New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-11

for him to discover his error. and his country
men were in little humor to receive Joseph Bona
parte with the amablty desired by that timid
individual. The country was almost instantly IN
an uproar. the French found themselves de-
tested and repulsed where they had been re-
ceived with rapture and. taking up the nara
tive at this point, Lejeune tells. with sympa-
thy and skill unrvalled elsewhere, the story OF
the Spanish struggle in general, and the heroic
defence of Saragossa in particular. The manner
in which he would approach the subject has al
ready been indicated but his note on one en-
gagement early In his Spanish experiences may
be cited as further illustrating his artistic pre-
occupation: 1.-The fog gradually cleared away,
and were able to contemplate with deNght
battlefield bristling with entertainments and re-
doubts, strewn with abandoned cannon. DEAD
and wounded. The site was an admirable one.
and later this scene furnished me with fine SUD-
ject for picture. in which / introduced all the
details which had particularly struck me in
the morning" Lejeunes love Of his art Is IT.
reslstible He stops in the midst Of his Spanish
narrative to describe the costume he had de-
signed some years before for the aides-de-carlp
of Prince Berthier. and whether he is expatiatins
upon this or the pictures in Madrid, or the
awful sights of Saragossa In its boodlest mo-
ments, he reveals the same enjoyment OF the
spectacle before his eyes.
We wish that he had had closer acquaintance
with Palafox He was himself gallant officer
and could appreciate the qualities in MS antag-
onist Palafox has had many eulogists, but no
portrait painter of the peculiar gifts of LeJeune.
The latter witnessed. moreover the entire long
siege of Saragossa. and knew the conditions with
which the Spanish general had to deal in organiz-
ing the defence. The townspeople had been in
famed to a point Of delirous fanaticisn by Bazie
and his more reckless comrades. The Junta was
III manageable. PalafoX vas wrenched to the core
by the sufferings of his people. and would per-
haps have sacrificed his own ambition and end
ed the Siege sooner with an honorable captula-
ton, rather than permit the carnage to continue
But the blood Of the defenders was heated to a
murderous pitch, and the combat. as Lejeune de-
scribes IL, was worthy Of barbaric times. The
women not alone gave their husbands and sons
with Joy to the battle. but themselves aided In
Amazonian ways. led on by ths famous young
Countess Burida. From house TO house the
French fought their way, week after week,
dermining Saragossa they advanced and
blowing up whole districts with indescribabe
results. The Spaniards would not swerve, and
the fighting went on in the streets. in the monas-
teries, at last in the churches where upon one
occasion. LeJeune beheld protruding from one OF
the old broken collins the livid. shriveled feat
ures and part of the body of a bishop still
wrapped In his sacerdotal robes" The incident
was as nothing to besiegers and besieged. The
latter had lost their senses very nearly. and
often as cruel TO their own people as to the
invaders The Junta hanged whoever advised
surrender or attempted flight.
If there is CLEAN Of sunshine in these vol
umes IL lies across an abyss Of gloom. The sang
froid Of Lejeune gives, as we have shown.
peculiar artistic quality to his pages: but for all
his enjoyment Of beautiful landscape
bravs action he Is unconscicusly oppressed BY
the savage elements In life as all Europe was
compelled TO live 1t so long as Napoleon re-
manned unsatsfied in his ambitions. When the
French finally got control Of Saragossa and
leased Prince Pignatelli from the Palace Of the
InQuistion the poor old grandee died OF joy.
When In a stable on the line of the French
treat from Russia. the warm breath of the
horses wakens three infants in the manger,
wherein they had been deposited by their flying
parents, Lejeunes sympathies touched, and
he dwells prettily upon the occurrence. But
he winds UP by quoting one Of the men whom
he lad Intercepted about the babes the next
day. Their crying had grown heartrendng. said
the man. he had broken the ice in one Of the
u
put them out Of their misery! In Germany. on
his return to France after leaving the army,
Lejeune paused at the house of the Countess Of
Koestoritz, who complained that she had been
compelled to give TO the servants Of a General
stopping with her such a quantity Of food that
her supplies threatened to run out. The SER
wants took the food TO their master. who was
so Ill that he had been carried from his carriage
l,ic
jeune penetrated to the invalids chamber and
found him stone dead. I'VE were ordered to
take the Generals body back to France" said
the servants, land have suffered 80 dread
fully from hunger all through the campaign. we
thought we would pretend that the General was
still alive. so as to get good meal every day
as If for him. and thus regain a little strength
ourselves" Lejeune was himself in predica-
ments as bitter as this one OF the lackeys In
Spain he at one time narrowly escaped hanging
at the hands Of bandits, he suffered imprison-
ment and other woes, besides going through
some of the worst phases Of the Russian retreat.
But he left the column IN Russia under circum-
stances a trife too expeditions 20 please the
Emperor. and upon his arrival at Paris he fell
into disgrace from which IT took him some time
to emerge Napoleon was In mood then TO
appreciate his services which. in many cases.
had been Of extreme value. Closing his memoirs
the ardent soldier writes 1T was long since
l had got any satisfaction out Of the glory Of
war; or received airy reward for my jealous
service. or for the many sacrifices had made
in the cause of the Emperor. My chiefs had
again and again applied to him for recognition
Of what had done, but nothing came Of their
efforts on my behalf. and felt the neglect
keenly."
II.
Many Of Napoleons officers could make the
same complaint. but Oudinot was not one Of
them. He suffered temporarily upon the return