The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-07-07
NAPoLEoNs PERSONAL PEcu11AR1r1Es.


Blackwoods Magazine for June gives some
ssmarks ON tho personal charaeteristics of N.po
leon ILL.,:
He has gained friends as we'll n enemies BY
one most extraordinary faculty that no possea
ses-ihut of holding his tongue. and of doing
10 in the company of the most loquacious people
in tho world. A perfect undemon strative man,
some Frenchmen respect him for it; while 9TH
ers tear him. others hate him because he will
not take them into his counsels; and many Eng.
lishmen. again like him because he aatters tho
national vanity by being i'll many respects very
like an Euglishman. He is cold and reserved in
his public demsanor; moro cordial. say his
friends. when seen in private. Certainly ho
docs not wear his heart upon his sleeve, for
DAVIS to peck at" He listens to all tha, il said
to him, and then takes hrs own course. lie
consul's everybody and follows his own ad-
vice.
Again. he has a good seat on horseback.-
Other Engli,hmen dislike him either becaus.
they ride badly themselves, or because not
being able to keep their own counsel, they hate
q close character. Such causes, or causes of
no creator weight, are perhaps moro nearly tho
true causes of his unpopularity in England Than
any common place notions of his being tho de-
s,royer of tho liberties of France. He had
equally destroyed the liberalities of France whom
he mnde his triumphal entry into London. The
English press, at Ieas, in some Of its leading
kAns, has undergone manv phases of opinion
concerning him; and he complained in his letter
to Sir Francis Head of this conduct Of the
English press. by that worry complaint showing
that he had some regard to public opinion in
England.
II we venture ourselves to express an opinion
regarding his character. we put it forth in all
nodesty, and wish it to be understood in rs
vague and general q sense possible, feeling
ourselves incompetent to take tho measure of a
man who is certainly not an ordinary man. It
10 our impression that he 10 q man whose general
talent has teen rather overrated than other " iss
He has doubtless great power of will and un
dauntsd courage. both physical and moral. aud
by that ines,imable faculty Of holding his tongue
he 10 able to bide his tims observe circumstances,
and TINS make the most Of them. and bring 10
bear on them, at the right time all tho faculties
he Possesses
Perh,ps his policy appears to be mysterious.
simply because he has no policy NJ all. but il
really to abandon one course and adopt another,
according as he stumbles against a barrier, or
drifts into an opening. Doubtless it 10 often the
cause Of SUCCESS in life. Some men of uncon.
querabIo strength of will and great talent get On,
.. it is called, by bending the world to their
plans. Others do 80 by forming no plans st all
IN permanence, bot fashionng and rsfashon.
ing those they do form in the mould Of circum-
stances: while the secret of ill-success, eveu
more often than in the deficiency Of ability, con
sist in not knowing whether one possesses the
power to lead. or whether ono must be content
to follow. Louis Napoleon - said TO Be fatal
ist. and his extraordinary elevation would tend
TO coniIm him in his fatalisn. Before ho takes
any stop. he seems to hold up his hand and nee
which way tho wind 10 blowine. and whether
the air comes against j, bot or cold. But that
holding Of the tongue II his most admirable
9pality.