Washburne to The Prince de la Tour d’Auvergne, August 17, 1870

Mr. E. B. Washburne to the Prince de la Tour d’Auvergne.

Sir: In our conversation yesterday you did me the honor to request that I might put in writing the views I expressed to you, verbally, in relation to the departure from France of the subjects of the powers now at war with France.

Having been charged by the direction of my own government, and with the consent of the French government, with the protection of the subjects of the confederation of the north, as well as the subjects of Hesse Grand-Ducale, Saxony, and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in France, during the war now existing between France and the said powers, I beg leave to state that before any official action had been taken by the French government in relation to the departure from France of the said subjects, my colleagues, Mr. Kern, the minister of Switzerland, charged with the protection of the subjects of Bavaria, and Baden, and Mr. Okouneff, the Russian chargé d’affaires, charged with the protection of the subjects of Wurtemberg, and myself, arranged an interview with M. Chevereau, minister of the interior, for Friday last, the 12th instant, with a view of seeking such measures of protection to the Germans in Paris as the situation seemed to require; but that before that interview took place I learned of the proceedings of the Corps Legislatif on that day, and of the declaration of M. Chevereau to the Chamber, that “Depuis avant-hier nous prenons toutes les mesures pour expulser les étrangers qui sont en ce moment dans la capitale.” Therefore, when the interview actually occurred, we found it necessary to address ourselves to the measure of expulsion which had been considered by the Chamber. With courtesy and frankness M. Chevereau explained to us the position of matters touching the Germans in Paris. After stating what had been done and the reasons which had influenced the government, he expressed every desire to ameliorate as far as possible the severity of the situation, and to facilitate, in every way, the departure of the subjects to whom the order was intended to apply. But after the official action taken on this subject had become known, your excellency will not be surprised to learn of the alarm and excitement it produced among the people whose protection had devolved upon me. Their number is very large. In our conversation your excellency estimated it at forty thousand, other people have placed the estimate still higher. The removal of such a population in a few days, even with all ameliorations, could not fail to carry with it an incredible amount of suffering and misery, involving, as it must, the breaking up of homes and the sacrifice and abandonment of property. As to those subjects of the powers at war with France who abuse the hospitality of the country, and who remain in it to become spies, to plot against the government, to stir up sedition and to trouble the public peace generally, all men will be in accord with the government in punishing them and in expelling them from French territory. But their number must be small as compared with the whole number of Germans finding themselves now in Paris. From my observation the great number seem to be composed (independently of the active business men with large affairs) of honest, industrious, laboring men and women, who have come into the country under the sanction of public faith, relying upon the hospitality and protection of the government. They are for the most part engaged in daily toil for the support of themselves and their families, taking no interest in political affairs and many of them quite ignorant of the ordinary passing events. It is upon this class of people that the action of the government falls with peculiar severity. The scenes I am compelled daily to witness are afflicting. My legation and the surrounding streets are filled every day with crowds of these people, who come to procure their passes and to beg some aid (which I have been authorized to extend in certain cases) to enable them to conform to what they understand to be the direction of the government and to leave the country. Under these circumstances, therefore, I feel that I should fail to discharge the full measure of the duty devolving upon me in this regard, and that I should be forgetful of the obligations of humanity did I not make the strongest appeal to the government of his Majesty, through your excellency to further consider this question, and to ask that if it be not possible to suspend action altogether, that there may be at least some modification of the measures already taken so as to permit such subjects of the belligerent powers as are under my protection, who are now in France, to remain in the country so long as their conduct shall give no cause of complaint, and further to ask for them that protection which the law of nations accords to unarmed enemies. In making this appeal I but obey the wishes of my government, which has instructed me to do everything which is consistent with the position of my country as a neutral, and with the law of nations, to alleviate the condition of things now existing as regards these people with whose protection I have been charged.

In closing this communication I beg leave to thank your excellency for the clear and courteous manner in which you were pleased to explain the views of his Majesty’s government on the subject of our interview, and for the disposition manifested by your excellency to soften, in that respect, as far as might be in your power, the hardships which a state of war might impose.

I take this occasion to renew to your excellency the assurances with which I have the honor to remain your excellency’s very obedient servant,