New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

Butter. IOmO, PIP. %iO. Mdttiiiui ~ W.
The story of Sir Charles Napier's life by Sir
William Butler is a curious and particularly in
teresting SKETCH and it owes its interest at least
as much to what most critics would term its
faults as to its undeniable merits. The question
how to write the biography of such man as
Napier is o crucial one, and if raised would IN
evitably bring forward great many Important
considerations not be discussed within the Inn
its Of review But it is absolutely necessary 10
point out that his own originality and uncon-
ventionahty rendered it impossible for any aver
age and conventional man to appreciate or TO COM
prehend him; and that while there can be no
doubt of Sir William Buffers enthusiastic SYM
patty with his subject, the warmth OF that feel
ing precludes him from impartial Judgment IN
many respects Charles Napier was from the
first a very odd character. He was born in
famous family of fighters. His father was dis
tinguished officer, and three brothers made names
for themselves in the field, one of them becoming
the historian of the Peninsular War. Sir Charles
was that kind of black swan in his time studous
young soldier. 1t was period in which anything
like scientific preparation for the pursuit of war
was almost unknown in Europe when English ofii-
GERS drawn wholly from the aristocratc class. were
pleasure-seeking, registering blades such as Lever
has described in his sO-caled military novels
Young Napier, however, was poor and studious
He devoted his mind to his profession, and after
he had seen some service in the Peninsula, he
took advantage of leisure space to enter him
self at the Sandhurst military college, and to
take years systematic training.
He fought under Wellington in Portugal, and
was was once taken prisoner and again severely
wounded. On returning home he spent some time
at Bermuda, and took small part in the war be-
tween England and this country in 1912. After
that there was general reduction of Continental
armies, and the eager soldier found himself lad
on the shelf His character all through life put
him at great disadvantage in profession the
rewards of which then went much more by favor
than merit. Charles Napier could not be oppor-
tunist, time-server, and, least of all, natterer'
He was in truth intensely independent, held strons
opinions upon most subjects, was unaole 10 DrooK
fraud or chicanery or meanness of any kind, and
had habit of saying what he Thoughts haolt
by no means calculated to please his superlois.
In after life it was said in excuse of the Govern
ment that Systematically neglected him, that he
was an insubordinate officer; that nothing less
than supreme command ever suited him. that ne
did not know how to obey, and much more OF the
same order. In truth he had the faculties OF a
areat commander, and when he was given free
hand always showed that he was eminently lifted
for posts of authority 1t was very hard for him
or mischievous orders however, and quite lmpos-
sible for him to connive at wrong When, after
long inaction he was made Commissioner OF
Ccphalonia and set to bring order out of chaos
in that brcand-infested province, he accomplished
things which perhaps no other man In Europe
could have performed, and while restoring peace
and prosperity he made himself the idol OF the
PEOPLE, who reverence his memory to this day.
At length, however, he fell out with Phllstine
who was his official superior, and whose Jobbery
Napier interfered with, and he was recalled ana
again thrust into idleness where be lansuished
for years, eating out his heart Then, during the
Chartist agitation, when the North OF England
especially seemed on the brink of rebellion, the
Government thought of his Cepbalonia eXpioltS
md gave him the command of the Northern Dis
trict. The Office difficult for any one, out
peculiarly so for Napier, inasmuch as he sympa-
thized strongly with the dscontented operatives
xIiv piua WAC, briof, identical with that which
Abercrombie had desired to follow in Ireland.
He would not try to irrate or drive the Chartists
Nothing but overt acts of violence should pro-
woke military action. He contrived to make his
GOODWILL known, and at the same time he did not
conceal his determination to preserve law and
order at all costs He managed so well altogether
that the crisis passed without serious trouble.
His reputation was now established, and it was
natural that the East India Company should seek
his aid In the Scinde War. He was one of those
men who are always called in to cure mschiefs
which the folly, greed and incapacity of Others
have caused. 1t so in this case. The Scindc
War was direct legacy from the Inflated Afghan
istan campaign. The annexation of Scinde grew
out of it. Here Napier played his part chiefly
as a soldier, at least until resistance ceased His
main feat in this period was fighting the Battle
of Meanee, one of the most desperate and pro-
tracted struggles that ever took place in India.
With $500 men Sir Charles Napier fought so, 600
native troops for four hours in a hand-tO-hand
struggle himself leading charges repeatedly and
remaining from first to last in the forefront of
the battle. He was personally defenceess for
he had injured his right hand the day before. and
could not hold his sword. But his men, who
fairly worshipped him, took charge of his safety
all through the long fight, turning aside sword
thrusts bayonetting troopers about to fire at him
and guarding his life with jealous care. At the
close of the battle, when the little band of Eng
lish troops had at length broken and routed the
great mass of the enemy, the victorious soldiers
gave their general three hearty cheers: and he
often declared that those cheers pleased him more
than any honor bestowed upon him during the
whole Of his career.
After conquerng Scinde, the administration Of
the province conferred Napier, and here
again he showed signal capacity. But it was i'm
possible for him to remain silent in the presence
of abuses, and his comments and criticisms upon
the action of the company's civil servants, and
upon the policy of the company itself toward the
natives, inevitably embroiied him with the
thorities and made enemies who pursued him
thenceforward with unrelenting bitterness 1t is
n interesting fact that Sir Charles at the time
gave clear warning of the trouble which was to
break out in 1857, and recommended reforms
which were unhappiy rejected. He returned
home in ill-favor with the India House, but he
had his revenge in 1s40 when the outbreak of
the Sikh caused such CONSERVATION that
general demand arose in England for strong
at the head of Indian military affairs, and public
opinion centred upon Sir Charles Napier
the right and only man for the place that the
onmnany. mt under Irresistible nreSSlre by the