The Irish standard., 1904-08-20
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
Anecdotes In Connection With His Life
at ST. Helena. T

Anecdotes In Connection With His Life
at ST. Helena.
The reflections of Napoleon reported
by his companions at st. Helena might
be dismissed as mere garrulousness
but for the fact that he often INDUCED
the talking habit and spoke in the
same strain during his active career,
says Geo. L., Kilmer, in the Messen-
ger. Given ;n audience and himself
for Il topic, he made no secret of his
consuming ambition and it's ultimate
aim. Nine. de Renrllsat repeats in her
memoirs many of these earlier con-
versations of Napoleon.
Il was educated" he said, tat mil
itnry school, and showed no aptitude
for anything but the exact sciences.
Everyme~saidGof' me, That child will
never be goodffor anything but geom-
ctry. l kept aloof from my school
fellows. 1 had chosen. a little corner
in the school grounds, where would
sit and dream, iat' my ease for I have
always liked revelie. When. my conf
panions tried to usurp possession of
this corner 1 defended it with all my
might. l already knew by instinct
that my will was to, override that of
others and that what pleased me was
to belong to me. l was not liked lat
school. lit takes time to make one
self liked, and even when 1 had:noth-
ing to do l always felt vaguely that
had no time to lose.
Il did not understand muchi about
the revolution, but approved of it.
Equality, which was to elevate my
self. attracted me. On the ..20th of
June l was in Paris, ,and l saw the
populace marching Hpou. the. Tailleries.
l have never liked popular movements.
and l was indignant ':at the violent
deeds Of that day. 1 thought the ring
leaders in the. attack very imprudent;
for l said to myself, TT is not they
who will profit by this revolution
But when l was told that Louis had
put the red cap on his head l came
to reign, for in politics there is no
resurrection.
con the 10th of August 1 felt that
had l been called upon would have
defended the king. 1 set myself
against those who founded the repub-
lie by the people. Besides, saw men
in plain clothes attacking men in uni
form, and l could not stand that.
"The fact is l believe 1 should not
know how to obey. 1 recollect at the
time Of the treaty of Campo Formio,
NJ. de Cobentzel and met in order
to conclude it in room where, ac-
cording to an Austrian custom, a dias
had been erected and the throne Of
the emperor of Austria was repre-
scented. On entering the room l ask
ed what that meant and afterward l
said to the Austrian minister Now,
before we begin have that armchair
removed, for can never see one seat
higher than the others without in
stantly wanting to- place myself in it,
You see, had an instinct Of what
was to happen to ME some day.
II have now acquired one great
advantage for my government of
France. Neither she nor will de-
ceive ourselves any longer. Talley-
rand wanted ME to make myself king
but will have no grand seigneurs
except those I make myself. Besides
which, the title Of king is worn out
Certain, preconceived ideas are attach
ed to it; it would make me kind
of heir, and 1 will be the heir Of no
one. The title that bear is n grand
| err one; it is still somewhat vague
and leaves room for the imagination.
Liberty is a preteXt; equality is your
hobby, and here are the people quite
pleased with king taken from the
ranks Of the soldiery. Men may in
Weigh against despotsm, but my au-
thority will always be popular. To-
day have the people and the army
on my side, and with these man
would be great fool who could not
reign"
At st. Helena Napoleon frankly con-
fessed his personal failings and errors
of Judgment. Said he:
II have, it must be confessed, been
the spoiled child of fortune. From my
first entrance into life 1 was accus-
toned to exercise command, and cir
cumstances and the force of my own
character were such that as soon as l
became possessed of power acknowl-
edged no master and obeyed no laws
except those Of my own creating.
"None but myself ever did me any
harm. was, may say, the only
enemy to myself. My own projects,
that expedition to Moscow and the
accidents which happened there were
the causes of my fall. may, how
ever, say that those who made no
opposition to me, who readily agreed
with me, entered into all my views
and submitted with facility, were
those who did me the most injury
and were my greatest enemies, be
cause by the facility of'conquest they
afforded they encouraged me to 60