Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-10-09
Correspondence Of the WING.
LESSONS FROM HISTORY.

LESSONS FROM HISTORY.
To H. Editor Of The Wig
see 90 often In our papers statements OF the num-
ben Of the troops engaged in our battles for the pur-
poss of enhancing the honor Of our victories, that
deem t not without advantage TO our operations that
yoS should publish the following extracts from the let
tiers of the great Emperor Napoleon to the Minister Of
War of bis brother Joseph, then King Of Spain. You
will and them In the Edsnburg Review, Of October,
1885, and 10 IL hrst article, entitled Memoirs OF King
Joseph: .
"Inform (ssys the Enperor) the King Of Spain that
"t s contrary to all military rules 10 let the power OF
81 bis army be known. . That when he speaks OF
his force he ought eI,ggerte Il and represent to
be twice or thrice large II IS; and on the other
I" hand diminish In the same proportion tnat oil the
enemy; for everything Is fair 10 war lq"a "a gnse
tou. est mors give moral strength 20 your enemy
al to deprive youis, OF Ii for IL Is 10 the nature Oh
"msa to believe that in the long rum the smaller mum.
"ber will be conquered BY the larger. The most expo
repced soldiers he says cannot calculate the numbers
"of their opponen and sort OF oatur. instinct makes
" them think the numbers greater than they are"
The reviewer adds: BE desires that on no preteIt
and in no way whatever, should the numbers Of bis
armies he INSIDE public but on the contrary, that all
"mesns should be adopted to have them believed 70 be
more numerous than they were'
The Emperor continues: I" When conquered at Ecks
"muhl bad only one to Ave, and my soldiers believed
| " that q. least equal Ia numbers SO far from
"avowing that at the battle Of Wagrem had only
100000 men, tried to persuade the world that bad
"220,000. Hsbtualy during my campaigns In Italy,
" where had but handful Of men, exaggerated my
strength, and thereby served my purposes Without d.
mnishing my glory Military men knew, alter ny
operations how to estmite their merit and even that
"of having exaggerated the number Of my troops. II
occupied with idle .culaoDs, contemplate vanities
"and little PARSONS, accomplish anything
really grand"
DO not believe that any such motives those lust
expressed have influenced officers or the CORES pom.
dents Of our papers to violate they have oen done
these rules Of war, laid down by the st accomplish
cd IN is of al who have lived since and perhaps be.
FIRE Julius Cesar. feel assured that Il to enhance
national glory that they have revealed what the mod
Mars says should be made known, and sug-
rest to their consideration hsss remarks Of bis for their
guidance IA future.
There are other portions Of the correspondence be:
tween Joseph and Napoleon which are encouraging to
us, s,d by which our enemies might profit, they
not involved In that madness WHICH, 1t ms,m o.
sutiauy, the gods s cited those with whom they wished
10 destroy, aud we're they not blinded BY that PRIDE
which, have much higher authority for saying, goelh
before desuuction.p Joseph writes, July 24!h, lsos
IAN classes are emgrs.ing from Madrid The ser.
wants Of the Due del Prague" "a pariizan OF Joeeph
have abandoned bin, and written him VOID they
gone to Join the spanish aray. We are penniets; ell
the prov occupied by the enemy. Henry Nv bad
party, and Psilip had only rival 10 combat. am
opposed by nation Of twelve millions OF inhabifaIts
brave and as the highest pitch Of evaporation re-
peat again, that We must have enormous supplies Of
men and money. have often told you- Majesty so,
but you will not believe Let what will happen, this
letter will remind you hereafter that was right The
good people no more nv side than the good for
nothing. No. cir, yo~ giory gN be sbiprreeked \:
srAx' Ny destruction viii be the proof Of your a.
p6tence, for no vii doubt youg sfscton for me.
All this will happen, for am determined meyer to ~
cross the Ebro
On the 9th of August following, be writes
"Th's people Is concentrate 10 il. resentmsDis
than any other In Europe Your Maj .sty cannot
ceive, for certainly none hes dared 70 tel you hoW
much the Of your Bsjesty is hated here. War Is
not the proper way to diminish thi sentiment and
TO myse have not the courage to reign people
| towards whom must ever act the tyraDt." Ho con.
asAss his Letter by enirsatng "tbe Emperor net e
tforce him upon people Who reject him because kc n
he brother, and Who tould only be kept in suectiod
BY ruler as suspicious and cruel as Philip H."
Joseph continued 10 ws to the Emperor In this s,rap
md to accumulate proofs q the correctness Of bis vess
end emphstcali3 assured hiM ibst "the conquest pt
Spain requires 200 600 men, and 10000 cssods after
wards to maintain the sovereign who should DO COP
dsmned to regp there. No. sire you DO no, know thia
peop'oi every house will be fortress and every
at the will Of the majority"
Il was said of Mr. Burke that bis method of OWNING
the future was to consult the past lie believed in ~hat
Job had long ago said that herc Is nothing under
the suo and the thing that hath been ia that which sa
.be" Twill venture to ssy that In all his hstsesiJ.
searches, be neves found anything In the past more
prophetic of the future than the extracts above given
from, perhaps the moot remarkable correspondence in
the history Of the world The analogy between the re-
son Of the Confederate Safes to that Of the rump of
tire defunct United States and that Of Spain under the
attempted coercion Dy Aspoeoa Of ina. Aipgdcn 70
the sssy Of bis brotherVcssph as perfect as any 10
be found In history. Just observe, would be cor.
querors like those Of Spain under JOSEPH are "penni.
,.."all the sirses they would redusc to 'pro, ocss
~ oss4p'ta tyiA,'r Ss.ass' ms SOos fsGps ale ~
q more on a.r aide than d. gooSJsorrottingas they
gre opposed BY nation Of twelse mili,Ds Of To-
habants. brave, aod Of the bgtes. pitch Of e4sps-
"tionT snd servsats aniated BY the feelings Of
those Of the pac del Parqq. are perhaps at this mo,
ment conducting Aboitioniss to their prisons in Mo-
bile.
As to their glory to6s hipwrteked only had any
and he, alas was vrgnian and his douby alss alas!
has already been sbipwrecked not like Napoeons on
foreign soil, but in prri tidal against is native
aad, where Il had bazsd high and was cber.ted
iondly Pence to IL ashes! Had the Abolition dee-
posm any sense Of decency, IL would them from
being trampled on, as they ara, by tho praisepUed
oEasgns whom is has sent up Ikea rocket and yho 2
destlasd to tAu like stick
It should DO remarked hcre In justice {, King Joseph
bow different were bis feelings and wishes from those Of
our would be'm4 tsr' He dspreeaasa throne on which
be must act the yrapt-hs begs to be excused from
seisnlng over people who hate him -he would not 10
conference.-the at the pat Of Philip IT. for bis kingdom