The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-09-01
Lord WolseleY on NapoIeon's Downfall.

The August number of the Revue de
Paris contains the closing chapter of
Lord Wolselev's "Decllne and Fall Of
Napoleon" 1t ia entitled "Water-
loo," and gives an analysis of the
causes which influenced the closing
act in Napoleon's military career.
Lord Wolseley writes "The military
critic who minutely examines the
measures taken by Napoleon during
this campaign discovers so many de-
fects that he is unable to explain them
except by the mysterious return Of
i'll health. That malsdy from which
he had suffered more or less fiji con-
siderable time, and which had been
the cause of so many Of his disasters
in Russia and at the battle Of Dresden,
now attacked him more fr quently
and more violently. When in its
grippe he was incapable Of any effective
effort, either mental or physical. He
had great difficulty IN keeping awake.
and his drawn features and detected
expressi on were indicative at once of
bodily suffering and intellectual pros
tra:ion. His strength, which was no
longer that of fen years before, had
been seriously tried by fifteen hours
OF work and worry undergone every
day during his stay-fnll of anxiety
in Paris. Bnt. once free from the raw
ages of this malady. his fine intelli-
gence was as clear. his fertility of re-
source as marvellous. his genius as
brilliant and his ideas as great as
ever. Seated in his cabinet, he was
able. as before, to form plans and
combinations with an almost intalli-
Bile Judgment. and an unerring eve
for everything that was necessary for
success. He was always able to mas
ter the situation with all his old per
s?icacity." The pain of Napoleon's
recent reverses, however, had not only
seriously affected his health, but had
robbed him Of that confidence in him
self which, in Lord Wolseley's OPT
MON, is 80 essential to continued sue.
cess in war. He was no longer the
''little man Of Rivoli," spare, thin and
active. His puffed- up face. his swol-
len chest, and his fat, round limbs in
dicated a man utterly uEfitted for
hard work on horseback. His heavy
body was now beyond his control,
and he suffered overpowering somno-
lence. H was already old for his AZ
years, and after having been the most
independent, confident and absolute
Of leaders, he had fallen into the loqu q
acity of the dodard, and now asked
advice to those whom lie was accus-
toned to command. Towards the
close Of the chapter Lord Wolseley
says : 81 have dwelt upon Napoleon's
state of health in this last act of his
career because the more / study the
plan of his campaign Of 1915, 30 mag
nifcently conceived as it was, the
more am convinced that the crush
ing defeat which closed it was prima
rily the result of a physical malady,
which weakened his mental powers at
that supreme moment when an instant
and energetic decision was indispen-
saEle to success. Had he been able to
bring TO bear the moral and physical
energy Of the first period Of his career
upon the vast plan which he had con-
ceived for the aEnihilation Of yelling
ton and Blucher in Belgium, and if we
may judge Of what these generals
would have done by what they did
do. | believe that the prudent En-
glishman would at least have been
obliged to beat hasty retreat in or
der to re-embark at Ostend, while the
impetuous Prusslah-nearly destroy
ed, as he was, at Liguy-would have
been too glad to place the Rhine be
tween the remnants of his beaten
army and the conqueror of jena"