Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-09
1oNB or NAPOLEON.
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ma E3,ior ofMs DfpatoA:
Il m just nom tho 'HotSl dee lnvalides."
who're I went 70 80 the tomb Of Napoleon
sndee ths splendid, gildsd dome Of this
Cd and venerable military hospital. When
you look down into the crypt upon his
immsnss marble sarccphagus. surrounded
b. the Russian and Austrian dags taken BY
him q Austerlits. with tho twelve colossal
oayytides, recalling twelve OF his most
celebrated victories. and take in al the
accessories that appeal to the imagination,
the scene becomes one which imprekses
tho mind very deeply. know OF nothing
that impresses 1t moro. OF itself II 70
etupendous fact that .you stand WITHIN 2
lev feet of the mortal remains OF him VINO
had given 20 him the noblest mind ever
that mind 70 conquer and destroy ins'eso
Of 70 build up and make happy.
All his surroundings are in direct Keep;
ING with tho theses OF Nspoleons poi,ticai
life. They are projecting OF himself into
his own future. II he had had the ordering
Of his surroundings in all to time come they
would have been such as these, only more
pompous and imposing If they could be 50;
What appeals to the Imagination would
have been their predominant characters
tic.
NAPOLEON was not o statesman In any
true sense of the word. Neither truth. the
love of Justice, nor the rule OF right ever
entered into his calculations when resolving
on his course. lie many times said, 0otn
in his pride of power and when ne was
laneuishing at st. Helena, Yes, men are
ruled BY their imaginstions." Upon this
theorom all his politics were built.
To dazzle, to keep mankind with sus-
pended breath, this was his notion OF the
world. What wonder Is there that when
wears of destructive wars and outrages OF
Justice on eli hands rudely awakened the
French people from their dream and
taught them that their King Log was
verifable King Stork, apathy should have
succeeded TO enthusiasm. hatred to love,
and inter indifference to whether the
Bourbons returned or whether chaos came
again. Nothing could be much worse tnan
the grinding tyranny to which nc Iorceo
them to submit.
WASHINGTON AND NAPOLEON.
With but O few years separating them
two men were then playing two OF the
most conspicuous parts that have ever
been played upon the worlds stage oy any
two individuals-George Washington and
NAPOLEON Bonaparte. The devout and JUS
tice-loving Washington was digging deep
the foundations of the government about
to be erected in absolute negation OF sell
and in enthusiastic love for and devotion
TO the common good His work is expand
ing and growing greater day by day. ~,
Napoleon Bonspsrte, IN infdel IN fai,n'
without regard for justice or truth, de-
stroyer of homes. pillager OF the weak, was
shedding oceans of blood to giorl.y MN
self that he might be talked OF forever.
The work of the one is nndying and
ever growing in magnitude. that OF the
other Is almost gone. Ialleyrand mas
graphically pointed out the Logical OUT
come of Napoleon in government. SPEAK
ing of France he says:
"She was peaceful, II Is true, under Napoleon.
but her tranquility she owed to the nrm hand
which oppressed all, ana threatened 10 crush q ~
that would have stirred: and that hand couiu
not, without danger, have released Its grasp even
for an instant. Moreover. how Is one to believo
that this tranquility could have survived MN,
whose energy has not too much 10 inalntain ~.
Master OF France by the right OF the strongest.
could not his generals after him pretend 70
possess her by the Same right? The example
given by him taught that cloverness or chanco
were sufficient TO secure power. HOW many
would not have wished 10 tempt fortune and run
the chances OF 80 brilliant prospect? France
would have had perhaps as many empefors as
armies; and destroyed by her own hands, enc
would have persisted In the commissions OF civil
Wars."-Memoirs. volume 2, page III.
IN SUPPORT OF HIS LKcTULE.
To those persons who did me the honor
TO attend nv lecture In April on Napoleon
Ropaperte there can be no occasion Tor me
to saw ANYTHING by way of making known
INV opinion of him. and what follows here
will be more in the way of supporting that
opinion than in declaringit. In my lecture,
after pointing out how entirely antipodal
are the writers OF his time-how they are
divided into senseless panegyrists or IN
reasoning detracters-I remarked that
amongst the few just critics OF the day
placed Madame do Remusat at the very
top. and quoted her views OF Napoleon,
whom she saw and talked intlma'ely WIN
every day for eight years. as more TO be re-
lied on than the views of any other writer
knew Of
A lady writing in the DISPATCH few
days thereafter over the signature Fran
caise" had this to say OF Madame de
Remusat:
Madame de Remusat was woman
scorned (by Napoleon, than whom GER
tain hrid place is said to have no greater
fury. Her memoirs, published with
political purpose by her son. violent he
publican, and IN opposition 10 Napoleon
I'LL, are not considered reliable"
IL would be hard to find in paragraph
of equal length as many errors. Let us
examine it.
ERRORS CITED IN DETAIL.
I. Her memoirs were not published BIZ
her SON. but by her grandson, verv dis
tinguished member of the French Senate.
2. They could not have been published
TO iniure the fortunes of Napoleon Ill, as
he died IN 1873 and they we're not published
until 1879.
3. The purpose which animated her
grandson in publishing them can have no
sort of bearing upon the question whether
the memoirs themselves are relaoie,
which is the important question. what
ever views and purposes her grandson may
have entertained in Publishing them 1T IA
absolutely certain Madame de Remusat
had no such purpose in view in composing
them. They were commenced in 1918 and
che died IN 1921. the year in which Napo-
leo~ died. She could not have had Napo-
Icon III. in view, and 1t is morally certain
that they were not written to iniure the
poss. bility of Napoleon /. again becoming
Emperor, as any one suggesting such a
possibility between 1918 and 1871 would
have been locked up in o mad-house.
4. Just what is meant by Madame de
Remusat being "a woman scorned by Ma
poleon" confess myself unable TO deter
mine. Blu. this / can say, that IN all the
hcentiousness of that dissolute period the
breath of calumny never attempted to
place one stain upon her spotless reputa-
tton.
MADAME DE RENUsAT's VIRTUES.
Madame De Remusat was lady-in-wait-
ing to Josephine from 1902 until after tho
divorce, and she remained constant to her
rs ady-in-waiting even after Napoleon had
thrown her OF. During ell that time Ma
poleon did her the particular honor TO
talk with her great deal, because, by rea-
son of her broad. magnificent intellect, he
found ready listener. capable OF follow
ing him and approaching what he said.
Giving an account of the relative positions
of the ladies Of tho consular court when 1t
was frs. formed, she naively SAYS:
an. do Remusat lived In a simple and kindly
fashion in the midst Of this warlko court. As
Tor me. was fortunate enough 70 hold my own
without offence. and put forward no pretension
distasteful 70 other women. Tho greater mum
her OF my companions were much handsomer
than I-eome Of them we're very beautiful--and
thew Were all supsrbly dressed. Ny face. which
had no beauty but that OF youth, and the ha-
bitusi simplicity Of my attire, satisfied them
mat In several ways they were superior to me-
aud Il soon seemed as II We had made tacit
compact that they should charm the eyes Of the
Yirsf Consul when We were IN his presence ana
that should endeavor as far A. lay In my
rover 10 interest his mind. As have already
satd IN 40 that one had only 10 be 4 Cood