The Empress has formed a Ministry of "Arcadians," the most
important being General Montauban, Comte de Palikao, as Premier and War Minister ; M. Chevreau, Prefect of the Seine, as Minister of the Interior ; Baron Jerome David, natural son of King Jerome, as Minister of Public Works ; and M. Clement Duvernois as Minister of Commerce. They have accepted a pro- posal by M. de Kemtry to call out all passed soldiers up to forty, have armed the National Guard, have garrisoned the threatened points of Paris, and are urging reinforcements forward to Metz ; but otherwise they are waiting, like the rest of mankind, for the result of the next battle. General Trochu is in Paris organizing defences, but will, he declares, accept political power only at the hands of the Corps Legislatif. It is well understood that the majority, led by M. Buffet, will, in the event of a new disaster, declare the Empire at an end, and General Trochu ad interim Dictator of France, reserving ultimate power to the Corps Legislatif, which will thus be a Convention. It will have the National Guard at its back.
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