the origins of contemporary france-5-第24章

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about　Piedmont　and　Switzerland？　These　are　trifles〃＇105＇　　〃Europe

recognizes　that　Holland；　Italy；　and　Switzerland　are　at　the　disposition

of　France。＇106＇　On　the　other　hand；　Spain　submits　to　me　and　through　her

I　hold　Portugal。　　Thus；　from　Amsterdam　to　Bordeaux；　from　Lisbon　to

Cadiz　and　Genoa；　from　Leghorn　to　Naples　and　to　Tarentum；　I　can　close

every　port　to　you；　no　treaty　of　commerce　between　us。　　Any　treaty　that

I　might　grant　to　you　would　be　trifling：　for　each　million　of

merchandise　that　you　would　send　into　France　a　million　of　French

merchandise　would　be　exported；＇107＇　in　other　words；　you　would　be

subject　to　an　open　or　concealed　continental　blockade；　which　would

cause　you　as　much　distress　in　peace　as　if　you　were　at　war。〃　My　eyes

are　nevertheless　fixed　on　Egypt；　〃six　thousand　Frenchmen　would　now

suffice　to　re…conquer　it〃；＇108＇　forcibly；　or　otherwise；　I　shall　return

there；　opportunities　will　not　be　lacking；　and　I　shall　be　on　the　watch

for　them；　〃sooner　or　later　she　will　belong　to　France；　either　through

the　dissolution　of　the　Ottoman　empire；　or　through　some　arrangement

with　the　Porte。〃＇109＇　　Evacuate　Malta　so　that　the　Mediterranean　may

become　a　French　lake；　I　must　rule　on　sea　as　on　land；　and　dispose　of

the　Orient　as　of　the　Occident。　　In　sum；　〃with　my　France；　England　must

naturally　end　in　becoming　simply　an　appendix：　nature　has　made　her　one

of　our　islands；　the　same　as　Oleron　or　Corsica。〃＇110＇　Naturally；　with

such　a　perspective　before　them；　the　English　keep　Malta　and　recommence

the　war。　　He　has　anticipated　such　an　occurrence；　and　his　resolution　is

taken；　at　a　glance；　he　perceives　and　measures　the　path　this　will　open

to　him；　with　his　usual　clear…sightedness　he　has　comprehended；　and　he

announces　that　the　English　resistance　〃forces　him　to　conquer　Europe。　。

。　。〃＇111＇　…　〃The　First　Consul　is　only　thirty…three　and　has　thus　far

destroyed　only　the　second…class　governments。　　Who　knows　how　much　time

he　will　require　to　again　change　the　face　of　Europe　and　resurrect　the

Western　Roman　Empire？〃



To　subjugate　the　Continent　in　order　to　form　a　coalition　against

England；　such；　henceforth；　are　his　means；　which　are　as　violent　as　the

end　in　view；　while　the　means；　like　the　end；　are　given　by　his

character。　　Too　imperious　and　too　impatient　to　wait　or　to　manage

others；　he　is　incapable　of　yielding　to　their　will　except　through

constraint；　and　his　collaborators　are　to　him　nothing　more　than

subjects　under　the　name　of　allies。　…　Later；　at　St。　Helena；　with　his

indestructible　imaginative　energy　and　power　of　illusion；　he　plays　on

the　public　with　his　humanitarian　illusions。＇112＇　But；　as　he　himself

avows；　the　accomplishment　of　his　retrospective　dream　required

beforehand　the　entire　submission　of　all　Europe；　a　liberal　sovereign

and　pacificator；　〃a　crowned　Washington；　yes；〃　he　used　to　say；　〃but　I

could　not　reasonably　attain　this　point；　except　through　a　universal

dictatorship；　which　I　aimed　at。〃＇113＇　In　vain　does　common　sense

demonstrate　to　him　that　such　an　enterprise　inevitably　rallies　the

Continent　to　the　side　of　England；　and　that　his　means　divert　him　from

the　end。　　In　vain　is　it　repeatedly　represented　to　him　that　he　needs

one　sure　great　ally　on　the　Continent；＇114＇　that　to　obtain　this　he　must

conciliate　Austria；　that　he　must　not　drive　her　to　despair；　but　rather

win　her　over　and　compensate　her　on　the　side　of　the　Orient；　place　her

in　permanent　conflict　with　Russia；　and　attach　her　to　the　new　French

Empire　by　a　community　of　vital　interests。　　In　vain　does　he；　after

Tilsit；　make　a　bargain　of　this　kind　with　Russia。　　This　bargain　cannot

hold；　because　in　this　arrangement　Napoleon；　as　usual　with　him；　always

encroaching；　threatening；　and　attacking；　wants　to　reduce　Alexander　to

the　role　of　a　subordinate　and　a　dupe。＇115＇　No　clear…sighted　witness

can　doubt　this。　　In　1809；　a　diplomat　writes：　〃The　French　system；　which

is　now　triumphant；　is　directed　against　the　whole　body　of　great

states；〃＇116＇　not　alone　against　England；　Prussia；　and　Austria；　but

