Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-09-29


ding of the violet" the return of Napo
: leon from Elba, he was made director o
correspondence for foreign affairs, anc
chosen member Of the chamber of de.
puties. lie signed the capitulaton Of
the Sd July, 1873, on behalf of the pro
visional government, with the general:
Of the allied army. The biographer ol
Bignon describes him as a person OF
small stature, but Hercules in mind,
a polished man in society, an admirer Of
the ladies', and an improvisator, yet a
vigorous champion of liberty, a firm
friend of the people, and man of elo-
qucnce.
Among his prime pal acts in the cham
Der Of deputies, of which for many years
he has been the ornament, are his de-
mand for the departure ofthe allied ar
mics, the recall ofthc exiled Bonapartsts,
and his denunciation Of the ministers for
wasting the public money. As well as
Gen. Gerard, he has eulogiscd from the
Tribune more than once ''thc immortal
Captain, whose fame must go down with
that Of Alexander and of Cesar" On
1 T.,
he told the celebrated Villelc that his
! conduct was Infamous!
! Bignon is the author Of two celebrated
works. One on the system adopted by
the Directory towards the Cisalpine re-
publics; the other comparative exposi-
ton of the moral, political and financial
state of France, and ofthe principal Eu-
ropean powers. This is rated very high
by those who are acquainted with the
subject
1t will be evident to our readers that
the leading men in the provisional GO
vcrnment have been warm friends of \ IL
/ poleon, and If the time has come, which
Gen. Foy in 1922 predicted would come,
that the echo of praise would yet be
heard in the hall once decorated with his
trophies, we cannot refrain from antici-
patng the rc-cstablishmcnt OF the Ma
poleon dynasty, in the person Of the
young Duke Of Reichsadt This would
have the effect to put down the Bour-
bons forever, and while all the ncccs-
sary restrictions could be effected by
the liberals, both by n new charter and
the pledged faith ofthe Austrian govern
mcnt; on the other hand the enthusiasm
ofthc nation would find a field for its
exercise in the remembrance of the
glories Of the Napoleon name. The a
duIation which is yet secretly bestowed
upon the character of this extraordinary
man, by those who remember only his
victories and his renown, would soon
bring its offerings with renewed zeal to
the shrine of the departed great. The
faults Of Napoleon hare by no one been
more sererely criticised than by himsey,
and in spite of the efforts of Scott and
Lockhart, to impress history with En-
glish pre- ejudices, we may see with change
writer's, who will dare do justice to those
actions which must ever form a theme
for romance and a subject of reflection
for philosophy.
We forgot to mention that the ok
pose Comparatif'' was published by Big
non in 1914
No. vi.
Mons. GUrzor-of the department Of
Education. Education was confcssedly
neglected in France, prior to the time of
the revolution. The great men who
have shone in the ages of Henry 1th,
Louis 18th, 10Th and 10th, were more
indebted to their natural genius for their
superiority than to their early education.
The French university was first fairly
organised under Louis 18th, and since
that period has been constantly under
the care of the government for the time
being. 1t consists of Six Colleges and a
general Office for the direction of the
whole. Besides these, there arc an i'm
mcnse number of schools called primary,
central and special schools, in a great
measure supported by government, where
young lads oftalcnt may receive cemen-
tary instruction gratuitously.
As late as 1922, the French ministers
finding that the people were getting to
be too enlightened, directed that all lee
lures on Ethics, public law, and political
economy, should either be delivered in
Latin or be discontinued! And the Abb
be Frassinous, who had charge OF the de-
partmcnt of education during that year,
recommended in his official capacity, /
that the common people should not be
allowed to learn either to read or write
II there was no other cause for a revo-
luton than this, we should Justify the
French people in changing their battle
cry of mon joe 81. Dennis, for the more
appalling one of down with the Tyrant!
Napoleon boasted of having made edu-
cation so cheap in France that a peasant
might be educated ifhe would. .graiutious-
ly, and above all that the museums, those
splendid collections of art, were first
thrown open in his reign to all classes
of nconln The 10 h;obIy 10 -: II. |