Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-11-08
NAP0LE0N'S FALL.
The Modern kttila Crushed by His
= Streak of Insanity.
A VICTIM OF MEGALOMANIA.
Envious Of Alexander the Great, He
Aimed to Rule the Whole World. and
France Sacrificed Million Men on
the Altar of His Monomania.

the Altar of His Memoranda.
Were readers OF history asked today
what three human characters have
been most prominent in making the
history OF the world there could prob
ably be great diversity OF opinion as
to two Of such personaScS, but rs to
the third the general agreement could
probably point to Napoleon Bonaparte-
I. l.. O'Connor. who for many years
has made Il study OF the modern At
tia. as he was called by his contem-
poraries. presents In his London maya
zinc an article entitled The Insanity
Of Napoleons Genius" in which IL
shows him to be victim of meGalO-
mania. that form OF mental alienation
I'm which the patient is possessed Of
gradiose Authorizations.
Mr.. O'Connor discards the idea that
Napoleon because of his gigantic pow
err for work had perfect physique
and invulnerable health. He suffered
as Il child from extreme nervousness.
later from facial neuralgia. He had q
nervous twitchlnS Mt the moth AMI
the right shoulder. After Toulon hr
long suffered from painful and vast
ing cutaneouS disease. and at times hc
had fits OF an epileptic character A.
he was about TO leave StrasSburg In
1905 on the way 10 the mighty victory
over General Mack ut Ulm he had one
Of these spaSms. After dinner on III"
day he was leaving. says Taneyrand
in his memoirs. the emperor had called
-. I I
found him gasping for breath -
tore off his cravat, for he seemed lik"
to choke He did not vomit. but sigh
ed and foamed. NJ de Remusat. tirSl
gentleman in waiting. who had also
come into the room, handed him Wa
ter. and sprinkled him with eau dc
| cologne. He was suffering from some
sort OF cramp. which passed OF in
quarter of an hour. We laid him in
an armchair. He began to speak. put
his dress right. commanded us to ob
serve the strictest secrecy. and half
an hour later he was on his way TO
| Carlsruhe."
Another sign OF the abnormal in Ma
poleon was his intense irritabihty. and
often there came nervous breakdown
that reduced him TO the condition of a
| historical woman This S-ritability
sometimes took the form OF fits OF
weeping. He would Fly into passion
| on the slightest provocation. In his
Impotence he tore many n garment TO
pieces because it Inconvenience him
in some triaing way. He had an inner
melancholy that never left him. While
he talked Of death. Napoleon never
had any serious intention of taking his
own life. He never lost his grasp OF
life. While n man of dreams. he wa,
a man of action. Success did not make
this dreamer more cheerful He had
strange moments Of bitterness and
hatred and a desire to iuflict pain. Fol
instance. he would say to lady aftel
: asking her name. Dear me, was told
YOU were pretty" or to an elderly gen
l. tleman. You have not much longer u
= live"
1t was comparatively early in hi
, | career that his insane desire to rul'
not France. not even Europe. but al
- the world. took possession Of him. Tn
/. real reason for his crushing downfall
: is to be found in this megalomania
Il He himself caused his downfall. Ma
poleon alone could have conquered Ma
'; poleon, and 1t was this megalomani
! that undid him.
% There was his dream OF the contro
Ie of Europe. There WILL" he said to hi
tr intimates while he was Still first cor
y sui. "be no peace in Europe till it
} under the command Of a single leade
under one emperor. with kings for hi
a, officers. who will distribute kingdom
in to his generals. making one king {
m Bavaria one landman of Switzerland
= another stakeholder of Holland an
~ giving them all official posts In the in
perial household. such as grand CT
q, bearer. grand chamberlain. grand ma
= ter of the hounds. etc"
tv Napoleon did place kings in sever
t countries and controlled the policy
nearly every country Of Europe
n wonderful achievement for the pc
IS erty stricken charity boy who got b
'l' education at Brienne at the eXpen
of his sovereign. He might have T
NJ manned the king Of kings in EurOl
nu had he been satisfied with that awf
w height. But he was not satisfied;
I'd never was sallsneu' Alter Hui'
there was Asia
IN On the day he was crowned emper
ty in December. 1904. he SAID to his mi
In lister Of marine: IT grant you L
* career has been brilliant and | ha
risen high. But what a differen
les from ancient times. Lookat Alexand
ell the Great! After he hid conquer
IS, A.to bo daclorad himself tho son
~ Jupiter. and. except his mother Oily
$500 pias. Aristotle and few Atheni