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THE ALBION
British, Colonial, and Foreign Weekly Gazette.
New York, Saturday, February 22, 1823NAPOLEON'S MEMOIRS and Las Cases' Journal
Excerpts include:
Bonaparte's Return from Egypt
Bonaparte's Passage of the Alps 1800
Return of the Emperor to the Elysee, after the Battle of Waterloo
The Abdication
The Provisional Government Presented to the Emperor
The Minister of Marine Comes to Malmaison
Napoleon Quits Malmaison
On the Bellerophon
Napoleon's Marriage
The King of Rome
Ferdinand VII
The House of Austria
Overtures of the Bourbons
Bonaparte's Love of the Sex
St. Helena AnecdotesNapoleon Bonaparte was not a meteor in the political hemisphere, but a fixed star which must for ages attract the notice of the observer. His name is connected with some of the greatest events that history records; he made the period in which he lived an era, and his deeds belong to posterity. Whatever, therefore, relates to such an individual must long continue to excite great interest. That interest will now, however, ensure great gratification for two valuable works which have just appeared, entitled, Napoleon's memoirs and Las Cases' Journal.
The first portion of these long-promised works has just been published by Mr. Colburn. We have not, of course, had time to read the with the attention, or to analyze their pretensions to historical value, in such a way as would justify us in expressing them. We shall therefore content ourselves, at present, with simply endeavouring to anticipate public curiosity, by the following miscellaneous extracts:Bonaparte's Return from Egypt
In the mean time the news of Napoleon's return had reached Paris. It was announced at the Theatres, and caused a universal sensation, a general delirium, of which the members of the Directory partook. Some of the Societe du Manege trembled on the occasion; but they dissembled their real feelings so well as to seem to share the general rejoicing. Baudin, the Deputy from Ardennes, who was really a worthy man, and sincerely grieved at the unfortunate turn that the affairs of the Republic had taken, died of joy when he heard of Napoleon's return.
Napoleon had already quitted Lyons, when his landing was announced in Paris. With a precaution which was very advisable in his situation, he expressed to his courtiers an intention of taking a different road from that which he actually took; so that his wife, his family, and particular friends, went in a wrong direction to meet him, and by that means some days elapsed before he was able to see them. Having thus arrived in Paris, quite unexpectedly, he was in his own house, in the Rue Chantereine, before any one knew of his being in the capital. Two hours afterwards he presented himself to the Directory, and, being recognized by the soldiers on guard, was announced by shouts of gladness. All the members of the Directory appeared to share in the joy; he had every reason to congratulate himself on the reception he experienced on all sides. The nature of past events sufficiently instructed him as to the situation of France; and the information he had procured on his journey, had made him acquainted with all that was going on. His resolution was taken. What he had been unwilling to attempt on his return from Italy, he was now determined to do immediately. He held the government of the Directory and the leaders of the councils, in the most supreme contempt. Resolved to possess himself of authority, and to restore France to her former glory, by giving a powerful impulse to public affairs, he had left Egypt to execute this project; and all that he had just seen in the interior of France had confirmed his sentiments and strengthened his resolution.
Of the Old Directory only Barras remained. The other members were Roger Ducos, Moulins, Gohier, and Sieyes.
Ducos was a man of narrow mind and easy disposition.
Moulins, a General of Division, had never served in war; he was originally in the French Guards, and had been advanced in the army of the Interior. He was a worthy man, and a warm and upright patriot.
Gohier was an Advocate of considerable reputation and exalted patriotism; an eminent lawyer, and a man of great integrity and candour.
Sieyes had long been known to Napoleon. He was born in Frejus, in Provence. His reputation commenced with the Revolution. He had been called to the Constituent Assembly by the electors of the Third Estate, at Paris, after having been repulsed by the Assembly of the Clergy at Chartres. He was the author of the pamphlet entitled "What is the Third Estate?" which made so much noise. He was not a man of business: knowing but little of men, he knew not how they might be made to act. All his studies having been directed to metaphysics, he had the fault of metaphysicians, of too often despising positive notions; but he was capable of giving useful and luminous advice on matters of importance, or at any momentous crisis. To him, France is indebted for the division into departments, which destroyed all provincial prejudices; and though he was distinguished as an orator, he greatly contributed to the success of the Revolution by his advice in the Committee. He was nominated a Director, when the Directory was first established; but he refused the distinction at that time, and Lareveillere was appointed instead of him. He was afterwards send Ambassador to Berlin, and imbibed a great mistrust of the politics of Prussia in the course of his mission. He had taken a seat in the Directory not long before this time; but he had already been of great service in checking the progress of the Societe du Manege, which he saw was ready to seize the helm of the state. He was abhorred by that faction; and fearless of bringing upon himself the enmity of so powerful a party, he courageously resisted the machinations of these men of blood, in order to avert from the Republic the evil with which it was threatened.
At the period of the 13th of Vendemiaire, the following occurrence had enabled Napoleon to form a correct judgement of him. At the critical moment of that day, when the Committee of the Forty seemed quite distracted, Sieyes came to Napoleon, and took him into the recess of a window, while the Committee was deliberating upon the answer to be given to the summons of the Sections. "You hear them, General," said he; "they talk while they should be acting. Bodies of men are wholly unfit to direct armies, for they know not the value of time or opportunity. You have nothing to do here; go, General, consult your genius and the situation of the country; the hope of the Republic rests on your alone."Bonaparte's Passage of the Alps 1800
The French army fancied every obstacle was overleaped; it was treading a fine valley, in which it found houses, verdure, and spring weather; when all at once its progress was checked by the cannon of Fort Bard.
