The Irish standard., 1913-11-29
MAxlMs OF NAPOLEON.
Religion the True Prop Of Morality,
OF Principle and Of Manners.

Marriage is a state of moral per-
lection in which there is much more
than the mere union of names and
-chattels. OF allsoci al institutions, it
Is the most imposing.
Everything in this world proclaims
the existence Of God. Religion is the
true prop Of morality, of principle
and Of manners. And so everything
connected with religion ought to be
free for the people; for the poor
ought not to be deprived of that
which consoles them in their poverty
because they are poor. Mans best
course In life is to cultivate religious
faith. Religion is principle which
cannot be eradicated from the human
heart, and l am SO convinced of the
necessity for religion in the lives Of
men, that when re-established the
Catholic Church in France, I was
merely consulting what knew to be
the real wishes Of the people. The
one religion-the Catholic-which
has proved invulnerable against the
assaults of time, needs no advocate
or apologist. That is the true. one,
and l hold to the opinion that all
men should believe in and practice
religion. Religious truth pierces the
clouds; it shines like the sun and
is equally imperishable. l am far
from being an Atheist, and l did
everything in my power to re-estab.
lish religion as the essential founda-
ton Of morality and good principle
To have right estimate of mans
character, we must see him in adver-
sity. Tragedy touches the depths of
the soul. Hardship, poverty and want
are, as for all men, the best school
for soldier. His first qualification
is fortitude under fatigue and priva.
ton; courage is only the second.
Deep tragedy is the school of great
men and to judge men correctly we
must take them where events have
thrown them; we must penetrate
deeply into their actions, whether
good or bad, and assure ourselves
If it were not impossible for them
to do otherwise than they did. Mans
true character always displays itself
In great events, although many great
characters hive been modified by age,
by habits of life and by experience
and for the better. The greater the
man, the less he is opinionative; he
depends upon events and circumstan-
ces. AS for myself, l believe Nature
intended one for great reverses. 1
have a soul of marble.
Education is the best policy of
governments, and there can be no
limit to their work for the people in
this respect. One of my grand objects
was to render education accessible
to everybody. caused every institu-
ton to be formed upon plan which
offered instruction to the public,
either free, or else at rate so mod
crate that the poorest person could
avail himself of it. The museums
were thrown open to the people, and
in my time, had l remained on the
throne, the French people woald have
| become the best educated In the
world. All my exertions were direct.
ed towards bringing intellectual light
into the lives of the masses of the
| nation. The reason of this was that
have always held by the opinion
that the ideal sovereignty of a nation
lay in the people. Called to the head
of 1t by the peoples voice, my maxim
was to give a free chance to all
ability and talent, without distinction
of birth or fortune. l always prided
myself on being the man of the
people, and this because l raised my.
self from the rabble to the greatest
height of power without the aid OF
the aristocracy of hereditary rights,
because long list of mobiles or petty
princes did not distinguish my name
and because, in fact, l was not of the
last, they determined to Cypress and
humiliate me when they got me in
their power. That the new nobility
formed was that Of the people, is
true. took the son of peasant and
made him a duke or a marshal when
found he had talent. That l wished
to introduce a system of general
equality is also true, and that every
person should be eligible to every
situation, provided he possessed the
requisite talents to fill it, whatever
his origin might be. That 1 wished
to do away with all the ancient pre-
JUDGES of birth. is again right, and II
was likewise true that sincerely
sought to establish a government of
the people which, despite It's appar.
ent harshness, was also for the
| people. But oligarchies will not have
this: they wish to have all the i'm.
portant places reserved for their own
people. States must be governed by
reason and policy and not by Wis.
ionary schemes, the offspring Of self.
ish acrid and vitiated humors. The
heart Of a legislator should be no.
where but in his head, and in gov
eminent, as in war, firmness is nee.
essary to success. When the autho.
rity Of the master is despised, all is
| lost. ..
Great ambition is the passion of a
great character. He who is endowed
with 1t may perform very great or
very bad things. All depends upon
the principles which direct him.