Fromtheseconsiderationsonthingsingeneral，thePrinceconductsustoNapoleoninparticular，andenterslargelyintoadiscussionofthemeritsoftheimperialsystem。OurauthorspeaksoftheEmperor’sadventinthefollowinggrandioseway：——
Napoleon，onarrivingatthepublicstage，sawthathispartwastobetheTESTAMENTARYEXECUTORoftheRevolution。Thedestructivefireofpartieswasextinct。andwhentheRevolution，dying，butnotvanquished，delegatedtoNapoleontheaccomplishmentofherlastwill，shesaidtohim，’Establishuponsolidbasestheprincipalresultofmyefforts。UnitedividedFrenchmen。DefeatfeudalEuropethatisleaguedagainstme。Cicatrizemywounds。
Enlightenthenations。Executethatinwidth，whichIhavehadtoperformindepth。BeforEuropewhatIhavebeenforFrance。And，evenifyoumustwaterthetreeofcivilizationwithyourblood——ifyoumustseeyourprojectsmisunderstood，andyoursonswithoutacountry，wanderingoverthefaceoftheearth，neverabandonthesacredcauseoftheFrenchpeople。Insureitstriumphbyallthemeanswhichgeniuscandiscoverandhumanityapprove。’
ThisgrandmissionNapoleonperformedtotheend。Histaskwasdifficult。Hehadtoplaceuponnewprinciplesasocietystillboilingwithhatredandrevenge。andtouse，forbuildingup，thesameinstrumentswhichhadbeenemployedforpullingdown。
Thecommonlotofeverynewtruththatarises，istowoundratherthantoconvince——ratherthantogainproselytes，toawakenfear。