New-York tribune., 1870-09-27
W1R TOPICS,

WAR TOPICS
The late Emperor of France is perfect
Sphinx. No two reports of his state OF mind
OF body are alike. The other day we were
saddened to hear of him as melancholy and
bilious, prattling like an amiable Belisarius
with the school children at Wilhelmsh0he.
Now comes the report that he is exceedingly
cheerful in his captivity, and, like Mark Tap
ley, is coming out "joly" under the most de-
pressing circumstances and this, IL Is further
declared, is highly exasperating to the french
people 4; for while the ex-Emperor has recOv-
cred his appetite, it may be great misfortune
in Paris to have any appetite at all. Nothing
can better show the depth to which this un-
fortunate man has fallen than the sneering
comment upon him which has now become
common. Men say, go! he Is well
"enough oif-vastly better oil than
"when he was in London lodging; he has
"plenty of money; he will not be unhappy; he
"will enjoy life again." &C., &c. Such words
as these bring to mind the verses which Byron
wrote about another Bonaparte in exile. The
important question seems to be, How much
money has this man saved out of the wreck OF
his fortunes3 SO it has been with the second
Empire from the beginning. Money-money-
always money. But times have changed since
the European Alliance actually looked into the
great Napoleon's boots in search of bills OF
exchange-or was it merely his pockets that
they searchedf Never mind; this last one has
been a great offender, but he is i'll luck still,
for there will be no ST. Helena for him.
-" poor as in 1916" says NJ. Petrie, in speak
ing of the lamentable condition of the late En-
peror of France. In 14S, this man, since
proved by prosperity to be utterly false, was
at least nomnally true to the great principles
of liberty which his tongue professed. All!
he was rich indeed then-riCh in great chances,
in noble opportunities, in the good will of
nation which, whatever may be its faults, has
only been too loyal to a dynasty which has
DESTROYED it, If this third Napoleon, instead
Of innumerable and ineXpressibly contemplate
peTuries-the quintessence of mendacties-had
been true to only one out of every half-dOzen
of his solemn oaths, he might have had one
of those good names of which there are but
too few in history. No one placed as he
was in 1S48 could be called poor Poor, now
Well, he is poor enough, the pocket poverty
being the least of all Perhaps he is no
murdered in the coup F6tat-no poorer than
the kin of those who were sent off to die in
exile that he, once himself an exile, might
mount a thrOne-no poorer than the children
of those who have been moved down like
grass in a causeless, senseless, gratuitOus war.
Poor indeed Broken in mind intirm of body,
his crown gone, ibis cash gone, his historical
reputation gone, his military abilities proved
to be below contempt the grave already gapes
for this prematurely old man. Why, Lucifer
himself was richer, for he maintained the
semblance of authority, and the poor devils
who fell with him kept up at least Il show of
sympathy for their ruined master.
The misstatement that King William declared
on entering France that he warred not against
France but against the Imperial dynasty has
several times been corrected, and we have
shown that His Majesty's words wcre 8" fight
"with French soldiers and not with French
citizens" Probably the Kings address has
been confounded with later one made by the
Crown Prince at VaucOuleurs, in which occurs
this expression: Germany makes war against
" the Emperor of the French and not against
the French. The inhabitants have nothing to
fear so long as they abstain from hostile
actions" This proclamation was in reply to
the reports in the Paris press that the Germans
were forcibly enlisting the peasantry of Alsace
and Lorraine, and imprsoning in German
fortreSses all who refused to become Prussian
soldiers. 1t was intended to reassure the
frightened villagers, and certainly bore no
such political significance as seems to be now
attributed to it.
An English paper having remarked that
the Prussian plan of campaign had been drawn
up by the general staff that accurate and
erudite journal, the Paris Figaro, reproduces
the intelligence in the following Characteristic
style: Do you know who was the Prussan
general charged by the ministry of war; ever
"since 1866. with the duty of collecting at Paris
information respecting the routes from our
capital to the irOntier7 1t was Gen. staff.
whom everybody in the best Partisan society
" knew well, and who was received everywhere
etc, etc. And to think that this terrible fell
low should have got away without being taken
up as a spyi