates--as ineligible for -election. The apprehension expressed by Count Bismarck during the -negotiations for the Convention of the 28th of January, that freedom of -suffrage could not be secured, has thus been confirmed. In consequence -of that apprehension the Chancellor of the Confederation at that time -proposed the convocation of the Corps Législatif, but Favre would not -agree to it. The Chancellor has now protested in a Note against the -exclusion of these classes. Only an Assembly that has been freely -elected, as provided by the Convention, will be recognised by Germany -as representing France. - -Count Herbert Bismarck arrived this evening from Germany. - -_Saturday, February 4th._--The Chief has protested against Gambetta’s -decree in a telegram to Gambetta himself and in a note to Favre. -The telegram runs: “In the name of the freedom guaranteed by the -Armistice Convention, I protest against the decree issued in your -name which robs numerous classes of French citizens of the right to -be elected to the Assembly. The rights guaranteed by that Convention -to the freely elected representatives of the country cannot be -acquired through elections conducted under an oppressive and arbitrary -rule.” The despatch to Favre after giving an epitome of Gambetta’s -decree, goes on to say: “I have the honour to ask your Excellency -if you consider this to be in harmony with the stipulation of the -Convention that the Assembly is to be freely elected? Allow me to -recall to your Excellency’s memory the negotiations which preceded the -arrangement of the 28th of January. Already at that time I expressed -the apprehension that in presence of the conditions then prevailing -it would be difficult to secure the entire freedom of the elections, -and to prevent attempts being made to restrict it. In consequence of -that apprehension, the justice of which M. Gambetta’s circular of -to-day seems to confirm, I raised the question whether it would not be -better to convoke the Corps Législatif, which would constitute a legal -authority returned by universal suffrage. Your Excellency declined to -adopt that suggestion and expressly promised that no pressure should -be exercised upon the electors, and that perfect freedom of voting -should be secured. I appeal to your Excellency’s sense of rectitude in -requesting you to say whether the exclusion of whole categories laid -down as a matter of principle in the decree in question is in harmony -with the freedom of election guaranteed in the Convention of the 28th -of January? I believe I may confidently express the hope that the -decree in question, the application of which would appear to be an -infraction of the stipulations of that Convention, will be immediately -withdrawn and that the Government of National Defence will take the -necessary measures to ensure the freedom of election guaranteed by -Article II. We could not grant to persons elected in pursuance of the -Bordeaux decree the rights secured by the Armistice to the members of -the Assembly.” - -After 10 o’clock I was called to the Chief, who said: “They complain -in Berlin that the English papers are much better informed than ours, -and that we have communicated so little to our journals respecting the -negotiations for the armistice. How has that come about?” I replied: -“The fact is, Excellency, that the English have more money and go -everywhere to get information. Besides, they stand well with certain -august personages who know everything, and finally the military -authorities are not always very reserved with regard to matters that -ought, for the time being, to be kept secret. I, of course, can -only make public what it is proper that the public should know.” -“Well, then,” he said, “just write and explain how it is that the -extraordinary state of affairs here is to blame, and not we.” - -I then took the opportunity of congratulating him on the freedom of the -city of Leipzig, which has been conferred upon him within the last few -days, and I added that it was a good city, the best in Saxony, and one -for which I had always had a great regard. “Yes,” he replied. “Now I -am a Saxon, too, and a Hamburger, for they have also presented me with -the freedom of Hamburg. One would hardly have expected that from them -in 1866.” - -As I was leaving he said: “That reminds me--it is also one of -the wonders of our time--please write an article showing up the -extraordinary action of Gambetta, who after posing so long as the -champion of liberty and denouncing the Government for influencing the -elections, is now laying violent hands on the freedom of suffrage. He -wants to disqualify all those who differ from him, _i.e._, the whole -official world of France with the exception of thirteen Republicans. -It is certainly very odd that I should have to defend such a principle -against Gambetta and his associate and ally Garibaldi.” I said: “I do -not know whether it was intended, but in your despatch to Gambetta the -contrast is very striking where you protest, _au nom de la liberté -des élections_ against _les dispositions en votre nom pour priver des -catégories nombreuses du droit d’être élues_.” “Yes,” he replied, -“you might also mention that Thiers, after his negotiations with me, -described me as an amiable barbarian--_un barbare aimable_. Now they -call me in Paris a crafty barbarian--_un barbare astutieux_, and -perhaps to-morrow I shall be _un barbare constitutionnel_.” - -The Chief had more time and interest for the newspapers this morning -than during the past few days. I was called to him six times before -midday. On one occasion he handed me a lying French pamphlet, “_La -Guerre comme la font les Prussiens_,” and observed: “Please write to -Berlin that they should put together something of this description -from our point of view, quoting all the cruelties, barbarities, and -breaches of the Geneva Convention committed by the French. Not too much -however, or no one will read it, and it must be done speedily.” Later -on the Minister handed me a small journal published by a certain Armand -le Chevalier at 61 Rue Richelieu, with a woodcut of the Chancellor of -the Confederation as frontispiece. The Chief said: “Look at this. -Here is a man who refers to the attempt by Blind, and recommends that -I should be murdered, and at the same time gives my portrait--like the -photographs carried by the franctireurs. You know that in the forests -of the Ardennes the portraits of our rangers were found in the pockets -of the franctireurs who were to shoot them. Luckily it cannot be said -that this is a particularly good likeness of me--and the biography is -no better.” Then reading over a passage and handing me the paper, he -said: “This portion should be made use of in the press, and afterwards -be introduced in the pamphlet.” - -Finally he gave me some more French newspapers saying: “Look through -these and see if there is anything in them for me or for the King. -I must manage to get away or I shall be caught by our Paris friends -again.” - -Prince Putbus and Count Lehndorff joined us at dinner. The Chief -related how he had called Favre’s attention to the singular -circumstance that he, Count von Bismarck, who had been denounced as -a tyrant and a despot, had to protest in the name of liberty