New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-24
FRANCE.
THE CORRESPONDENCE OF NAPOLEON L.
rFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT


tFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
PARIS April 2--The twenty seventh volume OF the
Co,respondance de Napoleon Premier covers the year
| 1sl4-the year OF the Invasion, of abdicatlon' Oh
attempted suicide. and of exile. 1t contains Hoi0
than 600 letters orders and other documents written
or dictated by Napoleon amid these great and rapu
vicisstudes-n beyond the contents OF any
other volume of this important collection as e'i
dences of the strength and greatness, and the almost
equally strange weakness and littleness, Oh th''
extraordinary being. His military genius never
shone brighter his comprehensive activity never
rose to such demonic hight, as in that campaign
against impOssibilities which closed WIN 'no vi
trance of the Allies into Paris.
There is nothing like this book in literature Inc
STYLE. if style it can be called is unique; iast
rolling fire of orders short swift going straiRht 10
their mark like rIAesbot-one peryadng tone OF I'M
nervousness the expression of one supremey seihsh
concentrated will There is hardly figure OF speech
i'm the whole book unless the four scant illusions ~
God are TO be taken for such hardly arecogniuoh vi
humanity except III contempt unless le" rare
phrases like this may be taken for it " Keep tne
Empress in good spirits. She is dying OF eonsuhpr
ton" He writes in postscript to his brother Joseph
Tell Castgone to forget his SO years" The Young
Guard melts away like snow the Old Guard nous
its own Thrice he breaks out with real emotion IN
praise of these last after the battle OF hontlira
what they did can only be compared to the romance
of chivary and to the warriors of those times whe'
by the effect of their armor and their address IN
borsemanslip one vanqushed three or four hundred.
The Old Guard has far surpassed everything could
expect from choice troops. 1t was absolutely inc
head of Medusa"
The letters TO Joseph and to the Ministers of Police
and the Interior at Paris, respecting domestic poI
tics and the management Of public opinion are lul
of impatience with and contempt for them ana inc
public-especially the enlightened portion OF 1t:
"You and the Minister of Police know 10 moro OF
France than do of China" 1.-The Minister OIL the
Interior is n trember He has an absurd idea OF
men, He and the Minister of Police have no more
idea of France than have of China IFuly IL is
diflcult TO be- more inert than they in Paris.
You are asleep in Paris, and talk nonsense" have
never sought the applause from the Parisians. l am
not theatrical parsonage. Besides. one must be
more practical than you are to know the spirit OF
that city. which has nothing in common with the
passions of 5000 or 1900 persons who make great
deal of noise.'
This last extract is from a letter to Joseph Of the
10Th March other passages of which character
istio in another kind: II have been panied to see
that Won have spoken to my wife OF the bouroohS
and of the opposition that the Emperor OF Austria
might make to them. ! beg you to avoid these CON
yersatons. will not be protected by my wife, Inns
idea would spoil her and embroil MS And for what
good talk to her in that way Let her 1--we as she
lives don't speak to her except Of what she needs to
know in order TO sign her name and above all avoid
speeches that would make her think that am ready
TO be protected by her her father Never for the
last fonr years has the word Bourbon Austria been
uttered by my mouth. Beside, all that can only dis
turb her and spoil her excellent disposition"
much earlier letter to poor Joseph.who neededto
have n broad back and meek nature, contains among
other things these: have read the letter OF King
Louis [putatiye father OF Napoleon I'LL have al
ready answered in regard TO the eventually oil Faris
(surrender Of the city TO tho alesl; you need not
refer TO it again. That outcome Affects more than
rs. When it occurs shall DO more; it is not for
mvself then. that | speak. King Louis talks Of
peace this is giving advice entirely out of place.
For the rest can make nothing Of your letter
Thought had explained myself 10 you; but you
never remember things and of the opinion OF the
first man YOU meet who seems to reflect an opinion
repeat TO you, then. in two words, that Paris VIII
never be taken while / am alive, Iconfess that your
letter of the 9Th february has panied me, for do
not see any keeping in your ideas and you give heed
to tho babblngs and opinions of pack OF people VINO
do not think Now will speak to you frankly III
Talleyrand has anything to do WIN TINS houon VI
leaving
evacuated by our forces, it must be treason they
are plotting. repeat it, beware OF That man.
know Linn these is years, and have even had liking
for him but he is unqestionabiy the greatest enemy
of onr house now, since fortune abandons III. Hold
TO the advice have gwen YOU L understand mat
tiers better than those others.
of n lost battle and news of my death should
come Won will be informed before the Ministers.
"For nv part, / would rather that they cut my
SONS throat than ever him brought up at Vienna
~ an Austrian Prince and think well enough OF
the Empress TO be also persuaded that she is Of this
opinion, so far as a woman and mother can be-"
After repeated declarations that he would underno
circumstances consent to tho reduction of France
within its limits as they were in 1885, declaring the
acceptance of such conditions of peace to he mpo-
itc, base cowardly Qdche reproaching those French
who entertained the idea as vile potroons he offered
and urged its acceptance on Alexander. We are APP
preaching now the end of the first part
The most noteworthy document Of the volume as
help to the study of its authors character is his
address to the army OF the 9Th Of April already
well known by the publication OF Baron Fain: The
Emperor thanks the army for its proofs Of attach
ment TO him. and particularly because il recognizes that
France is IN him and not in the people of the Capt.
tai The Senate does not blush to cast reproaches
ON the Emperor without observing that as first
body Of the State 1t has taken part in all the events
1t has gone 50 far to dare accuse the Emperor of
having altered its acts when publishing them. All
The ,corld knors that he had no need Of such drfc
hint cas a command for The Senate The Senate does
not blush TO speak of libels published against for
eign governments it forgets that 1t their edi-
tor SO long as fortune showed herself faithful to
their sovereign, these men remained faithfn and no
complaint was heard of the abuses of power. IL the