This fort is situated between Aosta and Ivrea, upon a conical hillock, and between two mountains, twenty-five toises distant from each other; at its foot flows the torrent of Doria, the valley of which it absolutely shuts up; the road passes through the fortifications of the town of Bard, which is walled, and is commanded by the fire of the fort. The Engineer Officers of the van guard approached to reconnoitre a passage, and reported that no other than that through the city remained. General Lannes commanded an attack during the night, in order to try the fort; but it was on all sides protected against a coup de main. As it always happens under similar circumstances, the panic communicated itself rapidly throughout the army, even to its rear. Orders were even given for stopping the passage of the artillery over the St. Bernard: but the First Consul, who had already reached Aosta, immediately repaired to Bard, he climbed up the rock Albaredo, upon the left mountain, which rock commands at once both the town and the fort, and soonperceived the possibility of taking the town. There was not a moment to be lost; on the 25th, at night-fall, the 58th demi-brigade, led by Dufour, scaled the wall, and gained possession of the town, which is only separated from the fort by the stream of the Doria. In vain, during the whole night, the fort showered grape shot at half-musket distance, upon the French within the town; they maintained themselves there, and at last, out of consideration for the inhabitants, the fire of the fort ceased.
The infantry and cavalry passed one up the path of the mountain, which the First Consul had climbed, and where no horse had ever stepped; it was a way known to none but goatherds.
On the following nights the Artillery Officers, with their surprising skill, and the gunners, with the greatest intrepidity, took their guns through the town. Every precaution had been taken for concealing the knowledge of this operation from the commandant of the fort; the road was covered with litter and dung, and the pieces, concealed under branches and straw, were drawn by the men with cords, in the most profound silence. Thus was a space of several hundred toises crossed, within pistol-shot of the batteries of the fort. The garrison, though suspecting nothing, made occasional discharges, which killed or wounded a considerable number of gunners; but that did not in the least check the general zeal. The fort did not surrender until early in June. By that time, the French had succeeded, with the utmost difficulty, in mounting several guns upon the Albaredo, whence they thundered upon the batteries of the fort. If they had been forced to delay the passing of the artillery until the capture of this fort, all the hopes of the campaign would have been lost.Return of the Emperor to the Elysee, after the Battle of Waterloo
Tuesday, June 20th, 1815 Heard of the Emperor's return to the Elysee Palace: placed myself in immediate attendance there.
Napoleon had just lost a great battle. The Emperor, still covered with dust from the field of Waterloo, was on the point of hurrying into the midst of them, (Chamber of Representatives), there to expose our dangers and resources, and to declare that his personal interests should never be a barrier to the happiness of France, thence to quit Paris immediately. It is said that several persons dissuaded him from this step; by leading him to apprehend an approaching ferment amongst the deputies.The Abdication
21st The best intentioned and most influential members of the national representation have been tampered with all last evening and all night, by certain persons, who, if their word is to be taken, produce authentic documents and demi-official papers, guaranteeing the safety of France, by the mere abdication of the Emperor, as they pretend.
This opinion had become so strong this morning, that it seemed irresistible; the president of the assembly, the first men in the state, and the Emperor's particular friends, come to supplicate that he will save France by abdicating. Though by no means convinced, yet the Emperor answers with magnanimity: he abdicates!
The documents and state papers, which have produced such a powerful sensation, and brought about the grand event of this day, are said to be official communications of M.M. Fouche and Metternich, in which the latter guarantees Napoleon II, and the regency, in case of the abdication of the Emperor. These communications must have been long carried on, unknown to Napoleon. M. Fouche must have a furious partiality for clandestine operations. It is well known that his first disgrace, which took place several years ago, arose from his having opened some negotiations with England of his own accord, without the Emperor's knowledge; he has, in fact, always shown the greatest obliquity in affairs of moment.The Provisional Government Presented to the Emperor
23rd and 24th The acclamations and interest without, continued at the Elysee. I presented the members of the Provisional Government to the Emperor, who, in dismissing them, directed the Duke Decres to see them out. The Emperor's brothers, Joseph, Lucien, and Jerome, were introduced frequently throughout the day, and conversed with him for some time.
As usual, there was a great multitude of people collected round the palace in the evening; their numbers were constantly increasing. Their acclamations and the interest shown for the Emperor created considerable uneasiness amongst the different factions. The fermentation of the capital now became so great, that Napoleon determined to depart on the following day.The Minister of Marine Comes to Malmaison
27th I went to Paris for a short time with the Minister of Marine, who came to Malmaison on business respecting the frigate destined for the Emperor. He read me the instructions drawn out for the commanders, said his Majesty depended on my seal, and intended taking me with him; adding that he would take care of my family during my absence.
Napoleon II is proclaimed by the Legislature.
The agitation and uncertainty hourly increased in the capital, for the enemy was at the gates. On reaching Malmaison, we saw the bridge of Chatou in flames; guards were posted round the palace, and it became prudent to remain within the park walls. I went into the Emperor's room, and described how Paris had appeared to me; stating the general opinion that Fouche openly betrayed the national cause; and that the hopes of all patriots were, that his Majesty would this very night join the army, who loudly called for him. The Emperor listened to me with an air of deep thought, but made no reply, and I withdrew soon after.
