Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
--[Joseph Bonaparte and Bernadotte had married sisters. Marie-Julie
and Eugénie Bernardine-Desirée Clary. The feeling of Bourrienne for
Bernadotte makes this passage doubtful. It is to be noticed that in
the same conversation he makes Napoleon describe Bernadotte as not
venturing to act without powers and as enterprising. The stern
republican becoming Prince de Monte Carlo and King of Sweden, in a
way compatible with his fidelity to the Constitution of the year
III., is good. Lanfrey attributes Bernadotte's refusal to join more
to rivalry than to principle (Lanfrey, tome i. p. 440). But in any
case Napoleon did not dread Bernadotte, and was soon threatening to
shoot him; see Lucien, tome ii. p. 107.]--
"He does not like me, and I am almost certain that he will oppose me.
If he should become ambitious he will venture anything. And yet, you
recollect in what a lukewarm way he acted on the 18th Fructidor, when
I sent him to second Augereau. This devil of a fellow is not to be
seduced. He is disinterested and clever. But, after all, we have but
just arrived, and know not what may happen."
Bernadotte, it was reported, had advised that Bonaparte should be
brought to a court-martial, on the two-fold charge of having abandoned
his army and violated the quarantine laws. This report came to the ear
of Bonaparte; but he refused to believe it and he was right. Bernadotte
thought himself bound to the Constitution which he had sworn to defend.
Hence the opposition he manifested to the measures of the 18th Brumaire.
But he cherished no personal animosity against Bonaparte as long as he
was ignorant of his ambitious designs. The extraordinary and complicated
nature of subsequent events rendered his possession of the crown of
Sweden in no way incompatible with his fidelity to the Constitution of
the year III.
On our first arrival in Paris, though I was almost constantly with the
General, yet, as our routine of occupation was not yet settled, I
was enabled now and then to snatch an hour or two from business. This
leisure time I spent in the society of my family and a few friends, and
in collecting information as to what had happened during our absence,
for which purpose I consulted old newspapers and pamphlets. I was not
surprised to learn that Bonaparte's brothers--that is to say, Joseph and
Lucien--had been engaged in many intrigues. I was told that Sieyès had
for a moment thought of calling the Duke of Brunswick to the head of the
Government; that Barras would not have been very averse to favouring the
return of the Bourbons; and that Moulins, Roger Ducos, and Gohier alone
believed or affected to believe, in the possibility of preserving the
existing form of government. From what I heard at the time I have
good reasons for believing that Joseph and Lucien made all sorts of
endeavours to inveigle Bernadotte into their brother's party, and in
the hope of accomplishing that object they had assisted in getting him
appointed War Minister. However, I cannot vouch for the truth of this.
I was told that Bernadotte had at first submitted to the influence of
Bonaparte's two brothers; but that their urgent interference in their
client's behalf induced him to shake them off, to proceed freely in the
exercise of his duties, and to open the eyes of the Directory on what
the Republic might have to apprehend from the enterprising character
of Bonaparte. It is certain that what I have to relate respecting the
conduct of Bernadotte to Bonaparte is calculated to give credit to these
assertions.
All the generals who were in Paris, with the exception of Bernadotte,
had visited Bonaparte during the first three days which succeeded his
arrival. Bernadotte's absence was the more remarkable because he had
served under Bonaparte in Italy. It was not until a fortnight had
elapsed, and then only on the reiterated entreaties of Joseph and Madame
Joseph Bonaparte (his sister-in-law), that he determined to go and see
his old General-in-Chief. I was not present at their interview, being at
that moment occupied in the little cabinet of the Rue Chantereine. But
I soon discovered that their conversation had been long and warm; for as
soon as it was ended Bonaparte entered the cabinet exceedingly agitated,
and said to me, "Bourrienne, how do you think Bernadotte has behaved?
You have traversed France with me--you witnessed the enthusiasm which my
return excited--you yourself told me that you saw in that enthusiasm the
desire of the French people to be relieved from the disastrous position
in which our reverses have placed them. Well! would you believe it?
Bernadotte boasts, with ridiculous exaggeration, of the brilliant
and victorious situation of France! He talks about the defeat of the
Russians, the occupation of Genoa, the innumerable armies that are
rising up everywhere. In short, I know not what nonsense he has got
in his head."--"What can all this mean?" said I. "Did he speak about
Egypt?"--"Oh, yes! Now you remind me. He actually reproached me for not
having brought the army back with me! 'But,' observed I, 'have you not
just told me that you are absolutely overrun with troops; that all your
frontiers are secure, that immense levies are going on, and that you
will have 200,000 infantry?--If this be true, what do you want with a
few thousand men who may ensure the preservation of Egypt?' He could
make no answer to this. But he is quite elated by the honour of having
been War Minister, and he told me boldly that he looked upon the army
of Egypt as lost nay, more. He made insinuations. He spoke of enemies
abroad and enemies at home; and as he uttered these last words he looked
significantly at me. I too gave him a glance! But stay a little. The
pear will soon be ripe! You know Josephine's grace and address. She was
present. The scrutinising glance of Bernadotte did not escape her, and
she adroitly turned the conversation. Bernadotte saw from my countenance
that I had had enough of it, and he took his leave. But don't let me
interrupt you farther. I am going back to speak to Josephine."
