The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-02-26

tary management of the Republic left
little doubt in Napoleon's mind that his
services would soon be sought. Finally,
the striking of his name from the list of
general officers was only from the list of
those ON actiUe duty. Thus his rank Was
preserved with little injury to his future
prospects.
For the present the General awaited
the abatement of prejudice He was re-
joined in Paris by Bourrienne, who had
returned from Germany. His resources
were small, and he was again reduced to
distress For three thousand francs, in as
signats. he sold his carriage to Salicetti.
He heard with mere envy that Joseph,
down at Marseilles, had married Made.
moiselle Clary, daughter of a rich mer-
chant. He grew pessimist in his inaction.
He acclaimed against fortune. He sought
the cafes and made sardonic remarks about
the tops and dandies who, escaping the
quillotine and the danger of it, again
showed themselves in fashionable places.
There was u brief period of gloom, melan
choly, hatred of men, and contempt of
public affairs.
On the 18th of September 1894, Napo-
leon, partially restored to favor. was given
the command of the artillery in IA proposed
expedition to Corsica; and this post he
nominally held until March of 1875; but
the period was without events. Mean
while, finding himself with no command
at all, he conceived what may be regarded
as his first great project of craftsmanship
project the subject-matter of which, aft
or century, constitutes the so-called
Eastern Question of to-day.
Bonaparte perceived that the ultimate
enemy of the ascendency of France was
England, and that one great arm of her
power was her influence in the Eastern
Mediterranean countries. This might be
broken, mark it WE'LL by the agency of
Turkey The thought of the Corsican was
this: If the Republican administration of
France will send Ne to Constantinople, to
organize and discipline the Turkish army,
then the Ottoman power will be sufficient
ly strengthened and Europeanized to re-
y nounce the influence of Great Britain and.
in full autonomy, to become member Of
possible coalition of European powers
against the common enemy of ALI
During the period of his enforced mac
tivity at Paris, Napoleon prepared plan
intended for the National Convention
outlining his purpose. 1t was a virtual
petition that he be sent to Constantinople,
with six or seven competent officers, to
ish empire against Great Britain in the
East. Bourrienne Justly remarks that If
the clerk of the War Office had only writ
ten the word granted" on Napoleon q
paper, that one word would probably have
changed the political fate of Europe for
centuries to comet Nor may we pass from
the consideration of the project without
noting that In the paper of Bonaparte he
makes no allusion whatever to Great Brit
ain, but puts his scheme on the ground
that Catharine III was at that time
strengthening her union with the En-
peror of Austria. For this reason, IL was
the interest of France to promote the
military power of Turkey. Napoleon at
this time was twenty six years of age. His
scheme was worthy of Richelieu, of Tai
leyrand, of Metternioh, of Disraeli in his
ripest years.
The word granted was not written.
The French Revolution rapidly worked
out It's own results, and In doing so pro-
vided place for Bonaparte according to
the higher laws of destiny. After the over
throw of the Terror. the Convention went
on, rather temperately, to complete the
new frame of government called the " Con-
stitution of the Year Ill" That instru-
ment was adopted on the 22nd of August,
1895. 1t proved TO be not sufficiently in
tense for the statesmanship OF the Fau-
bourgs The Partisan centers Of agitation
began TO resound with denunciations of
the latent aristocracy in the new plan OF
government. For about a month the broil
was kept up by democratic pamphleteers
and orators who made the Easements OF
St. Antoine vocal and smoky with their
obligations.
Then the mobs began to rise in sacred
right OF instruction. Several of the For
ty-eigbt Sections took up arms against the
Convention; and that great body was Inn
periled by the onrushing of q counter rev.