against -Gambetta’s proclamation. Favre agreed, with a “_Oui, c’est bien -drôle._” The restriction on the freedom of election decreed by Gambetta -has, however, now been withdrawn by the Paris section of the French -Government. “He announced that to me this morning in writing, and he -had previously given me a verbal assurance.” - -It was then mentioned that several German newspapers were dissatisfied -with the capitulation, as they expected our troops to march into Paris -at once. “That comes,” said the Chief, “of a complete misapprehension -of the situation here and in Paris. I could have managed Favre, but -the population! They have strong barricades and 300,000 men of whom -certainly 100,000 would have fought. Blood enough has been shed in this -war--enough German blood. Had we appealed to force much more would -have been spilt--in the excited condition of the people. And merely to -inflict one additional humiliation upon them--that would have been too -dearly bought.” After reflecting for a moment, he continued: “And who -told them that we shall not still enter Paris and occupy a portion of -it? Or at least march through, when they have cooled down and come to -reason. The armistice will probably be prolonged, and then, in return -for our readiness to make concessions, we can demand the occupation of -the city on the right bank of the river. I think we shall be there in -about three weeks.” “The 24th”--he reflected for a moment--“yes, it was -on the 24th that the Constitution of the North German Confederation -was made public. It was also on the 24th of February, 1859, that we -had to submit to certain particularly mean treatment. I told them that -it would have to be expiated. _Exoriare aliquis._ I am only sorry that -the Würtemberg Minister to the Bundestag, old Reinhard, has not lived -to see it. Prokesch has though, and I am glad of that, because he was -the worst. According to a despatch from Constantinople, which I read -this morning, Prokesch is now quite in agreement with us, praises the -energies and intelligence of Prussia’s policy, and (here the Minister -smiled scornfully) has always, or at least for a long time past, -recommended co-operation with us.” - -The Chief had been to Mont Valérien to-day. “I was never there before,” -he said, “and when one sees the strong works and the numerous -contrivances for defence--we should have terrible losses in storming -it. One dares not even think of it.” - -The Minister said one of the objects of Favre’s visit to-day was to -request that the masses of country people who had fled to Paris in -September should be allowed to leave. They were mostly inhabitants of -the environs and there must be nearly 300,000 of them, “I declined -permission,” he continued, “explaining to him that our soldiers now -occupied their houses. If the owners came out and saw how their -property had been wrecked and ruined they would be furious, and no -blame to them, and they would upbraid our people and then there might -be dangerous brawls and perhaps something still worse.” The Chancellor -had also been to St. Cloud, and whilst he was looking at the burnt -palace and recalling to mind the condition of the room in which he had -dined with Napoleon, there was a well-dressed Frenchman there--probably -from Paris--who was being shown round by a man in a blouse. “I could -catch every word they said, as they spoke aloud, and I have sharp ears. -‘C’est l’œuvre de Bismarck,’ said the man in the blouse, but the other -merely replied ‘C’est la guerre.’ If they had only known that I was -listening to them!” - -Count Bismarck-Bohlen mentioned that the Landwehr, somewhere in this -neighbourhood, gave a refractory Frenchman, who tried to stab an -officer with a penknife, seventy-five blows with the flat of the sword. -“Seventy-five!” said the Chief. “H’m, that, after all, is somewhat -too much.” Somebody related a similar instance that had occurred in -the neighbourhood of Meaux. As Count Herbert was passing recently, a -miller, who had abused Count Bismarck and said he wished he had him -between two millstones, was laid flat by the soldiers and so fearfully -beaten that he was not able to stir for a couple of hours. - -The election addresses posted on the walls by the candidates for the -National Assembly were then discussed, and it was observed that, in -general, they were still very aggressive, and promised to achieve -wonders at Bordeaux. “Yes,” said the Chief; “I quite believe that. -Favre also tried once or twice to ride the high horse. But it did not -last long. I always brought him down with a jesting remark.” - -Some one referred to the speech made by Klaczko on the 30th of January -in the Delegation of the Reichsrath against Austria’s co-operation -with Prussia, and to Giskra’s revelation in the morning edition of the -_National Zeitung_ of the 2nd of February. Giskra said that Bismarck -wished to send him from Brünn to Vienna with proposals for peace. These -were, in effect: Apart from the maintenance in Venetia of the _status -quo_ before the war, the Main line was to be recognised as the limit -of Prussian ascendancy, there was to be no war indemnity, but French -mediation was to be excluded. Giskra sent Baron Herring to Vienna with -these proposals. The latter was, however, coolly received by Moritz -Esterhazy, and after waiting for sixteen hours obtained only an evasive -answer. On proceeding to Nikolsburg, Herring found Benedetti already -there, and was told: “You come too late.” As Giskra points out, the -French mediation accordingly cost Austria a war indemnity of thirty -millions. It was observed that Prussia could have extorted more from -Austria at that time, and also a cession of territory, for instance, -Austrian Silesia, and perhaps Bohemia. The Chief replied: “Possibly, -as for money, what more could the poor devils give? Bohemia would -have been something and there were people who entertained the thought. -But we should have created difficulties for ourselves in that way, -and Austrian Silesia was not of much value to us; for just there the -devotion to the Imperial house and the Austrian connection was greater -than elsewhere. In such cases one must ask for what one really wants -and not what one might be able to get.” - -In this connection he related that on one occasion, as he was walking -about in mufti at Nikolsburg, he met two policemen who wished to arrest -a man. “I asked what he had done, but of course as a civilian I got no -answer. I then inquired of the man himself, who told me that it was -because he had spoken disrespectfully of Count Bismarck. They nearly -took me along with him because I said that doubtless many others had -done the same.” - -“That reminds me that I was once obliged to join in a cheer for myself. -It was in 1866, in the evening, after the entry of the troops. I was -unwell just then, and my wife did not wish to let me go out. I went, -however--on the sly--and as I was about to cross the street again -near the palace of Prince Charles, there was a great crowd of people -collected there, who desired to give me an ovation. I was in plain -clothes, and with my broad brimmed hat pulled down over my eyes, I -perhaps looked like a suspicious character--I don’t know why. As some -of them seemed inclined to be unpleasant, I