The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-07-13


ofths fnpuiaos was fam 10 take shelter under
the CLOAK % a great soldier h a, East.
prumi~sd order ~EVsrythihs favored the
drll-.efgc@h, theory u government, The
in-tincts developed by q thousand years 20
monarchy had not b~~n voted out IN the
la-, de-ade They now prompted France
To rallv "a her able man. and. abandon
ins political liberty a. q hopeless quest.
IA" oh+vet the imperiouS call which pro-
missed 20 r~eyiytfy th order and b~rlliancc of
her old eAist-nce With the t~hrobbins blood
OF her new life
No man was 80 keelly alive to the nature
~ the situation a. was Bonaparte himself.
b" saw what the people wanted. and he
satisfied their desires AZ First Consul. he
soon showed hat he Intended to adopt a
IA bipartisan and thoroughly national policy
That had been. II IL true. the aim OF the DE-
rectors In their policy Of balance and re-
preston Of extreme parties on both side-.
70 reasons Indicated in this work however.
they had failed but now a stronger and
more tactful grasp vas 10 succeed In q feat
which naturally became easi"r with every
year that removed the passions Of the he
volutionary epoch further into the distance.
Men cannot forever p~rorate. and agltat~,
and plot. A time infllibly m when
an able leader can successfully appeal to
their saner instncts. h hour has nov
struck B~onaparte's appeal was made TO
tho many who cared not for politics, pro-
vided that they themselves were left IN
security and comfort. IL was urged quietly,
por.istently, and with the reserve power ~
a mighty prestige and Of an overwhelming
military force. Throughout the whole Of
h Consulate. q policy Of moderation. which
u too often taken for weakness, Was strenu-
ously carried through by the strongest man
and the greatest warrior OF the age. Mr.
Rose soes on 20 show In how many ways the
truly national character Of the First Consuls
rule was manifested. For example. he ex-
cluted from high once men who were
notorious regicides. excepting q few who.
like Fouche. were too clever 10 be dispensed
with. The Constitutional Of ini and even
declared koyalists. we're welcomed back
TO France. and many Of the Fructidorian
e,il~- also returned The list ~ .migr-s
was closed. 80 tina, neither political hatred
nor private greed could mi-repre-ent q
journey a. an act 81 political emigration.
Equally generous and prudent was the treat
ment % Roman Catholics. liberation was
HpN fAiFNufl W "lutloAs W Hpu-I IA
Priests. who WERE required merely 10 promise
allegiance to the new Constitution By
thi. act ofttmely clem.ncv. orthodox priests
were allowed 20 return 10 France, and they
were even suffered 10 on 'iate in places
where No opposition vas thereby aroused
Achap,er ~ this work IL allotted 20 q de-
scription Of the new institutions q France,
the r~eConstructive achievements which
render the Consulate and the early part
81 the Empire forever famous We refer
20 tho substitution OF local government
by the central power for local self
government. to the Concurdat by which
tho relations 81 revolutionlznd France 10 the
Papacy we're se'tled the foundation 81 The
Legion ~ Honor. by which social dis
tinctions wer' res-tAblisAed in n Land
IA which tales had zen abolished TO
the compilation 81 the cod Napoleon
and 20 the arrangements for national edu-
cation. Such are ia, civic achIevems nts
which are imr~rishAbly associated with
the name Of Napoleon Bonaparte. They
gave to the Revolution the solidity which It
had previously lacked. some Of the chief
civil conques,s 81 the preceding decade
might have been los, had not the First
Consul. 10 Use his own phra.~. 'thrown
In some blocks 70 grant" Thenc~fur'h
Trance was shle to work out her future
under the shelter - Institutions which un-
q~uesuoLably po.-rss "u~ supreme merit
hat - durab hty The r~sults Of Bona
parties rec~ons,ructiye energy will stand
forth clear and solid FOR many a generation
IN the customs. laws ard institutions 81
his adopted country II The Revolution.
irts,!e, tually considered. hogan and ended
with analysis. N~apoleon's~ faculties supplied
the needed ~-ynthesis Together they made
modern France.
our author would attribute the fruitful
49, q. the time % monArChical reaction IN
France 20 two causes the one general. the
other personal tho one, connected with tho
French Revolution. the other. with the eN-
ceptional gifts % Bonapar,e In their
Efforts 10 create durable institutions the
Revolutionists had failed they had at
tempted too much they had over,hrown
the old order. had undertaken crusades
agains, monarchical Europe, and striven
20 manufacture constitutions and remode
a deeply asitated society They did scarcely
more than trace the outline. 81 a future
social structure The edihce which should
have ten r~ar~d 10y the Directory, was
scarcely advanced At all. owing 20 the sinsu-
lar dulncss Of the new rulers % France. But
the genius wa a, hand lie restored order.
He rallied various classes o. his slde. he
m~ethodiz-d local government, he restored
finAnce and crcIit, he restored religious
peace. and Vet secured the peasant In their
tenur" of tn. confscaisd lands, he re-
varded merit with social honors. and, finally.
he -olidi'cd hs polity Nv a comprehensive
cod. - laws which made him the keystone
% the new rounded arch q French life
II Will to remembered that. by tho Com
.titution framed after the 10th Brumairr.
Napoleon vas made First Consul for ten
year. Tho revised Constitution formulated
after the signature ~ the dehnitive treaty
Of peace with Great Britain March %.
IsI?i provided tina, the ; rst Consul should
h Id ohlce for life. This provision being
submitted to a pl'bisci'e. was approved
by the majority 81 more than
s.SpW0 Affirmative votes against s.S7t
negatives nv the same Constitution tho
three legislative bodi~. 81 practically all
their powers. while the attributes ofthe
senate. which could 10 easily controlled
10y the Executive. were -isnally enhanced.