Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-01-08
.,polsOa's opinion oftae Daks of Vel
ington.
From Las Cases JournaD

boFss
From Las Cases JournaD
81 have been told (said bel that it
is through W---ihat 1 am here /:
and believe it, II is conduct well
worthy of him, who, in defiance of a
solemn capituIation, snffcrci Ney to
perish-Ney, with whom he had so
often engaged on the field Of battle !!
For my own part, it is very certain
that gave him terrible quarter of an
hour. This usually constitutes claim
on noble minds his was incapable
offeelns it. Ny fall, and the lot that
might have been reserved for me, af-
lorded him The opportunity of reaping
higher glory than he has gained by
all his victories. But he did not I'M
derstand this.-Wcll; at any rate, he
ought to be heartily grateful to old
Butcher; had it not been for him, /
know not where his Grace might
have been to day but l know that |,
at least, should not have been at St.
Helena. W--'s troops were ad
inirable, but his plans were despicablc
--or, should rather say, that he for.
med none at all. He haA placed
himself in situation. in which It was
impossible he could form any, and, by
curious chance, this very circum-
stance saved him. Ifhe could have
commenceda retreat, he mast infalIi-
bly, have been lost. He certainly. re.
NAMED master of the field of battle !:
bot was his success the result OF his
skill ? He has reaped the fruit of
brilliant victory but did his genius
prepare it for him ? His gloryis Who'll
ly negative. His faults were encr-
NOUS He, the European Generalissi-
mo, in whose hands so many inter
ests were entrusted, and having an
enemy so prompt and daring as my
self, left his forces dispersed about, and
slumbcrrcd in a capital until he was
surprised. And vet such is the pow
er of fatality In the course OF three
days, | three times saw the destiny or
France and Europe escape my grasp.
In the first place, but for the treason
of general, who deserted from our
ranks & betrayed my designs, l should
have dispersed and destroyed all the
enemy's detached parties before they
could have combined themselves into
an army corps. Next, had it not been
for the unusual hesitation of Ney at
Quartre- Bras, Ishould have annihiIa-
ted the w hole English army Finally,
on my right, the extraordinary manoeu
vres OF Grouchy, instead OF securing
victory, completed my ruin, and hur-
led France into the abyss. No-(con.
tinued he)-W-possesse only
a special kind Of talent Berthier also
had his! In this he perhaps excelIs.
But he has no ingenuity. Fortune
has done for him. How different
from Marlborough, of whom he seems
to consider himselfthe rival and equaH
Marlborough, while he gained BATH es,
ruled cabinets and guided statesmen:
as for W, he has only shown
himself capable of following the views
and plans Of c.. Madame dc
Steal said of him, that when out of the
field of battle he had not two ideas
The saloons of Paris, so distinguished
for delicacy and correctness of taste,
at once decided that Madame de Stael
was in the right and the French Pleni.
lpotentiary at Vienna confirmed that
opinion. His victories, their result,
and their influence, will rise in histo-
ry but his name will fall, even during
his lifetime"