The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-18
Abreast
Views, In the Time of Ma.
poleon, Of the Future
Of War
BY F. A. mitchell

the people he governed and getting
from them their views concerning him
self and bis acts. One day. dressed
In ordinary civilian costume. be left
the palace by a side door and. walking
along the Rue de Rivoli. entered the
garden of the Tuileries. That was
more than a hundred years ago.. The
space between the palace and the
Place de la Concorde was not then
the barren looking area it Is now. but
a veritable garden filled with flowers.
Napoleon had but recently BUNDLED
Prussia. and the French people were
celebrating the anniversary of one of
his victories. Seeing 4 young army Of
3cer sitting IN a bench alone. the ELI
per0r took d seat beside him and b--
gan a conversation with him.
DO you think this man R%onaparte."
asked Napoleon. lis a great general:"
Il think the Emperor Napoleon to be
the greatest general who ever lived"
was the reply.
"What! Greater than julius Caesar!'
I'LL uOl dLlllAd WILL lhN \diI'
paigns Of Caesar"
well young man. If you were you
would know that Napoleon is but an
imitation of the great Roman"
THAT may be: but, If it is, Napoleon
is the only imitation we have had in
eighteen centuries"
This pleased the emperor very much
He inquired the regiment to which the
young man belonged and his name.
Then be arose from his seat and stroll
ed away. Presently seeing an aged
man. the emperor took a seat beside
him with a view to drawing his views
Of experience as he had drawn those
of youth.
"Our people," said Napoleon, "seem
to be going mad over this Corsican.
monsieur. What do you think of him?"
HE Is the center of n Of those
storms that periodically sweep over
large tracts. They grow 6ercer till
they reach a climax. then instead Of
dying slowly. as they started. end sud
denly"
Napoleon started. but inwardly; bis
control Of himself. except when he
wished to impress some one with the
awfulness Of his wrath. was perfect.
The speaker did not see how deeply
his companion had been touched by
his words.
after Napoleon whatT' asked the
emperor.
There should be the republic, but
France is among a number Of nations
which this Bonaparte is antagonizing.
There is in the Place du Carrousel. in
rear Of the Tuileries. a bronze group
of horses drawing a chariot. This Ma
pOleou took from the Prussians. They
will not rest till they get It back. Be-.
sides. they will make our children or
grandchildren pay a pretty price for
its loan to France"
why do you think that?" asked the
emperor.
"Bonaparte will not stop till he has
arrayed every nation in Europe against
him. Even his alliance with Austria
by his marriage with a daughter of the
house of Hapsburg will not keep that
people from turning against him when
the final united effort to kill him
comes"
Napoleon made no reply to this. He
sat with folded arms, his chin buried
in the rutfies Of his shirt front. his
beaver hat drawn down over his eyes.
Presently he Strengthened up and
asked:
What has been your occupation.
your sphere in life. mOnsieur?"
Il have been everything-notary. jour.
nalist. historian. Now that my body is
no fit for exertion | simply think"
xvii the a~ntagoniSm excited by
Bonaparte live beyond the present cen
tury:"
Il think it will"
And these people he has conquered
will revenge themselves on France?"
They will. These wars of Napoleon
will! leave France exhausted. The PEG
pie our descendants have to fear are
1.-The R~nSsians:"
mo; at least not for many years.
The Russians have a large territory
and enough to do to take care Of their
WI internal affairs"
"The Prussians:'
Not the Prussians alone. But some
future Prussian king will realize that
If be car unite the German people he
may hurl them against our descendants
and crush them. Prussia will never be
content till she has recovered all the
prestige hat has been wrested from
her by Bonaparte. l question If she
will be strong enough for that without
the help of all the German people,"
well suppose some king Of Prussia
unites the Germans and recovers the
high position that has been taken from
her. What Them"
"What then: Why. France will new.
er be content till she has got 1t back
again."
How will she do that?"
snow you r getting beyond the
vision Of the keenest thinker. OF
what shall happen within another Gen.
tury I cannot think: l car only feel"
The old mans face assumed a
Aroomv ovnrossion. There was a far.