New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-06-18
-e= IN AND HIS MARsuALs: BY J. T. HEAD,

LII u. Ma. the old brick chapel, our eye is some
.ns. arrested by placards that hang side by side
u"'' advertised The Lives of the Apostles"
W ~ o,bsr Napoleon and his Marshals.
civ !, is the most monstrous thing the world
-..v ,bs, eighteen hundred years profound de-
w. N religious teacher should not preclude fla
and all but universal, violation of his most
shvious precepts. That Napoleon and his Marshals
- ha some of the best rpened fruit of our time;
~, our own people, so anwearied in building up
...,,es Of wood and stone TO the Prince of Peace,
'r.an he at this moment mad with boyish exulta-
49,, a, the winning Of battle, and in bad cause
+, view of such facts we cannot wonder that DR..
ct,,,;oe. The Edtorof The Tribune and others who
,,te Christianity their standard should find little
avn, in glowing exposi,ons Of the great French
lama and be disguised al words OF defence, still
.,o,s If admiration spoken in behalf Of its leading
actor.
We can easily admit at once that the whole
r,s,ch drama was anti Christian just as the
nsiopnl conduct of every nation of Christendom
has beep thus far, with rare and brief exceptions.
Something different might have been expected from
IN, ovn. because the world has now attained
clearer consciousness of right. and in our own case
our position would have made obedience easy. We
have no, been led into temptation we sought II. 1t
is greed and not want that has impelled this nation
10 wrong. The paths of peace would have been for
her also the paths Of wisdom and of peasan,ness,
bu, she would not; and has preferred the path OF
the beast Of prey in the uncertain forest TO the green
pastures where walks the good Shepherd, His
meek temples crowned with roses red and white
Since the state of things is such, we see nc e1-
,:emity of censure tha, should fall upon the great
French leader except that he was like the majority
he was ruthless and selfish on larger scale than
Or in principles of action.
Admit, then, that he was not good man, and
never for one moment acted disinteres,edly. But
do not refuse to do homage 10 bis genius 1t Is well
Worth your while TO learn to appreciate that, II you
wish to understand the work that the spirit of the
time did, and is still doing, through him for his
mind is still upon the earth working there through
the tributary minds it fed. We must say, for our
own part, we cannot admit the right Of minds Sc
verely to criiicse Napoleon till they are able TO ap
precate what he was as well as see what he was
not And we see no mind of sufficient grasp or
high placed enough to take this estimate duly, nor
do we believe this age will furnish one. Many
problems have to be worked out first.
We reject the exclusively moral no less than the
exclusively intellectual view, and find most salts
faction in those who aiming neither al apology nor
attack make their observations upon the great phe-
nomenon as partial and to be received as partial.
Mr. Headley, in his first surprise at finding how
falsely John Bull, rarely liberal enough TO be fully
trusted in evidence any topic, has spoken OF the
acts Of hated and dreaded foe, does, indeed, rush
100 much on the other side. He mistakes the
touches Of sentiment in Napoleon for genuine feel
ing. Now we know that Napoleon loved TO read
0ssian, and could appreciate the beauty of tender
ness; but we do not believe that he had one particle
Of what is properly termed heart-ihat is he could
always silence sentiment al once when his projects
demanded it. Then Mr.. Headey finds apologies
for acts where apology is out of place. They char
acterze the ruthless nature of the man. and that is
all that can be said of them. He moved on, like the
Juggernaut car, to his end, and spilled the blood
that was needed for this, whether that blood were
di,ch.water' or otherwise. Neither is this sup
posing him monster. The human heart is very
capable of such uncontrolled selfshness, just as II Is
oiangelic love- at is but the first step that costs
much. Yet some compassionate hand strewed
flowers on Neros grave, and the whole world cried
shame when Bonaparte's Mameluke forsook his
master.
Mr. Headey does notseem to be aware that there
sno trus, TO be put in Napoleon's own account OF
bis actions. He seems TO have been almost lncapa-
bleOf speaNirs sincerely TO those about him. we
dolbt Wheeler he could have forgotten with the
woman he loved tina, she might become his historic
grspher
But granting the worst that can be said of ruthless
scs in the stern Corsican, we to reserve our
snaihema for him alonel He is no worse than the
cher crowned ones, against whom he felt himself
continually in the balance. He has shed greater
quantity Of blood and done mshtier wrongs because
he had more power and followed with moretervora
more dazzling lure We see no other difference be-
tween bis cond act and that of the great Frederic of
Prussia He never did any thing meanly wicked as
hes just been done in stirring up the Polish peasants
NSSSeuhlt Inc uuUico. Az AS' - N'N Gay e"'H6
oa,rccous as has been done by Nicholas OF Russia,
Who Just after his hypocritical intercourse with
ina, venerable man." the Pope, when he SO zeal,
ousy defended himsea gainst,he charge ofscourg'ng
aanso nverthem to the Greek Church, administers
Ae knout to noble and beautiful lady because she
mad given shelter for an hour TO the patriot Dem.
0'oWsAi Why then so Jealous against Napoleon
Ooly He is but specimen of What man must be-
VOae when he will be king over the bodies where
ne cannot over the souls Of fellow men. We doubt
@s no worse in the sightof God to drain France OF
&c. oess blood by the CONSUMPTION than TO tear The
a'"eF OF genius from the breast of Italy. topersh
10 dungeon, leaving her overwhelmed and broken
rsa''ed' Leaving all this aside and granting that
D0naparte might have done more and better had his
''a' been pure from ambition, which gave it such
l'eVNc power 10 animate vast field of being,
'.o IS no reason why we should no; prize what
oiu oo And here we think Mr. Headley style
'"' oh'y one in place We honor him for the power
~ 'u0"s Of admiring the genius which, in plow-
~ gigantic furrow broke up every artificial bar
~ val hd the nations OF Europe one from the
@at has left the career opento talent" by gap
~ eIOaQ thar M :,