Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



THE COMING OF BONAPARTE. 



By Lord Rosebery. 



The distinction of the Fortnightly Review for July is 

 a paper by I.ord Rosebery on the coming of iJonaparle. 

 It was originally written as a preface to the Nelson 

 edition of M.^Vandal's " L'Avenement de Bonaparte," 

 where it appeared in a French translation. It is a piece 

 of brilliant writing, as vivid as a cinematograph, and 

 as graphic as Macaulay. Lord Rosebery says that in 

 this book we see the first accession to power of 

 Napoleon, and his first appearance as a ruler : — 



New and wider horizons open before him, soon to be bound- 

 less. As the narrative proceeds we see the nie.igre conqueror 

 disappearing and replaced by something larger. There is 

 something looming, one can scarcely say what, which obliterates 

 the craving soldier Bonaparte ; it is Napoleon in the egg. 



The drama opens in 1799 with Sieyes as director, 

 who saw that a heroic figure was required. Bonaparte, 

 with all his victories, was shut up in Egypt, but finally 

 he arrives in France : — 



His arrival savours of the marvellous. He has traversed and 

 escaped hostile fleets almost by a miracle, revisiting his birth- 

 pltice for the last time, and he has arrived safe. The Directory, 

 with a grimace, grudgingly announces the news. The nation 

 cares little for the grimace, so long as the news be true. There 

 is unbounded enthiisi.asm ; legislation cannot proceed ; " suffo- 

 cated with emotion," the legislators adjourn. 



WHY THE PEOPLE WELCOMED HIM. 



Then follows an explanation which may by some 

 alarmed reactionaries to-day be regarded as not 

 without present reference : — 



Why is there this remarUable outburst? The answer is 

 simple enough. It is not that the nation craves for fresh glory 

 at the hands of the conqueror. What it demands is order at 

 home, and peace abroad. 



Order in the first place. For ten years tney have been living 

 on high aspirations varied by massacre, believing that legisla- 

 tion can eftect everything, even tr.ansform human nature ; and 

 that taxation can be so adjusted by getting rid of the wealthy as 

 to enrich and benefit the [loor : worshipping, in fact, the silly 

 gods that blight a nation. In five years, 3,400 laws have been 

 enacted, enough to make the mouths of modern legislators water, 

 enough to convert eartli into heaven were earth convertible by 

 such'me.ans. .\11 that liad been produced was anarchy, poverty, 

 and discontent. Nor had the finance of the system been more 

 successful. The graduated lax on property had been a hopeless 

 failure, and the Treasury was empty. 'I'he .aspect of the 

 provinces was little better. In Lyons, the second city of France, 

 the Kevolution had ravaged like an earthquake, and destroyed 

 whole quarters of the town. In Marseilles, the third, we are 

 told, there seemed nothing surviving but hatreds. Brigandage 

 reigned in some departments, civil war in others. 



It is not wonderful then that peace is the p.ission of the 

 citizens, not only for ilsclf, but because they feel that without 

 peace the restoration of order is impossible. Other generals 

 may gain victories, but the population has an ingrained faith 

 that only Bonaparte can secure peace.. He alone is victorious 

 enough lo terminate a war. And the only way to end the 

 Kevolution is to end the war. 



Tlic way i5onaparte (ulfilUd tlii^ r,'>/r is then told in 

 a series of flashlight pictures. 'J'hc C^ouncil of Five 

 Hundred is rcinoved by its President, Lucicn Bona- 

 |)arle. to St. Cloud. Bonaparte addresses them, loses 



nerve, hesitates, is hustled and cursed; " stout Jacobins 

 seize the little fellow and shake him like a rat." 



KICKING OUT " THE FIVE HUNDRED." 



His face is scratched to blood. His furious words 

 lash his soldiery to rage. This is outside : — 



Inside, Lucien is still vainly struggling with his colleagues. 

 At last he sends in whispers a message to his brother that the 

 assembly must be broken up in ten minutes, or he can answer 

 for nothing. Bon.iparte sees that this is the critical moment, 

 and that he must make use of the presidential authority by 

 capturing the President. Grenadiers enter and remove Lucien ; 

 the arrest of the President involves the dispersal of the Council. 

 Outside he joins the General, and, with the .authority of 

 President of the Five Hundred, improvises in a passionate 

 speech the famous legend of the poniards with which an 

 attenijit had been made to murder his brother. The brother 

 with bleeding face is by his side. The lime for action has 

 come. Murat enters the Orangery where the Five Hundred 

 are assembled, with drums healing and his soldiers. " Kick 

 these people out of doors,'' is his brief order, quickly accom- 

 plished. "The petlicoated crowd " of futile senators in imita- 

 tion togas is hustled out to the relentless beating of the drums. 

 The soldiers lift the more obstinate from their seats and carry 

 them out like naughty children. These lamentable and dis- 

 credited tribunes are helpless and become ridiculous. They 

 scuffle out amid the scotfs and scorn of the crowd, 

 BONAPARTE AS ADMINISTRATOR. 



So the Five Hundred were disposed of. But legality 

 required some constitutional basis for future proceed- 

 ings. So thirty of the fugitive Five Hundred were col- 

 lected ; the Ancients, too, were collected. Before the 

 Rump of the two assemblies Consuls Bonaparte, 

 Sieyes, and Ducos took the oaths : — 



The work of reorganisation required infinite tact and patience, 

 and here Bonaparte reveals himself in a new character. He is 

 eminently tactful and imperturh.able. He has to keep vigilant 

 watch in three directions where there is danger : he has to watch 

 the Royalists, the Jacobins, and the army, which is Republican. 

 He has to balance, to conciliate, to inspire confidence on the 

 one hand without exciting jealousy and distrust on the other. 

 The young (Jeneral — for he is only thirty years old, how in- 

 credible that seems ! — haggard and emaciated, toils feverishly 

 for eighteen hours a day, sees everyone of every party, works to 

 bring order out of confusion. 



The Constitution is at last settled ; there are to be 

 three Consuls, two with deliberative voice, but the 

 decision of the First Consul is to be final. 



FRANCE FINDING HER MASTER. 



After his hurry to Italy and a new victory against 

 Austria : — 



Marengo has changed him, lie has become master, his tone is 

 curt and imperious. He knows that whether the fatal baitle 

 h.as brought peace or nol, it has given him supreme power. 

 Even on his way home he has dcuie what he could not have 

 done before — he has opened negotialions for a Concordat. He 

 is now master of h' ranee, ready to be master of Europe. 



Yes, France has found the man she sought, to rid her for 

 the lime at least of Kevolution. But she h.is also found a 

 master. And on Europe his hanil will be not less heavy. It 

 will take the Continent fourteen years and a generation of 

 mankind to get rid of him. 



The curious reader wonders whether, in giving this 

 preface in its original Eiiglish to the British public. 

 Lord Rosebery wishes to hint that the time in British 

 politics for the strong man armed is not far distant. 



