Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/309

It is in fact to be regretted that the proposed lists made long back should have been sent in under such unfavourable circumstances, but, Monsieur l'Abbé, it cannot be conceded that the private wish which you express of being courteous to General Osmont should authorise this general officer to break through the rules of etiquette which, in the military as in the clerical order, constitute the basis of discipline.

With regard to the incident which you appeal to, you cannot be ignorant who was the cause of it, and methodising the facts, you will perhaps perceive that a feeling that his honour was mistrusted and his feelings and dignity offended, have rendered necessary on the marshal's part this first rupture, the burden of which will be on the conscience of your political friends only.Receive, &c.,

The Colonel, Head of the Military Cabinet.

Our head-quarters' authorities must have rejoiced that, in spite of the tendencies of General Castelnau, they had not the least departed from their written instructions, for our government wrote to them on the 15th of January that the movement of concentration and withdrawal ought to have been terminated; that it was necessary they should at once assemble the troops, to be ready for embarkation, and that the Transatlantic Company's vessels were to anchor in the roadstead at Vera Cruz in the latter part of the month of February.

Only one thing was now thought of in Paris, and this was to leave as soon as possible this land of destroyed illusions and bitter sacrifices.

'. . . You have duties to fulfil;' they wrote to the marshal, 'the responsibility, whatever may happen, will rest upon you; but the responsibility should be a light one if you proceed, as you always do, straight to the end to which you have to attain,—the sending home of your troops without loss of time.' In this great shipwreck everything was swallowed up, the