The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-04
J, H0LC0MB, Editor & Publisher.
Hannibal's passage Of the Alps.

The pride of the French historians has Of
ten led them TO compare Napoleons pas
sage eli the Great ST. Bernard to Hanni
bars passage Of the Alps but without deuac
ting from the well earned fame OF the Erenc
General, tmay s tely be affirmed that hi
achievement Will bear no sort OF comparison
with the Carthegenian hero. When Napo
leon began tie ascent OF the Alps from
Martgny, on the shores of the lIhonc anC
above the lake of Geneva, he found the pas
sage Of the mountains cleared by the mces
SAINT transmit Of two thousand years. The
road impractible for carriages, was very
good for horSemen and foot pussen erS, and
was traverscd by great Numbers of both ev-
cry season OF the year. Comfortable village.
on the ascent and descent afforded easy ac-
commOdation to the wcaried soldiers 10th by
day and by night; the ample stores Of tie
monks at the summit, and proyident foresight
OF the French Generals had provided Il meal
to every man and horse that passed No hos
tile troops opposed their passage the guns
were drawn up in sledgeS made of followed
frs and IN four days from the time they be-
gan the ascent from the Rhonc the French
troops, without losing man stood on the Do
ria Baltea, the increasing waters Of which
flowed towards the 20, amidst the gardens
and Vineyards, and under the sun Of Italy.
But the case was very different, when
Hannibal crosse, from t." shores Of the Du-
rance to the banks of the 20. ihG mountain
sides had not yet been cleared by centuries
Of laborious industry, presented continual
forest, furrowed at every hollow by headlong
Alpine torrents bridges were not erected TO
cross these perpetuallv recurring obstacles,
provisions, scanty at all times in those elevat-
cd Solltudes, were then no where to be found
having been hid by affrighted inhabitants on
the approach of the invaders ; and power
tul army of moIntaineers occupied the en-
trance OF the defles, defended with desperate
valor the gates Of their country, and when
dispersed by the superior discipline and arms
Of Hannibal's soldiers still beset the ridges
about their line of march, and harrassed his
troops with continued hostility. When the
woody region was passed, and the vanguard
emerged into the open mountain pastures,
which led to the verge Of perpetual snow,
fresh difficulties awaited them. The turf,
from the gliding down of newly fallen steps
on these steep declivtics, was so slippery,
that it was often scarcely possible for the men
to keep their feet the beasts Of burden lost
their footing at every step, and rolled down
in great numbers to the abyss beneath; the
elephants became FESTIVE amidst priyations
and climate to which they were wholly unac-
customcd and the strength Of the soldiers,
worn out with incessant marching and fight
ing, began to sink before the continued toll
of the ascent. Horrors formidable to all,
but in an especial manner terrible to African
soldiers awaited them at the summit. 1t was
the end of Oct. winter in all its severity had
already set in on those lofty solitudes, the
mountain side silent and melancholy eyenat
the height of summer when enamellcd with
flowers and dotted with focks, presented the
an unbroken sheet of snow the blue lakes
which were interspersed over the level valley
at their feet were frozen over and wholly
undistinguishable from the rest of the drcary
expanse, a boundlcss mass Of snowy peaks a.
rose at all sides, presenting apparently an
barrier to their further progress.
But it was then that the greatness Of Hanni-
bal shone forth in all its lustre. That great
general says Arnold, who felt that he now
stood victorious on the rampartS Of ltaly,a
that the torrent which rolled before him was
carrying its waters to the rich plains of Cis-
alpine Gau, endeavored to kinde his SOL
dier5 with his own spirit of hope. He called
them together he pointed out to the valley
beneath,to which the descent seemed to be but
the work of moment. That valley he
said, lis Italy; it leads to the Country Of our
friends the Gauls and yonder is our way to
Rome his eyes were eagerly fixed on that
part of the horizon, and as he gazed. the dis
lance seemed to vanish, till he could almost
fancy he was crossing the Tiber and assailing
the capital. Such were the passage and des-
cent on the other side, that Hannibal lost
$4,000 men from the time he left the Pyrenees
and he arrived on the Pc, with only twelve
Africans, eight thousand Spanish
Infantry and six thousand horse.
Napolcons army, which fought at Mmen-
90, was only $4,000, but he lost no men in
the passage of the Alps,and only a few in the
valley of the Dora Baltea. 1t is ridiculous
after this to compare the passage Of the Alps
by Napoleon to their crossing by Hannibal.