The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-18
THE GREAT NAPOLEON,
His Religious Views and Glance at His
Inside Life,

From Tho Memoirs If Frinoa Metternioh
Napoleon was not irrelisinus In the ordi-
nary sense OF the term. He would not admit
that there had ever been an atheist IN good
faith, he condemned deism AZ the fruit ot
rash speculation "A Christian ami Catha-
lie, IT was only 10 positive religion that he con-
cpded the right to govern human society. He
regarded Ghiiatianism as the hasis of all true
civilization. Catholicism tho form Of v0r-
ship most favorable to the maintenance Of
urder and tranquility In the moral world,
Professionalism as q source Of trouble aud
stliie. Personality indifferent to religious
practices, he respected them tuo much even to
allow Of pleaaautrea about them among his
attendants. IT Ia possible that religion may
have been FOL him lees q matter Of sentiment
than the result Of an enlightened policy but
whatever may have been In this leapect the
secret Of HE soul. he took care never To be-
tray H. Hia apniOna on men were ooncan-
trsted in a single idea which unfortunately
tor him. had acquired the force Ut All axiom.
He WAS fully persuaded that no man upon the
public stage or even engaged In active bust
neaa lite ever did on cNuth guide himselt by
any other motive than selfiuterest. lie did
not DENY virtue and honor, bat he maintained
that neither Of these sentiments ever served
ap principal guide except To thoae whom
he called dteamera. and 10 whom he conaa-
a,pnily denied every faculty needf'l for par
ticpating With suCcesa la the affairs af ao-
eiaty | have spent many an hour IN discuss
| ing with him THE thesis. which my con-
| erence repelled. and whose falsity sought
t. prove 70 him at least III the latitude
which he gave to II. never succeeded IN
making him Yield In the sighte-t degree
upon thia article " his faith. He was alec
very much struck with the idea Of tracing
back ta Divinity tho origin If snpreme au-
thurty. lie paid to me one day nj Gom-
pienne, ahortIy after his marriage to the
Archduehess, Il acc that the Empress, IN
writing to her father. addresses him thua :.
10 His Sacred Imperial Mairsty.' Ia this
In n ituta Ita,,tt tt,lI him
wac hy the tradition OF the old German Elm
pre, which bore the title Of Holy Empire,
| and because 1t waa als0 attached to the apns
| tOic crown of Hungary, Napoleon replied IN
| a eeriuus tone: The usage 10 beautiful and
| well understood Power comes from God,
and II Ia only for this reaaon that 1t can he
placed be, ond the reach Of men, Some time
hereafter Will adopt the same title.
He attached much Importance tn the nohtl-
ity Of hia own birth and the antiquity Of biz
family. More than once heundortouk to prove
| ca mo that envy and caumny alone could
have oaat suspicion upon hts nobility. y am
| place." said hc I'm a singular position.
| find aeneaiogtets who would like 70 trace my
ancestry back to the deluEe and there are
persons who pretend that | was born beg
| gar. The truth IL between these extremes.
| The Banapartes are good Carsieau gentle
! men, not very illustriuua. since we have
scarcely ever gone out OF our leland, hut
much better than many ~ isa Of gentility
who pretend to look down on us.
\ NAPOLEON regarded himShH AS hflHE lsn-
| lated In the Id. created to govern it and
| to bend all willis to his caprice. lie had no
more consideration for men than an overseer
has for his workmen Marshal Lannes was
mortaIly wounded in the battle Of hapcrn.
The bulletins or the French army relate the
| last words he pronounced lhs Ia what Ma
poleou himself said to me. You have read
| the phrase which have pat In the mouth OF
Iannea-he never thought of such thing
When the Marahal pronounced my name
they came TO tell me- and ut once declared
him dead Lannes cordially detested mo
IA q used my name as atheists the name Of
God In the moment of death Iannes hav-
ing spoken my name. ought to regard him
as decidedly lost" One OF the persons tc
whnm he seemed most attached was DuroC
tile loves mo rs dog loves his master
THIS Is the phrase he used to me In speaking
of him. He compared Rerthier's sentiments
toward him to those of a chtld's nurse. THESE
comparisons. far from being Inconsistent with
hts theory OF human motives. were It's nat
ural consequence. Where he found sentiments
TO which he could not apply his calculation OF
self-interest he sought their sourcei in kline
M instinct