napoleon bonaparte, v10-第13章

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Champ…de…Mars。

After　the　review；　the　French　and　Saxon　troops　dispersed　through　the
various　churches　to　hear　the　Te　Deum；　and　at　the　close　of　the　religious
ceremony；　all　these　brave　soldiers　seated　themselves　at　banqueting　tables
already　prepared；　and　their　joyous　shouts　with　music　and　dancing　were
prolonged　far　into　the　night。




CHAPTER　XIII。

The　entire　duration　of　the　armistice　was　employed　in　negotiations　tending
to　a　treaty　of　peace；　which　the　Emperor　ardently　desired；　especially
since　he　had　seen　the　honor　of　his　army　restored　on　the　fields　of　Lutzen
and　Bautzen；　but　unfortunately　he　desired　it　only　on　conditions　to　which
the　enemy　would　not　consent；　and　soon　the　second　series　of　our　disasters
recommenced；　and　rendered　peace　more　and　more　impossible。　　Besides；　from
the　beginning　of　negotiations　relative　to　the　armistice；　whose　limit　we
had　now　nearly　reached；　the　emperor　Alexander；　notwithstanding　the　three
battles　won　by　Napoleon；　would　listen　to　no　direct　proposals　from　France；
except　on　the　sole　condition　that　Austria　should　act　as　mediator。　　This
distrust；　as　might　be　expected；　did　not　tend　to　produce　a　final。
reconciliation；　and；　being　the　conquering　party；　the　Emperor　was
naturally　irritated　by　it；　nevertheless；　under　these　grave　circumstances
he　conquered　the　just　resentment　caused　by　the　conduct　of　the　Emperor　of
Russia　towards　himself。　　The　result　of　the　time　lost　at　Dresden；　like　the
prolongation　of　our　sojourn　at　Moscow；　was　a　great　advantage　to　the
enemy。

All　hopes　of　a　peaceful　adjustment　of　affairs　now　having　vanished；　on　the
15th　of　August　the　Emperor　ordered　his　carriage；　we　left　Dresden；　and　the
war　recommenced。　　The　French　army　was　still　magnificent　and　imposing；
with　a　force　of　two　hundred　thousand　infantry；　but　only　forty　thousand
cavalry；　as　it　had　been　entirely　impossible　to　repair　completely　the
immense　loss　of　horses　that　had　been　sustained。　　The　most　serious　danger
at　that　time　arose　from　the　fact　that　England　was　the　soul　of　the
coalition　of　Russia；　Prussia；　and　Sweden　against　France。　　Her　subsidies
having　obtained　her　the　supreme　control；　nothing　could　be　decided　without
consulting　her；　and　I　have　since　learned　that　even　during　the　pretended
negotiations　the　British　government　had　declared　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia
that　under　the　circumstances　the　conditions　of　the　treaty　of　Luneville
would　be　far　too　favorable　to　France。　　All　these　complications　might　be
expressed　in　these　words：　〃We　desire　war！〃　　War　was　then　waged；　or　rather
the　scourge　continued　to　desolate　Germany；　and　soon　threatened　and
invaded　France。　　I　should；　moreover；　call　attention　to　the　fact　that　what
contributed　to　render　our　position　extremely　critical　in　case　of　reverses
was　that　Prussia　waged　on　us　not　simply　a　war　of　regular　armies；　but　that
it　had　now　assumed　the　character　of　a　national　war；　by　the　calling　out　of
the　Zandwehr　and　Zandsturm　which　made　the　situation　far　more　dangerous
than　against　the　tactics　of　the　best　disciplined　army。　　To　so　many　other
complications　was　added　the　fear；　soon　only　too　well　justified；　of　seeing
Austria　from　an　inoffensive　and　unbiased　mediator　become　a　declared
enemy。

Before　going　farther；　I　deem　it　best　to　refer　again　to　two　or　three
occurrences　I　have　inadvertently　omitted　which　took　place　during　our　stay
at　Dresden　previous　to　what　might　be　called　the　second　campaign　of　1813。
The　first　of　these　was　the　appearance　at　Dresden　of　the　Duke　of　Otranto；
whom　his　Majesty　had　summoned。

