The Washington herald., 1914-06-21

centive to service. Tn ambition" he
said, ''is to be found the chief motive
force Of humanity, and q man puts forth
| his best powers in proportion to his hopes
aroused, never is satisfied. The more 1t
has the more IT wants. Mere batons did
not long sufiice the marshals, who clam
ored for more and yet more
Naturally men are not content to serve
a throne as eheaply as they VIII serve
The generals Of the French republic were
happy with 5000 q year, while the Amer
tcan republic has put larger armies In
the neld than were enrolled under the en-
pire OF Napoleon and yet never has found
1t necessary to pay its greatest generals
more than S1s,5eo q year.
When the title deed to France had been
made out anew in the name Of one man
and the nation became the patrimony Of
his heirs, the peasant marshals soon had
to be appeased with hereditary titles and
estates that they could transmit to their
children. The Emperor, therefore, estab-
lished an aristocracy with his marshals
for Its pillars. .. s-.-
Once he had proclaimed the empire and
set up a throne, this step may have been
a necessity, as II surely was pleasure
for Napoleon. He was always glad to
share his fortunes with those around him,
and now he opened wide his hands and
rained titles and riches in a torrent. He
scattered abroad in ten years more titular
honors than ever fell from another throne
in 100. creating 5000 chevaliers OF the
Legion Of Honor. 1000 barons, 5SS counts,
81 dukes. and princes.
With each patent of nobility he made q
gift enabling the recipient to support his
title. But he prudently took care not 10
burden the French taxpayers with the
He did not venture to challenge the dor
mant republicanism Of the country by
drawing even the bare titles from France
On the contrary, he drew upon conquered
lands for his ducal names, the marshals
often being ennobled by titles that re-
called to French pride victories on alien
battlefieids. .....
Just as It was his practice to quarter
his army on foreigners, and make 1t cost
he quartered his nobility on foreign coun-
tries. He distributed among his military
men some $5.00000o that he brought back
from his Prussian campaign, and besides
heirs forever a fixed percentage Of the
yearly revenues Of crown domains wrest-
ed from conquered sovereigns and OF an
cient fiefs in Italy, Dalmatia, Poland, and
Germany.
Lannes received at once $4,000 in cash
and $65, 900 a year: Davout. $500 In cash
and nearly $4,000 year; Berthier. $4,000
in cash and $4,000 a year: Ney, SO, 900 In
cash and $4,000 a year, and thus the dona-
tions ranged. From time to time they
until the most fortunate drew $4,000 a
year
''Pillage not" the Emperor abjured
them. II will give you more than you
the entire army, including the privates,
every rank receiving its share.
ownrfs and Giants.
1t was the Emperor's boast that he
made giants out Of dwarfs among his
marshals. but II is equally true that in q
few cases-he made dwarfs out of giants.
His genius developed the lesser men but
natures. The former shone in his reflect
ed glory, but the latter languished in his
shadow. Those fitted only to obey
climbed to fame on his shoulders, while |
those capable Of command lost their ma
Il alone know what want done" he
gave all his marshals to understand. |
The Emperor" his chief Of stan an
or Of any one acting on his own responsl- |
oility. No one knows his thoughts; it i
Is our duty to obey.
Napoleon could add nothing to the stat
ure Of Massena, Soult, Dacout. and
Suchet. born leaders whom he led until |
their power OF initiative was weakened. \
Not that they would have been really |
great IN any circumstances; yet they |
might have been stronger but for his |
overwhelming strength
On the other hand, marshals like Mu- /
rat. Ney, Berthier. Lefebre, Augureau, /
Bessieres, were perhaps only ordinary /
men. each with some extraordinary quail
ity which Napoleon knew how to employ
without suffering from the consequences
Of their defects and their Unbalanced /
characters For he was not afraid Of the i
widest genius. and was confident that he |
could bride and ride Il.
3 Il know the depth and draft Of all my
generals" he said. This one was stupid, /
that one mad, this one was an ass. that
one tiger; this one was too slow lthatl
one too swift; this one had no nerve, that
one had no prudence. But when yoked |,
together and guided and goaded by, the
master hand. those strangely assorted
Of the empire were such a team
as never has been matched in the annals
Of war.
The Emperors own estimates Of theml