Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-11-03
From Franco
Extract Of a letter from an American
gentleman now in France, to his friend
ia the city Of New York, dated.
RoRpEAuX. Sent. 1O. ISIS.

ilOkDEAUH3 tCepC. III. 1919,
I" You probably may expect to have
my oainion as to the last great change
lin France must candidIy confess,
tHat Napoleon, by the last act of his ex-
!traordiaary and eventful life. Il say last,
because / think he will never figure again
Iap0n the grand theatre Of the world) has
forfeited. In My view, very great Part
! Of has claims to the character of a great
IMAM. The feds Of Waterloo should
have been to him, either the scene Of a
.biliiaat victory, or his grave. He should
have died nebtg lighting at the head Of
those t'oeps who we're so enthusiastical-
" attached to him, and who to a man
were willing to die for bis glory and that
OF France. 6 The Imperial Guard know
how to dies but never to surrender,o was
the unaninous reply cfhis faithful guard ,
WHEN called upon to yield and receive
lqnaiter. Scarcely one of them survived.
tand yet these men he deserted The cir
cumstances in this case areI think wide
Eiy different from those in his former
Fights from Egypt and Russia. In the
drst ne leftan army, to gain an Empire !;
IN the second, his safety was essential To
the preservation Of the Empire he had
gained Here his cause was almost a
personal one, He knew that the evant
"a that action must be, decisive of his
late, apd that if lost, he cpuld no longer,
reign over Frcnchmen. Here then he
should have died, and his name would
have been recorded On the history page
as that OF q man Of the most brilliant ia !
tents, both military and political, the
world ever knew, and stained perhaps
with as few crimes as that on any of the
great conquerOrs Of ancient or modern
times.
q believe lis career of earthly
greatness is Fow completely closed and
that he viii never again disturb Europe
By his liltflgues, nor tlazzel her by the
splendor efhis arms.
!" All, howeyefy is hot vet settled
The Bourbons are too imbeeile race \
and too much dishked BY 4 great proper
ton OF the people of France, on whom
they have been twice forced at the point
Of the bayonet, to remain long in. qsietl
possession of the throne, without the i'm
mediate presence and support of foreienl
troops. On the ether hand, these troops
are looked upon. by Royalists as well asl
Bonapartists, with no very gracious eye 4
add it they should remain in France anvil
length OF time, paid, fed and cloathedi
= they new are, by contributions cnI
ne people, the inevitable consequence
sIlisbe. an universal insurection thro5
iut the whole extern OF the country
Even ID tllIs section of the country
where vast majority of the people are,i
lad always have been, favorable to the
6osrbon cause, and where as vet theyI
AVE suffered nothing by the immediatel
presence OF the allied troops, serious
Complaints are every day heard against
heir conduct: and should they eventu-
lily be qaartered here, they viii soorl
become as much their inveterate enc
mes, As they before protested to be
heir friends.
The French are a military nation and
IS SUCH after all the misfortunes and
iisgraces they have lately suffered, the
sesiect with pride on the period whe,:I
herr armies dictated laws to Europe
md can never remain ceutented In the;rl
pre- ent reduced and degraded situatiei
i does notreqaire long time to form.
IN army in France. A French Peasa. |
who mas nerer handled a musket, ms
,e seen one day brought. into cam;
With his wooden shoes and awkwau
ssslt ADD IN one month afterwards, h,