_Friday, September 9th._--Engaged all the forenoon and until 3 o’clock in writing various articles, amongst others one on the inconceivable attachment of the Alsacians to France, their voluntary helotry, and the blindness which will not permit them to see and feel that the Gauls only regard them as a kind of second-rate Frenchmen, and in many respects treat them accordingly. News has arrived that Paris is not to be defended against us nor regarded as a fortress. This is very questionable, as, according to other reports, the French have still some regular troops at their disposal, although not many. _Saturday, September 10th._--The Chief dined with the King to-day, but also joined us at table for half an hour. Bohlen, who had visited the Imperial château at Mourmelon, near Châlons, told us how the people had wrecked the whole place, breaking the furniture, mirrors, &c. After dinner the Chancellor had a long talk alone with Boyen and Delbrück, who were amongst the guests. I was afterwards summoned to the Minister to receive instructions respecting a _communiqué_ to the two French newspapers published here, namely the _Courier de la Champagne_ and the _Indépendant Rémois_. It was to the following effect: “If the Reims press were to declare itself in favour of the proclamation of a French Republic, and recognise the new Government by publishing its decrees, it might be inferred that as the town is occupied by German troops the organs in question were acting in harmony with the views of the German Government. This is not the case. The German Government respects the liberty of the press here as at home. It has however up to the present recognised no Government in France except that of the Emperor Napoleon. Therefore until further notice it can only recognise the Imperial Government as authorised to enter upon international negotiations.” I give the following from my diary merely to show the genuine kindness and simple good-heartedness of our Chief. After giving me my instructions he remarked that I had not been looking well; and when I told him I had been rather unwell for the last few days, he inquired minutely into the details, and asked me whether I had consulted any doctor. I said I had not much faith in physicians. “Well,” he replied, “they certainly are not of much use as a rule, and often only make us worse. But this is no laughing matter. Send to Lauer--he is really a good man. I cannot tell you how much my health owes to him during this campaign. Go to bed for a couple of days and you will be all right again. Otherwise you will have a relapse and may not be able to stir for three weeks. I often suffer in the same way, and then I take thirty to thirty-five drops from that little bottle on the chimney-piece. Take it with you, but bring it back again. And when I send for you tell me if you are not able to come and I will go to you. You can perhaps write in bed.”