The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-23

fifteen months. His occupations at that
place were much like those at Nalence and
Ajaccio He performed his military duties
in desultory way, but with more exacti-
tude than the French code Of military
ethics at that time required. But military
duty demanded only q fraction Of his time;
the rest was given to that intense but
fragmentary study by which his mind was
trained and supplied with wide range
Of information.
The ambition of Napoleon 10 be an au-
thor did not for the present subside. At
one time he was on the eve of bringing
out at Paris his History of Corsica" A
publisher agreed To do the work on condi-
tion OF share-and share-alilSe in the pro-
ceeds. But just at that juncture Mon
seigneur Marbmuf, Bishop of Sens, to
whom the work was dedicated, was deposed
from his sec in disgrace. Here was state
of things indeed, TO dedicate IA great work
to n disgraccd ecclesiastical The publica-
tion was accordingly postponed, and the
manuscript rocast, with an inscription TO
Paoli This was plain indication that
the authors mind, as between French
despotism and Corsican Independence, was
strongly tending TO the latter.
The winter of 17sS. 50 was passed by
the following April that disturbance oc-t
Cured at Seurre which called forth half
months petty campaign from Napolcon's
company, and ended in nothing. Ii was
like the episode at Lyons but less impor-
tant AS yet Lieutenant Bonaparte had
never as a soldier drawn blood, or seen it
drawn by others. His restlessness now
bore him rapidly on To action. His passion
for doing something and for following
his destiny"-a fiction which he was al
ways dwelling upon--led him to commit
hinscif (ambiguously) TO the Corsican pa
troits. His adroitness was such, however
that he kept ever cord to his purposes
whereby ho might recover himself for
France. In fact, he knew not what thing
ne would be called TO do. or In what cause
his sword should first be actually un-
sheathed. His nature was always To avail
himself OF the first contingency. Napoleon
Is doubtloss-suoh was his slcepless vigi-
lancc-the only great man of history who
never lost an opportunity
Bonaparte was with his regiment, So
called 'of Iron," at Auxonne, when the
great Revolution in France began. Within
month from the triling event at Sourre
the States. General assembled at Versailles
There, on the 9th of May, 1859, the most
remarkable political body of modern times
went into session, on the condition of
France and mankind There was process
sion OF great men; gathering 20 their
seats In tho Hall of Menus; seating Of
six hundred representatives OF the people;
a looking down from tho gallery of the
young Baroness dc Staol IIolstein on the
heads Of Riquetti de Mirabeau, the philo-
sophie Nolney, tho lean Jean Paul Marat
the big young Dahion Of Arcis sur. Aube
tho litho Camille, the Sea green Robes
pierre, and the rest. IL was the beginning
Of the end Of much--the opening of a
small creyasse In the great dyke whereby n
feudal civilization had walled In the 'cs.
tinics Of mankind for centuries Outlde
that ancient wall lay tho roaring ocean.
soon to rush in wave on wave, till the del
uRe, iOcked with blood should rise to the
pinnaclcs Of all palaces, and splash the
domos 81 oil cathedrals.
The biuit of the great event reached the
towns and citits and people OF France
Men wot not tho thing they did. None
know that the ancicnt order was rushing
on to doom None Imagined that the
French monarchy Itself was going head.
long down 20 Orcus and eternal night
All stood together on the crumbling verge
of the chasm, and supposed that they
would easily bridgejt over with some new
card. boards Of finance and paper billets