Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
mercy" (Memoirs of Duchesse d'Abrantes, tome ii. p. 108).]--
Bonaparte took great pleasure in our performances. He liked to see plays
acted by persons with whom he was familiar. Sometimes he complimented
us on our exertions. Although I was as much amused with the thing as
others, I was more than once obliged to remind him that my occupations
left me but little time to learn my parts. Then he would assume his
coaxing manner and say, "Come, do not vex me! You have such a memory!
You know that it amuses me. You see that these performances render
Malmaison gay and animated; Josephine takes much pleasure in them. Rise
earlier in the morning.--In fact, I sleep too much; is not that the
cafe--Come, Bourrienne, do oblige me. You make me laugh so heartily! Do
not deprive me of this pleasure. I have not over much amusement, as you
well know."--"All, truly! I would not deprive you of any pleasure. I
am delighted to be able to contribute to your amusement." After a
conversation of this sort I could not do less than set about studying my
part.
At this period, during summer, I had half the Sunday to myself. I
was, however, obliged to devote a portion of this precious leisure
to pleasing Bonaparte by studying a new part as a surprise for him.
Occasionally, however, I passed the time at Ruel. I recollect that one
day, when I had hurried there from Malmaison, I lost a beautiful watch
made by Breguet. It was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the road was
that day thronged with people. I made my loss publicly known by means
of the crier of Ruel. An hour after, as I was sitting down to table, a
young lad belonging to the village brought me my watch. He had found it
on the high road in a wheel rut. I was pleased with the probity of this
young man, and rewarded both him and his father, who accompanied him.
I reiterated the circumstance the same evening to the First Consul,
who was so struck with this instance of honesty that he directed me to
procure information respecting the young man and his family. I learned
that they were honest peasants. Bonaparte gave employment to three
brothers of this family; and, what was most difficult to persuade
him to, he exempted the young man who brought me the watch from the
conscription.
When a fact of this nature reached Bonaparte's ear it was seldom that he
did not give the principal actor in it some proof of his satisfaction.
Two qualities predominated in his character--kindness and impatience.
Impatience, when he was under its influence, got the better of him; it
was then impossible for him to control himself. I had a remarkable proof
of it about this very period.
Canova having arrived in Paris came to St. Cloud to model the figure of
the First Consul, of whom he was about to make a colossal statue. This
great artist came often, in the hope of getting his model to stand in
the proper attitude; but Bonaparte was so tired, disgusted, and
fretted by the process, that he very seldom put himself in the required
attitude, and then only for a short time. Bonaparte notwithstanding
had the highest regard for Canova. Whenever he was announced the First
Consul sent me to keep him company until he was at leisure to give him
a sitting; but he would shrug up his shoulders and say, "More modeling!
Good Heavens, how vexatious!" Canova expressed great displeasure at not
being able to study his model as he wished to do, and the little anxiety
of Bonaparte on the subject damped the ardour of his imagination.
Everybody agrees in saying that he has not succeeded in the work, and I
have explained the reason. The Duke of Wellington afterwards possessed
this colossal statue, which was about twice his own height.
CHAPTER XI.
1802.
Bonaparte's principle as to the change of Ministers--Fouché--His
influence with the First Consul--Fouché's dismissal--The departments
of Police and Justice united under Regnier--Madame Bonaparte's
regret for the dismissal of Fouché--Family scenes--Madame Louis
Bonaparte's pregnancy--False and infamous reports to Josephine--
Legitimacy and a bastard--Raederer reproached by Josephine--Her
visit to Ruel--Long conversation with her--Assertion at St. Helena
respecting a great political fraud.
It is a principle particularly applicable to absolute governments that
a prince should change his ministers as seldom as possible, and never
except upon serious grounds. Bonaparte acted on this principle when
First Consul, and also when he became Emperor. He often allowed unjust
causes to influence him, but he never dismissed a Minister without
cause; indeed, he more than once, without any reason, retained Ministers
longer than he ought to have done in the situations in which he had
placed them. Bonaparte's tenacity in this respect, in some instances,
produced very opposite results. For instance, it afforded M. Gaudin'
time to establish a degree of order in the administration of Finance
which before his time had never existed; and on the other hand, it
enabled M. Decres to reduce the Ministry of Marine to an unparalleled
state of confusion.
Bonaparte saw nothing in men but helps and obstacles. On the 18th
Brumaire Fouché was a help. The First Consul feared that he would become
an obstacle; it was necessary, therefore, to think of dismissing him.