Napoleon Quits MalmaisonMeanwhile time pressed. When on the point of setting out, the Emperor sent a message to the Provisional Government by General Becker, offering to place himself at the head of the army, merely in the rank of a citizen; adding, that after having repulsed Blucher, he would continue his route. On the refusal of this offer, we left Malmaison; the Emperor and a part of his suite taking the road to Rochefort by Tours.
5th 7th: At Rochefort, the Emperor no longer wore a military dress. He lived at the prefecture: numbers were constantly grouped round the house; and acclamation continued to be frequently repeated. The Emperor appeared two or three times at the balcony. Numerous proposals were made to him, both by Generals who came in person, and others who sent emissaries.On the Bellerophon
On our leaving the Bellerophon in the morning to visit the Superb , the Emperor stopped short in front of the guard drawn up on the quarter-deck to salute him. He made them perform several movements, giving the word of command himself. Having desired them to charge bayonets, and perceiving this motion was not performed altogether in the French manner, he advanced into the midst of the soldiers, put the weapons aside with his hands, and seized a musket from one of the rear rank, with which he went through the exercise himself according to our method. A sudden movement and change of countenance amongst the officers and others who were present, sufficiently expressed their astonishment at seeing the Emperor thus carelessly place himself amidst English bayonets, some of which came in contact with his person. This circumstance produced a most striking effect. On returning from the Superb, we were indirectly questioned on the subject, and asked whether the Emperor had ever acted in the same way with his own soldiers, while the greatest surprise was expressed at his confidence. Not one amongst the officers had formed any idea of Sovereigns who could thus explain and execute their own commands: it was therefore easy to perceive they had no just conception of the personage now before them, not withstanding his having been so marked an object of attention and curiosity for about twenty years.
I was again sent for by the Emperor, who, after alluding to different subjects, began to speak of St. Helena , asking me what sort of a place it could be? Whether it was possible to exist there? And similar questions. "But," said he, "after all, am I quite sure of going there? Is a man dependent on others when he wished that his dependence should cease?" We continued to walk to and for in the cabin; he seemed calm, though affected, and somewhat absent.
"My friend," continued the Emperor, "I have sometimes an idea of quitting you, and this would not be very difficult; it is only necessary to create a little mental excitement, and I shall soon have escaped. All will be over, and you can then tranquilly rejoin your families. This is the more easy, since my internal principles do not oppose any bar to it. I am one of those who conceive that the pains of the other world were only imagined as a counterpoise to those inadequate allurements which are offered to us there. God can never have willed such a contradiction to his infinite goodness, especially for an act of this kind. And what is it, after all, but wishing to return to him a little sooner.
I remonstrated warmly against such notions. Poets and philosophers had said that it was a spectacle worthy of the Divinity to see men struggling with fortune. What might not the mere change of a ministry, death of a prince, that of a confidant, the slightest burst of passion, or the most trifling dispute, bring about?
"Some of these suggestions have their weight," said the Emperor, "but what can we do in that desolate place?"
"Sire," I replied, "we will live on the past; there is enough of it to satisfy us. Do we not enjoy the life of Caesar and that of Alexander? We shall possess still more you will re-peruse yourself, Sire!"
"Be it so!" rejoined Napoleon; "We will write our memoirs. Yes, we must be employed; for occupation is the scythe of time. After all, a man ought t fulfill his destinies; this is my grand doctrine; let mine also be accomplished." Re-assuming from this instant and air of ease and even gaiety, he passed on to subjects totally unconnected with our situation.
While walking in the stern-gallery with the Emperor, at the usual hour, he drew from under his waistcoat, still conversing on a totally different subject, a species of girdle, which he handed to me, saying, "Take care of that for me." Without interrupting him, I placed it under my own waistcoat. The Emperor told me, soon after, that it contained a diamond necklace, worth two hundred thousand francs, which Queen Hortensia forced him to accept on his leaving Malmaison.
After our arrival at St. Helena, I frequently spoke of returning the necklace, but never received any reply. Having mentioned the subject again when we were at Longwood, Napoleon dryly asked, "Does it annoy you?"
"No, Sire," was my answer.
"Keep it then," said he.
From wearing the girdle so long, the necklace became, as it were, identified with my person; and I thought so little about it, that it was not till some days after my being torn from Longwood, and by the merest accident, that it recurred to my memory. Before quitting the island, I had the inexpressible satisfaction of knowing that the necklace had reached the hands of the Emperor.
I need scarcely observe, that the English are accustomed to remain a long time at table after the dessert, drinking and conversing. The Emperor, already tired by the tedious dinner, could never have endured this custom, and he rose, therefore, from the first day, immediately after coffee had been handed round, and went out on deck, followed by the Grand Marshal and myself. This disconcerted the Admiral, who took occasion to express his surprise to his officers; but Madame Bertrand, whose maternal language is English, warmly replied, "Do not forget, Admiral, that your guest is a man that has governed a large portion of the world, and that Kings once contended for the honour of being admitted to his table."
"Very true," rejoined the Admiral, and this officer, who possesses good sense, a becoming pliability of man ners, and sometimes much elegance, did his utmost from that moment to accommodate the Emperor in his habits. He shortened the time of sitting at table, ordering coffee for Napoleon, and those who accompanied him, even before the rest of the company had finished their dinner.
