RECOLLECTIONS of
A MINISTER TO FRANCE.
CHAPTER  I.
THE   ARMISTICE   AND   THE   EVACUATION.
Terms of the Convention—Relief Contributions from Americans—Meeting of
the National Assembly—Entry of the German Troops into Paris—How
American Property was Respected During the Siege—Making and Rati-
fication of the Treaty of Bordeaux—Departure of the Victorious Prus-
sians—A Warning to German Residents—Discontent Among the Lower
Classes of Parisians—Approval of the Election of Thiers—The Assembly
Moved to Versailles.
I RETURN to the days of the armistice. The siege
of Paris, which had wrought such untold sufferings
to hundreds of thousands of people, had awakened emo-
tions of sympathy in many countries. No sooner was the
armistice made than London sent ship-load after ship-load
of provisions and supplies for the famishing and starving
people of Paris, as well as two eminent and responsible
citizens to look after the distribution of the supplies when
they should arrive. It was a matter of great satisfaction
to me at this moment to know that the sympathies of the
people of New York had been awakened in this respect,
and ten thousand dollars had been immediately raised by
the benevolent people of that city and placed to my credit
with the banking house of J. S. Morgan & Co., of London,
VOL. II.—I