The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-08
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

IorSer OF bank notes on scale of magnif-
cence e commensurate with his victories. In
the year 1879, publication called La Chron-
lcle lndiscrete du XIXth Steele contained n
statement OF retired Hamburg merchant.
Caslei Dy name, that French general sent
nini' III lolz, NOTES OF the bank of England
amounting to $4,000, with a request that he
would discount them, which he did. Not
long after he discovered that they were forged
The Chronicle also states that the British
government denounced Napoleon to that of
Louis XVIII, ip 1914, as forger. These
rumors revived from time to time; but there
wasno evidence of their truth, all of which it
was said Louis Napoleon had bought up. 1t
now appears that it was true that he had
bought the damaging papers; but, through
some strange inadvertence, had neglected to
destroy them. So they fell into the hands of
his enemies, who forthwith published them
to the world.
1t appears that in 1910 a NJ. Lale, engraver-
in-chef to the ministry of war, was approach
ed by NJ. Desmaret, chief of the secret police,
and carefully sounded as to his willingness to
do certain very confidential piece of work.
Learning that it would be something damag
ing to the enemies of France, he consented; (;
ana arrangements were made for forging an
indefinite quantity of Bank of England notes,
Dy means OF which Bonaparte believed he
could ruin his mightiest enemy by running
her credit. A suitable house was taken in a
retired street, press provided, and trust
worthy Savoyard copper-plate printer en-
ployed, and the work went bravely on, the
minister of police, at first Fouche afterwards
the Due de Rorigo, examining the proofs which
were finally submitted to Napoleon himself
M. Lale took the precaution to furnish him
self with paper from the minister forbidding
any interference with him by the police. On
one occasion too Jealous official made de-
scent on the establishment, refusing at first
to read the protection. The persons employ
ed made fight, and serious wounds were given
and received. When, at last, the intruder
cast his eyes ON the paper, he turned pale,
trembled from head to foot, begged thous-
and pardons, and drew off his forces, and
came near being dismissed the service
When the notes were printed they were sign
ed by two sworn clerks, who had become so
skillful as to sign thousand day. Then
the notes were thrown ON the floor of room
full of dust, and brushed about with horse
hair broom, until they had the look of much
use. After this they were done up in bum
dies and sent to the different seaports, whence
they were conveyed into England by agents
employed for the purpose. Five at least of
these agents were taken, tried and hanged;
and they were the parties that suffered the
most by this imperial strategy.
M. Lale was also asked to forge Prussian
notes; but, as Prussia was then at peace with
France, and had a resident minister at Paris,
he prudently declined so dangerous an opera
ton. But at later period he obeyed his i'm
perial master, and forged Russian notes to a
great extent, and after the war of 1872 had
been declared; but the reverses of the Russian
campaign made his labor all in vain. When
the Russians entered Paris, with the other
allies, poor Lale was in a terrible fright; but
was ''quit for the fear," as the French say.
The perfect good faith with which he per-
formed his part in this rascality is one of the
most curious circumstances about the matter
To obey his majesty and to injure his enc
mics seemed the simplest duty of a good
Frenchman; though he himself says of the
operation that ''it was one that should be
buried in everlasting oblivion, since its object
was to impoverish kings by running their sub
jects." He kept the secret to his death; but
his heirs made his papers not very blame
worthy means of black-mailing Napoleon the
Little. Napoleon committed many and
many blacker crime than this but never
one so despicable, or that would be so DANA
ging to his prestige with posterity. Byron,
when he wrote his ode on Napoleon Bona
parte, builded his rhyme better than he knew
when he Indignantly exclaimed
''ro think that Gods fair earth hath been
The footstool of thing mean"
TaHoa,os,doo