The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-03-06

lished as pensioners The solicitation
was that the young follows should DO
educated at the expense of the state.
Marbeuf invented a fiction. feck,.l with
fact, about the nobility of his wards;
and the petition was granted finally as
to Napoleon. But Joseph had now
passed the limit Of his eleventh year,
aud was no longer eligible-unless by
violation Of law He must therefore be
diverted to the priesthood, while tho
younger brother was assigned, at tho
public charge, to the military academy
at Drienne-l Chapelle, on the right
Rank Of the Hube, in tho deportWept Of
thQ s:a..4..o ns:....e. . hundred and tieLicc:...
miles from Paris Tkithc~ y" wSs- irons
ferfcd in the latter part Of April, 1870.
and was admitted as cadet.
At Autun, the chief business had been
to teach him French. He applied him
self closely to this task, but not very
successfully. He learned to speak
French. brokenly, with an Italian &C
cent To the end Of his life he never &C.
CURED a nice knowledge of the adopted
tongue. His grammar was broken, his
composition thunderstruck, and his
spelling heretical. His practical knowl-
edge of the language which he was des-
tined to use for forty two years in his
intercourse with men was sufficient; but
his mind was never tolerent Of techni-
calitiea
This trait Of neglecting the exactitudes
was strongly manifested from Napo-
Icons childhood. He went as far as the
practical in whatever subject be touch
ed; but having seized thus much. he
cared for nothing else. He desired cor
rectness in others, for that was useful to
him; but as for himself. he wanted only
aggregate results and knowledge OF
their practical advantage. All authors
have commented on the inaccuracies and
lapses In the Napoleonic correspondence
and manuscripts. 1t became his habit to
slur over, in his rapid way. the errors
in bis writing; and his arrogance SEEM
ed to convince him that. while correct
spelling was an accomplishment in ped.
agogues, it was rather fault III great
men.
The young Bonaparte is described by
his master as being Of solemn demeanor;
rarely laughing; never happy or mirth-
full; no disposition for playing; proud
and solitary; easily wounded; always
resentful; learning with lightning like
rapidity, but stopping short Of correct
ness; vain Of his faculties; patriotism
almost morbid; disliking the powerful
foreign race with which his lot had been
cast; hooking back regretfully to Corsi-
ca, and (most unboylike) thinking more
of his country than he did of his home
and mother
Already, before leaving Autun, the
pale little Bonaparte fell into frequent
quarrels with his French schoolmatel
about the Corsican revolutionl They In.
suited him with the charge that his
countrymen had been towards - else
they would have won their independ
ence. To this he answered angrily that
II the French had outnumbered his peo
pie only four to one, the invaders would
have been defeated. Military calculation
alreadyl
The military academy at 3rienne wal
one Of ten of like kind recently estab
lished in the kingdom. Besides these
there were two higher schools, one a
Paris and the other at La Fleohe. ThiI
system had superseded another which
had failed on account Of its unpopular
ity. The military education and the right
thereto was plum for the mobiles. Boy
Of the Third Estate had therein no par
or lot. In the schools were gathered thu
weakened reproductions Of moribune
nobility. The governors Of the schools
| were even as the cadets The institu
lions degnerated, until there was a pop
ular reaction against them. There wa!
q reform, headed by the Church. New
schools were established, and monk
were put In charge Of them!
At the time when the boy Napoleon
went to Brienne, the remarkable condi
ton was presented Of system Of mill
tary schools in charge Of the monasti'