Chapter XVII: The Emperor’s Correspondence

Besides the epistles addressed by Napoleon III. to the late Comtesse de Mercy-Argenteau, many interesting letters from the imperial pen are scattered about in the vivid pages of Comte d’Hérisson, M. Pierre de Lano, and other French authors. Those now for the first time translated for this work from Comte d’Hérisson’s “Le Prince Impérial” and M. Pierre de Lano’s “L’Impératrice” will be fresh to English readers, who will obtain from their perusal a better insight into the character of Napoleon III. than they previously possessed.

_Napoleon III. and the Press._

For the first few days after his arrival, early in September, at Wilhelmshöhe, where he remained until the following March, the fallen Emperor seemed to be resigned to his fate. In reply to one of his friends, who had written to him asking to be informed of his plans, the Emperor wrote:

WILHELMSHÖHE, _September 28, 1870_.

I thank you for your letter, which has given me great pleasure. The
sentiments which you express do not surprise me, for I have always
reckoned on your friendship. In the actual state of affairs I
believe there is nothing to be done unless it be to correct,
through the Press, erroneous statements, and to act as much as
possible upon public opinion. Conti,[109] whom perhaps you have
seen at Brussels (his address is 2, Place du Trône), is very useful
to me in this respect. May God grant that the siege of Paris be
soon finished, for I dread all kinds of excesses in the country!

NAPOLÉON.

Against the advice of many staunch friends of the Emperor, in November, 1870, it was determined to make an attempt to replace Napoleon III. on the throne, and that the movement should be directed by the Emperor and Empress. The Imperialists regarded the co-operation of General Changarnier as indispensable, and the Emperor (and, later, the Empress) worked to this end. General Fleury, furnished with private instructions by the Emperor himself, went to Brussels and had an interview with Changarnier, who, after much wavering, finally declined to take part in the restoration plot. The Emperor put himself directly en rapport with Changarnier by writing to General Fleury the subjoined letter, which shows the ignorance in which Napoleon III. was kept respecting the events of the day:

_Napoleon III., General Changarnier, and “L’Indépendance Belge.”_

WILHELMSHÖHE, _November 16, 1870_.

... At Brussels you will see more people and become acquainted with
many things of which we here are ignorant. I should therefore much
like you from time to time to send me your impressions of what you
hear talked about, and what you hope or fear for the future. They
tell me you often see our enemies. If it is to appease them, all
the better; but I fear their evil influence. Already Bourbaki and
Maréchal Canrobert have, I fear, been circumvented by them. If you
see General Changarnier, get him to write a word to the papers in
favour of Bazaine. I have already advised him to do so, but he
replied that the editor of “l’Indépendance Belge” did not insert
his letter. Upon Changarnier asking the reason of its
non-appearance, he was told that they could not publish it except
by accompanying it with some remarks very detrimental to Bazaine;
whereupon Changarnier withdrew his letter. I am sorry for this,
because Changarnier’s words would have made a great noise, whilst
the attacks of the journalist would have passed unnoticed. Try to
get Changarnier to change his mind.

NAPOLÉON.

“_Arrange an Interview with Changarnier._”

A few weeks later the Emperor wrote to Fleury on the same subject, but more pressingly, as follows:

W. [WILHELMSHÖHE], _December 11, 1870_.

This letter will be handed to you by M. Levert, formerly Préfet of
Marseilles, a very devoted and very distinguished man. He should
talk to you about the steps to take respecting General Changarnier
to maintain him in my cause. I beg you to arrange that he may have
an interview with the General.

NAPOLÉON.

“_Keep Changarnier well disposed._”

General Changarnier weakened daily in view of the solicitations of which he was the object at Brussels, and yet another letter to Fleury from the Emperor at Wilhelmshöhe showed how necessary for the success of their plans did the Bonapartist party regard the General’s intervention and adhesion:

[WILHELMSHÖHE], _December 23, 1870_.

I thank you for the good relations that you maintain with General
Changarnier. It is necessary to keep him well disposed by telling
him that, when the moment comes, I shall have recourse to his
advice. According to what they tell me in letters, Claremont
[British Military Attaché] said Paris cannot hold out more than
three weeks. But what will happen then? The attitude of certain
French officers in Germany is very bad; but they are “worked” by
emissaries of several colours.

NAPOLÉON.

“_Everybody desires Peace._”

All endeavours to secure the active assistance of General Changarnier failed. On January 4, 1871, the Emperor wrote from Wilhelmshöhe:

Unfortunately, you are not better informed at Brussels than we are
here respecting future events. One does not know what to believe
owing to the diversity of the opinions on the subject of the
probable resistance of Paris. Everybody desires peace, but nobody
knows how it can be brought about.

NAPOLÉON.

_The Emperor to Sir John Burgoyne, “The English Moltke.”_

Immediately after the fall of Metz, General Sir John M. Burgoyne, Bart., who had taken part in the Crimean campaign, and had brought the Empress to Ryde, wrote to Napoleon III. in sympathetic terms, and expressed his opinion of the causes which had led to the French reverses. The Emperor replied as under:

WILHELMSHÖHE, _October 29, 1870_.

MY DEAR SIR JOHN BURGOYNE,

I have received your letter, which has given me the greatest
pleasure, because it is a touching proof of your sympathy for me,
and also because your name recalls to me the happy and glorious
time when our two armies fought together for the same cause. You,
who are the English Moltke, will have understood that our disasters
arose from the circumstance that the Prussians were ready before
us, and that, so to speak, they surprised us _en flagrant délit_ of
formation.

