The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-17
THE SECOND VOLUME OF PAsQUIER's
MEMOIRS.

1Sf2-'f4 II is a work OF absorbing inter-
est, prepared years after the events by
a man Of singularly calm mind ana
powers Of just observation. and 1t gives
us a picture Of France during the mo-
mentous period that interviewed between
Napoeons return from Moscow and his
first abdication that is Photographic in It's
distinctness and completeness.
The efforts which Napoleon rousea
France to making during that period are
astounding He had carried an army OF
more than five hundred thousand men
into Russia. and he had brought back
scanty thirty thousand, yet, between that
return and his abdication-indeed, be-
tween January, 1919, and January, ISL
be extorted from France 100000 more
men. produced by his rigid conscripuon'
and yet, when he was driven to the wall
in the end of March, 1914. he could scarce
" muster from them all an army of 3d.
go men. Even with the despotic control
which he had succeeded in establishing
all over France and in every conceivable
place where influence and power coulu
count. It Is stiil wonderful that France
should have made such response to his
demands. and it is the very highest pos
sible tribute to the patriotism and un-
eelhshness of her people when their coun-
try's honor and safety is at stake that
France sent her sons in such hecatombs
TO be slaughtered on the field of battle.
There is in history but one parallel TO
her course, and that is in the conduct
of the people of the South during our
civil war. which excels it far. For while
we had a conscript law, yet 1t was the
sense of the whole public that all able
bodied men who had no just excuse for
absence should be in the Confederate
Army, and most of them would have been
there without the act of CONSUMPTION.
But it took the law and Government
power to bring the Frenchmen out. Pas
quier says, Vol. H., p. 9S:
when, some day, an examination is
made Of all the laws, DEGREES. and regu-
lations which were considered necessary
TO secure the annual levying of human
beings torn from their homes, il viii be
admitted that the intOxication OF glory
must indeed be powerful as 1t sufticed
for 80 many years to make nation
which had reached a high degree OF CIVIL
| lization, not only to endure the con-
tinual recurrence of so painful a sacrl-
flee. but also the outrageous means which
had to be resorted to in order to ensure
| its being carried out. Habits Of obedi-
ence must have been deeply rooted, Tor,
| even at the point which we have reached
| flight was the only method to which one
| dared have recourse to escape the sum-
mons of the recruiting officers, ana can
| recollect only one locality wherein the
conscripts openly rebelled. They were Sc
yerely punished for 1t. Troops were I'M
mediately sent TO the spot from nelghpor-
ing garrisons, and NJ. Real was ordered
TO go post haste, make an investigation
on the spot, and see tnat 'he most Sc
we're punishment should without delay be
melted out to the rebellious conscripts.
Twentv-four hours after his arrival he
had shot eight or ten of the most guilty
Everything therefore, had resumed It's
normal state"
We had nothing of that sort in the
confederacy. although our CONSUMPTION
took every man within the military age,
while Frances only look Il certain pio-
portion-a large ore, it is true.
The morals of the period are perhaps
better illustrated by the following than
by anything else authentic that has been
published. Pasquier. during this period,
was Prefect of Police for Paris. This
was far more than the head of police for
| any other city 1t was almost the same
| thing as q Cabinet minister. When the
| allies were closing in on Paris, and II
seemed probable that the Government
would have to take to fight, the Duke
| of Rovigo, the Minister of Police, came
| to Pasquier with locked satchell. which
| he begged him to take charge Of and
| destroy if there was danger Of its falling
| into the hands of the enemy. Rovigo
| said 1t was the most precious possession
| which he had OIL earth, as it contained
| all his correspondence with the EN-
| peror. and In that way the justification
| of all his political acts. Pasquier was un-
willing to accept the responsibility, but
| finally consented. Soon It became evident
| there was danger Of its falling into the
| enemy's hands, and he determined to in
| spect IL and see whether 1t was indeed
! of the character described by Royigo. lie
then proceeds thus:
| Il considered il necessary to open it
| to see for myself whether the Due de
| Royigo had told me the truth regarding
| its contents, and whether there was
| among them anything else besides the
| letters he had mentioned. When making
| this examination, which confirmed his We
racity, my eyes naturally fell on the
| documents which were on top of all the
packages-and they were the last OF the
| orrespondence-those written by Napo-
| leon on leaving Rheims. Great was my
| establishment 10 see that they had, to a
| great extent, reference TO suspicious he
| had conceived regarding the Empress
Marie Louise or rather his brother Jo-
seph, whom he accused Of having made
the most outrageous advances to her. The
Due de Rovigo was severely lectured for
having given him no Information on the
subject, and he was ordered to exercise
for the future the strictest surveillance
over what went on at the chateau. For
u long time l believed that this charge Of
Napoleon against his brother had its
source in the mental arrangement of a
mind which countless annoyances in
clined at this time TO accredit all kinds
of suspicious: but / have since learnt
from NJ de Saint-Aignan, who. consider
ing his intimacy with the Duchesse de
Montebello. must have been thoroughly
well informed as to the matter, that Ma
poleon's suspicious were only too well
founded, and that at that period the
1,oA tlx ttx,f, nrf.t naI h..