The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-07-15
GEORGE SANDS LAST FEC-
ILLETON.

An Extract from "InaD press '0as aud SOHre-
Mrs"
One of the last things written by
George Sand was teuilleton in the Temps
called Impressions and Souvenirs" in
which occurs a remarkable sketch of Ma
polson ILL.,, which runs thus When l
read in the journals yesterday that the
state of the sick man at Chiselhurst was
serious felt that he was dead. Was he
not already dead at Sedan? For three
years past Napoleon had ceased to exist.
Events had no more effect upon him than
the veltaic pile on a corpse. His liberal
tendencies of the last hour were, in the
situation in which he was placed, illu-
sions uncontrolled by reason. The war
with Prussia, however, was not an
illusion he could not smut out from his
eyes the spectre of defeat which hurried
him fatally to his destiny. Alexandra
Dumas tNs said that in surrendering his
army he thought he should save his army
and France. This illusion was madness
and was only possible to dying man,
whose soul, floating hither and thither,
was incapable of either cowardice or
heroism, and could no longer distinguish
the dream from the reality. Besides, any
one who as an unpreiudiced observerhad
carefully studied the whole life. of this
fatal man would have assured himself
new to say, but old in history-that GER
tain historical personages were not free
agents, and did not exist in the general
acceptatien of the term. Napoleon iii.
has been treated as a chimerical man.
And this is correct if it means that his
brain was filled with chimera; more
correct still if it means problematical
being, net to be analysed. 1 will tell
you my personal impression of the man.
In the days of his imprisonment at Ham
he wrote great deal, was young man
without energy, always haunted by Wis.,
ion conceived in mis- Infancy and encour-
aged by those who surrounded him-a
vision to whose pressure he submitted
with feeling of lassitude and resigna-
ton no real instruction, great deal of
intelligence, the rudiments and even the
scintillations of genius, rather literary
than philosophical, rather philosophical
than political. Bad health, vitality tot
| tering, unequal, suspended at times. No
bitterness about him, no rancor, little
anger, too contemplative to be passion
ate; amiable, loving, made to be loved
in private life, disinterested himself, and
yet (see what contrastsD capable of the
greatest political crimes, because his no
lions of human law differed entirely from
ours When I saw him, when spoke to
him at the Elysee twice in the same
week, 1 was completely deceived by him,
and, believing myself tricked, refused
to see him again. However, continued
to write to him, when 1 thought could
save victim, to pass comment on his
answers, and to watch all his acts. be-
came convinced that he did not wish to
deceive any one, and that he deceived
every one and himself. He believed il
what he said, but looked upon himselfa!
invested with mission for which he had
neither physical energy nor the mora
force He adopted every idea which was
suggested to him in the form of an ora
Gle. Let us try it, he would say, and
it be impossible, go to something else
With the aid of enjoying absolute powe
this illusion of playing heads or tail
with events became monomania, ant
his quiet and patient fatalism assumed
the appearance of force and skill. HI
t was an honest man who allowed himsel
to be borne in triumph by ambitious an
: interruptions people. He considere
y himself the instrument of providence
l when he was only the instrument {
f chance He ordered his imperial mantl,
4 and while the woIkwomen were embroit
< ering it with beads, he still said to thos
e who were urging him on that he woul
# not betray the republic. He was hisow
t dupe to the last moment"