Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIII.—April, 1852.—Vol. IV.: NoneVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIII.—April, 1852.—Vol. IV.: None
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Profiting by the disorder which such an event never failed to occasion
in their whole line, I repeated the attack, with similar success, in
another quarter, still with my whole force. I thus beat it in detail.
The general victory which was the result, was still an example of the
truth of the principle that the greater force defeats the lesser."
Napoleon, by those fascinations of mind and manner, which enabled him to
win to him whom he would, soon gained an ascendency over Moreau. And
when, two days after, in token of his regard, he sent him a beautiful
poniard set with diamonds, worth two thousand dollars: the work was
accomplished, and Moreau was ready to do his bidding. Napoleon gave a
small and very select dinner party. Gohier was invited. The conversation
turned on the turquoise used by the Orientals to clasp their turbans.
Napoleon, rising from the table took from a private drawer, two very
beautiful brooches, richly set with those jewels. One he gave to Gohier,
the other to his tried friend Desaix. "It is a little toy," said he,
"which we republicans may give and receive without impropriety." The
Director, flattered by the delicacy of the compliment, and yet not
repelled by any thing assuming the grossness of a bribe, yielded his
heart's homage to Napoleon.
Republican France was surrounded by monarchies in arms against her.
Their hostility was so inveterate, and, from the very nature of the
case, so inevitable, that Napoleon thought that France should ever be
prepared for an attack, and that the military spirit should be carefully
fostered. Republican America, most happily, has no foe to fear, and all
her energies may be devoted to filling the land with peace and plenty.
But a republic in monarchical Europe must sleep by the side of its guns.
"Do you, really," said Napoleon, to Gohier, in this interview, "advocate
a general peace? You are wrong. The Republic should never make but
partial accommodations. It should always contrive to have some war on
hand to keep alive the military spirit." We can, perhaps, find a little
extenuation for this remark, in its apparent necessity, and in the
influences of the martial ardor in which Napoleon from his very infancy
had been enveloped. Even now, it is to be feared that the time is far
distant ere the nations of the earth can learn war no more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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