Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
resentment. He repented having acceded to his departure from France, and
he made no secret of his sentiments, for he said before his courtiers,
"That he would like to send Bernadotte to Vincennes to finish his study
of the Swedish language." Bernadotte was informed of this, but he
could not believe that the Emperor had ever entertained such a design.
However, a conspiracy was formed in Sweden against Bernadotte, whom a
party of foreign brigands were hired to kidnap in the neighbourhood of
Raga; but the plot was discovered, and the conspirators were compelled
to embark without their prey. The Emperor having at the same time seized
upon Swedish Pomerania, the Prince Royal wrote him a second letter in
these terms:
From the papers which have just arrived I learn that a division of
the army, under the command of the Prince of Eckmuhl, invaded
Swedish Pomerania on the night of the 26th of January; that the
division continued to advance, entered the capital of the Duchy, and
took possession of the island of Rugen. The King expects that your
Majesty will explain the reasons which have induced you to act in a
manner so contrary to the faith of existing treaties. My old
connection with your Majesty warrants me in requesting you to
declare your motives without delay, in order that I may give my
advice to the King as to the conduct which Sweden ought hereafter to
adopt. This gratuitous outrage against Sweden is felt deeply by the
nation, and still more, Sire, by me, to whom is entrusted the honour
of defending it. Though I have contributed to the triumphs of
France, though I have always desired to see her respected and happy;
yet I can never think of sacrificing the interests, honour, and
independence of the country which has adopted me. Your Majesty, who
has so ready a perception of what is just, must admit the propriety
of my resolution. Though I am not jealous of the glory and power
which surrounds you, I cannot submit to the dishonour of being
regarded as a vassal. Your Majesty governs the greatest part of
Europe, but your dominion does not extend to the nation which I have
been called to govern; my ambition is limited to the defence of
Sweden. The effect produced upon the people by the invasion of
which I complain may lead to consequences which it is impossible to
foresee; and although I am not a Coriolanus, and do not command the
Volsci, I have a sufficiently good opinion of the Swedes to assure
you that they dare undertake anything to avenge insults which they
have not provoked, and to preserve rights to which they are as much
attached as to their lives.
I was in Paris when the Emperor received Bernadotte's letter on the
occupation of Swedish Pomerania. When Bonaparte read it I was informed
that he flew into a violent rage, and even exclaimed, "You shall submit
to your degradation, or die sword in hand!" But his rage was impotent.
The unexpected occupation of Swedish Pomerania obliged the King of
Sweden to come to a decided rupture with France, and to seek other
allies, for Sweden was not strong enough in herself to maintain
neutrality in the midst of the general conflagration of Europe after the
disastrous campaign of Moscow. The Prince Royal, therefore, declared
to Russia and England that in consequence of the unjust invasion of
Pomerania Sweden was at war with France, and he despatched Comte de
Lowenhjelm, the King's aide de camp, with a letter explanatory of his
views. Napoleon sent many notes to Stockholm, where M. Alquier, his
Ambassador, according to his instructions, had maintained a haughty
and even insulting tone towards Sweden. Napoleon's overtures, after
the manifestations of his anger, and after the attempt to carry off the
Prince Royal, which could be attributed only to him, were considered by
the Prince Royal merely as a snare. But in the hope of reconciling the
duties he owed to both his old and his new country he addressed to the
Emperor a moderate letter:
This letter throws great light on the conduct of the Emperor with
respect to Bernadotte; for Napoleon was not the man whom any one
whatever would have ventured to remind of facts, the accuracy of which
was in the least degree questionable. Such then were the relations
between Napoleon and the Prince Royal of Sweden. When I shall bring to
light some curious secrets, which have hitherto been veiled beneath the
mysteries of the Restoration, it will be seen by what means Napoleon,
before his fall, again sought to wreak his vengeance upon Bernadotte.
Oh the 4th of December I had the honour to see the Princess Royal
of Sweden,--[Madame Bernadotte, afterwards Queen of Sweden, was
a Mademoiselle Clary, and younger sister to the wife of Joseph
Bonaparte]--who arrived that day at Hamburg. She merely passed through
the city on her way to Stockholm to join her husband, but she remained
but a short time in Sweden,--two months, I believe, at most, not being
able to reconcile herself to the ancient Scandinavia. As to the Prince
Royal, he soon became inured to the climate, having been for many years
employed in the north.
After this my stay at Hamburg was not of long duration. Bonaparte's
passion for territorial aggrandisement knew no bounds; and the turn of
the Hanse Towns now arrived. By taking possession of these towns and
territories he merely accomplished a design formed long previously.
