The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-04-24
TILE n1IY DISPATCH.


TSsrs1sy msr..s1s ASn.-ss .s~s
Lenls Napoleon.
aons q he New York Journals are discussing
ss.r.ctsr and career Of Louis Napoleon IN
- v,rk and London. . subject TO which nesn
49,, m. been riven by the important letters OF
.. Mr. Stewart, and Brig. Gen. webb, Formerly
I~.s. -..v,ar army, but more recently Of the New
g.. Cour,er and Enquirer. One OF the New
49, Journals. whilst /, does not admit that Louis
:. Oh. .xemn,srv character he is pictured by his
..,,r..,. f,;ends and cronies, Stewart and Webb,
.,,,.,,,, a,.credits the reports which would mako
- h,,,, anna low ioafer. II supposes that he was
:. ~ york pretty much what he was In London,
-h.n he lived In q neat, small house, No. 9 King
s,r.e,. kep, q mistress, q large cellar, . small
Ehrarv. and associated with fast and iashy people.
M one understood him, however, even then, "and
not even Count D'0rsay, who was keen an
aiy.er Of men, could after the intensest scra'
tiny, read that hard, mean, sinister strless face,
without, one noble lineament or genial expression
The features most marked in his character were,
however, . most determined personal courage, a
strong win and much habit Of meditation He
bad neither genius nor even refined education,
~ his works and conversation showed, but . most
profound GINNING. He differed from other men
more than he surpassed them, and In mystery
there ID much. He has. however, succeeded-and.
- Talleyrand says, Nothing succeeds well but
success'"
These investigations of what man ros are of
very little importance. The practical, ~ well "a
charitable, question il, what he is On this sub
ject, far his morals concerned, no one has
yet offered to enlghten the public. He appears at
present In the enviable character of reformed
rake-wbether justly not 1t is impossible to say
Judging from the representations of the English
press and its correspondents before the entente
sordiale was so happily established between Eng
land and France, he was 4 sad dog enough up to
the moment when the alliance was formed. Since
then, he must have led Q very exemplary life, for
even the gossipping pens of the English journals
have not lisped syllable Of scandal in connection
with his name.
One thing, however, is certain. He has made
himself by this war, and still more by this peace
the master of Europe; and he has given 10 France
. position and influence in the affairs of the Old
World, which the magnificent military genius of
his uncle was not able to accomplish. A war was
essential to strengthen his government and he has
waged that war with An energy only equalled by
his prudence, and with = success which has made
France the frst military power of the world. He
has ended the war at the very point where it was
consistent with the glory and essential to the In
teFests of France that should end to say nothing
Of his own interests which would have been en-.
dangered If some great military character had
arisen, and by continued series of splendid vic
tories diverted the attention of the French people
from the civic glories of Napoleon.
"The Emperor Napoleon" remarks the Phila-
delphia Bulletin, may have entered upon the war
solely for selfish purposes. These we have no in
tention Of questioning. He found it essential to
his dignity. as the sovereign Of nation which had
elected him to the purple, that he should obtain
the respect of the other nations of Europe. These
had sneered at his low origin exulted his mis-.
fortunes, scorned his alliance. grand success
was necessary to conquer the prejudices of legiti
mism, and the oriental question, in which England
had become inextricably involved, was a conve.
nient pretext for undertaking this conquest. The
war once begun, he threw into it the whole resour.
ces Of his empire, and the whole of his own ener.
gy. Without these, England would have been
beaten. The military successes were almost ex.
elusvely French. They did not crush Russia, but
they demonstrated that France under the EN-
pre- was the first military power In Europe. This
once established, Napoleon had nothing further to
expect from the war, and accordingly he insisted
on peace
What triumph! England and all the great pow.
ers Of Europe, coming to the capital of Napoleon,
and making peace against their own inclinatons
and interests, and simply because he desired it -
When we think of the exile, STEPPED in poverty
and covered with the disgrace and ridiculs Of
Strasburg, and the same man, acknowledged arbi.
ter of the destinies of Europe, it is extraor
binary than the most marvellous and improbable
page of romance. Verify, truth is sometimes
stranger than felton,