to have war with Germany, coute qui coute. The alleged causes, growing out of the talk that Germany was to put a German prince on the throne of Spain, were but a mere pretext. The Hohenzollern candidature had been withdrawn, and there was no necessity or sense in any further trouble. But the truth was that, after eighteen years of peace, the courtiers and adventurers who surrounded
The German Embassy in the Rue de Lille.
the Emperor seemed to think that it was about time to have a war, to awaken the martial spirit of the French people, to plant the French eagles in triumph in the capital of some foreign country, and, as a consequence, to fix firmly on the throne the son of Napoleon the Third, and restore to the Imperial crown the lustre it had lost. It seemed to be very clear to my mind that if the Emperor had been left to himself, war would have been averted. I am quite sure that his heart was never in the venture. He had just entered upon his scheme of a parliamentary government, and everything promised a substantial success. I think he was sincere in his wish to introduce certain real reforms into his government.
The last dinner ever given at the Tuileries was on Tuesday night, June 7, 1870. It was in honor of the United States Minister and Mrs. Washburne. It was a large dinner, and was served in the usual elegant style of all the official dinners. The Emperor appeared in good health and spirits; but yet I thought I saw a cloud of uneasiness over his face. He made inquiries of me in respect to the postal treaty, and, as was always the case when I met him, inquired very kindly for the President. He alluded to the fact that he was going to send Prévost-Paradol as Minister to the United States, and said that while M. Paradol was a very "clever man," he had yet to learn diplomacy. I replied that the relations of the two countries were then so pleasant and cordial that he would not require much skill in that line. He answered that he believed and hoped so. I speak of this occasion, as it was the last time that I ever saw the Emperor. Matters soon after began to drift
