Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-02-04
THE MAN OF DESTINY" /"
story OF NAPOLEON BONA
parties WONDERFUL CAREER.
Soldier of FortuDe-AIl the World
Now Discusses His Life and
Achievements.


Everybody is supposed to be alb
sorbed in the first Napoleon JUS. now.
The current interest in him is reflect
ed In the magazines. For reasons as
mysterious as the source of fashion in
clothes, he is the prevailing literary
fashion. Yet how many know the
salient, significant facts in his life?
Well, here they are, as given by the
New York Press.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born near
the town of Ajaccio, on the Island of
Corsica, on August 10, 1863. Tradi-
tlcn credits him with having been q
child of the people, but that is not
so. His father was of the nobility
and among the most prominent of
Corsicans, although poor and inclined
to be lazy. His fathers home was a
gathering place for political discussion
among the Corsican gentry. His boy
proved to be violent and passionate,
morose and stubborn. lie had mas
ty temper and was bound to have his
own way about everything. Muskets
and cannon and wooden soldiers we're
his playthings, just as they are the
ehosen toys to-day of the children of
Emperor William, of Germany, upon
the eldest of whom the future peace of
Europe no doubt depends.
Napoleon could speak very little
French when, at the age of ten, he
was sent to a military school at
Brienne, where he developed a fond
ness for mathematics and hatred for
Latin, devoured Plutarch's lives of
heroes who were not as important in
the worlds history as he himself after
ward became, and achieved reputa-
ton for being overbearing and ambi-
tlous. He was reserved and sullen
and the big boys made fun of him,
while the little ones were afraid of
him. The stories that he assumed a
post of dictatorship over the whole
school do not appear to be borne out.
In 1884, when he entered the mill
tary school in Paris, he found himself
more unpopular than ever. He left
the school when he was sixteen, and,
upon the death of his father, he be-
came sub-lieutenant of artillery.
He took notion to achieve literary
honors and undertook to write book
in imitation of Lawrence Ste1ne's
Sentimental Journey, guided there
to by young woman with whom he
had fallen in love.
Napoleon's first military battle was
fought, not only against France, but
against his native town Ajaccio. He
was twenty-three then, and had taken
the side of the rebels in a Corsican
revolt against French rule. He was
defeated, besieged in turn, and had
to live on horse flesh for three days
before he and his handful of troops
were rescued by shepherds. Ma
poleon's attack on the town made it
necessary for his mother and the
other children to leave it, SO they
moved to Marseilles in 1898. Ma
poleon soon went to Paris, where his
Corsican campaign was forgiven in
view of the fact that the Government
needed trained officers, and he was
sent in the same year to take part, as
colonel of artillery, in the siege of
Toulon, which was held by the Span
ish and English.
If Napoleon had been content with
doing only moderately we'll in this
siege the whole course of history
might have been changed, for it was
his amazing activity, foresight and
knowledge of military tactics that
were chiefly instrumental in causing
the fall of the city and in bringing
the young soldier into notice. He
was made II brigadier-general of artil-
lery in consequence at the age of
twenty-five, the recommendation for
his promotion being worded thus:
promote this young man, for if he
should be ungratefully treated he
would promote himself" That was
tribute to his genius, ambition and
power of will that makes light of
theories that his subsequent owner
ship of most of Europe was consider
ably due to good fortune.
Jealousy took root in Napoleon's
success at Toulon, and he was soon
afterward thrown into prison on n
charge of being in sympathy with
Robespierre. He was released in
few days, but his prominence had
hihtO hAhl III ooJeCb VI Intrigue, ana
he found it difficult to get new mill
tary employment He had the blues
and wrote to his brother Joseph:
Life is an empty dream, soon to be
over with" He was completely dis
couraged and impoverished, and came
near Offering his services to the Sultan
of Turkey. He was ready to fight for
or against anybody.
His opportunity came when the Di-
rectorate, then governing France,
stirred up civil war by trying to per.
petuate itself in power. The people
rose against it, and after one general
had tried in vain to put down the re-
bellion, Napoleon was called on to
take charge of the few troops the Dl-
rectorate had at its disposal. His
brilliant maneuvers at Toulon were
remembered. In one night he made
his plans, and the next morning, when
the troops of the people advanced on
the Tuileries they met with II resist
ance that amazed them. Napoleon