Memoirs of DrThomas WEvans: the second French empire . eback, accompanied by a small escort. The meeting between the sovereigns was most the King and the Prince Royal expressed for the Em-peror the deepest sympathy, and assured him of their readi-ness to do everything in their power to ameliorate the sad-ness of his situation. The King then assigned to him thePalace at Wilhelmshohe as a residence, and permitted himto send in cipher a despatch to the Empress. In this des-patch the Emperor announced briefly the disaster atSedan, and advised the Empress to endeavor to negotiatea peac
Memoirs of DrThomas WEvans: the second French empire . eback, accompanied by a small escort. The meeting between the sovereigns was most the King and the Prince Royal expressed for the Em-peror the deepest sympathy, and assured him of their readi-ness to do everything in their power to ameliorate the sad-ness of his situation. The King then assigned to him thePalace at Wilhelmshohe as a residence, and permitted himto send in cipher a despatch to the Empress. In this des-patch the Emperor announced briefly the disaster atSedan, and advised the Empress to endeavor to negotiatea peace. How profoundly the Emperor was affected by the disas-trous end of the campaign is made painfully evident inthe two letters which he wrote to the Empress immediatelyafter the capitulation of the army. They are as follows: TRANSLATION Quartier Imperial, 2d September, 1870. My dear Eugenie : It is impossible for me to express to you what I havesuffered and what I suffer. We have made a march con-trary to all principles and to common sense. This could. NAPOLEON his last photograph taken by W. ami D. Downey in 1872. SEDAN AND BISMARCK 229 not fail to bring on a catastrophe. In fact, it has done should have preferred death to the pain of witnessingso disastrous a capitulation; nevertheless, it was, under thecircumstances, the sole means of avoiding the slaughterof 80,000 persons. Would that all my torments were centered here! ButI think of you, of our son, of our unhappy country. MayGod protect it! What will become of Paris ? Ihave just seen the King. He spoke to me with tearsin his eyes of the distress I must feel. He has put at mydisposal one of his chateaux near Cassel. But what doesit matter where I go! . . I am in despair. Adieu. Ikiss you tenderly. Napoleon. >» TRANSLATION Bouillon, September 3, 1870. My dear Eugenie: After the irreparable misfortunes that I have wit-nessed, I think of the dangers you run, and I am awaitingnews from Paris with intense anxie
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