New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-03
NAPOLEON.
rr,,FEssoR sLOANEs HISTORICAL POR-
TRAIT AND PANORAMA
LIFE OF NAPOLEON noNArARTE BY William


Life" and il is possible now 10 estimate It's full
vain. q. a pou,Ilar history Of Bonaparte and his
time When the FIRST volume was published
about a year ago. bringing together about
quarter Of the mat crial which had been appear
lnC AZ monthly intervals in "Th" Century Maya
1inc"H tentative survey II the work rs offered
In this place The final chapters leave uh-
changed the impressions received from the hrs''
on the completion OF his task the author dis-
sS,s,S no broader view Of European politics than
n Possessed at the outset nor does his handling
Of the subicc, :. I'm 20 have gained In depth. in
vlgor. In philosophical insight and polsc On
the other hand the reader should DC "arHeu
AGAINST holding Professor sloane 10 account ior
the absence Of qualities to which he never laid
any claim The book ,aci'ly confesses itself q
popular history which Is 10 say II Is more con-
ccrncd with the direct narration Of events than
with a minute elucldatiCn - them. We have
here scheme humble enough. for all that 1t Is
clothed In such maGnllcence " pictorial enDei-
nshment. a scheme which allows the author no
scope Tor the exploitation OF theories. but keeps
him ALWAYS on the same ground with his mis-
crllaneous audience. The general reader does
not want dsJuisitions on the psychology OF Ma
polcon he does not want tactical essays on
Marengo and Waterloo: ne wants concise
statement OF what Napoleon oh and this Pro-
fessor Sloane gives him with admirable tart and
skill
What a relief IT is to read in the las; OF these
volumes brief. dispassionate summary 81
Waterloo and it's results The booty captured
after Waterloo was unlmpor;ant. says PROBES
sor Sloane. but the political spoiis were Inn
nense. and they belonged TO the Prussians" In
this tersc fashion ne approaches the Illumination
OF France upon the downfall OF Napoleon. and
bt iisai i'm n
swerving adherence 10 this straightforward
style Furthermore ii docs not prevent his SELF
ing the dramatic motive whenever II presents It
self and SO treating IL a. 10 stir tn" Imagination
OF his reader. We have pointed out upon
previous occasion tho accuracy with which Pro-
fesscr sloane lays his finger upon the traits OK
his hero. This accuracy he carries into IN" most
complicated episodes with which he has to DEAL
and it shows possibly to greater Vantage az
the narrative progresses. changing from the
comparative simplicity Of Napocons earlier
years to the tempcstuous days OF his maturity.
The young soldier gradually finding his meter
among the parties Of the time does not present
~ particularly battling problem until he Is sure
Of his role. Then. firm in the resolve TO belong.
as Professor Sloane wisely reminds u.s. to no
party at all, but to be his own force In French
politics. he steps into the most enigmatic stage
vcals his Iucidty. his sobrety and his tact at
their best. When BOnaparte overthrow the d.
reciory In 1899 he gagged in one Of his
most fcversh moves. but In the second OF these
volumes the portrait Of the man In that great
criss il drawn with delightful precision. Pro
fessor Sloane lays stress upon Bonaparte's his
trionic art in the perous situation to which his
own intrgues had brought him. In the mind s
ey,. his perturbation and bewilderment are
visible. his passionate eagerncss TO divert the
delegates from their natural desire for relevant |
information. and his demasogIcal readiness in
turning to account Barras and Moulins. names
OF peculiar ambiguity at that moment. Hystcria
struggled with mastcrful statecraft In that
thrilling episode. and hysteria seemed for an In
slant TO have won, but ultimately the balance |
was IN the direction which Bonapar,e had
chosen. The Directory yielded. all else |
yielded to the will Of man whose mind was
made up and who could not be- turned.
If Professor Sloane allows himself To lapse |
from a cool impartality at all II Is In the en- |
phass which he gives to that histrOnic strain to /
which we have Just referred. He takes pains to |
bring It out In the sccnes before the Directory. !
and he sees Bonaparte the player OF a part |
down TO the very end. lie quotes the interesting |
anecdote Of Napoleon laying the Empress and |
the little King Of Rome as charge upon the |
National Guard. In 1914. Taking in hand
that OF the Empress. and leading forward his
child by the other he N,ntinued. ! intrust the |
Empress and the King Of Rome To the courage Of
the National Guard Still silence After mo-
ment. with suppressed emotion. he concluded.
MY wife and my SON. No generous hearted
Frenchman could withstand such appeal;
breaking ranks By spontaneous impulse. the