against　Russia；　against　every　power　capable　of　maintaining　its

independence；　for；　if　she　remains　independent；　she　may　become　hostile；

and　as　a　precautionary　step　Napoleon　crushes　in　her　a　probable　enemy。



All　the　more　so　because　this　course　once　entered　upon　he　cannot　stop；

at　the　same　time　his　character　and　the　situation　in　which　he　has

placed　himself　impels　him　on　while　his　past　hurries　him　along　to　his

future。＇117＇　At　the　moment　of　the　rupture　of　the　treaty　of　Amiens　he

is　already　so　strong　and　so　aggressive　that　his　neighbors　are　obliged；

for　their　own　security；　to　form　an　alliance　with　England；　this　leads

him　to　break　down　all　the　old　monarchies　that　are　still　intact；　to

conquer　Naples；　to　mutilate　Austria　the　first　time；　to　dismember　and

cut　up　Prussia；　to　mutilate　Austria　the　second　time；　to　manufacture

kingdoms　for　his　brothers　at　Naples；　in　Holland　and　in　Westphalia。　

At　this　same　date；　all　the　ports　of　his　empire　are　closed　against　the

English；　which　leads　him　to　close　against　them　all　the　ports　of　the

Continent；　to　organize　against　them　the　continental　blockade；　to

proclaim　against　them　an　European　crusade；　to　prevent　the　neutrality

of　sovereigns　like　the　Pope；　of　lukewarm　subalterns　like　his　brother

Louis；　of　doubtful　collaborators　or　inadequate；　like　the　Braganzas　of

Portugal　and　the　Bourbons　of　Spain；　and　therefore　to　get　hold　of

Portugal；　Spain；　the　Pontifical　States；　and　Holland；　and　next　of　the

Hanseatic　towns　and　the　duchy　of　Oldenburg；　to　extending　along　the

entire　coast；　from　the　mouths　of　the　Cattaro　and　Trieste　to　Hamburg

and　Dantzic；　his　cordon　of　military　chiefs；　prefects；　and　custom…

houses；　a　sort　of　net　of　which　he　draws　the　meshes　tighter　and　tighter

every　day；　even　stifling　not　alone　his　home　consumer；　but　the　producer

and　the　merchant。＇118＇　…　And　all　this　sometimes　by　a　simple　decree；

with　no　other　alleged　motive　than　his　interest；　his　convenience；　or

his　pleasure；＇119＇　brusquely　and　arbitrarily；　in　violation　of

international　law；　humanity；　and　hospitality。　　It　would　take　volumes

to　describe　his　abuses　of　power；　the　tissue　of　brutalities　and

knaveries；＇120＇　the　oppression　of　the　ally　and　despoiling　of　the

vanquished；　the　military　brigandage　exercised　over　populations　in　time

of　war；　and　by　the　systematic　exactions　practiced　on　them　in　times　of

peace。＇121＇



Accordingly；　after　1808；　these　populations　rise　against　him。　He　has　so

deeply　injured　them　in　their　interests；　and　hurt　their　feelings　to

such　an　extent；＇122＇　he　has　so　trodden　them　down；　ransomed；　and　forced

them　into　his　service。　　He　has　destroyed；　apart　from　French　lives；　so

many　Spanish；　Italian；　Austrian；　Prussian；　Swiss；　Bavarian；　Saxon；　and

Dutch　lives；　he　has　slain　so　many　men　as　enemies；　he　has　enlisted　such

numbers　at　home；　and　slain　so　many　under　his　own　banners　as

auxiliaries；　that　nations　are　still　more　hostile　to　him　than

sovereigns。　　Unquestionably；　nobody　can　live　together　with　such　a

character；　his　genius　is　too　vast；　too　baneful；　and　all　the　more

because　it　is　so　vast。　　War　will　last　as　long　as　he　reigns；　it　is　in

vain　to　reduce　him；　to　confine　him　at　home；　to　drive　him　back　within

the　ancient　frontiers　of　France；　no　barrier　will　restrain　him；　no

treaty　will　bind　him；　peace　with　him　will　never　be　other　than　a　truce；

he　will　use　it　simply　to　recover　himself；　and；　as　soon　as　he　has　done

this；　he　will　begin　again；＇123＇　he　is　in　his　very　essence　anti…social。

The　mind　of　Europe　in　this　respect　is　made　up　definitely　and

unshakably。　　One　petty　detail　alone　shows　how　unanimous　and　profound

this　conviction　was。　　On　the　7th　of　March　the　news　reached　Vienna　that

he　had　escaped　from　the　island　of　Elba；　without　its　being　yet　known

where　he　would　land。　　M。　de　Metternich＇124＇　brings　the　news　to　the

Emperor　of　Austria　before　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　who　says　to

him；　〃Lose　no　time　in　finding　the　King　of　Prussia　and　the　Emperor　of

Russia；　and　tell　them　that　I　am　ready　to　order　my　army　to　march　at

once　for　France