West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-09-25
NAPOLEON THE THIRD.
= Dreamer Who DId Not Even Awake az
Sedan.


sedan.
Napoleon III. lived in q perpetual
dream. Ho was born to dwell in
silence and solitude rather than In tho
din and splcndor of the Tuilcrics.
have sccn him at the Elysce and nc ST.
Cloud seeking out tree, and not
man. On many days he never awoko
at all; he was n somnambulist, and sub
icct to hallucinations This Is why
when people stood in his presence they
asked Of themselves II no was still
there Oftun lie appeared not to hear,
because he answered not But on tho
morrow he proved to YOU that no had
heard distinctly He thrust tho cup
from reality, cvou whom the cup was
not tingod with bitterness lIo loved
everything from afar. even womankind.
When he was &C table he ate heartily
and drank tolorably, but without know
ing whether the cooking was good OF
the wine of genuine stock. When no
went To the Bois dc Boulogno IL always
seemed ~ II ho were there for the first
time, so few faces did ho recognize, Ho
salutcd with his hand. but not with his
mind. Hence IL was those about him
often said "What can ho bo thinking
ofP' His political onomies wrote that
he only thought of bctraying France.
On the contrary. he only thought of
making France great and iuvinciblc.
He desired that everybody should bC iich
and that the fowl In the spot
spoken of by Henry Nv. should
be chimora no more. For
the tyrant had heart OF gold. The
dread of reality. while il raised ham In
the cloud-land of reverio, kept him
away from truth. Therefore II was
that after the celebrated Congress Of
Paris he committed mono but capital
errors. Therefore IL was that, having
declared that the Empire wHs peace, no
waged war for tho sake of others. He
fanc'ed himself still believer In tho
the strength Of the Latin races when no
wished tO have an Emperor crowned
in Mexico. He did not perceive. so
blind was he, that while he strovo to
govern the world he sacrificed France.
That everlasting dreamer, who did not
even awake at Sedan. was sort of
ice-bound hell, paved with good intcn-
tiOns. He partook of De Snint-Piorre' 3
longings for perpetual peace He
| gathered Inspirations from all tho re-
formers who planned tho happiness of
| nations. He retained In his soul tho
generosity Of Queen Hortenso and of
Josephine, his mother and grandmother.
He never refused aught except TO him
| self That man who had so many
enemies was not his enemies enemy.
Two days after tho coup d'etat he
thought of the amnesty. He read "Los
Chatiments" without falteriug I'm his
LII l.. a
TO enrich Lamartinc-an dream. He
forgave the acts of treachery Of those
| who surrounded him because he
made allowance for n proportion of evil
| while he wished that good should pre-
| vail. People spoke OF his leadon eye
and even of his stupidity, which was mt
one time legendary, but beneath a mask
Of impassivoness he concealed the fire
| that consumed him. He was hardly
over the man of action on guard at the
| gates of the Louvre as at the gates OF
| France IA has been said, he believed
in bis star, In the superior government
of things, as Bossuet puts H. That man
who loved adventures and feared moth
J ing bore not audacity on his face. AT
| first sight he was not thought capable
| Of filling an important part. He was
small, he walked badly, he did not
shine, nothing about him appeared en-.
dowed with life. neither his hair, noI
| his eyes, nor his mouth. Yet when
! speech or smile animated him you felt
that he was man. On horseback par
| ticularly he broke his bonds and nc
CURED some majesty. At table, too
he looked well for no was all bust
Whom he donncd his uniform he had
somewhat the air of conquoror Nc
one doubted his bravery. In that
strange life Of his one scarcely detect.
here and there his will, 80 much did he
wayer between yes and no Like 8
painter impressed with the idea Ot
grandeur and beauty. he asplrcd TO ev
crything But ho stopped short at the
sketch, not boing gifted as are the mas
tors Of the world Hence his person
ality, which he wished 10 be glorious
will rcmain in half-tint; history will only
| devote TO him pages wherein tn,
shadows will cover the light -HouSSaye