The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-09
J, by John carl Ridnatb

| celebrated Berlin decree. declaring hi
| British Islands in a state OF blackade and
| lnterdicting all correspondence and trade
with England The property Of British
! subjects, under a wide schedule Of liabiL
| tiles, was declared cOntraband OF war.
Meanwhile, the aid promised to Prua-
/ STA by the car had been too slow foI
/ the lightning that struck at Jena. The
/ oncoming Russians reached the Vistu'a
but were forced back by the victorious
] French. who took possession of Warsaw
/ There the emperor established his win
ter quarters, and remained for nearly
/ three months, engaged In the formulation
/ OF new plans OF conquest and new schemes
/ Tor the pacihcation of Europe. Here il
/ was, in his interval Of repose. that he
won the beautiful Princess Madame Vale
wska. Hoping to secure the indepe1-
dence OF her country, she laid her giriish
/ charms on the altar, and followed the for
| tunes of her imperial but unfulfHing
| lover, not to Elba only but to Longwood
and despair. After fifteen years Of hope
| less devotion, she re-entered the world 10
be known as the Countess d'Ornano.
After Jena. Prussia, though crushed re-
NAMED beligRerent. Her shattered TO-.
| tresses drew off 10 the borders. and were
Joined by the Russian in East Prussia.
The campaign of tS7 opened here On
Feb 5, the French army, about 1000
strong. advanced against the allies, COM
manded by Bennington and Lestocq At
the town of Eylau. about twenty miles
from Konigsberg. a great but indecisive
battle was fought, in which each ARM
suffered a loss Of nearly 1900 men. The
Russians and Prussians fell back about
four miles TO Friedland. and both armies
were reinforced. the French to about So
600, and the allies 10 approximately the
same number.
The shock Of Eylau, the inclemencv of
the season and tho nn1ftfra1 rrr,aDIf1o-
tions that thickened in every horizon held
back military movements until the be-
ginning Of summer On the 14th Of June
was fought the great battle of Friedland:
ana the allied army was virtually de-
stroyed The loss Of the Russians and
Prussians was more than 5000 men; that
OF the French fewer than 5000. Napoleon
commanded in person, and his triumph
was prodigious. Though common fame
would have Austerhtz to be the most glo-
rlous of his battles critical opinion con-
cedes the palm TO Friedland. The mar
tiaI splendor Of that day has been caught
IN our own times by the heroic brush OF
Meissonier. and delivered in the most
splendid painting in America to the i'm
mortality Of art. The traveller. walking
alone IN the Metropolitan Museum of
New York. near the twilight hour 6nds
himself Unexpectedly ia the presence of the
scene. There. on a slight elevation IN tho
Wheatneld OF June, sitting on his white
morse, with his hat lifted. IN silent snlu-
tation surround ed by the princes and mar
shals OF his empire. sits the sardonic SOM
nambuhst, while before him to the Ieft
the curassiers of the Guard, on their I've
mendous horses at full gallon. bearing
down through the broken wheat u5it5
ougIefs IN the van and sabers flashing
Iugh' ana bearded mouths wide open with
yeihngs that resounded through the world
till now, plunge wildly, irresistibl,, -,
ward against the unseen enemy recLIass
alke OF lie and death but choosing ratbor
death, If only the marble face but smiIe,
AIter trledlanG. rilsit There. in Tho
,n al-'uie OF the Memel, on the 18th of June
lsV" Napoleon and the car met on the
famous raft. The beaten AIexander "a
come 10 admire his victorious Antagonist
why should the faces of his fifty thou
SAND dead prevent him from falling In love
with the destroyer? The emperors -rea a.
ily agreed to be at peace. on the TN Of
Juls treaty was concluded between
France and Russia, and two
days afterward a similar compact betwosn
France and Prussia. Frederick William
sought refuge after the battle in the lit
tie town of Memel, which was now about
all he might call his own!
Now was created the grand duchv of
Warsaw, composed of Prussian territory.
over this new state was set Napoleon
friend Frederick Augustus, king of the
Saxons. Another part of Prussia was
given to the car. Dantzic was declared
independent The province west of the
Elbe was coded to France. All the Bon
apartes were confirmed in their kingdoms
and the Confederation nof the Rhine was
recognized. The ports of Prussia were
shut TO English commerce Frederick
Williams army was placed at a maximum
of 1900 men. To these provisions was
added a large indemnity to France from
Prussia. The map which the Corsican had
etched with his word-pOint on the broken
landscape of Europe was confirmed by
the agreement of all the powers-save
England.
For four years the sting Of Tilsit was in
the vitals OF England. So powerful was
the Napoleonic influence that Denmark
leaned Franceward, and the car smiled
1t was suspected by the Grenville ministry
that the Danes would close their ports to
British trade. Under these suspicious. Ad-
miral Cathcart was sent with his fleet into
the Baltic. demanding that the navy Of
Denmark should be surrendered in pledge
to Great Britain. To this monstrous prop
osition the crown prince bravely answered
no. Cathcart then proceeded against Co.
penhagen, and in the first week of Septem-
Der bombarded the city. Three hundred
and fifty buildings. including the UNIVERSE
houses rendered untenable About 1000
people were killed in the horror. the like
of which had not been witnessed in modern
times Great Britain was at peace with
Denmark! John Clark Ridpath.