The Washington herald., 1912-04-03


to dispatch from Napoleon:
"Sire. shall men always continue 10
make you doubt the loyalty Of my senti-
ments? Must i be forever condemned TO
act in fear and trembling. when all my
thoughts and all my deeds have but one
aim, which is never 20 do anything TO
hamper your vast plans? Yet calumny
speaks loudly, and your majesty heaps
disgrace upon your own brother-in-law,
deprlves your lieutenant of the command
Of your troops, holds him up to the
French as an enemy OF France
All, sire, II your majesty desires to be
rid OF me. seek not for pretexts TO work
your will. More than once ! have told
you In writing. oftener still have ] de-
clared II TO your face, that IL your
majesty needs me not, you have but 10
say the word. and the King Of Naples
will cease to be a hindrance in your
path"
This sounds like the words OF a faith
ful. humble servant under a sense of
wrong from his master. Yet they were
the expressions of a man ready to play
false. Murat had learned to look inno-
cent as flower, but be the serpent be-
meath II. His mind was fed with false
Ideas Of Independence. nevertheless II is
difficult to agree that this absorption
was due to Murats unsophisticated
nature. II was. as I pointed out above.
part of Murat's policy TO maintain the
semblance Of that independent kingship
which II was his dearest wish TO encom-
pass. He sought a means of escape. COM
patible with his ambition. He built the
castle OF united Italy in the air. He
feared Napoleon. but he coquetted with
Austria and played with suggestions of
protection from England. Napoleon's
undying enemy. made TO him by Lord
William Bentnick.
Murat. in short. was falthless TO the
man who had made him a king, one Of
the great of the earth to outward ap-
pearances, II but a poor pItifuI cat's-paw
of a king His fate vas involved in that
Of his master. Bonaparte- So when
Napoleon landed from Elbs, to try his
fortunes once more with the aid of the
grenadiers OF his Egyptian campaign,
who adored their petit caporaL" Murat
was not at all slow q in following the
example OF his exiled brother-in-law.
He landed at PeZZo with only thirty
men. He depended. too much upon the
star" of his great kInsman when be-
lieving that his former kingdom was
ready TO receive him also with open arms.
He was captured upon landing and tried
generals, who condemned him to die
Murat was shot as traitor by the same
nation whose populace but a shirt six
months before had been enthusiastic over
their king and queen OF the house of
Bonaparte.
A little while longer and the imperial
sun had sunk forever, extinguished in the
hopeless night at Waterloo by Bleucher
and his Prussian grenadiers, who arrived
In the nick Of time to save Wellington
and his British soldiers from one OF the
worst beatlngs they ever had to their
discredit
The body Of 'le beau sabreur' lay al
peace in \ cemetery in the Italian prov
ince OF Calabris in its plain. hardly cared
for grave and the dread sovereign. who
had hectored him. was going TO the living
death at St. Helena ! must confess that
often I wonder IL the life of Murat had
not left n more impressive and readable
tale TO posterity had he not become the
husband Of Nspoleon's sister Caroline.
Nothing in Murats life made him the
hero and dignified him 20 such a degree
as did his leaving IT: III sut mourir. -
The same cannot be said of his caustic
critic, Marshal Berthier, who deliberately
turned his back upon his master when
misfortune overlook him. II was to him
that Napoleon wrote upon his return
from EIba when again surrounded by his
former invincible army and Berhier
shamefacedly asked 20 he allowed to
come back into the fold. Yes, you may
return. but only with the understanding
that you present yourself TO me and my
court in the uniform OF the king who at
present has the inestimable privilege Of
enjoying your eminent services. or
course Berthier did not come and the
disgrace Of the taunt soon after killed
him. FLANEUR-
Copyright. Isrc. by Court Gossip syndicatsl