The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-27
NAPOLEON'S CAPTIVITY.
How His Spirit Was Broken
by the Persecution of an
English Governor.

by the Persecution OF an
English Governor.
A new light Was thrown upon Ma
poleon's captivity at St. Helena. by
the lecture delivered ct Congrega-
tional church last evening by Mia.
MacKnight, UnitedetatesC Consul at St.
Helena. The lecturer was introduced
by Commissioner Loring. The audi
ence included q large number OF Sem
ators and Representatives. Assistant
Secretary of State Davis, Miss Freling-
huysen and others. The lecture was
illustrated with a number of very fine
stereopticon views of the island, Ma.
poleon's home. eto. Mr.. MacKnight
began by relating the circumstances
under which Napoleon was called
upon to abdic te the throne of
France. and forfeit forever all claim
OF himself and family to the crown.
The Emperor Withdrew after signing
the treaty of sbdioation, to the Island
of Eliza. 1t was here, after the death
of Josephine and the failure of the
government of Louis XVIII to fulfil
the promises made under the treaty,
that Napoleon made secret and ter
rible resolve. Since his enemies had
broken their compact with him, since
they were forming plots against him.
by which they rendered his life at
Elba intolerable, he would consider
himself released from his forced coms
pact with them and would place him.
self in such a position as either to
meet sudden death or regain bis lost
power. This resolve was nothing less
than to invade France alone in the
hope Of winning back his empire and
his crown. or in the event Of his falls
ure, to die at the hands of the troops
be had 30 often led to victory, and 30
end bis miseries forever.
On dark night Napoleon carried
his purpose into execution. The his
tory of the hundred days which fol$
lowed his landing is fraught with the
deepest interest. He regained bis
empire by the universal acclaim OF
the French nation. and that, too,
without shedding q drop of blood.
Then came the war OF England and
her allies, for England would have a
Bourbon on the throne. Napoleon,
Wishing for peace, became involved
in q death struggle. The armies of
the allies swarmed into France and {,
the sea around the coast was black
with hostile fleets. Napoleon's doom
was fast approaching. There were a
few indecisive conflicts, and then the
battle of Waterloo engulfed Napoleon
forever. His awful defeat, however,
did not shake the confidence of the
people in him. and they were willing
to support him against q foreign
power that sought to impose upon
them a ruler they despised. But Ma
poleon had formed his resolution. He
would not shed another drop of
French blood, and would contest no
longer for the throne.
He went to Rochefort, a small ga,r
risoned seaport of France, with q
of followers. When the Eng
lish Z man of-war Bellerophon. en-
tered the harbor, Napoleon began ne
gotiations to be taken as passenger
to Plymouth, England. These were
concluded and Napoleon embarked.
He did not know that he was en- FER
ing trap. He was never allowed to
land on English soil. but upon the ar
rival of the ship was declared q pris-
oner of war, made to surrender his
sword, and put on board the man-of>
war Northumberland with a small
suite. This bold act vas done in:the
lace of popular sentiment, and the
only excuse for Napoleon's illegal en-
trapping was that he was captured in
time OF peace because he had fought
England in time OF war.
At last Napoleon arrived on the bar
rem island of st. Helena, and then be-
gan a series of ill-usages and annoy
ances. He was housed in building
worse than barn. To make the lot
OF the captive Emperor as hard az
possible seemed to be the pleasure of
the English government. When Sir
Hudson Lowe became Governor of
the island at a salary larger
than the President OF the
United States receives, Napoleon's
misery was complete. Lowe was 8
man whose hatred of Napoleon was
implscable, and it seemed that he
had been selected for this reason to be
Napolean's keeper. The wanton re-
suits which he inflicted upon the SEN
aitive spirit OF his captive form long
and painful story. Stringent reeuls-
tons and unnecessary and capIicious
restrictions were placed upon the
fallen Emperor, and the voluntary
exiles who had accompanied him into
bis captivity were told that they must
either return to Europe or else GER
tifv on a form that uaa nran.ra6 IN,