Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-26

d
month since Napoleon, abdicating his
throne as emperor of the French, re-
tired to the Isle of Elba, apparently as
a voluntary exile, but really to recu-
perate and plan his great last play in
the game. His action marks the be-
ginning of the end of his career, which,
remarkable man that he was, he actu-
ally was able to postpone for more
than a year.
In a career distinguished by bold in
cidents and Homeric epochs, there was
none in it that has appealed so strong
ly to the dramatic instincts of students
of history as this last phase of the
conuueror of Europe. The fall OF VOL
sew was received with scorn and con-
tempt, but the fall Of Napoleon was
characterized by dimensions of gran
deur that made even his enemies feel
guilty.
After all, Bonaparte is fine fell
low" wrote Charles Lamb. And the
genial humorist only echoed senu-
ments that were common among the
people of Europe at the time, If it did
not express the opinion Of the govern
ments which had been kept awake by
his years of conflict.
There is no parallel offered by his
tory of a disaster so complete as that
which attended Napoleon's invasion OF
Russia. Thousands of men in the grand
army perished; whole brigades were
lost; even generals dropped from sight
and never again were heard from
That Napoleon was able to return to
France with even a remnant OF this
enormous force proves that he was
military leader such as has not been
equaled in any age.
But he was a broken man. The AL
lies. who before the failure of his Rus
sian invasion feared him, took heart,
when they saw his plight; when they
realized that he had drained France OF
all the men that seemed possible and
that his resources were uncertain.
Abandoned by His Friends.
His retreat from Moscow had band
ed together his enemies in a union that
before had seemed impracticable, and
il was because he realized the turn in
fortunes wheel had added to the haz-
ards against him that he was heard
to exclaim at the beginning of the year
1914:
"An Europe was marching with us
a year ago; today all Europe is march
ing against u.s."
Even those he had befriended turned
against him. Murat, whom he had
placed on throne, abandoned him, al
the desire Of his wife. Napoleon's Sis
ter Carolina, who, like the Vicar OF
Bray, did not want to lose her high
place, but to live and die queen of Ma
ples. So, at her demand, King Joa-
chin concluded peace with England
and Austria.
The Allies already had crossed the
Rhine, and with $4,000 men Napoleon
set out from Paris TO meet their 6OO,-
600. He threw himself upon them so
intensely that at the battle OF La
Rothiere the Allies left him in posses
sion Of the field and at Craon he de-
feated the Allies under Blucher. He
tried to cut their communications, but
failed. Paris capitulated and the al
lied sovereigns entered the French
capital.
Even enormous energy and eXtraor-
binary military energy and eXtraordi-
nary military genius could not prevail
before the numbers that confronted
the emperor.
The French senate declared for the
dethronement of Napoleon, and the
emperor abdicated. At first on the
condition that his son, the infant king
of Rome, should reign in his stead as
Napoleon ii, and two days later the
emperor at whose name all Europe
once trembled, abdicated uncondition-
ally. This was on April IL, 1914, and
on May 4, of the same year, Napoleon
landed on the Isle of Elba.
Europe had been embrOiled in his
wars for ten years, and now felt
sense of security it had not known
since his ambitions first led him TO eX-
tend the bounds of his empire.
Privations at EIba.
Louis XVIII entered Paris, took pos
session of the palace and had his arms
engraved on all the plate. When he
was on st. Helena, Napoleon had some
of this plate with him and complained
bitterly of the speed with which the
Bourbon king had taken possession of
his tableware. In october the congress
of Vienna met to settle the affairs of
Europe 1t treated matters as if Ma
poleon had retired from public life for
ever, vet it's members had known the
Little COrsican, and should have anti
cipated him in his return from exile.
But they failed to grasp the situation,
and feeling very powerful, proceeded
to dictate how Europe should be run.
On the Isle Of Elba, Napoleon found
himself much reduced. He was in great
poverty. He complained that the Bour-
bons had not lived up to the Treaty of
Paris; that they had not given the
pensions to the members of his family
that were stipulated in the treaty,
neither had they deposited the 2,OOO,-
900 francs which was to have been de-
posted to the emperor. He was in ur-
gent need of money, and he strove to
obtain it from the already impover-
ished inhabitants of the island, whom
he called upon to pay in the summer
their whole years taxes, and when
some of them rebelled, he quartered
troops on the peasantry until they
agreed to pay. 1t was tyrannical, but
il was typical of his methods, and he
was desperate. He seems to have been
better informed of the situations OF
the French forces than were many
members of the French government.
He had calculated that the time had
come for him to make his audacious
escape TO France.
Time to Strike Blow
Napoleon was aware that dlscord
had arisen in the congress OF Vienna,
Austria, France and England had en-
tered into a secret convention against