Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-08-04
BY NAPOLEON III

LIFE OF CESARBY
r,o .scopd volume Of Napolson's Life
=, Caesar will probably be more fairly
.,;,;c;sed than the hIst. The adulasors OF
N,noleon in France lauded the first vol
ume as a sor, of historical discovery. All
the friends of imperialism seemed to tninA
,ba, a, the end of TWO thousand years one
had been raised up of kindred genius 10
Cesar himself, capable OF reversing the
verdic. Of all previous histories OF MIN anu
bring gu his character in an entirely new
l;Oh, as the Saviour Of Rome. on 'he
other hand, all the enemies Of Napoleon IN
France, and the savans Of Europe senef-
.llv, beheld in this Life Of Cesar an a.
temp, of unparalleled audacisy to corrupt
history in order to support usurped au-
,hori,y generally. and that OF the two
Napoleons in particular. 1t was regarded
a. the work of one as ignorant OF what
has been long well ascertained Of the life
and character of Cesar, as he was incapa-
BILE of adding to the stock Of knowledge
already possessed.
In some respects nearly all OF these
critics have proved themselves quite mis-
taken, and this second volume especially,
pu, forth with far more caution than the
first enables US to judge more impsrtially
and thoroughly of the character OF the
historian and the value Of his work.
I, was no doubt a very bold attempt for a
man occupied daily with the cares Of State
to 81, down to write the life Of one whose
every action had been scanned and weighed
by men who had made history a lifetime
study. To digest the history OF a nation
after men like Niehbuhr and O dozen 9TH
ers since. who have hunted everywhere
for their facts, aud weighed character most
impar,ially, was not a light, hardly a
wise undertaking. The only apology for
this was that a practical statesman like
Napoleon might be supposed best to weigh
the character of one Of similar character.
All agree now that his first volume was
a valuable contribution to Roman history,
| and much more will the second volume
End public favor with the most profound
critics, for the new light il throws on
Csesar's Commentaries on the war in Gaul'
That is probably the most valuable part o
his whole work. Close research and criti'
cism is manifest on every page. Doubt.
full matters are discussed and settled. BE
has employed officers exeava,ing and
examining every ancient camp, and river
and battlefield that could throw any
light upon the actions Of his hero. He
shows decidedly that it was from Bologne
that Caesar invaded Britain /; fixes the day
and hour Of his chief movements with
wonderful precision, and leaves nothing
doubtful that can possibly be explained.
His narration is ~siugularly clear. simple
and precise; and, upon the whole, to any
one wanting to study the life OF Cesar
for the first time, this is perhaps the best,
so far as the account Of his conduct in
Gaul and the invasion Of Britain are con-
cerned.
When, however, it comes to Cesar
course sud his motives n using the I'm.
perial power, the persistence with which
Napoleon vindicates the psurper and at.
,empts thus to defend both his uncle and
himself directly or indirectly, his efforts
are only certain TO excite dissatisfaction
with the whole. 1t is no longer history
but panygeric WI are reading. Then, too
his division Of so much Of history into
~-uUai ro-;ods IA injurious. His eatimats
Of Caesars character is quite differen,
from tina, Of Niehbuhr, who styles him ,
"demoniac' man, partly from the epilep.
tic fits to which he was subject, but more
from the violent extremes and excuses oil
every character into which he ran. The
vanity and weaknesses Of Cicero, and the
stern inAexibility of Cato are alike DIS
pleasing to Napoleon as they were, no
doubt, to Cesar himself, and both are 30
far distorted. The work. however, will
live and be quoted as an authority on
many points not connected with character,
and its great research and ability must be
by all admitted. The Hampers have
brought it out in noble style, and no man
will regret the, time spent in reading the
work.