The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-09-18
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

L am not going to try and settle the
controversy that has ragged around the
date OF his birth. but so far as this story
goes. am Just going to assume that he
was q CorsIcan.
1t is strange that the lands which
gave birth to Jesus, the man of peace.
and to Napoleon. the man OF war, take
up but little space on the map of the
world. yet today the conflict going 'on
between the Ideas taught by the two
fill the world.
Corsica, an island in the Mediterra-
mean sea, about 100 miles in length and
80 in width. with population less than
that of Birmingham, for centuries had
been in the throes Of wars Of aggression
from the outside or torn with inter-
necine strife.
The question as to Napoleon's being
Corsican or Frenchman was not In
doubt in his early manhood for he bit
terly protested that Thirty thousand
French vomited on the shores of the lit
tie island. had drowned the throne of
liberty in waves OF blood the cries
of the dying. and the groans of the OPP
pressed. and tears of despair, surroun-
ded my cradle
have never been to Corsica, but his
torians tell us that the Corsicans were
primitive and imaginative people, with
DIT ic4f., HI,
feature which gives 1t its reputation is the
deadly vendetta. part of the lands
unwritten code.
l lived in east Tennessee for a year,
and 1 know something of mountain
feuds, but they have never been as
fierce or handed down through as many
generations as the legacies of hate bound
up in a Corsican vendetta.
Napoleon was born into an atmosphere
of war, strife and bitterness. for the
islanders under PaolI, had suffered de-
feat at the hands of the French. The
newborn child "breathed air that was
hot with civil hates"
/ do not know how got on this line,
unless 1t be that having urged the can
didates to drop the Alphonse an CASTOR
business, they did it a bit too quickly
and took up hammer and tongs in too
great earnest. I am in for a good fight,
but don't let's have any feuds that will
last after election day.
Charles Marie Bonaparte, the father Of
Napoleon, was lawyer by profession,
who inherited suit at law, which meant
BILE, and losing it he became embittered
against the church, and like a true Cor
sican died without having made up with
or forgiven the Jesuits who retained
the property.
Napoleon's father came of a family
which had for centuries been promi-
nent in the social and political life of
Corsica; in fact, he was a member of
the Council of Corsican Mobiles, and
had been a supporter Of the patriot,
Paoli but after the French took Cor
sica he abandoned his cause.
Families were in honor bound to carry
on feud against any neighbors who
had done injury to it, until the prln-
cipals were destroyed, and Napoleon BIT
terly reproached his father for desert
ing the defender Of Corsican liberty
Time and again he was heard to say:
sPaoli was a great man; he loved his
country. and I will never forgive my
father for his share in uniting Corsica
with France"
1t seems that in early life Napoleon
had a genuine love for the isle in
which he was born. Corsica had been a
prey to the ambition Of her neighbors,
the victim of their politics. and of her
own wilfulness Her people, untamed
indicative and courageous, were imbued
with a spirit Of independence, but in
the years gone by had been conquered
by many of the stronger nations on
the continent
Napoleon wrote History of Cor
sica.' There is no doubt that he loved
his native land, every foot of her soil
was dear to him. Her past history and
heroic effort appealed nightly to his
patriotism, and he wanted to be her lib
orator. With such IDEAS he set to work
to vindicate her before the world
Sss
He was sent to Paris to school, but
even after his return home he wanted to
get his history published and dedicated
living, but when the manuscript was
sent to him for his revision and APP
prevail, 1t Is said he gave offense to his
ardent young admirer by saying he had
served his country and 1t was unneces-
sary to have It put into book by a
young author.
Now I get back to the vendetta. Evil
IDENTIFY the old patriot was good hater
and remembered how Napoleon's father
had deserted the cause of Corsica for
which he fought and sided with the
French Napoleon felt the rebuff keenly
and his ardor cooled for Paoli, but he
still loved Corsica and did his best to
get publisher but failed.
1t may be apocryphal but Paoli is re-
ported to have pointed out Napoleon.
saying: You see that little fellow? Well,
he has in him the making Of two or
three men like Marius and one like
Sulla." He was thought to have dis
played the spirit Of the agitator, the
self-seeker, the mere adventurer.