New-York tribune., 1909-06-19
Some Ne5c Light Oh the Character Of
the Third Napoleon.
Paris, June Il.

ATarechal C,aurobert Souvenirs dun Steele re
Gently published by Plon-Nourrit presents
valuable contribution TO history. The true men
tai moral and physical condition Of Napoleon
III has perhaps never before been exposed Win
such precision Of detail or with such pict
uresqueness. Already in 1866 his health was so
undermined that he entirely lacked energy and
initiative From his own observation he knew
fuh well that the Prlssian forces. long before
Custozza were greatly superior 10 those of Aus
Gria and Italy combined. Nevertheless. he was
incapable of resisting the counsel of the EN-
press and of those courtiers who predicted that
the campaigns Of 1866 would result in trl-
1lnpllant victory over the Prlssians IL was
the insistence Of the Empress that preVehueu
Napoleon III from carrying out ms loed u
pIacing an army Of observation on the Rhlhe-
This measure would probably have averted the
war. which was a crushing defeat 10 France
quite as much 10 Austria
on another occasion il was the EmperorS III
health that kept him from Furnishing Bazalne Ior
his intrigues in Mexico and his treacheTy toward
Maxirlilian Instead Of acting upon his original
intention and summary recalling Bazaine, he
waited until too late and was at last obhged 10
scuttle out. as best he could. under the threat
made by Secretary Seward that unless the
French forces were withdrawn from Mexico the
armies OF the United States. set free by the
news of the execution of Macmillan reached the
Emperor under peculiar circumstances The
Universal Exposition was in full swing The
Sr7ltan had succeeded the Car OF Russia and
the King Of Prussia as the guest OF Napoleon
III Abdul Aziz is described as man Of rude
11ncouth manners He refused to offer his arm
10 The Empress. At the dinner table ne con-
tinuaIlv glanced to the right and 10 the left to
see how his neighbors handled their knives ana
forks and he turned up the sleeves Of his tunlc
an covered with gold embroidery 50 as not TO
soil them The distribution Of awards at the
exnosition. a ceremony which the Emperor
and F2nrress and their Oriental guest were TO
rreside was fixed for July / The night before
al 2 late hour. a cipher dispatch had arrived at
the o1ai d-Orsay. The minister vas absent and
the only attache on duty vas Count Antoine de
Csontaut- -Biron. The telegram was from the
French Minister al Washington. and announced
that Naxinailian had been shot on June -
Monsieur de C1ontaut-B Biron hastened At once 70
the Tuileries and handed il the Emperor. !
whom he found in bed. After having read the
dispatch. and without betraying the slightest
emotion Napoleon IL said: You and I are
the only persons who know of this catastrophe /
Tomorrow the ceremony Of the distribution Of /
prizes takes place Until that ceremony is over !
YOU must not open your mouth 10 living soul
about this message" The Emperor then took !
the telegram and put it under his pillow.
Next morning at : O'Clock the Empress. who !
had been confdentiany informed Of the news by |
her husband, dressed herself in black and called
4 one Of her young ladies' Mile de Marion daugh-
Ter Of the General commanding the cavalry OF /
the Guard, to-day the Countess Clary. Accom-
panied by her and without disclosing the secret |
she proceeded 70 the Church Of St.-Roch. and !
there kneeling in front Of the pillar which sup
ports the altar Of the Virgin. and holding her
head between her hands she remained in prayer
for half an hour. At the time announced for the
ceremony the Emperor, the Empress. the Prince
Imperial and the Sultan took their places on the
dais in the centre Of the Palais de TIndustrie.
Scarcely had they been seated when an aide-de- |
camp brought 70 the Emperor dispatch an
nouncing that the captain Of an Austrian frigate
had telegraphed from New Orleans TO the /
Austrian Minister At Washington that Maxi F.!
milan had been executed, and that Juarez |
had refused 10 deliver UP his body. Mar
shal Canrobert who was seated near Ma
poleou. observed that the latter hastily wrote /
a few lines in pencil on page Of his notebook !
which he tore of folded and sent 10 the Prince !
and Princess Metternich who were present The |
Austrian Arnbassador. after reading the message
rose and with the princess left the place The |
ceremony then commenced As soon as the
hymns and speeches on behalf Of the peace and
were given and the proceedings came TO an end |
Just al that moment copies Of the -Independance |
Beige" appeared in the streets giving the first
public intimatior Of the news.
The morale and discipline Of the officers Of the |
Imperial Guard in Paris at that time are dis
closed by curious incident which Canrobert re-
iate7 Th@ Minister Of War had demanded Ger
tain accounts from the Colonel Of one Of the
regiments. This officer not having replied with
sufficient promputude formal Injunction TO
make haste was addressed 10 him. This mes
sage, well as its predecessor. was received
by the Major Of the regiment and his Colonel.
who had heen absent for ten days had left word
that he was on pretext whatever TO be dis
tUrbed-" The last order however. was 50 per
empto.y that the Major went TO the house Of his
superior officer and there delivered it The re-
calci1rant Colonel VAS prOflse in his thanks and
excused himself in these words: 7 have been
se terribly busy these last few days that have
not had moment Of my own. Cora Pearl who
is about 70 make her debut al the theatre OF
the RoUfes as Cupid in 'Orphe aux Enters has
q most terrible English accent. and she pro
nounces the word 'Cupidon' as If it were spelled
''C-uioupidoune' have been wearing myself out
trying 70 correct this awful pronunciation" This
excuse was duly transmitted to the Minister of
War. and, according 10 Canrobert the Colonel. a
favorite al Court, was not even reprirnanded
Napoleon III, in 1855, fully appreciated the
fact that the Prussian army was in an adnira-
bic state Of efficiency and that its masters were
thoroughly prepared for war. He was also pain
fully aware OF the IamentabIe condition Of the
French forces But he lacked the nerve and
realized was inevitable. Singularly enough the
r,7e0 --Aar, TO he