re dying of the plague, and could not be removed. Napoleon
himself fearlessly went into the plague hospital, passed through all its
wards, and spoke words of sympathy and encouragement to the sufferers. The
eyes of the dying were turned to him, and followed his steps, with
indescribable affection, as he passed from cot to cot. The seven who were
in such a condition that their removal was impossible, Napoleon for some
time contemplated with most tender solicitude. He could not endure the
thought of leaving them to be taken by the Turks; for the Turks tortured
to death every prisoner who fell into their hands. He at last suggested to
the physician the expediency of administering to them an opium pill, which
would expedite, by a few hours, their death, and thus save them from the
hands of their cruel foe. The physician gave the highly admired reply, "My
profession is to cure, not to kill." Napoleon reflected a moment in
silence, and said no more upon the subject, but left a rear-guard of five
hundred men to protect them, until the last should have expired. For this
suggestion Napoleon has been most severely censured. However much it may
indicate mistaken views of Christian duty, it certainly does not indicate
a cruel disposition. It was his tenderness of heart, and his love for his
soldiers, which led to the proposal. An unfeeling monster would not have
troubled himself about these few valueless and dying men; but, without a
thought, would have left them to their fate. In reference to the severity
with which this transaction has been condemned, Napoleon remarked at St.
Helena, "I do not think that it would have been a crime had opium been
administered to them. On the contrary, I think it would have been a
virtue. To leave a few unfortunate men, who could not recover, in order
that they might be massacred by the Turks with the most dreadful tortures,
as was their custom, would, I think, have been cruelty. A general ought to
act with his soldiers, as he would wish should be done to himself. Now
would not any man, under similar circumstances, who had his senses, have
preferred dying easily, a few hours sooner, rather than expire under the
tortures of those barbarians? If my own son, and I believe I love my son
as well as any father does his child, were in a similar situation with
these men, I would advise it to be done. And if so situated myself, I
would insist upon it, if I had sense enough and strength enough to demand
it. How