personal memoirs-2-第48章

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foresaw　and　dreaded　the　establishment　of　a　Republic；　his　idea　being

that　if　peace　was　made　then；　the　Empire　could　be　continued　in　the

person　of　the　Prince　Imperial　who；　coming　to　the　throne　under

German　influences；　would　be　pliable　in　his　hands。　　These　views　found

frequent　expression　in　private；　and　in　public　too；　I　myself

particularly　remember　the　Chancellor's　speaking　thus　most　unguardedly

at　a　dinner　in　Rheims。　　But　he　could　not　prevent　the　march　to　Paris；

it　was　impossible　to　stop　the　Germans；　flushed　with　success。　　〃On　to

Paris〃　was　written　by　the　soldiers　on　every　door；　and　every　fence…

board　along　the　route　to　the　capital；　and　the　thought　of　a　triumphant

march　down　the　Champs　Elysees　was　uppermost　with　every　German；　from

the　highest　to　the　lowest　grade。



The　5th　of　September　we　set　out　for　Rheims。　　There　it　was　said　the

Germans　would　meet　with　strong　resistance；　for　the　French　intended　to

die　to　the　last　man　before　giving　up　that　city。　　But　this　proved　all

fudge；　as　is　usual　with　these　〃last　ditch〃　promises；　the　garrison

decamping　immediately　at　the　approach　of　a　few　Uhlans。　　So　far　as　I

could　learn；　but　a　single　casualty　happened；　this　occurred　to　an

Uhlan；　wounded　by　a　shot　which　it　was　reported　was　fired　from　a　house

after　the　town　was　taken；　so；　to　punish　this　breach　of　faith；　a　levy

of　several　hundred　bottles　of　champagne　was　made；　and　the　wine

divided　about　headquarters；　being　the　only　seizure　made　in　the　city；

I　believe；　for　though　Rheims；　the　centre　of　the　champagne　district；

had　its　cellars　well　stocked；　yet　most　of　them　being　owned　by　German

firms；　they　received　every　protection。



The　land　about　Rheims　is　of　a　white；　chalky　character；　and　very　poor；

but　having　been　terraced　and　enriched　with　fertilizers；　it　produces

the　champagne　grape　in　such　abundance　that　the　region；　once

considered　valueless；　and　named　by　the　peasantry　the　〃land　of　the

louse；〃　now　supports　a　dense　population。　　We　remained　in　Rheims　eight

days；　and　through　the　politeness　of　the　American　ConsulMr。　Adolph

Gillhad　the　pleasure　of　seeing　all　the　famous　wine　cellars；　and

inspecting　the　processes　followed　in　champagne　making；　from　the　step

of　pressing　the　juice　from　the　grape　to　that　which　shows　the　wine

ready　for　the　market。　　Mr。　Gill　also　took　us　to　see　everything　else

of　special　interest　about　the　city；　and　there　being　much　to　look　at

fine　old　churches；　ancient　fortifications；　a　Roman　gateway；　etc。the

days　slipped　by　very　quickly；　though　the　incessant　rains　somewhat

interfered　with　our　enjoyment。



For　three　or　four　days　all　sorts　of　rumors　were　rife　as　to　what　was

doing　in　Paris；　but　nothing　definite　was　learned　till　about　the　9th；

then　Count　Bismarck　informed　me　that　the　Regency　had　been　overthrown

on　the　4th；　and　that　the　Empress　Eugenie　had　escaped　to　Belgium。　　The

King　of　Prussia　offered　her　an　asylum　with　the　Emperor　at

Wilhelmshohe；　〃where　she　ought　to　go；〃　said　the　Chancellor；　〃for　her

proper　place　is　with　her　husband；〃　but　he　feared　she　would　not。　　On

the　same　occasion　he　also　told　me　that　Jules　Favrethe　head　of　the

Provisional　Governmenthad　sent　him　the　suggestion　that；　the　Empire

being　gone；　peace　should　be　made　and　the　Germans　withdrawn；　but　that

he　（Bismarck）　was　now　compelled　to　recognize　the　impossibility　of

doing　this　till　Paris　was　taken；　for　although　immediately　after　the

surrender　of　Sedan　he　desired　peace；　the　past　few　days　had　made　it

