The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15

She tells us that. at the presentation. Napoleon.
after having spoken to several ladies. and
after aiking such sipgulsr questions as Are
You Darried' How many children have
your Are they big and fat, hey'" he addressed
the whole circle. and said: The Emperor
Alexander is exceedingly amiable. He has
gained all hearts here; are you good Poles''
We are told that Napoleon had nothing i'm
posing either In his face or his manners. l was
astonished not To feel In his presence that emo
ton which one usually cannot prevent at the
sight pf a celebrated person. All that glory.
bought with the price Of men and blood. could
not inspire me with enthusiasm. The glory
OF oonquerors Ia made to shine In history. but
1t Is goodness alone which conQuers the hearts
OF men. I had often pictured TO myself the
face OF Napoleon with a countenance sparkling
with genius. What was my surprise and dis
appointment on seeing only q little. short. fat.
wadding man. with sleek. plastercd-down
hair, with good enough features. but
little expression in his face. not even that Of
hardness which IL found in all his portraits.
with the exception Of that by David. On the
contrary. there was something pleasing in his
smile. which showed very handsome teeth.
From n distance. ! confess. his sallow. white
face. without a tinge Of color. and his antique
1 profile took on a character OF severity. which
disappeared as noon q, II was examined near"
After the retreat from Moscow. wilma was
reoccupied by tho Russian troops. Our author
relates that. in the search made by the police
in the town and Its e~nvirons. the bodies OF
about 10000 French soldiers were found. 1t
seems that the French prisoners, OF whom
there were q multitude. were permitted to wan
der freely about the city. Nothing" we
read, can ever efaoe from my memory these
walking speatres. I can see them still with
wan. emaciated features. and with eyes OF
which only the whites could be seen. as they
sat and warmed themselves by the fires which
were kindled before our houses to keep away
the Infection. have often seen them search
ing In the garbage Of the street for something
10 satisfy their hunger. which was not the least
OF their suffertngs. had taken into
my house one OF these poor creatures whose
mental faculties had been destroyed by misery.
When I asked him II he wanted anything. he
answered with a woful smile. I need nothing.
I am a dead man 1t was impossible to get
any other answer from him. ] cannot tell
how that smile haunted me, = Mis-
fortune had destroyed in the poor prisoners
even the desire to live. In their abstraction.
they would kindle a fire upon the floor In the
middle Of a room. and sitting around II. would
let themselves be consumed slowly by the
flames. 1t was in this way that the military
hospital at Zakret was burned down. and SIM
liar accidents occurred In a number Of villages.
Within a fortnight after the return Of the
Russians to wilma. Alexander ]. arrived. In
an interview with the Car our author heard
him say: I'VE could not risk the chances OF war
against skiful generals. against an army ac-
customed for twenty years TO conquer, and
commanded by a great captain whose military
genius was never foiled till now, Rather than
accept the conditions which Napoleon wished
10 impose on me, ] had decided to make a sacri-
fee. not only Of Moscow. but OF st Petersburg.
and to retire to Kazan. in the depths OF Russia.
as far as the frontiers OF Asia IL It were nee
essary. I should still have lost nothing of the
original territories Of Russia. for ~. Peters
burg IL built on Swedish land. and Moscow is
an old conquest" On another occasion. when
Napoleon was the subject OF discourse, the
Gar expressed establishment at the IMPROVE
dence which had led the great warrior to risk
himself with eOo. 1000 men. but without supplies
or any kind Of provisions. in a devasted re-
cion amid the deserts Of Russia. This want
Of foresight had necessarily led 10 marauding
and INSTRUMENTATION on the part Of the invad-
ing army. Napoleon himself had said to those
who begged him to take severe measures TO
prevent pulase, what will you have me do
They must eat" The Gar said: Napoleon
thought he could make the Russians revolt
by offering them In divers proolamations the
allurement OF liberty. II was. however. i'm.
polite to wound the religious feelings Of the
Russian people by letting the French soldiers
commit acts Of impiety in churches and sacred
places. Beholding the objects Of their wor.
ship outraged and despoied. the Russians
saw only a snare in the offers made them. and
instead Of running TO meet their pretended
liberators, they, faithful to God and 10 their
sovereign, retired 10 the depths Of the forests
with their wives. children and cattle. setting
fire to their own homes and never ceasing TO
harrass the hostile troops"
AZ one time. when n conversation turned
to the Unsuitable ambition OF the great cap
tain. and to the evils which that ambition had
brought upon France and the whole Of Europe.
Good heavens" said Alexander. placing both
hands on his forehead. what a brilliant career
that man could still run. He >ould give peace
TO Europe; he could and he has not done II.
Now the charm Is broken. We shall see which
shall su"'eed best TO make oneself feared
or to make oneself loved" Our author said,
1T is not Napoleon who will have the glory
Of bringing pea>e to Europe" What Diff
feren"e does II make" the Gar answered.
whether 1t Is he. or I. or another. who brings
pea~. so long as II Is brought" Some one
having praised the -haracter Of Ju Hen Bona
parte. the Gar said oddly. mo. ] should not
like to resemble him." then suddenly. he ~ried.
with enthusiasm. but ! should like to be
Moreaul There is q really great man. Then
he enumerated the merits and talents OF that
able general. One might suppose that Alex
ander !. had already chosen in his mind the
French patriot soldier to help In the execution
Of his own political and warlike designs. In
the course Of the same conversation. the Gar
said: How mu"h IL Is TO be regretted that
the Fren"h sa-rifrc themselves thus for a
mar who despises them from the bottom Of
his heart. at the anne time accomplishing such
grand things through them and by them. In
my interview with Napoleon at Erfurt IN ref
erenre to some remarks which I had made
upon the manner Of governing that nation.
no said to me: You do not know the French.
They must be driven, as I do II. with a rod OF
iron.' / recognize to-day the truth Of what
Talleyrand then said to me. that peace was
necessary to Frame. I generally mistrust
all the-e gray boards in politics. Being In
fuenced. besides. by the great military power
Of the French and the talents OF their chief.
I believed that, in tnlking to me In this strain,
rolayropd uuntod IN apapora xna ood - 49,,