Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-01-05
Napoleon IlIand Eurenie.

,
Napoleon IlI and Eagenfe.
Now that France is in no imme
date danger of Imperialism, we cal
make room for two companion
sketches of the late Emperor ant
his wife, cut from contemporary
We have no objection to the sketcl
of l.. N, but don'tlike much being
disenchanted about Eugenie:
PRINCE ALBERT ON LOUIS NAPO
LEON.
The third volume of Theodore
Martins ''Life of the Prince Con
Sort has just appeared, and the
London correspondent of the New
York World supplies that journa
with a review thereof, illustrated
with extracts. The following will
be found worth reading:
After the Prince ConSort's return
to England (from Paris) he drew uI
statement of the impressions
which he had formed from his visit,
according to his usual habit-for he
was evidently one of the most me-
] thodical, hard-working, painstakinp
men of his time. This particular
memorandum is so curious that part
of it at least is worth reproducing
that which relates to the Emperor
Napoleon.
He appeared quiet and indOlent
from constitution, not easily excited
but gay and humorous when at his
ease. His French is not without a
little German accent; the prOnunci-
alton of his German better than that
of his English. On the whole, /
observed a good deal in his turn of
mind that is owing to his education
at Augsburg, where. as he told me, he
was brought up at the Gymnasium.
He recited a poem of Schiller on
the advantages to man of peace and
war, which seemed to have made a
deep impression upon him, and ap-
pears to me to be not without sig
nificance with reference to his life.
His Court and household are strictly
kept and in good Order-mOre Eng
lish than French. The gentlemen
comprising his encourage are not
distinguished by birth, manner or
education. He lives on a familiar
footing with them, although they
seem afraid of him. The tone was
rather the ton de garrison, with
good deal of smoking, the Emperor
smoking cigarettes, and not being
able to understand my not joining
him in it. He is very chilly, COM
planning of rheumatism, and goes
early to bed; takes no pleasure in
music, and is proud of his horse
manship, in which, however, l
could discover nothing remarkable.
His general education appeared to
me very deficient, even on subjects
which are a first necessity to him
L mean the political history of mod
ern time, and political sciences gen.
orally. He was remarkably mod
est, showed the greatest candor in
not pretending to know what he did
not. All that refers to the NapOle-
Onic history he seems to have at his
fingers ends: he also appears to
have thought much and deeply on
politics; yet more like an "amateur
politician" mixing many very
sound and very crude notions to-
gether. He admireS English insti-
tutiOns, and regrets the absence of
an aristOcracy in France; but might
not be willing to allow such an aris-
tOcracy to control his own power,
while he might wish to have the
advantage of its control over the
pure democracy.
CONrT2 4 S1,THD SN7STErNJS IN. c,OxEpN
NIENT.
He asked me a good deal about
the internal working of the English
Government; whether the Queen
presided q son cOnceiI,. whether she
saw all the dispatches, &C., DC. /
/ told him that the Queen presided
in person at the Privy Council,
which, however, passed without
discussion only matters which had
been prearranged; that the Cabinet
met and discussed alone, but that
the Queen was informed by the
Prime Minister of the object of their
meeting and of the result of their
deliberations. He said he did not
allow his Ministers to meet or dis
cuss matters together; that they
transacted their business solely with
him. He rarely told the one what
he had settled with the other. He
seemed astonished when / told him
that every dispatch went through
the Queens hand and was read by
her, as he only received extracts
from them, and, indeed, appeared
to have little time or inclination
generally to read. When observ-
ed to him that the Queen would not
be content without seeing the whole
of the diplomatic correspondence,
he replied that he found a full COM
pensatiOn in having persons in his
own confidence at the different posts
of importance, who reported direct
" TO him. / could not but express
my sense of the danger of such an
arrangement, to which no statesman
in England at least would consent,
and which enabled the Foreign Min
lister (if he chose to cheat his mas
ter always to plead to foreign coun-
tries his ignorance of what might |
have been done, or to throw the en-
tire blame in any difficulty that |
might occur upon these secret in |
The Emperor acknoWl- |
edged all this, but plead necessity. |
CAPTIvATEs QUEEN VIC
TORIA.
In 1856 the Emperor Napoleon |
visited the Queen and her opinion
of him is thus described by herself. |
/ have since talked frequently |
with Albert, who is naturally much |
calmer, and particularly much less
taken by people, much less under
personal influence than / am. He |
quite admits that it is extraordinary !
how very much attached one be- |
comes to the Emperor when one |
lives with him quite at ones ease
and Intimately, as we have done |
during the last ten days. He is so
quiet, so simple, matt even, so pleas
ed to be informed about things |
which he does not know, so full of |
tact, dignity and mOdesty, so full of
respect and kind attention toward |
us, never saying a word or doing a
thing could put me out or embarass
me. / know few people whom / |
have felt fundamentally more in
clined to confide in and speak unre-
to; / should not fear saying
to him. / felt-I do not |
know to express it-safe with him.
His society is particularly agreeable /
and pleasant; there is something |
a,1I o,,r-ons