According to the usual procedure, you ought to have answered my report of the 8th, which was in your hands early on the 11th.

This might have been done on the 11th, or, at the latest, on the 12th. The alterations in the Draft desired by M. Thiers were insignificant.

It would have been easy for you to have telegraphed to me on the 11th or 12th, saying whether you would accept them or not. None of these alterations were fraught with any difficulty. From my report it might have been gathered that M. Thiers raised no obstacles whatever with regard to Belfort. Until the 11th of March, it was a settled matter that we should remain in Belfort till the 5th of September.

I might have received your answer on the 11th or 12th. Had the President's wishes with regard to the Draft been taken into consideration by you, either partially, or even not at all, I should have been in a position to sign the Convention on the 12th or 13th. Perchance I might even then have obtained the continuance of the neutralisation up to the 1st of March, 1874. But, instead of adopting this regular method of proceeding, for the neglect of which not a single reason can be adduced, you commenced

telegraphing in feverish haste to Nancy, and instituting inquiries; and the consequence was that the matter about Belfort, and a few other somewhat important demands, finally came to nought.

Again, to make confusion worse confounded, you accuse me of being the cause of all these complications, which you finally range under the head of high treason.

Immediately after the President had, on the morning of the 11th, addressed the above quoted Telegram to Count St. Vallier, he despatched a second one to him.

"Versailles, le 11 Mars 1873, 2 h. du soir.

"TÉLÉGRAMME CHIFFRÉ.

"Le Président de la République au Comte de St. Vallier.

"Je viens de relire Votre communication, ainsi que le résumé du projet de traité qui l'accompagne et je me hâte de Vous répondre. Si j'avais connu le texte que Vous m'envoyez, j'aurais accepté sur-le-champ, sauf les trois légères modifications de détail, qui sont les suivantes : "Quinze jours pour l'évacuation des quatre

départements, et dix jours pour celle de Belfort, les paiements étant, bien entendu, effectués aux époques convenues, puis fixation du chiffre des troupes laissées à Belfort. Ignorant le texte, que je viens de recevoir, j'en avais fait un remis à M. d'Arnim et à M. de Gontaut, et qui doit être aujourd'hui à Berlin. Veuillez dire à M. de Manteuffel, que je l'autorise pleinement à déclarer que j'accepte le texte venu par Nancy avec les modifications ci-dessus. Dans ce cas, je le prie de demander qu'on prévienne M. de Gontaut que, du reste, je vais prévenir de mon côté.

"I have just read again your communication, as well as the résumé of the Draft Convention accompanying the same, and hasten to reply thereto. Had I been acquainted with the text sent by you, I would have accepted this text at once, with the exception of the three following unimportant alterations.

"A fortnight for the evacuation of the four departments, and ten days for the evacuation of Belfort, provided, of course, that the payments are made at the times agreed upon; in

addition to this, the fixing upon of the number of troops to be left in Belfort. Not being acquainted with the text just received by me, I had drawn up one myself and given it both to M. Arnim and M. de Gontaut; this ought to reach Berlin to-day. Tell General von Manteuffel that I authorise him to declare my acceptance of the text transmitted through Nancy, subject to the alterations given above.

"Under these circumstances, I beg he will request that M. de Gontaut be informed of the matter, who, however, shall receive the information from myself also.

(Signed)

It is worthy of remark :

"THIERS."

(1.) That M. Thiers, in this Telegram, proposes alterations to the text communicated to him, without having the words "c'est à prendre ou à laisser" thrown in his face.

(2.) That on the 11th of March M. Thiers raised no obstacles to the occupation of Belfort, although, according to the Public Prosecutor's Bill of Indictment, I must have encouraged him to do so. It is to be feared that M. Thiers will be accused of high treason when it comes to be

known in France that, in spite of encouragement to resistance given him on our part, he was prepared to leave Belfort in our hands until the 5th of September.

And yet the Public Prosecutor, relying on the information supplied him by the Foreign Office, makes out that it was after the 8th of March that the President's obstinacy with regard to Belfort began, and that such obstinacy on the part of the latter was unintelligible, when his previous relations with the Foreign Office were taken into account. The grammar of the Bill of Indictment is on a par with its logic.* It is impossible to discover in the Telegram of the 11th the least sign of the so-called "unintelligible obstinacy, when his previous relations were taken into account.”

On the evening of the 11th the Telegram arrived at Nancy. On the 12th you received it from the General at Nancy.

Late in the evening of the 12th you telegraphed to me:

"I herewith transmit to your Excellency the order of his Majesty the Emperor, to com

*This grammatical error cannot be rendered in English.