Tea at Trianon: Napoleon's crimes

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Napoleon's crimes

Here is a harrowing article featured at Lew Rockwell.com. Share

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: The respect shown to these remains by the people of Vilnus is touching.

My son said that after the Battle of Antietam the dead and wounded taken to Frederick outnumbered the city's population, same situation as in this report. Wonder how often in the bloody history of war that has happened to local cities and towns.

With a leader like we currently have, one can see what could happen if he had all the power. Our country would be at war for the next 20 years.

Interesting article!; February 1, 2007 at 1:22:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...: I believe there was a story about this gravesite on the evening news a few years ago. I'm of Lithuanian descent and have an interest in Lithuanian history. (The Baltic region isn't a well known area of Europe)

Yes, your son is correct, Alice I. Various churches in Frederick were converted into makeshift hospitals. It's just one example of how the town was affected. Some of the soldiers are buried in St. John's Cemetary on East 3rd St and you can see their graves today.; February 1, 2007 at 8:35:00 PM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Very interesting, ladies! Thanks!; February 2, 2007 at 9:16:00 AM EST