The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-05-17
USE YOUR OWN IDEAS
LEARN A LESSON FROM THE WISDOM
OF NAPOLEON.

The Fear of Critics Did Not Disturb
That Hard Headed Man. and He Ac-
complished Things That Others De-
clared TO BE Impossible.
If you suggest a new and good idea
TO ten men, this will happen:
Five of the ten will reject the idea
first, because it is new, and, second. be.
cause they themselves did not think of it.
The next three will consider the sugges-
ton vaguely. be family impressed with
it, but reject it. They will say that they
think the idea not feasible. In reality
they will be incapable of the mental cf-
fort necessary to grasp fresh mental
processes
The ninth-very probably-will tell you
that some one else tried the idea before
That ''somr one else" failed. Therefore
you will fail, and he will waste no time
on what has been tried vainly.
If your tenth man happens to he
strong man. he will make as much of
the idea rs circumstances will permit.
If he has Napoleon'S character. he will
realize the scheme despite circumstances.
for this was one of his true sayings: Cir
cumstanccs-l make circumstances"
He did not boast when he said things of
that sort. There was no boast" in him.
lie said what was true
You think Of Napoleon as a flashing.
flaming genius. In reality he was first Of
all man Of common sense. He saw
things in their true proportions.
Mime. d lloudetot said of him, "He con
tracts history and expands imagination"
And Lord Dudley said: He has thrown
doubt on all past glory. He has made
all future rcnoWn impossible"
1t is difficult. either with cold detailing
of facts or widest Indulgence in hyper
bole, to magnify Napoleons material
achievements.
But remember that his greatness. hest
understood by himself, is attributed by
hlm-hrSt, to his common sense and, sec
ond, to the fact that he refuses to CON
slider another's failure any proof that he
must fail
Read Napoleon's campaigns Napoleon
won all his battles as, if you win. you will
win yours. He won his victories hy
studying his advcrsarcs. He prepared
for victory hy ignoring the fears and
doubts Of others, relying on his own cour-
age and common sense
You know that Napoleon crossed the
Alps with an army in the dead of win
ter. You have seen pictures of him all
surdly posed in a snowStorm ON the edge
of a prccipice on a draggle tailed horse.
an eagle flying overhead But he did not
pose. If there was precipicc, he kept
away from it, and he took his achieve
ment calmly.
Many of the ahlcSt military writer's had
said and proved to the satisfaction of all
but Napoleon that the Alps could not lr
crossed in winter. Had not those Alps
kept back the savage hordes through
centuries Of winter?
Napoleon, perfectly well knowing thar
he was the greatest of men in military
wisdom, rejected all talk and studied the
case for himself Then he crossed the
Alps quite easily as he had mapped ont
the work. And when it was done he
talked of it in common sense fashion.
The winter" says Napoleon, "is not
the most unfayorable season for the
passage Of lofty mountains The snow is
/ then firm, the weather settled, and there
! is nothing to fear from avalanchos, the
I real and only danger to be apprchcndcd
/ in the Alps. On those high mountains
there are often very fine days in Drccm-
Der, of dry cold, with extreme calmnoss
in the air"
Quite simple it was, you see, and Na.
poleon did it quite simply
When Napoleon appeared, if ANYTHING
was settled in the minds of men and es-
pecially of fighters it was this: That
nothing new remained to be discovered in
war. Napoleon, just for a change, did
everything nov