The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-25
An Able
Demonstrator
BY F. A. Mitchell

|
tain gala day, when the people wer,
celebrating some one of his many vic
tories, his ascension TO the throne Of
France or some other anniversary with
which he was connected, dressed him
self as an ordinary citizen and went ou
into the garden of the Tuileries tc
mingle with the throng and hear what
the people were saying about him.
A little boy was shouting "vive lem
pereur" at the top of his voice when
Napoleon took him by the arm and said
to him:
why do you shout for Napoleon
In him you have but exchanged king
for an emperor"
For moment the child was stag
gered, then, recovering his eQuanimity.
said: THE king was king OF the no.
bles. Napoleon is emperor OF the PEG.
pie"
The emperor wns put In good HUI
NOR by this speech and. dropping a
coin in the boys hand. passed ON. Aft
err wandering about for awhile he seat
ed himself on one of the garden bench
es and watched the people go by, some
speaking words OF praise for him, 9TH
ers condemning him, while the main
number. glad OF the holiday, were in
tent upon their own enjoyment Of 1t.
Presently young lieutenant in the
army sat down beside the emperor.
what fools these people are" said
Napoleon, ITO throw off one yoke and
Immediately take on another. This
man Bonaparte has no qualifications
for ruler. He is not even an able
general"
Il grant you the latter part of your
charge" replied the lieutenant, but
the first part / deny. l think | see In
the emperor the elements Of COVER
nor. / admired him for overthrowing
the directory. Those men were lot OF
muttonheads.
Napoleon was interested that sol
der should deny that he who had dag
zled the world with his brilliant ex.
ploits as a general was not compe-
tent military leader.
MY friend" he said II am delight
ed to meet one who agrees with me as
to Bonaparte's military talents, or,
rather. the absence of them. | am Gu
rious to know II you condemn him for
the same deficiencies that | condemn
him for. Tell me-"
WELL" said the lieutenant, 'he VIC |
lates every principle of war"
$50 he does"
II was with him In the Italian cam |
paigns and was shocked at what
saw. Instead of moving his army In I
an orderly manner he was In such O
hurry that most OF the time 1t was
strung out like a rope. ready to come
apart at any point
II noticed that myself"
What. You were there? You are a
soldier?"
II was soldier, but now | have a
better Job. But what other fault have
you to find with General Bonaparte?"
This: went through the course at
the military school at st. Cyr. and IL
Napoleon is a great general then those
books should be burned"
mot all of them. Books are not in
tended to make generals, but to bring
/ soldier up to date in his knowledge
" what others know or are supposed
% know. The general tops the books.
,ot the books the general"
The lieutenant then began to state
principles Of war he had learned at
he military school. defying Napoleon
o find any fault with them and show
ne such apt scholarship and especially
admirable eemonstrative powers that
Napoleon was astonished. The young
nan proved to him conclusively that
n his campaigns he had time and
gain violated principles Of war that
ad always existed and would always
xist. :
How, then" asked Napoleon. do
on account Tor Bonapartes successT
"A coincidence OF abnormal condi-
that would not occur
gain in centuries"
NdpoleOu lhouShb tut u &c" hiihu'cS'
nd the lieutenant congratulated him
elf that he had made an impression.
When the former spoke again he said:
"You have confirmed my opinions OF
lis upstart, and | have been much
leased with your powers of demonstra-
on. You have a remarkable faculty
n making things clear to another.
,e you belong to the Ninety-third
giment. May l ask your nameT'
"Suchard-Antoine Suchard. at your =
rvice. Yours is
But Napoleon. who had risen from
e bench. pretended not to hear and
another moment was lost in the =
ovid.
The next morning Lieutenant SUI j
ard received an envelope from the
mister of war containing an appoint
ent as professor in the military
hool at St Cyr. He was greatly as
nished. but II did not occur TO him =
at the stranger with whom he had q
liked in the garden of the Tuileries
d anything TO do with the matter
IS tastes led him to accept the ap-
intment. and he at once entered
on his duties.
)ne day the emperor visited the mill
y school for inspection. When pro-
'sor Suchard saw him he collapsed
IN a mon Dieu, He is the man
IN whom I talked In the garden"