Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-16

from them their views concerning him
self and his acts. One day. dressed
I'm ordinary civilian costume. he lief
the palace By n side door and. walking
along the Rue de Riyoli. entered th'
garden of the Tuileries- That was
more than a hundred years ago. The
space between the palace ana the
Place de Ia Concorde was not theI
the barren looking area IL is now, Du
veritablc garden filed with flowers.
Napoleon had but recently humblet
Prussia. and the French people were
celebrating the anniversary of one OF
his victories. Seeing young army or
fcer sitting on bench alone. the EN-
peror took a seat beside him and be
gan a conversation with him.
do Won think this man Bonaparte.'
asked Napoleon. sis a great general:
Il think the Emperor Napoleon to be
the greatest general who ever lived.
was the reply.
"What, Greater than julius Caesar
81 am not familiar with the cam
paigns of Caesar"
well. young man. If you were you
would know that Napoleon is but an
imitation of the great Roman"
THAT may be; but. IL it is. Napoleon
is the only imitation we have had in
eighteen centuries"
This pleased the emperor very much.
He inquired the regiment to which the
young man belonged and his name.
Then he arose from his seat and stroll
ed away Presently seeing an aged
man, the emperor took seat beside
him with a view to drawing his views
of experience as he had drawn those
of youth.
"Our people," said Napoleon, seem
to be going mad over this Corsican.
monsieur What do you think of himT'
He is the center of one of those
storms that periodically sweep over
large tracts. They grow 6ercer till
they reach a climax, then instead OF
dying slowly, as they started, end sud
denly"
Napoleon started. but inwardly; his
control of himself. except when he
wished to impress some one with the
awfulness of his wrath, was perfect.
The speaker did not see how deeply
his companion had been touched by
his words.
After Napoleon what?" asked the
emperor.
There should be the republic, but
France is among number of nations
which this Bonaparte is antagonizing.
There is in the Place du Carrousel, in
rear of the Tuileries, a bronze group
of horses drawing a chariot This Ma
poleon took from the Prussians. They
will not rest till they get it back. Be
sides. they will make our children or
grandchildren pay a pretty price for
its loan to France"
why do you think that?" asked the
emperor.
"Bonaparte will not stop till he has
arrayed every nation in Europe against
him. Even his alliance with Austria
by his marriage with a daughter of the
house of Hapsburg will not keep that
people from turning against him when
the final united effort to kill him
comes
Napoleon made no reply to this. He
sat with folded arms. his chin buried
in the ruffies of his shirt front, his
beaver hat drawn down over his eyes.
Presently he Strengthened up and
asked:
What has been your occupation.
gour sphere in life, monsieur"
Il have been everything-notary. jour- !
1alist. historian. Now that my body is |
not fit for exertion L simply think"
will the antagonism excited by |
3onaparte live beyond the present cen
ury:"
Il think it will
And these people be has conquered
Will revenge themselves on France?"
They will. These wars of Napoleon
Till leave France exhausted. The peo-
lie our descendants have to fear are
The Russians:"
NO; at least not for many years.
The Russians have q large territory
md enough TO do to take care of their
'wn internal affairs
THE Prussians?"
Not the Prussians alone But some
uture Prussian king will realize that
he can unite the German people he
nay hurl them against our descendants
nd crush them. Prussia will never be
content till she has recovered all the
Prestige that has been wrested from
Ter by Bonaparte. | question If she
he help of all the German people"
We'll. suppose some king of Prussia
mites the Germans and RECEIVERS the
Ugh position that has been taken from
Ter. What them"
What then? Why. France will new
r he content till she has got ii back !
gain
How will she do that?''
Now you are getting beyond the
ision of the keenest thinker or
that shall happen within another cen
lry cannot think: | can only feel"
The old mans face assumed
reamy expression. There was n far
way look I'm his eyes. Napoleon turn
4 and fixed his own eyes-eyes that ,
id not dream. but communication {
in'. Presently the speaker continued:
"a hundred years or more from now I
IT descendants will be much changed.
4