Indiana Palladium, Volume 1, Number 22, Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, 3 June 1825 — Page 1

Hess s 6 9 L3 st3 Ills Equality or rights is nature's plan And following nature is the march of man. Barlow. Volume I.J LAWRENCEBURGH, INDIANA j FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 1825. Number 22.

6.. , X) rn 1 rl It

Ml

f

v

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY OK EVERY FRIDAY.

From ibe London Literary Gazette of March 19

Segues History of Napoleon's Expedition to Russia. Segur, continuing to speak of the Russian Invasion, informs us that ''Among the ministers of the Emperor, several disapproved it; the greater number preserved silence; one alone was accused of flattery, and that without any ground. It is true, he was heard to repeat, 'That the Emperor was not suflicently great; that it was necessary for him to become greater still, in order to be able to stop.' But this minister was, in reality, what so many courtiers wished to appear; he had a real and absolute faith in the genius and fortune of his sovereign. "in other respects, it is wrong to impute to his counsels a large portion of our misfortunes. Napoleon was not a man to be influenced. As soon as his object was marked out and he had made advances towards his

acquisition, he admitted of no contradiction. He then appeared as if he would hear nothing but what flattered his determination; he repelled with ill humour, and even with apparent incredulity, all disagreeable intelligence, as if he feared to be shaken by it. Tuis mode of acting changed its name according to his fortune; when fortunate, it was called force of character; when unfortunate, it was designated as infatuation. "The knowledge of such a disposition induced some subalterns to make false reports to him. Even a minister thought himself occasionally compelled to maintain a dangerous silence. The former inflated his hopes of success, in order to imitate the haughty confidence of their chief, and in order, by their countenance, to stamp upon his mind the impression of a happy omen; the second sometimes declined communicating bad news, in order as he said, to avoid the Jiarsh rebuffs which he had then to encounter. "But this fear, which did not restrain Caulaincourt and several others, had no influence upon Duroc, Daru, Lohau, Rapp, Lauriston, and sometimes even Berthier. These ministers and generals, each in his sphere, did not spare the Emperor when the truth was to be told. If it so happened that he was enraged by it,Duroc, without yielding, assumed an air of indifference; Lobau resisted with roughness; Berthier sighed, and withdrew with tears in his eyes; Caulaincourt and Daru, the one' turning pale, the other reddening with anger, repelled the

vehement contradictions of the Emperor;

the first met with impetuous obstinacy, and

the second with short and dry determination. They were often seen to end these altercations by abruptly retiring, and shutting the door after them with violence. "It should, however, be added here, that these warm discussions were never productive of bad consequences; good temper was restored immediately after, without leaving

any other impression than redoubled esteem, on" the part of Napoleon, for the noble frankness which they had displayed. "I have entered into these details, because they are either not known, or imperfectly known; because Napoleon in his closet was quite different from the emperor in public; mid because this portion of the palace has hitherto remained secret. For in that new and serious court, little was said; all were vjcourouslv classed, so that one saloon knew rot what passed in another. Finally, be

cause it is difficult to comprehend the great

pvnts of history without a penect knowl

edge of the character and manners of the

principal personages.

"The time for deliberation had passed

and that for action had arrived. On the 9th

nf Mnv. 1812. Napoleon, hitherto always tn

umphant, quitted his palace, which he was destined never to re-enter victorious.

"From Paris to Dresden his march was a continued triumph. The east of France

was first traversed; that part of the empire

was devoted to his service; very diHeren

from the west and south, she was only ac

quainted with him by means of benefits and victories. Numerous and brilliant armies,

attracted by the fertility of Germany, and which imagined themselves marching to a

prompt and certain glory, proudly travers

cd thos countries, scattering their money

among them, and consuming their productions. War3in that quarter, always bore the semblance of justice. What an enormous influence Napoleon possessed in Europe, may be collected from

the following citations: "He had expressed a wish that the Emperor of Austria, several kings, and a crowd of princes, should meet him at Dresden, on his way; his desire was fulfilled; all thronged to meet him ; some induced by hope, others prompted by fear: for himself, his motives were to feel his power, to exhibit it, and enjoy it. "In this approximation with the ancient house of Austria, he was ambitious to exhibit to Germany a family meeting. He imagined that so brilliant an assemblage of sovereigns would advantageously contrast with the isolated state of the Russian monarch; and that he would probably be alarmed by so general a desertion. In fact, this assembly of coalesced monarchs seemed to annouce that this war asrainst Russia was Eu

ropean. "He was then in the centre of Germany,

exhibiting to it his spouse, the daughter of

its emperor, sitting by his side. Whole nations had quitted their homes to throng his path; rich and poor, nobles and plebians, friends and enemies, all hurried to the scene. Their curious and anxious groups were seen collecting in the streets, the roads, and the public places; they passed whole days and nights with their ejres fixed on the door and windows of his palace. It was not his crown, his rank, the luxury of his court, but him

