The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-08-08
A Letter that Cost Charles I Ills
Head-VictOr Hug0's History of
Crime.
TPan Mall Gazette

Historical instances are numerous in
which State documents of great impor-
tanee have found their way into the
hands of people who had no business
with them, and sometimes the course of
the worlds affairs has been materially
Influenced by such incidents. But for
the hazard which placed under Crom-
wells eyes letter in which Charles I
stated that he had no intention to fulfill
the promises which he made to secure
peace, the negotiations between the
King and the Parliament might have
come to issue; as it was Cromwell re-
fused to treat, and it may be said that
Charles's unlucky letter cost him his
head Similarity the breach between
Louis XVI and the French people was
rendered irreparable when a black
smith revealed the existence of the
famous iron closet in the Tuileries,
which, having been broken open was
found to con- ain the damaging evidence
of the Kings negotiations with the Aus
trian Court in view Of the invasion of
France,
In 1894 Tallien, having read his name
on a piece of paper which Robespierre
let fall from his pocket in pulling out
| LIS uduuhSlCAlCl, COuCluOCo AC WAS
down for execution, and at the instiga-
ton of his high-spirited wife inmedi-
ately took measures which resulted in
Robespierre's downfall on the 9th Their
midor.
To come to more recent times, Louis
Napoleon's coup d'etat was within an
ace of failing owing to the oficiousness
of lady in communicating the plans to
Prince Napoleon, the future Emperor
cousin, who forthwith tried to put
some of the Republican leaders on their
guard. Victor Hugo gives an account
of this affair in his History of a
Crime" and he furnishes some details as
to the minute precautions which were
taken to insure secrecy at the National
Printing office, where Louis Napoleon
proclamations were printed. The place
was guarded By soldiers and detectives
and not workman was allowed to
leave the building until all copies were
struck off and in the hands Of the bill
stickers. M. Hugo might have added
that the original manuscripts of these
preclamations were all in the hand
writing of Count de Morny, and that nc
one save that able conspirator and hi
master we're permitted to see them be
1O1O ShOy WOiS " pAO PAAhCO
St. Arnaud, Maupas, Mocquard and Per
signy had been favored with the sight o.
a proclamation worded quite differently
and they grumbled by aud by at no
having been trusted. But De Morny
trusted nobody.
In 1870, on the outbreak of the Franco
German war, the world was startled BY
the publication in the Times of draf
treaty drawn up by M. Benedict, and pro
posing the annexation of Belgium Il
France. M. Benedetti pretended that h'
had been entrapped into writing this draf
under Count Bismarck's dictation; but
any how, it's disclosure had marked
effect in drawing away British sympa
thies from the French side, and it com
PEELED the Gladstone Administration t.
sign a treaty binding England to pro
tect Belgian independence.
Three years ago the fortunes of tn
Monarchist factions in France, were tel
ribly damaged by a confidential circula
of NJ Beule, the Home Minister, whicl
) somehow fell into the possession of M
Gambetta. In this document M. Buel
suggested a plan for the wholesale col
ruption of the provincial press out of tn
public moneys; and when M. Gambett
had read this strangely cynical paper i
the tribune such a stream of indignatio
arose, both in the Parliament and in th
: country, that the Broglie Cabinet bs
came hopelessly discredited. Soon aftel
ward M. Buele was obliged to resig1
and within twelvemonth from his re-
ignation he committed suicide.