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

The chief Napoleonic aim to renew
and to end the war for commercial
and colonial interests between France
and England and to settle 1t In favor
of the former was n complete failure.
Consider the cost OF this failure. Moral
ity debased. plunderng and ruin of
countries encouraged, nationalism wan
tonly disregarded. the reckless slaugh-
ter OF millions. What conceivable good
can outweigh the utter desolation and
innumerable disasters resulting there
from? To accomplish this one aim
Prussia was trampled under foot and
every effort for arousing a national
spirit brutally crushed: Hardenberg,
the soul Of the movement. exiled: the
hopes of the Poles destroyed forever;
Lombardy and Venetia given to Aus
tria; n French force maintained by vio-
lence in Spain, where every effort for
freedom was cruelty suppressed; forces
and rulers imposed upon the Italians,
and Holland helpless beneath French OPP
preston. So hateful was the tyranny of
Napoleon to all Europe that wherever
the liberating army of France made
their appearance the cry rose Down
with the liberators." Were not Prussia
and Italy able to begin pationalistic
measures only after Napoleon's down
fall? Had Napoleon succeeded Prus-
STA had been blotted out OF the map;
Spain. Italy, Holland would have be-
come subservient to France. If ma
tionelism succeeded it was only because
Napoleon failed. In the words of a
historian: I'VE are indebted to tyrants
for our liberty. though to. them we
owe no thanks"
What II Napoleon establis he'd the Civil
Code in France and in the Confedera-
ton of the Rhine? II was not his
work especially, but that OF the times
and his contemporaries. Was not the
reaction at Vienna due to the unutter-
able despair In which he had thrown
Europe? He seemingly destroyed the
power of the clergy in Italy; but was
not Gladstone able that same century
to expose the atrocities of the clergy
in the Papal States; while Naples, dy-
Ing under the Bourbon oppression, was
stified with catechisms. Even France,
made completely dependent upon Ma
poleon. writhed in the midst of tyranny
after 1915 until two more bloody revo-
| lutions brought her to the position
which Napoleon prevented her from at
taining namely. a republic.
When we see how little duration Ma
poleon's tasks possessed. and compare
Edison's genius, which completely revo-
lutionized the social phase of modern
times. how weak Napoleon appears.
Where does Napoleon's contribution
stand in comparison with a Darwin?
A man who kills recklessiy is not
great. When Frederick II. disregarded
nationalism 1t was to make Prussia
compact: when Louis XIV. robbed ter
ritory 1t was to defend France on her
weak points: but when Napoleon did
so 1t was ambition, and woe to the times
whose fate lies in the power OF an I'M
scrupulous despoiler. Even when
France was beautified 1t was only after
the robbing and plundering of Italy. A
great man is torch in the darkness,
whereas Napoleon blew out the light.
In the words OF Lamartine. he was
False in institutions. for he retro
graded; false in policy, for he debased,
and also in civilization. for he OPP
pressed; he was only true In war, for
he shed torrents of human blood"