Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1853-12-17
Written for the Thibodaux Minerva.
Abbott's Napoleon Bonaparte.'

Written for the Thibodaux Minerva.
| Abbott's "Napoleon Bonaparte."
MEssRs EDIroRs-Perhaps it is not customary to insert
criticisms on literary lucubratons in your Journal but as
there is no Review in town. your valuable Minerva
| will answer the purpose
I have been lead to make the following remarks by
reading "Abbots' Napoleon Bonaparte which appears
in Harpers Magazine 'Ts pity Mr. A. is not born
Frenchman he might have become not Emperor at least
Premier Of Napoleon III Judge Mr. Abbott was not con-
temporary Bonapare nor has he been to Europe to get
information on the subject he Of He writes from i'm
preston his hero partial books have made his mind
Il is natural for writer whether he be born in America
China or Europe assmlate foreign feelings to his own
though they may Numerically opposed in fact Country
habits government and education may lead to this
Hence an American judges things with American but
to Europe and the amount Of misery caused there by
the French wars Go Switzerland, Italy, Germany Spain
| the baneful effects now.
Mr. Abbott ed by the man. but overooks motives
and consequences Napoeons mind ofthe India rubber
order and no man fully illustrated the proverb "When
you're in Rome you must do the Romans do Latitude
and longitude language religion and cast more OBJ
sacles to his plant mind than if they had existed
It thought by many that Bonapare the master spirit
of his age he advance of his generation that ne
general and the greatest conqueror Of his time
on the other hand is asserted that he the most am
bilious the hypocritica the most fathess and cunning
of Both may be true But there Is not at TINS
day Frenchman-1 mean an unprecedented sincere
and sensible one-who considers Napoleon as b9nefactor
Were arts, and education benefited by him? were
agriculture and forishng under his regn We're
tile mass ofhmmam beings wner Nopoleonic s'0ay more
happyf Ithese things not at the tme were they
prosperous after and in consequence of his rule? Whole
Europe will answer the question In the negative.
Kaman in this country becomes bankrupt, it neither
disgrace ruin To it is rather benefit 1t may
the dormant energies of the individual make him enter
feld-for the field of exeon in this country is in
exhaustbe-and in few the most sanguine expecta
tons are more than realized In Europe it is not Let
man there be ruined and he is ruined de co ct de
like family disease transmitted to posterty he is to
| irrevocably cut off for even from hope!
We have not ruined the TEXANS the New Mexcans
the Cafornans by anexing though in principle may be
wrong, but Napoleon ruined millions by stealing their pro-
pery Look at the beautiful valley of Waite lima bordering
almost from the foot Of Bernnaone of the Alpine chains
to the lake of Como it belonged the citizens of Canton
Grson Their all invested there in the agriculture Of
that most charming valley of grapes and olives. What did
d
horse his father in law-supd Francis of Australia
indemnify him for losses sustained elsewhere The
Canton Grson had voice in the transaction and never
ceived cent Of indemnity All these hardy mountaneers
knew, was "Were ruined" Many similar instances Of
such high handed atrocities might be cited but know full
well great man be judged by isolated Of
wrong DOING for his field of action is great and comp
Gated what may think wrong in the abstract, the
great man may have been prompted to do by pure and
sincere intentions Therefore great NUT be judged
by his general motives and the consequence Of his &C
TONS Now in opposition to Mr.. Abbott and such
ike-Europe and impartial history will sustain me-tha
the motives of Napoleon purely selfish and the
sequence of that se'fshness ruinous Europe. man
may be great man but very far from being good man
great man may do either good incalcul4be injury
depends entirely whether the great be good or bad
This very common plain logic tits true, nevertheless
If Mr. A. would dvest him elf Of romance take tour
through Europe and make it his particular business to in.
quire the real and effect of Naoeons designs and
actions, he would be very far from baptiznG the willy
| (orsican a 50 Democratic EinGn J. Il.
| LATER FROM AUsTRAL1A.-The American ship
Bavaria, Capt. Barley, arrived at New York in
the remarkably short time of IS days from Mel
| bourne bringing nero f,nan +hAra few days
iauea than adv1Uss via England. We have dates
from Melbourne to LIST December
Adams & Co., by tbs arrival received $11O,-
900 in gold-one passenger 500, O0O-the whole
amount of gold in the hands of passengers is
stated to be 100000.
Mr.. W. Adams, bearer of dispatches to our
government. came passenger on the Bavaria.
The Bavaria is the first vessel from Melbourne
direct to New York, or our shores, except to
California She also brought the first mail d.
rect. This is much needed by American settlers
in Australia, as our mails have had to 60 to En-
gland previously, and no papers have reached
there except by private hands or ship, unless
paid the Id. in England, and remailed to this
country.
The leading editorial article of the Melbourne
Argus, of August 20, is strong appeal for in
dependence. The example of the United States
in their colonial days is cited as something wor-
| thy the attention and practice of Australians.
| At Adelaide, commercial matters were dull,
with the exception of flour, which had risen.
All other articles were rather lower; tea and
sugar were still high, however
Hands are gradually getting plentiful at the
mines, and those who are there are working
more than formerly.
Yankee enterprise was going ahead in Austria
liza, as reported by the Bavaria.
There were American auction marts, circus,
express wagons boarding houses named after
| Cuc SdI1UuS OLbtcS, anu d IdIlhcc newspaper,
the express had been voted the organ of the
diggers.
Lawyers are very numerous, but Americans
find great difficulty in being admitted to the
| bar.
The inhabitants of Australia are deeply NOV
ed by the question of legislative reform. Meet
ings have been held in all parts of the colony
to demand new constitution from the legisla-
tive council. The following extract from an adj
dress to the people embodies the principal OBJ
jects sought by the colonists:
ave demand a just appointment of the re-
presentation of the people in the Lower House
Of Parliament, by revision of thepresent cleo
toral system, and Encouragement Of electoral
districts so as to afford fair and equitable re-
presentation Of the numbers, intelligence and
property Of the community, and of all its various
classes and interests. As subsidiary and sub
ordinate to this, we demand an extension of the
franchise to many classes, who, by the techni-
calities Of system of household suffrage are
shut out from all voice in the councils of their
country.
| "We demand that any constitution, to be
framed for this coloney, shall be subject to Pc
riodical revision, with view to its further i'm
provement and progressive adaptation to the
| wants Of the community, under such safeguards