plain　that　the　troops　would　not　be　satisfied　with　anything　short　of

Paris；　no　matter　what　form　of　Government　the　French　should　ultimately

adopt。



The　German　army　having　met　with　no　resistance　whatever　in　its　march

on　Paris；　its　advance　approached　the　capital　rapidly；　and　by　the　14th

of　September　the　royal　headquarters　moved　by　a　fine　macadamized　road

to　the　Chateau　Thierry；　and　on　the　5th　reached　Meaux；　about　twenty…

eight　miles　from　Paris；　where　we　remained　four　days　awaiting　the

reconstruction　of　some　railroad　and　canal　bridges。　　The　town　of　Meaux

has　a　busy　population　of　about　10；000　souls；　in　peaceable　times

principally　occupied　in　manufacturing　flour　for　the　Paris　market；

having　a　fine　waterpower　for　the　many　mills。　　These　were　kept　going

day　and　night　to　supply　the　German　army；　and　it　was　strange　to　see

with　what　zeal　Frenchmen　toiled　to　fill　the　stomachs　of　their

inveterate　enemies；　and　with　what　alacrity　the　mayor　and　other。

officials　filled　requisitions　for　wine；　cheese；　suits　of　livery；

riding…whips；　and　even　squab　pigeons。



During　our　stay　at　Meaux　the　British　Minister　Lord　Lyons；　endeavored

to　bring　about　a　cessation　of　hostilities；　to　this　end　sending　his

secretary　out　from　Paris　with　a　letter　to　Count　Bismarck；　offering　to

serve　as　mediator。　　The　Chancellor　would　not　agree　to　this；　however；

for　he　conjectured　that　the　action　of　the　British　Minister　had　been

inspired　by　Jules　Favre；　who；　he　thought；　was　trying　to　draw　the

Germans　into　negotiations　through　the　medium　of　a　third　party　only

for　purposes　of　delay。　　So　the　next　morning　Lord　Lyons's　secretary；

Mr。　Edward　Malet；　returned　to　Paris　empty…handed；　except　that　he　bore

a　communication　positively　declining　mediation；　which　message；

however；　led　no　doubt　to　an　interview　between　Bismarck　and　Favre　a

couple　of　days　later。



The　forenoon　of　September　19　the　King　removed　to　the　Chateau

Ferrieresa　castle　belonging　to　the　Rothschild　family；　where

Napoleon　had　spent　many　happy　days　in　the　time　of　his　prosperity。

His　Majesty　took　up　his　quarters　here　at　the　suggestion　of　the　owner；

we　were　told；　so　that　by　the　presence　of　the　King　the　magnificent

chateau　and　its　treasures　of　art　would　be　unquestionably　protected

from　all　acts　of　vandalism。



All　of　the　people　at　headquarters　except　the　King's　immediate　suite

were　assigned　quarters　at　Lagny；　and　while　Forsyth　and　I；　accompanied

by　Sir　Henry　Havelock；　of　the　British　army；　were　driving　thither；　we

passed　on　the　road　the　representative　of　the　National　Defense

Government；　Jules　Favre；　in　a　carriage　heading　toward　Meaux。

Preceded　by　a　flag　of　truce　and　accompanied　by　a　single；　companion；

be　was　searching　for　Count　Bismarck；　in　conformity；　doubtless；　with

the　message　the　Chancellor　had　sent　to　Paris　on　the　17th　by　the

British　secretary。　　A　half…mile　further　on　we　met　Bismarck。　　He　too

was　traveling　toward　Meaux；　not　in　the　best　of　humor　either；　it

appeared；　for　having　missed　finding　the　French　envoy　at　the

rendezvous　where　they　had　agreed　to　meet；　he　stopped　long　enough　to

say　that　the　〃air　was　full　of　lies；　and　that　there　were　many　persons

with　the　army　bent　on　business　that　did　not　concern　them。〃



The　armies　of　the　two　Crown　Princes　were　now　at　the　outskirts　of

Paris。　　They　had　come　from　Sedan　mainly　by　two　routesthe　Crown

Prince　of　Saxony　marching　by　the　northern　line；　through　Laon　and

Soissons；　and　the　Crown　Prince　of　Prussia　by　the　southern　line；

keeping　his　right　wing　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Marne；　while　his　left

