San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-03-02

- 'sOsAASA tiiio NTlltA, .
We left Milan on the LIST Fructidor
august 49,. l had a place in Bona.
parties carriage with his wife and Ber.
thier. During the drive he was CAV
and animated, told us several anecdotes
OF his youth, and said that he had inst
completed his 10Th year. He was ex.
tremely attentive to his wife, frequent.
ly taking little conjugal liberties that
rather embarrassed Berthier and me
but his free and easy manners were so
full OF affection and tenderness toward
a woman rs lovable rs she was good,
that they might easily be excused.
When Napoleon organized his expe.
dition to Egypt, Mot was in Paris but,
shortly afterwards, he was sent with an
embassy to Holland, and he was in that
country during the events of
18th and 18th Brumaire. When he re-
turned he entered Napoleon's service,
and his attachment to the Donaparte
family continued until after the battle
OF Waterloo. The count was apparent.
ly one of the class of professional
otiice-holders who can never be per.
suaded to resign. He served the Bon
apartes quite as faithfully as he served
the leaders of the Revolution, and there
is no reason to doubt that he would
easily have reconciled his conscience
to acceptance of Office under the Bour.
bons if they had returned Just after
the Revolution. When he explains
the facts about his appointment to
this position or that, he nearly ALWAYS
indicates that he was at first reluctant
to take the place, but that he finally
yielded because he discovered that he
would have opportunities to do good.
1t is, however, to'b be said of him that
he appears to have been faithful and
devoted when he had once given his
allegiance, and also that he was very
frank and honest in his condemnation
of the evil things which he saw going
on about him. The impression made
upon the reader of his memoirs is
that he was simple hearted man, of
moderate abilities and force of charac-
ter, who took care of his country as
well as he could while he was taking
eXCellenG care OF himself.
When Napoleon had returned from
the campaign in Italy during which
was fought the battle of Marengo,
Mot was made councillor of state,
and was sent upon mission to Corsica.
When he came back to Paris he was
startled at the advancement made by
Napoleon towards imperialism. His
account of the manner in which these
approaches were made and the way in
which they were regarded by the peo-
pie, is singularly interesting. Moi
participated in some of the proceed
ings with relation to the Pichegru and
Cadoudal conspiracies, and be contrib
utes some fresh information with res
pect to them and to the murder of the
Ducd 'Enghein.
When Joseph Bonaparte was reised
to the rank of prince Mot became one
of his officers, and he was from that
time forth a member of Joseph's Off
cial family. He followed him to Ma
pies, and then to Spain, and from
Miot's pen we have the most graphic
and detailed narrative yet given of the
miserable events that followed the
elevation of Joseph Bonaparte to the
throne of Spain. Mot of course throws
the blame of the series of humiliating
disasters upon Napoleon, but he shows
plainly that Joseph Bonaparte was not
only weak and corrupt, but that he
was SO consumed by ambition as to be
willing to sacrafice anything rather
than to surrender the almost empty
honors of his kingship. Miot's ac-
count of the flight of the French from
Spain is spirited and it reveals inciden-
tally the character of Joseph Bona
parte, for it shows that upon one occa-
sion he placed the lives of his friends
in jeopardy merely that he might Sc
cure for himself the company of a
woman for whom he had formed an
unlawful attachment.
Miot's very intimate relations with
Joseph Bonaparte embed him to OBJ
tain an inside view of many things
which were known to the world only
from the outside. 1t permitted him
also to obtain possession of some bits
of family history which are interesting.
One of the most extraordinary things
in the memoirs is the account given
him by Joseph of the dying hours of
the father of Napoleon. It is as fol-
lows:
M. Charles Bonaparte, the father,
died Montpelier in his thirty seventh
year, of very long-standing chronic
disease. Joseph Bonaparte, who was
with him in his last moments, often
heard him, when party delirious from
pain, asking for his son Napoleon.
where is he?" he repeatedly exclaim-
ed. Where is my son Napoleon? He
whose sword will make kings tremble
He who will change the face of Europe!
He would defend me from my enemies
he would save my lifel" Joseph Bona
parte added: II am almost ashamed