Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-02-08

these extracts. But l have changed ny
purpose. leav them to the judgment Of
The reader | shall simply say, if the
preachers believed all they asserted, what
transcendent in fatua ,ion if they did not,
what ranscehdent turptude ! In either
case, what trsnscendeut Proclamation 81 ne
clerical functions !! and of a religion BREATH
ing peace aud good will amonS all men
The following elegant Sketch, is from the cIas-
sic pen of Charles Philips, Esq. cclebrat-
ed Irish Parrister, we'll known rs the dis
tinguishcd Orator apd Champion OF Catholic
Emancipation 1t WAS first published at Sill
10 on the 18Th OF hpril.
CHARACTER OF BoNAPARTE,
He is fallen We may now pause before that
splcndid prodigy which ownred among US like
some ancient rein, whose frown terrified tie.
glance its maEnitccnce attracted Grand,
ploemy and peculiar he sat upon the thron-, u
scertred herr,it, wrspt in the rolitude OF his
awful originality y mind bold, Independent
and decisive a vii! despotic IN lis dictates
an energy that dstanccd expedition end
conscience, piiable TO every touch OF inter- 81,
marked lie outline of this extraordinary cha
Tacier, tie mast extraordinary perhaps, that, in
the aplals OF this word, yer rose, OF rcigEed,
or !cil Fiurg, into life, in tie midst o! a rego-
luton, that qaiCkened every energy Of poop
that acknowledged no superior, he commenced
Lis courgc, stranger by birth and scholar
BY charity with no friend but his sword, and
no fortune but lis talents, he rushed into the
lists where rank, aSd wealth, and genius, had
rayed themselves, and competition fled from
him as from the chance % destiny He knew
no motive but interest--hc acknowledged no
criterion but succcss-he worshppcd no God
but ambition, and with stern devotion kneit
at the shrine Of his lduia;ry. subsidiary 10
this there was no creed that az DID not process
there was no opinion he did not proEIulgate
in The Iiore of u dynasty, he u.,i,e.d the c.es-
cent foE the sake OF = divcrse, lie bowed be"
fore the cross ;he orphan # St Louis, ii4 be~
cane the adopted cbid of the republic, & with
a parricidal iugratitude, on tire ruins OF the
chrome and tho tribune, he reared the tower OF
his deSpo,ism protessed cnthciic, he lm:rs
suncd the pope; pretended patriot, he ln'po'
yerished tle cuunlgy; aHd, IN the name o. bru-
ius,' he graspcd, without rcmorse, and wore,
without shame, lhe diadeUs OF tie Crsars.
Through this pautomine OF his policy, FOR,
tune paved the clown TO hs csPrices At his
touch, crows crumbIed, bsggars reigned, sys"
TENS vanished, tie widest theories took the CO.
>Iour Of his whm; all ;iiat was venerable, ard
all that was novel, changed places VIA. tie RI
pidi;y of drama. Even apparent defeat as
sumed the operations OF "ic.ory-his high;
from Eeypt confirmed his destiny-Iuin itself
only elevated him to empire.
Tut if his fortune was great, his genius was
transct ndant decision flashed upon his couh"
cils, and it WIS the same, TO decid,, aud 10 per-
form To inierio: inteliects hs combinations
appsared perfectly m,cssible--hIs plans FER"
fctly imprscticable but, in his hand, s'mph
CITY marked their Development, and Success
Vjrdicstcd their 40 eplion. Ills person partoOk
the CHI rac;er OF his mind If the one never
welded i'll the cabinet, the other neVer bent IN
the field. Nature had no obstacles which bc
did not surmount space TO opposhioh that ne
did not spurn and, whether amid Alpine
rocks, Arabian sands, or Polar SHOWS, lie seem.
ed proof against peril, and empowered wan u
hlquty The whole continent OF EproPS trem-
bled at beheldinr the audacity OF his designs,
and the miracle Of their execution Sceptleism
bowed to the prodigies of his performance
romance assumed the air OF history nor was
tsere augit too Incredible fer belief, er too fan
ciiul for expectation when the world saw a SIT
baltern OF Corsica waving his imperial hag o.
yer Ter most ancient capitals. All the visions
Of antiquity became common places ~ his con.
Temptation; kings were his people nations
were his outposts and nc disposed Of courts,
and camps, and churches, and cabinets, as il
they were titui2r dignitaries OF the chess
board.
Amid all these ,hsrCes, he stood immutsbe
as adamant. IT mattered Ii tic whether in the
field or in the drawing room with tic mob or
the ievee wearing the iacobn bonnet, or the
iron crown bsnishng Braganza or espousing
Lorraine debating peace on a raft TO tho
Gear, of Russia, or contemplating defeat at the
gallows Of l.eipsic he was still the same mi.
Iitary despot.
Graded in the camp, he was, to The last
hour, the darling Of uie army. OF all his sol.
diers, not one forsook lin, till affection was
useless anG their first stipulation was the
safety Of their Iayorile. They well knew that
:. he WAS lavish of them, BE- was pfodiCal OF
himEelf; and that II NC exposed them to perl,
he repaid them with plumber For the soldier,
ne subsidized every people to tie people ne
made even pride pay tribute.
The victorious veteran glittered with his
gains and the capital, gorgeous with tie
spoils Of art, became the miniature metropolis
Of the universe.
In this wonderful Combination, his afcctation
CT literature must not he omitted The gaolcr
of the press, he affected the patronage Of lei
ters the proscriber Of books, he encouraged
philosophy tie prosecutor OF authors, and the
murderer Of printers, he yet pretended to
the prott ciion Of learning The assassin Of
Palm, the siieHcer of De Stael, and the d..
noutoer Of Kotzebuc, he was the friend Ct Da
-vid, tie beneiactor OF DC Lille, and sent lis a.
cadtm cal prize TO the philosopher Of Eng
Jsndt
Such medley Of contradictions, and, az Oh,
same time, such an individual consistcnc,
were never united in the same character.
Toyaiist, republican, and an emperor q ma.