st>4 LON 
Somewhat different from that in which flie generality of 
perfons are accullomed to indulge. 
Bred to arms, and having founded all his greatnefs upon 
military fame, it is as a commander that this perfonage 
firft merits to be confuiered. In this character it feems 
tiniverfally allowed, that he mu ft rank at leaft as the equal 
of the greateft names in history. We have been informed, 
and partly believe, that in the mere tactical part of the 
fervice, he did not very peculiarly excel, and was even 
furpatfed by fome others of the French generals. But in 
all that regards the policy of war; in choofing the molt 
vital points of attack; in directing his concentrated force 
againft: the feparated bodies of the enemy; in following 
lip every fuccei’s with overwhelming rapidity; in tiiele 
operations, he does appear to have almolt created a new 
era in the military art. There was in his movements a 
boidnefs and depth of genius, which confounded all cal¬ 
culation, and eluded the penetration even of the molt fa- 
gacious enemy. His firft campaign in Italy is Fill perhaps 
his matter-piece, and the one of which the fuccefs was 
achieved with the rnoft inadequate means. It forms a 
complete fchool of military policy; and, were it narrated 
with intelligence, which it has never yet been, would af¬ 
ford instruction, beyond perhaps any other, in the higher 
parts of the art of war. It is remarkable, that though, in 
his military character, there was’extreme boidnefs, and 
enterprife bordering on defperation, yet there was little 
heroii'm. It was the daring of genius, rather than of va¬ 
lour. Succefs, more than glory, was the aim. We fpeak 
not this in abfolute condemnation: a prudent attention to 
perfonal fafety, in him who direCts the movements of a 
great army, may fairly be conlidered as commendable; and 
the achievements of chivalrous valour are often very little 
conducive to the greatnefs of Slates. We only obferve 
that this circumstance tends to cool the admiration and 
perfonal intereft, which enterprifes of fuch ltupendous 
magnitude are naturally calculated to excite. 
In regard to the moral qualities of this favourite of for¬ 
tune, we do not mean to join in that indiscriminate in¬ 
ventive which this nation delights to indulge; yet it feems 
difficult to difcoverany theme whatever of praife. There 
feems no virtue, even of private life, which he habitually 
praCtifed ; and it were not furely rafh to affirm, that there 
exilts fcarcely a crime which, to gratify his ruling paifion, 
lie would helitate to commit. Having granted thus far, 
we do not know whether he is loaded with much wanton 
guilt, or delinquencies committed out of pure malignity. 
The Syrian atrocities, if not utterly difcredited, Seem at 
leaft greatly involved in doubt. But his domeltic admi¬ 
nistration affords no room for panegyric. He ereCted his 
own defpotic power upon the entire fubverfion of the 
rights of his people: he did not helitate, in the purfuit 
©f chimerical projects, toimpofe upon them hardships and 
privations of a description almoft unprecedented. Yet his 
guilt lias not been of the Same dye w ith that of the Marats 
and Robefpierres, the horror of mankind, who deformed 
the early ages of the French revolution. His government 
has not been a government of blood. Finding the nation in¬ 
deed bent to the yoke, he was exempted from the motive, 
or neceffity,- which urged thofe Sanguinary monfters to 
fuch deeds. There may be room for the fufpicion, that, 
had Similar circumftances prompted to the fame dreadful 
precautions, he would not have refrained. Yet it were 
going too far, upon fuch a prefumption, to account him 
guilty of crimes which he never committed. Upon the 
whole, he appears to exhibit very nearly the general cha¬ 
racter of a conqueror and ufurper, to whom nothing, al- 
molt, that oppofes his ambitious projects, has ever been 
facred. There was not perhaps, from the general laws of 
human nature, reafon to hope that any one of a different 
character would have rifen, through fuch convulfions, to 
the ftation of firft conful,. eonful for life, and afterwards 
emperor of France, king of Italy, &c. In thefe impoling 
ltations it mult nevertheless be allowed that he played a 
brilliant part; gained more great victories than are re- 
D O N. 
corded in the previous annals of mankind; over-ran tnot'® 
countries than Alexander, Cxfar, or Charlemagne; mad® 
and unmade kings and princes like the manager of a thea¬ 
tre; and acquired a name, which among heroes will for 
ever hold a primary ftation in the pantheon of hiltory. 
