New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-05
MFrTERNIcH AND NAPOLEON
4 MIGHTY DUEL.
LIFE OF PRINCE MRTIERNIcH. By Colonel G; p |
3fzlieson c. s. J. i6mo,.pp. 200 Phnauoipma'


Colonel Mallesons life OF Metternich is striking
and in some ways an admirable sketch, but II Is
narrcd by q patent dislike 20 It's subject which TOO
q freouenf7v jmpels the biographer to what closely
resembles partisan support Of Napoleon. Met
teypish was. no doubt. the most formidable enemy
The Corsican had TO encounter. and the conflict
between thesc two men approached the character
Of = duel 40 much personal feeling was mixed in 1t
Rat ,yhIIe the continental system which the
Austrian statesman devised, established, and main
tanned Cor something more than the space OF q
reneration. was not less inimical TO popular free
dom than the despotic miiitarism Of Napoleon, the
methods Of tho two rulers afford little or no room
for preference on the ground Of ethics. and TO
represent Napoleon as tho victim Of Metternch is TO
convey q decidedly misleading impression IL is
indeed true that the frigid temperament or
Metternich, and his aristocratic haughtsness, re-
moved him SO far from common sympathy as to
dyest his person of all that kind Of attractveness
which for want OF better term is called mag
netisn. Els cold. selfish. unfeelinG imperturbable
character repeIled and must always repel those
who study it But il is extremely doubtful II Ma
pclcon possessed more human feeling than his OPP
noreft and quite certain thar so far as morals
are concerned. he was no whit superior TO the
diplomatist Each did his best TO oyerreach and
deceive the other Napoleon. Colonel Madison
Rage bred in him delusivs confidence in the
friendship Of the HapsburRs for his dynasty; and
& Colonel Madison appears to think that there is
something almost pathetic in the way Napoleon
chung TO this fallscy and allowed his astute foe
TO employ Ii for his entanglemen1
That Napoleon did count unduly upon his alt
nnce with Marie Louise of Austria to keep her
father faithful to his fortunes is obvious enough;
but that sentiments Of any kind had to do with
this defect of judgment is much less credible
The fact is that Napoleon was influenced by his
piebeian breeding in this case. He did not really
know the usage of the old reigning houses OF
Europe. Had he studied history, he must have
perceived that matrimonial alliances made in
furtherance of policy had always been liable 70
rupture when confronted by another policy, and
3 thai personal feeling, or the kind OF family
solidarity which is the rule among the bourgeois,
did not exist ct all in the social sphere OF the Haps-
burgs Tho probability is that the latter hated
him more heartily than ever after he had married
a daughter of their house, and it is certain that
Francis was at no time reconoiled to an enduring
alliance with the French Empire. Napoleon was
the last man to trust anything 70 friendship.
morc thorough cynic than he never lived, or
moro suspicious ruler He held that self-interest
was the dominant human motive, and he en-
6eayored TO guide himself by that principle.
Apart from his deluSon as TO the effect OF his
Austrian marriage upon the external policy OF
his father-in-law, however, he was clearly moved
by the belief that the latter would recognize his
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8 termcn presious " M $3.50 -
plos 49, a. I.tte- a ius,lv
~ cha versions Of Napoleonic interviews
81 3 ~ "a, ,x...s.;a, v,..noi,r vh,oh he holds
- =. a.. c.. ,lace boldly sarbled by their
,.s,..r .ra - holdlv ea,ted nv other hands be-
{ CO. rnh J;a
Ts;ss statszna,,t "a ,os made haphazardly, but
: a sunnorfea by substantial proof that in specific
,nstances Mefteynish rewrote his "reminiscences
r,anv wears after tho events recorded altering
them to suit subsequent occurrences, and especially
ecloring them With d view to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Of his own reputation Nevertheless, IL must be
believed that Metternich tells the truth when be
eays that he made Q patient, thorough study OF
Napoleon during bis occupation Of the Austrian
Embassy at Paris, and that he used tho knowl-
edge SO acquired in later years when ne was ppeed
against the great soldier One great advantage
be possessed over Napoleon-he always haa COM
plete control OF himself: hapopon, on tne CON
trsry was napie 70 eApiosions u psssiOn' uu,itS
which ne often ssia tnlngs winch 70 waOorisi
ears, revealed wnae no WoeA nave ooioo"e1
Metternieh was Inc lhcafnaVlon VI in'el.eo'' an
biassed py personal icslns "a any Kino DuS ..aS
cold deadly nate Wnlcn snnans ~ anu sa,oe
az nus mensal powsls Wy nc nsu -. :.
70 ole'ely anu We T. 80 81. ,os,, ,'.ro
no. prso,s p,r .ss,.a.s ,n, t,s.s we've aso
-. :, ao,tost o,,a ,sss,,S,soc f.fveen
.h..'
'nsa'
The dnci IN whicn .ney Wcec plinclpas e y s.e
OF tho most remarkable scenes Ia mooerh ms
tory. To illustrates most strikingiy the manner
in which the desunies OF Europe nave Deen' even
in recent times controlled py group Oh men,
mostly Of less than average capacity, ana now
the wills and needs and desires ana interests OF
the masses have been OVERCOME, ignored, bamed
ard neglected in order that the selfish schemes