Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-13


the throne Of the highly ADMIRED mistress Of
the Tuilerles. A. much more propitious star
than over these two personal acquaintance
OF the empress shone over theo6ne formed by
her at the sane time with victoria Of Eng
land. who. as all the world knows, has since
then preserved a friendship f6f her not only
outliving Sedan and the IAN i5f the empire.
but unweakened to this very day.
IL was not until 1864 that Napoleon Ill,
after different minor escapadss, hushed up
always adroitly enough, fell IN the nets Of
that professional Partisan j courtesan. Mar
guerite Bellanger, to whom the publicity Of
her great conquest was of still more value
than the rain Of imperial gold showered into
the lap Of tie modern Danae. All Paris
knew Of the scandal-the empress as the last
one. And them" Prof. Won Sybel says, "aIl
the impulslve pride of her C%astilian blood
rose to its full height. She revolted first and
then succumbed. Seized by a heavy prostra-
ton OF nerves, she hurried away from Paris,
and enforced at last from the frightened,
but not reformed emperor the permission to
leave France for a prolonged stay at the
waters Of Schwalbach. II is easily under
stood what stir was caused In Europe by the
domestic quarrel of SO high standing a
couple, and how many medlators fastened
from all sides to offer their good services for
the healing of the break. And as Eugenie's
heart was drawn powerfully back to her
adored son, then a beautiful and hopeful boy
Of s and the heir CT an imperial crown. a
kind Of reconciliation was really perfected.
But 1t was then, returning to Paris, that
sho said sadly to her old friend, Prosper
Merimee: Yes, here / am again. But there
is no Eugene any more-there is but an
empress at this court"
From that time, 1t is true, the empress
took more and more to politics, but-as our
German authority adds-not so. much for
mere ambition as out Of consideration for
her sons future. Besides that, Herr Won
Sybel comedies, her Catholic orthodoxy
might have mazda hpr mara aasiIv causitivo
to certain influences from that side than was
desirable.
AS HEAD OF THE WAR PARTY.
After the war between Prussia and Austria
in 1866, o%usting the latter from Germany
and creating in the North German ALI
ance" the nucleus of the coming United
Germany the empress found herself again
between two conflicting influences, as the
emperor was then already a sick and tired
man, perfectly satisfied to have in Rouher a
prime minister who was vice emperor not
only by nickname. And both emperor and
vice emperor wished peace, for both knew
only too well what an enemy in Prussia and
the new North German Confederation they
had to contend With, and what was at stake
in case of defeat.
1t is impossible that the empress did not
know thoroughly their views, and Herr Won
Sybel, in his little monograph, pretends In
all earnestness that she knew and even shared
them in fact, but that at the same time all
warlike and "cbauvinistic'' elements of the
cabinet and the court gathered around her.
and that she was regarded as the head of the
war party long before she knew that she was
considered as such, still less before she could
have given her consent to 1t in reality. Here
is what he says literally:
I'm her situation, pressed from one side to
another, the empress may have recognized in
one moment the war as a duty of honor; In
the next one the peace as an absolute neces-
s.ty. But thoroughly plausible to me Is the
judgment of a high Austrian statesman in
timately acquainted with her for years, who
said: She certainly did not ~instigate the
war or even favor 1t at any time, but neither
did she at the same time everything in her
power to prevent it. And another standard
witness, a German Observer, who also for
years enjoyed the privilege Of close personal
relation to her, assured me that the empress,
intim!dated by the prophet of evil, Gramont,
and his accomplices, yielded solely to the de-
sire of securing the shaking throne to her son
by not opposing TO the utmost the war which
she from a woman's instinct feared and alb
horred not less than her husband from othec
reasons"
AS TO HER FAMOUS REMARK.
And then coming to that notorious ex-
clamation, ascribed so tenahtously to Eugene
OF France, that has found since then a place
among the French historical words besides
the "Apres nous lie delug8rs of Nine. de
Pompadour, or the duchessao f Polignac's adj
vice. ito give cakes to the starving Parisisns
II there was no bread at hand for them"
the German historian continues:
And now above all to that OF her words.
a thousand times quoted. and a. often bit
terly reproached: 'C'est ma guerre-ma
petite guerre-la guerre a mol! CThis Is
my war--my little war-my own war!)
Friends and adversariss have argued about
the ambition and the political ~volitions of the
later years OF Eugen.e's power. But all of them
agree that besides a good deal of natural
kindness she has been always possessed OF
common sense. tact and good Judgment. And
In spite of this we are asked to believe with
out a moments hesitation that she has intro.
duced herself to her own time. as to all
times to come, at the very outbreak Of the
most terrible war of nations, with the abb
surdity of such an insipid bragi She herself
has always denied it.. Her lady in waiting.
Carette, and, like her, the excellent re-
searcher, Girandeau, has branded it as an
president of the High States Council, can be
added to these unexceptionable witnesses.
On the other side there has been always a
fruitleas research for SOM one who has
heard these words from the empress own
lips, or even for a witness to whom II had
bsen related by such an authority
In the continuation of his essay Herr Won
tic narration OF the events preceding imme-
diately the declaration of war of the 15tn of
July, 1870. Everything in it tends to thu one
end of bringing proof that Impress Eugene
was then not among the urging and pressing
agencies in bringing on the Franco-German
war, but that, at the most, she was but one
of the many carried away too easily by
which propelled France then to rack and
ruin. One of them. and not the least niiiahle