The Washington herald., 1914-04-12

January :. lsoe-NapoleOn elected president cis.l
pine republic.
Hfe
october, lso2- -BOurienns dismissed.
May B. lss-Reopeaing Of war between France ana
Great Britain.
August ., iN-Band Of Royllists ssassins landed
FsSruary Is. IsO4-Gen. MoreAu arrested.
February .. lso4-Gen. Pichegru captured
March O. l84-GeorEes captured
March Is lsN-Drke d'Enghien kidnIpped.
March N lD4tThe duke arrived at Vincennea
March q, lso4-Ths duke shot.
March 3, DQ-Eectorzl colleges asked Napoleon
to found q dynasty.
Ar-n 6. ID4-Pichegru committed suicide.
June 10, ls4-Georyes and his consrar1tnu sen
tened to death; Gan Aoresu banished to
Ameico.
became the envy Of the nations
It was an era Of uneXampled peace
and order. All H,en were equal before the
law and free to do what they liked. only
provided they let politics alone. Peasant
and noble were safe in their homes, their
properties and their businesses. Inc
stage coach went without guard" The
country waXed prosperous beyond al
precedent. Taxes were light and the ma
tional bonds rose in two golden years
from II francs to 6o.
Yet the republic persisted. The oper-
alton was successful but the patient
died..
A Benevolent Despot.
The consulate. was a brilliant and be, be-
nevolent despotism. 1t took away only
the peoples dream of liberty and their
never had enjoyed. 1t gave them in ex-
change the abounding genius and energy
of Napoleon, who served them better
than they could serve themselves.
4 wise and pure despotism is the wisest
and purest of governments. But its fatal
defect is that II dries up the springs
OF its wisdom and purity. public opin-
ion. AS the first consul waSed more
masterful, the French people sank into
a dumb subsefviency until he could no
longer hear their voice. AS he grew
trembled at the thought of standing
alone and at last surrendered themselves
wholly to his iron will.
Many look back upon the consulate.
with its Capitalization of power, its re-
vival of official ceremonies and its in
auguration of the Legion of Honor. as
one long. crafty. cold-blooded conspir-
acy against the republic on the part OF
the first consul, who warily and steadily
crept day by day toward the throne.
This opinion, however, gives too much
credit TO his foresight. quality in which
he was strangely deficient. For this man
was not the architect of his own for
tunes His plans were Overruled in
nearly every important instance and he
was always the creature of circum-
stances He had chosen TO be a writer
rather than a soldier. to go into the real
estate business rather than into the rev.
olution, to be Corsican rather than a
Frenchman, to be a drillmaster for the
Sultan of Turkey rather than serve in
the army of the republic, to seek martial
glory in Asia rather than in Europe, and
nnally To- return to the army Of Italy
Once he was installed as dictator OF
France. the throne wes the natufal IL
not inevitable goal of the dictatorship. 1t
was as unnecessary for him to cOnspire
for the crown as for the consulship as
unnecessary for him to plot against the
republic as against the directory. He
frankly said to the council Of state:
France is not yet a republic; whether
she will be one is still highly problemat-
ical; the next five or six years will de-
eide"
of ten knew 1t. The tottering nation had
invoked the mighty arm of Napoleon as
its crutch, and France no sooner leaned
upon il than she was filled with dread
forebodings of what would hapen when il
should be withdrawn from her support
Would the terror or the Bourbons re-
turn? The aristocrats and the church
looked upon him as their only shield
from the former, while the revolutionists
and the peasant land owners regarded
him as their protector from the latter.
He himself was well warranted in
declaring that except for a few luna
tics who care for nothing but anarchy
and a few honest men who dream of
a Spartan republic, the whole nation
government" Not merely the place
holders felt their dependence on him,
but all who were sharing in the new
security and prosperity OF a flourish
selves limited in their calculations to
his ten-year term; then the abyss.
A King Except in Name.
Napoleon was hardly in office be.
fore a movement began TO lengthen
his term to twenty years, but the pro-
posal was Immediately amended and
his election for life was provided in
successor. He himself struck out this
last provision, for he was still arguing
that heredity is irreconciliable with
the principle of the sovereignty of the
people and impossible in France"
There was only one vote against the
consulate for life in the Tribunate.
and that was cast by Carnot. But
having the law submitted to a refer
endum of the voters, who indorsed il
with a unanimity amazing to English
speaking people-yes. S.56S.SS5 votes;
The first consul for life. with an
annual allowance from the treasury of
81. 100000, felt himself a king in all
day was celebrated with the pomp and
gayety which Paris so well knows
how to display. and on the Tower of
Notre Dame there blazed through the
destiny.
Dropping the signature of Bona
parte, he began to sign his Christian
name, Napoleon, after the manner of
a royal personage. He fairly clapped
his hands, this giant sprung from the
loins of the people, as he thought of
himself on an equality with the
crowned pigmies of Europe: Il am on
q level now with foreign sovereigns. |
They, like me, are rulers for their |
lifetime only. They and their minis |
ters will have much higher respect for |
me now" The Cisalpine republic in |
Italy also called him to its presidency. 1
Among the disssaters from the life |
on the election register that he could |
not vote for an unlimited magistracy !
unless political libecty was guaran- |
teed. The patriotic marquis appealed |
in a letter directly to the First Consul: |
1T is impossible that you: general, the
foremost in the ranks of those great |
men who are but rarely found |
throughout the ages, should desire |
that such a revolution as ours, so many |
victims, so much bloodshed, such mis- |
nate in the establishment of an arbi- |
trary regime"
On reading that communication, Ma !
poleon contemptuously exclaimed: AL
ways thinking of Washington" and /
dismissed the writer from his thoughts 1
as "a political ninny," IAN i6ealogue," !
who is constantly harping on America |
without understanding that the French
ette's last effort to preserve the Revo-
luton. and ne entered into retire.
ment from which he did not emerge |
while Napoleon remained in power.
Might he have made himself q
ls hard to say. Against factions at
home and foes abroad even the power
of Napoleon might NOT have availsd