thought the best thing to -do was to join in their hurrah.” - -From 8 P.M. on read drafts and despatches, including Favre’s answer to -the Chief in the matter of Gambetta’s electioneering manœuvre. It runs -as follows:-- - -“You are right in appealing to my sense of rectitude. You shall never -find it fail me in my dealings with you. It is perfectly true that your -Excellency strongly urged upon me as the sole way out of the difficulty -to convoke the former legislative bodies. I declined to adopt that -course for various reasons which it is needless to recall, but which -you will doubtless not have forgotten. In reply to your Excellency’s -objections, I said I was convinced that my country only desired the -free exercise of the suffrage, and that its sole resource lay in the -popular sovereignty. That will make it clear to you that I cannot agree -to the restrictions that have been imposed upon the franchise. I have -not opposed the system of official candidatures in order to revive it -now for the benefit of the present Government. Your Excellency may -therefore rest assured that if the decree mentioned in your letter to -me has been issued by the Delegation at Bordeaux, it will be withdrawn -by the Government of National Defence. For this purpose I only require -to obtain official evidence of the existence of the decree in question. -This will be done by means of a telegram to be despatched to-day. There -are, therefore, no differences of opinion between us, and we must -both continue to co-operate in resolutely carrying into execution the -Convention which we have signed.” - -Called to the Chief at 9 P.M. He wants to have an article written -pointing out that the entry of our troops into Paris is at present -impracticable, but may be possible later on. This is in answer in the -_National Zeitung_ to an article criticising the terms of armistice. - -With regard to an article in the _Cologne Volkszeitung_ showing that -the Ultramontanes have offered a subsidy to the leaders of the General -Association of German Workers on condition that they promote the -election of clerical candidates, the Minister says: “Look here. Please -see that the newspapers speak of a ‘Savigny-Bebel party’ whenever an -opportunity occurs, and that must be repeated.” And just as I am going -out of the room he calls after me: “Or the ‘Liebknecht-Savigny party.’” -We take note of that, and shall speak from time to time of this new -party. - -_Sunday, February 5th._--We are joined at dinner by Favre, d’Hérisson, -and the Director of the Western Railway, a man with a broad, -comfortable, smiling face, apparently about thirty-six years of -age. Favre, who sits next to the Chief, looks anxious, worried and -depressed. His head hangs on one side, and sometimes for a change sinks -on to his breast, his underlip following suit. When he is not eating, -he lays his two hands on the table-cloth, one on top of the other, -in submission to the decrees of fate, or he crosses his arms in the -style of Napoleon the First, a sign that, on closer consideration, he -still feels confident in himself. During dinner the Chief speaks only -French, and mostly in a low voice, and I am too tired to follow the -conversation. - -The Chief instructs me to send the following short paragraph to -one of our newspapers: The _Kölnische Zeitung_ has made itself the -organ, it is true with some reservations, of those who complain of -the alleged destruction of French forests by our officials. One would -think it could have found some other occupation than to scrutinise our -administration of the public forests of France. We act in accordance -with the principles of forestry, even if we do not follow the French -system. Moreover, we should be within our rights if we exploited these -resources of the enemy in the most ruthless manner, as that would -render the French more disposed to conclude peace. - -He also warmly praised the active part taken by the Duke of Meiningen -in the conduct of the war. He concluded: “I wish that to be mentioned -in the press. The background is ready to hand in the princely loafing -and palace looting of the rest of them.” - -_Monday, February 6th._--The Chief desires to have an article against -Gambetta published in the _Moniteur_. I write the following:-- - -“The Convention of the 28th of January, concluded between Count von -Bismarck and M. Jules Favre, has revived the hopes of all sincere -friends of peace. Since the events of the 4th of September the -military honour of Germany has received sufficient satisfaction, so -that it may now yield to the desire to enter into negotiations with a -Government which truly represents the French nation for a peace that -will guarantee the fruits of victory and secure our future. When the -Governments represented at Versailles and Paris finally succeeded in -coming to an understanding, of which the conditions were prescribed by -the force of circumstances, and France was restored to herself, they -were justified in expecting that these preliminaries of a new era in -the relations of the two countries would be generally respected. The -decree issued by M. Gambetta disqualifying all former functionaries -and dignitaries, senators, and official candidates from election -to the National Assembly was perhaps necessary to show France the -abyss towards which it has been gravitating since the dictatorship, -sacrificing the best blood of the country, refused to convoke the -representatives of the nation in the regular way. - -“The second article of the Convention of the 28th of January shows -clearly and plainly that the freedom of the elections is one of -the conditions of the Convention itself. In entering into such an -arrangement for the elections, Germany only took into consideration the -existing French laws, and not the good will and pleasure of this or -that popular Tribune. It would be just as easy to call together a Rump -Parliament in Bordeaux, and make it a tool for the subjection of the -other half of France. We are convinced that all honourable and sincere -French patriots will protest against the action of the Delegation at -Bordeaux, which is entirely arbitrary and opposed to all sound reason. -If there were any prospect that this action would be allowed to unite -all the anarchical parties who tolerate the dictatorship in so far as -it represents their favourite ideas, the most serious complications -would inevitably ensue. - -“Germany does not intend to interfere in any way in the domestic -affairs of France. She has, however, through the agreement of the -28th of January, secured the right to see that a public authority is -established which will possess the attributes necessary to enable it to -negotiate peace in the name of France. If Germany is denied the right -to negotiate for peace with the whole nation, if an attempt is made to -substitute the representatives of a faction for the representatives -of the nation, the armistice convention would thereby become null and -void. We readily acknowledge that the Government of National Defence -has immediately recognised the justice of the complaints made by Count -von Bismarck in his despatch of the 3rd of February. That Government -has addressed itself to the French nation in language marked by -nobility and elevation of