New-York tribune., 1873-05-24
THE LATE LOUIS NAPOLEON.

fFRox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIDUEE.l
LONDON, May 3.-The continuing curiosity
ahout the hte Emperor Napoleon gratiies to some
,ont mia known desire. His will was published this
veh and dlscussed by everybody eagerly. II throws
some ight on his character; but fur interesting
naner appears in the May OOr1Ih entitled Louis Ma
ooleou panted by Contemporary" II consists OF pas
acs rom Mr. Nassau Seniors diary, recountng
variations about the Emperor that took place between
birpset and a lady designated Aldame r., aud de-
scribed as having been brought up as sister with the
Fnperor aud continuing her Intimacy till the coup
drlat which she u woman OF integrity and stanch
Repubcau could not forgive. This paper is maRifestly
OF different kind from MOST OF the gossip ana guess
work anecdotes current the Emperor during his
lifetime and since IL begins with account OF the
escape from Ham aud comes down 20 April 1868, when
the Emperor occupied with his Life of Casar
than with anything else. Madame RS knowledge Of
the man-not merely Of the EnDeror-Is minute pene-
trating critical. yet friendly Indeed she was plainly
fond OF him. though for Il years after the coup deaf she
refused TO see him She did not, however. refuse to
correspond with him and him in various ways.
and she eems TO have expressed her opinion with suf
acent ankness 20 Mr. Senior and he 20 have put them
down faithfully.
How completely separated IN her own mind the man
and the Emperor were may be from single judg
ment which she expresses She was convinced that
NAPOLEON had mistaken his vocation that instead of
statesman or soldier which he aspred to be On 1850
nature intended him for poet; that nc had inven
rive original and powerful imagination which under
proper training would have produced something great
As 20 his taste:
He cannot tolerate French poetry, she answered
He is insensible 10 Racine but ne delights IN Shake
speare, Goethe, and Schiller The great the strange
aud the tragic suit his Wild ana somewhat vague haDts
OF thought ana his meahchuy ~, tno
fine arts only that interests him Is architecture
probably from the yastness OF its proaucs he mates
music, aud does not understand painting OF sculpture
OF his general character Madame RS conception was
opposed to the which lat That umel painted
him as calm unmpressionabe, decided, and obstinate
he has she says OF these qualities except the last
and even that sometimes deserts him This was written
so late as 1855 when his irresoutlon was, should have
supposed well enough understood haiane RS descrp'
lion of this side Of his character IL vivid:
"I have known him build castles in the air dwell on
them for years and at last gradually forget them When
ne was young. had two xei ideas tat ne was 10 De
Emperor OF France and that ne was " % ADeFatOr Oi
Italy"
As 10 his calmness her testimony is curious
He has a calm crust but furious Italian passions boil
beneath A child, he WAS subject ~ nts of anger,
sucn never in any one else Nhle they lasted
he did not know what ne SAID or dia; . - ,.,...
"He Is procrastnating, undecided ana rresolute
Courage he certainly has aud oi every knd' physical
ana moral"
And again on tho point she speaks OF him as
gentle and attractive when a child, but in mature life
his gentleness WAS only appearance. He has great
selfcommand but fond be is irritable" One would
think he was than irritable for on another page
Madame r. is reported az saying: 81 have known MN,
after a conversation IN which be betrayed anger,
break furniture in his rage" Tne first sign OF the
storm was a swelling of the nosrils. like those of an
excited horse - then his eyes became bright and ms ps
amvered. DISSEMINATION with him a study and he
carried it to the extent OF Disgusting bis features His
long mustache intended 10 conceal his mouth aud
ne had disciplined his eyes This latter practice began
in lsls Madame r. In that year noticed change In
them and asked him what the matter. Nothing
he answered. day or two later she again remarked
thor odd appearance and at last she discovered ap-
parenty by confession. that ne had been
toming himself 10 keep his eyelidss closed, and TO
throw into his eyes a vacant, dreamy expression.
She has much say OF the peculiar character OF his
ambition. He desired most eagerly everything that he
thought would give him posthumous fame.
Like most men of natiOn, he lives in the future.
As child, his desire to become an historical char
acter. He has no moral sense he does not care ABOUT
Ie bicn on Ie mai ca ti est eg p6' men ooHeOtt
mas Ia difference nor does much about present
reputation. except Instrument. He begins now 20
expect MI many pages in history as ms uncle mas
done and ne hopes that they Will be brighter at least
that they viii be darKened by fewer shadows. And II
he believes have reason 90 think he does that ihe
man who POUNDS free nsttut ions m Italy Will be praised
a thousand years hence, he Will do It. lie Will 10 II
ne hopes that history viii accept sort OF coupen
aatIOn for having de strOyed sucn institutions IN
France
Bat he had all sorts Of motive7 most men have.
Reside the one above stated others drove him into the
war Of 1859 longed for military glory and he dreaded
assassination The Carbonari never ceased 10 plot
against him from the time or the coup dttdt The Ia
ian consprators for freedom cared little for his ourages
fpon his own subjects; they wanted 10 kill HIM ~ the
supporter Ppal TYRANNY the supporter Of Austria In
Italy and the enemy of Italian unity The Orsin at
tempt gave him shock from winch he was long IN re-
covering. The war" says Madame r., believes him
from an anxiety which pressed m from Jan. H. 1853
until Ian L 1s5g-the fear OF the ClrJOnar He has
breatled freely only since ne could give notice To them
that ne accented their terms" HIS conviction that he
had In him the making OF great general has long been
known but s here brought out vory strongly. He said
70 Madame r.. at Ham, II trust that some day
snail command great army. know that should dis
tngush myself; feel that have every military quail
tyD Yet with a return OF self-dstrus he added Per
hans IL would be better for 10 die in the belief that
am tted TO be great general than TO risk the expert
ment But I will try IL, If can, and l believe that
sha try IT, This was in 1882 six weeks before the battle
of Magenta when he did try IT, and nearly lost us army
and throne by trying It, and was saved by Mcmahon He
must have become convinced in that campaign that with
all ms military knowledge, the qualities of commander
in the field were lacking TO him. That conviction. IL is
,o than probable weighed upon him at the outset Of
the campaign Of 1870 when political necessity aud the
bone of saving his throne for his boy compelled him,
he Thought to put himself at the head Of his troops
YetMadame r believes that the deciding influence on
him n 1851 was neither child'sdream, nor FEAR OF
assassination nor military ambition His real motive
for tho war she asserts. which lowered high above all
others ,yas s hatred OF Austria hatred bred in his
very bones beginning in early Infancy. fostered during
all his early childhood and youth and which made him
a conspirauor and a Car5onaro when most boys are
thinking only OF their games or Of their lessons He had
no objection TO giving Italy free institutions on the
contrary he had thinks Madame r., a sympathy for
freedom though, where he himself rs concerned II ID
oyerruled by his desire OF power He likes 70 be- abso
Int himself but he wishes all who not his subjects
TO be free" Yet on another is said he was deter
mined Lombard aud Venetia should not be united TO
Pledmont: that he hated Piedmont constitutional