The Sun.
London, England, 1817-10-07 00:00:00

.BCONAPARTE.

JULY. I .—St. Helena presents from without a
mass oficontinued barrenness, andits only utility
seems to consist in being a mark' to guide ships
over thr waste of waters. This feeling is certainly
removvd Oil landing, and situatiOns may be found,
particula,ly House, the residence of
the•GtOtraor, passe sing much picturesque bean-
the ‘i hole, the strongest impression
ltU rhy dlind was that of surprise., that so much.
huml4n industry should have been expended uude,r
siren utho se i'ireilillSOflCCS, and tip Oil such unpto-
mising, an I unyielding :1111f Criak
We- ad heard so i»ttelt at the Cape of the vicis-
sit wles !t temper to it hie', Buon,iparie :vas
suL-
ject, that we it are by no 'deans confident of being
adinitted to his presence ; fortunately for its, the
Ex- Eropers4was itt good humour, dud the inter-
view took place on this clay. _ _ _

LordrAntlietst was fitst introduced to Buqna-
parte by General Bertrand, awl remaitied alone
with him.ter more than an hour. I was next
called in, and presented by Lord Amherst. Biro
imperil: Eyeing totitioued in discourse about halt
,an iauot, Mex Pell and the gentlemen of
the tenbassy
_Were afterwards hitt oduced and pre-
relation to their respectite Pthations ; and we all
united in remarking that his manners were simple
and affable, without wantitig dignity. I was ;nest
shuck with the unsubdued ease of his behaviour
and appearance ;'lle could not have been heer from
embitirassment aud depression in the zenith of
his power at the Thitillerie,:.
litionaparte rather decluitned than conversed,
and duritig the halt hour Lord Andieist and .1 were
with hint, seemed only anxious to impress ..his
sentiments upon the recollection of his autli-
tots, possibly for the purpose of having them
repeated. his style is highly epigrammatic,
and he delivers his opinion with the meet:hit'
confidence of a man accustomed to produce
conviction : his mode of discussiug great po-
litical questions- would iu another appear Char-
latunerie, but its hint is only the developmeot of
the etnprical.system, which he universally adopt-
ed; Notwithstanding the attention which he
might be supposed to have given to the hint ale of
our govtroment, he has certainly a very ituPerfect
knowledge of the subject.; ell his observations on
the policy of Eng,l,tod, as relating. to the past, or
looking to the future, were mliited to a despoti:ial;
and lie is either unable or unwilling to take hit')
consideration the difference prodticed. by the will
Of the Monarch being subordinate. not only to the
interests: but to the opinion of his people.
He used metaphots and illustrations with gre:tt
freedom, borrowiog the latter chiefly from Medi-
eine : his elocution was rapid, but clear and fold-
' ble ; and both his Planners and language intrpass- •
ed toy expvetations. The character of his coun-
tenance is rather intellectual than commanding,
and the chief peculiarity is tat the mouth, the up-
per lip apparently chatiging in expression with
the vat joy and sio:ces;ion of his ideas. ln
tier-
son Brionaparte is so tar from being extremely
corpulent, as has been represented, that I believe
he was never more capable of undergoing the
fatigues of a campaigu than at present. I shorild
describe hon as short and nmsculer, not more
inclined to corpulency than men often are at his
:tge.
Btionipbte's complaints respecting his situation
at St. I-icicles. would :sot, I think, have excited
much attention if they had not become a subject
of discussion in the House iii Lor,:s ; tot as he
denied our right to consider him as at prisoner of
war, in opposition to the. most obVions inciples
of reason and law, it was not to be expected that
tiny treatment, be might receive consequent to his
being so considered, would be iteceptable. On
the other hand, adwittiog him to be7a-prisoner,
it is difficult to imagitia upon what grounds he
Can coillplaio of the liroired restraint under whieb
he is placed et St. lielena.
Ilis complaiets respecting a scanty stit,lpty of
pros isious anal wine (tor considvr Minaholou as
the organ.of Bnonepaste) are too absurd to de-
serve considet ation, ants it is impossible not to re.
gra, that avger, reel or pretended, should have
indeced so great a maul to countenance such petty
misrepresentations. 1 must confess, that the po-
sitive stater-news which hid seen (wade respectiPg

