The Republican journal., 1871-06-01
The First NapoIeon's Treatment of Prus-
sia in 1906
BY JAMES PARTON.

| AT the present moment when the eyes
! of the world are turned toward Prussia
and France, and when many are disposed
to complain of the harsh treatment of the
conquered people, it may be interesting
to some readers to know how Napoleon
treated Prussia when that kingdom lay
PROSTATE and helpless before him, after
the battle of jena
The battle of Jena was fought October
It'll, 1906. On the very next day the
French Emperor issued 4 decree, impos-
ing a heavy contribution in money upon
every German state and city that had sided
with Prussia in the war. Prussia herself
was required to furnish one hundred mil
lions Of francs From eighteen states and
cities, the sum of one hundred and fifty
nine millions four hundred md twenty-five
thousand francs Were eXtOrteu. All the
treasure belonging to the King of Prussia,
and all the war material Of the kingdom,
were seized ut once.
Three DAYS after the BATTLE the King OF
Prussia wrote to Napoleon, asking an arm
istice. The Emperor refused it, on the
ground that suspension of arms would
give time for the Russian armies to arrive
and renew the struggle within the Prus-
sian territories, which, )" added Napoleon,
! ''WOuld be too contrary to my interests to
permit"
When the King of Prussia received the
communication from Napoleon refusing
tile armistice, he sent nobleman of his
court upon IN embassy to the Emperor
After mentioning this circumstance in Il
letter to Talleyrand, the naughty con-
queror adds:
81 ho1 ,la ot I,a
and | have sent Duroc to see what he
wants. | am awaiting Duroc's return
The King appears entirely willing to come
to terms. | shall accommodate him, but
that will not hinder me from going to
| Berlin"
! The next order decreed that the Duchy
of Brunswick ''shall be treated in all re-
spects as a conquered Countrywide ducal
arms taken down everywhere, the treas
llrc seized and the ducal officers sent to
| France
Nine days after the battle appeared the
| formal decree, in which the entire king
dom Of Prussia and all its allied States
were divided into five departments, each
under the government Of u French gen
eral. and all authority to be exercised by
them through French officials. Prussia
was placed under military law, and held
absolutely at the mercy of the conqueror.
| For example, in the special orders relating
to the city of Dresden, the capital of SAX
ony, one Of the allies of Prussia, we find
such sentences as these;
"An the stores of salt, shoes, cloth, cay
airy harness, munitions of war and caval-
~ horses will belong to the French army,
as war material Of which the elector has
no need.
Use rs many forms, rs many ceremonies,
as many politenesses rs you please; but
the main point is, to take possession OF
everything, especially war material, un-
der preteXt that the Elector has no longer
need Of such things"
The only offence of the Elector OF Sax
ony was, that in the war that threatened
the independence of every German State,
he had sided with the power with which
he was most intimately bound
Nine days after the battle of jena, Ma
poleon issued an order for taking posses
sion of Berlin, preparatory to his own
formal entry. The following passage oc-
ours in this order:
''As his Majesty expects to make his
entry into Berlin, you can Professionally
receive the keys. But give the magistrate
to understand, that they will not the less
place them in the hands of the Emperor,
when he shall make his entry. But you
are to exact. that the magistrate and
chief men ofthc city shall come to receive
you at the city gates, with all suitable
forms"
Prussia, in fact. was spared neither
penalty nor humiliation. In relating
these scenes, in the bulletins published
in the Moniteur, for the entertainment of
Paris, the Emperor took tone of light
ness and humor; telling comic anecdotes
and describing current caricatures, very
much in the style Of 'Our Own Core
spondent," when, in the intervals of con-
tlict, he relates the gossip of the camp.
He tells the Parisians how pleasant he
found the royal palaces of Prussia, par
ticularly Potsdam; describing the apart
ments of the great Frederick and making
merry upon the Queen of Prussia, "who
left the care of her household, and the
grave business of her toilet, to mingle in
affairs of state, to mislead the King, and
to communicate in every direction the
fire, of which she was herself possessed y
Nothing softened this conqueror, so gay
and so stern In one bulletin, sent from
Potsdam, he holds this language:
"Thc Emperor has been to see the
tomb of the great Frederick. The re-
mains of that great man are inclosed in
q wooden coffin, covered with copper
placed in tomb without ornaments
withouttrophies, without any objects which
recall the great actions which he perform
ed. The Emperor has made a presen
to the Hotel des Invalides, at Paris, o
Frederick's sword, his order of the Blacl
Eagle, his generals sash, as well as o
the flags borne by his guard in the Sever
Years War;