Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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I have witnessed, in part. at least, one of t.he most astonishing revolutions that has ever been recorded. Who ever heard before the present time that an army of titltl men, led by al. chief who appeared to use no precaution against danger. landed in a eountry sueh as France. and marehed without, opposition through a population of 2T.tltltl.tl00, the distanee of 600 01' T00 miles to the Capital, caused the King and Royal family to exile themselves from their country, had his st.andard planted on t.he walls of every town aml village, and all this com- paratively without bloodshed!!! And yet this is true, and Napoleon is now lfhnperor of France, and every part of it acknowledges his ltlmperorship. An attempt' was made to organize a system of opposit.ion against him. principally in the west, and south. A few skirmishes in the south took plaee, and a few lives were lostg butywith the exception of a single regiment, all the regular soldiers forsook the royal eause, ,Even some of the National Guards followed their example, and those who would have fought to the last drop of their blood, were betrayed by their leaders. ll'erhaps it would not be hazardous to say that there never was a cause, which in the eyes of the world was eomieeted with a similar probability of sueeess, more miserably managed. The military men, high in rank and otllee. were generally in the seeret and in favor of the Ifhnperor. and those to whom the management of the eause was intrusted wanted either experience or support. Marseilles was the last place to raise the tri-eolored flag, and it was done with the greatest reluetanee. 'I'he terrible storm of eivil war which it was believed a month ago would desolate lfranee, has blown over. 'I'he Ilourbons have all escaped, with the exception of the Due d'Angouleme, who was made a prisoner. lt is said, he will be permitted to embark to some foreign eountry. The causes that led to the fall of the llourbon dynasty are perhaps numerous. at least many have been assigned. 'I'he return of the ancient nobility and their subsequent conduct, and that of the exiled priest, the eonscription. and certain parts of the revenue system ealled los droits l'f?'lllll!'S,' the volatility ol' the nation, and most of all the want of energy in the govermnent, were not without etI'eet'. Louis X.V,l.ll was a good sort of mang I am not lit. to be a King, nor in my humble opinion was Louis XVIII. .I have just heard some events which make an admirable plot for a romance, related in eonneetion with the revolution. If they are true, t.he world will ultimately know them. At present, they are too problematic-al, and something else too, for me to write in lfranee. Various opinions are entertained respet-ting a continental war. lt is thought that it cannot be carried on without the principal part of the expense being furnished by lCng'land, and that ldngland will not agree to that. On the other hand. after the declaration of the Congress of Vienna, it is said. war is inevitable. Napoleon has abolished the eonseription, but he nevertheless ealls out 2.200,0tltl men to defend Ifranee against the allies. Ile proposes to give France a :free constitution, liberty of the press, ete ...... ,l.0NnoN, July 25th, 1815.- . . . . . . ln returning into l ranee Ifrom Switzerlandj I niet with some dillieulties. 'I'he eause of them is yet a mystery to me. I suppose, however, as .l came from the south of France which was hostile to the hhnperor, and went. into Switzerland which was meditating' hostility, and ent.ered the north of l ranee, I was suspeeted of being an English spy. One of the agents of the police led me to infer the fact from a remark that they could not distinguish between the English and Americans, and the former might have passports in the name of the latter. Unaeeountable as was the eause, the etI'eet was intelligible enough. At. .lioraneon my passport was taken away and sent to Paris. Permission was given me to proceed to Auxere, about half way thither, and the1'e wait for further orders. At that plaee I 'found that the authorities had instructions to keep me en. .vmweilltmec until the orders of the minister of police could be received. I, of eourse. furnished some employment for the spying depart- ment of the Empire, how much l know not. I was a prisoner, in fact, though entirely at 25 '

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3ION'I'l'ICLIICIt, Jamiary 221141. 1815. . ..... . I have found the French pronunciation far more ditlieult than I expected. While l eould read well enough when I landed, I could seareely lnulerstand anything that I heard or make myself understood. I have gradually eseaped from that ditlieulty, and new can understand a sermon or conversation pretty well, and express anything that I wish, though I suppose not without making blunders. 'l'hc French, however, instead of laughing at the blunders of ai foreigner. will generally try to help him out. 'I hope to be able to make some proficiency in the Italian language also. which I have just conuneneed. In a few days I. propose to leave this place for Marseilles. and to go to Toulon, Nice, Genoa, Leghorn, Florence, and, if the circumstances be favorable. perhaps to Home .... 