THE DOWNFALL OF NAPOLEON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 96, 11 April 1908, Page 4

THE DOWNFALL OF NAPOLEON.

What was the can-e ot Napoleon's downfall? In the latest volume of a series 011 "'1 he History ot War."' (,'olonel Dodge attempt to answer this question. He lind- tin l answer to he Napoleouinteii-.' -flti-hne-- ami a distinct decline iu energy and character alter tic lil'st few years of Knipire. (In hi- trijt to Klha Xapoh-on i- -aid to have remarked to Waldlmr^-Tin. h se-s: "I have never respected men. ,-ntd I lia\e a I way- tt-eil t ln-ni a - ihcv deserved.'' The destruction of alnio-t t!ic entire arms-ltearing population of I'ranee never seemed to weigh in the balance with him against the ai-:-oin-pli-htnent of hi- purpo-e. Very dili'erent, Colonel Dodge reminds u*. \\a- tic ear,. Frederick the Creat took of hi, men: very different Ftvilerick's umeaiiifi work for his fatherland. "To Insure, he felt that lie owned l'i n-,ia : aid SO. after lStla. might Napoleon have owned France, lint Napoleon worked for hi- personal ends." Saturated with sellishnes-. Napoleon's every act was devoted to his own advancement. "France, which I loved -.> imicli." stare- at us almos! mockiugi,from the sarcophagus in the Invalided. " rile whole lnoinmieiU as distinctly characterises tile Emperor of a decade its does the single toml) in the old garrison church at l'otsdani the King for all time."

Ignoring or despising the national sentiment of the Kuropean peoples. Napoleon strove to create an Empire which should control all Central Europe. Seeking to keep too much, lie ended by losing all. Ambition and arrogance ' were intlated by his early successes. " For me." he told Bourienne, " personal immortality is the impression one leaves on the memory of mail. This though: leads to great tilings. It were befter not to have lived than to leave behind 110 (race- of one's existence." In this thought lay the spur to his ambition. Satisfied ambition unfortunately led to arrogance. When, one night, his uncle, Cardinal Fescli. attacked his policy and his opinions. Napoleon led him out to the balcony and said:— "Look upward! Do vou -ee anvtliiii" there?" l e-ch bewildered, replied in lh" negative. "Well, then." resumed Napoleon, "you should hold your peace. 1 see my -tar. It leads me. Cease to compare your weak aud imperfect qualities with my superior organisation."

And De Pradt quotes him as >ayin«. " It is truly a proof of the weakne'-s of tlie human mind that people think they can cope with me." To another form of <ritiei>m he responded with the same bomlustie selfassurance. When .JosflAine r-oniplained of his ceaseless angrily replied:— ' "Vou are to subject youi'M-lt to all my wishes, and find it quite natural that I allow myself such a dissipation. I have the ripht to reply to all your complaints with a constant *l.' 1 am dilTerent from anyone eNe. and accept no one's condition?-

Determined to have his own wav in the .smallest things when face to face with a great contingency, he wa* unwilling to yield in non-essentials, even to secure c s *'ntials. In the camp he became intolerant of all that interfered with his ideas or project>. Me would neither listen to nor consult with his marshals. \ear the throne he could liear no rival. (Jreedv of power, he became restlo- of anything more than mediocrity about him. provided this mediocrity were brilliant enough to relied lu-tre on what he did. "This desire to see and do everything himself was in early year- oiu- of his greate-l powers: but il became Die source of much evil when later his enterprises grew and his strength declined. If those who served him were not really able, he strove t<> give them the appearance of greatness mj as to im-po-e on mankind. After iiis return from Austerlitz he began lo create vassal princes, and to reward hi> marshals with riches and tiMes; foj- hi* always u-ed the weaknesses of people to bind them to his service. It one o) his subordinates po.-.ses-eil high qualities, he sought to discover in him corresponding frailties on which he could build, lie prej levied ordinary people ralher than lhos<of strong character, because these might U» hard to control, lie began to make ! his ImjHTial dignity more marked and , his Court ceremonials mors rigid. Soon | nobody might address him without invitation. not even Murat.

In all these thing', lay the beginnings of that self-deception, that unreality, which iinally wrecked his structure. The desire to seem great overwhelmed tin-de-ire to be great. lie constantly strove to make others K*e facts as he wished them to do. This method succeeded. and. indeed, remained one of the chief sources of his power until the habit of misrepresentation deluded himself a* well as others.

