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    coolly sacrificing his men in order to obtain his ambitious purposes , and riding or driving over the wounded ou the field of battle . This charge has been made so often , and repeated in such a variety of ways , that there was a time when it obtained general credit , and there are persons still sufficiently weak to believe in its correctness . Nothing , however , can

    be more false ; and we venture to affirm , that there never was a man , a soldier , or a sovereign , more humane , or that possessed kindlier feelings , than the late French Kmperor . In support of this statement we advance the following proofs : In all the marches directed by Napoleon , the combats in which he was engaged , and the great battles which he decided , we find him particularly careful of and

    kiud to his men , adopting every precaution to preserve and save his soldiers . Of this we could produce a thousand instances . His humanity procured him the love and warm affection of his troops . Had he been the unfeeling general or ferocious monster described , uselessly sacrificing his men and coolly riding over the wounded on the battle field , there is not a soldier in the French

    arniy that would have obeyed him , nor a wounded man on the field who would not have felt his exhausted strength renewed , even in the agonies of death , to pull a trigger at him and terminate his existence . Contrary to this , all the soldiers loved him as their father , their protector ; aud they did so because he

    was kind to them , and that between him and them there was a kindred feeling . In the bivouaques he often sat with them by their fires , shared in their rations , heard their various little tales , protected them from injuries , and raised them in the army according to their merit . Owing to this kindness they fought so well , preserved their warm attachment to the

    last , and even with their parting breath continued to shout vive VEmpereur ! How different was his conduct in this respect from that of many other chiefs ! It is also now well known that Charles XII . was killed by one of his own men ; it is also understood that at and at fell by their own soldiers ; and we have never yet heard cither an officer or soldier say any thing in favour of the ¦ ¦ humanity . Had Napoleon acted like these , he would have experienced the same fate , and been either shot or exposed to the hatred of the army . Consider farther the conduct of the French people . We believe , and upon

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    good authority , that no enlightened na tion , either in ancient or modern times , ever did so much for its sovereign as the French . Had it been otherwise , they would not have supported him as they did in their tremendous struggles against combined Europe ; they would not have left their homes and rushed over their

    mountains on his return from Elba , spreading out their arms , and hailing and cheering him as their legitimate sovereign , saviour , and friend ; nor would they have preserved , as they still do , such feelings of reverence and respect far his memory . A stranger may be easily misled among the saloons of Paris , composed of Jacobins and Bourbonists ; but the moment he gets into the country and questions the people , he will find

    that the name of Napoleon is still dear . This fact speaks volumes , and fully proves that the memory of him who still . reigns in all hearts truly French must have been really kind and humane . In addition to these facts , consider the statements of those who knew him best , and who have , since his death , honourably published their respective testimonies relative to his humanity , when they knew that such statements could be of

    no personal advantage to themselves , but would , on the contrary , greatly incense the Holy Alliance , impudently so named , against them , on account of their honest attestations . Such witnesses as the Count Las Casas , Count Rapp , first Aidde-camp to Napoleon , and Savary , Duke de Rovigo , are quite sufficient to satisfy every unprejudiced mind , that no man was evermore kind , more humane , more generous , than Napoleon .

    A second charge against Napoleon is , that he was fond of war , and that it is owing to him Europe now suffers so much from the effects of war . This charge is a serious one ; but before we examine it , we beg a moment ' s attention to the following things : Some deny the lawfulness of war in any respect , and assert that it is directly opposed to the generous and merciful intentions of God , the design of prophecy , and the spirit of

    genuine Christianity . War is , doubtless , productive of many evils ; but as God , who has power , wisdom , and goodness , sufficient to prevent it , has thought proper to permit it , we cannot but regard his permission as equivalent to his appointment . When the advocates for peace can prove that the plague , famine , earthquakes , hurricanes , volcanic eruptions , and such things , are inconsistent with Divine love and mercy , then , upon

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    AFiscellaneotts Correspondence . 201

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    VOLMlI . P

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1829, page 201, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2570/page/49/