Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-24
FRENCH LOVE OF WAR.

received valued aid from the efforts of her
sons, and in the long and fearful history of
European warfare the land of Bayard, of
Joan of Arc, and of Marcugo's chief
can point to many a glorious battlefield,
many a triumphant campaign, many a
proud returning of her victorious standards
to her gay capital amid the pealing bells,
blazing rockets and scattered flowers that
marked the Joy of that volatile and CNcta-
BILE nation SO may She also number not Il
few crushing and terrible defeats when
with armies slain or scattered, and a soil
Over-run 10y hostile soldiery, she has drain
ed to the bitter dregs the cup of humflia-
ton and oppression. But not all the hOr-
rors of the wars which,have devastated her
fertile plains and vineyard-covered hill
sides, have sufliced TO overcome her love of
military life, and every period of returning
peace and prosperity, with strength restored
by rest from war, finds Jean Crappud again
restless, eager, dissatisfied with his quiet
existence, and spelling for a chance to again
engage in his old trade of arms
In respect to his fondness for military
life there is a marked distinction between
the Gaul and the Anglo-SaXon.
An American an Englishman or Ger
man must have some good reason shown
him before he embarks in war. There
must be oppression to resist, encroachments
to repel national life or national security
or dignity to maintain, some principle to
vindicate or some other great and good OBJ
iect to be attained, before he consents to
bring upon his country the manifold hor-
rOrs of war. But having once decided on
the step, he keeps the object in view, and
will not willingly sheathe the sword he has
reluctantly drawn until his object Is at
tanned.
But with a Frenchman glory is in itself
sufficient reason and a sufficient reward
for all the mseriCs of war and all the fear
full legacy of debt, bereavement and desc
lation it leaves in its train. La giOirc the
French nation accepts as compensation for
land laid waste, for widowed mothers and
orphaned children. No Emperor can ever
fully gain the affection of that volatile peo-
pie unless he can give them military re-
nown.
The first Napoleon built his throne on
the corpses of his followers. He streWed
the graves of hundreds of thousands of
brave Frenchmen from the frozen sands
of Russia to where, on the burning plains
of Egypt he eXhorted his legions to re-
member that the centuries looked down
upon them from the summit of the pyra-
mids.
When on his last fatal field he confront
ed the hosts of combined Europe, he had
almost depopulated France. The cruelty
of Nero was not half so fatal to his people
as was the ambition of Bonaparte. Thou
sands of his veterans rested under the SOIL
of two continents, and boys scarce able as
Vet 10 llIU the lnuSkel, OF lItillp unutl Nllc
weight of the llnapsacll, but burning tc
emulate the glory of their fathers, filled
his ranks for his last fatal field
When that dreadful day was over, France
was far more desolate than was Egypt on
the dread morning after the angel of death
had passed through the land.
OF all his glorious campaigns, France
found the final result in Il conquered soil
an Emperor banished by a foreign power
to an island in mid-ocean, a fearful legacy
of debt, desolaton and afflictiOn, and the
insulting armies of the allies Haunting
their banners in the proud city that hat
so often resOunded with shouts of welcome
to the returning veterans of Ney, of Murat
and the other great marshals of the create
chieftain.
Europe, that had felt his blows so fear
fully, eXecrated Napoleon as usurper,
blood-thirsty tyrant, a selfish monster
strding on to glory despite the tears AM
blood of his subjects. Not so France. Tn
triumph, short-lived though il was. tina
had decled her banners, the halo of glor
that still lowered over her many success
full, though now fruitless, battle-tields, tn
terror that had lately inspired ever
crowned head of Europe ut the name {
France-this paid for all the dread accoun
of blightcd hopes, and ruined homes, an
PROSTATE grandeur.
The maiden whose lover had fallen {
Austeritz, the widow whose husband ha
sunk TO MS ueaIil OH lllt ulSlulll cbtSl {
Africa, the aged father whose sons had eH
Dired with the shouts of victory ut AIareI
20, thought amid their tears of the prOu
exultatiOn that had thrilled France at I'll
glorious result of the battles their love
ones had helped to gain, and blessed II
name of the man for whom his soldie
We're proud to die.
And when in after years the body of ''tl
little corporal was brought from the lon
ly rock where his last delirious words,
he lived over again in dying agonies Il
scenes of the past were AT the head of Il
army! y and laid to rest at Paris at that graz
in the Invalides, where through its vail
tinted glass, a perpetual sunshine is made
seem to shine on the great Emperor's tom
the spot became q sacred one to Frenc
men--a Mecca to which piOus pilgrmGg
are made, to renew in memory the glori
of the bright days gone by,
The present Emperor well understan
the character of the people over whom
regns. Through the course of the tort
Gus policy which has marked his reign, !
success in maintaining his power over
people, Il considerable portion of who
cordially hate him, has been in no SIM
degree due to the military glory on viii
he has enabled the national vanity to fe;
as the result of the successes at Solferr
Magenta and SevastOpOl. That his prese
military enterprise is prompted bya DIES