New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-20
THE HAUSSMANN MEMOIRS.
THE BUILDER OF PARIS.

she first volume has reached u.s. may DC salu
TO embrace a close and intimate view OF inc
Second Empire in which the author figured con-
spicuousy as the designer and executor OIL Ihe ne"
Paris No individual in modern time mas h"o
greater responsibility put upon him than inc indn
who carried ont this vast and magnificent enter
prise-thc most benefcent as also the most per
manent work Of Louis Napoleon's reign DuV
Baron Haussmann had passed through a long ana
arduous course of official training before he was
called to the prominent post OF ffelecC Vi uie
Seine: and in the first of the four volumes which
his memoirs will occupy he treats OF his carry
life and his extensive administrative expert
cnccs as SubPrefect and Project in different parts
~ Franco As his name indicates, he is of Ger
man extraction. His family was Protestant, as
Is tho Raron himself and they have been natural
lied in France for three generations. His own
Imperialism was acquired naturally and honestly
for his father served under the First Napoleon,
aud his uncle was also in the army. He himself
was under the special patronage of Prince Eu-
rome and in his boyhood he had short inter-
Wow with the Emperor, whom he appears 10
have pleased by his frankness. lie was lnIehoeo
for the army but the fall of the Empire frustrated
this Arrangement. Educated at the famous college
Henri Quatre, he had the Orleans Princes as COM
rades. and the friendships thus formed proved OF
use to him in after lie.
Almost by accident he took slight part IN
the Revolution of July, narrowly escaping oeihs
cut down by Swiss officer on that OCCASION
but coming of with honor, lnasmuch as he lhIe"
his arms round his opponent and not only pre-
vented the latter from using his sabre out as
armed and took him prisoner. For TINS leat nc
was decorated with the special cross OF july ana
was also strongly recommended to the UoNerh-
ment, which soon after gave him his hrSt oii'ce-
that of Secretary-General to the Prefecture OF
La Vicnne. From the first the young oihcial
applied himself resolutcly to master the work OF
his department, and his capacity for work was evil
IDENTIFY as large as his ambition. Nothing is more
noticeable in these memoirs than the strong apu-
tude of the writer for administrative labors, ana
if his career had not long since demonstrated his
signal ability, these "reminiscences OF subordinate
Offices would clearly prove that the SUBJECT OF
them was man of preemlnent force anu hVhess'
lie did not, however, secureTapld promotion, oelhe
Sub-Prefect Of lssingeauX, OF Nerac, OF SAINT
Girons and of Blaye, with an interregnum as fres-
ident of the PreiectOral Council of the Glronde,
before he was raised to the Prefecture OF var
Thence he was transferred TO the Prefecture Oh
Yonne and again to the Prefecture of the Gironde;
whence he was called to Paris by the Emperor 10
assume the Prefecture of the Seine, and 10 under
he must be chiefly known to posterity. lie was
IN office from the Restoration TO the fall OF the
Second Empire and every Government fully recos-
nized his ability.
Baron Haussmann says himself that he always
had a passion for order and beauty, and this Is
shown in all his undertakings. His accounts OF
all his Sub Procedures and Prefectures are largely
occupied with the material improvements made
dnrnc his term of office Going TO a sub prefecture
and finding the means of communication IN the
reimbursement very bad the first thing he THINKS
of is the creation of thoroughly effective communl-
cations: and he carries out his plans fully III
nearly every case. whether they look TO the max
ING Of roads or sewers or bridges, the rebuild
ing of decayed town-districts In all these benei-
cent schemes. too, great deal of diplomatic and
financial tact was required. He had to wheedIe
both the central and the local authorities ana nc
rarely failed in getting what he wanted. some
of his methods would give points TO veteran lobby
ists for he stuSed the ways of approaching leslS-
lators with a view to appropriations as carefully
as he thought out his plans of Improvement. Once
he wanted a considerable sum to repair and com
plete official buildings which had been left for
several years unfinished Two Of his predecessors
had tried 10 obtain appropriations, and had occh
severely snubbcd. Haussmann went to work IN MS
own way and got all he wanted. Naturally MS
reputation grew apace and before long the people
in power began TO realize that this sub-prelect nan
some valuable gifts and that he possessed special
knack of handling sedition and eXtinguishlng IL
without boodshed.
He served all his masters with equal loyalty,
and he was appreciated by all But he was at no
time a Republican, and very moderate Mon
archist. He believed in the Empire as the best
government for France and it was not until Louis
i'm q
himself in a thoroughly congenial situation. Louis
Napoleon was fully aware Of Haussmann's ability,
and transferred him to the Prefecture of Yonne In
order that he might combat the socialist or red
influence which had become alarmingy strong IN
that department. Haussmann was disappointed at
first, Yonne not being promotion over Var; but
the Prince President personally explained his pur-
pose and when the Project knew what was re-
auired Of him he perfectly satisfied. lie went
10 Yonne took his measures and after a great deal
Of trouble carried his point. The disturbing ele-
ment had undertaken to evade the law against
political clubs by organizing meetings or societies,
as was pretended, for social purposes only III
became known however, that in these cham
brees" as they were called, the practice had been
adopted of reading aloud the most seditous jour
nails There were 50 many Of these societies, and
the disposable force small, that arbitrary
measures of repression were impossible The Pre-
feet had to depend almost entirely upon the gen.
darnerie, which, though highly disciplined, was
numerically weak. Baron Haussmann, however,
with one hundred OF his trustworthy gendarmes
did on one occasion successfully defy mob OF ten
thousand men, who surrounded the Prefecture
with the intention OF capturing it by assault
What was most 20 his credit was the fact that he
overcame this revolutionary movement without
firing single shot, and almost without making an
arrest
Baron Haussmann's account Of his connection
with the coup detat" Of the second of December
is very interesting. lie had been appointed Pre-
feet of the Gironde only few days before The
coup d'ctat," and he had not been let into The
secret. The Prince-Prcsident, however, had per
sonally desired him 10 leave Paris for his post al
IL