How true was he to the Revolution when he established his own monarchy and ruled as a dictator?
It is true that to maintain order, he insisted on censorship of the press and in theaters. It should be remembered, however, that he twice abdicated by his own choice while still in command of the Grand Army. There were advisors in both instances who encouraged him to take control of the government by force, but in both cases he did what was best for France. A dictator would not have deferred to the wishes of the legislature. He did believe in constitutional rule and put great faith in public opinion. Yes, but wasn’t he a war monger? Many young men died fighting his battles. You will pardon me if I take exception to this. Most of our wars were preventive in nature. Very early one, actually in 1802, after the peace of Amiens, he truly believed that his fate, and that of France, was settled. He looked forward to devoting himself entirely to the administration of the country. Yes, many good men have died and he was with them at every turn, facing their same danger and hardships. Remember
