West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-12-24
] PEACE
~ Emulate Example Of
Napoleon.
PEACE
The SECOND INVASION OF AFRICA
Dark Continent WIN Resound with
the Thunder ~ His Tread-Cause
for Thanksgiving.

Just little over century ago Ma
poleon Bonaparte, not yet crowned en-
pcror of France, flushed with the tri-
umphs achieved in his first Italian cam
paign, and restless at the thought of
comparative inactivity, planned in his
imperial mind grand invasion of Egypt.
The thundcrs of his tread rcsoundcd
throughout continental Europe. His fame
~ warrior, "a a military genius, was
already on every tongue. He longed for
triumphs in other lines and sought Ia
change the map Of the world, aiming 10
strike blow at Turkey by way of Egypt.
But there were other fields, too, in
which hc could distinguish himself, per
haps. Egypt was the cradle OF civiliza-
ton. 1t was the home of the Pharoahs,
the Ptolmeys. Within the crypts and
tombs beneath the mighty Pyramids
slumbcrcd kings, buried with whom
were perhaps secrets of state and history
which il unearthed would startle the
world.
There stretched the mighty Sphynx,
whose sightless eyes had gazed in mute
admiration at those stupcndous monu-
mcnts for twenty centuries. The super
stitious, imaginative mind Of the Man of
Destiny saw there fertile field. So,
when he journeyed to Egypt he took, not
only an army OF French soldiers, but Il
retinue OF French scholars, scientists, and
savants. The Pyramids were probed,
the ruins of the temples were ransacked
were brought to light after n dark night
of more than two thousand years. Pill
lars, columns, and sarcophagi were
scanned for inscriptions by the learned,
while Napoleon and his soldiers moved
down the Mamclukes on the sandy plains
Thus ends the story of the first invasion
of Africa.
A new invasion is about to begin
Theodore Roosevelt, president of the
United States, having whetted his appe-
tite Tor gore by chasing the bloodess oc-
topuses in fruitless flights, will, immc-
diatcly after his retirement from office,
sail Tor Africa with a retnuc of learned
men, government officials, all i'm govern
ment pay. They are not i'm search of the
eptaphs OF kings and potentatcs long
since dead No dry and musty tombs
and catacombs will lure them within
their damp and dingy rcccsses. No
sooner they land on the Dark Continent
than they will plunge headlong into the
trackless forests in pursuit of the roaring
lion, the king OF beasts, or the snorting,
trumpetng elephant with "eyes like II
hog and ears like hacker leaf" for
these educated government men are taxi
dermists, skilled in skinning animals and
stuffing their hides.
Every sunny afternoon this modern
Napoleon, armed with a dozen rifles Of
latest pattern and design, behind two
housekeeping, bobtailed bays, dashes
out of the White House yard and across
the Long Bridge, over To Surgeon Gen
eral Rixie's Virginia farm, to practice
for the coming fray, and by the time he
bids farewell to the land he now rules
with his imperial will the Yankee soldier
who could shoot bumblebee off this
tie at two hundred yards will look like
the rankest kind of an amateur. Teddy
is 10 do the shooting, the government ex-
pert. are to do the stuifing, and Me
Clnres magazine is tn tell the story at so
much per word. The slaughter of the
Mamelukes will pale into insignificance.
The massacre on the seashore OF the
1000 Jaffa prisoners will be a mere
country hog killing by the side of the
wreck and ruin that will bc wrought
upon the whole African lion family. In
deed, we fear the breed will bc cxtermi-
mated. When the second African iuya-
sion j. at an end the roar Of the Numid-
IAN lion, like the proclamations Of the
ancient Pharoahs, will be- thing Of the
past. The government Of the United
States will be taxed to it, utmost to con-
struct sufficient number OF buildings to
hold the carcasscs Of the poor unfortu-
nate beasts that will go down 10 their
death and the fame Of Nimrod himself
will have paled into insigniicancc.
While Napoleon was Staying the Name
lukes in Egypt France enjoyed brief
period Of rest Let Us offer up dcvout
duplication that this country may enjoy
similar blessing during the second in
vasion. Hampshire Review.