New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-05
NAPOLEON I. DELINEATED BY HIMSELF.

,ball be duly grateful.
NAPOLEON /. DELINEATED BY HIMSELF.
rvy CONFIDENTIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF SAP0-
LEON BONAPARTE WITH HIS BRodhEh 80; Su~
sEPH SOMETIME KING or sfAIH' .'''' l.'no
NevYork ID. Appleton h 20.
When Joseph Bonaporte left his retreat in Swift
zerl.pd to take share in the drama of the hum
ared d.ys. which ended in Nspoleons second abdi-
cation and Imprisonment at ST. Helen,, he suned
in wood q collection of letters and papers, OF
which the most valuable part WAS his correspond
ence with his brother, the Emperor. These papers
were afterwsrd recovered. and carried to America
Joseph left them by his will TO one OF h's grand
sons. born of the marriage Of his daughter TO sic
distinguished naturalist, the eldest son Of Luclen
Bonapsrte. Till this young came Of age
these papers. after Joseph's death, remained some
time for safe keeping in the Mint at Philadelphia.
They have since been published at Paris in the
Memoirs ds Roi Joseph in eleven volumes, of which
the FIRST appeared in 1852 and the last in 1855.
The editor Of the publication of which the title
stands at the head of this paper, has selected from
that work the letters of Napoleon himself, which,
with few Others he has translated and published
preserving, in al arrangement OF them into chap
ters the same order and division in which they were
originally published, as illustrative of so many
chapters of Joseph's life.
The letters written previous to Napoleons as
sumption Of the imperial title are few and short
though several of them are highly curious. After
that period the correspondence between the
brothers became very full and contain altogether
the most authentic and frank expedition OF Nspo-
Icons imperial policy which has anywhere ap-
peared Many Of them, particularly those written
after the transfer of Joseph 20 Spain, are filled with
minute and to the nOn-military reader rather dry
military instructions for the prosecton Of the war;
in which Napoleon acted throughout as principal,
not only him,elf perpetualy rebukins Joseph but
even allowing his Ministers TO do it-Josepb, even
while nominally King of Naples and Spain being
still in bis character of commander of French
army, held accountable to the imperial Minis
try of War. Yet amid this mass of details Napo-
Icon displays il clear and distinct outlines, himself
and that whole system of imperial policy which
made him for ten years the dread and terror of the
civilized world. and ended with sending him 70
nine and perish on the rock Of st. Helena
Referring in one of these letters TO one of his
generals in Spain (whO in report of a defeat had
attempted to conceal his losses he bids him be told,
Il a,prors Of his putting nk0t he likes IN the netes-
pattrs. but when he writes to me must have me
trpM." So in another letter toward the very close
of his carecr-boastng of the terror with which his
maneuycrs and victories had inspired Schwart-
zcnberg and the allied sOvereigns, who gave him
credit for vast many more troops than ne had
he ssys TO Joseph: See what is the effect of ter
TOT. The Partisan newspapers must confirm their
fears; newspapers are not history any more than
buiLtins are History one should dlic0yS persuade TIE
enemu that oses forces are immense. Now almost
every thing We have Of NapOlcOn's except these
letters including his talk at st. Helena, Is OF the
nature of bulletins and newspaper publications in-
tended to deceive the enemy aud to play upon the
imagination of friends. In thee letters he ls IN
fnitely more sincere. As he had undertaken to
make a tyrant of his good-naturcd brother, he
Judged it expedient to let him know precisely what
II was he must be willing to do If he desired 10
keep himself in the position he lad assumed as
king by conquest of Naples and OF Spain. The
contrast of character between Napoleon and Joseph
is most strikingly exhibited in letter Of the
former written only fifteen days before the entry of
the allies into Paris and the end of Napoleon
rule That letter is in these terms:
Rennes March Il, lsl4.-If it suited me to re-
move the Duke Of Caneglinno Marshal Money, all
tie idle talk of Paris would bave no effect. The Ma
tionsl Guard of Paris pant of the people of France
and as long as lire, icU Be master ereryshere IN
France Your character IS opposed 10 mine you Ike
fc Goter Jtot and 10 yd 10 Their sishes Ihke them
fc rv 10 please me ard TO 0bey my rishes. am as
much a sovereign now as was at Austertz. Do not
Kermit any ptrson TO atter the National Guard nor
kegnaud nor any one else TO set himself up as their
tribune. suppose, however. that they see there ~
some difference bet'recn the time Of La Fdyete, ches
tie 1toPic ralod and the l7re'e~t time ~her ruIe'
Joseph uas naturally sOod-hearted rather
vain man, of no very penetratiye Judgment who,
/ out pardonabe confidence in his own good inten-
tons and inclination to be good and indulgent
prince suffered himself to be mixed up with and to
/ be placed noninay a. the head of system of rob-
/ berry and bleed, of which, before it was finished,
nobody was sicker than himself.
For tie benefit of those whom the dry husks in
which tie kernel Of these letters is wrapped might
prevent from getting at the meat-and especially
OF those whom the Rev. Mr.. Abbott's Life Of Ma
poleon may have led to regard the emperor as s
perfectly philaDthropc and dsinterested personage
exclusively devoted to the good Of the human
receive have been at the pains to select and
print under appropriate head series Of extracts,
such as will suffice to show in words Of his own,
Napoleon's real character and the system upon
which he acted-which system simply was TO re-
i plsr. nv dynasty of his own and by nobility