PARIS—President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb on Wednesday, commemorating the bicentenary of the death of an emperor who overthrew the nascent Republic before expanding France’s empire in bloody battles across Europe. Numerous past presidents have shunned paying tribute to one of France’s most divisive leaders, but in a speech at the Institut de France, established by Napoleon on the banks of the river Seine, Macron said history should be confronted. Napoleon was to some a military genius, a modernizer, and national hero. To others, he was an imperialist, warmonger, and enslaver. The anniversary was a time for “enlightened commemoration” though not celebration, Macron said. He described Napoleon’s decision to restore slavery as a betrayal but praised a man who helped shape modern-day France. “If his splendor resists the erosion of time, it is because his life carries in each of us an intimate echo,” Macron said. …