The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1858-05-26
How the W0rld Has Treate
Her Great Men.

1t isa remarkable fact, that the world Ia
always treated her great men with neglect
lngralltude, and sometimes even With shock K
ing cruelty, while ignorant and wo,,hi~,
men have been treated with esrth's creates
bonors, and have reveled in every luxury.
Milton, while writing his sublime poem,
'atored under MI the affections Of bIinJnes.
old age and poverty. Wha, an ornament b.
might have been vt Court, and how much b.
might nave been aided yet he va. unuo
ticed, and left to die in poverty aud neg
ieci.
. Themistoces, after all the valuable servi
ces he had rendered his country, wa. com
PEELED to fee for hi. I:fc lie went 10 Per
sia, was received with the greatest JOY b,
Artaxerxes. and lived in great .plendor; bu
when that Monarch proposed fitting out an
iexredItlon against Athens, and giving the
command to Ihemis:oclc-, the noble Greek
rather :han fight against his country, bad a.
1t had treated him, pu. an end to his life by
poison. Thus died the hero Of Marathon
saamls, and Platses, and one Of the great.
est Generals that Greece ever produced
iiannlbal, after all he had done and en-
dured tor his unsratefuI country, was not
even granted home in hi. old sge. lie
wandered from one country to another, ho-
ping to find rest some where. But he was
persecu'ed, and every where Sy the unre-
lentlug Romans. Weary OF such life, the
great Car'hasenian, on the eve of being cap
tured, drank poison and expired.
Julius Cesar, the greatest man OF ancient
times was murdered that too by pretend
ed friend, and one whose life he had former
ly saved. Poor reason that he gave for
numbering friend and benefac,or, THAT he
loved Cesar, but loved Rome better"
Cicero, the greAtest Of Roman orators,
was put to death.
Socrates, the wisest and best of the A,he-
MAN philosophers, WAS falsely accused and
sentenced to drink hemlock
Demo.lhene,, who had served his country
so faithfully, and who had SO often aroused
the patriotism of his country with his elo-
quence, was at last competed to commi, sui
eide, or fall into the hands of one who had
cnslaved his country. With his educatIon
his mighty mind, and his love Of liberty it
is not 10 DO wondered that he did so. Thus
was Athens deprived Of bsr greatest patri-
OTIS.
Columbus, who had been 70 persevernc
III find'ng that undiscovered land which he
believed to be in existence, was sent home
in chains. And, after The death Of his no.
bic patron, lisnbclla, this great man was left
TO die IN neglect, and the land for which he
had undergone SO much trouble, and for
which he had braved ali the pcrils Of an un-
known ocean, was no: even Lcuored with bis
name.
But We have an instance OF a nearer date
than Columbus; | mean that of Napoleon,
the greatest OF the great. From being the
son OF an eminent lawyer, he arose, by hi,
mighty talent and energy, to he the great
est, best aud nobiest of Monarchs that the
world ever saw. His education, patriotism
benevoIence, generosity, and goodness of
heart, were 10 less remarkable than his ci
yantic mind and his briIl'an, victories 1t
is said that those who knew him bes. loved
him most. What eulogy. know that
he has been styled a usu'pcr, tyrant, blood
thirsty monster, and every other name that
bitter enemies could find to signify unheard |
Of ~ickedness. Napoleon tyrant. when
al his energies and talents were employed to
promote The welfare of France and her peo-
,le! A usurper. when he was elected by
he people of France to be their Emperor. !
A blood thirsty monster when he fought !
,nly in the defense o: his country. Il was
england who was blood d-thirsty, for she would
make peace on no honorable terms, and the
ohy character OF Napoleon would conde-
cend TO no oher.
1t is no wonder that people have such an
opinion OF napoleon, when he has been so
nisFepresented by prejudice1 bstorians.-
jut the public have lately been favored with
true history OF this grra. mar, which does
onor 10 its author; and n brighter charac
er history has never yet shown US.
After the fatal battle OF Waterloo, and
lis second aodica'on, Napoleon went on
iSlt to England, relying upon her generosi-
, for honorable treatment. But England,
nstead of proving worthy Of his niilcnce,
him her prisoner, and would not
ven permit him TO land upon her shores, or
rmain in one OF her haIbors, but sent him
r away to the dreary rock of St. Helena,
here to spend the remainder of his great
lie in captivity and insult.
We have no parallel in history to such an
ct OF mcannes.. We have read Of Ptole
rys treaehery to ponrey, when he had
ronised him protection; of ElizaGeth's
realnen, of the beautiful Queen Mary, when
be was unfortunate, and went to her for ref
ge; but Napolesu was treated worse than
'neen Mary or Pomrev. They were mnr-
cred instantly, but Napoleon 10y slow do
rees. He was governed by watch who (
clighted in tormenting and insulting him,
I'd who was never so happy as when doing
omething to increase the misery of Napo
.on and his friends. England, not satisfied |,
18th making prisoner Of her guest, send ,,
g him far away to the barren rock of st.
elena oiyinp him such governor and de- r