GENERAL HISTORY. 



[55 



notice only such circumstances 

 relative to the new plan of admi- 

 nistration established in that coun- 

 try, as serve to elucidate the temper 

 of the nation, and to afford a pre- 

 sage of what may be expected as 

 the fulure result of the great 

 changes in its condition, which 

 the present year has witnessed. 

 But before we return to the course 

 of events, it may be useful to pre- 

 mise such a general view of the 

 feelings and dispositions of the 

 different parties in France at this 

 period, as may be derived from 

 the relations of intelligent ob- 

 servers. 



It is one of the baneful conse- 

 quences of a long-continued state 

 of warfare that a large portion of 

 the population of a country has ac- 

 quired habits of living and raodesof 

 thinking very adverse to a state of 

 peace. The military life, not- 

 withstanding all its hardships, by 

 its varied scenes and licentious in- 

 dulgences seldom fails to prove 

 alluring to the youthful mind in 

 the lower ranks of society ; whilst 

 in the higher, a great number are 

 professionally devoted to it, whose 

 sole hopes of future advancement 

 depend upon thesubsistingdemand 

 for their services. Modern armies 

 are so numerous, that a long war 

 cannot be maintained without 

 rendering the military class en- 

 tirely disproportioned to the ge- 

 neral mass composing a state; 

 and the greater the necessity for 

 keeping up its numbers, the more 

 consequence will be attached to it. 

 If this circumstance coincides with 

 a national spirit naturally martial 

 and unquiet, it may happen tiiat 

 an aversion to resume the pacific 

 character shall become almost the 

 ruling passion of a people. Now, 



modern history scarcely affords an 

 instaiice in which these causes of 

 a fondness for war have concurred, 

 more efficaciously than in France, 

 which, from the period of its re- 

 volution, had almost continually 

 been involved in hostilities, do- 

 mestic or foriegn ; and which, 

 during many years, had submitted 

 to the despotic rule of a man of 

 unbounded ambition, and of talents 

 peculiarly adapted to military en- 

 terprize. The astonishing success 

 attending his schemes of aggran- 

 disement, had raised the power 

 and glory of the nation to a height 

 greatly beyond that of its proudest 

 days ; and the armies which he 

 led into the field surpassed in mag- 

 nitude those of any period la 

 French history. It is true, his 

 gigantic plans had lately wrought 

 their own subversion, and he had 

 been tiie author of a more exten- 

 sive and tragical waste of lives to 

 his own troops, than can be pa- 

 ralleled in modern times. Still, 

 however, a great mass of past 

 glory adhered to his name, and 

 his admirers could find excuses for 

 his failures, in unforeseen circum- 

 stances, and in that desertion by 

 former allies which they denomi- 

 nated perfidy. To this they at- 

 tributed his final miscarriage : and 

 resentment for his supposed wrongs 

 took place in their feelings, of 

 blame for his rashness, or abhor- 

 rence of his tyranny. Further, 

 the pride of the nation spurned 

 the idea of being conquered ; and 

 to escape from it, they willingly 

 cherished the notion, that if trea- 

 chery had not prevented Napoleon 

 from executing his plan of opera- 

 tions, he would have compelled 

 the allied armies to retreat with 

 disgrace from the French territory. 



