The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-12-12
Hannibal and Napoleon.


Scarce any at all familiar with history can
have failed to observe the extraordinary parallel
ism between the campaigns, the military conduct,
and the fortunes of Hannibal and Napoleon. That
paralelism is thus strkingly touched upon by hr-
mold. Twice." he says, sin history has there
been witnessed the struggle Of the highest indi-
vldual genius against the resources and instltu-
tons OF great nation and in both cases the na-
ton has been victorious For seventeen years
Hannibal strove against Rome; for sixteen years
Napoleon Bonaparte strove against Eng land the
efforts OF the first ended in Zsma, those OF the
oad in Waterloo" The extraordinary smude
OF the genius, conduct and military character OF
these two giants in arms, Is lar from ending with
this general resemblance Almost from point to
point their destnes are similar. At the age OF
twenty-six, Hannibal elected to the supreme
command OF the Carthagenian armes and thence
for IA to the close Of the he disposed at his
will the resources, and held in the hollow of his
hand the councils OF his country. At the age OF
twenty-slx, Napoleon assumed the command OF
the army OF Italy, and from thence his fortunes
and his will were those of France. The scenes OF
the glory of both were the Alps and Italy
Both had the faculty OF seeing at glance
where the blow must be planted, which shou
cripple the enemy both delivered that blow m
eously and irresistibly. Both had the same
reliance their cavalry as an arm OF service
Hannibal winning by it all his greatest victories,
and Napoleon insisting to the last, that cavalry IN
eq Ia! iorce, equally led, must conquer infantry
Buth vanoushed every leader in the field, whom he
personally encountered, save the very last; and
there probably so preJudced as TO assert al
this day that either Hannibal or Napoleon found IN
his conQneror a superior in strategy or IN military
genius Nor does the similarity end even here
for both found their final vanquishers IN Generals
made in Spain by conflicts with their own lleuten-
ants, who were in wise superior to other emil
nent leaders Ct their enemy and both ultimately
persisted mserably, in exile, victims to the coun
a.. B..vf lnnt and MOI
turbatIon
"In military point of view, the correctness O
their coup d. oil; the lightning speed with which
they followed up conception by execution; The
power of concentration, by which, constantly infe
rior on the WHOLE in force, they were ever superlo
Al the point of action; the marvellous foresight
by which they showed seeming rashness TO b'
real prudence the thunderous crash with which
when they delivered battles, they annhilated, no
conquered, their antagonists; nay, the unerrint
certainty with which they threw themselves oil
the Communications Of their enemy, and defeated
at blow the most skilllul combinations, wer
identical in these two mighty captains - non
other, in my opinion, ever have possessed TN
SAM. gualilies or used them with the same effect
Both we're tine makers OF their own systems, th
founders of their own schools; but on the whole
| must consider Hannibal the greater strate
gist OF the two because, in the first place, he wa
the prime originator and inventor, while his grea
eulogist and in some points lmitator, had the ben
eft of his example, well as that oil other might
conquerors and in the second place, because wit
means infinitely inferior, against obstacles infinite
ly greater and without the aid of modern science
he accom- plished, what may be held to have bee
in the then condition Of the world, results neari
equal
:" As men of genuine greatness, ] shall observ
ONLY that no single act of Hannibals life ever sui
served 10 any selfish motive or minlstered 10 his ow
ACKNOWLEDGMENT and that no single act of Nap
Icons did not 50. The consideration OF self wouI
seem never TO have occurred to the one to hi,'
been ever present TO the other. Both were fanatic
for glory; the one because his own was his coui
Iry's ihe oher, because his countrys was h
own Both were accused by their enemies
great moral crimes and iurpitude and both,
the main, unjustly. 1t is one OF the sad trut
conc rning warfare, but no less truth, that,
playing the game of war, with nations for pla
things and the world for field, expedency mu
he, in a great degree, the moral rule and that,
the games are TO be played at all, the sufferings
the lives of individuals, even If those individua
be counted by thousands, must not be consldere
where The sufferings or the lives of millions are
question. The sin lies in the playing the gan
at all not in The details or practice OF the pla
Both these great men were stern and unreler
ing IN carrying out the lines which they held
true policy to lay down; neither, SO far as histo
shows, tainted in the least degree by al
thing resembling personal cruelty. Both ha
b4eii accused of fathlessness-a charge never
any case 10 be much regarded, ss brought betwe
nations for nations are ever prompt to recla
loudly, when the losers, against deeds, the like
which themselves commit readily, when the wi
ners. III the case of Hannibal, the Romans had
the history writing TO themselves thence Pur
faith is 10 this day the proverb for entire faithle
ness Had The French writer's alone made t
worlds annals of the late great struggle, pei
lious Albion" had gone down bye-word TO
ages. Had the English held the like station,
utter ianhltssness of Napoleon would have Decor
nInNprhal Milh nnslefltY.O