The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09

increased hundred-fold In force. Bona
parte made us known on every shore; COM
manded by him. the French threw Europe
so low mt their feet that France Il i'll pre-
walls bv her name. and that the Arc de
rEtoile can rise up without appearing a
puerie trophy; but, before our reverses,
that monoument would have stood as a
witness. inst cad Of being only "A record.
And yet had not Dumouriez. with raw re-
cruits. given the foreigner his first lessons,
Jourdan wonthe battle Of Fleurus. Pichegru
conquered Belgium and Holland Hoche
crossed the Rhine. Massena triumphed at
Zurich. Moreau at Hoheninden: all,Xploits
most difficult 10 obtain and preliminary to
others? Bonaparte made a corporate whole
OF these scattered successes, he continued
them, he caused those vict cries to shine
forth; but without those first wonders
would he have obtained the last?'
After observing that it seemed to he
enough for Frenchinen that the misfortunes
suffered by France under the Empire should
have defied Napoleon, Chateaubriand de-
clares; That II not enough for mo. will
not stoop 80 low as to hide my nation be-
hind Bonaparte He did not make France:
France made him. No talent, no superb
GRITTY. will ever bring me to consent 10 the
power which can with one word deprive
me Of my Independence, my home, my
friends. II do not say of my fortune and
my honor, IL is because ones fortune does
rot appear TO be worth the trouble Of de-
Tending it, as for the honor. ii escapes
tyranny
In our authors opinion the wrong for
Napoleon is that he accustomed society to
passive obedience, thrust back his country
men toward the times OF moral degradation
and corrupted characters in such way
hat it would lie impossible 10 say when
mems hearts would begin TO throb with
generous sentiments. The weakness in
which we are plunged a. regard, Europe
our act ual abas.inent, are the result of the
NapoleoEic very: I'll that remains to liz
is the faculty to bear the yoke Bunaparte
ur settled even the futur,: 'twould hot
surprise me If, in the di.co mfort Of our
impotence, We were seen to grow smaller,
To- barriCadc ourselves n gaiI.st Europe
instead Of going to seek il out, to give up
our freedom within To deliver ourselves
from an ilusory terror without, to lose
ourselves IN iguohlr prOvidcih cares. con-
trary to our genius and to TIA" fourteen
centuries which have fashoned our lat ional
thoughts and manners. The d"sputiSm
which Napoleon left IN the air will descend
upon US III the shape of for'r.sSes. The
fashion nowadays - To- greet liberty with
a sardonc smile, ia look upon il as a piece
Of old lumber, fallen into dis use as honor
has | am not H. the fashion: | think
that there is nothing in the world without
liberty. il gives II price To life. Were | TO
remain the last 10 defend il | would never
cease TO proclaim It's rights To attack
Napoleon IL the nam" If things that are
past 10 assail him with ideas that are dead,
is to prepare fresh triunphs for him. He is
10 be- fought only with sonnet hing greater
than himself, liberty. He was guilty
toward il. and consequently toward the
human race
Even as he penned the words Just quoted
Chateaubriand recognized their futility
He saw that the time had not yet come
when his co,intrym.n could ne persuaded
to take a sane and discriminating view
of Napoleon Not yet were they ready
to renounce the worship of the man to
whom they owed impc ri-hahle fame. Vain
words Better than any do | feel their
uselcssness. Henccforth, any obsoryB zion,
however moderate il may be, il reputed
profane: 1t needs courage TO dare brave
the cries of the vulgar, not to be afraid
Of teing or, atod as u narrow Intelligence
Incapable of understanding and feeling
the genius of Napoleon, for the sole season
that. in the midst Of the lively and real
admiration which one processes for him,
one is nevertheless not able TO worship
oil his imperfe ions The world belongs
to Bonaparte: that Of which the ravishcr
WAS unable to complete the conquest his
fame usurps; living lie missed the world
dead he possesses il 1t IL vain for YOU
to protest: the generations pass by with
| out listening 10 YOU. Antiquity makes
! the son Of Priam say to the Shades; Judge
not Hector from his little tomb: the Ihdd
| Homer, the Greeks in flight. see there my
sepulchre; I am buried under all those
great deed-f
Already in the reign Of Louis Philippe
| Chateaubriand perceived that the Ma,
! poleon present TO mems minds was no
! longer the real Napoleon. hut a lcge ndary
figure, put together from the vagarie.
! VI Nl' I'V'' 'H' Nhih VI NV S'INi'i anu lllt
tales Of the people. II il the Charlie.
magne and the Ale Nander of the Idylls OF
the Middle Ages that we h,h, ID to-day
That fantastic hero will remain the rea
parsonage; the other portraits will dis
appear Bonaparte il 70 ms paratcly con
nected with absolute dominion that. aftc
undergoing the despotism Of his person
atty. We have TO undergo the desIotisu
Of his memory This latter despotism i
more overbearing than the former; for
though men fought against Napoleon wher
he was on the throne, there is n universe
agreement to accept the irons which h,
filings to us now that he is dead" One,
more. NO legitimate power il now abb
to drive the usurpng spectre from Ia
mind of man: the soldier and the citizen
the Republican and the Monarchist. TN
rich and the poor alike, place tusts an,
portraits of Napoleon In their homes, il
their palacesor in their cottages. the forme
conquered arr in agreement with the forrne
conQucrors, One cannot take step /
Italy without coming across him On
cannot enter Germany without m,otin
him. for in that country the young genera
ton which rejected him is past"
Acknowledging that, for time at n
events, the popular sentiment was inde
structible, Chatcaubriand, in Justice [
| himself deems il necessary to prove this