New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23
MARSHAL NEY.
THE FACT OF HIS EXECUTION ELAbo-
RATELY DENIED.

Army Chaplain Catawba County -. ~, W. w
cranS Association: Honorary Member OF inc
North Carolina Historical Society etc. Up W.
30 Thomas Whitaker
Mr. Weston has written An interesting BOOK
but II Is more likely 20 awaken discussion than
TO allay H. II will not settle the question OF
Ney's death any more than Morganns acute
criticism rehabilitated the character Of Falstan
or the last study Of Sir Philip Francs's chara'-
ter and handwriting has settled the authorship
Of the Junus letters. Those who are pcrVerSc
enough to believe that Marshal Ney was shot to
death as history reports will probably insis' 'ha'
Mr.. Weston has practically destroyed his case
BY proving too much. Nevertheless, II Is GER
tainly true that he has gathered an extraordi-
nary bodv OF testimony to show that Marshal
Nev died North Carolina country school teach
or peaceably in his bed after imperiously refus
ing 10 take medicine prescribed by his phy-
stefan; that he was then man nearly eighty
wears of age and had long been known under
the name Of Peter Stuart Ney. This man. fire.
uuently in his cups Gor he liked Monongahcia
whiskey). and sometimes, though rarely wheh
he was sober called himself Marshal Ney. lie
betrayed remarkable knowledge OF military
tactics Of craftsmanship, Workmanship. ana
Of the history Of the Napoleonic wars. for
country teacher The testimony OF those VINO
saw him was that the published portraits OF
Marshal Ncy rreail,. resembled him. But 1t APP
neors that a portrait q the Earl II Elgin, which
is copied into this volume with those OF Ncy also
resembled the North Carolina school teacher
and vet the resemblance between Lord Elgin ana
Ney does not seem to have been close. NO
sketch Of Peter Stuart Ney's features can be
found This was not his fault lie had some
skill as an artist. and he was careful to insert a
nic,ure Of himself In book beside portrait Of
lN<Dl nat
possession of Davidson College lie wrote an
autobiography or a history In shorthand script
invented by himself which. it is supposed. would
cas-, light on hi. career. but this manuscript was
captured by an acquaintance and has never
been seen since In height in build and IN ac-
uyity the obscure exile in North Carolina seems
70 have resembed closely the famous French
commander.
But Ney In history bears no repu'e for learn
ing. Napoleon said Of him that he was a man
without education. He unquestionaby was "a
miliar from childhood with two languages
French ard German owing to his being native
of Lorraine. and there is evidence that he was
also familiar with English. But there has been
nothing hitherto to show that he mad more than
a r,odicum Of school training On the contrary
Peter s. Ney. OF North Carolina had tho local
renown Of bei~g expert not only In the IAN
rnaros mentioned but also in Latin. Greek and
Hebrew In addition 70 Italian. Russ an and Poll h
Supposing the theory of his identity with Mar
shall Ney TO be correct he might have picked up
Italian Russian and Polish sufficient for CONVEX
sational purposes IN his campaigns. But Greek.
Latin and Hebrew are inaccessible to one who
merely learns languages by voice and ear lils
acquaintance with these Is accounted for BY
statement that hc spent three years and hal'
In study after his arrival In this country. There
Is a defect in the argument here aside from the
shortness Of this term ~ study for the acqu-
sit!on Of three d!flcut and. to man II Ncy'-
characteristics. wholly embarrassing languages.
Men In mature life. directing their own affairs.
| do not study without purpose. and they do not
NEEDLE with recondlt, branches Of learning UNI
less there is some prospect Of these being useful
to them Now everything which Mr.. Weston
FATHERS up by way Of explaining +. :. Ncys In
tcntions respecting his life In America shows
! that he meant from the outset 10 be only
! teacher In the country. where little Latin
aid possibly the rudments Of Greek would b.
1 useful, but where an expert knowledge OF either
Of these languages and even smattciing OF
| Hebrew would be supernuous. If he had aimed
at college professorship his three years and
a half Of study in lieI OF college training would
be explicabe. But there Is no evidence that he
desired anything OF the sort His learning served
simply to make him. like Godsmith's village
pcdagogue. an object Of wonder to people who
were in no way fitted to measure the extent OF
his attanments
He was a good shot and on hunting expe-
dltions said never to have missed his game.
| This skill with a fowng piece. as we'll as his
| dexterity In military drill, in the management
Of horse and the Ike. might well be charac-
If ehol Iy,,t hoe traifQ l,erc
exhibited rarely. Though a Of excellent
manners and good address. Judged by the stand
ards Of the people among whom he dwelt. he con-
siscntly lived. for the most part solitary life.
busying himself with books and with his writ
| ing. II he rad given oit that ne was scholar
and meditative man who had somehow missed
success In his earlier years and now had no
other wish than TO finish his life quietly among
strange surroundings. his course OF conduct
would have been fully in keeping with his ante
cedents But We asked 10 believe that man
| Of action in the EXTREMIST sense of that phrase
| who had had his share in the events OF the
most stirring quarter Of century that the
world ever saw. whose very life was the smoke
and Of battle or the turmoil Of courts and OF
imperial politics. had become. almost on the In
slant. recluse and student. Such things do
not happen. as rule. without remarkable
change in a mans nature. which converts him
not only into recluse but into a misanthrope
But the evidence which Mr.. Weston adduccs
goes to prove that p s. Ney was really a genial.
whole-souled man. His memoirs. such as he con-
fded to others. were. as rule. devoid Of bitter
ness. Even where he professed a special dis
like. as In the Of Grouchy. the unfortunate
scapegoat Of the defeat Of Waterloo, he was no
more emphatic apparently than any Frenchman.
even one who had never been near that fatal
field. might have been. He loved the boys en-
trusted to him pupils. and they admired him
In return with hearty reverence. which Is
pleasant to read in the innumerabe letters and
testimonials which Mr.. Weston edits and In
cludes IN his volumes. Old men looking back
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