Tuesday, April 04, 2006

16Apr1859, Grinding Despotism for France

HAGLEY, April 16th, 1859.
—I finished Bourrienne's " Napoleon " : very interesting and apparently trust worthy. It is curious how he declares a free government to be indispensable to France, and yet it has never succeeded under one ! On the contrary, this grinding despotism seems the only thing for it. Oh, one has a sort of feeling as one thinks of that, and hears of the decrease of the population, that the everlasting stain of Louis XVI revolution, and the slow murder of his saintly little son, has robbed the nation of all vigour and healthy prosperity.

No comments: