The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-19
Clandestine Documents.


theft of an important state document a
copy of which was stolen by clerk and
sold to the press, the Pail Mall Gazette
gives the following interesting account
of similar offenses:
Historical instances are numerous in
which State documents of great i'm
portance 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 accidents. But for
a hazard which placed under Cromwell's
eyes a letter in which Charles stated
that he had no intention to fulfill the
promises which he had made to secure
peace, the negotiations between the
king and the Parliament might have
come to an issue; as it was, Cromwell
refused to treat, and it may be said that
Charles's unlucky letter cost him his
head.
Similarly the breach between Louis
XVI and the French people was rem
dered irreparable when blacksmith re-
vealed the existence of the famous iron
closet at the Tuileries, which having
been broken open, was found to contain
the damaging evidence of the kings ne
gotiations with the Austrian Court in
view of an invasion of France. In 1894
Tallien having read his name on piece
of paper which Robespierre let fall from
his pocket in pulling out his handker-
chief, concluded he was marked down
for execution, and at the instigation of
his high-sprited wife, Immediately took
measures which resulted in Robespierre's
downfall on the 9th Thermidor. To
come to more recent times, Louis Napo-
Icons coup Getat was within an ace of
failing, owing to the oficioHsness of a
lady in communicating The plans to
Prince Napoleon (the future Emperor's
cousin), who forthwith tried to put
some of the Republican leaders on their
guard. ss
Victor Hugo gives an account of this
affair in his History of 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's proclamations
were printed. The place was guarded
by soldiers and detectives, and not a
workman was allowed to leave the build
ing until all the copies were struck off
and in the hands of the bill-stickers.
M. Hugo might have added that the
original manuscripts of these proclama-
tions were all in the handwriting of
Count de Morny, and that no one save
that able conspirator and his master was
permitted to see them before they were
consigned to the printer. st. Arnaud,
Maupas, Mocquard and Persigny had
been favored with a sight of the procla.
nations worded quite differently. and
they grumbled by and by at not having
been trusted. But De Morny trusted
nobody. In 1870, on the outbreak Of
the Franco-G German war, the world was
startled by the publication in the 1gme,
of draft treaty drawn UP by M. Bene.
detti, and proposing the annexation Of
Belgium to France. M. Benedetti pre-
| tended that he had been entrapped inte
writing this draft under Count Bis
marck's dictation; but anyhow, its dis
closure had marked effect in drawing
away British sympathies from the
French side, and it compelled the Glad
stone Administration to sign treaty
binding England to protect Belgian in
dependence. Three years latter the for
tunes of the Monarchist factions il
France were terribly damaged by con
fidential circular of M. Beule, the hom,
minister, which somehow fell into th,
possession of NJ. Gambetta. In thi
document M. Beule suggested plan fo
the wholesale corruption of the pro
vincial press out of the public moneys
and when M. Gambetta had read thi
strangely cynical paper in the tribun
such storm of indignation arose, bot
in the Parliament and in the country
that the Broglie Cabinet became hops
lessly discredited. Soon afterwards N
Beule was obliged to resign, and with
a twelve month from his resignation h
committed suicide.