The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-04-10
NAPOLE0N'S WISDOM.
THE GREAT GENERAL UNDERSTOOD
THE VALUE OF DISCUSSION.


1t Does For the Brain What Exercise
Does For the Muscies--The Mighty
Corsican's Ideas ON Religion and
the FIrst Great Cause.
Man exercises his muscles to improve
them. He completes muscularly with
bis fellows and rivalry of muscle ends
IN muscular improvementsal around.
What exercise does for the muscles
discussion does for the brain.
The Importance OF discussion Napo-
leon appreciated thoroughly.
And when he discussed, he discussed
like big man, selecting questions to
exhaust the mind and lead far away
into fields of conjecture and widest
speculation.
His was no dreamer's brain, giving
to speculation the time needed for do
| ing. First came the real work of the
day or hour-the planning and finish
| ing of details, from the dlsposing OF ar
my corps to the smallest final arrange
| ments.
Then, free from actual work, seeking
| relief from concentrated application,
his brain sought rest in talk worth
while.
On his voyage TO Egypt, determined
10 waste no time. he organized serious
discussion as methodlcally as he ever
organized Il lighting plan.
The discussions were regularly ap-
pointed affairs.
Needless to say, Napoleon arranged
everything and controlled everything.
He selected the subject for discus
sion, he chose the three or four on each
side To support and oppose any given
proposition.
the art of war; second, the art of gov
ernment; third. religion.
From his point OF view his chief sub
jects for discussion were admirably
chosen. They represented the only two
things he cared for here below and the
final question affecting his fate here
after
But his field of thought, like the
scope of his ambition, was unlimited.
Once no asked his chosen debaters to
decide whether tho planets are inhab-
tied.
Again, he discussed this earth's prob
able ending. by fire or wnter.
He discussed also the meaning Of
dreams and the value of "presenti-
ments."
In practical llfe he discarded every
thing save realities, but In discussion
all abstract questions interested him.
1t may interest you to know that IN
general he denied positively the exist
ence of hell-perhaps thut was caution
on his part-and maintained that no
man should die without confessing his
sins:
"Only n fool says that he will die
without confessor. There Is so much
| we do not know and That we cannot
explain"
1t is deeply characteristic OF Napo
leop,s thought that he should have de
clared for Mohammedanlsm In prefer
cnce TO Christianity.
He admired the religion of NIoham
med "because 1t conquered one-half tht
world In ten years, whereas 1t took BOO
years for Christianity to establish It.
self"
The old French king became convert
ed because he thought the Christian
God beat his pagan god in battle. M
poleon i.id not Travelled far beyond that
old king.
The man who seeks for all sorts or
wisdom In Napoleon will be deeply DIS
appointed when he comes to analyze
the great lighters religious thought
But for the hero worshlper there ii
comfort In this:
Napoleon trined with everything ex-
cept the first great cause.
On the deck OF his ship on n fine
night there was much irreverent, Flip
pant, materlallstlc chatter. The revo-
luton had made stupid atheism fash
lonable.
But Napoleon was impressed by the
calm night, the blue. dark water and
the silent. beautiful stars shining down
In cosmlc rebuke of the tiny bias
phcmers below.
He stopped very abruptly the prattle
of atheism.
Toward the stars he pointed the
short, thick arm 80 soon to rule this
little planet
you may talk us long as you please,
gentlemen, but who made all thatr'
There was no answer, and there was
no more atheism that night
The man who was to build up the
code Napoleon could appreciate the
o In Ia ii
realized the fccbeness of man, coping
even with little problems of earth.
lie felt that great laws and Great
| Lawgiver must swing and direct those
millions of silent worlds above.
When Napoleon was still n Corscan
| patriot, the great paoli said to him.
Napoleon, you are not n modern.
You talk like the heroes OF Plutarch."
Enrnestncss OF the old kind was In
deed Napoleon's characteristic-as EN-
peror, planning TO rule Asia from the
back of an ornamented elephant. or as
poor, half starved lad, taking off his
muddy shoes 10 enter the presence OF
the matronly Nine. Permon and listen
! Ing to her stories OF descent from the
emperors cf Constantinople.
| Napoleon IN his hours OF work was n
! dOcr. aud In his hours Of leisure be
was dlscusser.
lie exercised constantly the two sides
OF his brain the practical and specu.
latlye
DO the same and succeed.
York Journal
!
10 Spell sbnkespeare's Name.