After the preliminary remarks on the weather, the ship's progress, and the winds, Napoleon used to start a subject of conversation, or revive that of the proceeding or some other former day; and when he had taken eight or nine turns, the whole length of the deck, he would seat himself on the second gun from the gangway, on the larboard side. The midshipmen soon observed this habitual predilection, so that the cannon was thenceforth called the Emperor's gun.A religious party was fomenting civil discord in the state, by secretly circulating bulls and letters from the Pope. They were shown to a councillor of state appointed to superintend religious worship; and who, if he did not himself circulate them, at least neither prevented or denounced their circulation. This was discovered, and the Emperor suddenly challenged him with the fact in open council. "What could have been your motive, Sir?" said he, "Were you influenced by your religious principles? If so, why are you here? I use no control over the conscience of any man. Did I force you to become my councillor of state? On the contrary, you solicited the post as a high favour. You are the youngest member of the council, and perhaps the only who has not some personal claim to that honour; you had nothing to recommend you but the inheritance of your father's services. You took a personal oath to me; how could your religious feelings permit you openly to violate that oath, as you just now have done? Speak, however; you are here in confidence; your colleagues shall be your judges. Your crime is a great one, Sir. A conspiracy for the commission of a violent act is stopped as soon as we seize the arm that holds the poignard; but a conspiracy to influence the public mind has no end; it is like a train of gunpowder. Perhaps, at this very moment, whole towns are thrown into commotion through your fault!" The councillor, quite confused, said nothing in reply; the first appeal was enough to establish the fact. The members of the council, to the majority of whom this event was unexpected, were struck with astonishment, and observed profound silence. "Why," continued the Emperor, "did you not, according to the obligation imposed on your oath, discover to me the criminal and his plots? Am I not at all times accessible to every one of you?" "Sire," said the councillor, at length venturing to reply, "his was my cousin." "Your crime is then the greater, Sir," replied the Emperor sharply. "Your kinsmen could only have been placed in office at your solicitation; from that moment all the responsibility devolved on you. When I look upon a man as entirely devoted to me, as you situation ought to render you, all who are connected with him, and all for whom he becomes responsible, from that time require not watching. These are my maxims." The accused member still remained silent, and the Emperor continued: "The duties which a councillor of state owes to me are immense. You, Sir, have violated those duties, and you hold the office no longer. Begone, let me never see you here again!" The disgraced councillor, as he was withdrawing, passed very near the Emperor; the latter looked at him and said, "I am sincerely grieved at this, Sir, for the services of your father are still fresh in my memory." When he was gone, the Emperor added, "I hope such a scene as this may never be renewed; it has done me too much harm. I am not distrustful, but may become so! I have allowed myself to be surrounded by every party; I have placed near my person even emigrants and soldiers of the army of Conde; and though it was wished to induce them to assassinate me, yet, to do them justice, they have continued faithful. Since I have held the reins of government, this is the first individual employed about me by whom I have been betrayed." And then, turning towards M. Loure, who took notes of the debates of the council of state, he said, "Write down betrayed do you hear!"
In 1814, during he disasters of France, many tempting and brilliant proposals were made to Prince Eugene. An Austrian General offered him the crown of Italy, in the name of the allies, on condition of his joining them. This offer afterwards came from a still higher source, and was several times repeated. During the reign of the Emperor, there had been some idea of raising the Prince to a throne; and those of Portugal, Naples, and Poland, were thought of.
On the distribution of states in 1814, the Emperor Alexander, who frequently visited the Empress Josephine at Malmaison, signified a wish to procure for her son the sovereignty of Genoa, Eugene, however, declined this proposition, at the instigation of the ruling diplomatist, who flattered him with the hope of something better.
At the Congress of Vienna, the Emperor Alexander, who honoured Prince Eugene with particular marks of favour, insisted that he should be made the sovereign of at least 300,000 subjects. He testified the sincerest friendship for him, and they were every day seen walking about together arm in arm. The landing at Cannes put a period, if not to the sentiment, at least to the manifestation of it; and changed the political interests of the Emperor of Russia.
After the fall of Napoleon, Alexander, on several occasions, manifested a marked and decided dislike to him. In 1815 he was the promoter of the second crusade against Napoleon: he directed every hostile measure with the utmost degree of malice, and seemed to make it almost a personal affair; alleging as the cause of his aversion that he had been deceived and trifled with.
The fatality attending the military movements was such, that the Allies entered Paris without the concurrence of the Austrian Cabinet. Alexander's famous declaration against Napoleon Bonaparte and his family was also made without the Austrian power being consulted; and the Count d'Artois only entered France contriving to slip in secretly in spite of the orders at the Austrian head quarters, where he had been refused passports.
It appears that Austria, on the retreat from Moscow, exerted sincere efforts in London for negotiating a peace with Napoleon; but the influence of the Russian Cabinet was all-powerful in London, and no proposals of peace were listened to. The armies of Dresden then arrived, and Austria declared herself favourable to war.
During this interval, the Austrian Minister in London could never obtain a hearing. He, however, remained for a considerable time in the English capital, and left it only when the Allies had reached the heart of France, and when Lord Castlereagh felt a momentary foreboding that the heroic success of Napoleon might render negotiations indispensable.
If this Minister had not previously been sent to London, he would have been destined for Paris; and there, probably, his influence might have brought about a turn of negotiations different from those which arose during his absence between the Tuileries and Vienna.
