The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-09-12

he brought up his guards, who, impatien
OF inactivity, had been held in readiness,
Tor hours, and now, springing forward like
: Woii-degs, tgom the leash, had the glorious
:, task IN which they rarely failed, Of decid-
ing the long sustaine dcontest.
The interest which Napoleon preserved
IN the French soldiers affection by a fire.
quent distribution of prizes and distinctions.
as well as by his familiar notice of their
persons, ana attending to their wants, ioin-
ed TO his possession Of absolute and indie
pendent command, rendered it no difficult
matter Tor him to secure their support in
the revolution Of the eighteenth Brumaire.
and Ill placing him at the head of affairs.
Most part OF the.nation were heartily tired
by this time of the continually unsettled
state OF the. government, and the various
changes which 1t had experienced from the
visionary speculatlons of the Girondists
the brutal and bloody fcrocity Of the Jaco-
bins, the sofdid and undecided versatility
and lmbecilty Of the Directory; and the
nation IN general desired a settled form Of
| government, which, if less free, should be
more stable IN duration, ard better calcu-
lated to assure to individuals the protection
OF property and of personal freedom, than
those which had followed the downfall of
/ monarchy. a successful gensral of cllarac-
ter more timld, or conscience more tender
than that of Napoleon might have at
! tempted the restoration Of the Bourbons.
/ But Napoleon foresaW the difficulties which
] would occur by an attempt to reconcile
| the recall Of the emlgrantS to the assur-
ance OF the national sales, and aptly con-
cluded that the parties which tore France to
pieces, would be most readily amalgama-
/ ted together under the authority Of one
/ who was IN great measure stranger to
! them all.
Arrived at the possession of supreme
! power, a height that dazzles and confounds
/ SO many, Napoleon seemed only to occupy
the s:ation for which he was born, to which
his peculiar powers adopted him, and his
1 brilliant career Of success gave him, I'M
der all circumstances, an irresistible claim.
/ He contlI~ied, therefore, with calm mind
and enlightened wisdom to consider the
means of rendering his power stable, of
destroying the republican impulse, and es-
tablishing a monarchy, of which he destin-
ed himself to be the monarch. To most
men the attempt to revive, in favor of a
military adventurcr, form of government.
which had been rejected by what seemed
4 claim, would lave seemed an act of des-
I. peration, The partizanss of the republic
were able statesmen, and men of superior
talent, accustomed also to rule the fierce
democracy, and organize those intrirues
which had overthrown crown and altar.
1t was hardly to be supposed that such men
would were it but for shame's sake, have
seen their ten years labor at once swept
NJ
cessful general.
!, But Napoleon knew himself and them,
and felt the confidence that those who had
been associates in the power required by
former revolutions, must be now content
to sink into the instruments of his advance
nent, and the subordinate agents of his
authority, contented with such share of
spoil as that with which the lion rewards
! the jackall.
To the kingdom at large, upon every
new stride towards power, he showed the
certificate of superior efficacy guaranteed
by the most signal success; and he assum-
ed the empire of France under the proud
I title Detur digiSSime. Neither did his
actions up to this point encourage any one
to challenge the defects or flaws Of his
title. In practice, his government was
brilliant abroad, and, with few exceptions,
liberal and moderate at home. The abom-
inahle murder Of the Duke d'Enghion
showed the vindic6ve spirit of the savage.
But in general the public actions of Napo-
leon, at the commencement of his career,
were highly laudible. The battle of Mar
engo, with its consequences, the softening
of civil discord, the reconciliation with the
Church of Rome, the recall of the great
body of the emigrants, the revivihcation OF
National Jurisprudence, were all events
calculated to flatter the imagination, and
even gain the affections of the nation.
But with dexterity peculiar to himself,
Napoleon proceeded, while abolishing the
. republic to press into his service those
very democratical principles which had
given rise to the revolution and encourag-
ed the attempt to found a commonwealth.
His sagacity had not failed to observe,
that the popular objections to the ancient
government were founded less upon. any
objection to the royal authority in itself,
than to a dislike amnuntins 70 dnte~t~f:,--'
6 OF the privileges which it allotted to the
mobiles and to the clergy, who held, from
birth an office, the right to fill the superior
ranks in every profession, and barred the
competition of all others, however superior
in merit. When, therefore, Napoleon con-
structed his new form of monarchial gov
eminent, he wisely considered that he was
not like a hereditary monarch, tied down
to any particular rules, arising out of an
! cient usage, but being himself creator OF
the power which he welded, he was at
! liberty to model it according to his own
! pleasure. He had been raised also so cas-
lily to the throne, by the general acknowl-
, edgement Of his merits, that he did not
!, need the assistance of party of his own
consequently, being unlimited by previous
engagements, and by the necessity OF
= gratifying old partizans or acquiring new
ones, his choice was in very usual degree
free and unlimited,
(To BE Continued
, $50 .: zggxn---