The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-28
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The Laekal and the Lion.

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Daily avesa-e l-au,isy, =, a9I, excepted ,235
The .IacLaI and the Lion.
In The current number OF the Atlantic
Monthly appears an article from the pen
of Mr. Goodwin Smith, embodying his
opinion Of Napoleon: the Last Phase"
recent work by Lord RosebeTy- It IS
chiefly remarkable for large patches of
the unconscious humor peculiar to Mr..
Goodwin Smith and for d certain equally
innocent and On, onseious audacity-
The opening sentence of the article IS
evidently intended to pIacate Lord Rose
berry in view Of the subsequent severe
criticisms on his book. II assures Us
that anything from Lord Resebery's pen
is sure TO be sparkling and attractive"
Aside from The patronizins tone of this
remark. which is as if a globe-trotter
reached up TO pat the Sphinx on the lead,
there is a certain piquancy in the idea
OF a sparkling and attractive" style be-
ing appropriate in dealing with the sub
ject Of Napoleon's exile at s.. HeIeua-
But there is more 10 follow. as the hymn
says Mr.. Smith goes on 70 dispose Cf
Napoleoa himself after this fashion:
Tho petty miseries Of Napoleon AT s. Helena,
his Sgua5hicS with SIT Hu,iScn Lowe and she
bickeriazs OF his little household were hardly
g subject worthy q being handled b. one Who
has been Prime Minister of England vho :nIy
again be Prime Minister OF England, and Eho
j. being courJed - a leader by L large scc-
tion Of q political party Perhaps Lord Rose
berry while awaiting the call Of Destiny. wishes
TO kiIl the time without mental strain by daily
ing with lighter themes Though strictly CRIT
al nd 4
spell. and feels that n dealing with the great
conqUeror he Is dealing With something more
than human
\ writer less satisfied with himself
and confident in his convictions than Mr.
Smith might possibly have surmIsed that
if 4 statesman who has been Prime Min
lister OF England, and IS courted as
leader BY q considerable portion Of the
inhabitants Of that realm, and nay there
fore lie supposed to be possessed Of
REASONABLE amount Of judgment. is so be
wftcheG and bemussed by the mere study
of the life Of a man who died eighty
years ago, there may perhaps have been
something remarkable about the man
himself But that idea. though it would
hit an ordinary critic with decided force.
does not appear to have penetrated the
Uranium q this enc. His feeling IS that
the study Of NapoIeon's career is q mere
pastime for idle moments, and that. even
IN that case, Lord Rosebery might have
found something better to do The unique
ness of this opinion dedes comment It
must be left in lonesome grandeur as the
only specimen OF its kind IN the whole
world.
We are next told that Napoleon on his
way to Elba discovered that the political
and municipal bodies of France we're re
joicing at his fall; that one OF his own
narshaIs addressed the soldiers in a con-
temptuous strain. speaking of the fallen
conqueror as -.Buonaparte' by the
way. was after Napoleon was safely out
OF the ceuntry-and declaring that new
dynasty. strong and liberal. descended
from the ancient kings OF France, was
about to replace "Buonaparte" and his
despotisn; that, moreover, Ney, on Ma
poIeon's return from Elba marched
against him. promising the King TO bring
him back in an iron cage Mr. Smith
omits TO state that this fallen tyrant,
against whom the people Of France were
so bitter, came back little later with
out any pomp or circumstance, as Z
simple private citizen, took France by
storm, ousted the strong and liberal
dynasty and fought the Battle Of Waterloo
assisted by the man who promised to, but
did not. bring him back in a cage The
study Of Napoleon being a pastime for SIR.
Smiths idle hours, he has doubtless over
looked these little details. They were
not small to some OF Lord Rosebery's
predecessors The combined intellect Of
most Of the statesmen Of Europe, including
MetteTnich and Pitt. studied hard over
the genius Of this man for several years.
and although finally. through the united
action Of Europe. led by England. which
was for the first time in her national
existence actually fighting for life, ne was
conquered, it IS generally admitted that
none &c his contemporaries understood
him II was as much as they could do to
stop him They had no strength 20 spare
for anaIyzIng his character Is it 100
much to say that the man who, By the
tremendous force Of his personality. could
thus dominate a continent was Il not
suPerhuman. AT least something more
that the ordinary human being? It las
remained for Mr. Goodwin Smith. a. the
safe distance OF three-quartc-s OF 2 cen
tur., and with The Atlantic Ocean be
tween HIM and the dust of the eougueror.
to discover that Napoleon vas not 80 very
much after al.
Having struck his keynote in the para
graph quoted. he gees On 10 explain that
10 consideration was due to Napoleon;
that he was a bad man. who committed
several murders. cmbroijed all Europe in
war, had an overDOweriRg ambition to
master England. and actually liked bat
ties. Moreover, he was not religious,
and failed 10 accept his captivity and Che
pesty tyraunles OF Sir hudson Lowe with
becoming meekness. His military genius
Is disposed OF thus.
.'Nspoleoa's special eharacteTI-tic &c a general
seems be- Tie wonderful re5g1izg Of lis move
Iasu--, which hc cKcd partly 10 has admirable
PHYSIQUE"
Considerable space IS given in Lord
Roseberys book to the details of Ma
poieoH's daily life At St Helena. To an
imaginative person these must be inf
nI5ely pathetic. we read that. so far as
vas possible in the cramped and mean
Quarters allotted tn him, The exile kent M