Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
deposition, if he submits; you will see that this does not help
matters. All that can now be said is that the general attitude and
language upon either side is gentler, and may possibly lead to an
understanding. Lord Palmerston will not explain himself more clearly,
as he is waiting for news of some brilliant successes in Syria; so far
he has waited in vain. The tone of the French Ministry is less
warlike; they say that war may arrive in spring, if winter does not
settle everything. Here you see a change, and diplomacy at Paris is
inclined to believe in peace. We shall see what the Chambers will do;
their action will be important both upon events and individuals.
"The King has not appeared in the town since the shot was fired at
him. On this subject the foreign newspapers comment far more suitably
than the French.
"The dissensions in the English Cabinet are said to be more obvious,
and Palmerston is thought to be in the minority. M. de Flahaut, who
arrives to-morrow, will enlighten us upon this subject. Madame de
Flahaut is now very anti-Palmerston, because she naturally fears the
possibility of war between her two native lands.[134] Lord John
Russell has gone over to the majority against Palmerston, and, feeble
though he is, his influence is important. Things in general are in
incredible confusion, but I am really beginning to hope that there is
a little more prospect of peace than there has been for the last few
days."
[134] Madame de Flahaut was an Englishwoman, daughter of Admiral
Keith (Lord Elphinstone). He was ordered to notify Napoleon I.,
when he sought hospitality on the English coast in 1815, that he
was a prisoner of the allies. He was also ordered to prepare for
the prisoner's transport to St. Helena.
_Rochecotte, October 24, 1840._--Yesterday my son-in-law heard that
the French Ministry had resigned upon the occasion of the speech from
the Crown, which it wished to devote to the subject of the _casus
belli_, against the King's desires.[135]
[135] Thiers and his Ministry went out on October 29, 1840, and
were replaced by M. Guizot. Thiers was not to return to power
under the reign of Louis-Philippe.
My son, M. de Dino, tells me that the Grand Duke of Tuscany has made
M. Demidoff Prince of San Donato, a name derived from his silk
manufacture, and has given him the title of Excellency. The Pope[136]
has sent the dispensations for the marriage. The dowry of the young
Princess is settled at two hundred and fifty thousand francs, with
twenty-five thousand francs pin-money.
[136] The Pope was then Gregory XVI.
_Rochecotte, October 25, 1840._--Queen Christina is apparently
intending to settle at Florence, where her sentimental interests are
centred. She has two children by Muñoz, whom she adores, and has
managed to save an income of fifteen hundred thousand francs.
The little Comte de Paris is very ill, in continuous fever, which
wastes him away. The Duc d'Orléans is greatly distressed, and the
Duchesse is in bed very weak and unhappy. She is not allowed to move
for fear of a miscarriage, as she is now in her eighth month. The poor
royal family is receiving some heavy blows.
_Rochecotte, November 2, 1840._--Queen Christina is not going to
Italy; Nice, Paris, and then Bordeaux, such are said to be her
movements. She wishes to remain near Spain, in order to keep an eye
upon the progress of events.
Madame de Lieven writes as follows, the day before yesterday: "You see
what has happened here; things are becoming very stormy; M. Guizot
must be very courageous to embark in such a vessel. At London the
general tone is becoming much milder, and will continue to improve in
favour of the new Ministry, but a great deal will have to be done to
satisfy the madmen here, and an ill interpretation will be placed upon
English self-satisfaction. Thus there are many difficulties which are
far from a solution. The Chamber will be in a state of continual
storm, an interesting spectacle, but likely to become frightful. The
King is said to be delighted that he has got rid of Thiers, and to be
charmed with his new Ministers;[137] I wish I could believe that his
satisfaction was likely to last. Thiers says that he will not oppose
Guizot; this is nonsense. The Comte de Paris is better. The Duc
d'Orléans is not satisfied with the change of Ministers, but King
Leopold is very pleased."
[137] The new Cabinet was composed as follows: Minister of War
and President of the Council, Marshal Soult; Foreign Affairs, M.
Guizot; Public Works, M. Teste; the Interior, M. Duchâtel;
Finance, M. Humann; Education, M. Villemain; Justice, M. Martin
du Nord; Commerce, M. Cunin-Gridaine; Naval Affairs, Admiral
Duperré.
_Rochecotte, November 4, 1840._--A letter which I have just received
from M. Molé contains the following: "The outgoing Ministry was
ruining everything, and in three months would have involved us in war
with the whole of Europe, and given us a revolutionary Government into
the bargain. I do not know what the new Ministry will do, but it
cannot do worse, or even as badly. The method of its formation has
obliged me to stand aloof--an easy part to play, and one which I
usually prefer, the more so as when I do take part I never do so by
halves."
_Rochecotte, November 5, 1840._--My son, M. de Dino, writes from Paris
that great preparations are being made to decorate the route by which
the procession will pass bringing back the remains of Napoleon from
St. Helena, and that a strange idea has been proposed, to have a row
of the effigies of all the Kings of France. I suppose they will be
placed there to present arms to the usurper. Really, people are
absurd nowadays; in any case, this fine idea emanates from the
Cabinet of M. Thiers, and not from the present Ministry.
