Year: 1873

and England had reason for congratuation than
her people are perhaps even now, aware or Inc end Oh
the Mexican business the severest blow which the
dynastic system had received since the French Reyo
tion The divinity OF hereditary rulers instead OF being
strengthened was again tragicaly shaken; and hence
forth another bloody ghost added TO the thousands
! which already haunted the Tuileries


The later events OF Nap0le0ns reign lie so near TO US
that we need not recapate them in detail The failure
OF his Mexican plans disturbed the general faith In his
nfalHbe WISDOM and first revealed the hollow fonnda-
tion upon which his imperial power was built III was
source OF profound modification TO the French people
| how profound only those can know who have visited
France and discussed the matter there, within the last
three or four years On the other hand the rgor OF the
imperial rule had been considerably relaxed and there
we're even those who believed that the Emperor only
wished order before realizing his genuine poh
zeal views by Constitution which would secure
| fair representation for the people.


From this point, there seems to be change In tne
character OF Napoleon Ill, but rather inclined to
consider it as a more unguarded manifestation of quail
ties which he had already exhibited His history reflects
the contradictions united in his nature. His educa-
ton early associations and later studies were all more
less democratlc no understood the material wants
and desires Of the people very much better than the
monarchcal theory OF government His own personal
tastes tended downward rather than upward but his
sellshness which extreme, his ambition which





which was always fantastic, compelled him to play
part in which he felt entirely Of himself.


To this Inconsistency OF disposition added another
of mental habit HIS best quality. and the source OF
much Of his success this-and We have many In
stances of It from those who know him ntmately he
sought variety Of COUNSEL heard impassvey the most
contradictory views questioned tested the strength OF
arguments and then, concealng his previous
opinion adopted what best in each. But another
tendency of his mind TO brood some single Idea
until its realization impressed his brain with the force OF
an established fact and rendered him incapable seeing
1t any other form The early English estimate Of his
character not entirely He something Of


dreamer and outgrew his tendency TO fantastic
dreams. The Austerz uniform at strasburg, and the
tame eagle at Bouogne the devices Of man whose
| fancies were not always rational


During the early years OF his reign the necessities Of
his position kept this weak and wful element neheok
but its exercise encouraged by his success He was
tolerabe judge Of menat least OF human tools-and
we cannot know how much vaclation, concealed from
the world observed by those about him. In judging
of the actions of any ruler II is difficult to point out
which from himself and which have been sug-
gested by others. The who reaches such pitch OF
power approprates the invention and energy OF many
men, and cooly pockets the resulting fape 1t Is not
strange that Napoleon Ill., when he looked around Eu-
rope and found statesman bold enough to dispute his
protensons should have sackened the severe control
imposed upon his own nature and induged his strange,
visionary moods. We cannot properly account for his
without giving prominence TO this characteristic


physical evil had also declared itself-one OF those
wearing. incurabe maladies, which not only rack the
body with pain but shater the nervous energy and be-
cloud operations OF the mind. In 1862, when we saw
him IA Paris he still appeared vigorous and his cold,
heavy face almost cheerful expression: in 1868
he was hagGard gray, sunkenyed, and his mpassiye-
ness seemed to cover continual dstrust.


FRANCE AND PRUSSIA.


While he was chatting under overthrow OF his plans
IN Mexico before the last sad act OF the tragedy had
been performed there came second and far seyerer
blow The Prussan campaign Of 1866 drew broad black


line his calculations. Bismarck had been Prssan
ambassador Paris lin 1862 and the Emperor imagined
that in he had secured another unconscious ay but
Bismarck is OF those men who naturally honest are
able dssimuate for the sake OF defeating dssimua-
ton His plans concealed for ten times the length
Of Napoleon Ills coup dtta but they were realized on
an open battlefield in the sight of the world not through
perjury, darkness, and slaughter


The Emperor was so completely and narrowly Napo-
eonist that his impressions OF Prussia seemed to have
been derived from w0rd-Jena. When war became
inevitable he repeated the bunder be had made in the
case of Mexcotrusted implicitly in the victory of the
side which defeated. The issue Of the six weeks
war was overwhelming The world, for the first time,
heard the creaklng Of the shaky props of his throne.
Forced to become the convenient g0between by which
yenetia was transferred TO Italy, &" free from the
Alps to the Adriatic" against his wil-to hear Europe
ringing with victory which made SOferlno tame-to
see the map of Germany changed without the slightest
regard to the sympahes interests OF France implied


loss OF power which foreboded growing opposition at
home His personal government" responsible for
all; but IL this not humiliation enough, he ex-
posed himself to rdcue by demanding the surrender Of
Rhenish Prussia II almost incredible that he
could not perceive the new power and Importance of
Prussia and the utter impossbity of her granting such
a claim.


His efforts were next directed toward preventing any
nearer approach of Bavaria and Wiirtemberg toward
the North German Confederation but, he only
discovered months afterward the military alliance
of those States had already been accomplished. Luxem
burg by secret arrangement nearly fell into his hands
but here again Prussia stepped in the way, and,i al
though she did not win the prize, 1t lost to France
The sensitive French people began to grow very res tive
under the humlIatons to which they were exposed by
the Emperor's reckless diplomacy.


The general elections Of 1868 showed that he had lost
popularity the press prosecutions and especially
the proceedings in connection with Henri ROchefort and
La Lanterne increased the dsconent in 1869 the cleo


ons were again avorable though the Government Of
course commanded a majority. There were riotous
demonstrations in Paris; over thousand persons wero
arrested and the troops called upon to preserve
order several OF the larger cities The proposal OF
liberal amendments at the opening OF the session in
July, 1862 the dismissal OF Rouher. the formation OF
the seiniberal OLIVIER ministry Jan, $780, partially
restored the popular confidence and when ho
appealed TO the country with his fayorte device Of
fraudulent peoscite in May 1870 he obtained 100000
votes, though there were in Paris alone no
fewer than 10000 against him, and in all
the large cities a formidable opposition. More
significant however than anything else large and
unexpected adverse vote In the army and navy. stin
the pebiscte left him. he supposed strong enough TO
try last great enterprise OF his life and reign the
war for the Rhensh provinces of Prussia which he had
doubtless planned for years The military organization
OF France was considered-although without any lyery
definite grounds-to be the complete in Europe.