FRENCH PRESS ON WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 781, 26 January 1853, Page 4

FRENCH PRESS ON WELLINGTON.

The Conatitef tonne/ pays a just tribute to fail calm and lofty natoce, and the absence of self-glorification in his deeds. The image with which the passage concludes is very striking, and is an epitome of his life. "To sum up : Lord Wellington was an English general in the full acceptation of the word; cool, calm, methodical, without eathusiasm, but without any false brilliancy, sure of himself, confident in hu soldiers, and always firm both in good and bad fortune. It has been justly remarked that, in the numerous despatches which he published, and which form twelve enormous volumes, the word 'glory' never occurs. His only dominant passion was love of his country. His conduct and his character may be summed up in a word — be was a Pitt on horseback." The Pays testifies to the universal influence of his name, and the effect bis death will produce in Europe : — " The name of the Duke of Wellington wsa European. The vast events in which he was mixed up, the immense part which he played during many long years in the destinies of the world, the eminent place which be occupied in the councils of the Crown of England, and the great authority which he exercised over his party in Parliament, have made this personage one of the most remarkable of our time. The news of bis death will produce a profound sen atioa in Europe." The S&cle applauded his adaptation \o tbe spirit of peace, and the wants of a new civJization, in preference to his glory in battle, of which it can hardly be expected that a French journalist would have much to say in toe way of admiration :—": — " Tbe fields of battle on which France and England have so fiercely contended have become transformed, and the pacific conflicts of manufacturers and commerce have succeeded to sanguinary contests. In our eyes the Duke of Wellington's best title to glory is, that he understood in the latter years of his Ufa this striking transformation, and identified himself with the spirit of tbe century. We will make no other reflections in the presence of tbe tomb, into which the old general is about to descend. In 1815' he went into Paris with five cockades in his hat, as tbe Monittur of those daya relates ; and the cosmopolism which he then displayed bad a signification which no donbt be did not divine, but which bad a prophetic character. The union of nations, whose symbols he wore, tends every day to become a truth." The Assemble Nationalc enters into a long contrast between Nspoleon and Wellington, and, casting aside all narrow patriotism, renders fajjb justice to the great English captain. To this ih tide the Pays puts in an angry rejoinder, in which it saya that our epoch has supplied a whole gallery of men equal to Wellington, but that centuries are required to produce an Alexander, a Caisar, a Napoleon ! The Debatf, the XMon, and the Trovers, publish short biographies, followed up by notices, from which, amidst some special French sophistries, we finally extract a reluctant homage to tbe unquestionable greatness of a hero, diplomatist, and statesman, who will stand out in history as the foremost man of his age.