The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-18
Napoleon.
BY EMORY J. HAYNES.

In youth read Abbotts Life of Napoleon" A.
a mental stimulant to boy the narrative which he
made is incomparably valuable. The story of thai
genius among men and the activities of man wide
awake in every fiber of his person. his versatility and
achievements, all conspired to awaken boyish am
bition Though l was never, l think, deceived into
an ambition for soldiers life, for which l was
not adapted yet the victories of a young mans
career are inspiring in any calling.
What if today a Napoleon should emerge in
France? The circumstance is the same as when
this slight, pale-faced youth from French island
strobe out and said: Leave it to me" A twenty
hve-year-old STRIPPING, without a single powerful
friend in the capital The world never, before nor
since read such tale the boys Italian campaign.
1t is said that young Hohenzoern heir to the Ger
man throne, holds Napoleon his ideal To place
Bonaparte alongside for a photograph would be,
therefore, fair. Only that young Bonaparte was no
prince but nameless army colonels SON. In America
we would say, "Mr. Bonaparte, Mr. Hohenzollern /"
If Napoleon Bonaparte-we never prefix title to
that wonderful name-if he were with the French
army, how little would inequalities of numbers count
On these same Belgian fields with 10000 men he
conquered 10000 At Waterloo he was a sick man,
with local malady that made prolonged sitting in
the saddle an agony. But for that he could have
Victory on WHICH inc Dying sunset SnOne
Think OF Marengo and the genius that turned
the rout Of the French into victory. And that
sublime FIRE of genius, how it famed at Austerltz.
Out of fourteen of the greatest pitched battles in
history, up to Waterloo he lost only one They show
pictures of generals with grazing hair. Napoleon
was never seen in Europe with a gray hair The
little whitening began TO frost in ST. Helena. But
by years he still young when he died.
1t is not rational to expect the world to withhold
its admiration for such mental powers His vices
were not on a level with his gifts as a man. His
vices not colossal, but he was colossal OF
course such statement begs the question as to
whether his solely caused by himself
Not So but the French people because they possessed
a Napoleon, were always more than ready. nation
possessing a fine army like the Germans today is
self-tempted to use it.
Any nation with Napoleon would be self-tempt-
ed, He himself so tempted His genius be-
trayed him The self-consciousncss of mental vision
wider than that possessed by any other living man
must be terrific
The European nations were obliged to remove
him. He was endowed that monstrous forces were
in his soul No such man can live among us unless
swayed entirely by the moral sense. And in con-
science Napoleon Bonaparte not above the aver
age man. The combination was a blunder of nature
We Can De CnarneQ Dy SuCn mental pow
ers. We must wonder and be inspired.
The thoughtful observer sees in Napoleon things
that transcend his military The code Napoleon
the body of French laws, almost dictated by him
as would dictate to stenographers 1t seems al
most incredible The beet sugar industry was ordered
by him when sugar totally unattanabe about
as would say to his servant Bring me a glass
Of water"
Above all, it was the national spirit that he
oreathed into a torn and desolate people, mad with
the hatreds of the revolution, so that the French
resolved to live again, and have This is the never
dying patriotism that saved them. Under Theirs it
olossomed into republic for which Americans have
he highest respect
The life of an unnatural man. above the average
IS always tragedy What one of them can we name
who not full of SORROWS? How lonely are the
heights of the Alps. There have been few. alas
100 few, who were also great in moral sense and
he affections. If we admire Napoleon we love
Washington and Lincoln.
One character stands out upon the horizon of
he past whose greatness was his goodness His
mind obeyed his heart. All the world unleashes its
alteration and gives free rein to worship 1t was
IF him that Napoleon Bonaparte said: 81 know men,
md Jesus Christ not man" There is no room
or doubt that who could not look up to any
'ther man found a grateful, steadyng obeisance in
his recognition The one greatest of our race ex-
;elled all in virtue and love. When YOU read the
ife of Napoleon, boys, remember this