Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-26

through tne OatlVe 1Sllnu! Inc patIlO6
Paoli resides in English exile; perhaps
he may return to Corsica, and we as his
lieutenant-in-chief may yet lead the pa
triots to Independence and glory. To
sum up all, Napoleon at this stage was
whiried along by the coming storm; but
he cautiously kept his bearings, became
practical rather than theoretical, and
impatiently awaited the opportunity to
become great
Lieutenant Boraparto remained with
his regiment at Auxonne until the 18th
of September, 1890. The Revolution had
now been in progress year and four
months. The movement had become
more and more portcntous at every STEP
The ruined Bastile was already hate
ful, but glorious, "Reminiscences. At this
time Corsica was represented in the Ma
tional Assembly by two moderate pa
triots, named Salicetti and Colona. The
royal delegate from the island was that
Buttafuoco whom Choiseul had used in
establishing the French prctectorate in
Corsica.
The people of the island were divided
into several hostile factions. First of
in number. composed of the petty Cor
sican mobiles and the higher ecclesiastics
These virtually constituted the insular
government. Secondly, there was a
moderate party favorable to liberalism,
but supporting the French protectorate
In tho third place. there was a powerful
| revolutionary party, favoring absolute
independence, and seeking by the recall
Of Paoli to overthrow all foreign author
ity. This condition Of affairs, as well as
the deplorable state of his family, in
duced Napoleon to obtain another leave
of absence, and to return to his native
country.
On his way homeward, he stopped at
AK; and there he found his brother
Lucien. That obstinate parsonage had
Withdrawn from the military academy
at Brienne, but had failed to secure adj
mission to the theological school at AK
There he was in poverty and hopeless
ness, when Napoleon came and conduct
ed him back to Ajaccio The latter, at
Marseilles, visited the Able Raynal;
but there is no record Of what occurred.
Once at home, the young French officer
was recognized as man of Importance;
for he was tie only Frenchman in the
island possessing a thorough military
education.
The project was now ON for the or
ganiZation of tho Corsican militia; and
Napoleon was necessary for success.
he entered into the revolutionary in
trigues Of tho day, moving obscurely
or.1 y lar
leaders, wholly distrusted by the few
aristocrats, and identified with the mod
crate liberals only at the risk of his conf
mission as an officer in the French
army. That army was still the Kings
army; but the officers were nearly all,
like Napoleon, infected with revolution.
airy sentiments to the extent that almost
every sword might be said to have Re-
publique dimly etched on the blade.
The history of this period at Corsica
is small, treacherous, chaotic. From
September of 1890 to the 1st of June,
1871, Napoleon remained in the island,
committing himself more and more but
ever cautiously to the motions of up
heaval. Had it not been for the univer-
sal dissolution he must at once have suf-
fered arrest and dismissal from the
army. From the middle of October un-
| til the following February. he overstaid
| his leave of absence, working all win
ter at the various intrigues which were
| rife among his turbulent countrymen.
He then devised q plausible excuse
| which was accepted at headquarters,
! and the merit deg procured another ex-
tension of his leave! Nor did he cease to
| flourish among the agitators of Ajaccio
until his departure to rejoin his COM
| mand in May of 1891.
Such had been the shifting connection
| of Lieutenant Bonaparte with the Iron
Regiment that he was almost an unrec-
| ognized force in his own division of the
| army. His absences from the command
had far exceeded in duration his pres
| ence with it. On returning to France,
| he was assigned to the Fourth Regiment
| of artillery, stationed ct Valence. His
irregularities as an officer had not SO far
prevailed over the.opinion of his great
| abilities and solid requirements as to
| prevent his promotion at this time to
the rank Of lieutenant en- premier.
On the political side. Napoleon was
| now drawn with great force towards the
Revolutionary party in France. Perhaps
the notion dawIed in him that with the
success of the Revolution and the re-
building of the nation on a new repub-
| lican basis, Corsica herself, by like re-
| volt and renovation, might Join in the
common movement to greater advantage
than could be gained by naked rebel
| lion. This sentiment was famed by q
proposition made at this time in the
Assembly to enlarge the titles of the
king of the French" by adding the
names of the Navarrese and Corsicans
formally to the list Of his subjects. All
such intermediary projects came to
naught with the onrushing of the Revo-
luton. They were soon swallowed Up
with the King himself and all kingly
things in the deep hell-throat that OPEN
ed.
But ever and anon the Corsica trend
was strong on Lieutenant Bonaparte.
Hardly had he got his place in the
-