Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-18


of Crassus, it is, ssy certain historians, be
csuse activity suited his nature, and ths
he enjoyed better health when in the lelC
10y; if he accepts with gratitude laure
crown from the Senate and bears it proud
ly, it is to hide his bald head; i, finally
he Is assassinsted by the men whom ne hsl
overwhelmed with his bounty, it is because
he wished to make himself king; as if he
was not, ior his contemporaries as well IS
for posterity, much greater than any king,
Since Suetenious and Plutsrch, such sre
the miserable interpretations which have
been given to the noblest acts. But BY
what sign are we to recognize the great
ness of q msn2 In the iUny of his ideas,
s0he1s his principles and his system triumph
despite his death or his defeat. Is it not,
in fact, the prerogative of genius to outlive
destruction, and to extend its empire over
future generations Cassr disappeared,
and his influence predominates still more
than during his lifetime. Cicero, his ad-
verssry, is obliged to exclaim, aAll the acts
of Caesar, his writings, his words, his prom
| ises, his thoughts, are more powerful after
his death than if he were still alive" (6).
During centuries it has suficsd to tell the
world that such was the viii of Cesar, for
the world to obey"
Thst which precedes sufficiently indi-
Gates the object have proposed to myself
in writing this history. That object is to
prove that when Providence raises up such
men IS Caesar, Oharlemagne and Napoleon,
it is to trace out to nations the path they
ought to follow, to stamp new era
with the seal of their genius, and to &C.
complish in q few years the work Of many
centuries. Happy the nations who COM
prehend and follow them Woe to those
who misunderstood them They act like
the Jews; they cruelty their Messiah.
They are blind and guilty-blind, for
they see not the impotence of their efforts
10 suspend the final triumph of good /;
guilty, for they only retsrd its progress by
impeding its prompt and fertile spplies-
tion.
In fact, neither the assassination of
Caesar nor the imprisonment of st. Helena
could destroy beyond revival two popular
causes overthrown by league Disgusting
itself with the mask of liberty. Brutus
by killing Cesar plunged Rome into the
horrors Of civil war; he did not prevent
the reign of Augustus, but he rendered
possible those of Nero and Osliguls. Nor
has the ostrscism of Napoleon by conspir-
ing Europe prevented the resurrection of
the Empire, yet how distant are we from
that solution of great questions, from the
sppessed passions, from the legitimate sat
isfaction given to she nations by the first
EmpIrel
Thus, ever since 1916 has verified itself
that prophecy of the captive of st. He
lena -
What struggles, what bloodshed, what
years will yet be required that the good 1
wished to do to mankind may be real
izsd2 ~ NAPOLEON.
Palace of the Tuileries, March 20, 1862.
~ Montesqueiu, Grandeur ct Deeadenes des Ro-
mains, xviii.
(2) Suetoniua, Cesar, xxi,
Is Cesar resolves to cross over to Britain, the
people Of which in every war had supported the
Gau's,-C0sGr, GHeTTs des GaHlss, iV., Xxx.
a Suetonius, Cesar, Xvii.
(5) Applan, Civil Wars, i 2, sx. S26, Schweig
h@users edition.
(6.) Cicero, Epistole ad AaicuHl, xiv. W.
a. In fact, what disturbances, civil wars and
revolutions have occurred in Europe since 1915 In
France in Spain, Italy Poland, Belgium, Hungary,
Greece and Germany.