, 1873-01-26

Illus t1e stories went around until, one after
another We dropped to sleep under the clear sky
mountain, with our feet to the fire and abundance of
blankets over LIB.
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW.
by q coincidence which does not often happen
with periodical so Indifferent to the sensations
Of the hour, the leading article of the North
american Reuieao for January is OF Immediate
interest.
1.-THE RISE OF EAPOLEOS1sM"
is far pleasanter subject Of inquiry now, when
Gepoleonism las plainly fallen, than it WAS be-
fore, when threatened liberties Of France and
tho peace Of Europe. In this paper,-the ma
teriels OF which are drawn from Lsnfrey's
"Uistoire do Napoleon L." Gu essay by tho
samo author on the French Revolution, Simon
kaise-'s History OF France" Preyost-Paradol's
"Nouvello France,'' the Duo do Broglie's "yues
sur 10 Commencement dc Ia France" and Cour-,
collc-Soneuil's ''L'Heritage de La Revolution, -
Mr.. Charles Kendall Adams describes tho fo1ma-
tire events OF Napoleon's life, the means by
which he. impressed his will upon tho French
people as their supreme authority, and the
maxims in accordance with which he shaped his
actions, and from which, indeed, they could
have been predicted.
The articleis too closely written to be abridged,
but its tenor may be diBcerned from this ex-
tract: =:
It might hare been predicted with great certainty
from the first that Napoleon would turn out some
thing Of t5rsnt; but it was not too much to hope
that he would be yrant having fixed belief, de-
voted to sone cause more noble than that Of se. He
xss sure to be narrowmindet and bard, but narrow
fidelity, and even generosity And yet when We look
for these aud other moral qualities In. Napo1eon they
eluas our Inspection We properly Judge Of Msrat
give evidence Of some understanding OF virtue and
rt: But to apply code OF either to the life Of Ma
the deeds Of children who have not yet any
aud asn. Els dees Itch and cor
display tie fact that he did not hea,te to resort to the
most elaborate fa'sehood whenever falsehood would
tation amounted 10 real Senius We soon cease to be
astonshed at tie frequency Of his faaehoods only TO
be amazed at their anacity and their currency: In
lage unt.:n in the history Of tho world since the
famors taking Of Cor:uth b the Romans He robbed
Of genius At once dcapong them Of their history and
the!r glory n tho n nane Of e1psdisnsy hs did not
garrison to whom he had just promised protection In
sought to I'd himself BY poison Of his own wounded
When Napoleon Btssbegan to figure in history, his
character fully established. Moreover, to the end
be one Of the moas consistent Of men. In proof
Of this there still exists essay written in early life,
IN which lis ideas Of craftsmanship developed. It
might have been Of the finest essays Of Machia
vei. His philosophy already the philosophy Of
with the Gtrondists until their fall, when his sympathy
transferred to their victorious enemies. He argues
that it act Of good citizenship to Join the party
Of the mountain, because tho mountain had proved II
self tho strongest; md II he does not convince his
reader Of the truth OF his proposition he at least shows
with what force tie idea had taken possession Of his
Burke relates in his i" Celebrated Ina., OF tuo
A1istocracy,' n story which eerves to show how
41.1v hoao o1,o q
tury with regard to punishment for crime. Young
Lord Altman, by vicissitudcs which bofal even
the aristoc7acy, hal become a slave near Phil
ndelphia. He ran away, and, during his fight
I" he fell in with man and woman riding upon
the same horse. The young lady had been
the pair Of loyers, taking with them some money
which was not their own, we're hurTying away
from an angry fasher md 4 deserted husband
They invited Altman to partako Of their meal
BY the roadside; and, while they we're eating,
taken to Chester. The yonng woman and her
lover Here tried for theft and hanged.
A hundrcd land fifty years ago this happened
just outaide Of Philadelphia, quite rs matter
Of courBo. which reads oddly to persons who |
have heard Of Mrs. Fairs lectures. Gilly WILL
Jams writes to George SelUyn: I called yester- |
day on my Lady Crownshend), and she is going |
to have IN execution Of her own. Draper, the
butler, has turned out tho d-dest thief in the
NOGlu. GIG 64H6 eA6 AuuG cGt9Aa4
pounds unpaid which he ought to have dis
charged. He has fled for the .same but Mr.
Fielding and his myrmidons are after him and, |
her ladYship not being very, compassionate, he
must so to the gallovs.' From this it would
appear that Indies of that day might discuss
over tho breakfast table tho pros and cons OF
tho hanging OF an old butler who had 1un awhy
with some money"
To-day, how differont. There ie one thing, |
says E. 4. Nadal in his paper explaining
r
PUNISHMENT,
which this age has learned to do: it can pity.
Approaching the question Of judicial ruling from
4 roiut altogether different from that OF Real,
The New York murderer, he arrives at the same
conclusion: Hanging is played ont: He snys
that it is plain that hanging is impossible;
society cannot be kept up to It. The public is
generally very glad to sneak ont or cheat itself
81 an execution if it can. "a great empire Ike
Russia does without it.. con1lnonwealths like
Michigan and Wisconsin have abolished it, and
10 not return to it; whilo it's abolition has
succeeded in many places, ! have yet to hear OF
> case in which it has been tried and failed;
re try it and fail, twenty-four hours legislation
niu put ua back Whero we are"
The object Of the essay iB not to argue tf}s
question on these grounds, but simply to sh6T
low terrible thing hanging is:
Oae H. struck By the caprice and inequality ssen
saes have referred to tie f.ct that the public mind
not vcJ lofty and solemn In ts thinking upon thts
ubject. have said ht 1t continues to hang becAuse
has not definitely decided not to hang, and that
administers this awful punishment in m absant-
minded and mechanical manner. Then.
gain clprits are hanged at certain times who would
lot be hanged ut others. When murder has beea |
cry general and people are angry or alarmed,
he criminal will have 1ess chance OF es-
ape than when the community is unconscious
Il insecurity. When two men are to suffer It the
anne time in the State, thb likelihood OF
ommutation Of the sentence Of either BY the Cover
,or Ia slight, 10th Twttchen and Eaton. who were
convicted Of murder few years since In Philadelphia,
sould perhaps have escaped death, bud their crimes
allen at different times. Both were convicted on cir
evidence Twitchel1s murder wus IN ex-
eptionaJ brutal one, but he was defended by very
ble influential and tndefatigab1s nan. Eotons guilt
sas not 50 great clear. The Governor was one
4 thoac initators Of Brutus who thtuk tt an impress
i've and distinguished thing to hang somsbody: H
vou1d not have dared to repEeye both, though ho
night not have hanged Eaton had Eaton been alone.
,ut, a. he was pressed very energetcaly In Twtch'
III behalf, 1t was the uatufal, though unconscious,
oncesaon that gent1ernans friends to hang Eaton.
Then, social position makes difference. man
anuot eas1ly be hanged who has very good position
d the comm unity. 1t has been done tn one or two
skes, but tbs circumstances were peculiar. The +
Of this immunity Of the respectable people arc
wo-{old: First lack Of thoroushness and tenacious
dhe1ence to principle among our people gecondly,