As we have said, three men, three dauntless soldiers, had succeeded each other in the command, MacMahon, Ducrot, Wimpfen; MacMahon had only time to be wounded, Ducrot had only time to commit a blunder, Wimpfen had only time to conceive an heroic idea, and he conceived it; but MacMahon is not responsible for his wound, Ducrot is not responsible for his blunder, and Wimpfen is not responsible for the impossibility of his suggestion to cut their way out.  The shell which struck MacMahon withdrew him from the catastrophe; Ducrot’s blunder, the inopportune order to retreat given to General Lebrun, is explained by the confused horror of the situation, and is rather an error than a fault.  Wimpfen, desperate, needed 20,000 soldiers to cut his way out, and could only get together 2000.  History exculpates these three men; in this disaster of Sedan there was but one sole and fatal general, the Emperor.  That which was knitted together on the 2d December, 1851, came apart on the 2d September, 1870; the carnage on the Boulevard Montmartre, and the capitulation of Sedan are, we maintain, the two parts of a syllogism; logic and justice have the same balance; it was Louis Bonaparte’s dismal destiny to begin with the black flag of massacres and to end with the white flag of disgrace.

[39] “The French were literally awakened from sleep by our attack.”  —­Helvic.

CHAPTER VII.

There was no alternative between death and opprobrium; either soul or sword must be surrendered.  Louis Bonaparte surrendered his sword.

He wrote to William: 

  “SIRE, MY BROTHER,

  “Not having been able to die in the midst of my troops, it only
  remains for me to place my sword in your Majesty’s hands.

  “I am, your Majesty,

  “Your good Brother,

  “NAPOLEON.

  “Sedan, 1st September, 1870.”

William answered, “Sire, my Brother, I accept your sword.”

And on the 2d of September, at six o’clock in the morning, this plain, streaming with blood, and covered with dead, saw pass by a gilded open carriage and four, the horses harnessed after Daumont fashion, and in this carriage a man, cigarette in mouth.  It was the Emperor of the French going to surrender his sword to the King of Prussia.

The King kept the Emperor waiting.  It was too early.  He sent M. de Bismarck to Louis Bonaparte to say that he “would not” receive him yet awhile.  Louis Bonaparte entered into a hovel by the side of the road.  A table and two chairs were there.  Bismarck and he leant their arms on the table and conversed.  A mournful conversation.  At the hour which suited the King, towards noon, the Emperor got back into his carriage, and went to the castle of Bellevue, half way to the castle of Vandresse.  There he waited until the King came.  At one o’clock William arrived from Vandresse, and consented to receive Bonaparte.  He received him badly.  Attila