In the height of the crisis he found himself detained in England as if by force. In his impatience to reach the grand center of negotiations, he quitted his post and proceeded to Holland, braving the fury of the tempest. No sooner had he arrived on the theater of events, than he fell into the hands of Napoleon at St. Dizier; but the fate of France was then decided, though the fact was not yet known at the French head-quarters. Alexander was entering Paris.
The Austrian Minister in London exerted every endeavour to procure a passport to enable him to join his sovereign by passing through Calais and Paris, but in vain. This circumstance, whether accidental or premeditated, was another fatality; but for this disappointmentthe Austrian Minister would have reached Paris before the Allies; would have joined Maria Louisa; would have defeated the last projects of M. de Talleyrand, and would have altogether produced new combinations.
Opinion was divided in the Austrian Cabinet. One party was for the union with France; the other was for the alliance with Russia. Intrigue or chance decided in favour of Russia, and Austria was thus merely led on.Berthier accompanied the Emperor in is carriage during his campaigns. As they drove along the Emperor would examine the order book and the report of the positions, whence he formed his resolutions, adopted his plans, and arranged the necessary movements. Berthier noted down his directions, and at the first station they came to, or during the first moments allotted to rest, whether by night or day, he made out, in his turn, all the orders and individual details with admirable regularity, precision, and despatch. This was a kind of duty at which he showed himself always ready and indefatigable. "This was the special merit of Berthier," said the Emperor; "It was most valuable to me; no other talent could have made up for the want of it."
I have known the Emperor to be engaged in the Council of State for eight or nine hours successively and afterwards rise with his ideas as clear as when he sat down. I have seen him, at St. Helena, peruse books for ten or twelve hours in succession, on the most abstruse subjects, without appearing in the least fatigued. He has suffered, unmoved, the greatest shocks that man ever experienced. On his return from Moscow or Leipsic, after he had communicated the disastrous event in the Council of State, he said, "It has been reported in Paris, that this misfortune turned my hair gray; but you see it is no so, (pointing to his head,) and I hope I shall be able to support many other reverses."
The Emperor eats very irregularly, but generally very little. He often says that a man may hurt himself by eating too much, but never by eating too little. He will remain for four and twenty hours without eating, only to get an appetite for the ensuing day. But if he eats little, he drinks still less. A single glass of Madeira or Champagne is sufficient to restore his strength, and to produce cheerfulness of spirits. He sleeps very little and very irregularly, generally rising at day-break to read or write, and afterwards lying down to sleep again.
The Emperor has no faith in medicine, and never takes any. He had adopted a peculiar mode of treatment for himself. Whenever he found himself unwell, his plan was to run into an extreme, the opposite of what happened to be his habit at the time. This he calls restoring the equilibrium of nature. If, for instance, he had been inactive for a length of time, he would suddenly ride about sixty miles, or hunt for a whole day. If, on the contrary, he had been harassed by great fatigues, he would resign himself to a state of absolute rest for twenty-four hours. These unexpected shocks infallibly brought about an internal crisis, and instantly produced the desired effect; this remedy, he observed, never failed.
The Emperor's lymphatic system is deranged, and his blood circulates with difficulty. Nature, he said, had endowed him with two important advantages: the one was, the power of sleeping whenever he needed repose, at any hour, and in any place: another was, that he was incapable of committing any injurious excess either in eating or drinking. If, he said, I go the least beyond my mark, my stomach instantly revolts. He is subject to nausea from very slight causes; a mere tickling cough is sufficient to produce that effect on him.The infernal machine was mentioned in its turn. This diabolical invention, which gave rise to so many conjectures, and led to the death of so many victims, was the work of the Royalists, who obtained the first idea of it from the Jacobins.
The Emperor stated, that a hundred furious Jacobins, the real authors of the scenes of September, the 10th of August, &c had resolved to get rid of the First Consul, for which purpose they invented a 15 or 16 lb. howitzer, which, on being thrown into the carriage would explode by its own concussion, and hurl destruction on every side. To make sure of their object, they proposed to lay caltrops along a part of the road, which, by suddenly impeding the horses, would of course render in impossible for the carriage to move on. The man who was employed to lay down the caltrops, entertaining some suspicions of the job which he had been set upon, as well as of the good intentions of his employers, communicated the business to the police. The conspirators were soon traced, and were apprehended near the Jardin des Plates, in the act of trying the effect of the machine, which made a terrible explosion. The First Consul, whose policy it was not to divulge the numerous conspiracies of which he was the object, did not give publicity to this, but contented himself with imprisoning the criminals. He soon relaxed his orders for keeping them in close confinement, and they were allowed a certain degree of liberty. In the same prison in which these Jacobins were confined, some Royalists were also imprisoned for an attempt to assassinate the First Consul by means of airguns. These two parties formed a league together; and the Royalists transmitted to their friends out of prison the idea of the infernal machine, as being preferable to any other plan of destruction.
It is very remarkable, that on the evening of the catastrophe, the Emperor expressed an extreme repugnance to go out. Madame Bonaparte and some intimate friends absolutely forced him to go to an oratorio. They roused him from a sofa when he was fast asleep; one fetched him his sword, and another his hat. As he drove along in the carriage, he fell asleep again, and awoke suddenly, saying that he had dreamed he was drowning in the Tagliamento. To explain what he alluded to, it is necessary to mention that some years previously, when he was General of the Army of Italy, he passed the Tagliamento in his carriage during the night, contrary to the advice of every one about him. In the ardour of youth, and heedless of every obstacle, he crossed the river, surrounded by 100 armed men with poles and torches. His carriage was, however, soon set afloat; Napoleon ran the most imminent danger, and for some time gave himself up for lost. At the moment when now awoke, on his way to the oratorio, he was in the midst of a conflagration, the carriage was lifted up, and the passage of the Tagliamento came fresh upon his mind. The illusion, however, was but momentary; and dreadful explosion immediately ensued. "We are blown up!" exclaimed the First Consul to Lannes and Bessieres, who were in the carriage with him. They proposed immediately to make arrests; but he desired them not to be too hasty. The First Consul arrived safe, and appeared at the opera as though nothing had happened. He was preserved by the desperate driving of his coachman. The machine injured only one or two individuals who closed the escort.
