Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-01-01
NAPOLEON THE FIRST.
From Temple Bar.


History has not represented the first Napo-
leon as he was in reality. Poets, private secre,
taries, courtiers, enthusiasts, enemies, aud
camorers have drawn the portrait we pro-
nose to examine his character from the point
of view of Psychologist and positlvist. Napo-
leon was neither dark nor fair. He had dark
chestnut hair, eyes gray, complexion OF pale
brown, without any red In 1t, and a smooth
skin The brain was large the skull belonged
to the largest development ever known. His
circulation was slow, the pulse counting forty
beatsa minute; he perspired little; aud was 10
sensible alike TO heat and cold, hunger aud
thirst; his chest was prominent, and his limbs
well proportioned; bis height was i've feet two
inches. Of sympathetic temperament, ne
could support alike excess of physical and men
tai exertion. 1t was constitution OF granite
Warm baths, coffee and strong wines restored
his circulation His intellect was vast aud
many sided, applying itself to details and gene
raIizatious made up of prodigious memory
that rapidly took account of place number and
cause, and the hearings ofthings genius. in
fine, emiDently practical and positlvlst. Dis
stimulation, an extraordinary power OF gener-
azation, aud sluggish temperament, make
up this wonderful man; these qualities are the
sources of his greatness He was a tataist. Events
are brought about by power superior to human
WILL be said. There is neither good nor bad 10
the world The morality Of an action Is to be
Judged by its expediency Religions are hu-
man institutions, serving as u sort OF vaccine to
protect US against the lower supersttlons, to
be defended, not iu the interests OF society, but
iu the interests Of the priests. Such was his
creed and he naturally hated those who pos
sessed higher one Cousul, Emperor, pris-
oner, aud exile, he hated philosophy AID phi
losophers from first to last, and accused them
of the msfortuoes he had himself brought up
on France-the failure of the Russian expedl-
ton, the sore discomfort of the nation, and
40 on. "rhey believe uelther iu myself nor lu
nv priests" he said, these metaphysiciaus,
speaking of B. Constant, l.. Cheuier, Guig
meme and others, who showed hostility to the
.CoDcordat, ''aud are good for nothing but to
be throwu into pond. Je les al comme une
vermine sur rues habits.
1t was natural that being, as be emlnently
was. mystiIler Of the people, dazzling them
with charlantry aud words, he should fear aud
hate the spirit of independence. Tacltus was
a mere writer Of romance, Gibbon brawler,
because these Two writer's exposed the crimes
Neckcr de Stael, j. B. Say, Gall, MoLtlosier,
Raynouard Lemercier, were equally hateful to
him, as were all writers, ancient and moders,
VINO dared to think tor themselves For the
exaitation of Caesarism, he wanted the Roman
history to be written over again, and maintained,
a host Of littera;eurs for that purpose -Barerc,
Nine. de Genlis, Fierce, Moutgaard,. Foul
anes, Lacepedes, &c. Authors who vcnturcd
upon criticism were either exl.ed or thrown
toto prison. Foreign books and journals
were prohibited-and quite logically. Free
thought treads down the structure OF false
hood and myslifcation called Bonapartism. He
loved noise, movement, martial life, drums,
trumpets and the destruction of life upon !,
large scale Though circumspect ip 10 small
degree, he revealed this by one OF his dispatches
"Surune espace dc ieue carree, 5000 10000
cadavres, ct 1000 5000 chevaux tues; tout
celia await pus de reliet sur no fouds de Delge.
The East was the land of his dreams. There
life is nothing there, to use his own language,
ION peut TRAVELLER au grand. 10 sum up the
characteristics of Napoleon, he possessed one
of the vastest iuteects ever known, owing such
superiority to bis utter insensibility to impress:
sions, his sluggish temperament, his wonderful
f.culty of combustion aud reasoning; war Was
to him pastime; politics a personal affair
only; he possessed neither religious, moral, oor
political beliefs; he held the human race iD pro-
found contempt and was the greatest egotlst
ever known; man of prodigious aptitude for
knayery and mystiGcation and for admluls-
trative power; an intellectual giant who caused
the re,rogression of France aud of all Europe,
and who possessed one of the worst hearts that
the history of the human race has disclosed.
All lovers of progress ought 10 make pllgr-
mage to Waterloo once 10 their llves not to
cxult over the destruction of a French army
but to contemplate the spot where this great
enemy of the human race fell a victim to his
, own cXcesses.