“They would have been glad to convoke the delegates of the nation and place their power in the hands of a freely elected National Assembly, and it is solely and entirely for this end that they have demanded an armistice. Perhaps they would have been content with less than twenty-five days,” I added, in order to sound Lord Granville on this question.
This remark was to his liking. He interrupted me briskly and asked me: “How many days do you think would be enough for the elections?”
I answered that, at the narrowest computation of what was strictly necessary, I thought that it would take perhaps twelve to fifteen days to carry out the elections, but that I was in no sense qualified nor competent to say so, and this was merely my personal opinion. “But then,” said he, “the Government would do well to proceed to election in this delay and to ask for a twelve days’ armistice. It would be a great advantage for you if the country had a legal representation.”
“Would Prussia accept?”
“Yes,” said he, “she would have accepted any armistice without re-victualling....” Then, as if he had gone too far, and, as it were, to correct himself, he immediately added that of course he had no means of knowing what were the dispositions at this moment of the Prussian General Staff. He did not know whether they were still inclined to grant an armistice, and he did not like to promise us anything with regard to this....
Such was the dominant note I encountered in all my official conversations: an unmeasured fear of being exposed and compromised.
To reassure him I answered: “Do not think, M. le Comte, that I will take you at your word. I do not think the National Defence Government is willing to accept the responsibility of an armistice with the prospect of starving Paris out, even though it be only for twelve days.”
“But,” he answered, “since Paris could hold out a long time yet, as you have just told me, twelve days cannot hurt her much and twelve days will give you the immense advantage of having the country constitutionally represented.”
He developed the idea that up to the present the National Defence Government was only a de facto Government, and that it would be in its highest interests to have a National Representative at its side on which to lean.
I replied that his observation was subject to correction; that the National Defence Government was not only a de facto Government, but was approved within the country and recognised without as a legal and regular government. However, there was nothing it more ardently desired than the chance of convoking a National Assembly. “I will,” I said, “faithfully transmit your excellent suggestions to my Government.”