feeling, setting forth the difficulties of -the situation and the efforts made to relieve the country from the -last consequences of an unfortunate campaign. At the same time, it -has cancelled the decree of the Delegation at Bordeaux. Let us hope, -therefore, that the action of M. Gambetta will receive no support in -the country, and that it will be possible to conduct the elections in -perfect harmony with the spirit and letter of the Convention of the -28th of January.” - -I am called to the Minister again at 11 o’clock, and instructed to -defend Favre against the rabid attacks of some French newspapers. The -Chief says: “They actually take him to task for having dined with me. -I had much trouble in getting him to do so. But it is unfair to expect -that, after working with me for eight or ten hours, he should either -starve as a staunch Republican, or go out to a hotel where the people -would run after him and stare at him.” - -The Frenchmen are again here between 2 and 4 P.M. They are six or seven -in number, including Favre and, if I rightly heard the name, General -Leflô. The Chief’s eldest son and Count Dönhoff join us at dinner. - -Subsequently I despatch a _démenti_ of a Berlin telegram published by -_The Times_, according to which we propose to demand the surrender -of twenty ironclads and the colony of Pondicherry, together with a -war indemnity of ten milliards of francs. This I describe as a gross -invention which cannot possibly have been credited in England, or have -created any anxiety there. I then hint at the probable source, namely, -the clumsy imagination of an unfriendly and intriguing diplomatist. -“That comes from Loftus,” says the Chief, as he gives me these -instructions. “An ill-mannered fellow who was always seeking to make -mischief with us.” - -_Tuesday, February 7th._--From Bucarest despatches it seems as if the -reign of Prince Charles were really coming to a speedy end. With the -retention of Dalwigk at Darmstadt, the old confederacy of opponents of -German unity remains firmly entrenched, and the well-known intrigues -continue unhindered. A telegram from Bordeaux brings the expected -news. Gambetta yesterday announced in a circular to the Prefects that -his Parisian colleagues having annulled his decree with regard to the -elections, he has informed them of his resignation. A good sign. He -can hardly have a strong party behind him or he would scarcely have -resigned. - -_Wednesday, February 8th._--The Chief is up at an unusually early hour, -and drives off at 9.45 to see the King. Favre arrives shortly before -1 o’clock, accompanied by a swarm of Frenchmen. There must be ten or -twelve of them. He confers with the Minister after first lunching with -us. - -In the evening the Chief and his son dined with the Crown Prince, but -first remained for a while with us. He again observed with satisfaction -that Favre had not taken offence at his “spiteful letter,” but, on -the contrary, had thanked him for it. The Chief had repeated to him -verbally that it was his duty to share the dish which he had helped -to cook. To-day they had discussed the way of raising the Paris war -contribution; the French wanted to pay the greater part of it in bank -notes, and we might lose in that way. “I do not know the value of what -they offer,” he said; “but in any case it is to their advantage. They -must, however, pay the whole amount agreed upon. I will not remit a -single franc.” - -_Thursday, February 9th._--Speaking again of the Paris contribution, -the Chancellor observed at dinner: “Stosch tells me he can dispose -of fifty million francs in bank notes to pay for provisions, &c., in -France. We must have proper security, however, for the remaining -hundred and fifty millions.” Then alluding to the foolish story about -our wanting Pondicherry, he continued: “I do not want any colonies at -all. Their only use is to provide sinecures. That is all England at -present gets out of her colonies, and Spain too. And as for us Germans, -colonies would be exactly like the silks and sables of the Polish -nobleman who had no shirt to wear under them.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - -FROM GAMBETTA’S RESIGNATION TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRELIMINARIES OF - PEACE - - -_Friday, February 10th._ Fresh complaints respecting the intrigues -of Dalwigk, and especially the measures for depriving the national -constituencies in Hesse of their representatives and securing the -victory of the Ultramontane and Democratic coalition. The Chief desires -me to see that an “immediate and energetic campaign in the press” is -organised against these and other mischievous proceedings inspired by -Beust’s friends. He also wishes the _Moniteur_ to reprint the long -list of French officers who have broken their parole and escaped from -Germany. - -We were joined at dinner by the Duke of Ratibor and a Herr von Kotze, -the husband of the Chief’s niece. Strousberg, a business friend of -the Duke’s, was mentioned, and the Chief observed that nearly all, or -at least very many of the members of the Provisional Government were -Jews: Simon, Cremieux, Magnin, also Picard, whose Semitic origin he -would hardly have suspected, and “very probably Gambetta also, from his -features.” “For the same reason, I suspect even Favre,” he added. - -_Saturday, February 11th._--In the morning I read the newspapers, -and particularly certain debates in the English Parliament at the -end of last month. It really looks as if our good friends across the -Channel had a suspicious leaning towards France, and as if they were -not at all disinclined to interfere once more--indeed, in certain -circumstances, an Anglo-French alliance would appear quite possible. -It is a question, however, whether they might not fall between two -stools. A very different result might well ensue. From what one hears -and reads in the newspapers, the feeling in this country is almost as -hostile to the English as to ourselves, and in certain circles more -so. It may well happen that if England adopts a threatening attitude -towards us, we may surprise our cousins in London with the very reverse -of a Franco-English alliance against Germany. We may even be obliged to -seriously consider the forcible restoration of Napoleon, which we have -not hitherto contemplated. According to a telegram of the 2nd inst., -Bernstorff is to see that these ideas are cautiously ventilated in the -press. - -Count Henckel and Bleichröder dined with us. It seems that in the -negotiations with the French financiers, Scheidtmann described them -to their faces in language more vigorous than flattering, talking of -them as pigs, dogs, rabble, &c., in ignorance of the fact that some of -them understood German. The Chief then spoke of the insolence of the -Parisian press, which behaved as if the city were not in our power: -“If that goes on we must tell them that we will no longer stand it. It -must cease, or we shall answer their articles by a few shells from the -forts.” Henckel having alluded to the unsatisfactory state of public -opinion in Alsace, the Chief said that, properly speaking, no elections -ought to have been allowed there at all, and he had not intended to -allow them. But inadvertently the same instructions were sent to the -German officials there as elsewhere. The melancholy situation of the -Prince of Rumania was then referred to, and from the Rumanian Radicals -the conversation turned to Rumanian stocks. Bleichröder said that -financiers always speculated on the ignorance of the masses, and upon -their blind cupidity. This was confirmed by Henckel, who said: “I had a -quantity of Rumanian securities, but after I had made about 8 per cent. -I got rid of them, as I knew they could not yield 15 per cent, and that -alone could have saved them.” The Chief then related that the French -were committing all sorts of fraud in the revictualling of Paris. It -was not out of pride that they refused our contributions, but merely -because they could make no profit out of them. Even members of the -Government were involved, and Magnin was understood to have recently -made 700,000 francs on the purchase of sheep. “We must let them see -that we know that,” said the Chief, glancing at me; “it will be useful -in the peace negotiations.” This was done without delay. - -After dinner I wrote some paragraphs on the instructions of the Chief. -The first was to the effect that we ought no longer to tolerate the -insolence of the Parisian journalists. However generous and patient we -might be, it was past endurance that the French press should venture -to deride and insult to his face the victor who stood before the walls -of the capital which he had absolutely in his power. Moreover, such -mendacity and violence would prove an obstacle to the conclusion of -peace, by producing bitterness on both sides and delaying the advent -of a calmer spirit. This could not be foreseen when the armistice -Convention was concluded, and in discussing any prolongation of the -truce, effective means would have to be found for preventing further -provocation of the kind. Undoubtedly the best way would be the -occupation of the city itself by our troops. We should thus relieve -the French Government of a source of grave anxiety, and avert the evil -consequences of inflammatory articles in the press, which they are -perhaps not in a position to repress. - -_Sunday, February 12th._--It is announced in a telegram from Cassel -that Napoleon has issued a proclamation to the French. The Minister -handed it to me, saying: “Please have this published in our local -paper. It is in order to lead them astray, so that they may not know -where they stand. But for God’s sake don’t date it from Wilhelmshöhe, -or they will think that we are in communication with him. ‘_Le bureau -Wolff télégraphie._’” The Chief seems to be unwell. He does not come to -dinner. - -_Wednesday, February 15th._--I again draw attention in the _Moniteur_ -to the disgraceful tone of the Parisian press. I intimate that this -agitation is delaying the conclusion of peace, and that the most -certain way of putting an end to it would be the occupation of Paris. - -_Wednesday, February 22nd._--During the last week I have written -a number of articles and paragraphs, and despatched about a dozen -telegrams. - -The Assembly at Bordeaux shows a proper appreciation of the position. -It has declined to support Gambetta, and has elected Thiers as chief -of the Executive and spokesman on behalf of France in the negotiations -for peace which began here yesterday. At dinner yesterday, at which we -were joined by Henckel, the Chief remarked, with reference to these -negotiations, “If they were to give us another milliard we might -perhaps leave them Metz, and build a fortress a few miles further back, -in the neighbourhood of Falkenberg or towards Saarbrücken--there must -be some suitable position there. I do not want so many Frenchmen in our -house. It is the same with Belfort, which is entirely French. But the -soldiers will not hear of giving up Metz, and perhaps they are right.” - -Generals von Kameke and von Treskow dined with us to-day. The Chief -spoke about his second meeting with Thiers to-day: “On my making that -demand” (what the demand was escaped me), “he jumped up, although he -is otherwise quite capable of controlling himself, and said, ‘Mais -c’est une indignité!’ I did not allow that to put me out, however, -but began to speak to him in German. He listened for a while, and -evidently did not know what to make of it. He then said in a querulous -voice, ‘Mais, Monsieur le Comte, vows savez bien que je ne sais point -l’allemand.’ I replied, speaking in French again, ‘When you spoke just -now of _indignité_ I found that I did not know enough French, and so -preferred to use German, in which I understand what I say and hear.’ -He immediately caught my meaning, and wrote down as a concession the -demand which he had previously resented as an _indignité_.” - -The Chief continued: “Yesterday he spoke of Europe, which would -intervene if we did not moderate our demands. But I replied, ‘If you -speak to me of Europe I shall speak to you of Napoleon.’ He would not -believe that they had anything to fear from him. I proved the contrary -to him, however. He should remember the plebiscite and the peasantry, -together with the officers and soldiers. It was only under the Emperor -that the Guards could again have the position which they formerly -occupied; and with a little cleverness it could not be difficult -for Napoleon to win over 100,000 soldiers among the prisoners in -Germany. We should then only have to arm them and let them cross the -frontier, and France would be his once more. If they would concede -good conditions of peace we might even put up with one of the Orleans, -though we knew that that would mean another war within two or three -years. If not, we should have to interfere, which we had avoided doing -up to the present, and they would have to take Napoleon back again. -That, after all, must have produced a certain effect upon him, as, -to-day, just as he was going to talk about Europe again, he suddenly -broke off and said, ‘Excuse me.’ For the rest, I like him very well. He -is at least highly intelligent, has good manners, and is an excellent -story-teller. Besides, I often pity him, for he is in an extremely -awkward position. But all that can’t help him in the least.” - -With regard to the war indemnity, the Chief said: “Thiers insisted that -fifteen hundred million francs was the maximum, as it was incredible -how much the war had cost them. And in addition to that everything -supplied to them was of bad quality. If a soldier only slipped and fell -down, his trousers went to pieces, the cloth was so wretched. It was -the same with the shoes which had pasteboard soles, and also with the -rifles, particularly those from America.” I replied: “But just imagine, -you are suddenly pounced upon by a man who wants to thrash you, and -after defending yourself and getting the better of him, you demand -compensation--what would you say if he asked you to bear in mind how -much he had had to pay for the stick with which he had intended to beat -you, and how worthless the stick had proved to be? However there is a -very wide margin between fifteen hundred and six thousand millions.” - -The conversation then lost itself--I can no longer remember how--in the -depths of the Polish forests and marshes, turning for a while on the -large solitary farm houses in those districts and upon colonisation