Bonaparte's most sincere friends had from the beginning been opposed
to Fouché's having any share in the Government. But their disinterested
advice produced no other result than their own disgrace, so influential
a person had Fouché become. How could it be otherwise? Fouché was
identified with the Republic by the death of the King, for which he had
voted; with the Reign of Terror by his sanguinary missions to Lyons
and Nevers; with the Consulate by his real though perhaps exaggerated
services; with Bonaparte by the charm with which he might be said to
have fascinated him; with Josephine by the enmity of the First Consul's
brothers. Who would believe it? Fouché ranked the enemies of the
Revolution amongst his warmest partisans. They overwhelmed him with
eulogy, to the disparagement even of the Head of the State, because the
cunning Minister, practising an interested indulgence, set himself up
as the protector of individuals belonging to classes which, when he was
proconsul, he had attacked in the mass. Director of public opinion, and
having in his hands the means at his pleasure of inspiring fear or of
entangling by inducements, it was all in his favour that he had already
directed this opinion. The machinery he set in motion was so calculated
that the police was rather the police of Fouché than that of the
Minister of the General Police. Throughout Paris, and indeed throughout
all France, Fouché obtained credit for extraordinary ability; and the
popular opinion was correct in this respect, namely, that no man ever
displayed such ability in making it be supposed that he really possessed
talent. Fouché's secret in this particular is the whole secret of the
greater part of those persons who are called statesmen.
Be this as it may, the First Consul did not behold with pleasure the
factitious influence of which Fouché had possessed himself. For some
time past, to the repugnance which at bottom he had felt towards Fouché,
were added other causes of discontent. In consequence of having been
deceived by secret reports and correspondence Bonaparte began to shrug
up his shoulders with an expression of regret when he received them,
and said, "Would you believe, Bourrienne, that I have been imposed on
by these things? All such denunciations are useless--scandalous. All the
reports from prefects and the police, all the intercepted letters, are
a tissue of absurdities and lies. I desire to have no more of them."
He said so, but he still received them. However, Fouché's dismissal was
resolved upon. But though Bonaparte wished to get rid of him, still,
under the influence of the charm, he dared not proceed against him
without the greatest caution. He first resolved upon the suppression of
the office of Minister of Police in order to disguise the motive for
the removal of the Minister. The First Consul told Fouché that this
suppression, which he spoke of as being yet remote, was calculated more
than anything else to give strength to the Government, since it would
afford a proof of the security and internal tranquillity of France.
Overpowered by the arguments with which Bonaparte supported his
proposition, Fouché could urge no good reasons in opposition to it, but
contented himself with recommending that the execution of the design,
which was good in intention, should, however, be postponed for
two years. Bonaparte appeared to listen favourably to Fouché's
recommendation, who, as avaricious for money as Bonaparte of glory,
consoled himself by thinking that for these two years the administration
of the gaming tables would still be for him a Pactolus flowing with
gold. For Fouché, already the possessor of an immense fortune, always
dreamed of increasing it, though he himself did not know how to enjoy
it. With him the ambition of enlarging the bounds of his estate of
Pont-Carre was not less felt than with the First Consul the ambition of
extending the frontier of France.
Not only did the First Consul not like Fouché, but it is perfectly true
that at this time the police wearied and annoyed him. Several times he
told me he looked on it as dangerous, especially for the possessor of
power. In a Government without the liberty of the press he was quite
right. The very services which the police had rendered to the First
Consul were of a nature to alarm him, for whoever had conspired against
the Directory in favour of the Consulate might also conspire against the
Consulate in favour of any other Government. It is needless to say that
I only allude to the political police, and not to the municipal police,
which is indispensable for large towns, and which has the honourable
mission of watching over the health and safety of the citizens.
Fouché, as has been stated, had been Minister of Police since the
18th Brumaire. Everybody who was acquainted with, the First Consul's
character was unable to explain the ascendency which he had suffered
Fouché to acquire over him, and of which Bonaparte himself was really
impatient. He saw in Fouché a centre around which all the interests of
the Revolution concentrated themselves, and at this he felt indignant;
but, subject to a species of magnetism, he could not break the charm
which enthralled him. When he spoke of Fouché in his absence his
language was warm, bitter, and hostile. When Fouché was present,
Bonaparte's tone was softened, unless some public scene was to be acted
like that which occurred after the attempt of the 3d Nivôse.
The suppression of the Ministry of Police being determined on, Bonaparte
did not choose to delay the execution of his design, as he had pretended
to think necessary. On the evening of the 12th of September we went to
Mortfontaine. We passed the next day, which was Monday, at that place,
and it was there, far removed from Fouché, and urged by the combined
persuasions of Joseph and Lucien, that the First Consul signed the
decree of suppression. The next morning we returned to Paris. Fouché
came to Malmaison, where we were, in the regular execution of his
duties. The First Consul transacted business with him as usual without
daring to tell him of his dismissal, and afterwards sent Cambacérès to
inform him of it. After this act, respecting which he had hesitated so
long, Bonaparte still endeavoured to modify his rigour. Having appointed
Fouché a Senator, he said in the letter which he wrote to the Senate to
notify the appointment:
"Fouché, as Minister of Police, in times of difficulty, has by his