| Show NAPOLEON AS CONSUL his tireless efforts to secure for himself the grown tricked nod overreached by III own tool HI rage anew no bow he was made fint consul for life when the treaty of akiens amiens was to be formally ratified the opportunity was at last found for a step which had long been desired by bonaparte with an eagerness but poorly concealed from his li lends this act writes prof sloane in century marked the closing of the temple of janus the pacification of the world the consummation so long and so ardently desired w france the popularity of him who was the author of the peace could reach no higher limits to mark the gratitude of the state for his services to guarantee the perpetuity of his great work his power must be prolonged As to what extent no one could learn his wishes whatever recompense the great powers of the state choba to bestow he would accept in vain were all attempts to sound the depths of his desires the crowning honor must be forced upon him but his friends were not astute and even the sympathetic senate failed to apprehend what would be considered its duty the gramme pro laid down was consequently of petty dimensions when the treaty was laid before the tribunes their president proposed that some striking mark of national gratitude should be bestowed on gen bonaparte first consul there had been in private conversation a question of presenting him with the castle of st cloud the royal residence nearest to paris but he declared that he would accept nothing from the people during his term of office and the proposition was dropped the resolution offered to the tribunes meant however something of the same sort it was adopted and a carried it to the senate in order that the first assembly of the nation should interpret a general sentiment which the tribunes could only express with a dexterity acquired by habit the complaisant senate made teady to formulate a decree both the prolongation lon gation for life of the consulate and making the office hereditary were proposed as fitting testimonials pretending to believe that the first consuls public virtue would repulse anything so radical the majority rejected these suggestions and prolonged the term of his office for ten years when he saw himself thus overreached by his own tools the reticent chief magistrate was boundless in his rage and displayed a dangerous passion but he soon mastered himself and received the senators with formal thanks that night there was a council of the family with many confidential friends in which either lucien or the wise cambaceres Camb aceres suggested an appeal to the nation next day floreal the first consul appeared before the senate and declared that hn respect for the sovereignty or me people would not him to accept the prolongation of his magistracy without the authorization of the nation and proposed to ask for a plebiscite on the question shall napoleon bonaparte be consul for life foederer Eo ederer wished fo add and have the right to name his suc cessor but the general declared that that would be an encroachment on popular rights and struck out the words three months elapsed before the returns were complete in the interval both and senate hastened to vote in favor of both the measure and its object congratulation as to the foregone conclusions soon began to reach the tuileries Tuil eries from all quarters it was in this interval moreover that the two servile bodies finally stamped with their approval the measures which reestablished the slave trade even though nothing decisive had as yet occurred at san domingo it is impossible to analyze the motives of men representing a country the mot enlightened of the continent in formally approving such public baseness s human life la held loo cheaply when the individual who needs R tonic for his seeks to cover hia wants by purchasing avara new mixture that is recommended to him remember that ayere sarsaparilla has a well earned reputation of fifty yeara standing |
