Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-11-01

p'Olts OF tue ancIcnts aUl of aHccstorso Should
we not have all desired at that time, be the heroes
whose real OF imaginary history pcrusel? At that
period oil enthusiasm, If those reco,iccons had been
suddenly realized before If eyes instead of read
ing had witnessed the performance Of those miracles
III we had fclt their sphere of action within reach
AMI If emoynens had been offered 10 us b, the side
OF those brave paladIns, whose adventurous lives aud
brilliant renown our young and VIVID imagination had 81
nnch enrici; Which OF US would have be>itaed: Who
is uere that would not have rushed forward. rcpclc
with Joy and hope and ddainng cdious aud scandal
lous repuSe?
Such we're the rising generations Of that dav. at
that period every free be ambitious a Pc
Rod OF inuS,cat'on ami prosperity. during which The
French soldier, lord Os all things by victory considered
III nsef greater than the uubetnan or even he stysr
eign whose lands he traversed To him il appeared rs
the ki'SS OF turo?e only reigned by permission OF
bis Chief aud of his arms.
Thus 1t was that habit attached some. disgust at
camp service others no'rt prompted the greater pa
am especially the desire of glory: but all stim-
aied by emulation. In fine, confidence IN chic! who
Tad been always Fortunate and hone of an early veto
r., which would terminate the at d blow and re.
store US 10 our fresies tor ar To De en ire army o.
~ oo'eon as # was 10 volunteers of he coust Of
Lou, XIV. was often than single battle. vi
short aud brilliant journey.
lhey were nov about u such 4 war 10 tie cx-
Teh'y oil Iurope, where never European Amy had
been before. They about to erec; the columns of
hercules The greatness ut the riisC; the ata-
ton OF CO operating Europe: the imposing arparatu of
an army Of 4o0000 foot, and so 600 horse: so many
w'rke reports and martial clanours, indlca the minds
OF vet-ans themselves Ii was impossible for n @
est to remain unnovcl amid toe General un,u,,e o es
cape IRON the uuiyereal innucnCc.
When the French army the banks OF the Me
men, we are informed, that
Napoleon, who had travelled in carriage till that
time, mounted his horse al o'clock in the morior
ne recommended Tue HusSau river, without dsyuisin"
himself, as HIS been falsely asserted and under cover
o the night crossed this boundary which, five months
rus t.; was only enc bed TO repass under OF
the Same obScnrIty When he came up TO the bank
MS morse suddenly stumbled, and threw INN on the sand
"A volce exclaimed. This is a bad omen: a Roman
"ou'd recoi" IT. not known whether it was himself
Ut one Oh lis rchnno, who pronounced these words
Although Napoleon hurried across the BRIDGE tn pIar HE
1907 on the Russian territory, while the soldiers Who were
animated by his looks, saiutcd him with their nccu,oI
arcIaniatons ne sppsasef somewhat oppressed and san
P"' at length he suddenly put spurs To his ho,se- 81 rd
mo tne Count y--and advanced above leaoue
~" y solitude: he appeared Oh h,e into c uact
VAIN Inc enemy Some circumstances ccnncccd win Tie
passage OF the Niemen proved melancholy prelude or sub
SeIeIt 'nsioi tune aud seemed onlinnus
OIL me whole success. " hen dcscenduG towards o,
Some of tie soldiers thought they heard the distant
report OF Cannon. As marched We en,.cavourei f.,
uiaI.''S"Sh on winch side the battle going on. But
"n The exception Of troops of coesocl,s tha, I,,
s wen as The ensuing, the climate alone ,Iisp, cd i
m The character Of enemy In fact tl,a Tn, .,,.
,i'u scarcely passed the river, VIXEN ruuhlng scunj
oeS%" 10 AS''aie the atmosphere In short tine tie
nal became overcast, the Wind rose and brorn, ,rI
1T the ICaaspicious muttcriaps .f thtndar st-o r.,
menacInG sky and I'M helGrred country filed ms yin
melancholy impressions. There were cyeY sor,n
amongst ~ VINO, enthusiastic they had lately beer
were terrified at what they conceived TO he
sage 10 them II appeared that those comi,siilI 70
p"hrS were collecting our heads and uat tcv
Won'a descend pon the territory we apnroacheG in
der II guard its entrance. 49,
II IS qu'' e certain that tho storm, +, ,,,..,: 49,
great as the enterprise which we were roe.aod IN
ring several hours, IFS black aud heavy src ,,p,,
-, anu '"S upon the march Of the Whole army: from
ESht 10 leil over space Of City leagues il wa, ,rc,t
Iu oy lis ghtnIngs and overw hemed By its torrents
me roads and feds were inundated the insnDntob,e
neat OF The atmosphere was suddenly chapoed + q.
~s'eea3ie Guinness Ten thousand horses pc. ishcd on
vac march and more especially in lie bivouacs cb
followed. a large quantity of equipagos remained
abandoned on the sands; aid great numbers ofren sub
sequentiv gave way " '''''' "o
convent served to shelter the Emperor against the
hFs' luTI OF the tempest From hence he shortly do
parted Tor howno where the greatest disorder prevailed
ne cta?s OF tiundcr no longer noticed. tboss
flenac!ng reports, which still n;lrInured over ,,
appeared forgotten For, though this common rbc, n
menon OF Tie season might have shaken The lirmros :
some few minds, witt The majority the t,,na of os
had passed way. \ sccptici.m ingenious nm ,I
part oi s":re, thougtless or coarse nm tlo nat n
0t'es eart-1oTn passions and imperious wants have
diverted The souls of men from that heaven yyEcnco
they are derived, ana 10 which fIey shouJ rot,r, tn
army therefore, recognised nothing but nautraI ,I
"h d'''ie accIeNt IN tts disaster: and far from in
terFg u as me voice OF Reproduction against azores
OlI,l
IL II nothing but motive Indignation arains. fo,m
or INC s;ies' which! whether by chance or otherwise
OF, rcd it so terrible p c>age
i"' very day particular calamity was added to te
general disaster At Korno. Napoleon was sxasnor,
5fd the ''la the bridge which the Cosac
"a broken oowI, and winch onPoscd the passare Of
Ch mot lie affected to desDise it, like every ling
ese th"f oo2osed him and ordered squadron Of Tho
Polish guard to s." i'm the river These nickel ,oo
lhe order without hesitation. Al first they pro-
ceeir1 IN good order, and when of their denfs
doubled their eXerons. They soon reached ihc mid
ale OF The river by swimming But there the rarj,,r
OF me current broke their order. Their horses there
became frightened, quilted their ranEs and
red away by the violence of the waves The, no
llnger swan, but hoated about in scattered r,orrs
ier 'io'FS struggled ~ valn at length their srcn;b
gave way, and they resigned Themselves to u,;r c,
i'er destruction was certain tu it was for their conn
ny was IN cT presence and for The sake of thoir d
'n'' uo) devoted themselves: and even ,yl,cn
on the point Of beng enrulphed r,rcve- ,I, ~ w"
el u'cr "''AVang struggles turned their faces t6u
Nap1icon and exclaimed, .Tirc nLnoc,c,,.,,, III
ut HON II