Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris | Page 3

my
acquaintance who had just come from the British Embassy. He had
heard Mr. Malet's story, which, of course, had been communicated to
the Corps Diplomatique, and being slightly demoralised, without well
thinking what he was doing, he confided it to my sympathising ear.
Mr. Malet, at nine o'clock, found Count Bismarck seated before a table
with wine and cigars. He was in high spirits and very sociable. This I
can well believe, for I used to know him, and, to give the devil his due,
he is one of the few Prussians of a sociable disposition. The interview
lasted for more than two hours. Count Bismarck told Mr. Malet that the
Prussians meant to have Metz and Strasburg, and should remain in
France until they were obtained. The Prussians did not intend to
dismantle them, but to make them stronger than they at present are.
"The French," he said, "will hate us with an undying hate, and we must

take care to render this hate powerless." As for Paris, the German
armies would surround it, and with their several corps d'armée, and
their 70,000 cavalry, would isolate it from the rest of the world, and
leave its inhabitants to "seethe in their own milk." If the Parisians
continued after this to hold out, Paris would be bombarded, and, if
necessary, burned. My own impression is that Count Bismarck was not
such a fool as to say precisely what he intended to do, and that he will
attack at once; but the event will prove. He added that Germany was
not in want of money, and therefore did not ask for a heavy pecuniary
indemnity. Speaking of the French, Count Bismarck observed that there
were 200,000 men round Metz, and he believed that Bazaine would
have to capitulate within a week. He rendered full justice to the courage
with which the army under Bazaine had fought, but he did not seem to
have a very high opinion of the French army of Sedan. He questioned
Mr. Malet about the state of Paris, and did not seem gratified to hear
that there had been no tumults. The declaration of the Republic and its
peaceful recognition by Paris and the whole of France appeared by no
means to please him. He admitted that if it proved to be a moderate and
virtuous Government, it might prove a source of danger to the
monarchical principle in Germany.
I do trust that Englishmen will well weigh these utterances. Surely they
will at last be of opinion that the English Government should use all its
moral influence to prevent a city containing nearly two million
inhabitants being burnt to the ground in order that one million
Frenchmen should against their will be converted into Germans. It is
our policy to make an effort to prevent the dismemberment of France,
but the question is not now so much one of policy as of common
humanity. No one asks England to go to war for France; all that is
asked is that she should recognise the de facto Government of the
country, and should urge Prussia to make peace on terms which a
French nation can honourably accept.
General Vinoy, out reconnoitering with 15,000 men, came to-day upon
a Prussian force of 40,000 near Vincennes. After an artillery combat, he
withdrew within the lines of the forts. There have been unimportant
skirmishes with the enemy at several points. The American, the Belgian,

the Swiss, and the Danish Ministers are still here. Mr. Wodehouse has
remained to look after our interests. All the secretaries were anxious to
stay. I should be glad to know why Mr. Falconer Atlee, the British
Consul at Paris, is not like other consuls, at his post. He withdrew to
Dieppe about three weeks ago. His place is here. Neither a consul, nor a
soldier, should leave his post as soon as it becomes dangerous.
Victor Hugo has published an address to the nation. You may judge of
its essentially practical spirit by the following specimen:--"Rouen, draw
thy sword! Lille, take up thy musket! Bordeaux, take up thy gun!
Marseilles, sing thy song and be terrible!" I suspect Marseilles may
sing her song a long time before the effect of her vocal efforts will in
any way prevent the Prussians from carrying out their plans. "A child,"
say the evening papers, "deposited her doll this afternoon in the arms of
the statue of Strasburg. All who saw the youthful patriot perform this
touching act were deeply affected."
September 19th.
I don't know whether my letter of yesterday went off or not. As my
messenger to the post-office could get no authentic intelligence about
what was passing, I went there myself. Everybody was in military
uniform, everybody was shrugging his shoulders, and everybody was in
the condition