New-York tribune., 1880-01-13
METTERNICH AND NAPOLEON
MEMOIRS OF THE AUSTRIAN PRINCE.

OF TALIFYRAND AND EDUClif-
TRAN MARRIAGE-THE HAT SCENE Al DhH9
pEX-THg PARTITION OF POLAND
students of French history are much favored
in those fines Madame dc R6musats Memories are
hclpipg in large measure to Gle II mp many Po'nS J."
,ho character of Napoleon which doubt remalheu
NJ Lanfreys history already accepted in many quarters
"A the best account OF Napoleon and his age ta' Has p
peared finds itself completed this mOh'h' I"s"o"'
though il be- by issue of the finai VOuhe'
what the author left unfinished when ne uieu- Inv
Memoirs of Prince Metternich," for which the woriu
has waited twenty-five years, are now ln part
,vcn IN the world and already In Europe they
have aroused the keenest interest," laiieyr"nu
political testament remains behind, ana stuuentS ""'
he patient yet awhile for thht but inc "eV''
mich meoIrs are almost ready for readers III tue ne"
World "A they are now ready in the Old and these Witd-
an, tb Taevrand VIII no doubt be sufficient to satisfy
the Average student Of NapOeonc literature Tor some
t,,na IN coine Metternich knew Napoleon during the
greater part ms career rs power III L"ropf' M" ~"
younes now published take reader down to the year
of Waterloo-ls15-and include, moreover t"c iDo''
dramatic part of Mctternch'S own career
English papers recent dates give long articles 10 "o
b,ok with copic and striking extracts from us pages
I'M. voln,oos having appeared In LOnGon, Paris ana
Vienna TWO or three weeks In advance ol theH puu'"
.on here. with help from the Edglsh PAPERS '"''
article is written MctieInich was porn al N"n''"A '
I773 aud his father, who hell hgh p'sluoh III t"c
InDcral service, dtSillcd MN from Hi' "'1'i' W.
service in the state H. sent with his brothers ID
17ss TO the UNIVERSITY OF Strasburg ana by strange
circumstance just missed meeting there Eouns Napoleon
B.naparte, then officer oi afuhey' INC ''"'h -
whom he had I'm fencing aud mathematics We'c tN''"
who had inst ceased 10 instruct B1ndparto Two years
| after gong 10 SfrasDUg Meiternch was c'le" I"
Frankfort where his father resided as the AU'li"n
Ambassador to become the master ot ceremonies ~
the coronation Of tha EmpcrO; Leopold. lie was ihrh
only aayentoen years OF asc. Two years i.'. "' ""S
AGAIN called % Frankfort to serve H the same c'p"'
at the coronation o. Francis 1. of Austria, whom ~ tue
Archdukc Frauz ne had first met at the coronation "l
Leopod Ataft.c gwen IN honor OF the latter occasion
Ia orcned the ball with the Puuccs, Louse OF Meek
leubnrg whom be had known nom childhood, "nd VINO
atcrUard became the Queen OF Prussia' "hy le"
weeks later, at village near MS native pAc' ne n"e
the acquaintance of the f.aSs"u Crown Iihcc' VIZ"
a.terward married the Princess Louise ana became
Frederick WI Ill. father OF the pFeNon ccr"'"h
Empar,r Wnic 10 Ffarhilrt lu 1892 Met,cInca round
IN nc city number OF l;sh-hea rtcd French emsle''
who confidently expected 10 see tie Revolution hl-Nrd
in two monihs." Two years later he went % England
and was welcomed by George Ill with unusual kind
ness ana aiaollity" For the Prince oi Wales hc iorme"
a great liking. pnd writes OF him as follows:
The Prince OF Wtcs was oac oi the handsonest men
ever saw, ana 90 agreeable exterior nc 1iheh lte
mos o"'lni,.s % n r, MIN, IRON, b,,n. cerrlpcd
m f. bad society in which De moved, vita case 10 h-
!s '-i,,t ,,r ,eruiffiu- the slightest want rr-
eIect ia otHcr He took great fancy 10 me- and was
pleased, tauk. Gt NY reserve III socl'F "hch Vas
not agreeable 10 me.