The most trivial circumstances often lead to the most important results. The coachman was intoxicated; no doubt this proved the means of saving the life of the First Consul. The man's intoxication was so great, that it was not until next morning he could be made to comprehend what had happened. He had taken the explosion for the firing of a salute.Napoleon's Marriage
The marriage of Maria Louisa was consummated in Fontainebleau, immediately after her arrival. The Emperor, setting aside all the etiquette that had previously been arranged, went to meet her, and in disguise, got into her carriage. She was agreeably surprised when she discovered him. She had always been given to understand that Berthier, who had married her by proxy at Vienna, in person and age exactly resembled the Emperor; she, however, signified that she observed a very pleasing difference between them.
Maria Louisa's marriage, said the Emperor, was proposed and concluded under the same forms and conditions as that of Marie Antoinette, whose contract was adopted as a model. After the repudiation of Josephine, negotiations were entered into with the Emperor of Russia for the purpose of soliciting the hand of one of his sisters; the difficulties rested merely in the settling of certain points relative to religion. Prince Eugene, conversing with M. de Schwartzenberg, learned that the Emperor of Austria would not object to a union between Napoleon and his daughter; and this information was communicated to the Emperor. A Council was convoked to decide whether an alliance with Russia or Austria would be most advantageous. Eugene and Talleyrand were for the Austrian alliance, and Cambaceres against it. The majority were in favour of an Archduchess. Eugene was appointed to make the official overture, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was empowered to sign it that very day, if an opportunity should present itself, which proved to be the case.
Russia took umbrage at this; she thought herself trifled with, though without just ground. Nothing of an obligatory nature had yet transpired; both parties remained perfectly free. Political interests predominated over every thing.
Maria Louisa confessed to the Emperor, that when her marriage with him was first proposed, she could not help feeling a kind of terror, owing to the accounts she had heard of Napoleon from the individuals of her family. When she mentioned these reports to the uncles, the Archdukes, who were very urgent for the marriage, they replied, "That was all very true, while he was our enemy; but the case is altered now."The King of Rome
The following anecdote will afford a correct idea of the manner in which Madame de Montesquiou managed the King of Rome. The apartments of the young Prince were on the ground floor, and looked out on the court of the Tuileries. At almost every hour in the day, numbers of people were looking in at the window, in the hope of seeing him. One day when he was in a violent fit of passion, and rebelling furiously against the authority of Madame de Montesquiou, she immediately ordered all the shutters to be closed. The child, surprised at the sudden darkness, asked Madame Quiou, as he used to call her, what it meant? "I love you too well," she replied, "not to hide your anger from the crowd in the court-yard. You, perhaps, will one day be called to govern all these people, and what would they say if they saw you in such a fit of rage? Do you think they would ever obey you, if they knew you to be so wicked?" Upon which the child asked her pardon, and promised never again to give way to such fits of anger.Ferdinand VII
The Empress conceived the tenderest affection for the Duchess of Montebello. This lady had at one time a chance of being Queen of Spain. Ferdinand VII, when at Valency, requested the Emperor's permission to marry Mademoiselle de Tascher, cousin-german of Josephine; he even proposed to marry the young lady in her own name, after the example of the Prince of Baden, who married Mademoiselle de Beauharnais. The Emperor, who already contemplated the separation of Josephine, refused his consent to the match, not wishing by his connection to add to the difficulties that already stood in the way of his divorce. Ferdinand then solicited the hand of the Duchess de Montebello, or of any other French lady whom the Emperor might think proper to adopt.The House of Austria
"To afford an idea of the sympathy and good will with which the different members of the Austrian family were taught to regard me," said the Emperor, "it is sufficient to mention that one of the young Archdukes frequently burned his dolls, which he called roasting Napoleon. He afterwards declared he would not roast me any more, for he loved me very much, because I had given his sister Louisa plenty of money to buy him playthings."
Since my return to Europe, I have had an opportunity to ascertain the sentiments entertained by the House of Austria towards Napoleon. In Germany, a person of distinction informed me, that having had a private audience of the Emperor Francis, during his tour of Italy, in 1816, the conversation turned on Napoleon. Francis spoke of him in the most respectful terms. One might also have supposed, said my informant, that he still regarded him as the Ruler of France, and that he was ignorant of his captivity at St. Helena. He never alluded to him by any other title than the Emperor Napoleon.
I learned from the same individual that the Archduke John, when in Italy, visited a rotunda, on the ceiling of which was painted a celebrated action, of which Napoleon was the hero. As he raised his head to look at the painting, his hat fell off, and one of his attendants stooped to pick it up. "Let it be," said he, "it is thus that I should contemplate the man who is there portrayed."
