Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-18
NAPOLEON ON CESAR.
The Preface to the Emperor NapC
Icons Life OF Cesar.

OF DIS nation, deVotlng his leisure TO re-
searches into antiquity and the preparation
of great historical work, is something of
novelty in these modern times. Such
an one is however presented by the En-
peror Napoleon, who has just given to the
public the first volume of his life of Julius
Cesar. By this act, the Emperor, whose
genius as statesman is everywhere &C.
knowledged, throws aside imperial dignity
and becomes q member OF the great Re
public of letters, where merit only is sue
cessful. He bids fair, however, to succeed
in his new pursuit. He is distributing his
book liberslly among the literary men Of
France, aud has sent copies to Thiers and
Lsmsrtine, with dedication in his own
Handwriting. The Paris papers are Of
course lavish IN their praise of the book.
Below We publish the prefacgt0the book,
which is the only part yet published in
English;
Historical truths ought not to be less
sacred than religion. If the precepts of
Il
| this world, the lessons of history, In their
turn, inspire us with the love of the beau
tiful and the just, with hatred for every
thing which is an obstacle to the advance
ment of the welfare of mankind. Those
lessons, to be profitable require certain
conditions. 1t is necessary that facts should
be reproduced with rigorous exsctitude,
that political and social changes should be
philosophically snslyzed, that the piqusnt
attraction of the details of the lives of
public men should not distract attention
from their political task, or throw their
providentisl mission into oblivion.
The historian too often gives US the vsri-
ous phases of historyas spontaneous events,
without diving deeper into anterior facts
for their real origin and natural deduc.
ton in like manner as the artist who in
reproducing the accidents Of nature devotes
himself simply to their picturesque effect
without being able in his picture to give
their scientific demonstration. The histo-
rian ought to be more than painter; he
ought, like the geologist, who explains the
phenomena of the globe, to disclose the
secret of the transformation OF our social
world.
But in writing history what are the
means to ascertain the TRUTH The only
wsy is to follow the rules Of logic. Let
us take It for granted at once that great
results are always due to great Cause
never 10 small one; in other words, an
incident Insignificant in appearance never
leads to great results without pre.exist-
ing cause which has allowed that small in
cident to achieve great result. A spark
does net create great conhsgration unless
it falls upon combustible materials accu-
mulated beforehand. Montesquieu confirms
this idea:
GIt is no good fortune" he says, (which
rules the world. > . . There are general
causes, either moral or physical, which act
in every monarchy, elevate it. uphold it or
ruin it. All incidents are subjected to
these causes, and if the chance of battle
that is to say, q special csuse-hss ruin
ed the State, there existed general cause
which implied that that State was to per-
ish in 8 single battle in fact the chief in
ducements absorb all other special incl
dents" ~
If, during period of nearly one thou
sand years, the Romans always issued forth
triumphant from the most severe trials and
from the greatest dangers, it is because
there was q general cause which always
rendered them superior to their enemies,
and which did not suffer defeats and partial
disasters TO lead to fall Of their sway.
If the Romans, after giving to the world
the example of people establishing them-
selves firmly and growing great by liberty,
have seemed since Caesar to throw them
selves blindly into serfiom, it is because
there existed q general reason which ia
tally prevented the republic from returning
to the pure form Of its former institutions;
it is because the wants and the new inter-
ests of society in labor required other
means to be satisfied. In the same man
ner that logic proves to US in important
events the reason why they are imperative,
in like manner we must recognize both in
the long duration of an institution the
proof of its worth, and in the incontest-
able influence of man upon his age the
proof OF his genius.
The task consists, then, in eldeaV-
oring to discover the vital element which
constituted the strength Of the institution,
Ike the predominsting idea which made
the man act. Following this rule we shall
avoid the errors of those historians who
collect facts transmitted by preceding ages
without arranging them according to their
philosophical Importance; glorifying what
deserves censure and leaving in the dark
that which calls for light. 1t is not mi
mute analysis of the Roman organization
which will make US understand the dura-
ton of 30 grest an empire, but deep in
vestigstion into the spirit of its institutions
it is not, moreover, detailed narrative of
the lesser acts OF superior man which will
reveal to US the secret of his sscendsncy,
but careful examination Of the elevated
motives OF his conduct.
When extraordinary facts demonstrate
an eminent genius, what can be more con-
trsry to good sense than to attribute to him
all the passions and sentiments of medioc-
rity2 What more erroneous than not to
recognize the pre-eminence of those
privileged beings who appear from time
to time in history as brilliant bes-
cons, dissipating the darkness of their epoch
and throwing light upon the future2 To
deny such pre-eminence would, moreover,
be an insult to human nature, by believing
it capable of submitting for q length Of
time and voluntarily to q domination not
based upon real greatness or ineontestsble
utility. Let US be logical, and we shall be
Just.
Too many historians find it more easy to
lower men of genius than to raise them
selves by q generous inspiration to their
level by penetrating their vast designs.
Thus, as regards Cesar, instead of showing
US Rome torn by civil wars, corrupted BY
wealth, treading its ancient institutions
under foot, threatened by powerful na-
tions-the Gauls, the Germans and the
Psrthians-incapable of maintaining itself
without a stronger central power, more
stable and more just; instead, say, of
drawing that faithful picture, Cesar is
represented to Us, from his very youth,
meditsting already upon supreme power.
If he resists Sylla, if he disagrees with
Cicero, if he enters into alliance with Pom
peY, it is all the result of that far-sighted
| cY1nnino, uvhioh hos diuinod o-,o-,tL l. ;. .. q,