'l'he news of the peace with I'l11,Ll'I11I1tI, which you have no doubt heard. I hope will facilitate eonnnunieations from our count rv ....... ' 'I'he writer onee saw a newspaper ot the same date as this letter, published in XYI11C'llt1SI't'1', Virginia, that spoke ot General .Iacl:son's plans for meeting the I3ritish at New Orleans, when the battle had actually been fought on the Sth ot the same month, and that battle was tougghti in ignorance that the articles ot peaee had been already sig.rned. I t is hardly likely, therefore, that lloetor Iloge had heard ot' the peace at this date, though he probably had, when the letter was received. lint it is altogether likely that his tirst informattion ol' the stirring events that follow was received in this letter. Think of hearing news of Napoleon by private lcfter! 'llhe reference to the Iiellerophon, in which Napoleon was afterwards carried to St. llelena, prepares ns to think ot' Napoleong new he 'flashes like a meteor upon our vision. hIAKSI'III.T.I'IS, March 4th, 1815. . . . . . . . I believe I have felt: more of what usually goes under the name of patriot- ism, and what. would not perhaps be misnamed if called pride of country, sinee I have been in Europe, than I ever did before. I have fretpiently found that my estimated importance has risen several degrees upon the discovery of my Amerieanship. The fact. is glaring that Iinglislunen sometimes 4-ondeseend to pass for Americans .... In this place I have met a few Americans who have displayed toward me all the eordiality of countrymen. The description ot' Marseilles is short. It is the finest and the most abandoned city I have seen in Europe. In this latter respect. even Paris does not probably surpass it. . . I have resolved to make a hasty tour through Italy. 'I'o facilitate my progress, I go directly from this place by water to Naples .... News! !! I have just heard. and there is no doubt, I believe, of the faet. that Bonaparte has landed in France with a small army. 'I'he general opinion is that he has made some arrangement in his retirement, for rm-conquering the Empire. and that he has now 001110 to attempt to earry it out. lie the issue what it may. it is altogether improbable that I. if I am prudent. eau have any ground of apprehension. lt. may, however, induce some variation in my arrangements. At this moment I am uncertain whether I go to Italy or not .... . . ' ll'IA1!SICIT.LIf1H, April 18th, 1815. 111-:AR I'lA'l'1II'IIt:-Il is now a month since I have written last. the state of affairs being so unsettled that the eommunieation between many plaees in this,e0u11t1'y has been entirely stopped, and no opportunity has presented of sending' anything by way of the Mediterranean. 24

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S liherty and unniolested. for I might with as nun-h sneeess have attempted to go to the moon, as to leave Auxere without. a passport. I waited some time, and tinding I was likely to wait. longer, I ohtained niy emancipation the hest way I eould. On application to Mr. Jackson. the American charge zL'ajl'uires, a new passport. was sent nie, and. leaving the authorities to settle the business in t.he hest, way they eould, I eunle to Paris. I. was just prepared to eolne to England, when Napoleon went to the army. and a proelaination eanle onli. enihargoing all il l'0IlUll ports and interdir-ting' all inlereonrse with llngland. ll was tllerefore foreed to remain. I was in Paris when Napoleon returned, after losing the hattle of Waterloo, when he ahdieated, and during the shullles of the provisional government. I was present when Louis XVIII inade his trinlnphal entrance into his eapital. Notwithstanding the t5llllll01'S of the nulltitude it was a poor triumph when the way to the hearts of his suhjeets. over which a nionareh ought to rule. was cleared hy more than 200.000 foreign hayonets. ,Poor Louis. however. is little more than an instrument, wielded hy the luaehinery ealled the Congress of Vienna, the springs of which are touehed ehietly, if not wholly, hy the lingers of Russia and l'lngland. I was present at the entrance of the allimd sovc-reigns with their armies, and .I have eolne away from the whole spectacle with a inueh worse opinion of kings and elnporers than l earried t0 it .... They have disgraced themselves hy' the violation of the nlost solemn engagements. They made war on Napoleon heeause, notwithstanding his engagements, there eonld he no peaee for Europe while he was at the head of the ,French Empire. 'l'hey deelared in their artir-les of coalition that they would leave the lfreneh people free to ehoose their own forum of govern- inent, yet on every height they gained they planted the standard of the llourhons .... I-t. is a fact that our country has the reputation of sowing all IIIC-1llllll't'llll'2ll and revolutionary princi- ples that have been at work in lC'urope, and its sovereigns, knowing' that their people In-gin to suspect the doctrine of t.he lCg'llQllllllC.Y of kings, or the right. of one man to rule over an unwilling people. heeause his father had done so. laid their heads together to prove this doetrine hy the argninent of foree. The unrighteeus eareer'of Ilonaparte is pretty well over. as he is a prisoner in the hands of the linglish. lint all is not yet quiet in France, and unless the allies keep an overwhelming foree, the llourhons will not reign long. Prophetic Words! l,ouis was sueeecded hy Charles X in' 182-I, the year that John lllair Iloge died. ln' six years he was eompelled lo ahdieate. 'lflun eigliteen years of l,ouis Pliillipe, the Ht'itizen Kingfl illllllll the Second ltepuhlie, and then Napoleon Ill, and now the 'I'l1ird illclpuhlie. A lit tlleine surely tor the lqAI,I+1lIlOSt'tlI'I'I. Pl-:v'roN IIAICILISON Ilool-1. 26