Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-08-06
THE LITERARY MYSTERY Of 7HE
CENTURY.

After eighty.One years evidence has
been discovered which throws entirely
new light on the mystery Of NapOleOn's
autobiography. Apparently there have
been resting In America all these years
links which would have connected the
entire chain: but no one thought Of
crossing the Atlantic for them.
Never has text Of document borne
more indlsputable proof Of authentici.
~ upon les face than the memoirs Of
Napoleon now appearing In the Cos.
mOpOlitan. They carry the stamp Of
u mind so large that no person Of the
period was great enough to he seriously
suspected OF having written them. ai.
though Madame de Stnel and others Of
the brightest wits Of the day were In
turn accused until. when style AMI fit.
ness were taken into consideration. the
absurdity Of the charge became cvi.
dent.
1t Is u curious fact that never have 80
many interests combined to throw dis.
credit upon literary work. When they
surreptitiously appeared In Paris In
1917. the publisher was thrown into
prison and the Issue suppressed and
destroyed. The independent printing
press was then a feeble institution and
the monarchy was all.pervading In It's
influence. They not only suppressed
the memoirs, but found members Of
NapOleon's stan to discredit them and
even literary hack to confess to au.
thOrship. Yet here to-day comes testi.
mOny which seems to clear up the
whole situation. To quote the docu.
ment given In the August Cosmopoli.
tan:
MY father was Joseph Archam.
bault. He was born In FOntaInebleau
In 100, and became n member Of Ma.
poleOn's suite when boy Of about 10.
He went with Napoleon to st. Helena
In 1915 and when tho opportunity Of.
fered was dispatched to America with
the manuscript Of NapOleOn's defense
Of his life and policy. I frequently
heard him speak Of the manuscript and
Of his delivery OF II to Joseph Bona.
parte at BOrdentown. He said that In
order to deceive British authorities he
had used 1t as wrapping paper around
things In his trunk. I also recOllect
that my father showed me book
which he said had been printed from
this manuscript.
"Slgned:
Napoleon Bonaparte Archambault.
"Witness:
priscilla Ring Archambault.
But that Is not all; the search which
was Instituted by the COSMOPOLITAN
has resulted In finding the most posi-.
tive testimony, dating back to 1910,
contradictlng the statements of Gen.
Goursaud, upOn whom was the main
reliance for the discrediting of the
memoirs. The entire account OF the
many months research made by the
editor forms an interesting story In
Itself. The facts bearing on both sides
are stated In way to allow the reader
to judge for himself. From every side
has come the expression of belief that
no one but Napoleon could have so
deeply cOmprehended the situation of
lSOO-l5 and so clearly analysed the
problems OF the time. Those who have
held these opinions, and they embrace
generals, economists ana literary men.
will be delighted with the many facts
which go to prove that they We're right
In their Judgment and that there was
In 1877 no man In Europe able enough
to have penned such an epltOme of the
great events of his career except Ma.
poleOn.