in -the “backwoods of the east.” The Chief said: “Formerly when so many -things were going wrong--even in private affairs--I often thought that -if the worst came to the worst I would take my last thousand thalers -and buy one of those farms out there and set up as a farmer. But things -turned out differently.” - -Later on, diplomatic reports were again discussed, and the Chief, who -seems in general to have a poor opinion of them said: “For the most -part, they are just paper smeared with ink. The worst of it is that -they are so lengthy. In Bernstorff’s case, for instance, when he sends -a ream of paper filled with stale newspaper extracts--why, one gets -accustomed to it! But when some one else writes at interminable length, -and as a rule there is nothing in it, one becomes exasperated. As for -using them some day as material for history, nothing of any value will -be found in them. I believe the archives are open to the public at -the end of thirty years--but it might be done much sooner. Even the -despatches which do contain information are scarcely intelligible to -those who do not know the people and their relations to each other. In -thirty years time who will know what sort of a man the writer himself -was, how he looked at things, and how his individuality affected the -manner in which he presented them? And who has really an intimate -knowledge of the people mentioned in his reports? One must know what -Gortschakoff, or Gladstone, or Granville had in his own mind when -making the statements reported in the despatch. It is easier to find -out something from the newspapers, of which indeed governments also -make use, and in which they frequently say much more clearly what they -want. But that also requires a knowledge of the circumstances. The most -important points, however, are always dealt with in private letters -and confidential communications, also verbal ones, and these are not -included in the archives. - -“The Emperor of Russia, for instance, is on the whole very friendly to -us--from tradition, for family reasons, and so on--and also the Grand -Duchesse Hélène, who influences him and watches him on our behalf. The -Empress, on the other hand, is not our friend. But that is only to be -ascertained through confidential channels and not officially.” - -_Thursday, February 23rd._--We retain Metz, but not Belfort. It has -been practically decided that a portion of our army shall enter Paris. - -And I write the following intimation for the _Moniteur_:-- - -“The arrogance with which the Parisian press insults and abuses the -victorious German army that stands outside the gates of the capital -has been frequently stigmatised by us as it deserves. We have likewise -pointed out that the occupation of Paris by our troops would be the -most effectual means of putting an end to this sort of insolence. At -the present moment these lies and calumnies and provocations know -no bounds. For instance, the _Figaro_ of the 21st of February, in -a feuilleton entitled ‘Les Prussiens en France,’ and signed Alfred -d’Aunay, charges German officers and the Germans in general with the -most disgraceful conduct such as theft and pillage. We learn that these -proceedings, which we forbear to characterise, have entirely frustrated -the efforts made by the Parisian negotiators to prevent the German -army entering into Paris. We are positively assured that the entry of -the German forces into the French capital will take place immediately -after the expiration of the armistice.” - -_Friday, February 24th._--Thiers and Favre were here from 1 to 5.30 -P.M. After they left, the Duc de Mouchy and the Comte de Gobineau were -announced. The object of their visit was to complain of the oppressive -action of the German Prefect at Beauvais, who is apparently rather -harsh, or at least not very conciliatory or indulgent. The Chief came -to dinner in plain clothes for the first time during the war. Is -this a sign that peace has been concluded? He again complained that -when he went to see the King, the Grand Dukes, “with their feminine -curiosity, pestered him with questions.” With regard to the deputation -from Beauvais, Hatzfeldt said that Mouchy and Gobineau were both -sensible men and Conservatives, and that our Prefect, Schwarzkoppen, -bullied them and the other notables of the town and neighbourhood in an -unpardonable way. Amongst other things, two days before the expiration -of the term on which a contribution of two millions was to be paid, -they brought him a million and a half and said that the balance would -follow shortly, whereupon he told them brutally that he was there for -the purpose of ruining them and meant to do so, and he threatened to -have them locked up in order to “coerce” them, which was not in the -least necessary. The Chief was very angry and called Schwarzkoppen a -“blockhead.” - -_Saturday, February 25th._--Unpleasant news has again been received -from Bavaria. Werther (who, it is true, is described by Bucher as -unreliable and a visionary) writes that Count Holnstein regards the -condition of King Lewis with very great anxiety. Prince Adalbert, who -combines “the Wittelsbach haughtiness with Jesuitry,” is inciting him -against us. He asserts that he signed the treaties under pressure. -Before every Court dinner and even before every audience he drinks -large quantities of the strongest wines, and then says the most -extraordinary things to every one without distinction of persons. -He wants to abdicate and leave the crown to his brother Otto, who, -however, has no wish for it, and he is always inquiring about deadly -poisons, &c. The Ultramontanes are aware of all this, and their -candidate for the Reichstag, Prince Luitpold, is also their candidate -for the throne, and they mean to get him chosen in spite of Prince -Otto’s claims. - -_Wednesday, March 1st._--In the morning I crossed the bridge of boats -at Suresnes to the Bois de Boulogne where, from the half-ruined stand -on the racecourse, I saw the Emperor review the troops before they -marched into Paris. - -We were joined at dinner by Mittnacht, and the Würtemberg Minister, -von Wächter, who was formerly attached to the Embassy in Paris, and -while there did his utmost against Prussia. The Chief said he had -ridden in to Paris, and was recognised by the populace, but there -was no demonstration against him. He rode up to one man who looked -particularly vicious, and asked him for a light, which he willingly -gave. - -The Chancellor afterwards took occasion once more to speak his mind out -on the obtrusiveness of certain princely personages. “They are like -flies,” he said, “there is no getting rid of them. But Weimar is the -worst of the lot. He said to me to-day, ‘Please tell me where did you -disappear to so quickly yesterday? I should have been glad to put some -further questions to you.’ I replied, ‘That was exactly it, your Royal -Highness. I had business to do, and could not enter into a lengthy -conversation.’ He fancies that the whole world has been created merely -for his sake, for his amusement, the improvement of his education, -and the satisfaction of his curiosity, which is insatiable, and he has -absolutely no tact.” Somebody observed that as a rule when he talks -he does not think of what he says, but rather repeats phrases that he -has learnt by rote. Mittnacht told another story about this august -personage. “Some one was introduced to him: ‘Ah, very pleased indeed, I -have heard so much to your credit. Let me see, what was it I heard?’” - -_Thursday, March 2nd._--Favre arrived this morning at 7.30 A.M., and -wished to be shown in to the Chief. Wollmann declined to wake him, -however, at which the Parisian Excellency was very indignant. Favre -wanted to inform the Chancellor of the news he had received during -the night that the National Assembly at Bordeaux had ratified the -preliminaries of peace, and thereupon to ask that Paris and the forts -on the left bank of the Seine should be evacuated. This request was -submitted in a letter which he left behind him. - -_Sunday, March 5th._--We leave to-morrow, first going to Lagny and -thence to Metz. The Chief is present at dinner. The conversation first -turned upon our landlady, Madame Jesse, who put in an appearance either -to-day or yesterday and made a variety of complaints to the Minister as -to the damage we are supposed to have done to her property. He replied -that was the way in war, particularly when people deserted their homes. -Besides she had reasons to be thankful that she had got off so easily. -The little table on which the Treaty of Peace was signed is to be -taken with us to Germany. Taglioni, who is to remain behind a few days -with the King, is instructed to have it replaced by an exactly similar -piece of furniture. In speaking of the preparations for our departure -the Chief says: “Kühnel thinks we ought not to travel by night, as -Lorraine will be haunted, and they might lay something on the rails.” -I replied, “Then I will travel incognito as the Duke of Coburg. Nobody -owes him a grudge. He is regarded as perfectly innocent--and with -justice.” - -_Monday, March 6th._--A lovely morning. Thrushes and finches warble the -signal for our departure. At 1 o’clock the carriages get under way, -and with light hearts we drive off towards the gate that we entered -five months ago, and passed Villa Coublay, Villeneuve Saint Georges, -Charenton, and La Fasanerie to Lagny, where we take up our quarters for -the night. - -We leave here next day by a special train for Metz, where we arrive -late at night. We put up at an hotel, while the Chief stays with Count -Henckel at the Prefecture. Next morning we stroll through the town, -visit the cathedral, and survey the neighbourhood from the bastions of -the fortress. Shortly before 11 o’clock we are again in the train, and -travel by Saarbrücken and Kreuznach to Mainz, and thence to Frankfurt. - -The Chief has an enthusiastic reception everywhere along the line -and particularly at Saarbrücken and Mainz. Frankfurt is the only -exception. We arrive there at a late hour, and start again in the -night. At 7.30 on the following morning we reach Berlin, after exactly -seven months’ absence. All things considered, everything has been done -during those seven months which it was possible to do. - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - -[1] Strictly speaking, _almost_ complete, as some passages must still -be omitted for the present. - -[2] The despatch was understood to contain a sentence to the effect -that Rome should take care not to challenge Europe, and that whatever -the Church might say, the Austrian Courts of Justice would not allow -themselves to be influenced into according any indulgence towards those -who broke the laws or instigated others to do so. - -[3] At that time it had only been accepted by the Committee of the -House of Commons,--without any important amendments however, and its -adoption on a third reading was assured. It is true, objections were -raised. Gladstone very characteristically observed that the law now -only empowered the Administration to proceed against incitements to -treasonable _action_; it was, however, necessary to provide for the -punishment of attempts by the press to create a “treasonable state of -mind” amongst the people. The sole concession made by the Government -was that the threatened measures should not be put into execution until -warning (once only) had been given. - -[4] The loyal Hanoverian circles did not tell the truth in this matter. -Stoffel’s reports were, on the whole, good, and he himself was a man of -respectable character. - -[5] Not quite correct, according to a subsequent statement of the -Minister’s and Count Bill’s own account. - -[6] Louis de Condé was treacherously murdered on the 12th of March, -1569, after the engagement at Jarnac, just as he had delivered up his -sword to an officer of the royal army, being shot by one Montesquieu, -a captain of the Guards. - -[7] These particulars are worked up into the preceding chapter. - -[8] In presence of later events he can hardly have expressed himself in -this way. - -[9] The Würtemberger was Von Reinhard, and the Darmstadter Von -Munch-Bellinghausen, both determined opponents of Prussia. - -[10] Compare this passage with the speech delivered by Bismarck in the -United Diet on the 15th of June, 1847. On that occasion he said, “I -am of opinion that the conception of the Christian state is as old as -the so-called Holy Roman Empire, as old as all the European States, -and that it is exactly the ground in which those States have struck -deep roots; and further, that each State that wishes to secure its -own permanence, or even if it merely desires to prove its right to -existence, must act upon religious principles. The words ‘By the grace -of God,’ which Christian rulers add to their names, are for me no mere -empty sound. On the contrary, I recognise in them the confession that -Princes desire to wield the sceptre with which God has invested them -in accordance with His Will.” Certain remarks made by the Chancellor -in his speech of the 9th of October, 1878, during the debate on the -Anti-Socialist Bill, should also be remembered in this connection. He -said, _inter alia_: “If I had come to believe as these men (the Social -Democrats) do--yes, I live a full and busy life and am in opulent -circumstances--but that would not be sufficient to make me wish to -live another day if I had not, in the words of the poet, ‘an Gott und -bessere Zukunft Glauben’ (faith in God and a better future).” - -[11] It was a report from Mohl, originally intended, for his Government -at Carlsruhe, which was communicated to the Chief, under whose -instructions extracts therefrom were utilised in the press. - -[12] At that time Secretary of State in the Foreign Office. He was not -a Catholic. - -[13] Bucher afterwards told me that the Chancellor was affected both -by the superstition respecting the number thirteen and that relating -to Friday. Other diplomats, as, for instance, the French, seem to -entertain the same objection both to the number and the day. The -following anecdote, which I was assured was perfectly genuine, may -serve as an example. After the negotiations respecting the duty payable -by ships passing through the Sound had been completed, it was arranged -that the treaty containing the terms agreed upon should be signed at -Copenhagen on the 13th of March, 1587. It turned out that the day thus -chosen was not only the thirteenth of the month, but was also a Friday, -and that