New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-09

Italian treaties and over the problem OF paciiy-
ing the South Of France, Barras was sui iooKeu
unon as the particular patron of the victorious
general in the government Bonaparte wrote !"
high wrath over the conduct OF one of his sub
ordnates Wilot. whose forces belonged To 'he
Army of Italy. but were acting in the South OF
France n the Directorate did not recall the OIL
fender. Bonaparte threatened to suspend him.
The directors stormed at this Carnot would
not tolerate military regime; Rewbell held that
Carnot was TO blame in putting W!llot where ne
WAS hut vowed he would take the law from no
body But Bonaparte already too powerful
IN he snubbed Carnot thought II best not TO
incur his ill-humor and that above all the rest
Barras was the man TO keep him quiet Whe'her
Barras attempted this task Of pachcation or not
is a matter Of Indifference. The time soon came
when neither the Directorate nor Bohapar'e
could disguise from each other that one side or
the other must give way Not that the world as
vet saw clearly the drift Of things: but the ID
rectors saw that their authority, in the person OF
the commissary whom they sent with each army
was defed everywhere and especially In the Army
of Italy and II required no great amount OF
foresight to see the result Of such tendency
IL IL here that Barras's resentment against
R1napartc begins TO rise lie VIII htncefor'h be
a determined enemy of The coming Flrst ''hau'
and Emperor whatever may said OF the
deliberate attacks which he made upon Napoleon
I'm later years. II must be Acknowledged that his
words at this time were perfectly reasonable
from his views OF what was for the good u
France. lie did not believe In the sole rulcfShip
Of A single man. He was naturally prcjud!ccd
In favor ~ the government which he shared. y"
moro than that feeling can I've found In his re-
lint hn "a H.
fed with Naples "Bonapartc." he wrote. 'who.
II ore than any other. IL impatient OF any ohcdi-
,ncc that IS IN the way Of his dominecrlng intcn-
tons has adopted a rcsolutc means for getting
away from the civil authority attached by us TO
him. Under the prctcxt OF interesting 10
greater extent the Italians In n union with us
10y admitting them 10 governmental functions he
has increased the powers OF the Lombard Com
mission OF Milan by making IL subject To no "th'r
control than the approval of the Genera IN
Chief Bonapartc would ~ more than the other
military commanders. venture To ignore or i'm
prgn the authority OF the Directorate. ana ne
believe II united: but all are aware that as
scnsion Is rife IN our midst ana thus do the
intestine quarrels Of the Directorate preserve us
authority and destroy II by scattering 1t.
Thus II the attention T. restricted for time 70
material which is certainly from BarrasS own
hand il is seen that the greatest hatred which
he cherished that namely. toward Napoleon
had its inception in differences of opnion. rather
than in personal jealousy. lntI' N"N ~
sign as vet OF that rancOrous feeling wren
grudgcd the loss Of any opportunity 10 inlet
wound Nor Is II possible by means II the TWO
volumes in hand to number all the links in ma
Ncious evolution which made Barras the Di-
rector what he seems to be as writer OF
memoirs At a single leap the reader ~ mere
carried from fair criticism OF Napoeohs am
bition to fierce efforts 10 deprive MN 81 ram
which he had fairly earned. But across thls
wide interval there is at least one thread o'
unity Barras remained well-d.sposed To me
memory Of those who continued faithful ID the
Renubljc He reserved his malice for those VINO
abandoned the cause which he had "A, heart ne
never forgets T. praise Hochc. often al Ma
noleon's expense and the reason is an honor
able one He saw IT. Hoche "A general VINO was
not unsuccessful. and yet was traclable IN .i'
hands Of the civil government. "Hoche. saln ne
lis not subject to the envy which fears 'he SUI
cess of Others II Is such phrases. sometimes
kindly more often malicious. but with a certain
balance Of phrase that seem most characteristic
of the man These may yet furnish criterion
for the study OF a work that valuahi" as u =
| tn history will have 10 be treated with the
patence Of German textual criticism IN "rIeI ~
discriminate between what Barras meant 10 say
and what has been said for him. The WICKED
anecdotes doubtless all his own In every sens
~ the word are Of no import 10 history. II IL
| the soberer parts Of his narrative upon when
! the keenest judgment will have 10 be eKerV's','
/ When criticism shall have completed lts tash'
perhaps the devil will not be as black as nc nus
| cd