GENERAL HISTORY. 



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axid Kleist opened near St. Denis 

 npon Aubervilliers, at which place, 

 and at Pantin, a very obstinate 

 resistance was made. Prince Wil- 

 liam of Prussia with his brigade, 

 and the Prussian guards, here 

 greatly distinguished themselves. 

 A redoubt and battery in the 

 enemy's centre kept D'Yorck in 

 check for some part of the day ; 

 but their flank being exposed by 

 the loss of the heights of Romain- 

 ville, and their losses in every part 

 of the field, reduced them to the 

 necessity of sending a flag of truce 

 to propose a cessation of hostilities, 

 on the condition of their yielding 

 all the ground without the barrier 

 of Paris, till further arrangements 

 could be made. The heights of 

 Montmartre were at this time 

 about to be stormed, and the 

 village of la Villette had been 

 carried by Woronzovv's division, 

 which was pushing on to the 

 barrier ; the sovereigns of Russia 

 and Prussia, and Prince Schwart- 

 zenberg, however, desirous of 

 saving the capital from being 

 sacked, most humanely agreed to 

 the proposal : two aides-de-camp 

 were sent to put the terms in 

 execution ; the battle ceased ; and 

 at four in the afternoon, count 

 Nesselrode, the Russian miniiter, 

 went inte Paris. Thus terminated 

 this important day, which was not 

 without considerable loss to the 

 allies ; but it was final. 



The metropolis of France being 

 thus laid prostrate at the feet of 

 hostile armies, no determination 

 ever occurred of greater moment, 

 in a moral and political view, than 

 the treatment it was to receive. 

 Besides the lust of rapine and pil- 

 lage which prevails in the mass of 

 all military bodies, feelings of re- 



sentment for the long and atro- 

 cious injuries inflicted upon the 

 countries of Europe, by the re- 

 lentless ambition of the French 

 ruler, must have inspired a strong 

 desire of retaliation ; and the 

 flames of Moscow, in particular, 

 must have kindled in the Russian 

 troops an impatient ardour for 

 spreading the same destruction 

 through the streets of Paris. So 

 fiercely did this passion rage, that 

 the Emperor Alexander is said 

 almost to have descended to sup- 

 plications, with the more undisci- 

 plined of his bands, to induce them 

 to forego their vindictive purposes. 

 But this benevolent sovereign, 

 with his illustrious confederates, 

 must have shuddered at the idea 

 of involving the innocent, as well 

 as the guilty inhabitants of a vast 

 city in the direst calamities ; 

 moreover, the declarations of the 

 allied powers had been filled with 

 sentiments of good-will towards 

 the French nation, the happiness, 

 and even prosperity, of which, 

 they professed to have in view, as 

 far as was compatible with the 

 welfare of its neighbours. Mere 

 retaliatory mischief is always ig- 

 noble, and generally unjust, since 

 its effects cannot be limited to 

 suitable objects. From these con- 

 siderations, though we may justly 

 praise, we cannot wondtr at the 

 pacific and conciliatory measures 

 that were immediately adopted by 

 the victors on this great event. 



The first important act was the 

 capitulation which resulted from 

 the armistice granted by the allied 

 powers. Its most material articles 

 were, the evacuation of Paris, by 

 the troops of Marmont and Mor- 

 tier, at seven in the morning of the 

 31st, taking with them all their 



