Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-09-19

dong on the night preceding the triumpha en-.
try Of the foreign coverings into Paris? We
have seen that after having ordered the Assem-.
bling by forced marches of the remains of his
army on the I'd OF April under the walls OF
Paris, he had quilted Troyes on the Goth of
March, at daybreak; and that, accompanied
only by Berthier, his maior-general, and by
taulalncourt, his confidential negotiator, he
had prccipltatcd his course towards Paris
Uncertain of the success or rcverses of Mar
mont and Alortier he trembled for the heart of
his Empire, for his wife, for his SON. for his
brothers. for his throne, and for his glory. lie
hoped that his presence and his name alone
would be equal to an army for the defence of
Paris. He only asked two days from Time.
and a respite from Destiny. f'rime and Des-
tiny had granted his request, 10000 men con-
centrated under the walls, an immense artillery,
ready supplies, a popular enthusiasm conmuni-
Gated by his soldiers, one or two brilliant sue
ccsses over Schwartzcnburg or Butcher. and
negotiations taken up by Caulaincourt on the
basis of ChatlIlon, might still leave him, not
his greatness, but hs throne. He no longer
denied the necessity of peace, and ne hastcned
to grasp 1t, utter having frequently dlsdained it..
But peace, the Empire, the hrone, and glory
were about to quit him al at the same time
lie lew to learn as quick as possible the de-
cree Of destiny, so frequently dictated by him.
and now recorded against him. In two hours
the chance carraige he had procured near Mon
tereau brought him at gallop by the country
roads &C oss the plains between the village of
Essonne and that of NIIiejuit, nearly to the
gates Of Paris. lie had avoided Fontainebeau,
for fear of finding it occupied by detachmcnt5
Of Schwartzenburg's army. Nobody on the
deserted roads by which his guide had con
Quoted him could rive him Il word Of in,clli-
gcncc as to the fate of Paris and his armics-
The night was gloomy, the cold excessive, and
the Emperor silent between the two last COM
pnlons of his fortune. This carrage con-
tanned the master Of the world flying to meet
his destiny. 1t stopped at the village of La
COur de France, bullt upon the last hill of a
cham which commands the river and the valley
OF the Seine on one side and the river and val
ley Of the Essonnc on the other But the OBJ
security Of the night only allowed him TO sec.
to the right and left of these two vast horizons,
tn distant rlimmcr Of bivouac fires extending
in lines on the hills of Nillcncuvc Saint George
and of Charenton, and prolonged sill nearer
to the banks of the Some. without being able
to distinguish if these fires belonged to the
troops Of Morticr and Marmont or to the enc
mics camp. lie threw himself out of the car
riage, and ran to the posting house, to inquire
about what he was ardent and trcmblcd to learn.
Before he could meet single man to intcrro-
rate, lie saw, at some distance in the wide street
of the village. disbandcd soldiers marching in
rrourS towards Fontaincbleau. lie was as
tonished and indignant. "liow.' hc eAcuin
ed what is the reason these soldiers are not
marching On Paris"
On hearing the voice of the Emperor, Gener-
al Bclliard, one Of his most devoted heutenants,
issued forth from the obscuritv of the door, and
explained the fatal mystery OF this contradictory
march. Paris he said, has capltulated: the
enemy enters Tomorrow, two hours after sun
rise and these troops arc the remains of Mar
mont and Morticr's armies, falling back on
Fontaneblcau, in order to Join the Emperor
army at Troyes.' A dead silence was The only
answer OF Nupo n, resembling the momcntary
hush which follows the sudden crushing of
lofty cdtce. # was, in fact the annihllaton
ofhs last hope He passed his hands several
times across his forehead. to wipe off the cold
pcrspratIon in which 1t was bathad; then, like
a man who collects his iotttudc to place him on
a level with his misfortunes, he rccomposad his
features, strengthened his voice. resumed his
frmness, AMI tcigning against men an anger
winch he had only right to feel against events,
he broke out into an explosion of contempt
and imprcCations against ms lcutcnpnts against
his ministers, and against his brother. whose
incnpacliy and want of character had allowed
his enemies to get before HIM. He walked
backwards and forwards with abrupt steps, fo'-
lowed by CauancGurt, Bclthlcr and l}clliard.
on the open rugged place winch extends in
front of the hotel. He stoppad--hc rushed on
again-hc seemed to hcstatc--thcn rctraccI
his steps lie appeared to communicate to his
walk, sometimes slow and sometimes rapid, all
the ndccSlOn, every impulse, every turn and
every confused movement OF his thoughts. Ills
llCutcnlns looked at each other. but did not
dare to mingle their advice with the counsel he
was holding in his own mind. Then he poured
forth yoley of intcrrogatories. where is my
wife: : where Is my son where is the army
Whlt his become of the National Guard of
Paris, and of the battle they wcrc to have
fought to the last man, under It's walls and
the marshal: and Mogtcr: AMI Marnont -
Where shall | find them again: He received
answers to some of these questions; but with
on, listening to them he went on The night
IS still mine he cried. 'Ihe enemy only ems
tors at daybrcak my carriage! my carriage
Let W 90 this instant: Let Us ret before Blu
cher and Schwartzcnburg Let Bolllrd fol-
low me with the cavalry Let lis tight even in
the streets and squares Of Paris Ny presence,
my n'mc, the courage Of my troops, the neces-
sity Of following me or of dying will arouse
Paris. My army, which is following me, will
arrive in the mi lst of the struggle; it will take
the enemy in the rear, while we are fighting
.hem in the front! Come on Success awaits
me-, porhlps, in my last reverse And, stamp
ing his feet with Impotence, he h1stcncd with
VOC" and gesture the carriage he had ordered.
Berth,cr, BNlliard AMI Cauancourt. cnntoun-
ded at the extent ofa disaster of which they had
only revealed to him onc-half tremhied at the
idea Of battle of cXtcrmlna,on in the midst Of
a great capital. 1t would he the war of ancient
barbarsm, with It's conlllgratons, its mnssa-
rrcs, and It's cities and people oblitcrlted from
the soil. They were obliged to remind him
that the rights of men, no less than the laws of
were decidedly opposed to II design
so extreme and so fatal. They acknowledged
to him that the army of Paris and the generals
were already hound by a convention which
made 1t their dnty totAll back on Fontlincblaau.
Madmcnn exclaimed Napoleon to himself
Joseph! My ministers. What! with tormi-
iabIc artillery in their arscnaS, they had only
4 battery of SIX pieces and an empty magazine
IN Montmartre. They ought to have hai 200
pieces there. What have they done with them: