The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-02-25
BONAPARTE.
Study Of His Childhood and Strong characteristics by
John Clark Ridpatl.

many sighed for independence. AiiohS e"S
latter were the Buonapartes. The feeling OF
regret for the lost cause began TO vans
about the time that Napoleon was sent
to school; but there was still in his heart
drop of inherited bitterness Oh account or
the French conquest. He looked back an
grily at the terrible conditions surround
ing him in his childhood. As late as his
twentieth year he broke out in passion.
II was born" said he. while my country
was dying. Thirty thousand French, vom-
tied on our shores. drowning the throne
of liberty in waves of blood-such was the
horr.d sight which first met my view. The
cries of the dying, the groans of the OPP
pressed, tears of despair, surrounded my
cradle at my birth" The utterunce shows
how hardly the future emperor of the
French himself IN youth became
Frenchman.
When, from the sixth to the ninth year
of his age the boy Bonaparte attended
school in his native town three lines ra-
dated from his feet. One of these was
dim and clouded, but glorified with patches
of extreme light. 1t was the way into the
kingdom of that new philosophy which
was just then revealing itself with such
briliIancy in France. second and Well
trod way led straightly to the church.
Rome was great and honorable. Her re-
wards for dill gent ambition were r1ch ana
certain The young aspirant who entered
her colleges might well expect emolument
and reputation. The third path led dam
gerousiy to the military life. None might
at that time discern the coming upheaVal
of society with its concomitant reign OF
the sword. But the agttations OF the
epoch were sufficient to encourage war
and TO offer a measure of inducement to
follow in the path of military glory.
The taciturn schoolboy OF AJacclo had
these three ways open before him. FROM
the first he was precIuded by the DISPOSE
tons OF his family, intensified IN hlhseii.
He never haa the scholastic trait. Ills
abilities as a pupil, and Afterwards as
military cadet showed nothing Oh me
ra,Iosonhar indeed, ne concelVed-noW
early in boyhood we know not-a prejudice
against philosophy ana the PM
losophers as we'll AS for the church' ne
had an inbred admiration tor Rome; put
the kind of life offered in the priesthood
was without attractions for him PERSONAL
w. He was willing that Joseph and other
of his friends should become priests and
bishops: but not himself. Neither the
scholars gown nor the priests surpllce
offered the slightest attraction TO ms am
aGiuauon. s.,.
about the years i77678 was critical CaL~
10 the father, had given an interested adj
baeion To the French. lie had his hopes
from the annexation. lie would Keep ms
titles and recover the properties formerly
belonging to the family. Tho Buonaparte
estates in Corsica had been mostly lost
Some had been conhscated by the Genoese
partv and converted into jesuit schooIs..
1he recent revolution had reduced Carlo
means almost to nauSht. lie was hlfnSeI
Of no reputation as an economist ms
family had RAPIDLY multiplied. Two chill
dren died in infancy between the birth of
Napoleon and that of Lucien in 1tI5. the
family was brought almost 10 perjury.
re
his Droperties The privilege OF writing
his name with de did not compensate
for mis- losses. lie struggled with adVer-
eitv. and sought the AID OF infiuenllal
friends Among these the most aValdole
was General Marboeuf The latter III
1776. appealed, on behalf OF ms Oolsie, ~
,rjenas 10 the Authorities "a t.atis iSE mo
privilege of educating the Buonaparte boys
il, France al the expense u ne ioyai
treasury This thing rsigAt be done pro
vided the applicants should DO under Ten
wears OF age and be able to sho" iouF
strains of noble blood in their veins! In
the case of the boys Buonaparte, TINS couid
not be proved, and affairs in the nome
stead went from bad 10 worse
At this iuncture history, rather than
man. came to the rescue. France was on
the verge of bankruptcy. one hhaHee
minister after another was disappointed
ana one financial scheme after another eN-
ploded in the hands Of The inventors. II
became necessary TO call together, at Yer
sailIes. a council OF the mobiles. Carlo de
Buonaparte was chosen u representative
from Corsica. In going TO perform ms
duty at the French capital he took with
him. to be distributed en- route. his TWO
sons, Joseph and Napoleon; also the boys
half uncle. Joseph Fesch; also q cousin o.
Letitia. the mother. As for Fesch. he was
TO be left as a student at AK. The cousin
had been appointed 10 an office az Autun,
and al that place the distracted father de-
termined to drop his two sons ut school.
This was in the year ITS. The company
set out by way of Florence, Genoa, Mar
settles, Lyons The youngest Of the com
pany was a sad-faced, big-eyed boy. in such
apparel as could be furnished ia the house
OF an npecunious nobleman. The boys
head was bent forward he walked. His
foot now for the first time touched the
continent. lie was in his tenth year. He
muttered broken calculations To his COM
panions. 1t was Napoleon Bouaparte on
his way to Autun-and the world.