Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-12
NAPOLEON HIN TRYING TIMES.
What Duke Ernest of Saxc-Coburg Says in
His Memoirs.
tTo,d-n nsfIv
ILondon Daily News. ]

The Duke Of Gaxe-Coburg-G otha, Queen
Victoria's brother-in-law, saw the Emperor
Napoleon ILL., very closely. HIS Hlghness
was again in Paris and at the opera on the
night Of the Orsini attempt. He went
there alone instead OF IN the COMPANY Of
their Maiesiles. and that probably saved
his life. He stood AWAITING them In the yes
thule, when a first explosion was heard, and
then. an instant after, "A second. ." was
still standing there be SAYS in the volume
of his memoirs lust published, "petrltied
with horror, when the Emperor and the
Empress rushed in. They seemed about 10
fall. The Empress seized me, rs II were,
mechanically by the arm. and said pretty
calmly. 'S1rrczm0it' The Emperor was
like one stunned: be staggered and /
thought he was wounded. His hat was a
little knocked in and torn on one side by a
bullet" And this was only the second eX-
plOsion, for there was still 10 be third.
In this case the bomb must have been
thrown stra ght at the door Of the hall. for
fragments of the she'll and bullets smash
ed the windows and Terounded from the
ceiling. " I dragged the Empress, whom
! had on nv arm, away with me, and re-
collect having knocked down some person
who blocked the way as was endeavorng
% reach the staircase leading 10 the box.
The Emperor appeared at q loss TO know
lowed us up the stairs. and at last we all
reached the box
AS soon as they had composed them
selves the terrified par stepped to the
front of the box but they met with no re-
ceptiOn. Not hand stirred. not sound
was raised. The Emperor SAID 20 me in
German: There you see the Parislans:
they are never treated harshlv enough"
Presently the marshals and the members
of the imperial family came into the box.
Marshal Caurobert wept Ike q child. and
when the Princess Mathilde arrived there
was o scene OF passionate excitement, for
she had lost all self-control. "Quite late
in the evening Prince Napoleon also
put IN an appearance. When ne an
preached their Malesties the Empress
turned her back upon him. while the En-
peror said to him colby, before the Prince
had time TO make any fine phrases: 'Cest
hien c'est bicn ~ The Duke was 10 see
this much-tried ruler and man once more,
and this time in his greatest trial of all. 1t
was az Sedan. A messenger brought the
King of Prussia the famous letter of sur
render from Napoleon III. Listen
said the King TO those who stood about
him, and he read the letter aloud. Then.
sitting upon pillow. be wrote his answer
on the back of his aide-de-camp.
On the same day the Duke met the En-
peror driving from Doncherv, and bowed
to him from his horse. " He waved his
hand 10 friendly way. but did not speak
a word. For the last time in this life | saw
his sad and oyershadowed features" The
Duke necessarily passes most OF his time
on what his illusrrious countryman,
Auerbach, calls the Heights. He rare
~ descends To the plains. We hear
little Of peoples. but very much
OF those who govern them. Even
his brothers great achievement. the
Exhibition Of 1851, was, III the Dukes eyes,
precminently aristocratic." Some Of us
have thought that it was not without pop
ular features, but let that pass. a." The no.
bility undertook the representation Of
England ia manner such as it has never
done again on any other occasion. On
the opening day nearly four thousand
state equpages appeared, and tho royal
party drove mp almost daily III full
splendor 10 visit the exhibition" The
Dukes history. however, must be taken
from the Dukes own point OF view, anu in
that It is not altogether without consola-
ton for those who like 10 preserve their
faith in popular destinies. Democracies
cannot possibly make greater mistakes
than have been made for them by those
who obligingly undertake TO relieve them
of all trouble in the management OF their
own affairs.