The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-28 00:00:00

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.
(From Iloudays Times).

•
We have receivod from a trustworthy source
the following account of a eonversation which wag held
on Sunday at t between the Empenw Napo-
leon and our infornamt, who to authorized to publish
the statement. in order to lend additional weight to
his repiirt a the inters iew, our correspondent has
given the exact .11.11 e en.PIOVea by the Emperor, as,
'
iroinriamed by the following English translation.
IN, Majesty spoke an follows
°lt Is podended that the honapartists are conspiring. I ,
do not believe It. It is ...lily parties who feel themselves in I
a ~,mority iu the country who have recourse to occult mac-
He-s. It is only those who wish to impose their views
upon the larger min Mer who conspire. Whets a MTh has
been, 16 l have been, during ...el years at the head of a
great not. , and when he has been animated by a
single thought—the welfare of the country he preaerves
the sentiment of Isis dignity, the conviction of his
rights, and mats away from him the low intrigues
which degrade those who have recourse to them Without
Illusions and without discouragement, I rely upon the justice
of the French merle, and I am resigned to my fate, what-
ever may be the decrees of Providence. Moreover, when one
Ma fallen froin such a height, the first sentiment one ex-
periences is wit the desire so agani mount upon tile pinnacle,
but to seek the ceases of the fad in order to explain one's
conduct awl eombat ealumny, while still recognising one's
faults. In doing this one reviews the past, rattier than seeks
to read the future, and striver much more to Justify one'sself
then to accomplish a restoration. Hence the legitimate
desire to employ public means of refuting unjust attacks
and of rectifying enoneons appreciation.. To enlighten
public opinion by truthful statements is a duty to those
whim fortune has struck down while all agitation to at-
tempt the reestablishment of the Imperial rOqoite would
only relent the moral reaction which has already com-
menced. To all those who have .mme from France to visit
sue I have held the WM. ialialla3l, ant opposed, i
have said to them, • ter either intrigues Cr plots -France
needs repose to enable her to recover Inns her disasters.'
Ile would be mood culpable who should seek to foment
trouble for the advancement of his personal Interests. The
present Government is merely provisional, awl does not
its the future exclude any form ad Govermnent. To attempt
to overthrow it would lie a teni action though my right.,
remain still intact, and so long as the people shall not have
likeell regularly consulted, no decision of the l'hanibrr
prevent mein. beim: the legitimate Sovereign of Frame.
Many officers have written to me to ask if they shield
place themselves at the disposition of the prisent Govern-
ment, and if I consented to role toe them from their oath. I
have answered that the questiou hong plainly stated be-
tween order on the one hand awl the most frightful anarchy
1131 the other, they should not hesitate ti save their c try ;
but that I could not release them ft their oath until,
by a direct vote, the entire nation shall have chosen a
definitive government. Thus you see, like the man in
Horace. I wrap myself In my right Mid my resignation.
Fltrong in my go. eonacience. I restrain the impatience of
some and desphe the treachery 31111 the Insidt it others. I
observe, with,a certain iheree of satisfaction, that the Re-
-luhille is
at to act ssinl, sevei tty against tlot very then
niftily of the 13,331113.9 Which I reglll3l,l as indispensable to
the inahitenanee id order; tout. 10 I 311111ot 3 M3ll of mirty,
this feeling gives place In my heart to anther and a stringer
—the rein sith which I see the destinies of France de-
livered over to the hazard if events, the fury if factions.
the weakness of the inen In power, and the exactions of the
foreigner."

In reference to the reeent pnblication of the letters
s4drensol to him by one M. Lessine,4, the Emperor, in
reply to a question 4,f isur csirreitpondent, said:--

_
•• These letters, as far as I ean remember, are authentic,
but surely 1 ealimit be held responsible for the absurdities
which people chose to address to me. and the communica-
tions of I. Lessines never received Irian me any serious
notice. I liclieved the nem himself to Iris s. wt. of harmless
lunatic, as you shall judge. The lira time I saw Iritni, three
or four years ago, he was walking hurriedly up awl down
the interior courtyard of the [Mimics. I e.tr sendimi to
le-,ro wird be wa. teil he excitedly answered,'lily fate is in
the Emperor's hands.'
." How so t'

•• • ttek ant-e he is the only man who can confer upon me
the boon I desire.'

Name your request.

" ' A stall at the opera this evening.

Why lo you not go and buy one?
Impossible ' I:very seat Is taken The lady I Ri9ll to
marry will be there, ant I must see
- • •

------
••ro humour what I supposed to he a sort of harmless
idiosyncrasy. continued the Emperor. laughing heartily at
the remembrance, "I gave orders to place in toy strange
visitors possession the coveted admisiion to the (pers. and
he wept his way rejoicing. The next I heard of him Wa4 In
the shape .d a proposition to annex Belgium to France a
project b. which I certainly 4likl not give the considerati
my detractors pretend to believe."

In an account of an interview with the Emperor
Napoleon, a writer in the Exeter awl ripmonth tht:ette
states that his Marty referred in a manner which
. . .

betokened great tLatiafaction to the way in which he had
beyll treated by all elas.es in this.eonntry,.and after

tively to describe, is completed, the earth will be
belted with telegTaplaic cables. When "
girdle" luta spanned the Pin like, it will be easy enough
to send a message round the in "forty
minutes "—a sufficiently near realisation of the
great dramatist's oft quoted line to make his fancy
appear prophetic._
- - • • •

.•• . -
tt e may also add that it is in contemplation to lay a
cable Isttweett Honolulu and the Australian 'llloilit,l,
thereby eAslilisliing direct intercourse between Mel-
bourne and San Francisco. This line is thus divi,ktl :
--San Francisco to Honolulu, 2,093 nautieal miles;
Honolulu C., Fiji Islands, 2,950; Fiji to New
Caledonia, ; New Csledonia to Brisbane, 500--
6,053 ; add 20 per cent. for slack, 1,331 ; length Id cable,
7,954 nautical miles. Brisbane is already connected
by laud lines with Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide;
also with Port I htrwin ou the north coast, from which
pl tee a line to Java is under contract for construction.
The Dutch colony is now in direct relation with the
Indian and Chinese cables.