Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-12
LIES mIsERABLEs,

This work, in which the Well.knowr
versatile powers of the author seem &c
conteud for superiority, in which all the
elements of composition are expended
produces in the mind of the reader wha,
Victor Hugo himself would call "a species
Of profound beiaazlcment;" for there is al
FIRST no more definite name for the effect
OF this power which absOrhs every faculty
of the mind, every passion of the soul
which continually astOnishes the intellect,
and inVades the heart, which overpowcrs
both with antitheses In which arc condensed
heaven and helI-fnnlly, which searches
the whole soul, and wringsltheIhCN to ex-
hAusIiOu. Knowledge aud power in this
book, unite equally over "the cednrs Of
Lebanon and the hySsop that grows be-
hind the wall Whether he explains to
you the French Revolution or the newest
process Of making black beads in certain
province; whether be holds up before you
Napoleon or COsettisdOll; whether he leads
you through the lnbyriuths Of human
soul or the inricacies of Parisinn sewer;
whether he diseOursCs TO you Of the ecstaCy
OF love or the origin Of slang: il Is oil the
same-eAch is perfect, and all are wOnder-
ful. We might say that tho book is n
series Of antithrses, in action as in dictiOn
"a collection Of contrasts, powerfully
bleuded aud made harmonious. Zone can
easily Imagine the difficulties 10 the way Of
u tranflalion-and admirable as 1t is, even
slight knowledge Of the peculiarities Of
the original enables one to appreciate the
loss which such book suStAins in being
transferred to our colder, slower, more lit
erAl language. The graceful extraTagance,
the delicate subtlety, the passionate ab-
ruptness, when reduced to English is like
what tho author says sol the sweet and
0dOrable language Of children, which, like
the gIistening of butterflies wings, dIsap.
appears when you try to find it,
One instance, out Of many others, Of the
difficulty Of preserving the exact idea amid
a dazzling, almost bewildering Accumula-
ton OF nouns, adjrctiVeS and sdvcrbs, each
OF which convey different shade and
meaning, is the description OF Inspector
Javerrs mind when the identity of Non
sieur Madeleine and jean Van Jean, the COLI
virt, is revealed. "Thcrc was 10 his Yicto-
~ II remnant OF defiance and contest up.
right, hauGhty, aud dazzling, he displayed
the superhumHu bcstinlity Of frrOciOus
arch angel in the bright azure OF heaven
The formidable shadow Of tho deed he was
doing rendered Visible to his ClutChing frst
the flashing 4UriHl sword, Happy and in
lignant, be held beneath his heel, crime
vice, pCrdition mud hell he was radiant
he CxtermnatcA, he smiled, and there was
an incOntcSiable grandeur in this monsItou:
St. Michael Aud here We pay passing
tribute Of admiration to this Incompatible,
piece Of COnsistenCy-tliis curious pCtrr.
, faction of humanity-this adHmHntivc con.
Crrtion Of Law aud order, JAvcrt. Thu
stern uniQurnCss Of the life Nnd death O
this man is sublime. 1t seems, however
entirely useless to drtnch auy Of these
characters from their intricate connection
with the whole. There are some elaborate
pictures 10 the book which stand out dis
linct, complete in themselves such NJ
Lewis Philippe, Napoleon. The latter is
gAndly summed up in the light Of destiny
"Othcr fatalities were to arrive. Was il
possible Tor Napoleon to win tho battIo?-
We answer IN the negative, Why? Or
account of Wellington, on account o
Butcher? 30; ou account OF God Bona
parte, victor ut Waterloo, did not harmon
ize with the loss Of the nineteenth century
Another series OF facts were preparing in
which Napoleon hadno lOngcrNny place; the
III will of events had been displayed long
previously, 1t was time for this vast mAn
to fall his excessive weight ~ human des'
tiny disturbed the balance. This indiviG.
uAl alone was Of more account than The
universa! group such pIethorus OF human
vitality concentrated 10 single hcnd-th,
world mounting to one mans brain, would
be mortal to civilization IL they endured
The moment had arrived Tor the iucOrrup.
tblo equity to reflect, and II II prObabl,
that the principles and elements in which
the regular gr@VitAIlonI Of Ihs moral ordel
as OF tho material order depend, complain
ed. Streaming blood, over crowded grave
yards, mothers 10 lcRrS ArO formidable
plOGdCrs. Napoleon had been denounced
10 inAniLude, and bis fall was decided
Waterloo is not battle, hut trauSformA.
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