Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1895 — MEMOIRS OF BARRAS. NAPOLEON. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MEMOIRS OF BARRAS.

NAPOLEON.

NOW TO feE PUBLISHED AFTER FIFTY-FIVE YEARS. Written by Napoleon’s Bitterest Enemy, s Singular Irony of Fate Places tke Work of Editing in the Hands es an Uncompromising Admirer. Hia Star Not Obscured. The French Government Intends to •War” the Napoleonic revival at the exposition in Paris in 1900 so thoroughly that it has even intimated that it

will remove the beautiful statue of the Empress Josephine from its pedestal at Fort de France, on the Island of Martinique, for exhibition in one of the halls of the exposition. This announcement has provoked a loud cry of protest from the inhabitants of the little Island, for the statue of Josephine, called the “Marvel of Fort de France,” Is said to be one of the most beautiful

In the world, and the islanders naturally object to its transportation, which they declare would be an act of “unconscionable vandalism.” The people of Martinique cherish the memory of Josephine with all the fervor of the tropical creole temperament, for the Empress was born there and at different periods of her life kept up a modest establishment in Fort de France.

It is interesting that at just this time, when the Napoleon cult is growing apace daily both In and out of France, that the long expected and eagerly awaited “Memoirs of Barras” should at last make their appearance, or, at least, that the first two volumes of the work—there are to be four in allshould be given to the public. It Is a singular book and it Is probable that no modern manuscript has passed through more complicated vicissitudes. Paul Barras, a former member of the directorate, died in 1829 and bequeathed the manuscript of the memoirs to one M. Rousselin de Saint-Albln. By reason of the nature of the subject matter of the memoirs M. de Saint-Albin

considered it prudent for political reasons to delay their publication. M. Eousselin de Saint-Albin died in 1847 and the portfolio became the property of his eldest son, M. Hortensius de Saint-Albin. The latter died in 1877 and the “Memoirs of Barras" passed into the possession of his brother, M. Philippe de Saint-Albin, who died four years later and who bequeathed them to his sister, Mme. Achllle Jublnal. Mme. Jubinal followed her brother to the grave after a few years’ interval, and the memoirs were turned over to the present editor, M. George Duruy. who had become connected by marriage with the Saint-Albin family. Thus by a singular Irony of fate these memoirs, which were written by Barras in a spirit of the bitterest hatred of Napoleon, after fifty-five years find as their editor an uncompromising partisan and ardent admirer of Napoleon, for such M. George Duruy proclaims himself to be. He not only decides to publish them, but to publish them just

as Barras wrote them, thereby resisting the temptation to them and to shield the memory of Napoleon and of Josephine from many of the wanton - slanders and vicious insults with which the bad Barras maliciously attempto to defame them. lie HUPbik the conclusion that the KmpaPr’s memory will not suffer from this vidpus attack on his character. He believes that no cloud of calumny from this or other pmrtors WITf "Mr aWe to obscurs tbs iSM' Vi L

radiance of Napoleon's star, and with this thought in mind he Invokes the Words of the Emperor hinjfelf on the subject: "Calumny has exhausted all Ha venem against my person. It can no longer affect the. It is no longer anything too re in my eyes than the poison of Mithrida,tes. lam fated to be the,food t>f pamphleteers, but I have no fears of falßn* a vletim to them. They will bite granite. My memory is entirely composed of facts which mere words cannot obliterate. If the great Frederick, or any other man of his mold, were to set to writing against me it would be a different matter—it would then perhaps be time for me to be moved; but as to all others, however much they may Inject Into their work, they will never be doing aught but firing blank cartridge. Falsehood passes, truth remains. What has, after all, been the result of the Immense sums spent In libeling me? Soon there will be no traces of them, whereas my monuments and institutions will commend me to the most remote posterity. In spite of every libel'l entertain no fears for my fame. Posterity will render Justice unto me. The truth will be known and the good I have accomplished will be set against the mistakes I have committed. I am not concerned as to the result” It Is thus that the man who “mixed the eagles of France with the eagles of the crags” routs and sends flying in all directions that army of slanderers and vlllflers of whom, the editor would have us believe, his author, Barras, was the general In chief; and so far time seems amply to have justified Napoleon’s prophecy. For the Emperor, It Is evident, could not well have had a more able or enthusiastic defender against the attack of his arch-enemy Barras than that enemy’s own editor— Duruy. In Bcourging his author the editor almost out-Barras’ Barras. At any rate, the honors may be said to be easy. It Is a singular spectacle—that of the editor arrayed against Barras

as Barras arrayed himself against Napoleon, and It speaks volumes for the renaissance of the Napoleon cult.

JOSEPHINE.

NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE IN THE GARDEN AT MALMAISON.