The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-05-11
XIV.
40 other ruler the wor1L ever saw

said, Now we must rebuild, ana re-
build solidly, moreover"
Napoleon worked" says Molten,
minister Of the treasury, for ten OF
twelve hours daily either at depart
mental committees or at the council
Of state. when every detail Of the new
laws necessary to complete our lmper-
feet legislation was discussed in Ills
presence He strengthened the army
by numerous recruits. inspected ana
reviewed every division. He Increased
his artillery, always his favorite branch
OF the service He examined the plans
of fortresses ordered the works neces-
sary TO their completi /, regulated
himself the contracts for weapons, uni
FORMS provisions and purchase or
horses He demanded accounts OF ev-
cry detail from each minister ever ad-
dressing himself to the head clerks
when the ministers themselves could
not answer his questions satisfactorily.
1t was not uncommon TO see ministers
leaving the council half dea1 with ia
tigue after the examinations they had
had to undergo, while Napoleon. who
would never condescend to notice 1t,
would only speak of his days work as
pleasant recreation that had just eXer-
cised his wits. l repeat, too, that 1t
often happened that those ministers on
returning home or to their offices would
find ten letters from the First Consul
recurring immediate answers, for
which half the night would barely
suffice
In the civil service as well as in the
army no nomination, no promotion,
was signed until he had satisfied him
self as to the merits Of the candidate.
when the documents" says Maret,
one of the department secretaries had
been submitted to the secretary OF
state and were sent to the emperor for
his signature lie would leave them on
his writing table and only sign the
following day. This was his constant
habit. The examination of these pa
pers formed a special part of his work.
TO each name. without exception, there
was & note in his handwriting. Here
are some of his annot0tIons. copied
exactly: Granted Impossible For
what reason" How many wounds!
AT the first battle If possible Years
of service If only ordinary service do
not constitute Il right we shall see
later Not one action of Importance
When he returned the documents thus
annotated Napoleon would discuss his
reasons If the minister insisted in
favor Of an individual Napoleon sent
for his record
Among the multitude of acts which
assisted in the raising of France many
were laws entailing dry discussions and
special knowledge. 1t may be thought
that Napoleon adopted these laws
blindfOld
ITO think that would be q mistake"
says ROederec, who served Napoleon's
administration. From the decree
changing the denominations of weights
and measures up to the law organizing
the courts Of justice he discussed every
thing and yer. often threw light upon
everything. interchangeable in work, as
siduOus at the council of state, presid-
ing at meetings for five or six hours
consecutively, he applied to every sub
ject the weight of his talent before ap-
plying to it the authority of his posi-
ton. He established free and familiar
debate in the council of state, which
was exempt from the Inconvenience at
taching to set speeches from the trib-
une.'
Napoleon prolonged his working SEES
sions with his cabinet as we'll as with
his private secretaries into the early
morning hours. When every one
around him was falling asleep, says
ROederer, he would cry: Come, come
citizen ministers, it is only o'clock
We must earn the money the French
nation gives u.s. Even when absent
from Paris with his army Napoleon
did not relax his grip upon the min
listers
The emperor required" says Mol
lien, that the accounts Of the treasury
which served as the basis of the cred
its he opened monthly to each minister
should follow him even to his head
quarters. There, alone in his tent, he
examined these accounts, added them
up. modified my proposals and those
Of other ministers. as If he had had
nothing else to think Of From the
middle Of his camp and amid important
military operations he would not only
govern but manage France, and he sue.
ceeded'
While in camp. too, his generals and
aids were made to earn their money
One should be made of cast iron"
said General Rapp, his abide camp
Ito live the life we have to spend
Scarcely have we left carriage than
We have to get on horseback and re-
main there. with the First Consul. for
ten and twelve hours at stretch
sometimes"
And he did not shirk the routine labor
to put it upon the shoulders Of Subor-
dnates The Duchesse d'Abrantes gives
this picture of the emperor inspecting
the corps of her husband. General Ju-
not:
He had every TUNE unbuttoned. aft
er first examining the cloth of which
It was made. Then he inspected every
shirt. saw whether the materia. was
good, interrogated the men about their
wants and their tastes and that he did
10 every Individual
lie Gassicourt, the author and trav-
eier. gives similar account of Napo-
ICONS thoroughness while inspecting
Nhe troops in 1909. He saw him "ex-
ahlihins the mems knapsacks himself,
looking ut their uniforms and inquiring
aeout their advance pay. \ troop Of
Pohtoiiniers came along with forty car
riages. The emperor stopped them and
pointing to an ammunition wagon num-
efred 81. asked General Bertrand what
II contained The general enumerated
the contents. and Napoleon then had
IL elnpu''. before him, counted the ar.
ucies az. 10 assure himself that moth
ing had been left in the wagon, mount
ell Oh to the axle box of the large
wheel, holding on to the spokes."
The truthfulness of these casual stato.
ments is borne out by Napoleon's ad-
missions in letters to Josephine during