The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-02-02
HAP0LEON'S CHARACTER,
ussoszhod ~ This Writer as Be-
tna 6omowhAt shifty.
80 Eapssos wsaid Change Ma Point OF
y vssw IN IN InstAnt III an Unfore-
seen Chance Was to Be Inn
proved

Prof. william M. Sloane gives an In
teresting analysis of the youthful ma
ture of Napoleon in Century. The
period under consideration Is that inn
Ihediately following Napoleon's flight
from Corsica, when he had renowned
his firm allegiance TO Paoli in tho be-
lief that II would improve his own
chance for preferment. Prof. Sloane
snys.
Not that the outcast Buonaparte was
any longer exclusively Corsican- IL
u impossible TO conceive OF lot more
pdtfful or fate more obdurate than
bis had 90 far been. There was little
hereditary morality In his nature, and
pone had been inculcated by training;
he had no vital piety, nor even sim
gcre superstition. A butt and an out
cast at n French school under the old
regime, he had imbibed a bitter hatred
for the land indelibly associated with
such naughty privileges for the rich
and such contemptuous disdain for the
poor. He had not even the consolation
Of having received an education. His
nature revolted at the religious formal
Ism Of priestcraft; his mind turned In
disgust from the scholastic huslxs of its
superficial knowledge. What he lad
learned came from Unborn capacity,
from desultory reading, and from the
sntutored imaginings of his garden at
Hrienne, his cave at Ajsccio, or his bar
rock chambers. What more plausible
than that he should first turn 70 tho
land of his birth with some hope Of
happiness, usefulness, or even gloryi
What moro Notifying than the stupc-
tying revelation that In manhood hs
was too French for Corsica, rs he has
been In boyhood too Corsican for
rrsncel
The story Of his reception and adven-
lures In Corsica has no fascination; 10 In
neithey heroic nor satanic, but belongs
TO tho dull and mediocre realism which
makes mp % much of commonplace life.
II In difficult 10 find even q thread of
continuity In iti there may DO one IA TO
Ysrpose; there Is mono as 10 either con-
Duct or theory. There Is the passionate
sdmiration Of n southern nature for a
hero as represented by the ideal Paoli.
There In the equally southern quality
Of quick but transient hatred. The love
of dramatic effect Is shown at every
turn, In the perfervid style Of his writ
ings, In the mock dignity OF an edict
issued from the grotto Mt Milelli, In the
empty honors OF a lieutenant colonel
without real command, in the paltry
style of an artillery inspector with no
artillery but a few dismantled guns.
But the most prominent characteristic
OF the young man was his stiffness, in
both the good and bad senses OF the
word. He would perish with mortifica-
tion rather than fail in dcvising some
cxpedient TO meet every emergency; he
felt no hesitation in changing his point
of view as experience destroyed an idea
or an unforeseen chance was TO be seized
and improved.
He was no spendthrift, but he had
scruples about money. lie was proud
in the headship Of his family, and reck-
less as TO how he should support them,
or should secure their promotion. Sol
itary in his boyhood, he had become In
youth companion and leader; but his
true friendships were not with his SO
cial equals, whom he despised, but with
the lowly, whom he understood. FL
nnlly, he was citizen OF the world, a
man without country, his birthright
was gone, for Corsica repealed him;
France he hated, for che had never
adopted him. lie was likewise with
out profession, for he had neglected
that of soldier, and had failed both
as an author and as n politician. He
was apparently, stoo, without single
guiding principle; the world had been
a harsh stepmother, at whose knee he
had neither. learned the truth nor
experienced kindness. He appears
consistent In nothing but making
the best OF events as they oc.
Cured. So far he was man
neither much better nor much worse
than the world in which he was born.
He was quite as unscrupulous as those
about him, but he was far greater than
they in pcrspicacity, adroitness, adapt
ability and persistence. During the
period before his expulsion from Cor
sica these qualities OF leadership were
scarcely recognizable, but they exist.
ed. As yet, 20 all outward appear
ance, the little captain of artillery
was the same slim, ill-proportioncd and
rather insignificant youth; but al
twenty-four he had had the experience
of much greater age. Unconscious
of his powers, he had dreamed many
day-drcams, and had acquired n habit
Of boastful conversation In the family
circle, but fully cognizant OF the dan
gers incident To his place, and the un
settled conditions about him, he wa
cautious and reserved In the outside
world.
This IL n snake story.