New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MADAME CARETTE'S MEMOIRS,

pEyxEME sERIE pes S 20 Psr adsmc M
psrs paul OIIendorff New-York: ". Il. jenkins
12mO, PIP. 34o
Madame Carettes first volume of "reminiscences Oh
the Court of the second Empire was welcomed fcr II
contained much pleasant gossip. many interesting
anecdotes, and not few incidents teho'hB 70 uio"
now light upon the character Of both the emperor
and Empress. 1t appears that these genuine souvenirs
and results OF personal observation are TO be cen
timed presently, but meanwhile the author seems u
bavo thought IL necessary TO folcStall any possible
pu,Nc impotence by putting forth what comes
uerously near being volume of padding. In this
second series OF her recollcctions Madame CaIete
accupies herself quite needcsSy with sketch OF Inc
outbreak and progress Of the FrsDcO-ierman war.
This sketch is characterized chiefly by its historical
inaccuracies in fact scarcely single incident Is re
lated correctly and the account Of the causes OF the
war is an almost groesque perver,ion Of fact 1t is
scarcely necessary 10 add that the author does not
enhance the value Of her fancful story by mnelnS
with II q good deal Of such small talk as was doupt
less the pastime of the ladies duty in the ante
chamber Of the EMPRESS Why Madame Carcttc
should fill many pages with extracts from newspapers
and parliamentary reports is also hard TO understand
for while she has light touch for anecdole' 1t j.
questionable whether her writing, are wcighty enough
even for "memoir pour servr,' and nobody "onla
dream Of looking TO her for history
There is in her present volume comparatively little
which was not previously notorious. fcrhdP' N"c
enarges the general knowledge 10 some extent on Inc
subject OF Louis Napoleon's health when war was
declared 1t appears that he had been for some time
suffering from the disease which subsequently carried
him Off but that lie scdulOusly concealed Ms STATE
from the Empress. Madame Carctte states tist ne
had so great dread of surgery that lie refused %
submit TO the smales. operation though ne was
assured that without his could not be effected
Yet with this shrinking from the knife there went
ofr Init
NOT only did he succeed in Disgusting his frequently
acute suifcrngs from the Empress. but he went cay
through public duties aud functions which entallcd
much physical fatiCuc and exhaustion. 1t Is not
probable that the exaccrbation of his complaint by the
rigors Of the campaign really contributed 10 the dis
astrOus results Louis Napoleon possessed no military
genius, his italian campaign and his attempts 70
direct the sebastopol siege cOncuSvey demonstrated
In 1870, moreover, much better captain would nave
been paralyzed by the revelations of mOnstrOus Official
rsuds in the numbers and equipment Of the army which
showed. when II was too late. how utterly unft 'hc
country was TO cope with Germany. But there can
be no doubt that the Emperor's brain was drrgscd
md his perceptions dullcd by the disease which was
.appng his life and that he in better condition
than his army 10 face the fearful crisis which had been
so rashy precpitated. 1t is evident that throughout
the campaign he was in a dazed and bewidered con
dltion. II is also certain that he cannot be held
responsible for the movements which eliminated in
Sedan though there is reason for believing that the
plans he himself favored would have averted the col
lapse. At Sedan he certainly acted with humanity in
hosting the white flag. for ii was the sole alternative
with the complete destruction of the remnant of his
army.
Madame Carette has much TO say about the Regency.
the burden OF her tale being the rmness and reSolu
ton of the Empress. Her picture OF the councils held
at the Tuleries after the of the sedan disaster
and the Emperors surrender had been received is not
without graphic touches, though il tells nothing new
She tells one mysterious story of the ChiSehuist
period. While the Emperor was at Wilhelm- hoehc a
Frenchman, giving the name Of Reenier. called at
Chisen,rst and solicited an interview with the En-
press pretending matters Of first importance. In
genie declined to receive him. being fearful Of entdn
Cling herself in some political snare. The stranger
then contrved to throw himself in The way of the
Imperial Prince and with the story that ne was on
his way to Wihcmshoehe, induced the lad to write
his name the foot Of Photographic view of Camden
House. But VI. Regnier was not bound fOr Wilhelms-
hoehe. Two days later he was at Ferriercs. seeking
an interview win Bismarck, To whom he presented
the Princes autograph proof Of the ecnuinene-s
OF his mission. The result Of this Interview was a
safe conduct into Metz where lie sought Bazaine ana
told him that the Empress about 10 sign treaty
Of peace. bat that she required the presence Of
representative of the Of Metz and demanded that
General Canrober General BOuIbaki should be sent
TO her. Bazaine must have been ca!Oed completely.
for he ordered Bourbali to accompany Reener. The
latter had evidently told different story bismarck,
for when BOurbai reached the German lines he was
met by an officer who informed him that his presence
was awaited at headquarters. Upon hearing this the
French orcer naturally declared that he had busi
moss at the hesdqua and Recner, perhaps
realizing that the game was up, incontinently dis
appeared, vanishing thencefOrth completely. BOur-
baki fastened to Chelhurst when he OF found
that he had been the victim oil trick. But he could
not persuade the Germans to let him rcentcr Metz,
and after several vain efforts went to Paris to take
part in the defence. What the significance of this
obscure episode may be it is impossible to divine
though Madame Carcttes conjecture that Rcgnicr
tool Of Bismarck may be promptly and amusedly
rejected. Perhaps Regncr simply crank who
had a patent for ending the single handed and
covering himself with glory. Al all events, nothing
came of his mysterious nanoeuvIe-.
1t only while residing at Chselhurst that tho
perors health through inadvcrcnt statement the
part Of her niece Madame Carette hates General
Trochu heartily him Of treason to the Re
gency, and does her best to prove her charges. The
evidence which she presents is compromising.
doubt, but not altogether conclusive, and it must
always be remembered that at the time of the
"decheance" nothing could have saved the Empire
and therefore that whoever remained devoted to it
could only 60 down with it, and cease 10 be Of use
to France Trochn had a difficult part play in
those days, and which light we'll have perplexcd
q much stronger