Litchfield enquirer., 1879-10-30

The Spanish instruction produced pro- found impression throughout Europe. Soon Austria was arming for the war she actually began in 1909. Stein tried hard to bring his sovereign up to the support of Austria. He failed, resigned his office, and was soon driven into exile by decree of Napoleon. Then fol- lowed the campaign of Wagram. Austria proved no match for the genius and energy of the great Emperor, and the eliminating point of his reign was reached. The Austrian mon- arch surrendered a daughter and much of his territory to the conqueror, and Prussia was ground deeper than ever into the dust. Stein had been staying for three years in exile in Prague when, in 1912, Napoleon had started with the Grand Army for Russia. At the re- quest of Alexander himself, Stein then went | to join that monarch at Wilma. Prof. Seeley shows us how little Stein expected of Russia, and how poor was his opinion of Alexander, his government, and his people, in the follow | ing extract from letter written some years | before:
 That thinly peopied country, devoid of in- dustry, will make but feeble resistance and country ruled by weak, sensual prince Gn- timidated by the failure of number of schemes abandoned as lightly as they were un- | dertaken) through the agency of a stupid, awk- ward corrupt, and meddlesome beaurocracy- | a country where the great mass of the nation are slaves-such country will not long main~ tain the fight against civilized Europe.
 Such, no doubt, was the prevailing opinion oe +t,o ho pie. No one expected anything but quick and complete victory for Napoleon. The biography here becomes of exceeding interest. History has ordinarily followed the Grand Army in it's opening victories, in it's expulsion from Mos cow by fire, and in it's subsequent overwhelm- ing disaster Prof. Seeley takes us into the Russian camp. Alexander had but 0,000 men to meet the finest army the world has ev CT seen. Soon the retreat began. Stein and the Emperor retired to St. Petersburgh and Moscow His visit to the latter city (then about the size of Chicago to-day) was revela- | ton. The Governor of Moscow, who seems to have been aware of Stein's scepticism, asked l him, Eff he had any curiosity to see an En- peror adored by his people," to come to the Chateau on the morning of his arrival. Stein went and saw sight which he calls ''heart-el- evating, inspiring" The simple devotion of the people to their sovereign soon bore fruitin the memorable sacrifice of their capitol by fire rath- CT than it should become an enemy's. Says Professor Seeley,
 What he witnessed was in fact the great decisive event of the time and that which he. of all men in Europe, was in the best condition to appreciate. He witnessed new phase of the Anti-Napoleonic Revolution, which was to fasify his own prediction that Russia would not be able to resist Napoleons attack. He saw the Spanish movement repeating itself in Russia. What he had hitherto seen both at Wilma and at Drissa must have confirmed all his earlier forbodings and prepared him for | catastrophe like that of Jena. The armies were altogether insufficient in numbers, and there was the same dissension and confusion of ideas among the generals that he remembered in 1SO6 Who could doubt that Napoleon would triumph over such armies. And so he did But when be had done so what was to follow? Would his entrance into Moscow have the same consequences as his entrance into Berlin in 1906, OF would 1t be like his en- trance into Madrid in 1S089 That is, would it
 
 subiugation of Russia, or by an interminable i war which would wear out the resources of Napoleon? Vol. 3. pp. no, Ill.
 The firmness of the Emperor after the talk | ing of Moscow; and after the burning which
 was at first looked upon as an additional disas- ter; are attributed by Steins biographer to l the pressure of Russian public opinion. Na- poleon looked for peace. His fatal hesitation at Moscow was owing chiefly to his reliance on the weakness of Alexander. Accustomed to take gamblers chances, he took one too many, and the complete loss of the finest army he or any other mortal ever commanded was | the result.
 | Prof. Seeley does not attribute the unexpect- ed firmness of the Emperor in 1872 to any influ- ence of Stein. It was due simply to the en-
 thusiasm of the Russian people. Immediate ly thereafter, however, arose question upon
 the decision of which, Stein seems to have ex-
 ercised great, if not @ prevailing influence.
 The Grand Army, save feeble remnant, lay
 under the premature snows of Russia. Should
 Alexander seize the opportunity to strike back at his opponent and attempt the overthrow o1
 that fabric of empire which then dominated
 Western Europe? His own armies had suf
 fered almost as severely as Napoleon's. Aus
 tria was now in firm alliance with the oppres
 sor Prussia was occupied by French troops
 Nothing heroic could be hoped from any ruler
 of the German race could anything heroic bt
 hoped for from the German people? Stein
 persuaded him that there could. The first
 step necessary was an alliance with Prussia
 Frederick William could hardly aocede tt
 such plan at once, much as he might desir,
 it. He was at Berlin, then in possession of th'
 French. Circumstances soon made it easier
 however, to come to patriotic conclusion Gen. York made a convention with the Rus , sians-u undertaking a responsibility whcl made shs old gray head feel loose on hi r shoulders" The next severe blow to tn g French ascendancy in Prussia was struck b. , Stem. Under commission from Alexander, h : summoned the disused parliament of Eas Prussia, to organize popular resistance t France, and to urge Frederick William to al alliance with Russia. For sometime lOnge
 che king and his chief minister Hardenber, , temporized with Napoleon, but the final resul
 was treaty between Prussia and Russia Hov
 the people rallied to the support of their sov } ereign in fervor of patriotism unparallele' in Prussian history; how the cautious Austri
 ans finally threw in their lot with the allies and how the French Empire met it's fate a | Leipsic- all matters of history to whic we have left ourselves no space to refer. No | tably Napoleon was met in spirit he had neve
 yet encountered. The spirit of Stein, Harder n burg, Scharnhorst, and old Butcher, pervade q the Prussian counsels and armies. There wa - no such generalship as the generalship of Ns l. poleon, but they finally crushed him down UT der the mere weight of patriotic numbers. Al though led by kings and emperors, the soul ( - tho onposifion lav in the unrisinu of the peoo]