The offensive became impossible for me. I resolved to take the
defensive, but, prevented by political considerations, the march in
retreat was stopped, and then became impossible. Returned to
Châlons, I wished to lead to Paris the last army which remained to
us; but again political complications forced us to make that most
imprudent and least strategical march which finished with the
disaster at Sedan. Such, in a few words, was the disastrous
campaign of 1870. I have given you these explanations because I
value your esteem.

NAPOLÉON.

THE EMPEROR’S LETTERS TO HIS FOSTER-SISTER, MME. CORNU.

“_Let us hope for Happier Days._”

The five following letters appeared for the first time in “La Revue” (Paris) in October and December, 1908, and were contributed by M. Seymour de Ricci, who is in possession of 297 letters, hitherto unpublished, addressed by the Emperor to Mme. Cornu, who visited Chislehurst in 1871. The whole of this interesting correspondence will be published by M. de Ricci.

WILHELMSHÖHE, _December 14, 1870_.

MY DEAR MADAME CORNU,

You cannot doubt the pain which I have felt upon learning of the
death of your husband. You know the great friendship which I had
for him for so many years. I fully share all your emotions, and
wish to know how you are getting on in the midst of the war which
is surrounding you. I will not refer to my troubles; it is those of
France which overwhelm me most.

The Empress and the Prince are well--this is a great consolation to
me.

Let us hope for happier days, and believe always, my dear Hortense,
in my sincere friendship.

NAPOLÉON.

“_I am engaged upon a Work which will explain Many Things._”

CHISLEHURST, _January 14, 1872_.

MY DEAR MADAME CORNU,

It is always with pleasure that I hear from you, for the friendship
which binds us is of such long standing that absence and
misfortunes cannot weaken it.

I was very happy also to see you once more, and I hope you will
return to us this summer. I see by your letter that you have not
been to Italy, as you had proposed to do. Have you not been able
to sell your property? We often have visitors from France, who are
the echo of what is happening in our unhappy country.

I am engaged upon a work which will explain many things. It will
not be amusing, but it will contain the truth.

Receive, my dear Madame Cornu, the assurance of my sincere
friendship.

The Empress wrote you two letters from Spain. Did you get them? She
sends a thousand amiable things to you, as does the Prince.

NAPOLÉON.

“_The Empress has been suffering._”

CHISLEHURST, _May 5, 1872_.

MY DEAR MADAME CORNU,

I take advantage of a post to tell you that the Empress has been
suffering very much, but that she has now recovered, and that the
Prince and I are quite well.

I received your letter of the 30th [of April], but have only time
to thank you for it in the Empress’s name, and to renew the
assurance of my sincere friendship.

NAPOLÉON.

“_I am Responsible to the Country._”

Marshal Baraguay d’Hilliers presided over a Council of Inquiry appointed to investigate the circumstances in which fortresses capitulated and battalions surrendered to the invaders. It was decided that the whole blame for the disasters at Sedan rested with Napoleon III., “a culprit beyond reach of the national vengeance,” as he was residing at Chislehurst. The Exile defended himself in this letter, which he addressed to the Generals who had served under him at Sedan:

CAMDEN PLACE, CHISLEHURST, _May 12, 1872_.

GENERAL,

I am responsible to the country, and I can accept no other judgment
but that of the nation regularly consulted. Nor is it for me to
pass an opinion on the report of the Commission on the capitulation
of Sedan. I shall only remind the principal witnesses of the
capitulation of the critical position in which we found ourselves.
The army commanded by the Duc de Magenta nobly did its duty, and
fought heroically against an enemy of twice its numbers. When
driven back to the walls of the town, and into the town itself,
14,000 dead and wounded covered the field of battle, and I saw that
to contest the position any longer was an act of desperation. The
honour of the army having been saved by the bravery which had been
displayed, I then exercised my Sovereign right, and gave orders to
unfurl a flag of truce. I claim the entire responsibility of that
act. The immolation of 60,000 men could not have saved France, and
the sublime devotion of her chiefs and soldiers would have been
uselessly sacrificed. I obeyed a cruel, but inexorable, fate. My
heart was broken, but my conscience was easy.

NAPOLÉON.

_The Emperor’s Brochure._

_August 29, 1872._

MY DEAR MADAME CORNU,

I need not tell you how much pleasure your wishes give me. I have
been accustomed for so many years to receive proofs of your
friendship; and you know how they touch me.

We shall return to Chislehurst towards October, and you will not
doubt the pleasure we shall have in seeing you again.

I send you a photograph of the Prince. As to the brochure,[110]
they (_sic_) are all at Camden Place.

Receive, my dear Madame Cornu, the renewed assurance of my sincere
friendship.

NAPOLÉON.

_The Emperor’s Final Letter to Mme. Cornu._

CHISLEHURST, _November 17, 1872_.

MY DEAR MADAME CORNU,

I send you a line for Charles Thelin;[111] to thank you for your
letter; and to tell you that I shall be pleased to see M. Charbet,
if he comes to England.

I hope you are better, and that we shall see you here when it is
not so cold.

My poor boy is at Woolwich, and finds the apprenticeship somewhat
hard.

Receive the renewed assurance of my sincere friendship.

NAPOLÉON.

This was probably one of the last letters written by the Emperor, who passed away within two months. When writing to his foster-sister he had evidently no presentiment that his end was so rapidly approaching.