America's opinion on Napoleon Bonaparte was a divided one. Feelings about Napoleon, and France in general, tended to break sharply at one's political affiliation. There wasn't any one general opinion.

Democrat-Republicans like Madison and Jefferson tended to be much more sympathetic to France. They viewed Napoleon as a story of a heroic man who rose up out of poverty to stand against the ancient and decaying regimes of Europe.

Federalists like Hamilton tended to be more sympathetic to England. Many of them were New England merchants who had quite a bit to lose through bad relations with the British Crown and the Royal Navy. They thought of Napoleon as a treasonous, power-crazed dictator bent on destroying all in his path.

Napoleon and his enemies, of course, straddled both extremes. US attempts to remain neutral and assert its rights to trade with both parties were repeatedly tested as both British and French naval forces would seize and board US shipping. In some cases, they'd even seize the crew itself.

Napoleon himself deeply admired the Americans. He even went so far as declare a national day of mourning on hearing the news of George Washington's death. The US profited greatly through trading with him, and he enabled the country to double in size without bloodshed through the Louisiana Purchase.

Something else you might find interesting. this copy of the Nile's Weekly Register reporting on Napoleon's return to Elba.