Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-09-21
The Emperor Napoleon Prisoner
"fis done But yesterday king
Aud armed with kings to strive
And now thou art namelcss thing,
So ahlect-yet alive %

"Tis done But yesterday king
Aud armed with kings to strive
And now thou art namelcss thing,
So abject-yct Alivow
Another " Napoleon has fallen :" He,
who, but few weeks ago, seemed II,
firmly seated on his throne M any des
pot Of Europe, is now pitiIul prison
er Of war, dependant for miserable
residue Of existence, upon the clemcn
cy of him against whom he so lately
Illuminated his declaration of war
How wonderful are the ways of Prov
idenee How vain in poor puny man.
"oiad in little brief authority,
To Play ruch tricks as make angels weepp
Aye, and mortals, too. over the my
riads of slain, mangled and main ed
wrecks Of mortality whose blood now
stains the soil of France, and minge.
with tho aslfes of the homes of bun.
drcd thousand desolate families. This
is war And all for what? Because
two irasciblc gentlemen, elevated upon
thrones-"inch high above their fel
lows, "-coud not be content with the
broad domains over which they sway
ed their sovereign sceptres, and could
not peacefully reconcile their differ.
ences. Napoleon objects TO Prussian
intrigue for placing khsman of King
William upon the throne OF Spain,
lest at some future day, in the event
of hoslilitics with the latter, his kins-
man might also let loose upon him the
military power Of Spain, William
seems somewhat paciically inclined
and amiably advises his relative TO dc
cline the Spanish throne, the offer OF
which had doubtless been procured
through the subtle intrigue of Euro
pean diplomacy. Napoleon, however,
is not satisfied, and demands down
right guaranty from the Prussian
king that Prince Leopold shall not
accept the profiered diadem. vii.
liam sulks-- refuses--and snub the
French Minister. Beneditti informs
his august master lis re called -
and war is declared between two
nationalities ofpopulations about eqr al
and eighty millions Of the most highly
enlightened people of Europe are sud
denly translated from terms of social
and commercial intercourse and friend
ship into mortal enemies and are
driven on to slaughter each othor.
with all the murderous machinery OF
modern mechanism. The fair fields
Of France are laid waste, villages aud
cities are in flames, two or three hun
dred thousand men are murdered or
manned for life, when Louis finds
himself shut in at Sedan, and all ave
nues of escape shut off or extremely
dangerous Instead of throwing him
self at the head Of some forlorn hope
and selling his life as dearly as posi-.
Die TO the invaders he has brought
upon his country-in lighting whom
he has seen the best blood OF France
...:..s. s.. .a-..--.. - -.:-- f,sevs'vs,
and surrenders without scratch to
show devotion TO the cause in which
be has sacrificed the lives of so many
thousand much better men than him
self-throws R5nor to the winds
drops his sword at the feet Of his foe,
and gives his unsecured carcass into
bis keeping Aud France "has split
her blood for him who thus can hoard
his own.
Not only as sense of honor and dc
votion to his country alike demanded
that, under all the circumstances, be
should have died like BelShazzar-
sword in hand-but a decent regard
for his dynasty would have dictated
it. Had he so died, or even exposed
himself to be decontly wounded and
taken Vi et armies, armed cap pie
all France would have thrilled with
devotion to his dynasty, and rallied
around his son, TO whom il was in his
power thus TO bequeath n rich heritage
Of renown,
"And leaving in battle no blot on bis name
Look upward to heaven from the death-bed Of
fame
BY shrinking from sealing, with biz
own blood, his sincerity and the high
sense Of honor from which he profess
ed to have been driven to declare the
war, he humiliates his country with
the spectacle and the embarrassment
Of sovereign in the hands of the en-.
emy-coyers himself with shame, seal
the doom of his dynasty-and all 4
liUe-to sec his Empress aud his sol
wandering out.casts upon the world
and himselfan inmate ofa living tomb
IA Gagged monster in the eyes Of hi,
captors, and coward in the estima
ton Of all the earth
"To die a prince. or live slave
Thy choice is most iguobly brave"
While quoting from Byron's Ode L
Napoleon the First, we will fnrthei
select few passages that, with Sigh
notifications, are equally appropriate
to Napoleon the last and least
ais this the man Of iiBsder tones.
That strcwcd the earth with human bones
Ard can he thus survived
Since him miscallod the Morning Star !"
Not man. nor hcud bath falrn 50 far y
"With might unquesiicned- power to save
Thine oniy gin hath beer the grave,
To them that worshipFet iheoi
Nor tin thy fall could mortals guess
Ambitions hess than lt,lsncss
"Thanks for that irsson--it siil tcseh
To aitcr- warriors more
Than high philosophy can preach
Aud vainly preached before.
That spell upon the minds Of mon