, 1873-05-21
NAPOLEON.


An Ex-Empcror's story OF MS own
n1isfortuncs.
rhorc asd has 1uat boon published In Paris boola
o. 9. 21o pages, pretentloualy entitled "d2uvrca
E1stnumes, ~ ~ % Autographs 1nedits do Napoleors
own account OF tho war down to tho gurrender
at Sedan. The manuscript from which this is
hlantea a ~ described as written by the hand Of
troatlao anttiod Los Fosees ntaSev G % Dc 'le 10
france" which was pnblished yonr ago, in
WOW or tho now arNy law. then under discuss
sion e. IN tue Assembly, and partly in answer to
rn,ms rue a 81 ~ Thsra that the Imperial
Known how to organize or employ the military
resources ct Franco but tho Emperor cons
cludod not to publish at that time, and bonca
tho present tssuo with q 1ourish Of trumpets and
:, The Emperors journal bogins by tustifylua
tho disposition Of tho different corps at tIo
opening Of tho war. an invading army taking
T. tho Offensive against Germany must, writos
or t t On the e Against
md entorlng Baden. Xiotz and sErasbure ''al, ato
clearly the principal points Of concentration,
when whence tho respective corps should DO ablo to
nnso naso,o other for psssago Of tho nno
stranburg would have added to tho difficulties Il
the hllino the dehles Of the Black Toropt. or
else the sleRo Of Rastadt, which did not appear
tnsora9e h1soaa point. Moreover, concentration in
o ato asa'ss eCrps se5p at ct M France
mont without disclosing his projects to lie en-
emy. It ia noedleas to on.er Into any discuesinn
o. tlis point. It is concluded with rosoryation
which, Indicating the ineficiepcy Of tho army,
counts for all that followed:
But U order that 1t hs concentration> should ako
place thefe, It was necessary for a tho corps to bo
Is aas Se nm5s o whs ,baS snSs
one part only should fai the whoe vii b. psrayzcd
plan, Thus Il wa Indispensable not only tfa thc
trooIs eoneenraod at Metz should DO ready to move,
rived at atrasburg to strengthen hat Of Marshai Nc
h1ahon and that Marshn Ganrobertg corps dc reaerye
should have replaced IN Lorraine tho roops about 10
could not be realized.
Tho rcason for this is very simple. Tho En-
peror had estimated that ho could bring 385000
men me T. INTO the field, against tue 600 museered
This proved deluslye. When ho arrived at Moss.
July IS, thero wero only 22o, 600 mon In tho field,
anu there were many of them comparatively un-
equipped. The Army Of tho Mosolle-220, GOO On
paper-1nusto1ed only 11o, 600. Marshal Mac
iiis command. Con. Douay's Belfort corps was
incomplete. Canrobort's corps was not up to
tho STANDARD number. Tho reul strength It
France was 10000 loss th.u tho estimated
strength.
The passage Of the Rhine was, under these
conditions, abandoned but, yielding to the
clan1or for gloire aud something to make show
on tho bulletins, the Emperor advanced on tho
6arre, where brief advantage was won in tho
capture Of Saarbruck by FroBaard's corpa. The
capture enabled Frossard to prevent the Pr1s-
SLAMS, now concentrating at Treves, from making
use OF tho railway as means Of transport easte
and assured the passage Of tho river. The army
vaited here two golden days, waiting for that
which should have been ready-for tho formation
Of tho Army Of AlBaoa by junction with the Sew
enth Corps and for tho reaerve corps to arrive at
Metz. Aug. 4, tho second day after tho furry at
9aarbruck, cnmo the news Of Douay's defeat ut
Wissembourg. The Emperor Immediately or
dored the army to concentrate at Metz, and
placed Dazaine in command OF tho three corpa
On the sarro.
This in Napoleon's account Of tho opening Of
the campaign. Hnd MacAlahon had his l07, 600
inBsoad Of his 10000 at Woorth, tho fortunes OF
the war might have been even then reversed
rible odd8~ The Emperor still found himself at
tho head Of 1870, 900 men at Metz but 1t vas
10000 opposed to throo armies, either Of which
outnumbered his. .%..
It ia uninstructive to follow the narrative from
diaaster to disaster until Sedan Bwamped i'm
perial France and it's army together. The story
Of the surrender Is told at length, tho Emperor
being ut great pains to explain how little part ho
llad in TINT transaction. Elsewhere tho memoir
is temperate in its tone, manly and dignifed.
Hero; By way Of concluding tableau, the ex-
imperial author indulgos i'll q little more pathos
and dramatic disposition Of the scenery than il
necessary to historical statcment or even Rl
yisable except in a Donaparte.