The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-14


signed at Leobon IN StyIIl on the 18Th OF April,
1877. during an armstce which Bpnap rte had
granted to enable the Apstrans TO determine
speedily whether they would embrace his offers
or renew hostilltc'. That demand for the
releas, OF l. fayette and his comp Unions was
ma lie during those negotiations at Leoben. Ia
apparent from the fact. mentionel by Nine. de
Listeyrie, tina in July, they were offered their
liberty II they would engage not to re Enter the
Austrian dominlOns. Sac says that they could
not accept this offer because they lcarne that
the FrOnch Government, (which exacted their
delivorance," h ID declared at the same time that
they would not be permit cd to retu n to France.
They we're, however, rel ,ased on the 18TH Of
September; but the dennitve treaty OF pe zee
was not sicned at Campo Formio until the 17lh
OF October 1877. 1t stipulated that all prisoners
OF war should be given up on botn sides within
forty days but rs Lafayette and his friends had
been already set at liberty. tney do not seem TO
have been regarded US prisoners Of war ia the
NEGOTIATIONS.
We must now co back to the period Of Mr..
Morris's arrival In Vienna In September. 1895.
lie was travelling 1t must be remembered.
merely a. a private gcntlcm IN, his diplomatic
position In Paris haying been term rated for
some time; but his activity. taci AMI expert
ence, and his reputation as a statesman. enabled
him 60 uniert Ike what few private persons
could have attempted. lie was at once re-
ceived in the court circles of the Austrian capt.
tai. Not long after his arrival, he received two
most earnest and eloquent letters from Nine.
de Stnel entreating him To -ocure the liberi-
ton II Lafayette. In November he received
letter from Nine. de Montagu the sister OF Nine.
de lafayette, written Ia Hols,nin, informing
him OF her condition. and Of the refusal to al.
low her % 90 to Vienna for medical advice. He
then sought an interview with 1hugut, the
principal Minister Of State. OF which he says ia
his diari AFTER having said mucn
~ was proper, and received his thanks
for the communication, I took out a
letter had received from Mime. Ia
Marquise dc Montagu. sister to Nine. de Iafay-
cite. Monsieur de Thugut contradicts the ac-
count OF Ill treatment. expresses the wish that
they had never had anything to do with him,
ana assures the that Nine. de Lafayette may
leave the prison whenever she pleases. but that
she must not be permitted to 90 backward and
forward. solicit hts release, but Ind that It Is
| In vain. IL saws that probably he Will he dis
| charged at the peace. To which reply that
| never had any doIbt OF that and had taken
| upon me long ago to give such assurances. but
taat wish 1t were done sooner; and add thtt
am sure that II would have "A good effect In Eng
land, giving my reasons. H. says that II Eng
land will ask Or him. they will be very glad To
get RID ot him 10 thlt way aud that tnev may, II
they please, turn him loose In Lpndon."'
On the day after this interview. MIR. Morris
wrote letter to Nine. de Lafayette, which
| he sent open 10 u ron de Thugut, with a request
| that 1t might he forwarded 70 her. In this letter
he informs her OF what Nine. de MOntagu
! hid communicated 10 him AMI that Baron de
| Ihurut had said that her husband was very well
| treated and IN want OF nothing; that far from
| en- er;aning the barbarous idea Of deprying her
| of the assistance Of ar, the physician Of her
choice would be seut t. her: and that il she
WAS foroiiden 20 come 70 Vienna. ani then re-
turn To- Olmutzit N,s oecaus, circumstances re-
| q ircd that the rules q an exa"t prudence
| should be followed. He then bids her not to
| despair. aud IN order that the truth OF their
situation might be known, 50 that means
might be taken TO amehOrate It. n Nine.
| de MOntIgl's Information correct or
to put stop 10 odious reports II 1t was not
| So, he requests her to send AN open answer un-
der cover TO the Baron. THIS letter Mr. Notris
inclOsed to Thugut. with some very sensible ad-
vice FOR that Minister'S onsideration. But 1t Is
morally certain that the io;tcr was never sent
to Nine. de Lafayette. The reason Is appa-
rent This occurred IN Dece uber. lip5, when
the Austrian Government wa. expecting To- be
! successful In the war, not only On the Rhine,
but IN ItulY. Had they no: been defeated. or Il
aud his wife would have been left to die IN their
prison, for an that the Austrian authorities
would have cared. But Baron de Thugu, did
| not choose AT this time - have Nine &c La.
| fayette confirm what her sister had written to
Dir. Morris. When he said that tie physician
| uf her choice would be sent to her. he made
a promise ~ MIR. Morn, which he did not
intend to fulGl. II is certain that
she saw no physician a; olmutz, e1-
| coping the medical ufacer Of the post. whom
| Nine. de LIsteyIie mentions as being unable 10
speak French. anu who cOulc only express him.
| self ABOUT the case to her husband Ia LATIN.
Hut the most curiouG piece Of testimony which
oonv!cts the Baron De Thusut OF deliberate d1.
plicity. alnountu. to lie. IS to DO found in the
| pfocess-yerbal drawn up and signed by the Mar
| qais dc Caasielsr, the Austfi IN General who Il
| mentioned by Nine. LIstcyrie coming to
| oluuiz ia tho following July. \ great ch ange
| had then taken place. The AustIi III Govern
ment found Itself obliged to take Dc for the
| Liberation Of these prisoners, aud in order that
the case miShl be dressed up 10 encounter the
uiuclim OF the world, Con. Cnasteiar
was ordered To make IA detailed report
Oh their treatment. This singular docl-
ment, under the separate heads of "loIg-
ine, Diet "seryants,' treatment Ia
case 81 sickness treatment Of the OH ,crs OF
the Guird, Treatment Of the COmmandant OF
Olmutz, Drawn up and signed on the 70 IA OF
July, 1875, was the lrst official inquiry that had
been male bv orders from Vienna in the con-
diti)u of prisoners, one OF whom was lady
whom the Aus'ritn authorities had kno .n for
whole year to be Ia ~ critical condition OF
he lth. and all Of whose cases had lon. been the
subject Of general Indignation all oven Europe.
The duh aud almost stupid Austrian official na-
turc seems t. have been unc Onsc0 that In this
paper, designed TO produce favorable i'm ores-
Sons, would be found The seyerest condemna-
ton Of the whole course Of the Imperial Coy.
eminent toward these persons. 1t appears from
1t that Gen. Lafal eito was confined in a chamber
which had one window, eight feet by four,
covered by "a double grating. which did not
obstruct the view OF the works Of the place"
the upper part Of tho window, II Is said. Is Sc
cured by chain the lower opens to let in the
air. Then II IA added. with exquisite on 'lll
naivete. that tho most considerable inconyeni-
enco OF tbs lodging Is a sewer which runs into
the bitches of the place, aud the proximity OF
drains,t which give ont u bad odor m the changes
OF tho atmosphere. II does not appear that,
after nj attempt to escape when out for an air