Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-18
FRIDAY, JUNE is. 1920.
Evening Yesterday l4lUS
A Notable Anniversary.

A Notable Anniversary.
Today. June Is. is the one hundred and
fifth anniversary of the Battle Of Water
loo. when the star Of destiny ceased to
beam upon Napoleon Bonaparte, and the
great Corsican went down 10 final de-
feat. But no dishonor attached to this
closing Of his notable career. Fate had
laid its hand upon him and ordered his
retirement from that participation IN the
affairs Of France and dominance IN the
affairs Of Europe which had made him for
more than a score Of years public char
acter who stands unrivalled today IN all
the history Of the world. In two days Of
mastery fighting he had defeated the
Prussians and held the English At bay.
but on the third day, at Waterloo. the
hand Of fate directed the defeated Prus-
SLAMS back to the field Of contest in time
to relieve the sorely pressed Wellington
and scatter the followers Of Napoleon
in confusion and dismay.
So ended the fateful hundred days in
the life Of this great man Returning
from his prison on the Island Of Eiba
with only few hundred followers. he
marched from the Mediterranean Paris
and overthrow the tottering Bourbon
monarchy, Temporarily restored 70 power
without firing a shot or shedding drop Of
human blood All France rose TO greet
him. and in an hour he had restored the
constitutional empire which under his
wonderful guidance had done 50 much
for the glory of France and the happiness
and prosperity Of her people But Water
90 again cast him into the depths Of de-
feat and led to his humiliation and death
at St Helena. fate that to this day casts
dishoncr upon those who treated HIM 50
meanly
Each recurring anniversary Of Waterloo
.reyives the controversy over the interest
ing problem Of what would have happen
cd had Napoleon won. instead of gong
down in defeat But the question is still
unanswcrable and always will be Il is
matter Of conjecture only. and the most
reasonable conjecture IS that II would
have been but 4 temporary triumph All
OF monarchial Europe was arrayed against
him as menace to hereditary power and
q million armed n-n were on their way 10
the frontiers Of France 10 force the de-
tested Bourbon monarch once more upon
the throne And France was too
impoverished In men and means at that
time TO have offered successful resistance.
Next year, IN all probability, will be
attended By q revival of interest IN the
career OF this mighty potentate OF his
day, to whom many Of his numerous
biographers, those hostile as we'll as those
friendly and sympathetic, involuntarilv
alludc as this extraordinary man.
MAY ), 1921. will be the centennial ami
versarv Of his death on his lonely and
distateful island prison In the nid-Pa-
Eclfc, denied a dearly-desired view Of hls
home land and home people, and sur
rounded only by the few faithful friends
who had voluntarily followed him into
exile and remained with him until the end.
This centennial anniversary will be uni
stlS1llN 4l0ttO anu iAtgeADAS d4A34S0t I'll
versally, observed in some form or other.
while IN france it is certain TO be honored
by the most elaborate memorial exercises.
The glorious accomplishments OF ms
career-his amazingly successful Italian
campaign, his victories at Marengo'
Austerltz, Jena, Wagram and on other
fields of desperate confict--will be re-
called. The gloomy disaster Of his mis-
guided and horribly unfortunate Russian
campaign will be lamented And through
all the program Of praise and honor will
be presented vivid word pictures OF this
departed genius, this heroic figure, who
rose from obscurity, by the power Of his
intellect and his iudomitable energy. to
the position Of virtual master Of Europe,
and gave to France the most brilliant,
glorious and appealing chapter Of her
entire history.