Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-11

NY 's: .:
 NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPs
 Egypt Thiers says that the Direotorial Republic exhibited at this time Q 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 tho government consisted of a Senate. or Council of Ancients, and a Council of Five Hundred. The latter constituted the popular branch Of this body Lucien Bonaparte. brother of the General, was president Hardly had Napoleon arrived in the capital when a conspiracy was formed by him with Sieyes, Lucien, and others of revolu- tionary disposition. to do away by a coup with the too democratic system, and to roplace it with stronger and more centralized order. The Council of AnCients was to be brought around by the influence of Sieyes. To Lucien Bon aparte tho more difficult task was as signed of controlling and revolutioniz- ing the Assembly. As for Napoleon. Sieyes procured for him the command of the military forces of Paris; and by another decree tho SittinGs of the two legislative councils wero transferred to St. Cloud.
 The 18th Brumairo of the Year NIlI |, corresponding to the 9th of Nov ember l199, was fixed as the day for the revo- lutio,:. 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 tho Republicans of the Council of Five Hundred felt the earthquake swell ing under their feet. Napoleon appeared at the bar of the Assembly, and attempt ed rambling and incoherent justifica- tion 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 tho revolution re- mained, and to the number of fifty voted decree making Sieyes, Bonaparte and Ducos provisional Consuls, thus con- ferring on them tho supreme executive power of tine State. By nightfall the business was accomplished, and the man of Ajaccio slept in the Tuileries.
 The new order was immediately made organic, There could be no question when Three Consuls were appointed and Bonaparte one of the number, which of the threo 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 as the Provisionary Consulate; but this form was only transitional. The managers of 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 VIII, which provided for an executive govern ment, under the name of the CONSU- LATE. Noninally the Consulate was to be an executive committee of three, but really an executive of ono-with two associates The three men chosen were Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean Jacques Cambaceres and Charles Francois Le- brun. On Christmas day, 1T99, Napo, leon was made FIRST CONSUL; and that signified the beginning of new order. destined to endure for sixteen and a-half years, and to end at Waterloo
 This era in Bonaparts's life marks the beginning of the union ill 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 henceforth the most striking example of hot kl,..x has witnessed since the days of Julius Caesar. Of . certainty. History, begot- ten by Reason in the womb of Eternity, is not mddo.-neyer was mdde-by any man. But the lines of historical causa- tion were more deflected and determined in their course and connections by the will of Napoleon than by any other one man for the last eighteen centuries
 While Napoleon was in Syria, the Austrians and Russians in coalition had returned to the battle in Italy, and had On the 18th and 20th of June, General Macdonald had been defeated at Cassano and on the Trebbia by Field. Marshal Alexander Suwaroff. On the 18th of August, Joubert lost the battle of Novi and was killed on the very spot where Napoleon had assumed command in 1796. Suwaroff next encountered Mas. sena at Zurich, where, on the e5th and 26th of September, he was worsted by the French. Nevertheless, the Russian forced his way over the Alps, and France was immediately threatened with a counter invasion. At this junoture, how ever, there was quarrel in the allied armies. and Suwaroff, withdrew from the country, bearing his we'll earned title of Italushd.
 Napoleon spent the first months of the year IS00 at Paris. The revolution was received with general appreciation by tho French. Tho leading features of the new government were Senate, Tri- bunatO and . Council of State, These
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