The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-18

noble affection-both OF which he was en-
tireiy destitute of.
Afraid TO turn traitor before his beno-
factors face, he asked permission to 60 70
Paris on business, promising tn return the
next day. When he had left NapoleoN
turned TO the Duke of Bassano, and saids
'He will not return"
What" replied the Duke; "can Berthief
take such farewelll'
'TIe will not return" calmly replied Ma
poleOn. "He was born n courtier. In
few days YOU will see my Vice Constable
begging an appointment from the Bo,rbOn5.
Ii mortities me. to- see men have raised 50
high in the eyes of Europe, sink so low.
What have they done with that halo OF
glory through which men have been won't
to contemplate them2"
He was right: Fertilizer returned no more.
Too mean to entertain or even act noble
sentiment-and yet with sufficient con-
science Ia feel the glaring ingratitude and
baseness of his trcacheTy. and fearing 10
confront the man who had elevated him
to honor and heaped countless benefits
on his head, he shrunk away like thief.
to kiss the loot OF "a Bourbon.
BERTHIEK THE FALsE-HxARTED.
4 few days after he presented himself at
the head of the Marshals before Louis
XVIII. saying that France having gTOan-
ed Tor the last % years under the weight OF
the misfOrtuneS which oppressed her, had
looked forward TO the happy day which
now ShOne upon her
This Infamous faIsehOOd cIOwning his
base treason, ingratitude. and blasphemy,
Was uttered within one week after me had
sworn to BOnaparte he would never desert
him, whatever adversely might befall him.
When the Bourbon King made his public
entry into Paris, Berthier was seen riding
in front OF the carriage IN all the pOmp OF
his new situation. But even the common
10 nit sllr tie fr
companion and private friend OF Napoleon
put on human nature, in silence As he
rode along, reProachful voices met his ear,
saying:
eco to the Island of Elba, Berthier, go to
Elbav There was his place. Honor,
gratitude, affection. manhood, all called
him there, but called in vain. y seat IN
the Chamber of Peers, and a command IN
the Kings body guard. we're the price he
received for covering himself with iniamy
in the sight of the world.
But his baSeneSS WaSFdoOmed to receive
another reward. for the next year Napoleon
was again in France. As Louis Withdrew
to Client Rerthier wished to accompany
him: but the King had sufficient penetra-
ton to see that one who had deserted his
greatest friend and benefactOr in the hour
Of adversely, would not be slow to betray
him; and hence intimated that he could
dispense with his company.
Trusted by no one, he retired to Bonn
berg, in his fatheT-in-laW s dOmlniOnS.
Here, on the 18th OF May, 1915, he was
seen leaning out of the window OF his
hotel as the allies were defiling past in
their retreat from France. moment after
his mangled body was lifted from the pave
ment, where it lay crushed and lifeless at
the very feet of the Russian soldiers.
Some say he was thrown out by the sol
diers themselves; others, that he purpOsely
leaped from the window to- destroy him.
self His death IS Shrouded in mystery;
but the common belief is that, Judas like,
stung with remOrse and shame for his
treachery and finding himself deserted by
his new master, and fearing the vengeance
of his old one, he took this method OF end
ing a life which had become burdenS0me,
and added TO all his other crimes that oil
suicide.
But ne need not have feared BOnaparte-
who held him in too great contempt to
make him an object of vengeance, and was
heard to say, on his march to Paris:
1.-The only revenge | wish on this poor
BerthieI would he to see him in his cos
tune of Captain of the body guard OF
Louis" He knew that Berthier would
writhe under his smile of contempt more
than under the stroke of a lance
Berthier wrote a history of the expedi-
ton into Egypt, and If he had survived
Napoleon would probably have given an
account of his private life, which would
have added much to the facts already
collected.
lie BE- sontisvsSl