The Empress Maria Louisa complained, that when she quitted France, M. de Talleyrand reserved to himself the honour of demanding from here the restitution of the Crown Jewels, and ascertaining whether they had been restored with the most scrupulous exactness.Overtures of the Bourbons
"The King of France," said Napoleon, "wrote a letter which was conveyed to me by Le Brun, who had it from the Abbe de Montesquiou, the secret agent of the Prince at Paris." This letter, which was written in a very laboured style, contained the following paragraph: "You delay long to restore me my Throne. It is to be feared that you may allow favourable moments to escape. You cannot complete the happiness of France without me, nor can I serve France without you. Hasten, then, and specify yourself the places which you would wish your friends to possess."
To this letter the First Consul replied: "I have your Royal Highness' letter; I have always felt deep interest your misfortunes and those of your family. You must not think of appearing in France; you could not do so without passing over a hundred thousand dead bodies. I shall, however, be always eager to do every thing that may tend to alleviate your fate, or enable you to forget your misfortunes."
The overtures made by the Count d'Artois possessed still more elegance and address. He commissioned, as the bearer of them, the Duchess de Guiche, a lady whose fascinating manners and personal graces were calculated to assist her in the important negotiation. She easily got access to Madame Bonaparte, with whom all the individuals of the old Court came easily in contact. She breakfasted with her at Malmaison; and the conversation turning on London, the emigrants, and the French Princes, Madame de Guiche mentioned that, as she happened a few days before to be at the house of the Count d'Artois, she had heard some person ask the Prince what he intended to do for the First Consul, in the event of his restoring the Bourbons; and that the Prince had replied: "I would immediately make him Constable of the kingdom, and every thing else he might choose. But even that would not be enough; we would raise on the Carousel a lofty and magnificent column, surmounted with a statue of Bonaparte crowning the Bourbons."
As soon as the First Consul entered, which he did very shortly after breakfast, Josephine eagerly repeated to him the circumstance which the Duchess had related. "And did you not reply," said her husband, "that the corpse of the First Consul would have been made the pedestal of the column?" The charming Duchess was still present; the beauties of her countenance, her eyes, and her words, were directed to the success of her commission. She said she was so delighted that she did not know how she should ever be able sufficiently to acknowledge the favour which Madame Bonaparte had procured her, of seeing and hearing so distinguished a man so great a hero. It was all in vain; the Duchess de Guiche received orders that very night to quit Paris. The charms of the emissary were too well calculated to alarm Josephine, to induce her to say any thing very urgent I her favour, and next day the Duchess was on her way to the frontier.
It is, however, absolutely false that Napoleon, on his part, at a subsequent period, made overtures or propositions to the Princes touching the cession of their rights, or their renunciation of the Crown; though such statements have been made in some pompous declarations, profusely circulated in Europe.Bonaparte's Love of the Sex
In one of our nightly walks, the Emperor told me that he had in the course of his life been much attached to two women of very different characters. The one was the votary of art and the graces, the other was all innocence and simple nature; and each, he observed, had a very high degree of merit.
The first, in on moment of her life ever assumed a position or attitude that was not pleasing or captivating; it was impossible to take her by surprise, or make her feel the least inconvenience. She employed every resource of art to heighten natural attractions; but with such ingenuity as to render every trace of allurement imperceptible. The other, on the contrary, never suspected that any thing was to be gained by innocent artifice. The one was always somewhat short of the truth of nature; the other was altogether frank and open, and was a stranger to subterfuge. The first never asked her husband for any thing, but she was in debt to every one; the second freely asked whenever she wanted, which, however, very seldom happened; and she never thought of receiving any thing without immediately paying for it. Both were amiable and gentle in disposition, and strongly attached to their husbands. But it must already have been guessed who they are; and those who have ever seen them will not fail to recognize the two Empresses.
The Emperor declared that he had uniformly experienced from both, the greatest equality of temper, and most implicit obedience.
One day, immediately after dinner, the Emperor walked in his favourite path. He had his coffee carried down to him in the garden, and he drank it as he walked about. The conversation turned on love. I must have made some very fine and sentimental remarks on this important subject, for the Emperor laughed at what he styled my prattle, and said that he understood none of my romantic verbiage. Then, speaking with an air of levity, he wished to make me believe that he was better acquainted with sensations than sentiments. I made free to remark, that he was trying to be thought worse than he was described to be in the authentic, but very secret, accounts that were circulated about the palace. "And what was said of me?" resumed he with an air of gaiety. "Sire," I replied, "it is understood that when in the summit of your power, you suffered yourself to be enslaved by the chains of love that you became a hero of romance. In short, that you conceived an attachment for a lady in humble circumstances; that you wrote her above a dozen love letters; and that her power over you prevailed so far as to compel you to disguise yourself, and to visit her secretly and alone, and at her own residence in the heart of Paris." "And how came this to be known?" said he, smiling, which of course amounted to an admission of the fact. "And it was doubtless added," continued he, "that this was the most imprudent act of my whole life; for had my mistress proved treacherous, what might not have been my fate alone and disguised, in the circumstances in which I was placed, amidst the snares with which I was surrounded? But what more is said of me?" "Sire, it is affirmed that your Majesty's posterity is not confined to the King of Rome. The secret chronicle states that he has two elder brothers; one the offspring of a fair foreigner, whom you loved in a distant country; the other the fruit of a connection nearer at hand, in the bosom of your own capitol. It was asserted that both had been conveyed to Malmaison before our departure; the one brought by his mother, the other introduced by his tutor; and they were described to be the living portraits of their father."St. Helena Anecdotes
Some time before the dinner hour, he assembled us all around him in his chamber. A servant entered to announce that dinner was ready; he sent us away, but, as I was going out last, he called me back. "Stay here," said he, "we will dine together. Let the young people go; we old folks will keep one another company." He then expressed a desire to dress, intending, as he said, to go into the drawing-room after dinner.
