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6 toward war, and the state of affairs required all his time and attention until he finally left the gorgeous old palace of St. Cloud to take command of the army, and never to return to France.

After the declaration of war, I found on my return to Paris that the German Ambassador to France had applied to my secretary, then chargé d'affaires ad interim, to have the United States Minister take charge of the subjects of the North German Confederation residing in France. The Government at Washington was telegraphed to in relation to the matter, and answered that its Minister would be authorized to do so, provided the French Government would assent. The assent was promptly given by the



Duke de Gramont. Soon after, similar requests came to me to take under my protection the Saxons, the subjects of Hesse and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, together with the archives of their legations. Count Solms, chargé d'affaires of the North German Confederation, who still remained in Paris, sent to the United States legation the most valuable of their archives, upon which I placed our seal. I also took charge of the German Embassy in Paris, and placed over it the American flag. The concierge of the embassy having been forced to leave, I placed it under the charge of two young and trustworthy Americans who had been residents of my congressional district in Illinois. These young men courageously occupied the embassy until