himself on whom they desired to feast their eyes; a memento of his features which they

were anxious to obtain; they wished to be able to say to their less fortunate countrymen and posterity, that they had seen Napoleon. "On the stage poets so far degraded themselves as to make him a divinity. It was in this manner, that whole nations became his flatterers. "There was, in fact, little difference between kings and people in the homage of their admiration; no one thought of imitating; the agreement was unanimous. Nevertheless, the inward sentiments were very different. "At this important interview, we were at

tentive in observing the different decrees of

zeal which these princes exhibited, and the various shades of our chieftain's pride. We had hoped that his prudence, or the deadened feeling of displaying his power, would prevent him from abusing it; but was it to be expected that he, who, while yet an inferior never spoke to his superiors but in the language of command, and who was now the conqueror and master of them all, could submit to tedious and minute details of cer

emony? He, however, displayed modera

tion, and even tried to make himself agree

able ; but it was obviously an effort, and not without allowing the ennui he experienced

to be perceived. Among these he had rather the air of receiving them, than of being

by them received.

"On their side, it might he thought, that

knowing his pride, and hopeless of subduing

him, except by means of himself, these mon

archs and their people only humiliated them

selves before him, in order to aggravate the

disproportion of his elevation, and by so do-

ni, to dazzle his moral vision. Jn their as

semblies, their, attitude, their words, and

even the tone cf their voice, attested his as

cendency over them. All were assembled

here for his sake alone ! jl hey scarcely haz

arded an objection, so impressed were thev

of the full conviction of that superiority, of

which he was himself too well aware. A

eudal lord could not have exacted more cf

his vassal chiefs.

"His levee presented a still more remark

able spectacle! Sovereign princes attended in to solicit an audience of the conquererof

Europe. They were so intermingled with his oflicers, that the latter were frequently obliged to take precautions against involun-

. - .i

tanly crowding upon these new courtiers,

who were confounded with them. It was that

the presence of Napoleon made distinctions disappear ; he was as much their chief as ours.

This common dependency appeared to put all around him on a level. It is probable that, even then, the ill disguised military

pride of several French generals gave offence

to these princes; they conceived themselves

raised to an equality with them; and in fact,

whatever may be the noble blood and rank of

the vanquished, the victor becomes his equal.

"The wisest among us, however, began

to be alarmed; they said, but in an under

tone, that a man must fancy himself more than human to denaturalize and displace every thing in this manner without fearing to be involved in the universal confusion. Tliey

saw these monarchs quitting the palace of

Ncapoleon with their eyes inilamed, and their bosoms swollen with the most poignant resentment. They pictured them during the night, when alone with their ministers, giving vent to the chagrin with which they were devoured. Every thing was calculated to render their sufferings more acute! How importunate was the crowd which it was necessary to pass through, in order to reach the gate of their proud master, while, their

own remained deserted! Indeed all things, even their own people appeared to betray

them. While boasting ot his good fortune, was it not evident that he was insulting their misfortunes? Thev had therefore come to Dresden in order to swell the pomp of Na

poleon's triumph; for it was over them that

he first triumphed; each cry of admiration offered to him was a cry of reproach to them ;

his grandeur was their humiliation; his vie-

torv their defeat. "Doubtless, they, in this manner, gave vent to their bitter feelings; and their hatred, day after day, sunk more deeply into their hearts. One prince was observed to withdraw precipitately from this painful position. The Empress of Austria, whose ancestors General Buonaparte had dispossessed in Italy, made herself remarked by her aversion, which she vainly endeavored to disguise ; it escaped from her by an involuntary impulse, which Napoleon instantly detected, and subdued by a smile : but she em

ployed her spirit and attraction in gently winning hearts to her opinion, in order to

sow them afterwards with the seeds of hate."

t Dantzic, Napoleon "ended the inspec

tion of his immense magazines, and of the second resting point and pivot of his line of operations. Immense quantities of provisions, adequate to the immensity of the un

dertaking, were there accumulated. No detail had been neglected. The active and impassioned genius of Napoleon was then entirely directed towards that most important and difficult department of his expedition. In that he was profuse of exhortations, orders and even money, of which his letters

are a proof. His days were occupied in

dictating instructions on this subject; at

night he frequently rose to repeat them a-

gain. One general received, on a single day, six despatches from him, all distinguished by the same solicitude.

4n one, these words were remarked

'For masses like these, if precautions be not

taken, the grain of no country can suffice.

In atiother, 4it will be requisite for all the

provision-wagons to be loaded with flour,

bread, rice, vegetables, and brandy, besides what is necessary for the hospital service.

