Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-13

NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPS.
Egypt. Theirs says that the Directorial
Republic exhibited at this time a scene
of distressing confusion.
The ambition of Napoleon found in
this situation fitting opportunity. The
Directors Were Sieyes. Barras, Ducos,
Moulins and Gohier. The legislative
branch of the government consisted of q
Senate, or Council of Ancients, and
Council of Five Hundred. The latter
constituted the popular branch. OF this
body Lucien Banaparte. brother of the
General, was President. Hardly had
Napoleon arrived in the capital when q
conspiracy was formed By him with
Sieyes, Lucien, and others of revolu-
tionary disposition. to do away by q
coup with the too democratic system,
and to replace it with a stronger and
more centralized order. The Council of
Ancients was to be brought around by
the influence of Sieyes. To Lucien Bon
aparte the more difficult task was as
signed Of controlling and revolutioniz-
ing the Assembly. As for Napoleon.
Sieyes procured for him tine command
of tine military forces of Paris; and by
another decree the sittings of the two
legislative councils were transferred to
St. Cloud.
The 18th Brumaire of the Year Will,
corresponding to the 9th of November,
1899, was fixed as the day for the revo-
luton. To Napoleon the crisis was an
epoch of fate. The conspiracy embraced
the resignation of Sieyes, Barras and
Ducos, which-coming suddenly ON the
appointed morning-broke up the Di-
rectory. Bonaparte then put out his
hand as commander of the troops. Too
late the Republicans of the Council Of
Five Hundred felt the earthquake swell
ing under their feet. Napoleon appeared
mt the bar of the Assembly, and attempt
ed rambling and incoherent justifica-
ton for what was going on. A motion
was made to outlaw him; but the SOL
diers rushed in; and the refractory
members were seized or expelled. A
few who were in with the revolution re-
manned, and to the number of fifty voted
n decree making Sieyes, Bonaparte and
Ducos provisional Consuls, thus con-
ferring on them tie supreme executive
power of the State. By nightfail the
business was accomplished, and the man
of Ajaccio slept i'll the Tuileries.
The new order was Immediately made
organic. There could be no question
when Three Consuls We're appointed and
Bonaparte one OF the number, which Of
the three would be First Consul. He
would be that himself; the other two
might be the ciphers which should make
his unit 100 The new system was de-
fined rs the Professionally Consulate; but
this form was only transitional. The
| managers CT the coup went rapidly for
ward to make it permanent. The Consti-
tuition of the Year Ill gave place quick
ly to the Constitution of the Year Will,
which provided for an executive govern
ment, under the name of the consul
! LATE Nominally the Consulate was
| to be an executive committee of three,
| but really an executive Of oHe-with
two associates. The three men chosen
were Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean Jacques
Cambaceres and Charles Francois Le-
brun. On Christmas day, 1899, Napo-
| leon was made FIRST Consul; and that
signified the beginning Of a new order,
| destined to endure for sixteen and a-half
| years. and to end at Waterloo.
This era in Bonaparte's life marks
the beginning of the union in him of
| great military and great political power.
Henceforth he was destined, to the end
| of his career, to be the State of France
| To his will all Things now became rap
/ idly subservient His ascendency was
F, henceforth the most striking example Of
! merely personal power that the world
has witnessed since the days Of julius
Caesar. OF certainty, History, begot-
ten by Reason in the womb Of Eternity,