Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-07-08
A LITTLE OF KING VIOroR EN-.
MANUEL THAT WILL RECON-
STRUOT SOME HISTORIC
OPINIONS

1t ia no uncommon thing for men
to be misjudged during their years OF
life. aud but little less common even
after death has taken the sting from
nearly all aspLrities. So few men
live their true lives in. the sight of
Others-sO many are made up Of Q
curious compound of the most con-
Trajectory elelnents-so many causes
cOnspire to hide some traits in III an 3
character from aoine eyes and give
relatively undue prominence 10 others
hat it is not surprising that these ar.
rOneous Judgments are formed. even
OF men whose careers have brought
them prominently before a whole
people. Or even the world. Now aud
then one Of these popular misjudx-
nents is set right by some one pecH.
liarly circumsia ianced to know the
truth; and when such . tact occurs
the rectification is always work of
curious interest This work has lust
been done iu most simple. and
modest way for King Victor Emmau.
uef, Of Italy. by Mr.. Edward Dicey,
III volume which forms the fret
number OF the second series OF "rhe
New Plutarch," Il succession of brief
biographies projected by Il. P. Put
nam's Some, the first series OF which
was quite successful ami interesting.
The prevailing notion Of Victor En-.
manuel in the minds of most Amsri.
CANS has been that he was y good.
enough sort OF man, tor . king, who
was quite content to play the part OF
a igure-head for = government mau-
aged i'll reality by somebody else,
always willing to allow that some.
body else to do any thing desired, pro-
vided lie himself WAS left to pursue
his own personal pleasures. which
are vaguely supposed TO have con.
sisted chiefly OF iu1rigues with an un-
limited number Of women, and TO
have absorbed all the faculties OF
what little mind he had. MIR. Dicey's
brief biography pretty effect ual,y de.
stroys this nntiOn. 1t il true, doubt.
less, that the king Was by mo means a
Joseph in his relations with the OF her
sex, but even there hr seem. to- have
been as free from any imputntiOu of
bad faith As in his Oliler relation And
MIR. Dicey mskes il t0lerably clear
that SO far from making immunity
from interference in such matters n
condition Of his own acquiesoeuce in
the governing Of q hers in his name.
he WAS ALWAYS ready to sacritice his |
own lnclInaiInns 10 the cause of the |
country over which he ruled, and that |
the fault lt-iindlng Of his great minister,
Count Cavour. win some Of his con.
neciions Of that description was al.
most the only cause of serious dis.
agreement between them during the
whole of their long association in tho
government of Italy. 1t is made clear
'hat'almosl from hls boyhood hs had
set before his vision as the chosen and
end OF his ambition u unit
III Italy. and that through all die
aud auversities he
never lost sight Of that great purpose
II his life and work. That the words
attributed to him. when. riding at
he head of his defeated troops awsy
rom the disastrous field of Navsra.
" here his father. Charles Albert, was
teclsively worsted by the Austrians.
nc ls SAID to nave shaken his sword
oward the pursuing Austrians and
nut!ered with hearty curse, .Ttaly
hall yet he."-that these words.
whether actually uiterad or not. am.
,"'Ird the dominant purpose Of his
lie, " which ell else was made To