New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
puE DOWNFALL OF NAPOLEON.

Perry. Win i-AV'' PIP "'''
Charles Scrbners sons.
THE volume of NJ de Saint-Amand's series, ap-
narentlv the last. though there is clearly room
for ono more on the Hundred Days. is devoted to
the stormy period which the decline OF
Nanoleon's star and which witnessed his abdlca-
tion and his final separation from his "lfe ana
child. neither of whom was he ever to see AGAIN.
NJ de Saint-Amand has been able to bring 10 the
Hight several hitherto unpublished documents
especially in connection with the Congress OF
Chatillon and the general tendency OF ms re-
searches and conclusions is to hcighten the III
terest of the events OF this period and to show
more clearly than ever how the infatuation ana
the vaingloriousness of Napoleon finally lsolaHh
him and rendered his overthrow inevitable. III
NAV indeed be seriously questioned whether any
course that he could have taken after II had once
become patent that the military resources OF
France were for the time exhausted would nave
changed the outcome The Allies had too many
wrongs TO avenge, and they had too much reason
TO fear the Man of Destiny. When he held them
in his iron grasp he had showed them little pity
II could not be expected that upon the revolution
of Fortunes wheel those now uppermost would
spare the vanquished accept from him any
terms compatible with the recovery OF MS
strength. Napoleon relied vainly upon hrs al
lance with the House of Austria TO secure Tor
him comparatively easy terms AT the maj hour
his union with Marie Louise proved an empar-
rassment rather than help; while his own orders.
which drove the Regent from Paris when inc
Allies appeared at its gates. destroyed perhaps the
last remaining hope in that quarter
The Emperor may be said to have performed
prodigies during the final campaign HIS great
mind seems to have worked throughout TINS ma
RAISING period at the full stretch of its powers
His presciencc. his military combinations, his grasp
of the situation, were marvellous. But there was
one obstacle to success which even he could not
overcome lie was fatally outnumbered, ana he
could not obtain time to secure renforcemen's
for his weak forces. The men he led, though more
than half of them were raw rccruitS-boys whose
bones had not vet hardened nor tleir muscles set
fought with the GOODNESS and perseverance of the
Old Guard They repeatedly met and worsted
Austrian Prussian and Russian corps double or
treble their own number. ThCy were no doubt
greatly helped by the prestige of Napolcons name,
which at any time was worth an army corps.
No commanders of eeniuS or distinction were
opposed TO them. Schwarzenbcrg and Bluchcr
were at best but second-rate captains, neither OF
them equal to an encounter with the best OF
Napolecn'S marshals, and Therefore quite lncapa-
bic of contending against the Emperor IN person.
But France had been drained of her best blood
and the nation was CRYING out for peace. Re-
cru;tinc had virtually ceased and the forces still
in the field, and which constituted in the ag-
gregate an army large enough to have turned the
scale could it have been brought together, were
so separated and scattered over the face Of the
continent as to render their employment ms
factor in resisting the invasion quite hopeless
Napoleon soon found that though he could still
win pitched battles her. and there, lie could not
~, he -, r,tcl
a position as might enable him TO make his own
terms The Congress of Chatillon was supposed
TO be assembled in order TO negotiate peace, but
from the first II was clear that such end could
he reached. Napoleon himself was the most stub
born hindrance to an arrangement. He refused
to listen to any proposition which diminished the
territorial possessions of France. OF course the
Allies were bound TO insist upon the surrender
of all the acquisitions made since the Revolution.
The Emperor, however. would not give up Bel
gium or Holland. He would not 90 back TO
the pre- Revolutionary condition. lie appears 10
have thought that by taking this attitude lie
would stimulate national resistance, but the time
for that had gone by. The French people were
tired of war Their love of glory had al length
been more than stated They were no longer
Jealous Of their honor careful as 10 the nature
of the terms made with the enemies who were
overrunning the soil The Official and military
classes, moreover, the civil ard army leaders.
were thoroughly in accord with the people on
this head. All who had risen through the Empire
were by this time thoroughly alarmed for the
future They saw by anticipation their prosperity
vanishing with the downfall of their master
They wished TO secure what they had gained.
and at almost any cost. Napoleon appears 10
have depended tCo much toward the last upon the
fidelity Of his officers and lieutenants The fact
that he had made all the Morshas what they
were was really OninOus one for the men
who had been thus raised from poverty TO ar1u-
ence from Impotence 10 power, were Likely -
value their present places more than the stability
of the DYNASTY and liable to make terms
with the Bourbons in order to secure themselves.
This is what actually happened when the crisis
arrived 1t did not then really signify much,
for the end had come. and nothing could have
prevented the catastrophe The entry Of the
Allies into Paris indicated that the curtain had
risen on the last scene of the fifth act. Thence
forward the collapse of the military resistance
was only question Of days. Napoleon enter
tanned visionary notions of attack on Paris
NJ this iuncturc, bat he could no longer carry
his Narslals with him. They refused to make
themselves responsible for what must happen ii
the iahting was taken into the streets OF Paris
In this they were certainly right, for Napoleon
desperate scheme could not have succeeded. and
it would have involved frightful expenditure OF
blood and treasure. The Congress Of Chatillon
being dissolved ineffcctively, the Allies had re-
verted to the original terms. There was no
possibility that they would now relax the rgol
of their conditions, for Napoleon could do no more
and was rapidly being so hcmmcd in that his only
course would bc surrender. lie had lost the op
portunity OF treating anything like terms OF
equality. lie beaten Enthusiastically, help
less, and fully in the power Of the Allies Alb
dcation was demanded. and not only for himself
but for his dynasty. II was a bitter pill. but
resistance was no longer possible. The proud man
after long hesitation and many futile refusals
L. met fl1nf fncfiii nh "a