The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-04-30
THE GREATNESS
OF NAPOLEON.

~~o>-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>~l
with a few South African farmers would
whip ten times their number of men
the flower of the worlds
largest army. That is genius such as
never possessed.
Under the false motto of Liberty,
and Fraternity" he so strength
ened his hold upon soldiers and people
that he was enabled to become their alb
solute master. Not long afterward,
however, he changed this republican
mask to the more pretentious title
of emperor-fit food for his growing
vanity. In this position he showed his
true nature by turning traitor to his
own people by stamping out the newly
gained freedom from monarchial rule
and substituting his own military des-
potism.s He led war which embroiled
in succession nearly every nation in
Europe and accomplished nothing.
Then wherein lies his right to be classed
among the great men of the world?
What has he done? What were his
attainmentsf What can unbiased his
tory record of him? Only terrible
waste of human life and such vainglo-
rious remarks as "the greatest glory of
France is to acknowledge me-" His
contribution to the worlds history is
summed up by Herbert Spencer in the
following words: "Year after year he
went sacrificing by tens of thousands
and hundreds Of thousands, the French
people and the people of Europe at
large, to crafty his lust of power and
his hatred of opponents. To feed his
unlimited ambition and to crush those
who resisted his efforts after universal
dominion, he went on seizing the young
men Of France, forming army after
army that were destroyed in destroying
like armies raised by other nations.
And all this slaughter, all this suffer-
ing, all this devastation was gone
through because one man had restless
desire to be q despot over all men,"
We might add to this the fact that he
forsoek his wife in order that be might
perpetuate his own name. This was
only one of his unmanly acts, but 1t Is
the character of the man that his acts
show. The character is not ideal when
measured by American standards. 1t
does not meet the requirements Of
true greatness, for we demand higher
and purer quality of character.
But there is one other incident in the
career of Napoleon Bonaparte which to
my mind entirely divests him of his
garb Of greatness. In his treatment of
Toussaint L'Ouverture we see his DOM
mating spirit Of vanity. His greatness
is confused with another aspect, q
doubtful aspect even to the mind of
his most ardent admirers. The mere
tricious arts by which he tricked the
followers of this noble black man dem.
onstrates that he knew not the princi.
ciples of truth and justice. OF Tous.
saint, suffice to say that his character
has been excelled only by that of the
immortal Lincoln.
In the year 1900, st. Domingo under
the rule of Toussaint L'Ouverture was
at the height of prosperity and as peace
full as Quaker village. Toussaint haG
liberated the slaves, driven the Spani
ards back to their own cities, con
quered them there and put the French
banner over every Spanish town, ant
for the first time the island obeyed one
law. In 1901 Europe concluded thu
peace of Amiens and Napoleon tool
his seat on the throne of France. III,
looked across the Atlantic and will
one stroke of his pen reduced Cayenn'
| and Martinique back into chains
"What shall we do with st. Domingo ?
: he asked. aSire, leave it alone" he wa
, told. "It is the happiest spot in you
i possessions. God raised this black maj
! to govern, races melt under his hand
i He it was who saved you this island
George Iii. offered him any title an,
, any revenue if he would hold the islam,
i under the British crown, but he refuse,
, ! and saved it for France"