The Washington herald., 1914-06-21

krancois Chrisophe KellemAn. DuEe q '1ns'
rrancois Joseph Ls1eSr,, Duks q Dautzie. born
pOniniun. nc catssrIns Dc PsriEnOa. count, bon MA
Jean Mnthieu PAiHbeA s@unisr. count. bon.
ySctur cSHud. Perrin Victor. Duke Of Bssune. eu-n
I,,1S,.s EtSeu1e Jo.rph Ale1nndrs Macdonald Duks
of Tarentm. born lf6. died lso
Nieholas Charles oudinot Duke Of Resro born
.r1,ot. Frederie Louis viesss de Marrsont. Duks
"a Rag1sa born r77l. died lG2
Louis Gabriel suehet, DUKE Of AIbut-a. born iI7o.
eovVSoa I1nr.ut St on. count. BON r1, ai.d issa
JoS.uA Poniatowzh rriDce, born lIH. died laS
Emmanuel de Groucny. count born ~. oieo III.
II HE marshals who surrounded and
supported the throne Of Napoleon
form a remarkable exhibition Of the
productive power Of democracy.
Although the Emperor hattered himself
that he made his marshals out Of mud.
those eagles really were Matched out OF
the fertile egg Of the revolution The re-
public, not the empire, was their oppor-
tunity. Every one Of them already. had
won rank before serving under Napoleon,
three among them being colonies, four
brigadiers, and one a chief Of stan, while
full fifteen had risen to the high distinc-
tion of division commanders ere he De-
came the fountain Of honor.
All but five Of that brilliant company
were sons of the people, and all but seven
started at the bottom as common soldiers.
MuraFs father was a country tavern
keeper, Ney's a cooper. Augureau's q
mason, Lefebre's an enlisted soldier, Mas
q
a brewer, Macdonald's a Scotch crofter,
Suchets a small manufacturer. Lannes
a poor mechanic while Jourdon and Bes-
sieres were sons of country physicians
Bernadotte. soult. Money. and Brune OF
country lawyers or notaries. and Montier
and ST. Cyr of little farmers Berthiers
father was an oface holder Of modest
rank. and only Davout. Marmont,
Grouchy. Poniatowsl1i. and Perignon were
Of noble origin.
None but pgvout. Marmont. and ST.
Cyr ever had seen the inside of mill
tary school. An except Berthier, Davout,
Macdonald, Marmont, Grouchy, PeriS-
non. and Poniatowsli had started in the
trade of war with the musket of pr'-
vate.
BatOna in KnapsaclSS.
Moreover, most of those who rose from
the ranks had not enlisted from motives
of patriotism in the enthusiasm OF the
revolution On the contrary. they entered
the old royal army when service meant
onlv the humdrum routine OF barracks
Nor couId they have been prompted by
ambition to work their way up, for they
never could hope to be officers. The Bour-
bons had adopted the rule that none but
mobiles were fit to hold the Kings COM
mission. and but for the fall of. the mon
arcby all these plebeian marshals would
have remained to fame and fortune un-
known. -
Massena was content to serve for four
teen years and Bernadotte for nine years
without rising above a sergeantcy. Soult'
in spite of a club foot, was accepted oS
the enIisting officers and well content
with a sergeant's chevron. Lannes ran
awav from a dyer to whom he had been
appreuticed and went into the army, but
was turned out as a person Of insuhor-
dInate temper, while oudinot, after two
years Of soldering, preferred life among
his fathers beer watts. Ney. On the other
hand, chose to be a husser rather than
be. For the better part Of twenty years
Augureau was a wandering soldier of
fortune, serving in the armies Of France,
Russia. Prussia and Naples. money
alone among those future marshals hid
den in the ranks of King Louis army did
win a captaincy, but only after twenty
three years Of service, while Victor saw
ten and Lefebre sixteen years Of service |
without commission.
What Democracy Can Do.
The revolution came and the aristo- |
cratic froth was blown OF at a-sreath'
the pressure of caste was lifted from the
army and merit creamed to the top.
Priyates were transformed into colonies
and sergeants into generals in month
Of campaigning. Every man quickly
found his true level:
den,ocracy can do. II the civil life OF
France had only been democrenzed as
the army was, the empire mlght never
have risen. II the revolution had gone
10 the people for its political leaders as
well As for its army leaders. IL the doors
had been thrown open as freely 10 elvli
as to military talent. the repuohc might
have been saved.
the leadership of men who had sprung
from the lowest ranks were conquering
the material aristocracies OF Europe, the
politicians of the revolutionary epoch
were all drawn from the OLD ruling
classes. The republic, triumphant abroad:
perished at home under the feeble and
selfish rule Of ex-nobles. ex-clergymen.
and lawyers. 1t was not the sword, but
the craftsmanship Of Napoleon that
France needed and invoked when she sur
rendered to his mastery.
servants of n Throne.
with the fan of the republic the de-
mocracy of the army was lost. When the
Corsfcan artilleryman seized for himself
the scepter of empire. he rewarded and
reconcIled his companions in arms, the
one-time privates and sergeants. by plac-
ing in their hands the batons Of marshais
OF France Creating at once fourteen
active marshals and hattering four old
generals of the revolution with the title 4
OF honorary marshals, he distributed In
all twenty-six betons in the course Of the
empire.
Love Of country no longer being potent
to inspire devotion. Napoleon frankly ap-
pealed to personal selfshness as the in