The result of all my movements will assem

ble 400,000 men, on a single point. There

will be nothing then to expect from the

country, and it will be necessary to have ev

ery thing within ourselves.' But, on the one

hand, the means of transport were badly

calculated; and, on the other, he allowed himself to be hurried on, as soon as he was

put in motion. "From Konigsbergto Gumbinnen he re

viewed several of his armies; conversing

with the soldiers, with a gay, frank, and of

ten abrupt air, well aware that, with such

unsophisticated and hardy characters, ab

ruptness is looked upon as frankness; rude

ness, as force ; haughtiness, as true nobility ; and that the dclicacr and refinements of the

hiehcr classes are in their eyes no better

than weakness and effeminacy; they appear

to them like a foreign language, which they

do not understand; and the accents of which

strike them as ridiculous."

Segur particularly describes the positions

of the French army when upon the verge

of the Russian frontier, and afterwards m

duleres in these expressions:

"Indeed, when war waskmdledinallquarters, how was it possible to avoid it? The scenes of actions were not indifferent; here

Napoleon would command in person; else

where, though the cause might be the same

the contest would be carried on under a dif

ferent commander. The renown share

with the latter would be foreign to Napole

on, on whom, nevertheless, depended glory

fortune, every thing; and it was well under

stood, whether it was from preference o

policy, that he was only profuse in h fa

vours to them whose glory was identified with his glory; and that "he remunerated less generously such exploits as were not his. It was requisite, therefore, to serve in the army which he commanded ; thence the anxiety of young and old to fill its ranks. What chief had ever before so many means of power? There was no hope which he could not flatter, excite, or satiate, "Finally, we loved him as the companion of our labours; as the chief who had conducted us to renown. The astonishment' and admiration which he inspired flattered our self-love; for'these we snared in common with him. "At that period every one was free to be ambitious! a period of intoxication and prosperity, during which the French soldier, lord of all things by victory, considered himself greater than the nobleman, or even the sovereign, whose lands he traversed! To him it appeared as if the kings of Europe only reigned by permission of his chief and of his arms. "They were about to carry such a war to the extremity of Europe, where never European army had been before. They were about to erect the columns of Hercules. The greatness of the enterprise; the agitation of co-operating Europe; the imposing aparatus of an army of 400,000 foot and 80,000 horse; so many warlike reports and martial clamours, kindled the minds of veterans themselves. It was impossible for the coldest to remain unmoved amid the general impulse; to escape from the universal in fluence. "In conclusion; without any of the above motives for animation, the composition of

the army was good, and every good army

s desirous of war.

We cannot take further notice ofthedire-

ul passage of the Niemen, by the army, than

what respects its leaden

"Napoleon, who had travelled in a car

riage till that time, mounted his horse at 2 o'clock in the morning. He reconnoitered the

uissian river, without disguising himself, as

las been falsely asserted, and under cover of

the night crossed this boundary, which five

months afterwards he was only enabled to re-pass under cover of the same obscurity. When he came up to the bank, his horse

suddenly stumbled, and threw him on the sand. A voice exclaimed, 'This is a bad omen: a Roman would recoil!' It is not

mown whether it was himself, or one of his

retinue, who pronounced these words."

The following: account shows the devotion

of Napoleon's soldiers:

At Kovno, (not Kowno) he "was exasper

ated against the Yilia, the bridge over which

the Cossaks had broken down, and which

opposed the passage of Oudinot. He affected to dispise it, like everyT thing else that opposed him, and ordered a squadron of the

Polish guard to swim the river. These pick

ed men obeyed the order without hesitation

At first they proceeded in good order, and when out of their depths redoubled their exertions. They soon reached the middle of

the river by swimming; but there, the ra

pidity of the current broke, their order.

I he horses then became frightened, quitted

their rank, and were carried away by the violence of the waves. They no longer

swam, but floated about in scattered groups.

The riders struggled in vain ; at length their strength gave way, and they resigned themselves to their fate. Their destruction was certain; but it was for their country: it was

in her presence, and lor the sake of their de

liverers, that they devoted themselves; and even when on the point of bking engulphcd

for ever, they suspended their unavailing struggles, turned their faces towards Napo

leon, and exclaimed, Vivc CEmpereur! Three of them were especially remarked,

who, with their heads still above the billows,

repeated this cry and perished instantly.

The army was struck with mingled horror and admiration.

"As to Napoleon, he prescribed with anx

iety and precision the measures necessary

to save the greater number, but without appearing moved: either from the habit of subduing his feelings; from considering the ordinary emotions of the hearty as a weakness in times of war, of which it was not for him to set the example, and therefore necessary for him to suppress; or because he foresaw the advent of greater evils, compared with which that bove described appeared of trivial importance.'' Here we must break off.

7