The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-13

NJ
NAPOLEON AT THIRTY.
suit Of recent agitations; and the insti-
tuition was at this time we'll fitted to be
the finishing ground for young mill
tary aspirant. L'Ecole Militaire de Paris
held the relation to that of BIienne and |
the others Of college to academy. The |
curriculum was more ample and the |
methods more rational in the first than
those pursued in the provincial institu-
tons Here the academic training of
Napoleon Bonaparte as that of his
younger brother Lucien afterwards-
was completed. From this school he
was to be delivered as if by second
birth, to the world.
The social character of Napoleon now
began to show itself more distinctly.
Back at Brienne he had been introduced
by General Marb9uf to some private
families of distinction. Them he i'm
pressed as peculiar, forceful and soli-
tary genius, more capable of heroic
dreams and boyish monologue than of
polite conversation or social amenities.
Going to Paris, his acquaintance was
somewhat enlarged. MarbGuf's nephew,
tho Bishop of Autun, now lived at Yer.
sailles; and that worthy was glad, after
the lapse of five years, to receive his for
mer pupil, greatly grown in intellect |
and person, but virtually the same in
demeanor. Elise, the sister of Bona
parte, had meanwhile been brought out
| from Corsica, and was now member
Of the Royal School for Girls at Saint
| Cyr. So that the young man had now a
few friends and some social advantages.
For the rest, he pursued in Paris the
same self-centered life as at Brienne.
He was hard student-in his way He
still disprized the polite branches Of edu-
cation in favor of the exact sciences and
geography. In humane inquiry, his sole
endeavor was to master History. His
study, however, in this field did not
reach historical generalization or
broad philosophy. He stopped with the
| individual He dwelt with interest and
enthusiasm upon the lives of great men
Plutarch he knew almost by heart The
wellknown stories which in that age
passed for history he conned with the
passion Of zealot
In after life, the peculiar effect of this
discipline was manifested in all of Ma
| poleon's work and policy. Out of his
history proper he branched in only one
direction-politics. He became rather
expert in the political platitudes and
persihage Of the times To the end of
his life he was never capable of high
and abstract views; but he knew all
special things as if by intuition. His
mind flashed out, lightning like, in this
direction and in that; the blaze Of it il
lumined many dark and blood-splashed
| place. but from that prodigious intellect
there was never diffused broad and
universal light. Much of this must be
attributed to his Unborn character; and
something to the manner of his educa
| ton.
The year 1885 was in all respects crit.
ical to Bonaparte. His course at the Mill
tary School ended with August of that
year. He was admitted to his final ex
animation almost precisely at his six
teenth birthday. Nearly six months be-
fore this time his father, who had found
temporary residence at Montpelier
came to the final scene. The visionary
and unsuccessful Buonaparte had dis
covered a refuge for himself at the
chateau of Madame Permon, mother of
the Duchess d 'Abrantes of great fame
There. on the Gath of February, he ex.
pired, of a chronic malady, perhaps can.
Ger of the stomach-most fatal Fremont
tion of what should happen to his famous
son thirty-si years afterwards.
Hard was this stroke of death Oh the
members of Buonaparte's family. From
the time of his union with Letitia Ra.
molino-a period of twenty years-thir.
teen children had been born. Eight OF
these were living; three were in France,
and five with the mother in Ajaccio Ali
were at the door of penury. 1t is law
Of nature and Of man that every mother
who bears thirteen children is heroine;
but Madame dc Buonaparte had now
to go into tie fields and plant mulberry
trees for a icsingi Marbeuf finally pre-.
vailed with the authorities to make Jo-
seph Bonaparte also 1--WE will now drop
the Italian form Buonaparte) military
pensioner. But the fathers death and
Napoleon's protest countervailed the
project. and Joseph was doomed to re-
main cadet of the Church. For Julien,
who developed a passion for polite stud
les and wished to be priest, a scholar
ship was obtained for the school at Bri-
enne. Such is the perversity of fate. As
to Napoleon, 1t was agreed that instead
of going into the navy, as Keralio had
recommended and as Marbpuf had wish
ed, he should become instead a lieuten.
ant in the artillery. After his gradua
ton, he should be assigned to the Regi.
ment La Fere, stationed at Valence, on
the left bank Of the Rhone three hun
bred miles away as the bird fiies-far to
the south
The final examination at l. Ecole Mill
taire was passed. Like many other in
cipient military heroes-our own in
cluded-Napoleon did not obtain high
rank in his classes. His papers gave him
only the forty -seoond place from the
head. Louis Antoine Bourienne, his flu.
ture private secretary, had been far
above him at Brienne. Des Mazis, his
favorite classmate, was now graduated
far below him at l. Ecole Militaire. But
the grade was sufficient; and he was en-
abled with his commission as lieutenant
to choose the artillery as his arm of the
service
For two months august to October.
1855 the restraints of red tape held back
Lieutenant Bonaparte from going to his
place. His means gave utterly out. At
last. late in the fall of 1885, he set out
by conveyance from Paris as far as
Lyons. but was then Obliged from sheer
inability to pay his fare, to walk the re-
mainder of the journey to Valence.
There he arrived. and took his place in
the Regiment La Fere-doubtless SO
called because it had no iron in It'll
Great was Napoleon's surprise at the
| ohavaotar NJ the diacinIina Rv tho off.