The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-04-09

armies constitute only small percentage
of the population, but you are calling a
whole people to arms. Have not you al
ready, in assembling your army of to-
day, swept away, SO to speak, whole
generation? I have seen your soldiers;
they are mere children. Your Majesty is
convinced that you are Indispensable to
the French nation; but is not the nation
also necessary to you? And when this
army of striplings shall have been sacri-
feed what will you do then?' At these
words Napoleon allowed himself to be
overcome by rage. He turned deadly
pale and his features worked convul-
sively. 'sYou are no soldier" he claimed,
fercely, 'sand you do not understand
what goes on in a soldiers soul. I have
been reared in battlefelds, and such a
man as I am makes no account of mil
lion mems lives!' He used much
stronger expression than this, and as he
spoke, OF rather screamed these words he
flung his hat, which he had hitherto
kept in his hand, into q corner of the
room. [ did not stir, but leaned upon a
console between the two windows, and
said, with deep emotion, 'sWhy do you
apply to me? Why do you make such q
declaration to me between four walls?
Let us open the doors, and may your
words resound from one end of France
to the other! It is not the cause which I
represent that will lose thereby" Mas
tering his passion he replied, in more
moderate tone of voice, ssThe French
cannot complain of me. In order to
spare them [ have sacrificed my Ger
mans and my Poles. During the Rus
sian campaign I lost 5000 men, but
only 30, 900 Of them were Frenchmen.
s.You forget, sire, that you are speak
ing to Germanp' Upon this Napoleon
began to walk up and down the room
with me- AS he turned for the second
time, he picked up his hat. Then he be-
gan again about his marriage. Eyes,
yes" he said, 'I committed an erroneous
piece of folly when I took an Austrian
Archduchess to wife.
eff Your Majesty wishes to know my
opinion in the matter" I replied, 81
will openly admit that Napoleon the
Conqueror did certainly make q mistake
upon that occasion"
s'And SO the Emperor Francis wants to
dethrone his daughter?''
s"The Emperor knows nothing but his
duty, and that he will fulfill Whatever
may be his daughters lot, the Emperor
is, 0v01at tout, a monarch, and the well
fare of his peoples will ever occupy the
first place in his programme of action" ;"
EYES," interrupted Napoleon, 'that
does not surprise me. It only confirms
me in my opinion that I have been
guilty of an objectionable error. By
my espousal of an Archduchess pur
posed connecting the present with the
past-Gothic prejudices with the insti-
tutions of my county, deceived my
self, and left to-day the weight of my de-
fusion. It will perhaps cost me my
throne; but will bury the world under
its 0ebgis!"
By this time our conversation had
lasted till half-past P. NJ. It was
already quite dark. Nobody had dared
to intrude upon us. Our animated dis
cussion had not suffered one minutes
pause. Six several times my words had
conveyed the full significance of o
repeat all that Napoleon said to me dur
ing this long interview. When he dis
missed me his tone of voice had become
soft and mild, but 1 could no longer
distinguish his features. He conducted
me to the door of the ante-chamber, and,
taking hold of the handle, said: cit is
to be hoped that we shall meet again"
'sI am at your command, sire, !" I replied;
''but have lost all hope of achieving
the object of my mission sWel1,
then," he answered, tapping me on the
shoulder, s.do you know what will hap
pen? You will not declare war against
mep' .sYou are lost, sire!" exclaimed
aloud: 81 suspected SO when 1 came
here; now, as I am leaving you, I am
sure of it." In the chambers I
found the same Generals waiting whom
I had seen as I passed through on my
arrival. They surrounded me, striving
to gather from my face the impression
was carrying away with me from this
conference, which had lasted nearly nine
hours. kept my ordinary countenance,
however, and fancy that I did not in
any way satisfy their curiosity. Berthier
accompanied me to my carriage. When
nobody could hear what we said he
asked me eff I had been satisfied with
the Emperor ?" "Oh, yes," / replied;
che has made nothing but satisfactory
declarations to me. It is all over with
him!''
I subsequently heard that Napoleon
that same evening. as he was retiring to
his bedroom, said to his attendants: 81
have had long conversation with M. de
Metternich. He held his own stoutly
enough. Thirteen times I hurled def
ance OF him; thirteen times he accepted
my challenge; but the gauntlet will,
after all, remain in my handp I have
every reason to believe that nobody then
present was greatly edited by this utter
ance. Napoleon's most devoted cour-
tiers were already beginning to doubt
the infallibility of their master. His
star had commenced to wane in their
eyes as well as in those of Europe!
The orators, it used to be SAID, are the
curse of Parliament. Only let us have
men who are not eloquent, plain bust
ness men, the argument was, and no
time will be wasted in talk, and every
thing will go well. This has long since
proved to be an illusion. The dull
speakers can speak for as long time as
the brilliant. Men can stumble and
bungle. and repeat themselves COM
posedly for an hour or two at stretch.
Wishy and Washy have proved them
selves capable of speaking longer and
oftener than Pitt and Burke London
News.
Lord Adelbert Cecil has been preaching
to crowded audiences at Edinburgh.
About decade ago Lord Adelbert, then
an officer in the Rife Brigade, was we'll
known exhorter along the st. Lawrence
and Ottawa rivers along which he would
cruise in his boat, with tent to set up as
headquarters at night.