New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-04

4 LUCID AND IMPARTIAL STUDY.

NAPOLEON. WARRIOR AND RI LER. ana the M,u.
tarv supremacy Of Revolutionary ftance. NV
william OConnor Morris Emo PIP 49, t.
T. Pninam's IONS. Ncw-lork and London
As Napoleon was the victim Of cxtravagnnt
aduation AMI mcrril,'ss dctractlon. a Tlphcf
= the new and scientific school naturally takes
the middl. course and trains himself in moder;l-
ton Of view and IN the Of temperate IAN
ruagc This work is IN excellent sample oil inc
kiud OF writing which tie conservative schol'i
ship of the times requires in order To ADJUST
i,s conccptions of the great men of tle past to
! tlc conditions OF their environment ana 10 the
law, Of historic prospective. The author neither
burns incense in h.ro-worship nor repeats the
invcctive of iutol"iant and pas-ionat" critics.
Ile Ia. made a thorough study of the literature
of III. subject. French German and English AMI
LA, written biography AZ once lucld III
,tylc animated in narrative AMI just and I'M
partiil in lis estimate of Character There
IL. rerhapS no other life Of Napoleon equally
free from PARTISAN bias and bgotry.
The authors estimate of the greatest military
genius and most powerful ruler the world has
ever hrown disclo-cs fin" analytical powers. he
cnumoratcr these ~ among Napolcons chri IN
! tclleethal gifts: An imagination OF WONDERFUL
/ force: power Of calculation that "mbrac"i
everything. and Yet eraspcd IN" smallest de-
! tails; the mister faculty OF always pcrrelvihS
! fine dominant fact IN what WAS bcfor" him, oil
! .ccarotinc from il what was subordinate, and
If sccnc how il could bc turrcd 20 account :
and admirable celebrity and kecnncss Of thought
! The moral faculties are accounted not loss re-
markable: Ambition that nothing seemed 70
satisfy: sclf-conndencc that received no check
from experience; an energy that never tlrcd'
dcvouring passion 20 achieve greatness ana 10 ~
mighty deeds: decision and rmness deNtcrity IN
difficult crises and the power of concealing de-
! SIGNS and PURPOSES: profound contempt for
| the great mss of ordinary men, a belief thar
IN. world is ruled by force and conviction that
genius can accomplish anything. TO these guam
tlcs were added unbcnLng pride; incAorab" rcso
! luton in comprising ends, with littl" scruples
a. regards means; and yet with all this d
deep scrsc of the divine. temper kindly, II
sometimes vchcncl.t generosity lvish almost
| TO excess: "A strong attachment tn the ties o.
| family md a disposition that shranS from cru
cltv yct seemed indifferent 10 human snii"flh-
when ambition WAS striving Ia gain lis Objects
Napolcon's military campaigns are d'Srrp''
with luciditv and cpmprchensivcness, but lnNa
riablv with II Wow 10 illustrating his character
80 that the man of genius ana action may re-
veal himself in his works. While th" cons'ininat'
warrior is described a. unrivalle in I'll" orlsi
uaFty and brillancy of his military comolna
tions and resources, and especially IN the gcihn
of stratngcm for reaching the communications ah'
rear of an enemy, for manoenvring pet"r"'
divided armies and ior attacking ana o"atr''
them in detail, il is admitted that thcr
yeas a lack of balance in his eNfraol
binary faculties. Imagination frequently
oyeIc,mc his judgment prd" impairei III
common sens, self confidence degenerate
info arrogance; triumphs were followed by dis
o.,.rs So long AS Napoleon used with modcra
tion the great powers which he exercised he wa
successful as a general and "A ruler. When I'm
ooino,ion tempted him to re-establish the empr
Of Cha;Io,naanc. the balance Of his marvellon
talent, for war and government was lost II
bcc,m. thc uncontrolled dcspot OF France an
; fine bloodstaned conquercr Of Europe. marchin
70 inevitable ruin. Bnt. despite impcriccton'
or,ors and mislceds. Napoleon was one OF TN
.rc,tcst of men, and the good that was in hi
LARGELY exceeded III" evil
The author succeeds in forming Just cstmat
Of this extraordinary career by alhering closely
the logical order of development. Napoleon dc
famc,. attaining their common measure from I'll
closinc years of the first Empire, apply it to h
vouth and carly manhood. and condemn him froi
first to last ~ "A monster of scllshncss. pcrvcrte
,u,hitiou and arrogance. But that is falls" an
, uncr;tic,I method Al least onc-half OF Napoleon
, c,rccr was without b'rmish Few soldiers wei
- eyer tcmptrd ~ he was; revolutionary Franc
. .vL,us,cd bv the Rel IN of Terror mlnisfclcd
hi. ambition: and If he made war on lar2, sea
, rho Continent was ever plotting against him ii
corccr illustrates the evolution of genius, whic
) ,xonld have been eminent whenever and whercv'
II Ina might have been born. but which was d.