The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-24
BoSApARTE.
Napoleon the First "A De- perate Adventur-
er, Who Played FOR Enpire With
Loaded Dice.

Loaded Dice.
have lust come from one of my
visits TO tho tomb Of Napoleon. writes
Henry Wauerson TO the Cogrter-fossr-
nal. Il is altogether the most beaGti-
fnl. and At the same time the most iD-
posing sepulcher in the world The
sareophagus. OF the richest porphyry.
stands in a lowered crypt, or vestibule.
or basin, and, instead of looking up,
you look down upon il. The canopy.
erected in the Hotel dcs lnvalides 10
incaso this patriotic and martial
shrine, is magnificent, surprising any
thing OF the KIND known TO ancient or
modern times L is connected with the
great chapel of this home for the old
and disabled soldiers Of France. and
has within it lesser chapels and inches.
which contain other monuments and
tombs. tnat 10 the great Bonaparte oc-
cupying the ro,unda beneath the dome.
SubdUed light from mauy-colOred
stained-glass windows tittingly illumin-
aieS the place. ofigies in gold aud
marble decorate il. and. from \ massive
altar Of precious stones and metals.
death seems 10 smile upon life
To my mind Napoleon Bonaparte ex-
lists rs type Of al that is wicked and
monslrous in human nature and destiny;
an arch-dcnd. with frcnzicd gift OF
military ambition and genius; aud in
no sense worthy of such q temple. Ii
could find. indeed, no adequate reason
Tor being. except that 1t stands not
alone as \ monument 10 a famous war
rior. but also as symbol Of national
pride and glory, Illogical as it may
be. and unchristian. yet as long rs
might can force its way against right.
| suppose men and women will con-
tinuc TO fall down and worship mere
prowess-
Bonaparte was not a statesman and
he was not a patriot He WAS not even
n Fronchman. lie WIS = Vulgar for
eign advcnturcr, who had discovered n
new trick OF war; precisely rs 4 gambler
might discover new trick OF Cheating,
and, greatly favored by fortune. ho
PLAYED his marked cards successfully
until they were revealed 10 other ex-
perts and began 10 be played back
upon HIM. wueu down hc went, like
any other chalatan. Ho bad neither
the se!i-restraiuts Of = great eharactor
nor the sagacity Of = great intellect
That lie was. personally. coarse, vain
glorious bully aud egotist we have
abundant testimony for believing. and
none TO tho contrary; and, though he
has lain IN this gorgeous mausoleum
less than half = century. and. though
the land is fun of memorials which he
caused 10 be erected in his honor, no in
tuence of his can. be found which is not
distinctly curse lie founded neither
system nor dynasty. The code 10
which he attached his name was none
of his The one successor. bearing that
namc who followed him upon the
throne. was not ! B0naparte at al, but
notoriously the Legitimate son of a
Dutch admiral by HortcnSe, the daugh-
ter of Josephine, whose case in equity
was thus at last made good Even in
this direction, however. the line was
stopped. and there is about as much
likelihood Of the son of Pion Plon wear
ing the imperial purple as OF the statue
upon the Colomc Ecndome descending
from its elevation and taking the rcins
of power.
The Que titled race in France mcaner
| than the Bonapartcs the Orleans fam
iiy-are in an equally poor way of re-
covering their lost supremacy; SO that
whatever may have been the past OF
French history the future, under the
republic. begins TO wear tolcrably
hopeful aspect The only part of the
population who would. if they could.
restore mOnarchical government are the
| shop-keepcrs and the nymphs du pave
| OF Paris, with whom prosperity and de-
| bauchery are more or less Synonymous
/ terms. The mass and tho body of the
/ people are republicans.
! But, 10 return 90 the first Napoleon,
/ He came 10 Paris when old things were
/ passing AWAY, and where, amid the
universal shipwrcek, great opportunities
presented themselves TO uucalculating
! intrepidiiy. OF this the young Corsican
had abundance. Throughout his entire
career ho showed an astounding lack
| of reflection and forecast He was
| daring and self-conlideut. indcfatigable
and resoiuie, unprincipled and incon-
| sideratc. That he was n born soldier
there can be no doubt; and 10 the usual
| rctinue Of brilliant soldierly qualities.
| such ms decision and dash, magnetism
and enthusiasm. he united the genius Of
discoyercr. or an inventor. He had
| worked out Of his inner consciousness a
new theory in the science Of field opera
tions.
All that was wanting TO develop this
| was n command. The minister of war
had mistress OF who % he was tired
She was pretty and sprightly, and Ma
poleon fell in love with her. and, being
willing 10 marry her, got the army OF
Italy as her dover The highway 10
fortune was accordingly opened to him.
and by the application of his original
art of war victory after victory WAS
achieved; nc rose to the head Of affairs;
he captured the revolution; he erected
upon the ashes Of the old monarchy an
empire far cclipsing it iii glory, sending
the disSensi0ns of the national assembly
and the horrors Of the reign of terror 70
tho rear. and bringing 10 the front n
martial spirit which made the people
one again and bore down all before IL
Brprza cannon roared;
Frluco. with rcdoub ed might,
Felt Der hcurj swell.
And MI went well with the Bonapartes-
Al last. when peace had been won and
war had been made, Napoleon found
himself master Of the world He had
created new map Of Europe; he had
suppianied many dynasties with a
single family. Joseph was king in
Spain. Louis was king in Holland,
Jerome Yas king IN Westphalia. Q
sister was queen here, step-daughtel
queen there, and the principaliiies and
dukedoms were filed with the field
marshals and favorites Of the wonder
ful little man. All this before ne wal
out of his thirties Mark the sequel
Four short lines suffice to tell it:
Ho fought. and haif Inc world was his;
| lie died without rood his own.
r | And borrowed from his ent mirs
SIX foot II ground 10 BE upon.
And this. observe, not when he was ole
, | and infirm, and had lost his brain
power, his vital energy, and his grip
but in the prime Of his manhood Ye
there are those who still persist in think
: | inc that ho was "A great man.