Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-29

Is that has done this. Only three days
afterwards Napoleon is nominated gen.
erai If Brigade. He is now twenty four
years for months old. His appointment
is approximation little delay; and
on the 10th of February, 1894. he re-
ceives his commission.
After Toulon, the name of Bonaparte
was heard in Paris. The younger Robes
pierre informed the Convention that he
was of transcendent merit" The re-
port of Dugommier said, Among those
who distinguished themselves most and
who most aided me to rally the troops
and push them forward are citizens
Buona Parte lido you not know how to
spell him yet, Generally commanding
the artillery; also Arena and Cervoni,
acknowledgement" The success Of the
chef-de- Battalion in the siege and cap
ture, and the favorable report OF it pro-
duced a sensation in the National Con-
vention; but the impression on that
body and OH the public was as yet only
transient. At this epoch, when all quar-
tiers of France were shaken with COM
motions and local revolutions, the bril-
liant capture of a single fort and town
on the Mediterranean was not enough
to create permanent military fame.
The Convention contented itself with
making General Bonaparte Inspector"
of the coast-country, between the Rhone
and the Var. His duty was to maintain
order in that region, and to complete
the Revolution.
By the close of tho year, however,
the old spirit was virtually extinguished
in Southeastern France; and Napoleon
found little to satisfy his restless spirit.
His tours of inspection and duties con-
nected Herewith occupied his time I'M
til February of 1894, when he was re-
called to Paris. That city was now a
seethinS cauldron. The Reign of Terror
was at its acme. That period, unpar-
alleled in human annals, extended from
March of 1898, when the Revolutionary
tribunal was organized, to July 2Sth of
the following year, when Robespierre
and his colleagues were sent to the gull
lotine.
The Army of the North was created
and put under command of Generals
Jourdan, Leclerc, Vandamme, Bruno,
and Mortier. The Army of the Rhine
was commanded by Generals Pichegru,
Scherer and Berthier. The Army of the
West was organized with Marceau and
Kleber as commanders. The Army of
Italy was commanded by Dumerbion
and Massena; and to this General Bona
parte was assigned as chief of the artil-
lery and assistant i'll the preparation of
plans for the campaign. He was thus
occupied in Paris at the time when it
became the saying, La guillotine va
toujours-the guillotine goes alwaysi
1t was the duty of the Army of Italy
to occupy that country as vantage
ground against the coalitions that were
forming beyond the Rhine. The Italian
towns and States were wavering accord
ing to race and prejudice and interest
between utilization with the French Re-
public and tho protection" of Germa-
ny. By the sickness of Dumerbion, Gen
eral Massena came to the chief COM
mand of this division of the French Ma
tional forces. A campaign was under
taken in July of 1894, but the general
of artillery did not, for the present,
leave Paris. He was soon despatched,
the Convention to Genoa. He was to
protest to the Genoese authorities
| against the permission which seemed to
be extended to the coalition to occupy
neutral territory. 1t was delicate bust
ness; for the other officers did not un-
derstand the true nature of the instruc-
tions; and the delegates Salicetti and
| Albitte were themselves ignorant of
what was really intended.
The result was that Bonaparte was
| first misunderstood and then distrusted
in his negotiations with the Genoese
| government. He was openly directed to
| protest against the occupation of the
territory of Genoa by the enemies of
| France; but secretly he was authorized
to examine tho fortresses of the city
! and make notes on the general topogra-
! ply Of that region. While engaged in
this work, he was suddenly suspended
! from office, put under arrest, and de-
! clared suspected For the nonce, the
sword of Damocles was hung above him
by a single thread.
just at this juncture, however, ere
Napoleon could be hauled before the
Revolutionary tribunal, that body itself
was blown into death-blackness by q
counter revolution. Robespierre and his
bloody clique were seized, after a day
or two Of horrid broil in the city, and
were sent MANNED, dazed. jaw broken,
bone broken, headlong to the guillotine.
In that case, the other saying of the
hour, namely, ''the guillotine goes not
badly" was graciously verified!
The destruction of the tribunal had a
paradoxical effect on the interest of Ma
| poleon. 1t was from that body that his
secret instructions had emanated. There
fore his friends were dead; also, his
witnesses. But their plunge into OBJ
livion left behind a lurid trail that
scorched him. 1t was now said that Au-
gustin Robespierre had been too mucl,
the friend of General Bonaparte! Like
Caesar in the matter of his intrigue with
Catiline, the hero Of Toulon was seri-
ously compromised with the members
of the Terror. Left to his own resources,
however, he wrote a powerful and au-