The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-10
EuGENIE'S BLACK PEARLS.
what Cost Palikao Her Friendship and
the Empress Perhaps Her Throne.

PARIS, Jan. Ia. 1t Is we'll known that
although the recently deceased Gen.
Montauban, Compile de Palikao, was a
Ronapartist. he was not on good terms
with the Empress, or rather the Empress
was not on good terms with him. 1t
used to be- supposed that the Empress
bore him some illswill on account OF his
share In the event In 1870 attending the
overthrow Of the imperial dynasty, and
that she considered him TO have been
wanting in energy, IL not in devotion,
when he held almost supreme command
in the interval between the first disaster
or the war and Sedan. Another cause
was, however. assigned by P6lillao him
self, who has given curious account
Of the understanding in his book en-
titled IA Ministry of War Of -Four and
Twenty Days" The Empress, he
seemed to think, disliked him because
no made her q bresent-a curious rea-
son; and he tells story OF pearl neck
some Of it's details than that OF the neck
lace OF Marie Antoinette. When he re-
/. turned from the China expedition there
was great talk Of q present hewas bring
ing home for the Empress from the
spoils OF the Summer Palace. TWAS a
necklace OF black pearls $50 the rumor
RAM worth some millions Of francs. 1t
turned out to be nothing Of the sort.
The Empress had shared the error of
her oredulous subjects, and she never
forgave the innocent author OF her dis
appointment. But it would be as we'll
to hear the story In the Generals own
words: +1 a
Il can attribute, but to one cause
the little beneyolence which her
Majesty the Empress has ever mani
tested to me and my family. This cause
was quite involuntary on my part, and
the annoyance OF the sovereign ought
never to have been laid at my door.
When / was named commander Of the
China expedition the Empress received
me and the officers Of my staff at the
Tuileries, and was good enough to
show all the interest which she took In
@the success OF the distant war. Her
Majesty added that she would not con-
fine herself to mere wishes In our favor,
but that she would make due provision
for the outfit Of the ambulances. and
this was done Wishing to
show her Majesty some marks Of graft
tude I brought her back q chaplet
which I obtained In the following
way: On the occupation of the Sum.
mer Palace a commission, composed
OF three English officers Of high rank
and three French, was named for the
ter were many mandarins' collars which
were distributed to the army as being
objects Of no great value. The COM
mission was so good as to give me three
OF these collars for my wife aud my two
daughters, and / had them made into a
chaplet by Mgr. Monty, Bishop Of
Pekin, to whom had just restored the
cathedral for Catholic Worship. beg
ged Monseigneur to give his first bene-
diction to this chaplet. naming the high
parsonage to whom L meant to give it,
and asking him at the time to certify Its
origin and the fact that it had been the
object of the first benediction given in
the church Of Pekin. / could not for a
moment believe that its want OF intrln-
sic value would abate anything OF Its
real worth in the eyes Of sovereign 2
whose piety was so we'll known. The
simple present, however, was soon ru-
mored to be worth million on account
of the "flne pearls" of which it was com
posed, Tnere was not apearli in it; 1t Was