Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-02-10
Biographical.
From the New York Evangelist,
NJ A R IA LOU is A.
BY REV. ]. $. c. ABBOTT.

The sisters of Alexander of Russia were NOR
tilted and exceedingly irritated, that Napoleon
should have selected an Austrian rather than a
Russian Princess for his bride. In these feel
ings the Russian Court generally partcipated.-
Goodness and alienation and mutual recrimina-
tons ensaed. Anticipating rupture, AcXan-
der began to marshall his armies. Napoleon,
that he might not be attacked unprepared also
armed Step by step these angry demonstrations
were continued, till the disastrous campaign to
Moscow was arranged, to conquer peace =
When Napoleon had made all his preparations
for this maj stc enterprise, ana had assembled
his legions upon the frontiers of his almost
boundess empire, Maria Louisa accompanied
him as far as Dresden. That was the hour and
that was the place where Napoleon stood upon
the very pinnacle Of bis glory He had arrived
at the very summit Of the pyramid, and as all
eyes were riveted upon him, awe-srlckcn, he
made one false step and rolled mangled corpse
to the dust At Dresden there was literally a
Congress of Kings, all doing homage to him who
appeared to hold their crowns in his hands, and
who could enthrone or dcthrone them at his
pleasure The wife OF Napoleon was then sur
rounded with more of spIendor and homage, than
any female had probably ever been received be-
fore The ponp and the pride of the Continent
revuved around her, and before her youthful dl-
adcm the oldest potentatcs bowed i'll reverence
Queens were her maids of honor, aud amid the
brilliant throng of princes and Of courtlers, she
beamed forth the cynosure Of all eyes. The us-
tire which enclrcIed her husband enyeloped her
in its blaze of glory. 1t was, however, but the
intense glare of the blackness and darkness
which follows its explosion,
Napoleon appointed Maria Regent of France
during his absence. She returned from Dresden
qnietly to Paris while the Emperor proceeded
with his glittering band of five hundred thousand
warriors, in the campaign where he lost his army
and his crown AT the termination of that most
disastrous enterprise, Napoleon, leaving his fro
zen hosts beneath the drifts of a Russian winter
fled as on the wings of the storm itself, day and
night, over the bleak wds of Poland and Ger
many till, in advance of all his couriers, he ar.
rived in Paris at midnight Unattended and un.
expected as he was it was with noslitte difficult
ty that he could get the gates of his own palace
open for his admission. Maria, having heard ru
mors of the destruction OF the army, had Just re
tired to rest in the deepest detection, when the
voices of two men, were heard III the antecham
Der, and cry of establishment from one OF the
maids of honor announced that something eX
traordmary had occurred. The Empress in ter
ror Ieaped from her bed, when the door was burs
open, and she was seized and EMBODIED in the
embrace of man enyeIoped in his wintry ri
ding dress. 1t was Napoleon. Their interview
was tender and affecting, He had returned t.
his capital fugitive His army was literal,
bannihilated. And all the powers of combinet
Europe were preparing to pour down upor
France, in resistless numbers. Despair alone
could nerve one with energy to attempt to NEE
such crisis.
Never did mortal man before rouse himself t,
such hercucan efforts as Napoleon made in thes
Hays of disaster. With electric energy he con
used every fibre of France. Not a day, not al
hour, not moment was lost. The long war
which had desolated Europe, had drained Franc
If its vigorous youth Hundreds of thousands O
ler chosen young men were now lying, iroze
nto blocks of ice, upon the storm-swept plain
of Scandavia, and the tempests Of winter wer
pilIng over them their wndng-sheets Of snow
None we're left but boys and old men, to NEE
the swelling flood of invasion. Napoleon gath
ers around him a little band, many of thet
beardless youths of seventeen and with a sac
dened yet determined spirit advances to ster
the inundation which, like ocean pillows, is rol
3 ing in upon the frontiers of France. Before Sc
ting out from Paris on his desperate enterprise
! he took very solemn and affecting leave Of Nj
a ria and his son, 1t was Sabbath evening, NJ
poeon assembled in the apartments Of the Tul
cries all the principal officers Of the Nations
Guard. A religious ceremony was connecte
= with the interview, to render it additionally in
posing. As the Emperor took the beautlfl
: child, then three years of age, in his arms, an
i passing through the ranks of the officers, with
# most touching address presented him to them
:, their future sovereign, cries of enthusiasm file
" the apartment, and those gray-headed veteran
: wept with emotion The bell on the towers
i! Notre Dame was tolling o'clock in the mo
is ming, when Napoleon rode through the dark al
u deserted streets of Paris, to join the army. I
never saw Maria or his son again.