Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-27

: impenetrabls look, and perhaps also by An
: instructive dread or distaste, set him down
either for an imbecils or a secret DRINK
ard, an impression which spread fast and
far through the diplomatists of Europe
For weeks none of the "weIl-informed"
would admit that he could be a man of
even average capacity. Sir Richard. a
keen observer, who, though liable to dis
likes, weighed the great personAges of
France In q careful balance, shared for a
moment in his friends impression, but sf-
ter few minutes watchfulness decided
that they were wrong, that Louis Napo-
leon was himself the drug, and that every
one who came in contact with him was
bound to yield to its influence" So strong
was his impression that he evidently re-
GREETED in after-life his failure to warn his
political acqusintsnces; but at the time he
was restrained by the dread of ridicule.
Many years afterwards, when Napoleon
was firm upon his throne, minister after
minister, diplomatist after diplomatist, Af-
ter months, or 1t might be years, of inter
course with the new ruler of France, came
to Sir Richards opinion; and it was, we
believe, the true one.
Louis Napoleon was not only a very able
man in certain directions-he was no sd-
ministrator and bad judge of men-but
| he was TO q certain extent an original one.
with occasional flashes of insight; but he
had In q high degree q quality which In n
lower degree we believe to be common
among men of certain kinds Of ability.
but which Ia seldom either described or
discussed. His presence positively low
cred the intellectual force of those TO
whom he spoke, SO that they talked and
advised, and above all planned, with less |
capacity than they naturally possessed. |
That seems q strange thing 20 say, but ey- |
cry one who is at all observant will admit /
Its onverse-nsmely, that they know Of |
men and women whose presence In q room,
even IL they are comparatively silent, def
initely and perceptibly increases the intel
lectusl brightness of all who are congre-
gated there. The latter may hardly know
the porsessor of the influence. they may
not be interested In hip particular range OF /
subjects, but they feel that they are at
their best, and that II is somehow because
OF him, and this although they do not, IL
may be, attribute 20 him genius, or any
exceptional mental power. This force, for
IL amounts In some men TO a force in said
to have been Possessed TO an amazing er.
tent by the Marquis Wellesley; and the
writer has heard IL attributed, among men
more recently deceased. 20 Professor Pal.
msr, whom, however, he did not personal
ly know. IL IL, we believe, the secret Of
much success Ia life, and Of many promo
tons which seem insIplIoable 10 the out
side world, but which are defended by all
In personal contact with the promoted
man. including those whom he has super
seeded. As between individual and indI-
vidual. its strength IL frequently quite
amazing, and In commented ON In The con.
stant remark that So-And-s 80 10 nothing
unless Such a one Is by hi.
aide, So-and 10 being all the while much
the greater man. We do not believe. in
deed, that the fact will be denied, nor Is Il
usually wondered at. the usual explanA-
tion, personal sympathy, being accepted as
sufficient-it 10 not sufficient by any
means, but that is not onr subject just
now-and III this exhilarating influence !
exists. why not its Oppositel :
The opposite Is, however, rarely admit
ted frankly. except as regards the relation
Of individuals. The man Is lucky who has {
never had friend or kinsman whose pres v
snce he felt to be depressing, whom, though =
he might respect him, or like him, or use n
him, he felt 10 be the source of some in n
iuence which depressed his own energy or :
Seenness of perception, who was, In fact, '
Sir Richard Wallace's ''opiate" incarnAte =
n the flesh. A man of that kind, whose =
influence extends TO every one with whom n
he Is brought in contact, lie, of course, s
more seldom met with; bat we are con- =
vinced, as every intimate of Louis Napole-
IN was, that he exists, and TO explain him
. a most difficult intellectual problem. s
UDiveral fear will of course explain him,
and does explain him In Prince Bismarck's
sase, whose colleagues, when he was in 7
power, always seemed stupider in his pres
,nce; but these men do not always excite q
ear. Louis Napoleon frightened nobody, v
md was IN no degree overbearing The v
nan in ancient history who must have =,
'orne mentally the closest resemblance to
lin, Tfberius Caesar, scattered death a
sholesAie for inadequate reasons: but
Iouis Napoleon was essentially kindly TO c.
III but suspected assassinE, pardnned grave y
rrors with too much readiness, aud was "
q completely without his great uncle's liza
'ility to outburHts of ungPntlemRnly yio- ~ ~
nnce as he was without his fascination. "
lie had not even forbiiding manner, in
he sense that Sir Robert Peel had a for ~
Idding manner, nor In the long array Of ie
harges flung In memoirs at his head, can n
re remember one of want of pOliteness =
The dreary man, or rather, to coin a ne
essary word, the dreary flying man, is gen =
rally Polit~, and, indeed, were he not,
Fould In most men awaken. instead of re-
res@ing, intellectual power Anger mis-. ,
irects force. but does not make IL torpid;
nd IL IL torpifyinR influence which we are
iscusning now. To allege want Of "sym. |
athy ~ no explanation at all Nobody
( the gronp assembled round Sir Richard
Wallace was seeking sympathy from the
xpectant president, or complained in any
ray of Its absence, and, besides, ~ we
omprehend the memoirs which refer TO
i'm, Louis Napoleon was not entirely un-
but usually sought from his
the light b. did not get We
AXE 1t. want of sympathy was not Mr.
'arnella special defect, though ha must
ave had so much of Louis Napoleon's pc
ullsr quality. Extreme cunning. when
undoubtedly slightly supplies
hose who watch IL. becauss IL throws -
hem into the self defensive attitude which
= a momentary form of egotism; but Lou
. Napoleon was not more cunning than q
reat many men who did not exercise his r,
special influence. Cardinal M=zarin did n
ot stupefy people, or Louis XII. the em- =
odiment Of that quality. Nor Is extreme
elhshness any sufficient clue, for the
lost perfectly selfish human being dc
cribed In history. Louis XIV, is allowed
y enemies a. well as friends to have had
vivifying influence ON all who could ap-
roach him close. We do not believe, in
act, that any explanation meets the facts,
r that any is necessary, except the plain
ne, that there are men wht sc minds, 20
-