Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
Fouché, St. Regent and Carbon expiated their crimes by the forfeit of
their heads. Thus the First Consul gained his point, and justice gained
hers.
--[It was St. Regent, or St. Rejeant, who fired the infernal
machine. The violence of the shock flung him against a post and
part of his breast bone was driven in. He was obliged to resort to
a surgeon, and it would seem that this man denounced him. (Memoirs
of Miot de Melito, tome i. p. 264).
The discussions which took place in the Council of State on this
affair are remarkable, both for the violence of Napoleon and for the
resistance made in the Council, to a great extent successfully, to
his views as to the plot being one of the Jacobin party.]--
I have often had occasion to notice the multifarious means employed by
Bonaparte to arrive at the possession of supreme power, and to prepare
men's minds for so great change. Those who have observed his life must
have so remarked how entirely he was convinced of the truth that public
opinion wastes itself on the rumour of a project and possesses no energy
at the moment of its execution. In order, therefore, to direct public
attention to the question of hereditary power a pamphlet was circulated
about Paris, and the following is the history of it:--
In the month of December 1800, while Fouché was searching after the
real authors of the attempt of the 3d Nivôse, a small pamphlet, entitled
"Parallel between Caesar, Cromwell, and Bonaparte," was sent to the
First Consul. He was absent when it came. I read it, and perceived that
it openly advocated hereditary monarchy. I then knew nothing about the
origin of this pamphlet, but I soon learned that it issued from the
office of the Minister of the Interior [Lucien Bonaparte], and that it
had been largely circulated. After reading it I laid it on the table. In
a few minutes Bonaparte entered, and taking up the pamphlet pretended
to look through it: "Have you read this?" said he.--"Yes, General."--
"Well! what is your opinion of it?"--"I think it is calculated to
produce an unfavourable effect on the public mind: it is ill-timed, for
it prematurely reveals your views." The First Consul took the pamphlet
and threw it on the ground, as he did all the stupid publications of the
day after having slightly glanced over them. I was not singular in my
opinion of the pamphlet, for next day the prefects in the immediate
neighbourhood of Paris sent a copy of it to the First Consul,
complaining of its mischievous effect; and I recollect that in one of
their letters it was stated that such a work was calculated to
direct against him the poniards of new assassins. After reading this
correspondence he said to me, "Bourrienne, send for Fouché; he must come
directly, and give an account of this matter." In half an hour Fouché
was in the First Consul's cabinet. No sooner had he entered than the
following dialogue took place, in which the impetuous warmth of the one
party was strangely contrasted with the phlegmatic and rather sardonic
composure of the other.
"What pamphlet is this? What is said about it in Paris?"--"General,
there is but one opinion of its dangerous tendency."--"Well, then,
why did you allow it to appear?"--"General, I was obliged to show some
consideration for the author!"--"Consideration for the author! What do
you mean? You should have sent him to the temple."--"But, General,
your brother Lucien patronises this pamphlet. It has been printed
and published by his order. In short, it comes from the office of the
Minister of the Interior."--"No matter for that! Your duty as Minister
of Police was to have arrested Lucien, and sent him to the Temple. The
fool does nothing but contrive how he can commit me!"
With these words the First Consul left the cabinet, shutting the door
violently behind him. Being now alone with Fouché, I was eager to get an
explanation of the suppressed smile which had more than once curled his
lips during Bonaparte's angry expostulation. I easily perceived that
there was something in reserve. "Send the author to the Temple!" said
Fouché; "that would be no easy matter! Alarmed at the effect which this
parallel between Caesar, Cromwell, and Bonaparte was likely to produce,
I went to Lucien to point out to him his imprudence. He made me no
answer, but went and got a manuscript, which he showed me, and
which contained corrections and annotations in the First Consul's
handwriting."
When Lucien heard how Bonaparte had expressed his displeasure at the
pamphlet, he also came to the Tuileries to reproach his brother with
having thrust him forward and then abandoned him. "'Tis your own fault,"
said the First Consul. "You have allowed yourself to be caught! So much
the worse for you! Fouché is too cunning for you! You are a mere fool
compared with him!" Lucien tendered his resignation, which was accepted,
and he departed for Spain. This diplomatic mission turned to his
advantage. It was necessary that one should veil the Machiavellian
invention of the 'Parallel.'
--[The 'Parallel' has been attributed to different writers; some
phrases seemed the work of Lucien, but, says Thiers (tome ii p.
210), its rare elegance of language and its classical knowledge of
history should attribute it to its real anchor, Fontanel, Joseph
Bonaparte (Erreurs tome i. p. 270) says that Fontanel wrote it, and
Lucien Bonaparte corrected it. See Meneval, tome iii. p. 105.