A letter from Madame Mollien says: "Yesterday evening, in the middle
of the theatre, Bergeron, the foremost of all the King's assassins,
entered a box, where was seated M. Emile de Girardin, the editor of
_La Presse_, to whom, without saying a word, he gave a box on the
ears. M. Girardin bounded up like a madman; his wife, who is twice as
big and strong as he is, caught him by his collar, shouting, 'Don't go
out! You shall not go out! He is an assassin!' The result is said to
have been an incredible scene; everybody intervened, all were in a
quarrelsome state of mind, and in the corridors and vestibule nothing
could be heard except challenges and appointments."
Here is an extract from another letter in a different strain: "M.
Guizot and Madame de Lieven are the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and
I have a fear that M. de Broglie must be content with the fate of the
Sultan's wife, Validé. M. Molé has not been offered a position; the
King continually repeats that M. Molé declined to lend a hand; this is
not the case. At so serious a crisis no thinking man would use such
language, but the matter is most easily explained in this way. The
_Journal des Débats_ has since been carefully working upon the
scruples of M. Molé, and said to him: 'If you refuse to support the
Cabinet, which is Conservative, the Left will come into power, and it
will be your fault. It is a crime against the country,' &c. This
attitude seems to resemble the case of parents who, when they have a
son dangerously ill, say to a girl, 'If you do not grant him an
interview he will die, and it will be your fault.' If I were a girl I
assure you that in this case I should look after myself. My opinion is
that M. Molé should remain a member of the Academy and nothing more.
Moreover, he will be none the worse off for that. Do you know that
Maurice de Noailles is to become a priest? It is said that Barante
will be Ambassador at London. I hope so."
My son-in-law hears that Maurice de Noailles is entering the Church in
despair, because he could not marry the daughter of the Duc de
Noailles. I admit that I do not believe this story as yet, and await
some confirmation of it.
_Rochecotte, November 6, 1840._--Yesterday's post brought me a long
letter from M. de Salvandy: "We are emerging from a Ministerial
crisis, which has passed off with little incident, except that M. Molé
has remained outside the new combination. He feels, with much
exasperation, that some supreme influence has secured his exclusion.
At the outset of the crisis M. de Montalivet worked very hard to find
a post for M. Molé in the new Cabinet: he went about everywhere, and
declared on all sides that his co-operation was indispensable, to M.
Molé more emphatically than to any one. I could not help saying to M.
Molé that so much zeal seemed suspicious, and that I could not but
infer some bad result. However, M. Molé's chances of office never
amounted to anything, nor has he been treated with any of that
ceremony, which might outwardly have soothed his feelings; in fact,
practically no notice has been taken of any member of the Ministry of
April 15. Only upon the last day were they considered in the least.
The new body was brought together with such little thought that no
effort was made to secure M. Passy, who was ready to come in
unconditionally, but was united with M. Dufaure; the latter based his
refusal upon a personal dislike for M. Martin du Nord rather than upon
political motives. M. Passy and M. Dufaure had no objection to myself
or to M. Laplagne. Thus it would have been possible with no great
difficulty to gather round Marshal Soult and M. Guizot some members of
the Ministries of April 15 and May 12. These would have formed a good
nucleus for a majority, at once compact and permanent. Instead of
this, a Ministry has been lumped together, and it is expected that the
dangers evoked by M. Thiers will provide votes at first, while the
future can take care of itself. When the Cabinet, however, was formed,
it was remembered that no measures had been taken to secure the
adherence of the Left Centre, or even of the Conservative party. Then
they took steps to repair this mistake, and the Ministers all came to
me. M. Guizot, whom I had not seen since the Coalition, came wearing
his order, to ask me solemnly for my co-operation. I did not hide the
fact that it was rather late, and that this fashion of forming a
Ministry without paying attention to any one, or respecting M. Molé
and his party by the observance of outward formality, increased the
difficulty of a situation, which was already complicated enough. When
I heard M. Guizot I remembered what I was saying to the Duc d'Orléans
a few days ago, that of the two rivals it was difficult to say which
is the more futile; that if Thiers is futile without, Guizot is so
within; in fact, Guizot has not a notion of the domestic dangers, the
Parliamentary difficulties, and the general peril caused by the
abstention of M. Passy and M. Dufaure; for they, added to Lamartine
and myself, would form a possible Cabinet intermediate between that of
to-day and that of M. Odilon Barrot, whether we took M. Molé, M. de
Broglie, or even M. Thiers for our leader. In short, their confidence
and presumption have been inexplicable, while they have completely
forgotten the apostasy of 1839, which is aggravated by this fresh
change of creed and colour. They are convinced that their theories can
be resumed at the point where they had dropped them, and talk of
safeguards, order, and resistance with the same authority. They have
no notion of the fury which this language is likely to arouse among
their adversaries, and regard us as cold and disagreeable. However, we
shall support them, for we are men of honour before all things, and I
am equally certain that there will be a majority on the general
question. Thiers has brought things to such a point that his
restoration would mean both revolution and war; but the humiliation