final and public renunciation
of the royalist principles of Charles de Buonaparte. It contains also
the last profession of morality which a youth is not ashamed to make
before the cynicism of his own life becomes too evident for the
castigation of selfishness and insincerity in others. Its substance is
a just reproach to a selfish trimmer; the froth and scum are
characteristic rather of the time and the circumstances than of the
personality behind them. There is no further mention of a difference
between the destinies of France and Corsica. To compare the pamphlet
with even the poorest work of Rousseau, as has often been done, is
absurd; to vilify it as ineffective trash is equally so.

As may be imagined, the "Letter" was received with mad applause, and
ordered to be printed. It was now the close of January; Buonaparte's
leave had expired on October fifteenth. On November sixteenth, after
loitering a whole month beyond his time, he had secured a document
from the Ajaccio officials certifying that both he and Louis were
devoted to the new republican order, and bespeaking assistance for
both in any difficulties which might arise. The busy Corsican
perfectly understood that he might already at that time be regarded as
a deserter in France, but still he continued his dangerous loitering.
He had two objects in view, one literary, one political. Besides the
successful "Letter" he had been occupied with a second composition,
the notion of which had probably occupied him as his purse grew
leaner. The jury before which this was to be laid was to be, however,
not a heated body of young political agitators, but an association of
old and mature men with calm, critical minds--the Lyons Academy. That
society was finally about to award a prize of fifteen hundred livres
founded by Raynal long before--as early as 1780--for the best thesis
on the question: "Has the discovery of America been useful or hurtful
to the human race? If the former, how shall we best preserve and
increase the benefits? If the latter, how shall we remedy the evils?"
Americans must regret that the learned body had been compelled for
lack of interest in so concrete a subject to change the theme, and now
offered in its place the question: "What truths and ideas should be
inculcated in order best to promote the happiness of mankind?"

Napoleon's astounding paper on this remarkable theme was finished in
December. It bears the marks of carelessness, haste, and
over