Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-07-02

The B,iusi, $ioueroHssnt "a -cGnstrpc-
.ing l,aEbn5 en- ise msssesnceast II din-
glaad, at dIolx head, %; the expense q.
1886 ,o00. Il II IL be IN die ioEMl-o! a
crescent. with Midi. between 'tiieasorns,
-0e thrac .IuuF;hs 0l annie, Ssi,iie die sheer
-as wafer will. contaia tii.ae iiGndied a:sd
..iYteeu acres. Napoieon's miitaiy &C.
nina .eauceals the greatness Of ms mind IN
s,,',c, respects 7ine gecat works HFhich
&c designed and executed with view to
jncrease the power Of France are forgot.
4ep-we think only Of his battles and cam
psigns.
France has long felt he wan! OF sea-
mort on its ives tern.coast, Chefbourg had
been attempted 20 be bull. into fhe ocean
tby Louis XV3. But ihe revenues OF the
kingdom at that time, placed al his COM
rnand but trifing sum FOX such work.
Consequently the brea1-water was but
pirny affair. Napoleon himself, when
1iic:a;;ng 70 hlontholon the memorabilia of
his eveAlful career, uttered magnificent
4nonologue on the works performed by
him for France. Speaking Of Cherbourg,
BE said:
"Oue OF the first cares was 10 complete
.he works al Cherbou9. After long
examination Of the whole subject, gave
.o,der Cor the elevation of the break-waier,
and for the construction OF three strong
forts. one at each extremity, and the third
in the centre. In less than year there
sprung up as if by magic, real Island,
crowned with batteries Of the heaviest
eaIibre. This time, the English merely
laughed a. our efforts, which they beileV-
ed would lead TO no results. The cones
&hey said would go TO pieces in time,
the stones would be scattered by the force
Of the sea, and French fckleness would
do the rest. But, now it became another
affair. the western passage was SILL too
wide. a cross fire could not have been
maintained with effect, and bold enemy
might have renewed the disasters Of a.
bpukir. ] gave orders for the construc-
Aion of an enormous eliptical fort within
>he break. water. This fort was al lis
centre designed for its support and COM
handing the central battery. 1t was two
stories high, fitted with easements and
bomb proof, mounted with fifty heavy
guns and twenty mortars OF large dimen-
-sions. The docks excavated in the gra-
mite rocks, are works verify of the
greatest periods of Rome-and the Ro-
mans never executed anything more mag
nifcent-all these works were completed
inlSl4. | had thus obtained the means
of sheltering fifty additional ships of the
line, but this was not enough to complete
nv conception. proposed to renew the
the wonders of Egypt at Cherbourg. l
had built my pyramid in the sea- and now
/ wished for my lake MGrls. | was
DESTROYS of concentrating at Cherbourg'
an immense naval force, in order to have
it always in my power to threaten En-
pland, and to attack herwith greater force
in case of necessity. | took upa posi-
ton in which the two nations could fight
as well at close quarters, and the issue
could not have been doubtful, for II would
have been the struggle hand TO hand oil
forty million Of Frenchmen againsttiteen
or twenty millions of Englishmen. 1t
would have been terminated by battle
of Actium, and then what would l have
done with England? Destroyed her!
Certainly not. would only have requir-
ed from her that tie term of her naval
domination should cease, that her intoler-
able usurpation, her enjoyment of the
rights imPrescliptable andfree toah should
have an end. would have required the
freedom, the liberty Of the seas, and the
independence and honor Of the flags oil
all nations, and should have had or my
side the power, The rights, ard the good
wishes of the rest Of the Continent.