Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-06
PRAISING EUGENE.
THE EMPRESS ElaflTFUL PLACE IN
HISTORY DESCRIBED.


That Puts the nan'shed Queen In the
Light of Much Abused Woman-Her
Opinions ON the i'rtnco-Prussian War.
An anonymous writer in the Paris Fig
arc has created Il sensation by the publica-
ton of documents which throw IL new light
ON the conduct and character OF Empress
Eugene His story reads like II novel
The writer says:
ut is not a defense that am undertake
ing, the empress would forgive no friend
for that; it is not biography, for whole
book would hardly suffice to tell the story
of a life so full of bewiIdering contrasts. !
wish simply by facts to destroy an iniqu-
tous legend which tends to distort our his
tory and rests solely upon falsehood and
dishonesty
During the past few years there has
been published almost everywhere a series
OF books, pamphlets and articles calculated
to mislead the public opinion. People have
discussed even the Most trivial acts of a
sovereign whose misfortunes should be a
barrier against injustice. They have
scrutinized her life, her projects, her
thoughts, and even her inconsolable griefs.
And they have invented and linked with
her name vulgar fables which have been
adopted alike by persons who have inVolun
tarily forgotten the past and by those who
have never known anything Of it.
st is for the friends of Old to whom she
was SO kind and generous in happier days,
to protest against this overflow of insults.
] therefore ask permission to raise my fee
BILE voice to establish some impartial
truths. The empress herself may perhaps
be inclined to blame me for reyiving the
past that is buried for her and dear ones
gone forever; but am certain to have
with me all those who remember her, in
Guiding the thousands of mothers whose
children in the days of splendor were the
godsons of the sovereign lady who was
once beloved and applauded by all France.
THE MARRIAGE.
II will not recall the different visits to
Paris of the Countess de Teba with her
mother, the Countess de Montijo, but ]
must refer to II detail imperfectly under.
stood and often exploited against her.
Certainly the Countess de Teba was highly
fattered, honored and happy the day when
the emperor asked her to share his destiny;
but, superstitious and tmid, she was
frightened at the very excess Of her good
fortune. She considered the difficulties
and the burden of her sudden elevation and
the loss OF that independence which up to
that moment was assured to her by her
rank, her birth and her fortune and, filed
with gratitude, loyalty and honestly sought
to dissuade the emperor from his project
but the emperor firmly persisted in his
resolution. AS he declared to the CORPS
legislatif when he announced his mar
riage, he expected to find in her a wife
pious gracious and good who would be an
ornament to the throne and it's most cour-
ageous supporter in the days of danger
By the nobleness of her attitude by her |
tact and the great purity of her life, Eugene
won the sympathy and the respect of all
Europe"
After detailing some of the numerous
acts of charity of the empress, her weekly |
visits incognito to the slums of Paris, !
where more than 500 families received as
sistance from her generous hand in utter
ignorance of the name of their benefac-
tress, the writer comes down to the aimee
terrible.
IT WAS NOT HER WAR.
"The phrase this IL my war; attributed |
to the empress, has been repeatedly and |
widely published everywhere Nothing |
could be more false. The empress desired |
peace. The emperor and his government |
endeavored sincerely to avoid a connagra-
sented France us Inundated by Prussia |
and conquered at Sadowa and the public |
opinion was in favor of France taking up
the gauntlet. The cry was for war, and it |
was uttered with a tumultuous energy that |
nobody forgets If the promoters Of this |
movement have, since our reverses, de-
clined all responsibility for their attitude
In order to throw the blame upon the en-
press, history will have no such partiality
Moreover, the newspapers of all shades |
published in 1870 and the official reports of
the debates in the corps legislatif establish
beyond contradiction the fact that the pop
ulation of Paris wanted war The feyersh
exaltation in the midst of which our regi
ments left the capital was such that when
the emperor decided to go with his army
he avoided passing through Paris A his
torian, who has certainly never been over
indulgent to the empire, NJ, Rotham, adj
mits that If the empress was the victim of
those warlike passions, she never showed
them.
"She anxiously asked NJ. de parieu what
he thought of the resolution taken. 4
think, madam said the president of the
state council, that if tomorrow England
could find formula that would permit us
to avoid this war, she would do n great
service to France The empress replied,
That is precisely my opinion.
THINK OF THE ARMY"
but what was the attitude Of the en-.
press regent when the news came of our
first disasterY A man known for his at.
tachment to other princes, General Cha
baud-Latour gives this testimony: On the
night of the 9TH TO the Sth of August we
had just heard of Forbach and Refs.
choffen. | was called to the empress
with the Iunisters. Nothing could be
more noble or dignihod than her language
ut that hour; eve are now looking after
the preservation of the empire" she said;
1--WE must see to the safety Of France"
Here is Trochu's testimony; "lho empress,
has displayed GOODNESS, character and Cour.
age, sentiments far more French than inn
peralistic ! wish TO do her this JUSTICE
when it was proposed TO reinforce the
army of MacMahon shortly before Sedan,
the empress was told that the D., 600 men
under General Ninoy constituted the guard
of Paris, and that if they were to leave the
capital might be at the mercy of dema-
gogues. Her reply, faithfully reported by
M. Henri Chevreau, was as follows Let
me entreat you now, once and for all, not
to think of me. Think of the army, think
of France. Twill hear no discussion of the
question. Don't lose n moment Let Gen.
eral Vinoy leave this very dayp"
The rest of the story is like some 70,
nance, with Eugene as its unfortunate
IL roH-u, o Sf a ri bnuntirI1