The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-29 00:00:00

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The las. o of tbe FronA fort Jourrattl wr
In the p.oi ity presence, and so attic:,
the following ia • translation, pointed oat tr
tioll, at the head of the paper:—

" The Correspondante RUMS has recielved tinn Cassrl,
under date of September 26, • narrative of t e manner in
which Louis Napoleon (sic) expresses himself with regard
to Maws Jules Fevre, Bismarck, and Thins. The writer
avers that the Emperor epoke to him in these terms.
Jules Fevre is not Capable of contending with the
Waster of King William, who will 'imply twist him
round his little finger. Brea I, whose finess• and
taciturnity have long been proverbial, was duped by
If de Bismarck. What, then, can M. Fevre, whose
entire street-Ca lies in his eloquence, expect to accomplish ?
Everything e may say will be turned against himself, as
Bismarck will infallibly pretend to be of exactly the same
opinion, and will throw all the weight of his own acts upon
the shoulders of the King. It is The art of the Prussian
diplomatist to make others bear the responsibility of his
resolutions. I wail deficient in this peculiar talent when at
the Tuileries, and I am now bitterly atoning for the want of
It. The Chancellor of the North German Confederation is
taking great pains to persuade Europe that it was the people
ofFrance who obliged me to go to war,when In reality, It was
I who desired it It I could have induced France to believe
that the war was forced upon me I shanld now be in Feria.
and I could have returned there without the least apprehen-
sion. But the contrary is the fact, and my fall was the Imme-
diate consequence of the surrender of Sedan and my own
weakness. . . . I was frustrated years ego at Boulogne,
because, In my youthful simplicity, I made • confidant of
M. niters, who promised to assist me merely to deceive
and entrap me. Ile was anxious to get me away from
London, and induced me to attempt the Boulogne aftair
for no other purpose but to shut me up in the fortress of
Liam.' At this point (concludes the writer) some one entered
the room and interrupted the conversation, whereupon I
withdrew."
The Emperor read this extraordinary story through.
Ile then said, with a smile "This whole statement is
a fabrication from first to east.. I never held any such
conversation, nor expressed the opinions here attri-
buted to me—never !"
Upon being asked whether a public denial should be
given to assertions evidently intended to misrepresent
and inpire him: the Emperor replied, "No, it is not
worth noticing. If I mention the incident, therefore,
ill, not for the purpose of attaching undue importance
to one invention out of a thousand of the same sort,
but simply as an anecdote serving to throw light upon
one of the most remarkable traits in the character of
Napoleon his indifference to and contempt
for these and kindred calumnies. They pass by and
leave no trace behind.

It is different, however, with the wilful or uninten-
tional inaccuracies of contemporaneous historians,
touching the momentous occurrences of the Late cam-
paign, culminating at Sedan; and I have reason to
believe that a plain and succinct narrative of these
great events is in course of preparation under the eye
of the Emperor, and will shortly appear in the form of
• brochure. Such a work will undoubtedly be received
with interest, and cannot fail to clear up many im-
portant points now enshrouded in obscurity.

As for the personal demeanour of Napoleon 111. at
Sedan, all here who were eyewitnesses to his conduct
describe it as that of one who either cared not for death,
or actually threw himself in its war. On two occasions
during the day he was providentially spared being in-
etantly killed. In the midst of the scene of confusion
which ensued upon the irruption of the paniestriken
French into Sedan, the Emperor, riding slowly through
• wide street swept by the German artillery and choked
by the disordered soldiery, paused for • moment to
addre-s a question to • colonel of his Staff. At the
same instant • shell exploded a few feet in front of
Napoleon, leaving him unharmed, though it was err'.
dent to all arouud that he had escaped by a miracle.
The Emperor, says my informant, continued on his
way without manifesting the slightest emotion, greeted
isy the enthusiastic vivats of the troops. Later, while
sitting at • window, inditing his celebrated letter to
the King of Prussia, • shell struck the wall just out-
side, and burst only • few feet from the Emperor's
chair, again leaving him unscathed and unmoved.

,
These instances of self-possession and coolness will
not surprise those who know how often during his ex.
traordinary career the Emperor has been exposed to
imminent danger, and bow impervious he has always
shown himself to be to the sentiment of fear. Yet one
of the charges now brought against him in France is
that his motive for surrending at Sedan was cowardice