The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-26

kind of music he liked, and his strong,
ambitious nature beat time to it. Neither
was this a momentary excitement, but a
steady effect continuing thro Ighout the
contest. Amid the widest uproar OF con-
fiicting thousands-buried in the smoke
and tumult of headlOng charge-hiS
thoughts were not only clear and forcible,
but indicated the man of genius.
Great emergencies often call cut great
mental and physical efforts; but there are
few men whose minds the confu and
disorder of fieTce-fought battlefield
brighten up into its clearest moods. Such
man must have within him the most
terrible clements of cur nature. This
singular characteristic gave wonderful col
! lectedneSs 10 his manner in the midst of
the fight.
In front of the deadIiest fire, struggling
against the most desperate odds, he gave
his orders and performed his evolutions
without the least agitation or alarm He
never seemed disheartened by any re-
verses, and fought after a defeat with the
same energy he did after a victory.
CHILD OF VICTORY"
This self-control-ths wonderful power
of will-Tenderng man equal in himself
to any emeTgency-is one OF the Tarest
qualities in man. Those who judge Of
Massena's ability as a General seem to
overlook this characteristic entirely, or
place it on a par with mere animal courage.
But blind, logged resistance is one thing;
the same tenacity of will, combined with
the powerful action OF a clear and vigorous
mind, is quite another. The former the
most common man may possess, but the
| latter is found only in great men. 1t is
| mind alone that imparts that prodigious
| power.
Mere obstinacy secures about as many
quired the title i'm the French army of "The
| Favored Child OF Victory" No man could
| have won that title without genius. Moth
| ing is more common than the absurd echo
| OF the statement, that Napoleon's Generals
could do nothing Of themselves, and were
| mere engines-terrible, it is true-which
| he brought TO act on the enemy's ranks.
| Men talk as if those conquerors OF Europe
/ the MarSbals OF NapoleOn-were mere
| senseless avalanches which he hurled
| where he wished. But said Napoleon
| when on st. Helena:
| "Massena was superior man; he was
eminently noble and brilliant when sur
| rounded by the fire and the disorder OF
| battle. The sound OF guns cleared his
ideas, and gave him understanding, pene-
| tration, and cheerfuiness. He was en-
| dowed with extraordinary courage and firm
| ness, which seemed to increase in excess
OF danger. When defeated, he was always
ready to fight the battle again, as though
be had been the conquerOr."
| This Is as true as any criticism Bona
parte ever passed on any of his Marshals.
The remark respecting his courage in
! creasing 'in excess OF danger" is especial
! ly so. There seemed an exhaustiesS re-
serve force in him, which came forth as
| the storm gathered darker and the dangers
| thickened around him. That force his will
could not summon up-perilouS crises
alone could do il, and then his very look
and voice were terrible. Towering in front
OF his shattered column, he moved like
the god CT wal, amid the tempest that beat
upon him.
Sometimes, when moving into the very
teeth OF destruction, he would encourage
his shrinking troops by putting his hat on
his sword and lifting il over his head, and
thus, like pillar OF fire to his men, march
straight on death There cannot be more
touching eulogy than that passed on Mas
sena and others by Napoleon when, sad
and disheartened, he wrote from before
Mantua to the Directory, informing it Of
his perilous position. Said he:
81 despair of preventing the raising of the
blockade of Mantua; should that disaster
arise, shall soon be behind the AIDA,
and perhaps over the Alps. The wounded
are few, but they are the elite Of the army.
army of Italy, reduced to a handful Of
heroes, is exhausted. The heroes OF Lodi,
of Aiillesimo, Of Castigii0ne, Oh Bassano,
are dead or in hospitals. Joubert, Lanusse,
| Victor, Murat, and Chariot are wounded;
we are abandoned in the extremity of
Italy. Perhaps the hour OF the brave Au-
| gereau, OF the intrepid Massena, OF Der
thier, is about TO strike; what then will be-
| come Of these brave soldiersY
| In his moments of dependency he con-
fesses how he leans on such men as Mas
| sena. Well he might, for a short time
after, In the terrible hght on the dikes Of