Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-10-13

DO let Thy lpeiag melt AN ss
Aud minyac Into heaven.
oKKT0zEs OF 0RARAcrEa.
From the Loeslor Literary Gazette.
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE-EXECU
OF LOUIS XVI
trhe history Of this interesting fI~rmcn, Z. =.
foaiowN and ~c leave rs-aslsrs To form their
own Judgment as TO its sutlss.nticity. kapr..r,d
IN work which vas Immediately suppressed u.
been dsco,crablc; 70 that this MS. copied frum
n nj the time, has very nearly the value OF An orr
SinAi purports On be part oG letter written bv
Bcnaparte, ~ the period Of the execution OF -uf,
NJ and must be prruscd " nh peculiar f.,clipws
al this cventful moment
:" shall now. my friend, become
concise: l do not like the unfolding OF
funeral Grape. The King was con
demned to death! and If the 2ist Of
January did not forever affix an odium
on the French character, at least il
added q glorious name to the list Of
martyrs! What q town was Paris on
this awful dsy! The populace appear.
ed IN state Of stupefaction: IL seem.
ed that the people assembled only To
exchange gloomy looks, and to az from
each other without speaking. The
streets were deserted, and houses and
palaces wore the appearance Of tombs.
Ihe air eren seemed TO smell of the ere.
cufionsr. To be brief. the descendant
OF st. Louis was led to death, through
files Of mournful automata, but lately
his subjects.
IL any one be near you. my friend,
when you read this despatch (even
were II your father, conceal from him
What foIlows-it is q stain on the stuff
OF which my character is made. That
NaPoleoa Bo0aparte should be sensi.
oily Affected at the destruction of hu :
man being, and constrained to keep his
bed from the consequences Of this i'm
preston, 10 q fact scarcely to be be-
iieved, though true, and one which I
cannot avow without blushing with
contempt for myself. Yes, expert
enced feeling, which, however admi-
ra0Ie IN another, was disgracefui to
one who had disavowed all the weak
nesses Of the human heart. The night
preceding the 2lst Of January I had
not closed my eyes; yet | was unable
to account to myself for the cause Of
my unusual agitation. I rose early,
and eagerly ran wherever the crowd
was assembling. wondered at, or
rather despfsed, the passive imbeci!ity
OF 10000 National Guards, Of whom
nine-tenths were only mechanic a!ly
the agents OF the executioner. At the
Porte 81. Denis I met Santerre: he
was followed by a numerous staff. I
should have liked to cut of his cara.
l spit at him, not being able to do more.
In nv opinion, his post had been bet
ter filled by the Duke d'Osleans: his
object was crown; and we all know
that such motive oyerbaiances many
considerations. Proceeding along the
Bouievards, l reached the Place de la
Revolution. | was ignorant Of the IN.
vcntion OF the guillotiue: cold per.
sp;ratIon crept over me. A stranger
who stood near me, attributed my agi.
tation and paleness TO a peculiar inte-
rest 10 the King Of France. BE Of
better cheer said he, he will not pe-
rish, the Convention is only DESTROYS
Of proving its power, and he will
meet his pardon at the foot of the scat
fOld.' IL that be so,' replied |. the
gentlemen conveutionalists are not
themselves far from their fall, and ne /.
YER would cUiprlts more richly deserve
their tate. Tie who attacks lion, and
would avoid being destroyed by him,
should not wound, but throw him dead
upon the spot A low and confused
noise was heard--it was the ROYAL vic.
tim! ] hurried forward, eIbowing aud
elbowed. approached as lar as
could--all my efforts 60 get near were
vain: the scalfold was hid from me BY
an armed force. The rolling Of dfun,s
suddenly interrupted the mournful 81.
isncs Of the assembled multitude. III
IL the signal &C his release said the
stranger. And il will rebound on
his murderers,, replied. 10 such .
ease, half q crime 10 a weakness.' A
monetary silence cnsued. Sudden
" something fell heavily on the scat
fold: the noise strsek az my heart
inquired the cause IL gendaFme. IL
is the falling of the axe, he replied
The kiag - not then saved The u
dead--he - deadi' pronounced Al
least ten tines these words--'he Is