THE CAMPAIGN OF 1815. 149 



Mr. R. E. Kingsford, M.A., read a paper on " The Cam- 

 paign of 1 815." 



The Rebellion of the French nation against Louis XVI. was the pro- 

 test of humanity against oppression. The French, that lively, courage- 

 ous and industrious race, deserve the world's thanks for their 

 desperate resolution to inaugurate a new system. Their thorough- 

 ness in carrying out the resolve brought upon them the enmity of 

 almost all other nations, but those very nations profit this day by 

 the Revolution, to punish which they invaded France. Even the 

 insular English, then politically a centuiy in advance of the Conti- 

 nent, found that they had much to learn. An impulse was given to 

 aspirations for freedom which was communicated to each of the 

 Continental nations in succession, and this impulse, though impeded 

 from time to time, has never ceased in its action. But just as, in 

 the case of individuals, men suffer in their own persons the con- 

 sequences of originality, so the French nation bitterly paid for its 

 generous self-sacrifice on the altar of Freedom. A sacred cause was 

 defiled ; enthusiasm was replaced by fanaticism ; fanaticism gave way 

 after a struggle to charlatanism ; charlatanism supported itself by mur- 

 der. The end was chaos. Out of chaos sprang Napoleon. A man of 

 the sword, he smote with the sword, and he crushed the vermin who, 

 daring to ci-awl on the statue of lil)erty, had stained it with their 

 filth. But the statue itself he overturned, and he placed himself on 

 the pedestal. From that eminence he was in turn struck down, but 

 he long held the position by virtue of extraordinaiy genius, courage 

 and energy. We shall see him make a supreme effort to recover him- 

 self, almost succeed, then sink, baffled and exhausted, into a Slough 

 of Despond, from which he was destined never to emerge. 



We propose to give a succinct account of the military operations of 

 the 1 5th, 16th, 17th and 18th of June, 1815. A careful examina- 

 tion of the authorities has led us to the opinion that the popular 

 belief of Englishmen and men of English descent with regard to this 

 campaign requires revision, and that there are salient features which 

 have been ignored by most English writers. 



The general English idea is that "The Duke" drubbed the French 

 well, and that he never was in serious danger. 



The Prussians think, on the other hand, that the English would 

 never have beaten the^ French but for their help, and that they are, 



