American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-08-10

way of egress, but the flames blocked every
passage. At length they discovered pos
tern gate, leading to the Moskwer, and en-
tered it, but they had entered still farther
into the danger. As Napoleon cast his eyes
around the open space, girdled and arched
with fire, smoke and cinders, he saw one
single street yet open, but all on fire. Into
tins he rushed, and amid the crash Of falling
hd9ees and raging of the flames, over burn
f1g4 uins, through clouds of rolling smoke
between walls of fire, he pressed on; and
length, half suffocated, emerged in safety
6m4 Tho blazing city and took up his quar-
ers b the imperial palace Of Petrowsky,
bearN three miles distant.
Mdftier, relieved from his anxiety for the
fEmlieror, redoubled his efforts to arrest the
condagration. His men cheerfully rushed
into every danger. Breathing nothing but
smoke and ashes-canopied by flame and
smoke and Understandable by walls of
fire that rocked to and fro and fell with a
crash amid tie blazing ruins, carrying down
with them red-hot roofs of iron-he strug-
| gled against an enemy that no boldness
could awe, or courage overcome. Those
sands of cavalry sweeping to battle without
fear; but now they stood in still terror be-
fore the march of the con1agration, under
whose burning footsteps was heard the in
fcessant crash of falling houses and palaces
and churches. The continuous roar of the
raging hurricane mingled with that of the
flames was more terrible than the thunder
of artillery and before this new foe, in the
midst of this battle of the clements, the
awe-struck army stood powerless and af
frighted.
When night again descended on the city,
1t presented spectacle the like of which
was never seen before, and which battles all
description. The streets were streets of fire,
the heavens canopy of fire, and the entire
body of the city mass of fire, fed by bur
ricane that whirled the blazing fragments in
a constant stream through the air. Inces-
SAINT explosions from the blowing upof stores
of oil and tar and spirits shook the very
foundations of the city, and sent vast vol
umes of smoke rolling furiously towards the
sky. Huge sheets of canvass on fire came
floating like messengers of death through the
flames; the towers and domes of the churches
and palaces glowing with red-hot heat over
the wild sea below, then tottering moment
on their tasis, were hurled by the tempest
into the common ruin. Thousands of
wretches, before unseen, were driven by the
heat from the cellars and novels, and stream
+ed in an incessant throng through the
streets. Children were seen carrying their
parents-the strong, the weak while thou
sands more were staggering under the loads
of plumber they had snatched from the
flames. This, too, would frequently take
fire in the falling shower, and the miserable
creatures would be compelled to drop it and
flee for their lives. Oh, it was scene of
woe and fear inconceivable and indescriba-
bIe A mighty and close packed city of
houses and palaces and churches, wrapped
from limit to limit in flames, which are fed
by a whrling hurricane, is sight this
world will seldom see.
But this was all within the city. To Ma
poleon without the spectacle was still more
sublime and terrific. When the flames had
overcome all obstacles, and had wrapt every
thing in their red mantle, that great city
looked like sea of rolling fire, swept by a
tempest that drove it into vast pillows.
Huge domes and towers, throwing off sparks
like blazing fire. brands, now disappeared in
their maddening flow, as they rushed and
broke high over their tops, scattering their
spray of fire against the clouds. The heav-
ems themselves seemed to have caught the
conflagration, and the angry masses that
swept it, rolled over bosom of fire. Col
surface of this sea, and huge volumes of
black smoke suddenly shoot into the air, as
if volcanoes were working below. The
black form of the Kremlin alone lowered
above the chaos, now wrapped in fame and
smoke, again emerging into view, standing
amid this scene of desolation and terror, like
virtue in the midst of a burning world, en-
veloped but unscathed by the devouring ele-
ments. Napoleon stood and gazed on the
scene in silent awe. Though nearly three
miles distant, the windows and walls of his
apartment were SO hot that he could hardly
bear his hand against them. Said he, years
afterwards:
"It was the spectacle of a sea and pillows
of fire, sky and clouds Of fame, mountains
of red rolling flames, like immense waves of
the sea, alternately bursting forth and ele-
waiting themselves to skies of fire, and then
sinking into the ocean of fame below. Oh!
it was the most grand, the most sublime and
the most terrific sight the world ever be-
held! %
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ssTHE OLD MAN."-Hardly any expression
CRATES so harshiy on the ear as that of "the
old man, when it comes from the lips of a
son speaking of his father. The person who
habitually uses the expression is either init
mate with low characters, or he does not
feel that respect and Difference due from a
son to parent. In excuse 1t is said, tits but
joke, and means nothing. If SO, it were
better not to jest on such q subject, and to
usa soma oypraSSion that daas vno,n scr,o