Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1895-05-02
MAKER OF VICTORY.
|AzARE CARNOT, STATESMAN
AND SCIENTIST.


Prof Sloanes life of Napoleon
reaches, in recent number of the Cen
tury, the beginning of the campaign
in Italy. OF the gradfathor of the late
president of France Prof. Sloane writes:
1t was as a substitute for this dangerous
visionary (Abbe Sieyes) that Carnot was
made director. He was now in his
ADD year and at the height of his pow
ers. In him was embodied all that was
moderate and sound, consequently all
thet was enduring, in the French reyo-
luton he was a thorough scholar, and
his treatise on the metaphysics of the
calculus forms an important chapter
in the history of mathematical physics.
AS an officer in the engineers he had at
tained the highest distinction, while as
minister of war he had shown himself
an organizer and strategist Of the first
order. But his highest aim was to be
model French citizen. In his family
relations as son, husband, and father,
he was held by his neighbors to be
pattern; in his public life he strove with
equal sincerity of purpose to Illustrate
the highest ideals of the eighteenth cen
fury. Such was the ardor Of his repub-
licanism that no man nor party in
France was so repugnant but that he
would use either one or both, If neces-
sary, for his country's welfare although
he was like Chatham in his lofty scOrn
for parties. To him as a patriot, there
fore, France, as against the outer world,
was FIRST, no matter what her govern
ment might be; but the France he
yearned for was a land regenerated by
the gospel of humanity, awakened to
the highest activity by the equality of
all before the law, refined by that self
abnegation of every man which makes
all men brothers, and destroys the men
ace of the law. And yet he was no
dreamer While a member of the ma
tional assembly he had displayed such
practical common sense in his chosen
field of military science, that in 1893 he
was intrusted by the committee of pub
lie safety with the control of the war.
The standard of rank and S)mmand
was no longer birth nor seniority, nor
influence, but merit. The wild and ig
norant hordes of men which the con-
scription law had brought into the
field were something hitherto unknown
in Europe 1t was Carnot whc organ
lied clothed, fed, and drilled them. 1t
was he who devised the new tactics and
| evolved the new and comprehensive
plans which made his fourteen armies
| tho nOmar thav hnoaOa Woa in Car
not's administration that the young
generals first came to the fore. 1t was
by his favor that almost every man of
that galaxy of modern warriors, who
so long dazzled Europe by their feats of
arms, first appeared as a candidate for
advancement. Moreau, Macdonald,
Jourdan, Bernadotte, Kleber Mortier,
Ney, Pichegru, DesaiX Berthier, Angc-
reau, and Bonaparte himself-each one
of these was the product of Carnot's
system. He was the creator of the ar
mics which for time made all Europe
tributary to France. Throughout an
epoch which laid bare the meanness of
most natures, his character was UNI
smirched. He began life under the an
clent regime by writing and publishing
a eulogy on Vauban, who had been dis
graced for his plain speaking to Louis
XIV. When called to a share - the
government he was the advocate of q
strong nationality, of just admins
tration within, and of fearless front
to the world While minister of war
he on one occasion actually left his
post and FASTENED to Maubeuge where
defeat was threatening Jourdan; de-
yised and put into operation a new plan
led in person the victorious assault
and then returned to Paris to inspire
the country and the army with news
of the victory; all this he did as if it
vertising himself by parade or cere-
mony. Even Robespierre had trembled
before his biting irony, and yet dared
not, as he wished, include him
among his victims. After the events
of Thermidor, when it was proposed to
execute all those who had authorized
the bloody deeds of the Terror, except
ing Carnot he prevented the sweeping
measure by standing in his place to say
that he too, had acted with the rest,
had shared with them the conviction
that the country could not otherwise be
saved, and that therefore he must share
their fate. In the milder light OF tho
new constitution the dark blot on his
record thus frankly confessed grew less
repulsive as the continued dignity
and sincerity of his nature asserted
themselves in tolerance which he be-
lieved to be as needful now as ruthless
severity once had been. For year the
glory of French arms had been