The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-22
NAPOLEON'S SECRET.
A Fair Woman Drove Him to
War and Ruin.
sIsMARck's HATE FOR FRANCE.
se~ york wo<ia

&eH YORK W0f21
Everybody il looking forward with great
interest 70 . perusai Of the memoirs Of
Baron Houssnann. which viii Be published
shout the time this letter reaches New York.
called st the baron's house in the kue
Boissy d. Anglais this afternoon. In inter-
view l learned that the baron was very
poorly. l made nay way mp to the third
floor on the grand staircase and rang At
the Low and narrow door Of the baron's
apartment I found the baron sitting in
Low armchair by the IRE. with his hack to
tie light Seen thus he might easily have
been taken for . man Of not more than ID
years OF aee. His face. which Is clean
shaven. reminds one now Of Goethe, nov
of WadswoFth, now OF the late vaudeville
actor Christian, while ct times there comes
over il, especially in the eyes. look that
makes one think OF his late imperial
master. a. II their long association had left
on the servant some of the personality Of
the master.
"You must excdse my rising 70 welcome
YOU" said the baron. holding out his hand
and mosioning me 70 . seat opposite him.
81 have been III and cannot move about
much So Il is about my memoirs that
you want to speak 10 mef may tell you
that my publisher. Harvard. expects to
have the first volume out ct the end OF .
month or the first days of March. cam
not tell you the trouble that these memoirs
have given me. When first wrote them
II vas simply with the intention Of leaving
to my children story Of my private and
my public life, with the explanation Of
hundred things that in the one or the other
capacity Of my existence may have puz-
sied them. As public man have had to
do many things which have been turned
into reproach against me. and which
have never been able to explain.
1T was my intention in writing my me
moirs to furnish my children and family
with this explanation. However, friends
Who had seen the manuscript found it 80
interesting as . contribution to history
that they begged me to puhlish il for the
general public. and after while ! con-
scented 10 do so.
my first book gives the account of my
childhood and education, and brings me
down to the time when l first took service
under the empirs-that Is 70 say. when l
came up from being project Of La Gironde
to b project Of the Seine. Ny second vol
ume viii give the full account Of my career
during the empire up 10 1s7o. and in the
third shall give . full description Of eli
the works with which was concerned. and
by means Of which Paris was tranformed
into the city that il Is now. There
viii b . chapter on how desig-
mated the IMPROVEMENTS, how the
emperor and collnbosate1 together End
devoted whole quarters Of Paris to destruc-
ton and Observation-Disclosures the empero.
deserves far more credit for what was done
to Paris under his reign than he has ever
received. There viii be chapters describ-
ing how We improved the waterworks OF
Paris and OF the canals that We built, and
chapters on the gardens and squares that
We laid out My hook win explain all our
processes and give the reasons that swayed
us in everything We did. from the choice Of
particular methods Of paving upwards.
Ny fourth book viii contain my career Is
political man, or rather my "reminiscences
Of political faces. with which Twas brought
into contact during my career. won't
deny that have strong political opinions.
but ! never assume the role OF active poll
tician. However. rs It was my duty Is pre-
feet Of the Seine to be present at every
one OF the cabinet councils that were he'd
under the empire. and a. accordingly the
whole political history Of that period is
clear in my mind, / shall be able. when the
time comes, 70 give some interesting infor-
nation to the general public. may say ct
once that am and always have been of
the opinion that there Is no other govern
ment than the empire possible for France.
am an imperialist by birth and by con-
viction. and think that the only possible
form OF Democratic government under
which France can prosper Is the empire.
France, OF ell peoples In the world, is
one nation. Her government should be
one also. The executive power should
be stable by means OF heredity, but
vito the sovereignty Of the people
firmly assured and protected. The
title worn by the chief of the state here
should be such as to put his dignity on an
equality with the Hottest monarchs Of the
earth. These are my opinions, and that
viii answer any question you may want 10
put 10 me with reference to my opinion on
recent political events in France or as TO
what think about the present government
and Its principal opponent l Will only
add that such republic as was proposed
by Boulangcr could never have taken deep
root here, and for the reason that the re-
public, whatever form she may take,
is really antipathetic to France.
She may put up with it for many
years. bat IS water will eventually
ind its way back 10 the sea so will also
France find its way back 10 monarchial
government. representing the sovereignty
cf the people in one man. | cannot saw
that I sgree with the policy followed by
the emperor. l vas the strongest oppo-
nent OF the war with Prussia that lived in
France. 1t was All along my dream and
my wish was that France should ally her
self with Prussia. 20 that by the consent
and help OF shsi state she might Obtain the
Rhenish provinces. nv reason for dessr-
ing that France should obtain the Rhenish
provinces was FIRST that the Rhine arrears
destined by nature 90 Re tie frontier
between France and Germany, and, Sec
ondiy. that it is from the Rhenish PROV
inces that the French people originated,
for, as you know. the French people are
Franks. and the Franks came fiom
the banks OF the Rhine. Person sllv. rs
descendants OF the lords Of AnderTach.
near Cologne. seven generations hack. |
bad sp~raAi reasons for wishing thai my
roalcy might he rut into execution. Over
and over again was my dream near las real
ration II Was - good rs offered ~ on
several occasions hy the Frussssns
When Bismarck came 10 spend .
few days with the emperor and the suaperisi
family ~ Rlarritz. 10 lisa. be told ire
that be was authorized 10 propose 20 the
saursray Thai pvss<zss Ia re.ys~, s.xv E~srxsss