The National Register. — London, England, 1814-05-01 00:00:00

-~:t: THE NATIONAL REGISTER. No. Pc7.' POLITICAL DISQUISITION. BUONAP'•RTE AND TrE PARIS WRITERS. Though men are always sufficiently disposed to believe their own praises, and the censures lavished on their eu must - Fincerebecau so they think them deserved, it is hardly possible for a man of common sense to read the Paris pa p awl refrain from lanfeting at the chant? which a few bhnrt w , shks have eirocted. He must think the French very versfit Ile, he must think they can play the hypocrite ex tremely well on one side or on the other ; or believinf , what he secs sprin 4 . from the two sources,,we have noticed, he will fqel not a little disposed to mAct a jest of human nature altogether. To express his thoughts, he will be almost compelled tl borrow BEN JONION'S epitaph— This life's a jest awl all thins show it, I thought so mice hut now I know it. It is an interesting time fer a journalist to live in, when Treat events throw so much light on the characters of those who have most attracted the notice of the world ; when he who has been called a hero, shorn of that pomp which the unreflecting call glory. can be viewed as he his, after having long been seen as an actor on the stage. Not only does his conduct at such a time possess more than common value with the writer Who employs himself in marking the wcrkings of the human mind, but the deportment of all those who were formerly affected by his actions or influ nce become of some importance. In the case of a deposed monarch, it L.; both amusing and instructing to mark the facility with which those who tA.e. upon themselves to ex press, the sentiments of the people, f.,79-ffom one to the op posite extrerne.—When the change is thought to be on the eve of taking place, a cautions advance to . .ards truth may be sometimes observed 7 but where it is suddenly effected flattery at once takes the tone of insult—unmerited re proacht-4 quce, ed to nnfountled praises, and trot!), left in the mid-wpv bef:seen both ahnost forgotten, k only occa sionally referred to, for the increased effect which a partial use of it may give to the dissemination of falsehood. A short time ago, in every French publication a la boured eulogy on BUONAP RTE was sure to he found. lie was represented to be little legs than divine. Not only France. but all the countries which France under him had subdued, were plc' to look up to him as to a common father. England was called the modem: Carthage, and re7esentect to be the only fee to the repose of Europe. Now we see th? direct reveree of all this. England is said to be entitled to the gratitude of the world, and BCONA- P IRT F. is loaded with obloquy for his every action. Even his tears, where the state of his affairs would have j Va. VII, No CC Ciir V/ I. ~1. 1! , : • • Cur Constitution, ani tabu. PUBLISHED AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STREET, STRAND. SUNDAY, MAY 1. 1814. P firer 9d. L belief that they were genuine, are reported to have h ,, pn purely arti&cial. They are a s serted to be a preme nn avowed stare trick which extorted tears from a few simpletons in the Pit while they only called forth laughter in the Boxes. The tide is completely turned, and he succeeds to those expressions of detestation which were formerly th:l inheritance of the BOURBQNS. Perhaps it will he some consolation to him to know, that in this, his present situation, is not unlike that which was lately the lot of royalty. The conduct 'of BUONAPARTS was certainly such, that his character is not much exposed to the shafts of calumny. This advantage, at least, he may boast as the result of his iniquity. Yet the manner in which his most insignificant actions are detailed mark n fixed determination to con demn his conduct whatever that conduct might be. When he left Fontainbleau, we are told—" All those who re mained near 13UONAPARTE till the moment of his depar ture, were Struck with the want of soul and sensibility which he displayed towards the persons who surrounded Lim. Not one emotion of tenderneqs, net one expression of the heart escaped him, to show that he was susceptible of the least attachment : Ile received the adieus of his oldest companions in emu without addressing to them a siugle friendly word. This man, who has played so many parts, never could appear good ; for, thank Heaven, good ness cannot be acted, and the wicked cannot even imagine its language." Now, really, the assumption that because he was silent, his conduct was marked with insensibility ; was what we should not expect in the case of au ordinary- individual. In that of BUONAPARRE, (though, for ourselves, we know not one good quality of which he appears to be in possession) we should have been dkposed to believe, that the emotion of a heart, however depraved, would at suo:i a tiraO, and on such an occasion, have been sufficiently great to cause that silence which is here described as insensibility. The anguish of mortified pi ide at seeing himself a prisoner, under sentence of ba nishment, and that sentence about to be carried into efrict, without giving him credit for a single virtue, was enough to check utterance, and might be received as a tolerable apology fur silence. A 3. far as we are enabled to collect from all the ac counts whit% have reached us, the conduct of BuoNA" PARTE has been what we should have exrcted it to be. had we not suffered our reason to be misled by his own Tairnt ings, and the inflated panegyrics of his sycophants in the days of his prosperity. In his decline he lyss and boasted in public, that his enemies - might not sup; W k s affairs to be so desperate as they were. After pole rte• 1 , .4ef