The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-09-29

toinette or even against the Bourbon
claimant. Louis XVIII. No one ever
succeeded In gaining his favor by abus-
ing his predecessors or rivals. In let
ter to his brother Louis. king OF Hol-
land he said:
Il do not separate myself from my
predecessors and regard myself as re-
yponsible for them ALL from CLOVIS
down to the Committee of Public Safe
". and all the harm that is lightly said
of governments that have preceded me
is said, / consider. with the intention
Of insultin. me. l know it has become
the fashion among certain people TO
praise me and to cry France down. but
those who do not love France do not
love me. ard those who speak ill OF my
people. hol.. them for my bitterest
enemies
"Your majesty will find brother in
me If l find a Frcnchman in you. II
you forget the feelings which attach
you TO our common country. you Will
not think ii wrong that shonid forget
the ties which nature has placed be-
tween US
MeNeNdl. WHO accompanied -|ipOlSol
in the capacity of secretary, says that
after inspecting a large factory at Jouy
he took the cross Of the Legion of Hon
or from his buttonhole and handed it to
the manufacturer. saying:
''IIcrc is my cross. | like to reward
services of all kinds to the mOtlcrland.
Peaceful war made against the enemy
t,, OH. prny
than the war wagcd OIL battletields.
To one OF his ministers he wrote from
the battlefield: AS Il general rule. the
best way to praise me is to do things
which may inspire the nation. the
young and the army with heroic feel
ings''
Nupolcun's liberal treatment of van
luished foemen is frequently depleted
in the annals of his reign, not merely as
a phase of gallantry to be expected in
a warrior, but az u shining trait In his
character. COnspraiors who sought his
ruin and even his lifeblood and traitors
who betrayed his cause were forgiven.
Says De Bausset. project of the palace,
"Once the first feeling Of annoyance
over. Napoleon always pardoned."
"All that I know Of him proves that
be possesses great soul, which quick
ly forgets INJURIES" wrote the Duchesse
d'Abrantes. In this vein she recalls
the words Of Napoleon to minister
who handed him the names of Il dozen
powerful ConspiratOrs that had been
detected In the work, with the query,
what does your majesty command
with respect to this AFFAIR."
Nothing"
The other looked at him with aston
the emperor smiled and repeated:
Nothing at all. my dear count. l pun
ISL my enemies only when their mach
nations interfere with my projects
for the good of my people. 1t is for
that, not because they oppose me, that
| punish them. | am less Of Corsican
than l am thought
In the island Of Elba, speaking Of his
possible return to France, the emperor,
abandoned and already betrayed by his
best friends, exclaimed:
Il will punish nobody! wish to for
get everything"
And when, OH his return to the TUT
leries On March 20, 1915, he received ut
| one and the same time documents sign
cd by these same projects and officials
| declaring their adhesion to the restored
Imperial regime and assurances Of fdel-
ity addressed to Louis XVIII, who
had taken to flight, the emperor, filled
with pity for these ungrateful men,
whom he had formerly loaded with IA
| rors, contented himself with Struggling
| his shoulders and saying:
Gust like mankind. One must laugh
at them to keep from crying
And, suiting his action to his words,
he replaced about his person the ma
| jority Of the chambcrlains. equerries
and masters of ceremonies who had
| surrounded him in 1914
Dwelling upon this phase of human
character one day at st. Helena. Napo-
leon said:
"Let me tell you that Il man. he who
has the true feelings of a man. never
/ cherishes hatred. His anger or i'll hu-
NOR never goes beyond the irritation
Of the moment. the electrical stroke.
| He who is formed to discharge high
| duties and to exercise authority never
considers persons. His views are d.
rected to things. their weight and con-
sequence
Upon this principle he had acted Of
ten during his troubled reign. Nine.
de Remusat quotes these words. spoken
when face to face with a notorious con-
spiracy:
Il have no feelings Of hatred. | am
! not capable of acting from revenge.
only sweep obstacles from my path,
and, If 1t were eXpcdient, you should
see ine pardon Georges Cadoudal to-
morrow, although h came simply and
solely to assassinate me-
Bourrienne gives notable instance
Of Napoleon's moderation in the susl.
of his victory at Marengo. The defeat
ed Austrian general sent an intcrne-
i diary to plead with the conuucror for
better terms. Sir" said NAPOLEON.
carry my final determination to YOUR
general. 1t IS irrevocable L. OCCUPY
your whole rear Your finest troops are
killed and wounded l might insist on
harder conditions. but l moderate my
demands in consideration of the gray
hairs of your general"
GEORGE l.. KlLMER