there were thirteen Plenipotentiaries to sign the document. “A -threefold misfortune!” exclaimed the French Ambassador Dotezac. To his -delight, however, the addition of the signatures was postponed for some -days owing to difficulties occasioned by the difference in the rate of -exchange of Danish and Prussian thalers. The number of representatives -still caused him so much anxiety, however, that it made him ill, and -it was only on the decease of the Hanoverian Plenipotentiary a few -weeks later that the French Ambassador and the other signatories of the -treaty felt that they were no longer in danger of sudden death. - -[14] Walker, the English Kutusow of Count Bismarck-Bohlen, H. B. -M.’s Military Plenipotentiary at headquarters, was not held in much -estimation by the Chancellor and his _entourage_. - -[15] These suspicions, though fully justified by appearances, were -subsequently shown to be for the greater part unfounded, except that -there was inadequate provision for the requirements of the wounded. -I reproduce the episode as evidence of the Minister’s usual humane -feeling and love of justice. - -[16] A reference to the popular Thuringian ballad of “The Landgrave and -the Smith.” - -[17] His greeting to those who brought him the news of his election as -Emperor while he was netting birds in the forest. - -[18] Thun, Rechberg and Prokesch held in succession the position of -Austrian Minister to the Bundestag. - -[19] The communication referred to is a letter by Thomas Carlyle -published in _The Times_ of November 18, in which it occupied two and a -half columns. The passages quoted by Dr. Busch are here reproduced from -the original:-- - -“The question for the Germans, in this crisis, is not one of -‘magnanimity,’ of ‘heroic pity and forgiveness to a fallen foe,’ but of -solid prudence and practical consideration what the fallen foe will, in -all likelihood, do when once on his feet again. Written on her memory, -in a distinctly instructive manner, Germany has an experience of 400 -years on this point; of which on the English memory, if it ever was -recorded there, there is now little or no trace visible.... No nation -ever had so bad a neighbour as Germany has had in France for the last -400 years; bad in all manner of ways; insolent, rapacious, insatiable, -unappeasable, continually aggressive.... Germany, I do clearly believe, -would be a foolish nation not to think of raising up some secure -boundary fence between herself and such a neighbour now that she has -the chance. There is no law of nature that I know of, no Heavens Act -of Parliament whereby France, alone of terrestrial beings, shall not -restore any portion of her plundered goods when the owners they were -wrenched from have an opportunity upon them.... The French complain -dreadfully of threatened ‘loss of honour’; and lamentable bystanders -plead earnestly, ‘Don’t dishonour France; leave poor France’s honour -bright.’ But will it save the _honour_ of France to refuse paying for -the glass she has voluntarily broken in her neighbour’s windows. The -attack upon the windows was her dishonour. Signally disgraceful to -any nation was her late assault on Germany; equally signal has been -the ignominy of its execution on the part of France. The honour of -France can be saved only by the deep repentance of France, and by -the serious determination never to do so again--to do the reverse -of so for ever henceforth.... For the present, I must say, France -looks more and more delirious, miserable, blamable, pitiable and even -contemptible. She refuses to see the facts that are lying palpably -before her face, and the penalties she has brought upon herself. A -France scattered into anarchic ruin, without recognisable head; _head_, -or chief, indistinguishable from _feet_, or rabble; Ministers flying -up in balloons ballasted with nothing else but outrageous public -lies, proclamations of victories that were creatures of the fancy; a -Government subsisting altogether on mendacity, willing that horrid -bloodshed should continue and increase rather than that they, beautiful -Republican creatures, should cease to have the guidance of it; I know -not when and where there was seen a nation so covering itself with -_dis_honour.... The quantity of conscious mendacity that France, -official and other, has perpetrated latterly, especially since July -last, is something wonderful and fearful. And, alas! perhaps even that -is small compared to the self-delusion and _un_conscious mendacity long -prevalent among the French.... To me at times the mournfullest symptom -in France is the figure its ‘men of genius,’ its highest literary -speakers, who should be prophets and seers to it, make at present, and, -indeed, for a generation back have been making. It is evidently their -belief that new celestial wisdom is radiating out of France upon all -the other overshadowed nations; that France is the new Mount Zion of -the universe; and that all this sad, sordid, semi-delirious, and, in -good part, _infernal_ stuff which French literature has been preaching -to us for the last fifty years is a veritable new Gospel out of Heaven, -pregnant with blessedness for all the sons of men.... I believe -Bismarck (_sic_) will get his Alsace and what he wants of Lorraine, -and likewise that it will do him, and us, and all the world, and even -France itself by and by, a great deal of good.... (Bismarck) in fact -seems to me to be striving with strong faculty, by patient, grand and -successful steps, towards an object beneficial to Germans and to all -other men. That noble, patient, deep, and solid Germany should be at -length welded into a nation and become Queen of the Continent, instead -of vapouring, vain-glorious, gesticulating, quarrelsome, restless and -over-sensitive France, seems to me the hopefullest public fact that has -occurred in my time.”--THE TRANSLATOR. - -[20] The King. - -[21] The Crown Prince. - - - END OF VOL. I. - - - RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BUNGAY. - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - -The following changes have been made to the text as printed. In -cases of doubt, recourse has been had to the original German work -(_Tagebuchblätter_). - -1. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - -2. Errors in use of quote marks and other punctuation have been -corrected. - -3. In cases of inconsistent spelling of German and French names, the -spelling used in the original language has been preferred. Examples -include changing "Frankfort" to "Frankfurt", "Mayence" to "Mainz", -"Rheims" to "Reims", "Delbruck" to "Delbrück". However, where the -English text is consistent in spelling, that spelling has been retained -("Cologne", "Munich", "Jahrbuecher"). - -4. Where a word is used repeatedly in the same way, hyphenation has -been made consistent, preferring the form most often used in the printed -work, or failing that the more usual form in general use at the time of -publication. - -5. Page 113: "the result would not been" has been changed to "the -result would not have been". - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BISMARCK: SOME SECRET PAGES OF -HIS HISTORY (VOL. 1 OF 3) *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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