New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-15
KESSELEF'o MEMO. RS.
FRANCE UNDER THE THIRD EMPIRE

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF TIE REIGN OF ALEX
AMBER H-MAKfNG PEACE AFTER sEBAsTo-
| PoL-MAD EXTRAvAGANCEs OF THE FRENCH
! CoURT-NAPoLEoN's VAGUE AMBITIONS.
! lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE TRIEUNEl
PARIS. Sept. 1.-The memoirs of Count Paul
Demltrich kesSeef will soon be brought out here
ana IN ST. Petersburg in four ponderous volumes,
edited by his literary executor Meanwhile adj
vanced sheets are being sent 10 reviews and
papers. They detached from the chapters
made ur of the Counts daily jottings between the
end of the Crimean War and the year ls62. During
| mat period COnnt kesseef the ambassador of
the late Car to the Court of the TuIeries. Moth
ing can be more instructive than his record of what
he saw and heard there. The moral may also be
deduced from it that the of evil institutions
are not eliminated by placing them under the
direction of new men. but, the contrary, an
increased power IL thereby impaired to them.
france obtained nothing in cutting Oh the heads of
! Louis Se'Ze and his wife when that principle of
state despotism was not eXtirpated which enabled
| Louis Napoleon Eugene de Moutijo to ascend TO
an Imperial throne. Indeed, this adventures ex-
erclsed as Count Kessclef shows more baleful
influence on humanity than all the Queens of
france including the Medecean Princess of st.
Bartholomew.
Count kesselef, when ambassador to the Tuileries
was an ola man OF charming address and amable
temper. and was disposed 10 take az iniulcent view
OF human weaknesses. Although he possessed great
"p"i'h anu enjoyed nlgn position, he
happy In his life. He the husband of a
naughty self-willed and eccentric Polish lady nee
Potocka, who chose to make the gambling dcps of
Germany and Switzerland her permanent abode
she had passion for potoriety and tho roulette
table; and often in private houses remained more
than twenty-four hours ut time at rouve-et-noir
This precious Countess once lost at Monaco in the
courSe o! a day. all her pearls and diamonds and
100000 francs. The jewels she had in n portman
team before her. A jewcller who had appraised
Them stood near her. When she wanted money she
hanhed him bracelet, brooch, a pair of earrings
medallion or corouet, and lie gave hor the price
he hal marked on it,
Count keSseief, being asked by the Car TO
represent HIM in Paris shrunk from doing So be-
cause of the gambling relations of his wife with
the great people of the French Empire In the
Duchess of Alba, sister of the Empress she had
met her match. The Duchess like her would
never 20 10 bed when she had a large sum NJ her
disposal wherewith to gamble Although the
Count was publicly separated from tbs Countess
he feared that her golngs on abroad might cast a
stigma upon an embassy healed by him. This OH
lection he urged to the Car AMI to Prime, GortScha
koh; but they ovcruled it. Nine. Krs.clef il was
arranged. was 10 he prccluded from leaving Russia
1t permission was given her travel into anv other
country care would be taken not To let her have
passport which woull enable her tn T., 10 France
Count kesSelcf had for thirty years been the
administrator of the Crown estates In Ru,Si, and
was an active and conscientious servant OF the Izr
ne was also THINKER. Men who reflect a good deal
nave small taste Tor the pomps sud vantIes which
enter So largely into Court life Tho Emperor
Nicholas had adnittcd him to his intimacy and ex-
cused him when he grew Old from attendance nj
courty festivities. The idea of gong to reprr,eut
the Car Alexander nj Il nashy Court in which
bcggars on horseback were gallopi.g AZ hard rs
they could to pcrdtion. was hateful to him Tho
Imperial Court OF France he also reelected would be-
pulled mp and made drunk by the tall of Sebastopol
ms was precisely n IeaSon, 1t was urged. why a
man whose blood had been cooled by age and who
had learned IN very hard school how 10 be patient
and restrain temper should be sent to lin, Conn,
Of the Tnlercs
Count kessclcfs Memoirs give an account of the
early incidents of the late Cars reign and of the
council IN winch, in December. 1898. the peace
propositions madc by Austria ~ n mcdiatrix 10
England, France and Russia were discussed The
relation of the Count Is all To the honor of the
russians. One is struck with the complete absence
OF Jmgolsn. with the caudor shown both by the
gar ana his councillors IN Judging the situation of
knssia, and one adnlres the frankne,s ct speech
with which the cause of peace WAS su,l aimed
lAef' were ut this council the late Car, the Grand
Duko Constantine. Count Alexis Orion father #
the present Russian ambassador III Paris p"lgo
rnnd. the War Minister Ncssrlrode the Chancellor
blondoi, PRESIDENT of the Council of the Einpirr
and Marshal Nerontlon All were for peace except
Blondof
Count kesselef had some dinicuty in obtaining
from I'rlnce GortschakOn clear instructions which
ne insisted upon having lie also insisted upou
hh"wIhg exactly the foreign policy which the Car
h'eh'"d to adopt pn both points iuil satisfaction
vas eventually given hum. He arrived at his post
when the Court wns AT lis hunting qua tiers at Com
pciHne and was invited to fancy hunt gwen to
please the Empress. She was arruycl a. Marie An
t"Hcite ami the Emperor his gentlemen and male
guests rs Louis XIV. " and the or Is of his Court
Inc C"mte~se WalcwSkI-a remarkably beautiful
woman-was the Princess de Lamhalle fl is not
mentioned what lady supported the character OF
Madame Duoarly, who, being great "a coward
to RIDE followed the Royal hunts at Comprigne
attchdel by her negro page in elegant chariot
decorated with young Loves. The Count had seen
good deal of folly in high society in Russia and
was prepared for much beEgar on horseback en-
travasnnce. Rut lac had never AM patcd anything
80 absurd ~ the d" fancy-hunt" which it appears |
was device of the Empress for bringing forward |
her baby boy NJ q "Dauphin' with an e1dless |
retinue of attendants IN Louis XIV. dresses |
She thought it would impress the Russian anbas- !
sador with greater of her magnihconce than
II he saw for the first time the Imperial family in |
its nineteenth century belongings.
II Will he interesting to make n cOmparatlye |
study of Count Kcsselcs jottings with the letters
of tho late Prince Consort and particularly those !
relating 10 the visit paid by the Grand Duke Con-
stantinc soon after the Crimcan War the Emperor |
Napoleon Ill Tho Prince Consort puts the En-
per0r on his guard against the nsinuating manners
and wlies OF tho Grand Duke who does not really |
appear to have had any mission. and who only
attempted to profit by the Emperors courtesy aud