Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-08

de Reichstadt and my brother-so that L
can be happy in my own way, instead OF
being, as the head of our house must be,
the slave of a mission" From the day OF
his brothers death he was q different man.
/ can compare his feelings as to his mission
only to those which urged the first apostles
and martyrs.
Senior-What is the sense in which he
| understands his mission
| Madame Cornu-It is a devotion first to
the Napoleonic dynasty, and then to
France. 1t is not personal ambition. He
has always said, and believe sincerely,
| that if there were any better hands to
which he could transmit the duty he would
do so with delight. His duty to his dy-
nasty is to perpetuate it. His duty to
France is to give her influence abroad and
prosperity at home.
Senior-And also extension of territory
Madame Cornu-Not now. | will not
saw what may have been his wishes before
the birth of his son, but what | have called
devotion to his dynasty is rather worship
of his son. One of his besetting fears Is
the revival of European coalition, not so
much against France as against the Bona
parties, and the renewal OF the prescription
of the family.
Senior-I have been told that he leans
towards constitutionalism as more favera-
bic to hereditary succession than despot-
ism.
Madame Cornu-I believe that to be
true, and that it is the explanation of his
recent liberalism. He hates, without doubt,
/ opposition he hates restraint; but II he
thinks submitting to opposition, or even to
restraint, will promote his great object
the perpetuation of his dynasty-he will
do So He would sacrifice to that object
Europe, France, his dearest friends, even
himself. One of his qualities and it is a
valuable one-is his Willingness to adjourn,
to change, or even to give up, his means,
however dear they may be to him, if any
better or safer occur to him Another is
the readiness with which he confesses his
mistake.
Senior-His last confession was, perhaps,
too full and too frank.
Madame Cornu-So | think but by
making it he enjoyed another pleasure,
that of astonishing. He delights in
rimpreru, in making Europe and France,
and, above all, his own ministers stare.
When it is necessary to act, he does not
consult his friends, still less his ministers !;
and perhaps he is right, for they would
give him only bad advice; he does not
conscientiously think the matter over,
weigh the opposing means, strike the bal
ance, and act He takes his cigar, gives
loose to his ideas, lets them follow one
after another without exercising over them
his Will, till at last something pleases his
imagination; he seizes it, and thinks him
self inspired Sometimes the inspiration
is good, as it was when he released Add ell
Kader. Sometimes it is very bad, as it
was when ne chose the same time for open
ing the discussion of the address, and re-
vealipg the state of our finances.
Senior-Auguste Chevalier treats his
phlegm as his greatest quality-q1'a ne
setoRne de rien.
Madame Cornu-Did Auguste Chevalier
ever describe to you his fits of passion!
Senior-No.
Madame Comfortably he never per-
ceived them. His powers OF self-command
are really marvellous. | have known him
after a conversation, in which he betrayed
no anger, break his own furniture in his
rage The sign of emotion in him is a
swelling of his nostrils, like those of an
excited horse. Then his eyes become
bright, and his lips culver. His long mus
tache is intended to conceal his mouth,
and he has disciplined his eyes. When
first saw him in lS4S asked him what was
the matter with his eyes. Nothing" he
said A day or two after [ saw him
again. They had still an odd appearance.
At last | found out that he had been ac-
customing himself to keep his eyelids half
closed, and to throw into bis eyes vacant,
dreamy expression. l cannot better de-
scribe the change that came over him after
his brothers death than by saying that he
tore his heart out of his bosom and sur
rendered himself to his head.
(April, 1882 In the afternoon 1 called
on THEIRS l found him in his garden.
Thers-Do you remember our walking
up and down this garden with Lord Ash
burton some years ago, and discussing the
probable fortunes of the empire?
Senior-Yes; and your prophesying that
the amount of liberty contained in the i'm
perial constitution would in time make it
cease to be despotic.
Thiers-Well, that time has come. Louis
Napoleon has brought it on rather sooner
than ] expected. He has irritated and
alarmed and injured every class. First, he
has exasperated the most intolerant of all
classes-the clergy and, what is worse,
all the laity who believe religion to be the
most important element in human society.
France will not be Protestant Napoleon,
perhaps, might have made her so, for the
clergy were then Gallican. Now they are
Ultramontane so are the believers among
the laity. Ii France is not Catholic, she
will be atheistic. By favoring the expul-
sion Of the Pope from Rome, he is destroy
ing Catholicism, for Catholicism cannot
exist without the Pope. Secondly, he has
injured and alarmed the classes which,
next to the clergy, are the most intolerant
the manufacturers and the fundhOlders
the former, by his absurd commercial
treaty the latter, by his deficit. He has
alarm ell al the lovers of peace and of pros
perity by his senseless wars.
SeLicr-You approved of his Russian
war
Thiers-Yes but not of his italian war,
or his Syrian war, or his two Chinese wars,
or Lis Mexican war The last four wars
have merely wasted our money and our
blood. The Italian war has given us a
pow, rful rival-perhaps an enemy-on our
southwestern frontier, and has weakened
irrevocably the power most useful to the
European equilibrium-Austria. When l
was anxious to see Russia humbled | re-
lied on her place being taken by Austria.
hoped to substitute pacific power for an
aggressive one. Now that the influence of
Austria is also destroyed l begin to regret
Russia. All the politicians despise Louis
Napoleon all the friends of liberty hate
him all the Bourbonists hate
him all the Orleanists hate him all
the Republicans hate him. The whole of
France is convinced that the Imperial Con-
stitution is failure, and dangerous fail
IRE and it is in these circumstances that
he has unmuzzled the Chambers and given
to them the most dangerous of all powers,
the power to canvass and to blame the
whole policy, foreign and domestic, of the
Government. He must yield, indeed he
has begun to yield. To yield even well is
dangerous to dessPot; to yield i'll is fatal
Sunday. Anril <. 1861 Madame