While he was dressing, he put his hand on his left thigh, where there was a deep scar. He called my attention to it by laying his finger in it; and, finding that I did not understand what it was, he told me that it was the mark of a bayonet wound by which he had nearly lost his limb, at the siege of Toulon. Marchand, who was dressing him, here took the liberty of remarking that the circumstance was well known on board the Northumberland, that one of the crew had told him on going on board, that it was an Englishman who first wounded our Emperor.
The Emperor, on this, observed that people had in general wondered and talked a great deal of the singular good fortune which has preserved him, as it were, invulnerable in so many battles. "They were mistaken," added he, "the only reason was that I made a secret of all my dangers." He then related that he had had three horsed killed under him at the siege of Toulon; that he had had several killed and wounded in his campaigns of Italy; and three or four at the Siege of St. Jean d'Acre. He added that he had been wounded several times; that at the battle of Ratisbon, a ball had struck his heel; and at the battle of Essling or Wagram, I cannot say which, a ball had torn his boot and stocking, and grazed the skin of his leg. In 1814, he lost a horse and his hat at Arcis-sur Aube, or its neighborhood. After the battle of Brienne, as he was returning to head-quarters in the evening, in a melancholy and pensive mood, he was suddenly attacked by some Cossacks, who had passed over the rear of the army. He thrust one of them away, and was obliged to draw his sword I his own defence; several Cossacks were killed at his side. "But what renders this circumstance very extraordinary," said he, "is that it took place near a very tree under which, when I was but 12 years old, I used to sit during play hours and read "Jerusalem Delivered." Doubtless on that spot Napoleon had been first fired by emotions of glory!The Emperor, as we were going along, observed that any one who could have seen us at that time would recognize, without difficulty, the restlessness and impatience of the French character. "In fact," said he, "none but Frenchmen would ever think of doing what we are now about." At length we arrived, breathless, at the bottom of the valley. What we had at a distance mistaken for a beaten road, proved to be nothing but a little streamlet, a foot and a half wide. We proposed to step across it and wait for our horses; but the banks of this little streamlet were very deceptive. They appeared to consist of dry ground, which, at first, supported us, but we soon found ourselves suddenly sinking as though we had been breaking through ice. I had already sunk above my knees, when by a sudden effort I disengaged myself, and turned to assist the Emperor, who had both legs in the mud, and had got his hands on the ground, endeavouring to extricate himself. With a great deal of trouble we regained the terra firma; and I could not help thinking of the marshes of Arcola, which we had been engaged in describing a few days before, and in which Napoleon was very near being lost. The Emperor looked at his clothes, and said, "Las Cases, this is a dirty adventure." "If we had been lost in the mud," added he, "what would have been said in Europe? The canting hypocrites would have proved, beyond a doubt, that we had been swallowed up for our crimes."
The first time I ever saw the Emperor's running hand was at St. Cloud, after the battle of Friedland, when the Empress Josephine amused herself by making us try to decipher a note which she held in her hand, and which seemed to be written in hieroglyphics. It was to the following effect: "My sons have once more shed a lustre over my career; the victory of Friedland will be inscribed in history, besides those of Marengo, Austerlitz, and Jena. You will cause the cannon to be fired (tu feras tirer le cannon;) Cambaceres will publish the bulletin."
I was again favoured with the sight of a note in the Emperor's handwriting, at the time of the Treaty of Tilsit. It contained the following: "The Queen of Prussia is really a charming woman. She is fond of coquetting with me; but do not be jealous; I am like a cerecloth along which every thing of this sort slides, without penetrating it. It would cost me too dear to play the gallant."
On this subject, an anecdote was related in the saloon of Josephine. It was said that the Queen of Prussia one day had a beautiful rose in her hand, which the Emperor asked her to give to him. The Queen declined saying, "Why should I so readily grant what you request, while you remain deaf to all my entreaties?" She alluded to the fortress of Magdeburg, which she had earnestly solicited.January 1st - 3rd, 1816 On New Year's day we all assembled about ten o'clock in the morning, to present the compliments of the season to the Emperor. He received us in a few moments. We had more need to offer him wishes than congratulations. The Emperor wished that we should breakfast, and spend the whole day together. He observed that we were but a handful in one corner of the world, and that all our consolation must be our regard for each other. We all accompanied the Emperor into the garden, where we walked about until breakfast was ready.
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New York, Saturday, February 22, 1823
Several of the missing packets have arrived since our last, but they bring no intelligence from Europe that we were not previously in possession of. Our extracts are therefore made chiefly from our files by the James Cropper to the 1st of January.
It will be seen that we have made very copious extracts from "Napoleon's Memoirs, and Las Cases' Journal," with which the late London papers are much occupied. It is impossible at present to pronounce upon the works themselves, further than to express our opinion that, from the day of the publication of these books, the crude production of O'Meara, disgraced as it is by misrepresentation and scurrility, will cease to be the text book of the admirers of Bonaparte. Some of the anecdotes given in our two first pages are highly interesting, and possess the greatest charm they can have for the reading public, that of novelty and spirit.
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