The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-05-11
NAPOLEON WAS
AN EXEMPLAR OF
LAW AND ORDER
Great General the Idol Of France, Was
Firmest Of Believers in Real
Law and Order.

Washington, ID. c. - ION May 9Th
occurred the centenary of the death
of Napoleon, the idol Of France" notes
the Republican Publicity Association,
through its President Hon. Jonathan
Hourne, Jr "The occasion is one for
the review OF the life and accomplish.
ments Of the great man to see IL we
cannot draw from his career lessons
for present day application. The world
Is prone to think of Napoleon solely
as a militay military man. paying lit
tie attention to his civil record as En-
peror Of France. 1t is true that he was
one Of the greatest generals who ever
lived. AS Marriott tells us, the soldier
who understands Napoleons strategy
has nothing more to learn. But there
Is another side to the character of the
French leader that is worthy of study
in these abnormal times.
ITO begin with, Napoleon was not
a native Frenchman He was born in
the island of Corsica, a French pos
session, it is true. but the life and
thought of whose people had little in
common with the French. When the
young man landed in France and en-
tered a military school at the age Of
ten he was, to all intents and pur-
poses, an immigrant. His ultimate rise
from that humble station to the die
tatorship of France should be an in
SEPARATION to every immigrant to
foreign land. The presidency of the
United States. is limited by the Con-
stitution to native-born Americans,
but there is no other office of social
station in the whole land that is not
available to every newcomer to our
shoes. The immigrant is limited only
by his own will, ability. and good be-
havior.
AT the age of 90 Napoleon was
brought face to face with mob rule.
He was in Paris on that faterful Goth
of June, 1892, whe nthe rabble invaded
the Tuileries and was close observer
Of the events that followed, ending in
the guillotining of the royal family
and many of the French aristocracy
For ten years thereafter he was occu-
pied with military duties, but when he
was proclaimed Consul in 1902 the i'm
pressions that had been made upon his
mind by the horrors Of the Revolution
found expression, and he devoted him
self to setting up government based
on law and order. He established an
education system, the Bank of France,
the Legion of Honor, an dthe Napoe-
onic Code of laws which is the guide
of French law today and has had a
profound influence on justice through
out the world. 1T would be very diff
cult to disprove the statement, de-
clares one writer, that the superb in
heritance of order, progress, and pros
perity which Napoleon bequeathed
made the France Of 1914.
"'In the knapsack of each Of my
privates is a marshal's baton is a
familiar quotation from the great Cor
stefan. He meant that the opportunity
was there, and 1t remained only for
the individual to grasp and develop it
to become leader among men. Sue
cess and wealth are within the grasp
Of every individual among us today,
be he native or immigrant, and so long
as they are pursued in accordance
with the law of the land no impede
ment will be placed in the way OF
highest attainment. II Napoleon could
do It, l can do IT, is the proud boast
Of every Frenchman, and with him as
their ideal they strive for success. Let
every immigrant to our shores be an
mated by similar resolves-to forge
to the front by every lawful means
that presents itself-and radicalism
bred of idleness will disappear and
contentment reign once more"