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 X.] THE CHANGES SINCE THE REVOLUTION. 209 republic, so he now gave out that the empire should be peace. He had already, while president for ten years, confiscated the property of the (Orleans princes, and his principle seems to ha e been to keep the nation under the tightest possible hand, while preventing them from hnding it out by constitnt amusement and excitement, bv the splendour of a brilliant Court, and by material prosperity such as the constant warfare of the elder Napoleon had presented. He married En^Cnie de Moiiiijo, Countess of Teba, who made his Court a phce of tasjination and display, the centre of fashion, and the chief example of expense. One son was born of this marriage and was called the Ptince luipciial. A treaty ot commerce was made with England which much increased the trade and wealth of the nation. Much was done to m:ike Paris more than ever the toy-shop of the world, and by the widening of streets and overthrow of old buildings to make barricades more difficult. It was said that both there and elsewhere the improvenients were so conducted as to shew a desire to eft'ace all recollection of the old royalty. 10 The Crimean War,. 1854. — Everything hinged on the Court, and immense display and extravagance were there encouraged, while the centralization of everything rendered the nation helpless to think or act for t'nemselves. To dazzle the people with the glory which they had always loved, Louis Napoleon, though he had said that the empire should be peace, drew them into one war after another. His scheme was to attack the great military powers of Europe one after another, but each time to get, if possible, the help of some independent nation, to give the thing a good look. Thus his first war was made in alliance with England, in order to keep up the power of the Turk over the Christian nations of south-eastern Europe when Russia proposed to deliver them. The allies together atcacked Sehastoporinih.QCi-mQa., ihe. autumn of 1854, winningthe battle of the Abiia (September 20th) on their first landing, and then sharing the terrible toils and privations of the siege, and together also giining the victory of Iiikernian, when, on the night of the 5th of November, the Russians made a night attack on the camp. After a terrible winter, during which the trenches were advanced, there was an assault in June upon the Redan and Malakoff forts. The allies were beaten back. On September 5th, the foTts were again atta ked. The French captured the P