Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-01-11
NAPOLEON AND HIS SON.

The 99Lh Of July, 1885. as will be re-
membered, witnessed the inauguration Of
the triumphal arch of the Barriere dc
PEroile. On the morning of that day,
the entire population Of Paris directed
their steps towards the Champs Eiyses.
At first, as they walked along. they look
ed with astonishment at the long row Of
garlands of many coIored lamps, which
at night were to illuminate and wreathe
with fire the avenue leading to the trium-
phal arch; but having reached their des
tination, they contemplated with wonder
the stone giant, stripped OF his wooden
habiliments.
No one, SO long as it remained enve-
loped in its scaffolding, had imagined the
height Of the monument no one had
conceived It's colossal m ,jesty ; the effect
of its apparation was therefore, almost
miraculous. The emotion created in the
crowd by its aspect, all shorn as it was OF
the splendid pOmp which had been pro
missed for their qualification, was good
! index of the strength OF the pulsatlon
with which the heart of France would
! have throbbed, had the solemn festival
been a reality instead of an empty pa
gcant.
1t was a grcvious error to display the
Arch Of Triumph, if there were no inten-
ton of inaugurating it. 1t was a mis-
take to exhibit to the people the vastness
of its gates, merely to say to them that
they alone, were yet great enough to pass
beneath withou: appearing small. But
| the nation was humbled in its oyn eyes,
! by the conversion Of the arch into mere
theatrical show, wanting i'll actors of pro
portionate eminence. This last offspring
of the Empire, this posthumus child OF
the glory of our Fathers, found no arm
sufficiently strong to hold it at the baptiS-
NAL font of the coantry. We have sup
ported this son thus bequeathcd to us.
/ but have not adopted him. lie is a name
less orphan.
1t may, therefore, with justice be
thought Chance was not blind, when she
quenched the brilliant show in the
Champs EIysecs. Indeed. We hope to be
pardoned for being tainted with the popu-
lar superStilious faith which imagined that
/ the shade Of the Emperor stood upon the
monument and extinSuished those lights
which iIlumined only the public prone
made.
In fact, the people remarked how well
the son Obeyed the fortune of Napoleon
and his armies, and never for a moment
doubted had he announced to the storm
that the day was consecrated to their
pleasure, that rs it was wont of y0re, it
would have stayed its fury and obeyei
/ his high command.
Unfortunately. no voice was heard suf-
ticiently loud to issue the order; and, as is
well known. the day does not belong to
the dead. In the various superstitions in
which the human mind has min led them
with earthly things, it has left to them
the night alone night to the bloody
ghosts which haunt the pillow Of the
guilty night to the friendly phantoms
which hover in Joy around our couch
night to Napoleon and his armies to sa-
! Lutte their monuments and pass on in their
silent and melancholy march.
When all the lights scattered through
/ that vast enclosure had disappeared, the
crowd retired in sorrow and discomfort
The noise of its thousand feet, and the
hum of its thousand voices died away i'll
the distance, and when perfect solitude
and profound silence reigned o'er all, q
rustling was heard in the air like the
/ flight Of some mighty bird, and colOs-
| sal shade stood OH the summit OF the Arch
Around it auttered the blue cloak of Ma
rengo, and the winding-shees of St. He
lena it wore a low crowned chapeau,
which, in the shade, resembied a crouch
ing eagle, with wings extended, bending
its forehead forward, it looked steadily on
the earth, while the pale light from its
large eyes seemed to surround the monu-
ment as with Shroud of fire.
Then. voice was heard it trayersed
the silence like that light pierced the
darkness without mingling with it.
"Come, hither, my son p it cried. s.
The tomb of the prisoner of Schonbrunn
opened, as we'll as the captive grave of
st. Helena.
The father and son forgot for the time