[Pi C%%_ SEvExptNnN)

~.,~~

the hi' itho,..ss of the necoludatioos:at Longwood
had. prodne.ed a.p,artial mt. iniod ;'even
this, ho-wever, -was. hyitiettial obsersa-
tion.- Longwood. Housc,• Consideied as a resi
deore 40e a Sovereign,- is certainly small, and
:perhaps.inadequatel lh.t vie•xed as the habitation.
of -a person • of, rank,_ disposed to litre tt it !lout
show,2ls:lioth convenient and respectable. per-
ter situations may be found. in the island, and.
Plantation House is: in .every respect a superior
residence ; but that is intended for ~be receptiou.
'of-nunierous guests, .nud for the' degree- of exte-
rior speladnur belonging. to the office of (.40,ernt;r.
• The two remaining -circuinstanees of Buona-
parte's. situation deserving ,Ofkittentiap Are the re-
strivints which:may affect his personal liberty, awl
those which relate tolds intercourse• with. others.
With respect -to the first,-131tonaptitte assumes its
a principle that his,escape,.while watched by the
forts apt! tnent of tear, as impassible ; and that,
therefore, hisli(nrr:‘, within the precincts of the
island ought to he Unfettered. The truth of this
principle is obviously question-able, and the coo,.
sequence is overthrown by the fact of his being a
prisoner, whose detention is of importance stiff",
dent to institythe most rigorous precautions;
own conclusion is nevertheless admitted to the"
extent, of alloning him to go-to atmv part of the
island, provided he Ile accOmpanied'hy a Brit k
Officer ; justifiable purposes this p.erinis.:-
sion is sufficient ; nor is it intended to be
in practice by undue interference oh the part of
the Offices-in attendance. F'or purposes of health;
or amusement he has a range of four miles; un-
accompanied, and Without being, overlooked
other of eight miles, where he. is partially
ofthe.sentries; rind a stitl. wider circuit of t.tvefVe
wiles; throughout which he is under their obser:-
vations. In both. these latter .spatel he is.,jilso
free fronrille attend.ance of an Officer. At
indeed, the sentries cluse.round the house. 1 catt-
scarcely imagine. th.at greater petsonal liberty,
consistent n'ith any p,eiersions to security:, could
be granted 'to. an ttiti:tidual, supposed uoder any
restraint.at all.

intercotme with, others is certainly under
immediate surveillance, no 'person being ally.wed
to enter the inelo,!ure at Longwood without ,a
pass troni the Governor'; but these pisses. are
readily granted, and neither the curiosity of
or the personal g atificattaiti tt:ltich lips .
naparte may be expected
,to deriq; ;ton. their rim
hits, are checked by pretent.led ~lifli•z4ll:ies or .arbi—
traty regulations., I-fis correspoluience is. also
under testraint, and he is not allo‘wl to send or
receive letters but through the medium of the
C;o1-ernor : this regulation is no doubt (Lsagec...
abie,•and may be
.cliztressing to his feelings ; bd.(
--„-iiikt:Taieras4;tilo.-1n.;(.! of being what, ha
Two motives may, I
.104,
Buonaparte's unreasonable complaints the.first,
and principal, is, to keep alive public interest ill
Europe, but chiefly in EtigLend, where he flatters
himseit that, he has a piety ; :and. the second, :I
think, may be traced to Ikie persoual charactesr
a nil bairns of Buottaparte, who finds anoccupit
tion in the petty intriL,,ncs by which, these coin...,
plaints are !nought forward, and an tonw 9rt by
fo•LitiE-atipii in the truccmorics and annoyance
which they Rsoduce spot.
lf this cottjectitre be fininded, time dinne, anti
a convietiottof their inutility, will induce
naparte to desist ftont his complaints, and to con-
sider his situation hilts true Ight ; as a confine--
ment with fewer restrictions upon, his pu.rson,a
liberty, than jnstifiAble ca,tion, uninfluenced by
liberality, would have estabiihned.