The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-25
Notes ON the Litexatnye Of Imperial France
mn An uxPpRIunICyp CRITIC.


Notes ON the LitsRatNSe OF Imperial Franco
By An USPRDUDIcED CRITIC
That L. hrst Empire wss Of literature 10 his
tical fact The sword not the pss was the symbol Of
that period Of almost inossssnt warfare.
Yet Napoleon surprised that the epic grandeur OF
his exploits inspired Homer. Jealous - no was OF
the influences Of any other mind than his own cordially
he detested those whom be sneersd at -
and much he dsspissd merely literary people, (tAi,
indeed not without reason, for they usually arc, 1
scholar has said the least intellectual persons TO be
met with,) the Emperor readily offered to literature
every that which Is alone ssctual
liberty. Hs often, and particularly in his
tons with de Narbonns manifested his ambition that
new psrial literature, might illustrate his reign.
But he would ain have had it rise idesly ct his
mand ie de Of soldiers the creatures OF his willS
That impossible
Under his eye, military genius WAS developed TO
unprecedented degree Science rewarded his special
tronags with such names Aonge Bsrtholst Lagrange
and Lspace the only two great literary names Of
his time are those Madame de SAe and n do Chateau
BRAND who always hostile, heart and hand to the
usurpahon and tyranny Of the conqusror. Certainly,
they cannot be claimed lights Of the imperial ters
ture, unless having BY contrast, made its dark
visible The gsnerous maxius and aspirations OF None.
de stasl belonged we'll to preceding period, and the
Restoration.
1t Is just however, 10 add that the Restoration must
recognize the author OF the Gsns du Chrisauissms
and the Martyrs" Its principal creditor for the debt
which partly 70 the thirteen years Of the Con
sulats and Empire account OF the origin Of n own
intellectual movement
But fChateaubriand contributed largely to the germs
Of literary future contained in the Empire, was the
founder Of the Empire who himself entitled It to its
at raivn q ~ dan TN
Our modern Cesar moreover, then wsll named for
Like his prototype, he welded both sword and pen.
When the former finally sheathed the latter also
served to immortahEe him. The Commentaries" Of
this modern Cessr afford tho striking evidence Of
the ncontssble historical vocation Of the present age
ITO cite but name, the first Of all says Vile
main ths fragments Of history, the episodes Of predlse
ton in his destiny, which Napoleon dictated at st.
Helena these recitals sober, severe, impossible
until the lightning Of passion flashes athwart them
these plates Of BRASS cut with graver Of Steel cames
d'aira;x burnees dun style do1 the Campa0me PAae,
the Ep<dion d. E1yp the Retour France and the 1e
Bruxsdiye, &c., will remain monuments OF art as lon
mortal works of reflection and OF eequenoe equal to the
genius Of The hero for activity. They will be in the
memo the most durable vestiges of his passage
tbe garth and the sign least doubtful. % well a.
personal, of his superiority over those whom he
subugated, and over those who vanqusAed him." Bot
They dictated a St. Helena, and thus fail to re-
Ieve the FIRST empire from tho reproach OF literary
sterilty.
reproach has been brought against the second
empire in spite of the "Complete works Of Napoleon
III. of which Amyot has published, In four volumes,
magnificent edition. The Knglsh ournals before the
alliance particularly fond Of fngng this stone 1t
their neghbors the CHANNEL and since the coz
clusion Of peace have picked it again. Aprcpos Of
the attributed Incorrectly to Bsranger, which
they have eagerly translated they would an italicse
these lines
Pour Esard est Il done peloquence.
AZ 81 ss.: Ssas a: :Ss
God forbid that any American should be less tenacious
Of the liberty Of the press than the Engshman is But
may unprejudiced observers admit that the restre
tons imposed the press tho Emperor Of the French
however depiorabls they sssm to us, and are have a.
attended, nevertheless with ct eas. this advantage1
that Of having checked the waste Of mind o.
casoned just previous to the coup dea BY the violent
and selfish party discussions which then rsgingf
For time indeed, after the noisy strife Of AstioNg
was quehed, (summarily enough the silence Of ~
French press terrible that which settled heavily
down in the streets Of Paris after the and
Retry Of the successful faction had ceased their muir
derous 1t must be owned that this silence seemed
NO lees shameful for human nature in general, and
French nature in particular than the obsequious voiess
Of oourtsrs in smSryohe only voices that interrupted
it-wers disgusting.
But stronger than hunan hand albeit the hand CT
Napoleon, 10 required to stop the French brain from
thinking. And who shall hinder the Frsnshman from
trsnsating his thoughts by shrugs, II not In words
Gradually, after the nrst shock WAS over minds were
busy in every channel Of activity still left open TO then
mighty impulse was impaired to the whole system or
government machinery the modifying and working OF
which absorbed small amount Of intellectual energy
With sense Of material sesurty, commerce. trade ana
manufactures revived Labor was encouraged BY nss.
surss which almost promised that imperial democracy
would realize the dreams Of socialism Industry
and the arts were favored With all the advantages which
Universal Exhibition could Offer Speculation drained
the body polite Of humors that might dangerously irr.
tate it, and by its gtterng prizes Of nons and nil
lions tempted arch prAtors themselves 70 seek ct
the Bsurse the excitement which they used to fnd In
other days. 1T the clubs Then the Eastern ques-
on and the Eastern and the Plenipotsnariss and
tho Prince Imperial, and, finally peace The public
mind, diverted from the conflicting interests of party
politics. has thus been occupied and at times intensely
occupied. 1t has not been idle English journal
lists would seem to suppose and its activity has natural
y enough found it, way not emily into other FORMS but
into the old fashioned form Of the book Occasions have
not been wanting since the restoration Of the empire for
multitude Of publications. The Universal Exhibition,
the Eastern question and the war; each furnished alone
library Of pamphlets and books To b sure, the
vast majority Of these cannot be cassed under the head
Of terature In it, philosophical SENSE the direct
Hthess Of books Of knowledge. But in . popular use,
literature admitted to be term Of oonvsnsnse
for expressing inclusivsy the total books in any
guage. And Is In the latter that 1t used BY
those who imagine that French literature has bsen
dsmned to the same Gritty under the second under
the first empire Happily, owing to varie ty causes,
this does not seem to be the case.
1t ID singular fact that nearly ell the that be-
ilustrous In French literature during tho latter
part Of the Restoration, and shortly after the revolution
Of $780, are actually prominent among the busiest
writer's Of the day. The fact that scarcely any of them
have rallied," ~ they say here, 70 the imperial 70
al hut