He　had　been　very　rarely　seen　at　the　Tuileries　since　the　Duke　of　Rovigo
had　replaced　him　as　minister　of　general　police；　and　I　noticed　that　his
presence　at　headquarters　was　a　great　surprise　to　every　one；　as　he　was
thought　to　be　in　complete　disgrace。　　Those　who　seek　to　explain　the　causes
of　the　smallest　events　think　that　his　Majesty's　idea　was　to　oppose　the
subtle　expedients　of　the　police　under　M。　Fouche　to　the　then　all…powerful
police　of　the　Baron　de　Stein；　the　armed　head　of　all　the　secret　parties
which　were　forming　in　every　direction；　and　which　were　regarded；　not
without　reason；　as　the　rulers　of　popular　opinion　in　Prussia　and　Germany；
and；　above　all；　in　the　numerous　schools；　where　the　students　were　only
awaiting　the　moment　for　taking　up　arms。　　These　conjectures　as　to　M。
Fouche's　presence　at　Dresden　were　without　foundation。　　The　Emperor　in
recalling　him　had　a　real　motive；　which　he；　however；　disguised　under　a
specious　pretext。　　Having　been　deeply　impressed　by　the　conspiracy　of
Malet；　his　Majesty　thought　that　it　would　not　be　prudent　to　leave　at　Paris
during　his　absence　a　person　so　discontented　and　at　the　same　time　so
influential　as　the　Duke　of　Otranto；　and　I　heard　him　many　times　express
himself　on　this　subject　in　a　manner　which　left　no　room　for　doubt。　　But　in
order　to　disguise　this　real　motive；　the　Emperor　appointed　M。　Fouche
governor　of　the　Illyrian　provinces　in　place　of　Count　Bertrand；　who　was
given　the　command　of　an　army…corps；　and　was　soon　after　appointed　to
succeed　the　adorable　General　Duroc　in　the　functions　of　grand　marshal　of
the　palace。　　Whatever　the　justice　of　this　distrust　of　Fouche；　it　is　very
certain　that　few　persons　were　so　well　convinced　of　the　superiority　of　his
talents　as　a　police　officer　as　his　Majesty　himself。　　Several　times　when
anything　extraordinary　occurred　at　Paris；　and　especially　when　he　learned
of　the　conspiracy　of　Malet；　the　Emperor；　recalling　in　the　evening　what
had　impressed　him　most　deeply　during　the　day；　ended　by　saying；　〃This
would　not　have　happened　if　Fouche　had　been　minister　of　police！〃　　Perhaps
this　was　undue　partiality；　for　the　Emperor　assuredly　never　had　a　more
faithful　and　devoted　servant　than　the　Duke　of　Rovigo；　although　many　jests
were　made　in　Paris　over　his　custom　of　punishing　by　a　few　hours
imprisonment。

Prince　Eugene　having　returned　to　Italy　at　the　beginning　of　the　campaign
in　order　to　organize　a　new　army　in　that　country；　we　did　not　see　him　at
Dresden；　the　King　of　Naples；　who　had　arrived　on　the　night　of　the　13th　or
14th　August　presented　himself　there　almost　alone；　and　his　contribution　to
the　grand　army　consisted　of　only　the　small　number　of　Neapolitan　troops　he
had　left　there　on　his　departure　for　Naples。

I　was　in　the　Emperor's　apartment　when　the　King　of　Naples　entered；　and　saw
him　for　the　first　time。　　I　did　not　know　to　what　cause　to　attribute　it；
but　I　noticed　that　the　Emperor　did　not　give　his　brother…in…law　as　cordial
a　welcome　as　in　the　past。　　Prince　Murat　said　that　he　could　no　longer
remain　idle　at　Naples；　knowing　that　the　French　army　to　which　he　still
belonged　was　in　the　field；　and　he　asked　only　to　be　allowed　to　fight　in
its　ranks。　　The　Emperor　took　him　with　him　to　the　parade；　and　gave　him　the
command　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　and　a　more　intrepid　commander　would　have
been　difficult　to　find。　　Later　he　was　given　the　general　command　of　the
cavalry。

During　the　whole　time　of　the　armistice；　spun　out　rather　than　filled　with
the　slow　and　useless　conferences　of　the　Congress　of　Prague；　it　would　be
impossible　to　describe　the　various　labors　in　which　the　Emperor　occupied
himself　from　morning　till　evening；　and　often　far　into　the　night。　　He
could　frequently　be　seen　bending　over　his　maps；　making；　so　to　speak；　a
rehearsal　of　the　battles　he　meditated。　　Nevertheless；　greatly　exasperated
by　the　slowness　of　the　negotiations　as　to　the　issue　of　which　he　could　no
longer　delude　himself；　he　ordered；　shortly　before　the　end　of　July；　that
everything　should　be　prepared　and　in　readiness　for　a　journey　he　intended
making　as　far　as　Mayence。　　He　made　an　appointment　to　meet　the　Empress
there；　and　as　she　was　to　arrive　on　the　25th；　the　Emperor　consequently
arranged　his　departure　so　as　to　arrive　only　a　short　time　after。　　I　recall
this　journey　only　as　a　fact；　since　it　was　signalized　by　nothing
remarkable；　except　the　information　the　Emperor　received　at　this　time　of
the　death　of　the　Duke　of　Abrantes；　who　had　just　succumbed　at　Dijon　to　a
violent　attack　of　his　former　malady。　　Although　the　Emperor　was　already
aware　that　he　was　in　a　deplorable　state　of　mental　alienation；　and　must
consequently　have　expected　this　loss；　he　felt　it　none　the　less　sensibly；
and　sincerely　mourned　his　former　aide…decam