Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-06-21

! the summit OF greatness MS DlItnuay
lin the coming August would bring him
| to the end Of his thirty-third year. He
| was young and handsome in person. He
was warmed with enthusiasm. The
| bravest men and the most beautiful wo-
! men were gathered around him-the
one to flatter, and the other to adore. If
| the Jacobin was still fluid in his blood,
it no longer expressed itself in demo-
cratic mutterings and proclamations.
| The long black hair of the whilom revo-
lutionist was closely cropped. The hag-
gard Italian face Of the pauper student
had given place to rosy cheek and s1nil.
ing lip. Except in the homogeneous
black oravat of the otherwise we'll
dressed First Consul, the sansculotte
was no longer discovcrable at his even
ing receptions!
But the project was already on for an
extension and augmentation OF power.
Glory must be added to honor. The
mountain devil'' was busy in the
breast of Bonaparte. In the alluring
summer of 1909 the dream had already
possessed him of a life tenure of the
Consulate The victorious general and
popular chief executive would be consul
ad finem. The Senate conourred in the
proposal; and a consultum was pre-
pared. There was dispute whether it
should be for ten years or for life; and
in this form the question was to be sub
mitted to the people. A plebiscite was
sent forth, and the French nation was
asked to pass judgment on it's favorite.
'Napoleon, sera-t-il Consul Vie?"
Such was the inscription prepared and
put up over all the voting places in
France. Napoleon, shall he be Consul
for Life?''
An extraordinary spectacle was wit
messed. On the 4th of August. 1902, the
election was held. The voters in France
numbered 3,577,259; and Of these
3,369, 1876 voted in the affirmative, leav-
ing only 900. O74 in the negative! 1t
was perhaps the most overwhelming
popular decree ever registered by peo-
ple True, the soldiers voted-voted for
their idol. Truo, the clientele Of the
Consulate voted-voted for the master.
True, the Revolution voted-voted for
its offspring. True, the New Order voted
voted for it's hope. But nevertheless,
the people voted-voted for their Man!
Napoleon might we'll mutter, "Whose
are the votes opposed to me? Those Of
biologists, Jacobins and peculators un-
der the Directory!' What he said was
true!
But not all, in the meantime, had
been we'll with the Republican, with
him. Fortune in some things had gone
against the French. The coveted occupa-
ton Of Egypt had tottered and fallen.
General Menou, who succeeded to the
command of the army in that country
after the assassination of Kleber, had
behaved with singular fatuity. Failing
to perceive that eccentricity is not gen
ius, he had turned Mohammedan, and
taken the name of Abdallah Boy. He
sank into inaotion at Alexandria; and
when, in March Of 1901, Admiral Keith
and Sir Ralph Aberoromby landed at
Aboukir and came against him, he was
defeated in battle, and the prospects Of
the French in Egypt were ruined.
i Napoleon heard of the Egyptian dis.
aster with anger and modification. His
chagrin was little relieved by the death
of Aberoromby, who was fatally wound
ed in the battle Of Alexandria, or by the
foolish assurances Of Menou that all was
going we'll. It became necessary for the
French colony to evacuate Egypt, and
this was done on the SOth of August,
1901.
The year 1909 has been cited as the
most glorious in French history. It was
certainly the most fertile in promise.
Why should not the treaty of Amiens
become the happy date Of new era for
mankind? France was. regenerated.
England had gold and maritime glory.
Italy had emancipation. Germany had
experience-if nothing better. Russia
had her pacific Alexander l., her Suwar-
off, and her new provinces Of Georgia.
The fatal thing in the treaty OF
Amiens was that it pron1tscd-prornised,
and did, not perform. There were things
to be done; and these were not done.
Preternatural suspicion seized on the
cabinets of all Europe. Note the oircum-
stances: England in the preceding war
had emancipated the negroes of Hayti.
Toussaint l'Ouverture, leader Of the ma
tives, had been made COMMANDMENTS
chief by the French, in 1897. 1ndepend-
ence was reached under the patronage
of France; but when Bonaparte became
First Consul, an act was passed in the
French Council for the restoration Of
slavery in the island; and an army under
General Leclero, brother-in law of Bona
parte, was sent to SANTANA to enforce the
decree. Toussaint was put down, treach-
erously seized and taken to France,
where he presently died in prison. The
civil conflict continued in Hayti; the
yellow fever broke ont, and an English
fleet appeared off the coast. Notwith-
standing the peace Of Aniens, here was
aUGr. ..
In the meantime, Sebastian, Napo-
Icons agent in the East, came back to
Paris, and published in The Monireur .
report in which there was hint Of the
purpose Of France to reoccupy Egypt!
Moreover, the First Consul proceeded to
divide Piedmont into Departments, after
the French manner-as though tho
country were altogether French. TO the