The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-06-26

ire:
Il beg your pardon"
Napoleon on England.
After paying handsome compliment to
McClure's Magazine, the Century Magazine
and Harper's Weekly Tor their. admirable
| articles on Napoleon. the Paris Figaro gives
come interesting points to an English
writer who Is now publishing In the Corn
hill Magazine some documents relating to
the intentions Of the great emperor in re-
gard to England
THE sentiment Of admiration and Of
sympathy which the Anglo-Sa OF the
new world manifest toward the emperor Is
easily explained" says the Figaro. The
United States were the allies Of Napoleon.
The compatriots Of Washington owe debt
OF gratitude to the first consul. who sold
Louisiana to them at an extremely low
price. That was the best bargain that
Brother Jchnathan ever got.
But 1t is not so easy for the English to
Judge with impartiality the man Of ST.
Helena. In the bottom Of their hearts
they can never pardon him for the wrongs
they did to him. Napoleon inspires them
with more curiosity than enthusiasm: but
now they make il a point to honor not to
Insult his memory, and they pretend to
know all about him. While the German
writer's never like to pronounce the name
that brings up recollection of Jena, the
English love to publish new documents and
historical researches which can furnish
them with pretext for once more speaking
OF the battle Of Waterloo. Lord Wolseley.
the hero Of Eel-el Kebir. and Lord Roberts,
the conquerer Of Kandahar, have each in
turn published in the Pail Mall Magazine a
comprehensive sketch Of the campaign Of
1sl5. And now the Cornhjll Magazine en-
beavers TO exhibit the ideas and sentiments
OF the emperor toward England. The
writer evidently has not consulted all the
documents which would have enabled him
to have the last word in this important
question; but, nevertheless. we must ad-
NIT his indisputable impartiality.
He Is perfectly correct when he says
that at the commencement Of hts career the
pupil Of Brienne and Of the military school
had no hostile sentiment toward England.
This was during the period when young
Bonaparte was still Corscian and had not
yet had time enough to become a French
man. If in his correspondence he some
times mentioned Great Britain, II was sole
ly for the purpose Of getting information in
regard to the views which the protectors OF
faoh formed In regard to the Inhabitants
of the island that was conquered by the
generals OF Louis XIV. The writer men
tions letter which the artillery lieutenant
OF the regiment Of La Fere wrote to his
father, requesting him to send him the
book which James Boswell, chief justice Of
Scotland, had just published upon Corscia-
In Italy and in Egypt General Bonaparte,
thenceforth attached to his new country
by the indissoluble bonds OF victory, ex-
pressed from time to time In the proclama-
tons which he addressed to his troops soma
sentiments that were by no means courte-
GUS toward England; but the violence Of his
language did not come from his heart; it
was inspired by the exigencies Of the mill
tary style Of that period.
The real nd impla bic hatred that the
victor Of Rivoh and the Pyramids profess
&c against the English dates from the Con-
sulate It was from London that the I'M
pardonable offenses came. To the over
lures Of the first consul, who then desired
a durable entente between the two nations,
Lord Granville replied with an Insulting
letter. This wounded Naopleon's pride,
end his anger was stu further increased
by the protection which the English minis
tiers gave to the conspirators who had or.
the London papers, by their insults, exas.
perated the man who was accustomed to
adulation only.
"Mounier and q dozen clerks" saws the
writer In the Cornhill Magazine, "were con-
stantiy engaged in making extracts from
the articles which appeared in the English
journals. They translated the most i'm
portant passages Every day while the
barber OF the emperor was shaving him, a
secretary read aloud the extracts of the
British press.
I am told said Napoleon. that the
Times Is the official organ OF the English
cabinet, and every morning two pages Of
this precious journal are filed with invec-
tives against France. Everything that the
imagination can conceive that 10 low, vile,
and criminal this miserable sheet attributes
to the French government. Who Is II pays
for all that? What is the meaning Of it,
ITO avenge himself for these daily out
RACES the emperor organized against per-
hdious Albion q campaign Of pamphlets
The instructions that you will give 70 these
journals ne wrote TO Fouche, should
above all things enJoin on them to attack
England, her manners, her customs, her
literature and her constitution beg of
ycu,' he said to Chaptal to get q song
composed upon the invasion Of England
with the same air as the Chant du De-
part" Try to have several songs upon the |
same subject, but with different airs
AS We see, there exists a perfect har-
meny between the language Of the prisoner
Of st. Helena and the anathemas which the |
author of the bulletins of the Grand Armee |
hurled against the most deadly enemies of i
France. But IN the interval there was a |
change. II was short lived. The writer in |
the Cornhin Magazine quotes these strange !
words. which Napoleon addressed TO the |
English gentlemen who had come TO see him |
tn the Island OF Eiba:
90 England is the greatest OF all nations |
said he 10 Sir Nell Campbell. I have for |
her more esteem than I have for all the |
others. I say this in all frankness / have !
been your bitter enemy but have ceased i
to be your enemy
In conversation with Lord Ebr.Sgton he |
was profuse in his praise OF Englan& But !
was Napoleon sincere when he praised the |
English? Did the exile OF EIba. who VS. By /
no means resigned 10 his fate and was pro
pairing 10 resume his former power. hope !
that BY lay.shing upon the English protes-
tations OF friendship and admiration he |
might obtain the neutrality cf the British /
government. when he should be installed /
N.Sc AuSic az TIC fai@Se "a NAIo 4s-.-As1S. /
AT first sight this conjecture appears very
probable. but. after al. perhaps Napoleon /
expressed his real thoughts. Il should be /
remembered. also. that after Waterloo he l
did not think for a moment OF placing him
self under the protection OF his fzther-in-
law, tho emperor OF Austria. or Of rs for
mer friend, the emperor OF Russia he pre-
ferred 20 seek hospitality on the board the /
Beilerophon- Tia: was TIE mos; fatal res /
Gluten ;ha; ne could possibly form Il was