The record-union., 1895-02-01
NAPOLEON A SUICIDE
Gloomy Thoughts Held Possession OF
Him In Youth.

The Ectdi7' publishes certain docu-
ments, tor the most part written by Ma
poleon, which, by order of the Emperor.
had been handed to Cardinal fesch, and
which have now been examined at the
Laurentlne Library at Florence. They
may be classed in two categories: First.
correspondence and biographical notes:
and, second, original works, some OF
which are ready for the press, and notes
and thoughts of young Bonaparte Most
OF these documents were written by
Napoleon himself, and the others are
copies corrected by him. Among the
papers are thirty eight thick manuscript
books, tliled from beginning to end with
the writing of Bonaparte. Almost all
bear dates. and were written between
lIo6 and 1893. 1t appears that when about
IL years or age young BOnaparte was
tired OF life, and thought of suicide. The
following IS note on that subject writ
teQ by him at that time:
Solitary amidst men, return to nv
room to think alone, and 10 abandon my
sell to my melancholy. Where does it
lead me to-day? Toward death. In the
springtlme OF life, | may hope to live
long. L have been absent from my coun-
try six or seven years. What pleasure
shall L have i'll four months, in seeing
once more my companions and my
parents? Can l not conclude, from tn g
o"COt SSuSulIOuS dWdh6ii0u Nv LlG re-
membrance of my childhood, that nv
happiness will be camplete? What mad
fellow urges me on to self-deStruction {?
But what can be done in this world {?
Since L have to- is it not better to kill N.Y.
self? Ii l was over 60 years OF age.
L would respect the prejudices of nv
fellow creatures and wait patiently for
nature to accomplish its work; but since
commence to experience unhappiness,
nOtbjnU UI ,,la
why should l endure days in which I
succeed III nothing.
How far men are from nature! How
coWardly, vile and cringing they are!
What is the spectacle | shall witness in
my country? Fellow loaded
with chains, all trembling, kissing the
hand that oppresses them. They are no
longer brave Corsicans animated by
heroic virtues, and the enemies of tyrants,
luxury and base cOurteSans. Iroud and
1uII OF the noble.consciousnes ofhis own
personal Importance, Corsican was for
merly happy. II he had occupied his day
IN transacung public business, the mig ut
was spent in the tender arms or dearly
loved wife; his reason and his enthusiasm
Obliterated all the troubles of the uay.
tenderness and nature rendered the night
comparable to that of gods. But with
liberty those happy days have vanished
like dream. Erenchmen! Not content
with having despolled US of all we loved,
you have corrupted our manners. The
present condition of my country, and my
powerlessness to change it, are additional
reasons for me to leave land where am
obliged by duty to praise men whom
ought by virtue to hate. When l arrive
IN my country how am [ to act, and what
am to do? When the mother country
has ceased to exist, good citizen should
die. If | had to destroy but one man in
order 10 deliver my tellOw-countrymen,
would start at once. L would plunge
the avenging dagger up to the hit
in the breast of the tyrant. My life
is burden, because l live, and
must probably always live, with
men whose thoughts and man
ners are as different from mine as the sill
yer moonlight is different from the light
Of the sun. l cannot, then, follow the
only manner of living that could make
life bearable for me, whence it follows
that l feel aversion for everything.''-
Paris Correspondence London Telegraph