Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-28
THE FIRST NAPOLEON.
A Great Genius, but Hyprocritical
and Thoroughly Selfish.
From he .Nissonri Repnblican.

anu InOFOuSHiy s7CihSh'
From the Missouri RsDublic1H.
Walter Scott once remarked to his SON
in-law, Lockhart, that the world would
never get tired of speaking and writing
of two men-Napoleon the Great and Lord
Byron. The truth of this assertion is
shown by the constant publication OF
books discussing the lives OF the hero OF
Jena and of the writer of Childe Harold.
A very valuable contribution to this liter
allure is Capt. Bingham's latest publica-
ton entitled "a Selection from the Letters
and Dispatches of the First Napoleon"
London, Chapman's Hail. The author
has spent years in searching the French
archives for new sources of information
concerning the character OF the Emperor,
ana his diligence has been rewarded by
tn discovery of important material mere
tofore unpublished.
During tue second empire the French
government published The Correspon-
dence OF Napoleon L." in twenty-nine vol:
umes, carefully excluding, however, all
letters especially many of earlier date)
which might lead TO unfaVOrable judg-
ment of Bonaparte. The present repup-
lican government has every reason 10 take
a contrary course, and mas, therefore,
willingly permitted Bingham TO copy
| cret recesses of the archives.
What we find in these letters is not TO
the advantage Of Napoleon's fame, and
such revelations are made as TO the hypo-
critical and selfish element in the charac-
| ter Of this great man that no historian
can hereafter avoid considering Bing-
hams disclosures. They show that the
| adOred son of the revolution was at heart
a Corsican patriot and never loved
| tlo, hat Nod fol ynp n a
| from Italy. They further illustrate his
| gradual chan re from JacObin and friend
of Robespierre to a despOtic Emperor.
| and prove that he was often willing to
break his pledges and sacrifice his honor
for the qualification of his ambition. We
also see that good fortune accompanied
his career for many years, and JustIiled
him in believing in his ''siar." In ll99 ne
returned from Egypt safely, although
lnnumerable British cruiser where
on the alert to capture
prize so valuable. His successful
flight form Elba in 1915 is
another example. At MarengO he had
already lost nntil DesaiX and Kellerman
turned the tide in his favor. AT Eylau, In
1907, ne was saved by the unexpected ar
rival of Ney's army late in the evening.
His health was never impaired, and he
was always ready to share the severe
DTlNdDlOUS 10 WHICH his ldllulul
were subjected in Egypt, as well as in
Russia. But his star set at Waterloo and
his constitution received blow, the effects
of which he never overcome.
NapOleon's private life was by no means
so pure and stainless as some historical
writers have asserted. Two days after
marrying Josephine (1T96) he left for
Italy to take commend Of the army, and
the letters he thence addressed to his wife
are Just as significant of his indecency
as they are of his passionate emotions.
While writing them he flirted with
Nine. Martinetti, famous Italian
beauty.
In Egypt he was fascinated by Nine.
Foures, whose husband be removed, send
ing him to France with dispatches. But
Foures was captured on the road by the
English, his dispatches taken from him,
and he himself put ashore at Alexandria.
When he discovered what had happened
meanwhile, all the satisfaction he could
get was divorce from the Emperor's mis-
tress.
The side OF Napoleon's genius, however,
deserves unlimited admiration; his I'M
| swerving energy and his enormous capa-
| city for brainwork. Within one day he
would write long and important dis
| patches, as well as sketch numerous bat
| tie plans, and also attend to many lesser
| affairs requiring much time. such as the
management Of the imperial theatres,
the erection and furnishing OF palaces
and the settlement of many other matters.
| He once wrote letters and dispatches,
| during one day, sufficient to occupy
| twenty -four pages of small print. Tai
leyrand, the famous diplomat, once said
of him:
"He worked more than any other man,
nay, more than any four men have ever
known. His genus was incOmpreheDsi-
BILE. Nothing equaled his imagination,
his energy, his talents and his working
capacity"
''J'ai le diable au CORPS" the great En-
peror is said to have remarked to DavOust
| in Russia, an opinion which many of his
enemies certainly shared with him.