The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-13

Pope.. The French are extremely indignant
at this restitution, and accuse us of breach
of faith, founding themselves upon the arti-
cles of the capitulation between Wellington
and Blucher on the one hand, and the French
army which evacuated Paris on the other.
The facts of the case, however, as told me
by the duke himself, entirely fail them in
making out their case.
When the sovereigns arrived, negotiation
was commenced for general restitution; but
the most powerful parties, England and Rus
sia, being little interested in the question,
the matter was not very warmly pressed; and
the French Government continued evading
the demand in hopes of procrastinating the
business till the sovereigns should have left
Paris. The Dutch, however, were with much
warmth urging their demand, but found
some difficulties in their way. In the mean
time Canova arrived from Rome to claim the
property of the Pope; and Charles Long and
Hamilton uniting with him in strong
and urgent representations, the atten-
ton of the allies was drawn to the
question. A disinclinadon, however, was
found to exist, and suspicion that our ca
gerness arose from interested motives. In
order to remove this impression, Lord Cas-
tlereagh sent in a note to the Emperor of
Austria, to state that, as one objection urged
against a general restitution was that some of
the parties, and particularly the Pope, we're
too poor to be able to defray the expense of
removal, we were willing, in order to prove
the sincerity as well as the earnestness of our
representations, to engage to pay this expense
for the Pope, rather than that he should not
have his property restored to him. At
length the objections of France and the dis
inclination of Russia were overruled and
general restitution was resolved upon. The
first claimant to be satisfied was the King of
the Netherlands, who had indeed an unful-
filled promise from Louis XVIII, of years
standing. Wellington was sensible that the
measure must be unpleasant to the king, and
endeavored to carry it into effect in man
ner at least likely to hurt his feelings.
He said he had never taken more
pains about any thing in his life
shan to make q satisfactory arrangement
on this subject. His efforts, however, were
fruitless. Talleyrand always evaded answer
ing his propositions, and never would fix
upon any day or manner for giving up the
pictures. At length the Dukes patience was
exhausted; and, being called upon by the
ambassador of the King of the Netherlands,
of whose army he was Commander-in-C Chief,
to bring the matter to an issue, he aent word
to Talleyrand and Demon that he should, on
the following morning, send party of work
men to take down the pictures, and that the
party would, if necessary, be accompanied
by British regiment. This step was taken
yesterday, and the gallery shut to the public.
This afternoon, however, it has been opened
again by the order of Muffiing, the Russian
commandant; but the workmen who are
taking down the pictures are protected by
British sentries, posted at every fifty feet
along each side of the gallery, and British
detachment mount guard in the square at the
entrance of the Musee. This signal proof of
the triumph of our arms and of the Justice of
nin n1ao i,,f fha IS
tai, is remarkable sight. 1t was well OBJ
served by Hamilton, as one reason among
many for the general restitution, that it was
| almost the only gratuitous and unequivo-
cal proof of victiry within the reach of
| the allies. The mere presence of their armies
in Paris might be explained away by arrange
ments and conventions; the cession or de-.
| posit of fortified places, or the payment of
sums of money by the French, must be the
stipulations of treaty to which the govern
ment of France might consent from motives
of policy or justice, but in which it acts at
all events as an independent power; but
when history shall record that those works of
art, which were brought to Paris by victories
and held there by the sword, were sent back
to their respective proprietors by an allied
army in possession of Paris, there will exist
no doubt that such a measure would not
have been submitted to, unless it had been
weighty than the mere principles of reason or
of justice.
Friday, 22d.-Went to the review of the
British army. The troops were on the ground
early, and l got to them about 8 o'clock.
They were posted in line parallel to the
great road to st. Denis, with their left on
Montmartre and their right on st. Denis.
There were sixty thousand men, including
three thousand cavalry and five thousand ar
tillery, all red-coats and subjects of the king,
British or Hanoverian. The cavalry con-
sisted only of the Life Guards and Blues,
two regiments of heavy dragons, and one
of the hussars of the German Legion. The
bulk of our cavalry being stationed in Nor
mandy and Picardy, it was not thought worth
while to march them in for this sole purpose.
The Emperor of Russia, and King of Prus-
sia, and Emperor of Austria were all present
The Duke of Wellington told me afterward
that he had not even looked at the ground;
that he had intended to have done SO, but
never could find time, and had only sketch
of it made by one of his officers, whom he
sent to reconnoitre it. The Duke had given
no orders but to appear upon the ground,
and there was not general of division who
knew what was to be done The first thing
the Duke did was to change the position of
! the whole line advancing it some little dis
tance forward from the ground they had origi-
nally taken up. He then gave a sort of
representation of his mannuvres at the bat
! tie of Salamanca. He supposed his object to
be to gain possession of some heights in front
of Montmartre, or rather the brow of the hill
itself. He detached part of two divisions
| from the right towards st. Denis to go round
and take the supposed enemy in flank, while
he himself attacked them in front. He
marched the army about a connie of miles