The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-09
The Metternich Memoirs.

1hS m0UU6rulCu MEMOIRS.
The publication of the first division of the
Metternich Memoirs, covering the Napoleonic
period, was the chief event in the biographical
literature of last year. The second division.
kept for year longer by the custodians of
Prince Metternich's papers, has been waited
for with an eagerness which its contents GER
tainly justify. The interest given to the first
epoch by the revelations as to Napoleon and
his time, is, perhaps, even surpassed in this by
an almost inexhaustibe store of "Reminiscences,
candid and often caustic comment, and per-
sonal and political anecdote. The Napoleon
"reminiscences by no means ended with the
hrst half OF the memoirs-the appearance OF
OMeara's book and other personal recollec-
lions OF the Emperor calling out from Meter
inch another installment of anecdotes. and a
more caustic review of Napoleon's character
than even that In the first volume.
From advance sheets of the work, published
in this country by Charles Scribner's Sons, we
make the following excerpts: -
NAPOLEON.
All may be said in two words: Napoleon
was very small man of imposing character.
He was ignorant, as sub-lieutenant generally
40. q 'Omdi hdoiO luotluCb Suppll6O the DaC0 OF
knowledge. From his mean opinion of men,
he never had any anxiety lest he should 90
wrong. he ventured everything and gained
thereby an immense step toward success
Throwing himself upon prodigious arena, he
amazed the world and made himself master of
1t, while others cannot even get so far as be ing
matters of their own hearth. Then he went
on and on, until he broke his neck He ended
as he must have ended, and was Judged as all
those are judged who find means to su bd ne the
common herd. AS a legitimate ruler of a
small State, he would never have been heard
OF, except as an arbitrary monarch AS mill
tary commander In any country whatever, as
an administrator wherever the storm of reyo-
luton ragged, he would always have come out
strongly. In the situation in which he was, he
must have played the part he did play, and
which no man of better principles could have
ventured TO undertake.
BoNAPARTE AND EUROPEAN POLITICS.
The scenes of horror which accompanied the
first phases of the French Revolution prevent
ed the rapid propagation of its subversive
principles beyond the frontiers of France, and
the wave OF conquest which succeeded them
gave to the public mind direction little fay-
orable to revolutionary principles. Thus the
Jacobin propaganda failed entirely to realize
criminal hopes. rs II n "a = Z
Nevertheless, the revolutionary seed had
penetrated into every country, and spread
the regime of the military despotism of Bona
parte. His conquests displaced a number of
laws, institutions and customs; broke through
bonds sacred among all nations, strong enough
to resist time itself; which is more than can be
said OF certain benefits conferred by these in
novators. From these perturbations it fol-
lowed that the revolutionary spirit could In
Germany, Italy, and later on in Spain, easily
hide itself under the veil of patriotism.
Prussia committed grave error in calling
TO her aid such dangerous weapons as secret
q wv mil ha. e.,
could not be justified, even by the deplorable
situation in which that power then found it.
self. This it was that first gave a strong i'm
pulse to the revolutionary spirit in her States.
and this spirit made rapid progress, supported
as IL was In the rest of Germany by the system
OF foreign despotism which since 1906 has
been there developed Many princes of the
Rhenish Confederation were secretly auxili-
aries and accomplices of this system to which
they sacrificed the institutions which, in their
country from time immemorial had served as a
protection against despotism and democracy.
The war OF the Allies, by putting bounds to
the predominance of France, was vigorously
supported in Germany by the same men whose
hatred OF France was in reality nothing but
hatred of the military despotism of Bonaparte
and also OF the legitimate power of their own
masters. With wisdom in the Governments,
and hrmness in principles, the end of the war
IN 1914 might nevertheless have insured to the
world the most peaceful and happy future
III,
lessons which might have been usefuliy ap-
piled. But fate had decided otherwise.
The return OF the usurper to France and the
completely false steps taken by the French Gov
eminent from lSi5 to 1920, accumulated mass
of new dangers and great calamities for the
whole civilized world. 1t is to the first of
these misfortunes that is partly due the critical
state In which France and the whole social
body is placed. Bonaparte DESTROYED in
hundred days the work, of the fourteen years
WI Ial hn l..
set Tree the revolution which he came to
France to subdue; he brought back mems
minds. not to the epoch of the 18th Brumaire.
but to the principles which the National AS
sembly had adopted in its deplorable blind
ness. Hlta H57is IE az l-77lI1- =
What Bonaparte has thus done to the detri.
ment OF France and Europe, the grave errors
which the French Government have since
committed, and to which other Governments
have ylelded-all these unhappy influences
weigh heavily on the world to-day; they
threaten with total ruin the work of restora-
ton, the fruit of so many glorious efforts. and
OF harmony between the greatest monarchs
unparalleled in the records of history, and they
give rise to fears of indescribable calamities to
society. EsIs7l- III - -
"REMINISCENCES OF NAPOLEON ON HIS FETE-
DAY. AUG. 15th)
This is the day of the great accursed! if he
were still on the throne, and he were alone in
the world, should be happy.
ms day twelve years ago, was at one of
Napoleon's cercleS; he had the notion of plac-
ing himself at the head of the army in Spain,
we on our side were making preparations for
the war of the year 1909. was openly and
sharply questioned by him with regard to these
preparations, and had the satisfaction of tell
ing MN several truths in the presence of the
assembled plenipotentiaries of Europe. He
expected to do good stroke of business, and it
turned out that it was done by me. In the ev-
enlng he sent the Minister of Foreign Affairs
to me, to assure me of his friendship and per-
Iect satisfaction. Nothing spoils trick so
certainly as soon be cunning as stupid, but L
should prefer to be neither of the two, and if
God does not forsake me, the world will not
have to reproach me with being either the one
or the other. ,lFU. III -