I must confess that this strange story made me very impatient to find
myself alone with Madame Bonaparte, for I wished to hear her account of
the scene. An opportunity occurred that very evening. I repeated to her
what I had heard from the General, and all that she told me tended
to confirm its accuracy. She added that Bernadotte seemed to take the
utmost pains to exhibit to the General a flattering picture of the
prosperity of France; and she reported to me, as follows, that part
of the conversation which was peculiarly calculated to irritate
Bonaparte:--"'I do not despair of the safety of the Republic, which I am
certain can restrain her enemies both abroad and at home.' As Bernadotte
uttered these last words,'" continued Josephine, "his glance made me
shudder. One word more and Bonaparte could have commanded himself no
longer! It is true," added she, "that it was in some degree his own
fault, for it was he who turned the conversation on politics; and
Bernadotte, in describing the flourishing condition of France, was only
replying to the General, who had drawn a very opposite picture of the
state of things. You know, my dear Bourrienne, that Bonaparte is not
always very prudent. I fear he has said too much to Bernadotte about the
necessity of changes in the Government." Josephine had not yet recovered
from the agitation into which this violent scene had thrown her. After I
took leave of her I made notes of what she had told me.
A few days after, when Bonaparte, Josephine, Hortense, Eugène, and I
were together in the drawing-room, Bernadotte unexpectedly entered. His
appearance, after what had passed, was calculated to surprise us. He
was accompanied by a person whom he requested permission to introduce
to Bonaparte. I have forgotten his name, but he was, I think,
secretary-general while Bernadotte was in office. Bonaparte betrayed no
appearance of astonishment. He received Bernadotte with perfect ease,
and they soon entered into conversation. Bonaparte, who seemed to
acquire confidence from the presence of those who were about him, said
a great deal about the agitation which prevailed among the republicans,
and expressed himself in very decided terms against the 'Manège Club.'
--[The Manège Club, the last resort of the Jacobins, formed in 1799,
and closed seven or eight months afterwards. Joseph Bonaparte
(Erreurs, time i. p. 251) denies that he or Lucien--for whom the
allusion is meant--were members of this club, and he disputes this
conversation ever having taken place. Lucien (tome i. p. 219)
treats this club as opposed to his party.]--
I seconded him by observing that M. Moreau de Worms of my department,
who was a member of that club, had himself complained to me of the
violence that prevailed in it. "But, General," said Bernadotte, "your
brothers were its most active originators. Yet," added he in a tone of
firmness, "you accuse me of having favoured that club, and I repel the
charge. It cannot be otherwise than false. When I came into office I
found everything in the greatest disorder. I had no leisure to think
about any club to which my duties did not call me. You know well that
your friend Salicetti, and that your brother, who is in your confidence,
are both leading men in the Manège Club. To the instructions of I know
not whom is to be attributed the violence of which you complain." At
these words, and especially the tone in which Bernadotte uttered 'I know
not whom,' Bonaparte could no longer restrain himself. "Well, General,"
exclaimed he furiously, "I tell you plainly, I would rather live wild
in the woods than in a state of society which affords no security."
Bernadotte then said, with great dignity of manner, "Good God! General,
what security would you have?" From the warmth evinced by Bonaparte
I saw plainly that the conversation would soon be converted into a
dispute, and in a whisper I requested Madame Bonaparte to change the
conversation, which she immediately did by addressing a question to some
one present. Bernadotte, observing Madame Bonaparte's design, checked
his warmth. The subject of conversation was changed, and it became
general. Bernadotte soon took up his hat and departed.
One morning, when I entered Bonaparte's chamber--it was, I believe,
three or four days after the second visit of Bernadotte--he said:
"Well, Bourrienne, I wager you will not guess with whom I am going to
breakfast this morning?"--"Really, General, I --"--"With Bernadotte; and
the best of the joke is, that I have invited myself. You would have
seen how it was all brought about if you had been with us at the Théâtre
Français, yesterday evening. You know we are going to visit Joseph today
at Mortfontaine. Well, as we were coming out of the theatre last night,
finding myself side by side with Bernadotte and not knowing what to talk
about, I asked him whether he was to be of our party to-day? He
replied in the affirmative; and as we were passing his house in the Rue
Cisalpine.
--[Joseph Bonaparte lays great stress on the fact that Napoleon
would not have passed this house, which was far from the theatre
(Erreurs, tome i, p. 251).]--
"I told him, without any ceremony, that I should be happy to come and
take a cup of coffee with him in the morning. He seemed pleased. What
do you think of that, Bourrienne?"--"Why, General, I hope you may have
reason on your part to be pleased with him."--"Never fear, never fear.
I know what I am about. This will compromise him with Gohier. Remember,
you must always meet your enemies with a bold face, otherwise they think
they are feared, and that gives them confidence."
Bonaparte stepped into the carriage with Josephine, who was always