napoleon bonaparte, v11-第16章
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had entered the enemy's ranks; whom he stigmatized by the name of
traitors; infamous and wretched creatures; unworthy of pity。 I remember
that on the occasion of the capture of Huningen he thus characterized a
certain M。 de Montjoie; who was now serving in the Bavarian army after
taking a German name; which I have forgotten。 The Emperor added;
however: 〃At least; he has had the modesty not to keep his French name。〃
In general easy to conciliate on nearly all points; the Emperor was
pitiless towards all those who bore arms against their country; and
innumerable times I have heard him say that there was no greater crime in
his eyes。
In order not to add to the complication of so many conflicting interests
which encountered and ran contrary to each other still more each day; the
Emperor already had the thought of sending Ferdinand VII。 back into
Spain。 I have the certainty that his Majesty had even made some
overtures to him on this subject during his last stay in Paris; but it
was the Spanish prince who objected to this; not ceasing; on the
contrary; to demand the Emperor's protection。 He desired most of all to
become the ally; of his Majesty; and it was well known that in his
letters to his Majesty he urged him incessantly to give him a wife of the
Emperor's selection。 The Emperor had seriously thought of marrying him
to the eldest daughter of King Joseph; which seemed a means of
conciliating at the same time the rights of Prince Joseph and those of
Ferdinand VII。; and King Joseph asked nothing better than to be made a
party to this arrangement; and from the manner in which he had used his
royalty since the commencement of his reign; we may be permitted to think
that his Majesty did not greatly object to this。 Prince Ferdinand had
acquiesced in this alliance; which appeared very agreeable to him; when
suddenly at the end of the year 1813 he demanded time; and the course of
events placed this affair among the number of those which existed only in
intention。 Prince Ferdinand left Valencay at last; but later than the
Emperor had authorized him to do; and for some time his presence had been
only an additional embarrassment。 However; the Emperor had no reason to
complain of his conduct towards him until after the events of
Fontainebleau。
At any rate; in the serious situation of affairs; matters concerning the
Prince of Spain were only an incidental matter; no more important than
the stay of the Pope at Fontainebleau; the great point; the object which
predominated everything; was the defense of the soil of France; which the
first days of January found invaded at many points。 This was the one
thought of his Majesty; which did not prevent him; nevertheless; from
entering according to custom into all the duties of his administration;
and we will soon see the measures he took to re…establish the national
guard of Paris。 I have on this subject certain documents and particulars
which are little known; from a person whose name I am not permitted to
give; but whose position gave him the opportunity of learning all the
intricacies of its formation。 As all these duties still required for
more than a month the presence of his Majesty at Paris; he remained there
until the 25th of January。
But what fatal news he received during those twenty…five days!
First the Emperor learned that the Russians; as unscrupulous as the
Austrians in observing the conditions of a capitulation which are usually
considered sacred; had just trampled under their feet the stipulations
made at Dantzic。 In the name of the Emperor Alexander; the Prince of
Wurtemberg who commanded the siege had acknowledged and guaranteed to
General Rapp and the troops placed under his command the right to return
to France; which agreement was no more respected than had been a few
months before that made with Marshal Saint…Cyr by the Prince of
Schwarzenberg; thus the garrison of Dantzic were made prisoners with the
same bad faith as that of Dresden had been。 This news; which reached him
at almost the same time as that of the surrender of Torgau; distressed
his Majesty so much the more as it contributed to prove to him that these
powerful enemies wished to treat of peace only in name; with a resolution
to retire always before a definite conclusion was reached。
At the same period the news from Lyons was in no wise reassuring。 The
command of this place had been confided to Marshal Augereau; and he was
accused of having lacked the energy necessary to foresee or arrest the
invasion of the south of France。 Further I will not now dwell on this
circumstance; proposing in the following chapter to collect my souvenirs
which relate more especially to the beginning of the campaign in France;
and some circumstances which preceded it。 I limit myself consequently to
recalling; as far as my memory serves; events which occurred during the
last days the Emperor passed in Paris。
From the 4th of January his Majesty; although having lost; as I said a
while since; all hope of inducing the invaders to conclude a peace; which
the whole world so much needed; gave his instructions to the Duke of
Vicenza; and sent him to the headquarters of the allies; but he was
compelled to wait a long time for his passports。 At the same time
special orders were sent to the prefects of departments in the invaded
territory as to the conduct they should pursue under such difficult
circumstances。 Thinking at the same time that it was indispensable to
make an example in order to strengthen the courage of the timid; the
Emperor ordered the creation of a commission of inquiry; charged to
inquire into the conduct of Baron Capelle; prefect of the department of
the Leman at the time of the entrance of the enemy into Geneva。 Finally
a decree mobilized one hundred and twenty battalions of the National
Guard of the Empire; and ordered a levy en masse on all the departments
of the east of all men capable of bearing arms。 Excellent measures
doubtless; but vain! Destiny was stronger than even the genius of a
great man。
Meanwhile on the 8th of January appeared the decree which called out for
active duty thirty thousand men of the National Guard of Paris on the
very day when by a singular and fatal coincidence the King of Naples
signed a treaty of alliance with Great Britain。 The Emperor reserved for
himself the chief command of the National Parisian Guard; and constituted
the staff as follows: a vice…commander…in…chief; four aides who were
major…generals; four adjutant commandants; and eight assistant captains。
A legion was formed in each district; and each legion was divided into
four battalions subdivided into five companies。 Next the Emperor
appointed the following to superior grades:
General vice…commander…in…chief。 Marshal de Moncey; Duke of Conegliano。
Aidesmajor…generals。 General of division; Count Hullin; Count
Bertrand; grand marshal of the。 palace; Count of Montesquieu; grand
chamberlain; Count de Montmorency; chamberlain of the Emperor。
Adjutant…commandants。 Baron Laborde; adjutant…commandant of the post of
Paris; Count Albert de Brancas; chamberlain of the Emperor; Count
Germain; chamberlain of the Emperor; M。 Tourton。
Assistant captains。 Count Lariboisiere; Chevalier Adolphe de Maussion;
Messieurs Jules de Montbreton; son of the equerry of the Princess
Borghese; Collin; junior; the younger; Lecordier; junior; Lemoine;
junior; Cardon; junior; Malet; junior。
Chiefs of the twelve Legions。 First legion; Count de Gontaut; senior;
second legion; Count Regnault de Saint Jean d'Angely; third legion; Baron
Hottinguer; banker; fourth legion; Count Jaubert; governor of the bank of
France; fifth legion; M。 Dauberjon de Murinais; sixth legion; M。 de
Fraguier; seventh legion; M。 Lepileur de Brevannes; eighth legion; M。
Richard Lenoir; ninth legion; M。 Devins de Gaville; tenth legion; the
Duke of Cadore; eleventh legion; Count de Choiseul…Praslin; chamberlain
of the Emperor; twelfth legion; M。 Salleron。
From the names we have just read; we may judge of the incredible insight
by which his Majesty was enabled to choose; among the most distinguished
persons of the different classes of society; t