New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-19
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY le, 1876

NEW .eORLKANS REPU
ton. He was dressed with sorupulous care.
simply, but elegantly, not altogether in &C.
cord with tho fashion of the day. His look
was earnest and sad. There was nothing
in the expression to indicate q want OF
sympathy usually attributed to him, but
his manner, as he rose to receive us, was
such as to place visitor perfectly at ease.
The minister, after the requisite presenta-
ton, frat spoke of the postal service De-
tween France and the United States, which.
1T that moment, was subject of great and
increasing solicitude to Americans in
France. who felt some apprehension that
the mails might be temporarily suspended.
The Emperor seemed perfectly familiar with
the details of tho pending negotiation, and
spoke with courtesy and kindness, but
always for his minister, never tor himself.
The minister feared, he said, that the reve-
terial loss from the changes proposed by
the United States. To remarks that both
in Great Britain aud America, reduction OF
postage had been followed by increased
revenues, he replied that the minister feared
it might not be 80 in France. He knew, he
said, that there were manv Americans IN
Paris, and he earnestly desired that some
0rr0nS0m0uC m.&nG W mAuo " pEOUooV VnoAA
from inconvenience or sOlicitudes
To his INQUIRY if l had been long in
France, replied that spent a few days in
Paris, on my way to Egypt to witness the
opening of the Suez canal. "Did you see
the Empress in Egypt" he quickly asksd d,
and then spoke of the enterprise that he
been so happily contaminated, OF its I'M
pOrtance to commerce, and the interest,"
France had taken in its completion. 1t
20 An, hQ
to construct ship canal across the isthmus
of Darien, to open to commerce direct
communication with all the seas of the
world. He had always felt great interest
in that work, and hOped it might
be speedily completed. | replied that
all Americans were interested in that
enterprise, and they did not doubt its ul.i-
innate success. Our government had or
dered thorough surveys of all the routes
now con. ,mplated, ana there had been, n
few days earle . meeting of citizens of
the United States and France in Paris, to
consider the merits of q new route, present.
ed in chart made by the Spaniar0s during
their occupation of the country, believed to
present greater advantages than any other
He made inquiries rs to the nature of the
route suggested by these earlier surveyors,
and expresse satisfaction that our pc ople
were interested in it, and especially that
the President viewed it with favor. 1t was
an indication, he said, OF it's speedy compile
ton.
You have some troublesome questions to
settle with England" he said, I'm regard to
the Alabama"
1--WE have no fears of serious trouble
with England" l replied. Our people
will be reasonable. They are not avaricious
| for damages they have sustained. They
want peace, and that which would con-
| tribute most to the prosperity of both gov
| ernments would best satisfy them. They
| would be glad if some plan of settlement
| could be devised which would enable Great
Britain voluntarily to withdraw her flag
| from the interior of thu American continent.
THAT would be difficult" the Emperor
said. ION account of her possessions there. "
at would be so,' replied, sit she were
asked to transfer her colonies to the
United States. They do not desire that
They would like to see them in
dependent. The peace of both coun
tries has at times been seriously disturbed
by influences wholly apart from the terri
tory itself. Other European governments
had already acted upon this subject. Rus
sia Denmark and Sweden had SHOWN theil
| readiness to adopt this policy 80 essential
to the future peace of the United Statee
! and the French colonies in America. 80 tai
as commerce was concerned. were substan
TALLY independent" He inquired if Swe
den had taken any action in regard to bel
possessions in America, and then said the
commercial regulations of the French colo
MES we're very liberal
The Emperor then referred to his visit tc
America in the earlier part OF his life. HI
was short time in New York, he said, anC
hoped to have Got n other portions of thu
country. During his residence there, hi
had observed that Americans were very
| fond Of champagne, and he could not IN
derstand, he said, if they still liked 1t a!
well, why they should tax it so heavily
The American duties on all wines were
high, but that on champagne, if he remem
bered rightly, was something enormous.
told him Americans were still fond o
champagne. No nation liked it better
unless it were the Russians. But the,
loved their country also, and were willing
to tax themselves for its benefit. Our ma
tionai debt was large, and the Injuries
most in favor with the people were mos
heavily taxed, and yielded the larges
revenues. There were many citizens of New
York who remembered his residence Their
with satisfaction. He was pleased will
his visit to America, he said, and hoped t.
have had time to visit the Western part o
the country, but the serious illness Of hi
mother made It necessary for him to return
to Europe, and he had not been able to re
visit the United States.
Mr.. Washburne made an allusion to tn
| postal treaty as We were about to retire, t
which the Emperor courteOusly replied
when remarked that Americans would b
glad to accept the proposed postal regula
tons, although they were accompanied b,
3 reduction of duties on come of the i'm
portations from France. There may b
found, the Emperor said, a satisfactOr.
basis in that.
The audience lasted more than half a.
hour. The Emperor treated the ministe
with great consideration. He spoke Eng
lish with the slightest possible foreign &C
cent, sometimes hesitating tor q word, an
inquiring Of the minister, How do you sa.
that in English 7" 1t was easier to talk wit
him than with some official personages q
our own country, When we retired tn
city was crowded with returning equip
ages from "The Bots" Parisian beaut
was more radiant in the light Q
the setting sun than in that of tn
morning. The joyous throng hastily an
gladly gave the road to the imperial cal
rage, and the beautiful Empress of Franc
was the cynosure of admiring eyes, he
happiness the sincere wish of loving hearts
Paris seemed to its bewildered occupants q
elysium; the empire model for all govern
ments. Eight months after, the Empress
at late hour in the evening, hastily entere
the house of an American lady, near thi
scene of her triumphs, and borrowed q Dor
; net to cover her nocturnal flight from Parif
and the Emperor, dethrOned by Frenct
men, was q prisoner of Germans! Surely
as Disraeli said-Disraeli, whose name is
more enduring title than that of Chancello
of the Exchequer of England-''It is tn
unexpected that happens"
m.t.or.,or,c., and River Report.