The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-03
THE CHARACTER OF NAPOLEON iii.

A writer in the GALAXY in 1866 gave an
account of the daily life and character of the
Emperor Napoleon, which is doubly interest
ing now, coming as it did from one whose
intimate association with the Tuileries ena-
bled him to speak from personal observa-
tom
He is short of stature, but broad aud stout.
In fact his torso is that of man of six feet
high and well-proportioned. His arms are
long and muscular, the hands bony and
strong, but his legs are very short-remark-
ably so from the knee down. Riding on
horseback, the Emperor appears to great ad-
vantage; in fact, while sitting, he produces
the effect of a large-sized man. When risen
to his feet, however, he seems unaccountably
short of stature. He is well aware of this
fact, and is fond, on all public occasions, of
appearing on horseback. His walk is not
dignifed-he waddles. That this may not
be too noticeable, his Majesty has adopted
a slow, steady pace, from which he seldom
departs. His face is rather long, and rem
dered more so from the tuft of beard grown
upon the chin, and which he twists to a point
with CiTe q mOuStdche. His moustaches are
long and likewise twisted to a point, giving
to the countenance sharper character. His
nose is aquiline, and his eyes are small and
far apart. The countenance has a decided
Jewish cast, and his enemies say that this is
quite natural result. There is, with but
rare exceptions, a cold, hard, Indifferent eX-
preston in his eyes-which are of a dull,
leaden gray-and the whole appearance of
the man is one to chill and repuse the be-
holder. All this changes, however, the mo-
ment he smiles Then he seems attractive;
the well-shaped mouth assumes an expression
of kindliness which is as beautiful in the
otherwise unattractive countenance as is the
most clearly defined and vivid rainbow across
storm-d -darkened horizon. There is in the
firm set of the head upon the broad ann short
neck, evidence of strength and power; and in
the calmness and quiet of the Emperors man.
ner lies the secret of his influence over more
impulsive and less reserved natures. Able to
restrain and govern his own emotions, he
naturally controls those of lesser Wills hence
the mastery he exerts over his immediate fol-
lowers and adherents. But few of them, how
ever, are strongly attached to him, and he is
undoubtedly well aware of the fact. He has
but little faith in human nature, and no be-
lief in human attachments. To secure the
continued fidelity of those who surround
him, he bestogs upon them continued
favors. 1 have heard persons
who had remained by him
through his good and his bad fortune COM
ment upon the fact that he never seemed to
trust to their love or affection, but always
dwelt upon the principle that in their support
of his plans and purposes they were but ena-
bling him to reach position which would
insure his power to confer upon them suitable
rewards. Since his accession to the throne,
Napoleon has kept near him those who were
mainly serviceable in the successful accom-
plishment of the plot. Not, however, as is
well known in France, from any feeling of
gratitude, but simply because in the transac-
tion of the coup detat there took place GER
tain things Of which the Emperor nowise
desired the publication. Hence it was a
matter of policy to conciliate these people,
and they were the recipients of imperialfavors,
dealt out in no niggardly manner. Prominent
among the individuals in question were the
Counts de Morny, de Persigny, Walewski,
General FlsWg, Mocquard and others, all of
whom benefited vastly. But they knew to
what they owed the Imperial kindness, and
but felt assured of its continuance so long
as the power of Napoleon was not affirmed
beyond the reach of scandal That they pos
sessed documents and proofs which the En-
peror deemed valuable or dangerous may be
believed from the fact that the moment he
heard of the death of Mocquard, who was his
private secretary, he at once repaired to his
apartments and took possession of, and car
ried away, all his private papers, The same
thing occurred when Count de Morny, or
rather Duke as he had become by favor of the
Emperor, died. His Majesty drove to the resi-
ueuco VI INC .Duhe duu Ibuodchou
his papers. There were undoubtedly
in the keeping of those men
grave secrets, hence their tenure of Office and
favor. He has undoubtedly been, on many
occasions, kind and generous where the re-
cipients of his benefits had no claim upor
him, but, as a general thing, these acts OF
kindness were not without an Grriere pensee
No sovereign now existing has keenel
knowledge of the effects to be produced upor
the masses by the semblancs of generosity
and the determination to recognize merit. In
France there were never SO many rewards
so many decorations, so much advancement
given to lesser officials and to soldiers and
non-commissiened officers. But this does
not proceed from an overflow of gener
ous sentiment. The Emperor, in pursuing
this course, merely seeks to attach the people
to him through their interests.
mentioned above that Napoleon smokes
necessarily. He does this to excess, seeming
to enjoy the quiet, dreamy state into which
the tobacco plunges him. He uses cigarettes
larger than the usual size, and for hours has
one lighted in his mouth. AS the fire ap
proaches his fingers he abstractedly takes
from the packet near him a fresh cigarette
lights it, puffs volumes of smoke from nose
and mouth, and leaning back, seems to tax,
pleasure in being half hidden by the vapor
He laughlngly asserts that in these moments
of abstraction he forms his plans for tn,
future, and that he owes his success in lif
to the more than ordinary amount of re6ec
tion INDUCED in during these, dreamy inter
walls. OF course have no intention of caus
ing il to be understood that such familiar re
marks were made to me by the Emperor
Facts such as the above l cleaned from con
slant intercourse with his most intimate fol