".Juggling with facts increases in geometrical ratio, and finally Napoleon acquired the habit of himself believing things to be not what the facts showed, but what he would fain have them show. He who began by founding all his actions on stern fact, and won, grew gradually to assume his own desire to Ik? the same as fact, and lost."

He misled others so long that he ended by misleading himself. This weakness has been recognised by his critics and subordinates. Says Segur, "It was believed that the power of deceiving others, of which he understood how to make so powerful a use. he now turned against himself" And Mannoiit. after Tilsit, >aid of him that "he no longer believed in truth when it cnutlicted with his passions, hi* interest-, or his moods.' f

Failiug health, undoubtedly, had something to do with his mental deterioration. Caesar's activity continued until his death at fifty-live. Frederick's ill-health never drew from him a particle of his staunch will or positive method. Hut Napoleon's lapse from vigorous health seems to have had an immediate and marked effect on his mental and moral decisiveness.

On the retreat from Moscow the Kmjieror appeared to be dazed, abstracted, even nonchalant. Except in situation's of grave danger, he was much of the time indifferent to his surroundings, little moved, apparently, by the sight of thousands daily falling by* the roadside to perish by freezing or starvation. When anything could be accomplished by vigour he rose to the occasion. When his ca.-e was hopeless he heeded nothing. At Ix'ipsic it was the same. During the battle lie fell asleep—possibly, however, from fatigue, for a quarter of an hour his marshals stood round liini in amazement. Such a thing had never happened before. While the French tcoops were retiring through the streets oi tiie town and over the bridge and causeway at Lindenau, Napoleon was -cell wandering to and fry ill an absentminded luood.

im the wvst oi KUht, inini. '.'t iiuial Cliuluuu met a uiun in jmtuliar aud with low tuijij»ann»n.<, " Hr wj* a lively air, lliuu«;h h'.' wa> drcj) siiuk ill thought. IhaLuau thought he was a citizen, and w<tiilioul to approach liiiiie It was the Jiiujivrur. wlio, with hi* usual phleyui, M-eliK-U to be Ulieoilsi-iou* oi tlie a]>-approai-h ot destruction that thn-alem-d fi<<ut all 5

Vet tlu* beginning at i<M-t oi' lii- ],i-t u:i n mil (J t th«' "Id lii*• ami RMiidri'ln! en'-ry\. He Liuil ♦•-icape-l Iv-'in l-.liia wiili mhlv- a ihoiisuid nn-ii. I'aii- ha-1 jnii\rr| him ujlh opc-u anus. 11,. had approadn-d tin- Allies with overluii't ol peace. Ih'-y had mistrusted him. \i»t"■ 11 him an uul<ii-t, mobiliKMl lli- ir anuirx. ol whu-h had hark io In.m.' stations, and started thum 1", I'leneh ironlieie.

Napok"ii raised troops to meet them. \«-t wh« u the \\a- over the old \\eakjie« s returned. Al St. Helena he that he -hw le--? tleiU'lv and wai h >6 active of mind—"iL certain 1 Jolt coiiseiou* that something iiutl gone iroui me."

U*'iv was tragedy iudeed. It is? bad enough to bav e fallen; it is worse to know that one has fallen, and become weaker in consequence.

At lVrlli recently. VV. \\. Corti*. a medical man, formerly magistrate ;it Derby. \vn-> (.dialled with luivunlawfully killed (ieruM Aitiune on l-l October la>t. Kvidcuee was given liy PuU'rson, orderly at the Derby ll">j])iiul, said was admitled 10 tin- ward and provided with imdi'ini-. A-scione to"k the medieine and worse. Tin- doctor W;H sell I fur. ''Hi tin- j.iiiirin fought desperately iJi,- -tomaeh pump being u-ed. and .-Ooii died, The medicine sine!' <d' *mrbolie. The docti.i- had .slid thai Mu- udiiM not !mU«-v aU'Ut a pu-i www- ! trm <-\amiuatioii. He the medirin«' had killed, him. and would lvpurt fix- matter to ih L . poliee. A>eioiie had im-ii drinking heavily, and was in a low e«mdition. Kvan-, a patient, who wa- in l;1ie next hed to A-eione. said that tlii' dortnr. after e.\iiminim: tinin. .fi.-iii,- alter tin* Occurrence. threw the n-in.iinili-v n \ay, "TliatV done with." The of the waiidp.'UJ lied.