The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-02
Louis Napoleon's Dying Words.

AO0iS NapOioOn'b lying "O1use
The last words of distinguished men have
ever excited popular curiosity Historians
often satisfied this at the suspected expense Of
veracity. Few dying words have been in
terestingly epigrammatic. They all serve to
show. however, what earthly topic is the latest
one photographed upon the brain. To this
extent thcy crafty the students of psy-
chology.
Cardinal Beaufort exclaimed for his last
living speech, and remarkable as the key to
his character, ''What is there no bribing
death?" The expiring words of Hampden
were, 20 Lord, save my country - of
Queen Bess, GAIL my possessions for q
moment of time - of Charles, the Merry
Monarch, Don't let Nelly starve - of Lord
Chancellor Thurlow, "Tm shot if don't
believe I'm dying;" of Commodore Lawrence,
"Don't give up the ship" Of Lord Nelson,
'.Kiss me, Hardy - of John Adams, 'In-
dependence forever Of the philosopher
Hobbies, sTm taking fearful leap in the
dark )" of Washington, cit is well !" Of
Horace Greeley, 81 know that my Redeemer
liveth;" and of the First Napoleon, "7ete
Gorm<e"
IF an account of the death-bed scenes around
Louis Napoleon be correctly reported in the
London Figaro the exiled Emperor never
spoke after thus addressing DIR. Conneau:-
"Eies-vous d Seaan?" Were you at Sedan?)
The expiring imperialist was undoubtedly re-
calling those five hours of agony which elapsed
while he was in the saddle just before his
dramatic surrender. The physical exposure
there proved the forerunner of the dreaded
climax to his malady; and in his heart he
knew that, although his material death might
be in such presence Of the civilized world as
Geographic bulletins could summon, his death
as matter Of history occurred in the presence
of Kaiser William.
If the dying exile did address those words
to Dr. Conneau the sight Of this friend and
medical adviser must have kindled reminis-
cences Of the chateau at Ham. This physician
it was who aided tho escape of the prisoner
of Theirs when Minister of Louis Philippe
Taking advantage of extensive repairs to the
prison, DR.. Conneau bought in the village an
artisans suit, and some dye with which to
stain the fugitive's hands and face SO that
their cleanliness might not invite detection.
How the imprisoned Prince walked out of the
fortress with his plank on his shoulder; how
he purposely dropped his pipe before one SEN
tinel and stopped to pick it up, and thus hid
his features how he comprised his plank
whenever he met prison company, he has
graphically described in letter known to all
newspaper readers.
But not 80 well understood are the aids
which this DR.. Conneau invented in order
that time might pass until Ostend could be
reached and the fugitive attain asylum on q
British packet. The Doctor delivered letter
from the Prince to the Governor that pleaded
illness and requested day of strict repose.
He dressed lay figure, turned it upon its side
in bed and skilfully adjusted the coverlets.
After few hours the commandant came by,
and DR.. Damon detained him with excuses
for his friend Pythias. Upon the next visit an
opiate had been given to the motionless
dummy. But when evening arrived the fight
became fact, and, after few days Of deten-
ton, the ingenious Doctor followed his pa
tent to the Inequalities of D'Orsay and Bless
sington.
One may be very sure that DR.. Conneau, as
at Ham and st. Cloud, was present at the
surrender-that third act of the Napoleonic
drama-and as he stood on the stage when
the curtain went down upon this tag of the
epilogue, "Eticz-uous Sedan?''