and　centre　approached　the　French　capital　by　roads　between　that　river

and　the　Seine。



The　march　of　these　armies　had　been　unobstructed　by　any　resistance

worth　mentioning；　and　as　the　routes　of　both　columns　lay　through　a

region　teeming　with　everything　necessary　for　their　support；　and　rich

even　in　luxuries；　it　struck　me　that　such　campaigning　was　more　a　vast

picnic　than　like　actual　war。　　The　country　supplied　at　all　points

bread；　meat；　and　wine　in　abundance；　and　the　neat　villages；　never　more

than　a　mile　or　two　apart；　always　furnished　shelter；　hence　the

enormous　trains　required　to　feed　and　provide　camp　equipage　for　an

army　operating　in　a　sparsely　settled　country　were　dispensed　with；　in

truth；　about　the　only　impedimenta　of　the　Germans　was　their　wagons

carrying　ammunition；　pontoon…boats；　and　the　field…telegraph。



On　the　morning　of　the　20th　I　started　out　accompanied　by　Forsyth　and

Sir　Henry　Havelock；　and　took　the　road　through　Boissy　St。　George；

Boissy　St。　Martins　and　Noisy　Le　Grand　to　Brie。　　Almost　every　foot　of

the　way　was　strewn　with　fragments　of　glass　from　wine　bottles；　emptied

and　then　broken　by　the　troops。　　There　was；　indeed；　so　much　of　this

that　I　refrain　from　making　any　estimate　of　the　number　of　bottles；

lest　I　be　thought　to　exaggerate；　but　the　road　was　literally　paved

with　glass；　and　the　amount　of　wine　consumed　（none　was　wasted）　must

have　been　enormous；　far　more；　even；　than　I　had　seen　evidence　of　at

any　time　before。　　There　were　two　almost　continuous　lines　of　broken

bottles　along　the　roadsides　all　the　way　down　from　Sedan；　but　that

exhibit　was　small　compared　with　what　we　saw　about　Brie。



At　Brie　we　were　taken　charge　of　by　the　German　commandant　of　the

place。　　He　entertained　us　most　hospitably　for　an　hour　or　so；　and

then；　accompanied　by　a　lieutenant；　who　was　to　be　our　guide；　I　set　out

ahead　of　my　companions　to　gain　a　point　on　the　picket…line　where　I

expected　to　get　a　good　look　at　the　French；　for　their　rifle…pits　were

but　a　few　hundred　yards　off　across　the　Marne；　their　main　line　being

just　behind　the　rifle…pits。　　As　the　lieutenant　and　I　rode　through　the

village；　some　soldiers　warned　us　that　the　adventure　would　；be

dangerous；　but　that　we　could　probably　get　to　the　desired　place　unhurt

if　we　avoided　the　French　fire　by　forcing　our　horses　to　a　run　in

crossing　some　open　streets　where　we　would　be　exposed。　　On　getting　to

the　first　street　my　guide　galloped　ahead　to　show　the　way；　and　as　the

French　were　not　on　the　lookout　for　anything　of　the　kind　at　these

dangerous　points；　only　a　few　stray　shots　were　drawn　by　the

lieutenant；　but　when　I　followed；　they　were　fully　up　to　what　was　going

on；　and　let　fly　a　volley　every　time　they　saw　me　in　the　open。

Fortunately；　however；　in　their　excitement　they　overshot；　but　when　I

drew　rein　alongside　of　my　guide　under　protection　of　the　bluff　where

the　German　picket　was　posted；　my　hair　was　all　on　end；　and　I　was　about

as　badly　scared　as　ever　I　had　been　in　my　life。　　As　soon　as　I　could

recover　myself　I　thought　of　Havelock　and　Forsyth；　with　the　hope　that

they　would　not　follow；　nor　did　they；　for　having　witnessed　my

experience；　they　wisely　concluded　that；　after　all；　they　did　not　care

so　much　to　see　the　French　rifle…pits。



When　I　had　climbed　to　the　top　of　the　bluff　I　was　much　disappointed；

for　I　could　see　but　littleonly　the　advanced　rifle…pits　across　the

river；　and　Fort　Nogent　beyond　them；　not　enough；　certainly；　to　repay　a

non…combatant　for　taking　the　risk　of　being　killed。　　The　next　question

was　to　return；　and　deciding　to　take　no　more　such　chances　as　those　we

had　run　in　coming　out；　I　said　we　would　wait　till　dark；　but　this

proved　unnecessary；　for　to　my　utter　astonishment　my　guide　informed　me

that　there　was　a　perfectly　safe　route　by　which　we　might　go　back。　　I

asked　why　we　had　not　taken　it　in　coming；　and　he　replied　that　he　had

thought　it　〃too　long　and　circuitous。〃　　To　this　I　could　say　nothing；

but　I　concluded　that　that　was　not　quite　the　correct　reason；　the　truth

is　that　ea