I, however, was recalled with many compliments, and under the specious
pretext that the Emperor wished to hear my opinions respecting the
country in which. I had been residing. At the beginning of December I
received a letter from M. de Champagny stating that the Emperor wished
to see me in order to consult with me upon different things relating to
Hamburg. In this note I was told "that the information I had obtained
respecting Hamburg and the north of Germany might be useful to the
public interest, which must be the most gratifying reward of my
labours." The reception which awaited me will presently be seen. The
conclusion of the letter spoke in very flattering terms of the manner in
which I had discharged my duties. I received it on the 8th of December,
and next day I set out for Paris. When I arrived at Mayence I was
enabled to form a correct idea of the fine compliments which had been
paid me, and of the Emperor's anxiety to have my opinion respecting the
Hanse Towns. In Mayence I met the courier who was proceeding to announce
the union of the Hanse Towns with the French Empire. I confess that,
notwithstanding the experience I had acquired of Bonaparte's duplicity,
or rather, of the infinite multiplicity of his artifices, he completely
took me by surprise on that occasion.
On my arrival in Paris I did not see the Emperor, but the first
'Moniteur' I read contained the formula of a 'Senatus-consulte,' which
united the Hanse Towns, Lauenburg, etc., to the French Empire by the
right of the strongest. This new and important augmentation of territory
could not fail to give uneasiness to Russia. Alexander manifested his
dissatisfaction by prohibiting the importation of our agricultural
produce and manufactures into Russia. Finally, as the Continental
system had destroyed all trade by the ports of the Baltic, Russia
showed herself more favourable to the English, and gradually reciprocal
complaints of bad faith led to that war whose unfortunate issue was
styled by M. Talleyrand "the beginning of the end."
I have now to make the reader acquainted with an extraordinary demand
made upon me by the Emperor through the medium of M. de Champagny. In
one of my first interviews with that Minister after my return to Paris
he thus addressed me: "The Emperor has entrusted me with a commission to
you which I am obliged to execute: 'When you see Bourrienne,' said the
Emperor, 'tell him I wish him to pay 6,000,000 into your chest to defray
the expense of building the new Office for Foreign Affairs.'" I was so
astonished at this unfeeling and inconsiderate demand that I was utterly
unable to make airy reply. This then was my recompense for having
obtained money and supplies during my residence at Hamburg to the extent
of nearly 100,000,000, by which his treasury and army had profited in
moments of difficulty! M. de Champagny added that the Emperor did not
wish to receive me. He asked what answer he should bear to his Majesty.
I still remained silent, and the Minister again urged me to give an
answer. "Well, then," said I, "tell him he may go to the devil." The
Minister naturally wished to obtain some variation from this laconic
answer, but I would give no other; and I afterwards learned from Duroc
that M. de Champagny was compelled to communicate it to Napoleon.
"Well," asked the latter, "have you seen Bourrienne?"--"Yes,
Sire."--"Did you tell him I wished him to pay 6,000,000 into your
chest?"--"Yes, Sire."--"And what did he say?"--"Sire, I dare not inform
your Majesty."--"What did he say? I insist upon knowing."--"Since you
insist on my telling you, Sire, M. de Bourrienne said your Majesty might
go to the devil."--"Ah! ah! did he really say so?" The Emperor then
retired to the recess of a window, where he remained alone for seven
or eight minutes, biting his nails; in the fashion of Berthier, and
doubtless giving free scope to his projects of vengeance. He then turned
to the Minister and spoke to him of quite another subject: Bonaparte had
so nursed himself in the idea of making me pay the 6,000,000 that every
time he passed the Office for Foreign Affairs he said to those who
accompanied hint; "Bourrienne must pay for that after all."
--[This demand of money from Bourrienne is explained in Erreurs
(tome ii, p. 228) by the son of Davoust. Bourrienne had been
suspected by Napoleon of making large sums at Hamburg by allowing
breaches of the Continental system. In one letter to Davoust
Napoleon speaks of an "immense fortune," and in another, that
Bourrienne is reported to have gained seven or eight millions at
Hamburg in giving licences or making arbitrary seizures.]--
Though I was not admitted to the honour of sharing the splendour of the
Imperial Court; yet I had the satisfaction of finding that; in spite of
my disgrace, those of my old friends who were worth anything evinced the
same regard for me as heretofore. I often saw Duroc; who snatched some
moments from his more serious occupations to come and chat with me
respecting all that had occurred since my secession from Bonaparte's
cabinet. I shall not attempt to give a verbatim account of my
conversations with Duroc, as I have only my memory to guide me; but I
believe I shall not depart from the truth in describing them as follows:
On his return from the last Austrian campaign Napoleon; as I have
already stated, proceeded to Fontainebleau, where he was joined by
Josephine. Then, for the first time, the communication which had always
existed between the apartments of the husband and wife was closed.
Josephine was fully alive to the fatal prognostics which were to be
deduced from this conjugal separation. Duroc informed me that she sent
for him, and on entering her chamber, he found her bathed in tears.
"I am lost!" she exclaimed in a tone of voice the remembrance of which
seemed sensibly to affect Duroc even while relating the circumstance to
me: "I am utterly lost! all is over now! You, Duroc, I know, have always
been my friend, and so has Rapp. It is not you who have persuaded him to
part from me. This is the work of my enemies Savary and Junot! But they
are more his enemies than mine. And my poor Eugène I how will he be
distressed when he learns I am repudiated by an ungrateful man! Yes
Duroc, I may truly call him ungrateful, My God! my God! what will become