Whoever wrote it Napoleon certainly planned its issue. "It was,"
said he to Roederer, "a work of which he himself had given the idea,
but the last pages were by a fool" (Miot, tome i, p. 318). See also
Lanfrey, tome ii. p. 208; and compare the story in Iung's Lucien,
tome ii. p. 490. Miot, then in the confidence of Joseph, says,
that Lucien's removal from, office was the result of an angry
quarrel between him and Fouché in the presence of Napoleon, when
Fouché attacked Lucien, not only for the pamphlet, but also for the
disorder of his public and his private life; but Miot (tome i, p,
319) places the date of this as the 3d November, while Bourrienne
dates the disapproval of the pamphlet in December.]--
Lucien, among other instructions, was directed to use all his endeavours
to induce Spain to declare against Portugal in order to compel that
power to separate herself from England.
The First Consul had always regarded Portugal as an English colony, and
he conceived that to attack it was to assail England. He wished that
Portugal should no longer favour England in her commercial relations,
but that, like Spain, she should become dependent on him. Lucien was
therefore sent as ambassador to Madrid, to second the Ministers of
Charles IV. in prevailing on the King to invade Portugal. The King
declared war, but it was not of long duration, and terminated almost
without a blow being struck, by the taking of Olivenza. On the 6th of
June 1801 Portugal signed the treaty of Badajoz, by which she promised
to cede Olivenza, Almeida, and some other fortresses to Spain, and to
close her ports against England. The First Consul, who was dissatisfied
with the treaty, at first refused to ratify it. He still kept his army
in Spain, and this proceeding determined Portugal to accede to some
slight alterations in the first treaty. This business proved very
advantageous to Lucien and Godoy.
The cabinet of the Tuileries was not the only place in which the
question of hereditary succession was discussed. It was the constant
subject of conversation in the salons of Paris, where a new dynasty was
already spoken of. This was by no means displeasing to the First Consul;
but he saw clearly that he had committed a mistake in agitating the
question prematurely; for this reason he waged war against the Parallel,
as he would not be suspected of having had any share in a design that
had failed. One day he said to me, "I believe I have been a little too
precipitate. The pear is not quite ripe!" The Consulate for life was
accordingly postponed till 1802, and the hereditary empire till 1804.
After the failure of the artful publication of the pamphlet Fouché
invited me to dine with him. As the First Consul wished me to dine out
as seldom as possible, I informed him of the invitation I had received.
He was, however, aware of it before, and he very readily gave me leave
to go. At dinner Joseph was placed on the right of Fouché, and I next
to Joseph, who talked of nothing but his brother, his designs, the
pamphlet, and the bad effect produced by it. In all that fell from him
there was a tone of blame and disapproval. I told him my opinion, but
with greater reserve than I had used towards his brother. He seemed to
approve of what I said; his confidence encouraged me, and I saw with
pleasure that he entertained sentiments entirely similar to my own.
His unreserved manner so imposed upon me that, notwithstanding the
experience I had acquired, I was far from suspecting myself to be in
the company of a spy. Next day the First Consul said to me very
coldly, "Leave my letters in the basket, I will open them myself." This
unexpected direction surprised me exceedingly, and I determined to play
him a trick in revenge for his unfounded distrust. For three mornings I
laid at the bottom of the basket all the letters which I knew came from
the Ministers, and all the reports which were addressed to me for the
First Consul. I then covered them over with those which; judging from
their envelopes and seals, appeared to be of that trifling kind with
which the First Consul was daily overwhelmed: these usually consisted of
requests that he would name the number of a lottery ticket, so, that the
writer might have the benefit of his good luck--solicitations that he
would stand godfather to a child--petitions for places--announcements
of marriages and births--absurd eulogies, etc. Unaccustomed to open the
letters, he became impatient at their number, and he opened very few.
Often on the same day, but always on the morrow, came a fresh letter
from a Minister, who asked for an answer to his former one, and who
complained of not having received one. The First Consul unsealed some
twenty letters and left the rest.
The opening of all these letters, which he was not at other times in the
habit of looking at, annoyed him extremely; but as I neither wished to
carry the joke too far, nor to remain in the disagreeable position in
which Joseph's treachery had placed me, I determined to bring the matter
to a conclusion. After the third day, when the business of the night,
which had been interrupted by little fits of ill-humour, was concluded,
Bonaparte retired to bed. Half an hour after I went to his chamber,
to which I was admitted at all hours. I had a candle in my hand, and,
taking a chair, I sat down on the right side of the bed, and placed the
candle on the table. Both he and Josephine awoke. "What is the matter?"
he asked with surprise. "General, I have come to tell you that I can
no longer remain here, since I have lost your confidence. You know how
sincerely I am devoted to you; if you have, then, anything to reproach
me with, let me at least know it, for my situation during the last
three days has been very painful."--"What has Bourrienne done?" inquired
Josephine earnestly.--"That does not concern you," he replied. Then
turning to me he said, "'Tis true, I have cause to complain of you. I
have been informed that you have spoken of important affairs in a very
indiscreet manner."--"I can assure you that I spoke to none but your
brother. It was he who led me into the conversation, and he was too
well versed in the business for me to tell him any secret. He may have
reported to you what he pleased, but could not I do the same by him? I