Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-07-19


personn-might we'll begin his story of
the overthrow of the First French Em-
pire with the pretty face and soft hands
of Elizabeth Patterson But History,
deeper than marriages and divorces,
deeper than emperors and popes, sees
rather the lines of eternal causation
stretching through the dust and turmoil,
and the mere persons of the play DART
ing hither and yon like ephemera!
Napoleon's banner still rose and float
cd, for while, in the highest sky. On
the Continent none could resist him
further. He sealed all harbors until the
trade between London and Hamburg
was carried on bv epaU of Constontinople!
The German princes, against all preju-
dices of race and tradition, sought Gag
erly to enter the Confederation of the
Rhine. The displacement of the Spanish
Bourbons seemed to conclude the career
of that race. The old monarchy had be-
come spectral.
The years 1808-9 had this complexion
for Napoleon-thath he might regard the
past as finished. As to the future, he
saw that shining like sun through the
east-windows of the Tuileries. Never
theless there was peace nowhere. If the
past was finished, the present was chaos
and the future merely pregnant. His
"Continental System''- which Great
Britain was to be left rotting on the sea
-roused all the remaining rancor Of
races and nations Sweden leagued with
England. The Muscovite enthusiasm
for France emitted at intervals sulphur
instead of incense. The Gear was for
Napoleon; but the Russians were not
for the French. The Congress of Erfurt,
in October of 1908, was hollow. Alex
ander and Napoleon were there; also
the kings Of Saxony, Wurtemberg and
Westphalia; also the minor princes.
The state of Europe was confirmed. The
Gear should have Finland, Wallachia
and Moldavia.
While Napoleon was busy with the
complications of 18078, Austria had
been oovertly arming for the renewal of
war. The British ministry gave Francis
II. four million pounds to break the
peaoeL The early spring of 1909 found
the Archduke Charles in Bavaria with
q tremendous army. Napoleon heard the
noise afar. Leaving Soult to finish the
Spanish business, he fastened to Paris.
By the 10th of April be was at Stuff
CART. On the 18th, his headquarters
were at Ingolstadt. Out Of Wurtemberg
and Baden, by the swiftest couriers, he
evoked an army. He threw himself like
a tornado on the Austrians, and hurled
them back towards Bohemia. Vienna
was uncovered, and on the 18th of May
surrendered to the French.
On the 21st and 22nd of that month
occurred the indecisive battles of Aspern
and Essling. In June the progress of
the French seemed to be delayed by the
very excess of their advances and VIC
tories. On the 9th and 9th of July was
fought the famous and sanguinary bat
tie Of Wagram, in which the Austrians
were routed with loss of fully %,
men. The Hapsburg Empire was as
completely Frustrated as Prussia had
been after Jena. The humbled Francis
came to conference with Napoleon at
Schonbrunn. He was obliged to purchase
peace by the cession of the provinces of
Dalmatia and Istria. Austrian Poland
was divided between the Gear and the
king of Saxony. Salzburg was given to
Bavaria. Francis pledged his honor to
renounce his alliance with England, and
to uphold the continental system of
Napoleon.
Meanwhile Soult, in command of the
second corps in Spain, had on the 10th
of November, 1908, annihilated the
Spanish army at Burgos. He had wrest
ed Corunna, Ferrol and Oporto from the
English. But the tide turned in North
ern Portugal, and the French were
driven back by Wellington. A division
under Marshal Money, marching on
Valencia, was defeated, as was also
General Dupont, in the battle of Baylen,
in Andalusia, where the French losses
amounted to nearly 30, 900. In August of
1908 occurred the siege Of Saragossa,
memorable alike in history and poesy.
Not until February of the following
year was the stronghold surrendered to
the French, whose losses during the
siege are said to have exceeded SO, 000l
It was just after these events that the
hollow congress was held at Erfurt. BY
the first week Of December, 1909, Ma
poleon had returned to Paris. During
his recent stay in Vienna-perhaps in
his conferences Emperor Francis
at Schonbrunn-he had had thought.
There was at that time in the palace of
the Hapsburgs girl just eighteen years
Of age. Josephine was forty-six and
a-balf! JOHN CLARK RIDPATy