Yet he trampled on the liberties of his country, and de¬ 
stroyed liberty wherever he found it. 
Such a man might have been acceptable to the radical 
enemies! of freedom ; but he couid have no fraternity with, 
tiie fyftematic and unchangeable friends of pnblic liberty, 
The grandeur of his achievements gave colour for a time 
to his usurpation of power; but his cold manners,,and 
his camp-like domination, leffened his popularity among 
his Subjects; while Succeffive wars, excited partly by rs- 
lentlels and jealous foes, and partly by his own un¬ 
bending character and ambitious policy, Served to oq- 
prefs France with confcriptions and impofts, and to ren¬ 
der his government at firft irkfome, and finally intolera¬ 
ble. France was however indebted to him for the pro¬ 
mulgation of an admirable Code of Laws, which Louis ia 
plealed to fay is “ polluted by the name of Napoleon (iee 
p. 323, 4.) tor a System of Religious Liberty; and for the 
introduction of that bulwark of juilice. Trial by Jury. 
She was all'o gratified by his patronage of the artsand Sci¬ 
ences, by his galleries of painting, Sculpture, and engrav¬ 
ing, by his magnificent buildings, his roads, his inTiitu- 
tions, and his public works ; though the was at the Same, 
time oppreffed by a refined and inquifitorial Syltem of efpio- 
nage, and intuited by restrictions on the prefs, which, by- 
leaving the people in ignorance of the grounds of hIs 
policy, made them indifferent to the public intereft, aiui- 
diffevered of neceffity the governed from their governor. 
We fear to extend our Strictures on liis administration,, 
becaufe it is a matter-vice of mankind to infult a fallen 
foe ; and an inveterate habit to Show what might have been 
performed better,aftererrors have been meaiured by events. 
We cannot determine what might have been his conduCt 
or his fate, if the war with England had not afforded pre¬ 
texts for augmenting his armies, and taking Strong mea- 
fures againft his domeltic enemies, as connected with his 
foreign ones; if he had not, during the whole period of 
his government, had to refill the intrigues of the partisans 
of the exiled family, and to Support with the ufual jea- 
loufy an ufurped power; and if his plans of domeltic im¬ 
provement had not been thwarted by the expenfe of fo¬ 
reign wars. We (hall however always regret that he did 
not take for his model a man whole renown eclipfes that 
of any imperial delpot of ancient or modern times ; we 
mean the illultrious Waffiington. Had he uled his power 
to proteCt and regulate, inltead of destroying, liberty, he 
would have been greater than Waffiington, becaule his 
Sphere of aCtion was more important. Had he permitted 
the freedom of Speech in his Senate and legislature, and 
the liberty of publishing truth on all Subjects of public in¬ 
tereft, he would not have converted dilcontent into trea¬ 
son, or have had to learn the Sentiments of his capital 
from the Ruffians. Had he permitted the independent 
opinions c~f a free Senate and legislature to influence his 
councils, he w ould never have Seen Europe in arms againft 
him, becaufe the amalgamation of opinions would have ge¬ 
nerated a lyftem of moderation, and he would then have 
been too Strong in the affeCiions of his people to have been 
aflailed with any chance of fuccefs. In brief, had his go¬ 
vernment been founded on any popular principle, had his 
people been allowed to Share his glory, had he not made 
himfelf every thing, and treated forty millions of human 
beings as though they lived only to contribute to the 
Splendour of their emperor and his family, he might have 
enjoyed his unexampled renown, at the head of the 
French empire, till removed by the decay of nature. But 
he was not caSt in the mould of Waffiington ; he was what 
a military education, unbridled paflions, and indulgent 
fortune, had made him ; and yet, with all thefe tilings againft 
him, nothing could pull him down at la St but the unex¬ 
ampled unanimity of fo many different powers. How 
x many 
