The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07

the last Of the worlds great conquerors,
Napoleon Bonaparte. lie, like Alcxan.
der the Great. Julius Caesar and Charlie
magne before him, tried and almost
succeeded In uniting all of Europe into
one great nation with himself as ruler.
Napoleon's marvellous military
achievements have distracted the popu-
lar mind from his enduring contribu-
lions to human progress. The great
empire which he organized did indeed
fall like house of cards the moment
his sword grip weakened, but the re-
forms in the social and economic system
of western Europe which he naugu-
rated became permanent part OF me
organized life OF the European peoples
1t is in the warrior turned social re-
leon must be sought.
That great Inundation OF ideas and
emotions known as the French Revolu-
ton flooded the world with an ire
sistible flow, wrecking ancient thrones
cherished institutions and established
classes. Confusion and violence were
the inevitable outcome of too rapid
change. and the best fruits OF the Revo-
luton would have been lost had 1t not
been for Napoleon, who became its
savior and not, as is commonly sup
posed. its suppressor The restoration
OF absolute monarchy under the Empire
did not at all mean restoration OF the
old social system. but "a more efficient
organization Of the new one. Napoeon's
mind was like an intellectual digestive
tract, which transformed the raw mate
rial of the French Revolution into the
bone and sinew OF new and enlightened
institutions.
This Corsican adventurer more than
any other man i'm history understood
how to manipulate the two great forces
which rule mankind. imagination and
economics. and ne made use of both to
further his selfish ambitions. But he
did not at all understand wha, has be-
come the dominant passion of our day,
democracy. To him an ideal constitu-
ton was one that was short and OBJ
scure": absolutism was not only the
best but the only kind of government
that he could appreciate. "Idealogues"
was the contemptuous term which he
applied to republicans, The common
people. beloved Of Lincoln, were to him
only food for powder"
Nevertheless. in spite of the fact that
his political ideals were out OF harmony
with democracy, Napoleon did more
than any other man to destroy the cor
rupt and decayed system of society Of
which privilege and inequality were the
dominant characteristics. He marched
up and down Europe smashing feudal-
ism wherever he found II, serfdom was
abolished. equality before the law estab-
lished, religious federation decreed, COM
merce and industry encouraged and an
enlightened system of administration
inaugurated. Above all the famous
Napoleonic Code, which incorporated the
principles of the French Revolution in
private law. was introduced in all the
lands which the Emperor conquered. ~
shall go down to posterity with my code
in hand" he once declared. 1t was a
great misfortune for Russia not to have
been conquered by Napoleon. for had
that been the case the mass of Russians
would have been freed from serfdom a.
the beginning and not at the end of the
| nineteenth century and the country
would have received an impetus toward
| progress which would have profoundly
| influenced her later development. What
the Russian people are fighting to-day
Is not the Car, but a semi-feudal social
system of which Nicholas III. is only the
spokesman and chief ornament.