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