Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-19
NUMBER l4e
7 THE T !. /. INTEbhfGENCER.
FromthO London Economist.
The French Emperor---His Character. In
+r tentions. and Necessities.
Geo TIN ED.)

OF Shrew!ness, reflection and calculation only
The prominent feature of his character is a wild
irregular, romanesque imagination-which often
oVerrldes all hisreaSonng and reflective faculties
and spurs him on to actions and attempts which
seem insane, II they fall and the ucme of splendid
audaclty It they succeed. The at tortions ofStras-
oouIg ana Boulogne, and the coup detat oflast De-
cember, were equally the dictates-alke the Ie-
gltmatc progeny-of the same peculiarity He
believes, too, in his .star' He is even blinder
and rasher fatalist thanahis uncle. From early
childhood he believed himself destined to restore
the Dynasty of the Bonapartiss and the old plories
OF the Empire. He brooded over this imagined
destiny during long years of exile, and in the wea
ry days and nights of his imprisonment till it ac-
CURED in his fancy the solidity and dimensions of
an ordained fact. He twice attempted to pluck
tie pear before it was ripe. His ludictous fail
nres in no degree DISCOURAGED him or shook his
conviction OF ultimate success He only waited
Tor another opportunity, and prepared for it with
more sednlous diligence and caution. He "bded
his tme;'' the time came: he struck and won Af-
ter such success-after having risen in four wears
from being anlmpoverished exile to being Empe-
ror OF Frdnce-after having played the boldest
stroke loi EmpiIe known in modern histoD-after
having dlScomttted, deceived, and overpowered
the cleverest the most popular eminent, and most
experienced Men III. France,-we may well be-
lleve that his iath in his destiny is confirmed and
rooted almost TO the pitch OF monomania, and that
no future achievement, no further pinnacle of
greatness, will seem wild or impossible to him. a r
ter Past so eventful, marvellous aud demorall-
zlng. ...,,... ....... .-
Another peculiarly OF his character is, that he
never abandonS an idea or project he has once
entertained. If he meets with difficulties and op-
poslnon, he dIsSimIates or posipones; he never
really yields or changes. Cold, patient and in
Scrutable, he waits and watches and returns to
| his purpose when the favorable moment las arri-
we'd. History affords few examples of such per-
unacous, enduring, relentless, nexorable will
This, of itself is species o! greatness of the most
formidable kind. If, then, TO this delineaton we
add that reserved ard silent as he is, he has the
| art of attaching warmly to him those who have
been long about him and who have lived intimate
ly with him;-that, like most fataliss lie is who'll
ly INSCRIPTIONS and uneStitating as to lns agents
and his means;-and ttat he entertains and has
deliberately matured the most extensive, deep-laid
and lEagn' hcent schemes of foreign policy; we
have exhausted nearly all that we can speak Of as
certain and reliable regarding this remarkable
man; and aSSuredly' we have said enough to salts
| fy our readers that France has given to herselfa
master whom it concerns all European Statesmen-
! those OF this country eSpecally-to study closely
and watch unTeSiStingly. Cool, daring, impertura-
BILE, cunning, and profoundly secret-a perplex-
ing compound Of the SagaciOuS calculator and the
headStrong fanatIc-with large navy, an un1ival-
| ed army, and PROSTATE and approving nation
what is there which he may not attempt and might
not achieve Ee ,IHa aIaa..- s-.- 20
d One feature of Louis Napoleon's mind must be
| noticed before we can be i'll a position rightly TO
estimate the probabilities of his future career. He
is close and Servile ':opyist of his uncle He has
studied profoundly not only the history of the first
Napoleon, but his opinions on all matters of poll
| cy and administration. He believes, and we think
justly, that Napoleon understood more thoroughly
than any Frenchman of his day the nature of the
Government which France needed, and the degree
OF self government which she could manage and
would bear; that is SagacIty and jusesSe d'esprt
on nearly all the subjects of administration ap-
preached to inspiration; and that if he treads III
hIs footsteps he may aspire 10 emulate his glory
| eve TO not, however, extend this remark to Ma
| poleonS warlike conduct and achievementS.) This
| L sentiment eminently mlcleadiny and full
danger. The talents OF the two men are so Who'll
ly different, the internal condition and to great
extent the character and feelings OF the nation
have been so changed by 35 years of peace and
free institutions, that maxnS and modes ol pro-
ceedings sound and expedient then, may be utterly
inapplicabe nol1. The dazzling fame and the
wonderful sagacity of Napoleon |. may be the ig-
nus tatuus which will lure astray Napoleon Ill.
TO discontinue and ruin.
~ There are three sources from which mans in
| tentons and probable of action may be in
ferred--his language, his obvious interests, and his
known character. Let us see what light these
means of judgement throw upon the projects and
views Of Napoleon Ill. especially with regard to
the all-important question of war and peace; and
| if war, with what nation and with what ultimate
| design.
The words of Louis Napoleon-that is his pub
| lie announcements and proleSSonS-unhappily can
never be relied upon as indicative of his intentions
but il regarded at all, must be interpreted by the
rude contraries. He has surpassed even the usual
| limits of princely perhdy. By repeated and most
| iagrant pe1iures he has forfeited all reasonable
hope of being believed, even when he speaks with
sincerity and truth. Hence, when he proclaimed,
''F Empire c'est Ia PGr"' we are reluctantly COM
| PEELED to put tn. announcement aside as convey
ing meaning, and giving no clue to his real pur-
poses and views. Other words, how ever, spoken
and written at earliest times, and when there exiS
ted no direct or immediate motives for deception,
may afford US the indications we desire of his ha
1 btual ideas, and his f1ed, permanent and long
matured designs. n ow, we know that long ago,
at Ham and before, he repeatedly declared his be-
lief that he was destined to restore the Empire and
4 10 recover the old boundaries of France. We knIw
that before the Chamber OF Peace he said that che
Represented principle, cause, and deteat-the
principle the sovereignty CT the people as opposed
| to Legitimacy; the cause, the Empire; the defeat
| Waterloo.'' We know that very recently he held
up Napoleons strongest title to the gratitude OF
Frenchmen that he abdicated rather than consent
| to her diSmembeIment-i. e., her confinement to
her former limits. we believe. too-(we cannot
say we know, because our information IS at one re-
move from first authority)-that he has more than
| once avowed to his intimates his determination TO
have page of history TO himself, and his ldea OF
realizing his ambitious dream by an achievement,
which no one since William, Duke of Normandy,
has "ttempted. So much for his language.
| His immediate and obvious interests ALLIE on
the side of peace. With the great mass OF the
| French people Of all classes, any war would now
be most unpopular. They want rest; they want
prosperity; they want time to devote to the resto-
ration OF their shattered fortunes and The ADVANCE
nent of industry and wealth. They dread the in
creased taxation wi ch war would inevitably bring.
The more reflective among them-nnd in this class
| might be mentioned sons OF the first military MN
in The nation-deprCcate a war, because they be-
| ieye il would be. war Of aggression; therefore,
| probably, W ar against combined Europe5 theEe
fore in the end an unsuccessful one, and likelyto
be visited with heavy retaliation ahd certain dis
1nemberment. The ouyriers know that war would
put a stop to much of the public and private ex-
! penditure which now causes their prosperity. The
commercial classes hate war inStinctiyely as well
as nationally The railroads, the constant inter
course they have encouraged. and the extensive
inlermauiages, connections, and nteracing Of in.
L.ash hrnii all