Napoleon supported the ideals of the French Revolution only because he wanted to secure and strengthen his own power. During his rise to power, Napoleon dutifully adhered to ideals. In his speech to his troops, Napoleon said: “We wage war as generous enemies, and wish only to crush the tyrants who enslave [the Italian people]” (Document 1). He tells them to be respectful of other countries, to give them the rights they are entitled to enjoy. This follows Locke's Enlightenment ideas that everyone has inherent rights that cannot be taken away. Being a supporter of equal rights, he gained popularity among the French people. Over time, Napoleon used these ideals to increase and consolidate his power. Napoleon Crosses the Alps by Jacques Louis David (Document 4) correctly illustrates Napoleon's France. In this painting, Napoleon, dressed in breeches and an elegant military uniform, rides a horse, holding the reins loose but firm, looking majestic. The horse is strong from the noticeable muscles of its legs. Upon closer inspection, the horse's eyes are too big and wild and its mouth is wide open. The horse symbolized France as a whole in that period, when everything was chaotic, with daily beheadings and constant fears of invasion. Napoleon kept France under absolute control but still granted sufficient freedoms to the people. France was a republic in name only. During this time period, the French people were guaranteed equality, as long as they respected the law, the Napoleonic Code (Document 9), which unified the French legal system under a single set of laws. Meritocracy was instilled and schools were established to educate people, as in Napoleon's France people acquired jobs based on their abilities and not family ties. Food prices were stabilized so that everyone could afford to eat. By establishing strong centralized authority, Napoleon brought order to France. He began censoring newspapers and had the secret police keep an eye on people. Both of these actions were direct violations of the Enlightenment and the Declaration of Human Rights, which stated that people have the right to freedom of speech, of the press, and of religion, and that they could not be silenced for these opinions. The hypocrisy of his actions is seen once again when Napoleon crowns himself emperor. In doing so, he is saying that his power to rule derives from God. The Napoleonic Catechism proclaimed: “[Napoleon had become] anointed of the Lord…those who failed in their duty to our emperor…resisting the order established by God himself" (Document 11).