The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-06


 man who is simply a newer of wood or drawer of water; but it is more particu- larly so of him who plays a prominent and active part in the affairs of his time, and who leaves an indelible impress on the age in which he lives.
 However briefly and casually one may consider Napoleon Bonaparte, it is mpos- sible to lose sight of the intense bearing upon his career of many of the great his- toric characters and the vital historic events of the ancient world. To his mind the entire history of military endeavor and achievement from the dawn of hsto- ry was spread out like a clear panorama and he seemed to realize every situation and every problem which might have confronted Alexander or Cyrus. Tamer- lane or Atlla, Caesar or Hannibal, Charles Marte or Louis TX, Marlborough or William of Orange. All men of all ages were his famiars, and all scenes were his stamping ground He seemed to grasp and comprehend at a glance such intricate problems as most men could not solve by weeks of study and he had faculty almost unerring for deciding upon the most stupendous undertakings, while his opponents were wrestling with mere preliminaries.
 In stature and frame Napoleon was
 
 slight of build, but his frame was com pact and well knitted together and the experiences of his life prove that he pos sessed great powers of endurence and physical stamina equal to that of the best soldiers in his armies. His wonderful brain power was provided for in q head which seemed too large for his body and such was the happy development and uniformity of his mind that the physical disproportion was rarely noticed except by critics who observed him especially for dissection.
 Whatever the influence of former gener- ations might have been in the develop ment of this truly wonderful being. it may be freely granted that the moving drama of his own time was most respon- sble for the singular bent of hIs genius and particularly for the almost marvel ous career which this genius carN - out for him. In the ordinary course of things there was no especial reason, one would think, why the seventh child of a decid- edly prosac country lawyer should cut such a figure in the world There was certainly nothing remarkable about the country lawyer, Bonaparte. who lived humbly enough in the island of Corsica. But the future conqueror's mother, whose maiden name was Letitia Ramolino was a decidedly remarkable character, fitted by her mental gifts, by her physical beauty and lofty ambitions to fill almost any sphere. and to make herself felt in any society.
 The strength of her character had singular illustration at about the time of Napoleon's birth. At that time the island of Corsica under the leadership of Paoli. who received some encouragement from the English, was In death strug- gle for independence against the French.
 The story goes that Letitia Bonaparte.. with her husband and children and other refugees, were fleeing for their lives be- fore the enemy, and Napoleon came into the world just aftr his mother and those with her had crossed furious mountain torrent in a storm. the mother of Bona parte riding on a burro. It was an age of strife and violence, and there was probably no single spot on the earths surface where these disorders were more prevalent. or where life was held more cheap. than in the island of Corsica in 1769.
 Louis KY. one of the most depraved monarchs of all time, vet fingered on the throne of France, and the monarchy was tottering to its fall. His soldiery over threw Paol and Corsica became French.
 Reduced almost to pauperism through the stress of circumstances and an utter lack of industry or business sense, Charles Bonaparte found himself in great straits with a very large family and very small income Fortunately for him there was a noted cardinal at Paris who was rel ative of his family. and who was Willing to aid him. not only with his purse but also by his influence at court. In was through the direct interposition of Cardi- nal Fesche that Napoleon was made cadet at the military school of Brienne, in France. at the age of ten and that some of his older brothers obtained good nositions in the government service which enabled them to be of great value to him later on.
 There is deep pathos in this period or inc history of the Bonaparte family. The little Napoleon, at the mlhsals sonoo, was too poor to dress or to fare so well os tbe sons of aristocrats who were his o1assmates Many of the latter reviled hin, ar poxed fun at him, but 1t was not ,ony hefore his mental superiority as- serted itself and his brains commanded for him A prestige which money could not buv It does honor to his heart ana to his good sense that in the days or great nass and mower he remembered to shower fa,.ors unon the classmates and teachers who treated him justly and fairly and 1t ,s not recorded that he ever took revenge ,non any of those who had spitefully ,,sed him. Before he left Brienne his fatner ldied and his mother and sisters crossed over to France and were strug- sling with deepest penury in the city at Marseilles As soon as he heard or their situation he interceded for them with his brother Joseph and with other rela- t,ves and secured means for their relief. and ever afterwards did everything in his power to provide for them But terrible days were fast approaching and when the great storm of the French revolution