The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-10-04

democracy, with no other, mission than TO
cleanse the atmosphere of political heresy
that demonstrated itself in the revolution
of France, that fed the guilotine with the
foulest and best blood of the commune
and the empire! Napoleon's instructive
impulses were neither democratic nor
aristocratic, because by birth and early
training he was neither plebian nor a
patrician, but when, by his military genius
and his splendid decision and unerring
prophetic ken he shattered the forms
that guarded the insignia of aristocracy,
he at once manifested the egOtism of
aristocrscy by not caring, or rather being
too proud, like the gardeners son, of
knowing whence he came. The moment
he leaped across the great gulf that di-
vided the mean and the humble from the
proud and the naughty he planted
his iron heel on the necks of kings and
queens with an ambition not only to mas
ter men, but to rule absolutely the rulers
of men.
Democracy is without selfishness. Such
an Ingredient would destroy its vitality.
If that genius had marshaled to its aid
and counsels the philanthropy of democ-
racy his career would never nave ended so
miserably on the bleak prison rock of st.
Helena, but his race and times would have
been advanced century in single de-
cade by his magic power, but he was COM
PEELED, by the lack of virtue, to call to his
aid every vice of his age, and these vices
came trooping to the voice that they
knew so well was the voice of the master
of each and all of their combined arts.
III
did not scruple to steal, he had
no compunctiuns of conscience when
he abandoned to disgrace, povety and
obscurity his best friends, the too willing
tools that he used in building the scat
folding to the temporary structure of mis-
greatness. His best friend he permitted
to be driven from Paris in bankruptcy
becase his manners were too democratic
for the formalities of his imperial court
He admitted that he had never loved any
one, except, perpaps his brother Joseph
and that he attributed more to Joseph
being hisI elder brother, and the habit OF
his childhood. He ruthlessly abandoned
the wife of his bosom to unite his name
and lineage with the Ease of the Roman
CAESARS. He regarded men as useful to
storm bridge or join forlorn hope to
turn the tide of battle. His country
France, was to bin mere ideal or negni
! ticent monument upon which to unite the
deeds and glory of his imagination
He worshipped only the affairs that burned
incense to his name; no other deity re-
ceived his reverence. Iu mis- egotism he
would have shattered, melted and re-
moulded the world as an enduring monu
ment to the fame and name of Napoleon
BOnapGrtP.
No one will deny that he was great
soldier and profound statesman, but
without philanthropy, sympathy or pity,
and with no restraints but policy, he was
not, nor could he have been, of any good
or a vantage to his country or to the
world. All his construction was temporary,
because it soon became necessary to de-
story. There were epochs IN his career,
when he might have made France the FREE
republic and happy independent people
that America and Americans are now, bui
that did not fill the measure or standard
of his yaultipg ambition, and, with all
his genius ard power unlimited,
he left France broken and wounded on
the battlefield of empires, prey to the
rapacity and vengeance of the enemies he
had made for her. He left her stripped
of everything, social order or political
organization, her people deprived of
verybcomfort in their homes, and every
dOorknob draped with mourning for the
youth whose white face looked up in
eternal silence to the stars on the memor-
able night that ended the career of that
mighty somambulist of a banished
dream"
Greatness consists in qualities of man
hood differing from manhood generally.
Napoleon differed from every man of his
age and time, end it would not be an
exaggeration to say from every mon of
every age, of every country and of all
time. Greatness perverted to Feltish ends
Is "a blight, a blast, a mlidew, a
curse" but greatness softened
by phianthrophy and governed by mo-
rality is the greatest blessing to any coun-
try or to any age.
1t has become too much the habit of
pronouncing enconiums upon Benaparte.
In doing SO false standard of excellence
is held up so the youth of the country and
perverted ideas are entertained prejudicial
to genuine and solid advancement in civil
lization and refinement. Great men are
given to us either to illustrate a great
good or to warn against great evil. Let
us, therefore, discriminate in order that
we may take advantage of any good ex-
ample and avoid the vices of every bad
example of mankind. j. H. B. MILLER.
The Oldest Nurse in Georgia.
Mrs. s. E. Kennedy. ore of the Oldest
and best known nurses in Georgia, states
thgt in oil ber avparieDoa with hOwel