The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-24
Napoleon Bonaparte and Nine. De StaeI.

From their first introduction. Nine De
Stael never liked Bonaparte. He inspired
her with an instructive dread-a feeling
which was not unique in her. Being an
earnest lover of true liberty, she early d.
vined his ambitious projects. and foresaw
the despotism that he was working to erect.
I" That which characterizes Bonaparte's
government" she says, is profound
contempt for all the intellectual riches of
human nature, virtue, dignity Of soul, re-
ligion, enthusiasm. He would desire to
reduce man to mere force and cunning, and
to designate everything else as mere folly
above all because they have found the
means of combining success with honesty:
a combination which Napoleon would have
US consider to be impossible" The dislike
was reciprocal. "She pretends to speak
neither of me nor of politics." said Napo-
leon: "yet do not know how it happens,
but people love me less who have been with
her. She gives them fanciful notions and
of the opposite kind to mine.' At anoth-
er time he said, Mime. De Stael has shafts
that would hit man We're he seated upon
a rainbow" In the year 1900 he establish
ed himself in the Tuileries, where he held
a sovereign court, which in gorgeousness
would not have shamed the dncten reginse
In that same year, French society, though
still mixed with base alloy, had resumed
much of it's old brilliance, and gathered as
usual around different nuclei Nine. Re-
camier was then in all the delicate flower
of her youth and exquisite grace; Nine.
De Nisconti in all the blossom of her ma
jestic beauty; Nine. Josephine Bonaparte
gave SPLENDID reunions, and the Princess
De Polk small and exclusive parties. In
such salons gathered whatever of beauty,
wit, and birth the guillotine had spared.
But most notable and most brilliant of all
these gatherings were those of Nine. De
Stael, whose genius and celebrity attracted
the finest intellects of all nations Bril-
liant as are her works, her conversation is
said to have been infinitely more So
" \ on find that she writes well; hear her
talk, and you will find that she writes bad
ly," said a contemporary. She lived above
all by conversation and in conversation; it
was in that her genius was most thorough
ly aroused and was most thoroughly origi-
nal. cit was in that" says Saint-Beuve,
"that she instructed and, as it were, re-
newed herself increasingly, rather than by
prolonged meditation. Conversation was
her inspiration and her music.' The night
before Benjamin Constant, her most init
mate friend, made his speech in the As
sembly against the growing power of the
First Consul, he drew her aside. elf
make this Speech" he said, "to- morrow
ed.' g know it. But you must do what
is right" she answered intrepdly. Their
representations were correct. A party
had been arranged for that night; by
from every person invited, not one of whom
came. What could more eloquen.ly de-
scribe the slavish aduation of the Pari-
slams to their Moloch9 But Fouche waited
upon her and told her plainly that Napo-
leon suspected her of having composed
that speech. A short time afterwards she
was commanded to quit Paris and not to
reside within forty leagues of it. In vain
did Joseph Bonaparte, whom she frequent
ly visited, and with whom she passed the
last few days of her Partisan residence, in
tercede for her. The Consul was immov-
acle. No greater punishment could be i'm
posed upon her than Punishment from her
beloved Paris, and within the prescribed
limits she wandered from village to village,
her thoughts ever turned to the one spot
with the same melancholy longing that
Adam might have felt when looking back
on Paradise. -Temple Bar.