The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-10-03
Miscellaneous.
APOLE on 40
His Defeat and Exile---His Sec.
ond Return to France.
RY ]. T. HEApLY.

rrance. was the whole of NapoIeon's latter
coreer. The disastrous invasion ofRussia, the !
n,ortolity that swept off the forces on the
Rhine. the fatal battle of Lepsic and other
engagements where victory was gained by
terrific losses had exhausted the resources of |
Frauce.
In this depressed state, the civilized world
was preparingi its last united onset upon her.
From the Baltic to the Bosphorus-from
Archangel 10 the Mediterranean, Europe had
banded itself against Napoleon. Denmark
and Sweden struck hands with Austria, and
Russia. aud Prussia and England; while TO
crown ALL the Princes of the confederation
,ofthe Rhine put their signatures to the league
and one million and t,oenty eight thousand men
stood up in battle array on the plains of Eu-
rope, TO overthrow this mighty spirit that had
shook so terribly their thrones. r#.I r
France could not with her utmost efforts
raise more than third ofthe number of this
immense host.
But Elba could not hold the restless mind
ofNapoleon. The next year he stepped a.
gain upon the soil of France with a handful
offollowers. And what noble confidence
of living in the hearts of the nation and a
proof that he did live in their hearts, was
that landing from exile! What n refutation
of the assertion, that the curses ofthe people
had followed his downfall. .#"#...
1t was not the soldiers, but the common
people who first surrounded him. AS he
pitched his tent without Cannes, the inhab-
itants flocled to him with their complaints
ind gathered around him as the redrcssor Of
their wrongs. AS he advanced towards
Grenoble, the fields were alive with peasants,
rs they came lcaping like deer from every
hill, crying Viue Empere,up Thronging a
ronnd him. they followed him with shouts to
the very gates Of the town. The command
ant refused him ndmittancc, yet the soldiers
within stretched their arms through the
wickets, and shook hands with his followers
without At length confused murmur u
rose over the walls, and Napoleon did not
know but it was the gathering for fierce as
sault on his little band. The tumuIt grew
wilder every moment Six thousand inhal'-
itants from one of the fauborgs had risen e1t
1nasse and with timbcrs and beams came
pouring against the gates. They tremble
before the resistless shocks--reel and fall
wta crash to the GROUND, aud the multitude
stream forth. Rushing upon Napoleon, they
drag him from his horse, kiss his hands and
garments, and bear him with deatening
shouts, on their shoulders, into the town.
He next advances OH Lyons, the gates of
which are closed against him, and bayonets
CLEAN against the walls. Trusting to the
power of affection rather than to arms,he gal
lops boldly up to the city. Tile soldiers with
in, instead firing OF him, breaking over all
discipline, burst open the gates, and rush in
frantic JOY around him, shouting 'ViUeP EN-
pereurr lie is not compelled to plant his
cannon against single town; power returns
TO him, not through terror, but through love.
lie is now received with the open arms of
friends, and thus his course becomes one tr-
umphal march. The power ofthe Bourbons
disappears before the returning love of affec-
ton, like towers of sand before the waves;
and without firing gun, Napoleon again sits
on his recovered throne, amid the acclana-
tons of the people. Who ever saw the ty-
rant and an oppressor received thus? Where
is the monarch in Europe, that dare fling
himsclfin such faith on the affections of his
subjects? Where was ever the Bourbon that
could show such title to the throne he occu-
pied? All! the people do not thus receive the
man who FORCES letters for their limbs; and
Napoleon, at this day, holds firmer place in
the affections of the inhabitants of France,
than any monarch that ever filed its throne.
For one hundred days the genius of Napo-
leon was displayed as it had been for eighteen
years, and on the plains of Waterloo made a
final stand. AS to that great battle, it seems
to us impossible to form other than one decis-
ion. Napoleon's plans were never more
skifully laid. Fouche, on whose secret in
had crafty failed to give any.Wellington was
fairly caught; with the same cooperation on
both sides he was lost beyond redemption
There is but one consideration in the case
Blucber by forced march stole unexpectedly
into the field with forty thousand men, & his
coming decided the victory. Had he kept a.
way as Grouchy did--who was left to watch
MIN; or had Grouchy followed him, as he
should have done, the result would have beer
quite different. But the great Corsican's stal
was to sink, and it sank. Defeat became at
utter rout, and the conqueror of half Europe
was left throneless. He trusted to the gener
osity of England. He should have studied
history better. England knows how to b,
generous; but she has shown many times tina
possible charge ofperfidity is not to weigl
agains: her interests or her fears.
Napoleon was not philosopher, aud hi
natural Impotence bore with little equanimi
tythe petty annoyances which his keepers a
St. Helena contriyed to gather around him
But his conversation and notes, at all times
still cvinces the greatness ofhis genius, ant
in many respects the nobleness of his nature
"But at length" says Mr. Headly, in one o.
the finest passages of the whole volume
SHAT wonderful mind was TO be quenched il
the night ofthe grave; and Nature as if de
termined to assert the greatness of her wor
to the last, lrumpeted him out of the worl
with one of her fercest storms. Amid tn
roar ofthe blast, and the shock Of the pillows
as they broke where wave had not struc
for twenty years--umid the darkness am
gloom, and uproar of one ofthe most tempes
tuous nights that ever rocked that lonely isle
Napoleon's troubled spirit was passing t
ahat unseen world, whercthe sound of battI
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