Meiternich, ardent young conservative that ne wa',
d.anprovcG of the Princes ~ tasng u the side
Of the opposition against hs royal father and said 80 to
tc Prince n p..son. THIRTY ycts later the Prince VINO
had then become George ". reminded him ~ thi' CIR
cnmstancc. and added "Y0u were right them During
his STAY in London McteInich, having ihen Just attained
his majority, was nominated by tn mpcror TO b. Am
passador to the Hague then the rs diplomatic post In
tbc Austrian government. year later he hrewu M this
post aud resolved devote hs lie TO act and scencr
IIs great wish. he says, was to cd stud'us me- EI
in Sol the emperor oaercd HIM choice between the
Legation at Dresden ana that % Coienhagn Mcternch
expressed desire 10 refrain from eutcr.ug the service
Of The state only Welded whom the emperor appeaed
10 his patriotism. description is given Of the mental
conflict which he underwent before accepting the APP
poinmeni and the following passage he sets forh
his conception Of The purposes OF mOIcrn political
science:
That which chiefly charaeicriz's The modern woril
AID essentially Distinguishes Il from NE ancient Is TIE
tendency OF nations To draw near 10 each Other ana IN
some fashion enter into social LEAGUE. vnich tc.is
Veloycd in tue bJsom OF Christianity, man, ~ ~ 10
This fundamental rule Of every human irat"r
nifty, applied To- the state, means IN tine poht
In the Language oi diplomacy Is called toHs
prceedte-in Other Words mutual o"n-lderallon
Isolated Itself entirely and exercised hr most abs lte
sefshnrss uncu bed hy auCht save prudence ~. law
OF retaliation eternal barriers ana founded nm
dvins euities between the societies of upon
page OF ancient history is found inscri5cd the principle
OF mutual evil Tor evil Modern history, on tue o.hcr
hand exhibits the principles of solidarity oI nations ana
the balance OF power, and furnishes the spectacle OF
several states combining their ond'tVoS against tue
TEMPORARY prednmndncc OF any one STATE, 10 cOhstrhh
II 10 return 10 the common law.
At this point in Meternichs career the first volume IL
brought to a close. The second with his " First
state Paper which lsa summing up Of the state OF
Europe IN 1901, striking passage being The following
defence Of the Of Austria III tho partition OF 20
land:
The existence Of Poland was equaly important for MS,
for OF The adjacent ratcsud fer the gen
eral peace Of Europe. Situated between three great
Sfaies Poland prevented the frequent collisions which
always II there IL immedaie contact aud for that
reason alone 1t had a decided valGe Tor t2.g
fer Prussia and ourselves On!y the blind desire of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT In the Berlin Cabinet and tho TcvOu-
Onary period witch the EEproSa Catherine made use of
Tor The execution OF her long chershed intentions could
have brought about .ae partition Of Poland contrary TO
could ony be- conservative. The pressure of cicum-
stances TIE imposblity OF preventing the aggi andze-
the inevitable eyilby obtaining some compensaiion.aonc
| induced us to give oar long-delaycd assent.
This passage is one OF many which show, II ia said,
that particular object of the present publication
prove that while Russia and Prussia have always been
ready TO make bargains with revolution, Austria has
been from the start conservative power. Tic rights
Of others she oath to interfere with, but h own
she was resolved maintain at all hazards. The NapO
Icon matter in the volume many events, and
OF large variety Here for Instance. portraits OF
TaIlyrand and Fouche, both OF whom Metternch net In
1906 while serving the Austrian Ambassador at the
| Court of the TnileIIcs:
Taeyrand possessed unusual intellectual ability NV
Iongcontinued relations with him made me aware that
his whole character more adapted him 10 destroy than
| to create priest his tmperamcnt ia hlm to ire
licous courses. or noble BIRTH he pleaded for the
roofing OF his class under The RcI ubncon rule lie FOL
| sworo the Republic; under the Empire ne was con
staufy incn cOnspre against the Emperor; under
the Bourbous, lastly he abored for the overthrow OF
fhe legitimate dynasty To binder aIy definite
| from being takcn-fOr that Taloyrand was ALWAYS
ready In the contrary direction could never discover
canal ability. Napoleon 40 estimated nun, aud with
Justice. conversations; which took place
In copse1uencc OF tho many Withdrawals OF Taey
rand from the Ministry, the Emperor SAID 10 me, If
want anything done do NOT employ the Prince OF Ben
| eVrnio turn TO him when want a thing not to DO