The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1879-12-27
NAPoLEoS BosArAErE.
Interesting "Reminiscences From One VIII
Knew Him Thoroughly.

f Knew Him thoroughly.
Extract from Memories of Madam de Remusat just
published.1 r<e $
/ Napoleon Bonapsrte was short and rather
i'll made, the upper part of his frame being
disproportionately long. He had thin light
brown hair his eyes were grayish blue;
his complexion, which had jaundiced hue
while his habit remained thin, grew after
ward to be an opaque, bloodless white. The
contour of his forehead, the setting of his
eye, and the line of the nose were fine, and re-
minded you of an antique medal. His mouth,
rather pnched than otherwise, became at
tractive when he smiled, his teeth were regu-
lar, his chin rather short, and his jaw square
and heavy. He had neat foot and hand, of
which he was particularly vain. He was ac-
accustomed to carry bis head q
little forward, and his eyes,, habit
ually dull, gave his countenance
in repose pensive and meditative air, but
when excited by anger his look became threat
ening and savage Laughter became him,
disarming so to speak, and rejuvenating his
whole visage. 1t was difficult, indeed, to re-
sist the fascination of his smile, so strangely
it embellished and transformed his counten-
ance. In his dress he was always very sim
pie, usually wearing the uniform of his
guardsmen. His cleanliness was the result
of system rather than of taste; he used to
battle himself sometimes in the middle of the
night, fancying the practice useful to his
health. His clothes were always careessly
put on, and the least tightness or stiffness in
a garment was Insupportable. He would tear
away or break any part of his apparel which
caused him the faintest annoyance, and, on
grand occasions his Wallets were sore put to
it to keep his costume deaently adjusted. In
manners, and the conventional forms pre-
seribed by good BREEDING, he was utterly de-
fcient. 1t seems says our author, as if he
had been irrevocably destined to live in
tent, or what comes to the same thing, on a
throne, since in both places anything is per-
missable. He did not know how to enter or
leave a room; he never learned how to bow,
how to get up, or how to sit down; his ges-
lures were abrupt and rough, and so was his
manner of speech and pronunciation. In his
mouth, says our author, even the Italian lost
all its grace. No language that he spoke APP
peared familiar to him, and he seemed oblis.-
ed to strain and force it in order to express
his thoughts Here, as in other matters, any,
thing like n rule was uncomfortable, and any,
thing like license had the relish of victory.
In other words, ne hated to submit himself
even to the laws of grammar.
Although supremely remark lble in certain
intellectual qualities, on the whole, nothing.
in her judgment, could be baser than the soul
of Napoleon Bonapartc. There was in it
Nine. de Remusat affirms, not trace of gen.
erosity, net germ of real grandeur. She
never knew him to admire, or even to COM
prehend a noble action; he always viewed
with suspicion the appearances of kind feeling,
made no account of sincerity, and did not
hesitate toesay that he appraised mans SUI
periority according to the more or less abil-
ity he displayed in fashioning falsehood
With reference to this matter he liked to re-
call an anecdote of his boyhood, to the effect
that one of his uncles had foretold he would
master the world because he had con-
tracted habit of perpetual mendacity. NJ
de Metternich, he used to say, comes near to
being statesman, tor he lies pretty we'll
All his methods of controlling men were
selected by Bonaparte from among those
tending to debase them. He dreaded the
ties of affection, endeavored to isolate everv-
body, and never sold his favors without in
stilling a sence of disquietude, believing the
truest way to bind individuals to your own
fortune was to,,compromise and even ruin them
in public esteem. He could pardon virtue
only when he had contrived to render it i'm
potent ridicule. In the view of our author,
we cannot say that Napoleon really cared for
His own glory, since he never scrupled to
sacrifice it to temporary success. He seemed
to be stranger to anything like instructive
or generous courage, and on this point he
completely unveiled himself in one of his
admissions handed down in an anecdote
cited in these recollections. 1t appears that
shortly after the defeat at Leipsic, Talley-
rand counselled him to withdraw his troops
from Spain, and to bodily acknowledge his
mistake in attempting to coerce the will of
the Spanish population. Talleyrand thought
that such measure announced on such mag
unanimous grounds, and while the foreign
armies were still wavering on the French
frontiers, could only do Napoleon honor.
since he was still too strong to be
accused of cowardce. "a cowardicer'
cried Bonaparte. "What do / care for
such imputations! Let me tell you, 1 should
not hesitate moment to commit an act of
cowardice if it would profit me. Look here,
there is nothing at bottom either noble or
base in this world have in my own char
acter every element that can contribute to
consolidate power and deceive those who
fancy they understand me. To be frank
with you, L am coward, fundamentally and |
essentially a coward, and l give you my |
word, should experience not the slightest |
ut committing what the world |
considers dishonorable action. My secret
which, after ALL are those of
nature, being really opposed to certain affec-
tations of grandeur with which have to
clothe myself, supply me with infinite re-
sources for cheating everybody's expecta-
lions" Another anecdote may be appropri-
ltely quoted in this place. When Bonaparte
was on the point of leaving for Egypt, he
JAILED to see Talleyrand, then minister of
oreign affairs, and had great deal to say
about his pecuniary embarrassments. "Here'
aid Talleyrand "open my secretary; ysu will
Ind there 100000 francs, which you can
axe and repay on your return After Bon
parte became consul, he repaid the loan
nd asked Tallcyrand: "What interest
ould you have had at that time in lending
no that money? have racked my brain to
nd 1t hundred times, and have never been
BILE to hit upon your object" 'For the
nipple reason replied Trlleyrand," that
i'd not have any, was very i'll at the time, !
nd scarcely expected to see you again; YOU
ERE young. and made a strong impression |.
n me, and was carried away by impulse
} render you a service" ain that case" G
,turned Bonaparte, sand if it really was O
one without calculation, your conduct was
lat ola dupe."