The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-04-30

A~~~s~~~-N~se.e.ee.e.
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle.
THE FRENCH war of 1892 pro-
duced a number of men of
great military genius. Among
them were two who were born
in the same year, one of whom fate
was to make conqueror Of the other.
These men for time held the attention
of the entire world, until on that fate
full day in June, 1916, they met on the
field of Waterloo. That day made Ma
poleon .Bonaparte an exile on the bar
rem rocks of St. Helena, and the Duke
of Wellington an idol in the eyes of his
fellow countrymen.
IT there is anything for which the
English government deserves credit, it.
is for the persistency with which 1t fol-
lowed Napoleon and finally ended
the meteoric career of man who
wasted human lives for no other pur-
pose than to satisfy vain desire for
power and fame. Great men are few
and far between, for true greatness lies
not alone in skill or genius in any
calling, but in achievements that bene-
fit the human race. We admit that
Abraham Lincoln was great man in
all that the word implies, for he had q
heart that throbbed with the current of
warm generous humanity. Napoleon's
heart throbbed only for Napoleon and
to place him in the same category with
Lincoln would be an insult to the men,
ory of one of the noblest men the world
has ever seen. Still for many years
Napoleon Bonaparte has been beheld
by many people in thegarb of greatness.
He began a vigorous career when
scarcely more than youth. He was
real then and continued real for nearly
a score of years, but during that time
all his actions point to his own glorif-
cation. Tradition, however, still ciings
about him and he is pronounced by
some to be the most illustrious of man.
kind. His admirers do homage to
what they call the universally of his
genius and noble deeds. Lamertine
declares him to be "the noblest and
greatest of the creations of Cod"
How anyone can reconcile such views
with the true character Of Napoleon, !
cannot understand, for his history
forces on one the belief that never in a
human being was their such combi.
nation of vanity, cruelty, tyranny and
avsrice. During his career he disclosed
q character which to the unprejudiced
eye gives distinct glimpses of his innel
and ruling self, and that ruling power
was vanity.
Behind the actions of Richelieu, tina,
other remarkable Frenchman, we al
ways find as q motive, the welfare o1
France, himself being always minol
consideration. Behind the movement
Of Napoleon the motive seemed to bt
the furtherance of his own ambitions
it was Napoleon first last and all tn,
time. We must admit that this youn,
Corsican possessed skill as militar!
leader, but he also had unscrupulou
ambitions. With the aid Of a splendi(
army he became absolute master o
France, and but for the unyielding op
position of Great Britain would prob
ably have subjugated entire Europe
Nevertheless, with an army that wa
always better and frequently create
than his opponents, there is no reasO
why he should not have been victoriou
in the majority of his battles. As 500
as his army was outnumbered, he me
defeat. At the same time believe, a
Macaulay says, that Cromwell shove
greater military skill than Napoleon
when we consider that he never saw a
army until he was forty, while NJ
poleon was educated in the best mil
tary schools of Europe. Cromwell ais
made his own army while Napoleo
was placed at the head of the fines
troops that Europe ever saw. Napoleo
in his egotism claimed that he woul
never be surpassed as soldier, but b
did not foresee the day when sue
geniuses as de Wet and Delarey, wh