The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-05
PERSONS AND THINGS MOST DISLIKED BY
NAPOLEON, THE LITTLE CORPORAL ;"

From the St Louis Globe-Democrat.
Nowhere may Napoleon's style be bet
ter studied than in "Le.tres Inedites de
Napoleon l." just published in Parts. For
his style was essentially a style of COM
mand, and found a fitting occasion in
The arrogant denunciation of his foes.
Now, Napoleon was not merely the
greatest general of all time he was mas
ter of an eloquence which was the more
Impressive for Its severity. Before all
other men, he had the gift of direct ut
terance; he never wasted word or
slurred an idea. He cut away from rs
plain, eager statement every ornament
that might embellish or confuse, and
he conveyed a truth or passed sem
tence in naked, Irresistible periods. AS
you read his letters says a "Fortnightly
Review writer, you are caught up In
very whirlwind of command; face TO
face with this terrific Intelligence, which
expressed itself with perfect clarity be-
cause it never knew doubt, you suffer
the fatigue of exhausted admiration;
you shudder ait the passionate intensity
thrown into half a dozen words. Blow
after blow hits its mark with the surety
OF hammer on its anvil. In a letter
addressed to M. de Champaign he comes
near ito formulating a theory of style.
Tell the man Eefebvre," says he, that
the tone of his dispatch is not what it
should be to his minister; he should try
TO seize his minister's intention, and not
TO make epsgrams. Let him follow the
direction given not give a direction of
his own Inform him that in reading the
dispatch l asked his age, and that 1T
seemed TO me to be written by a man of
~ In truth lit was no part of Nano-
icons business to make epigrams; with
i ~ eloquence was not separate art;
II was ms policy put into words and it
received its force from The fact that il
was packed by an all-powerful will.
which knew neither pity nor hesitation
Yet, personal as It was, 1t had its origin
In the study of the ancients. It's classic
severity proceeds directly from Caesa,,
from Plntarch, from Livy; nor can thers
be any doubt that Napoleons policy
was immensely strengthened by this tall
emit of militant CONCESSION.
Stendhal has said that Napoleon nev-
er mated anybody except Jacobin; and
the emperor'S letters hitherto hanisbpd
to the Index, abundantly refute this
oVer-amlable Judgment. 1t would be
nearer the truth to declare that he
loathed all men. For his correspond
ence contains very gospel of hate. In
t.iC INST pldCt, lie ndIGQ STUPIDITY. and.
alas! he encountered ii In all those to
whom he intrusted the performance of
ms designs. Then he hated opposition
by whomsoever offered; and remember
ing the superiority of his intelligence.
you are not surprised that his hate ex-
pressed itself in a general irritation. But
ne reserved for three objec.s a peculiar
~ active detestation and there is hardly
a page In which Nine. de StaeI. England
and the pope do not receive a share of
vituperaltion. The emperor's furious in
dtgnation against the author of Cor
rinne" is not easily intelnglble, and 1t
certainly gave its victim an undeseryed
repute. Had she been left alone to her
little salon in the Rue du Bac, she never
could have posed for shaker of dynas-
ties; and If once the discomfort of exile
be set aside she certainly gained far
more than she lost by Napoleon's perse-
cutaon. However, this lady, ambitious
as she was to collect" great men, never
succeeded in winning their regard. By
ron fouted her, and the Prince de Liene.
for all her editorial service, could not
endure her presence. But it was her
greatest glory to have aroused the 10th
ins of the great Napoleon, who pursued
her with tireless zeal. The attack was
begun as early as 1900 M de Stael,"
he writes to the Citizen Joseph, "is in