New-York tribune., 1870-08-26
,c ,oUJS NAPOLEON DEAD,

Tbere il no direct proof OF the death OF the
p,oh Emneror. We have had no authentic
=. ,rrstwortbv news about him since his
onrooronce ON. or disappearance from, the
nights of Splecheren, during the nrst cohioa1
of the war. four weeks ago. In common WIN
orr cotemnoraries. we have received by the
Cohlo a number of rumOrs about him from
time 70 time, all differing widely from each
thu and many of them fatty contradicting
one another. He has been reported as hasten-
ing from place to place IN the plains ol ohani-
paion. or near the forest of Ardennes' we
have heard of his narrowly escaping capture
Inv some dashing Prussian cavalrymeh, as
travel;np in a third-class railroad carriage,
ubere he suffered from hunger, as having been
soon nv a man who said he looked "puffy /"
"a having been in secret conference WIN one
or another of his defeated Generals, and (mark
tbis) as having been at one time IN the hanus
of the great French surgeon Nelaton, who was
hastily ordered from Paris by telegraph. These
arc but n small portion of the rumors about
him. many of which have been utterly absurd.
The great fact, however, remains that Tor
nearly thirty days we have had no authehtic
news of the appearance, whereabouts, or dolngs
of Louis Napoleon, during this tremendous
crisis of his Government, his army, his power,
and his dynasty. He has disappeared entirely
from view and from the scene of action, and
things have gone their way precisely as though
he had not been.n He has taken no part IN
military operations, though his army has been
undergoing constant defeat He has taken no
part in politics or the affairs OF State, though
his Government has been tumbling to ruin.
Bazaine and MacMahon carry on the struggle
as best they can; but they appear to take no
cognizance of the authority or existence OF the
man who lately was Emperor Paris, or rather
France is governed by Directory, which was
opnointed by the L6gislatif, and which exer-
cises absolute power without ever giving the
slightest recognition of the power of the En-
neror. On leaving Paris, he appointed Ke-
gent but the Directory has taken no nouce
of the Regent, who, at latest accounts, was
laboring under great excitement.
The most striking and omnOus proof OF the
extraordinary power of the Directory when
has vet been given, appears in dispatch from
Paris which we publish this morning, and
which announces that the Council of Minis
ters, or Directory, has appointed Gen. Wimp-
fen TO the command of an army corps, IN
place of Gen. Failly. 1t appears by this that
the Directory has begun to exercise the very
highest functions of the Emperor, in appoint
ing commanders for the army. Could Napo-
leon ever delegate the supreme power II this
wayi Could he delegate it to a body of men
which derives Its authority from the Legisla-
ture, and which contains among its members
such politicians as Theirs, and such soldiers
"a Trochul 1t is the most startling incident
that has yet taken place during the revolu-
tionary crisis in Paris. In the mean time, where
is Louis Napoleonf Why this disappearance
in such times as thesei 1t is hard to say; but
still we do not believe that he is dead.