Part 7 (1/2)
Napoleon forns
And yet, in his own solitaryentirely upon his own capacious resources, he studied the state of affairs and he matured his plans Sieyes was the only one whose talents and influence Napoleon feared The abbe also looked with apprehension upon his for at a dinner party, each was too proud to ht only of the other Mutually exasperated, they separated without having spoken ”Did you see that insolent little fellow?”
said Sieyes, ”he would not even condescend to notice a ht, would have caused him to be shot” ”What on earth,” said Napoleon, ”could have induced them to put that priest in the Directory He is sold to Prussia
Unless you take care, he will deliver you up to that power” Napoleon dined with Moreau, who afterward in hostility to Napoleon pointed the guns of Russia against the columns of his countrymen The dinner party was at (Gohier's, one of the Directors The following interesting conversation took place between the rival generals
When first introduced, they looked at each other a , Napoleon, conscious of his own superiority, and solicitous to gain the powerful co-operation of Moreau, reat courtesy, expressed the earnest desire he felt to ypt”
replied Moreau, ”and I froreat defeat It was the month which General Joubert passed in Pairs after his ave the allies tied it to take a part in the action It is always the greater number which defeats the less” ”True,” replied Napoleon, ”it is always, the greater number which beats the less” ”And yet,” said Gohier, ”with se ones” ”Even then,” rejoined Napoleon, ”it was always the inferior force which was defeated by the superior When with a se one, collecting s of the hostile ar by the disorder which such an event never failed to occasion in their whole line, I repeated the attack, with similar success, in another quarter, still with eneral victory which was the result, was still an exareater force defeats the lesser”
Napoleon, by those fascinations of mind and ained an ascendency over Moreau And when, two days after, in token of his regard, he sent him a beautiful poniard set with diamonds, worth two thousand dollars: the as accoave a small and very select dinner party Gohier was invited The conversation turned on the turquoise used by the Orientals to clasp their turbans Napoleon, rising from the table took from a private drawer, two very beautiful brooches, richly set with those jewels One he gave to Gohier, the other to his tried friend Desaix ”It is a little toy,” said he, ”which we republicans ive and receive without impropriety” The Director, flattered by the delicacy of the corossness of a bribe, yielded his heart's hoe to Napoleon
Republican France was surrounded by ainst her Their hostility was so inveterate, and, from the very nature of the case, so inevitable, that Napoleon thought that France should ever be prepared for an attack, and that the military spirit should be carefully fostered Republican Aiesthe land with peace and plenty, But a republic in uns ”Do you, really,” said Napoleon, to Gohier, in this interview, ”advocate a general peace! You are wrong The Republic should never make but partial accommodations
It should always contrive to have some war on hand to keep alive the military spirit” We can, perhaps, find a little extenuation for this remark, in its apparent necessity, and in the influences of the martial ardor in which Napoleon from his very infancy had been enveloped Even now, it is to be feared that the time is far distant ere the nations of the earth can learn war no uard of the two legislative bodies
His co-operation was important Napoleon sent a special invitation for an interview ”Lefebvre,” said he, ”will you, one of the pillars of the Republic, suffer it to perish in the hands of these lawyers ? Joinfrom his own side the beautiful Turkish scimitar which he wore, he passed the ribbon over Lefebvre's neck, saying, ”accept this sword, which I wore at the battle of the Pyraive it to you as a token of hly gratified at this signal enerosity, ”let us throw the lawyers into the river”
Napoleon soon had an intervieith Bernadotte ”He confessed,” said Napoleon to Bourrienne, ”that he thought us all lost He spoke of external enemies, of internal enemies, and, at that word he looked steadily in lance But patience; the pear will soon be ripe”
In this interview Napoleon inveighed against the violence and lawlessness of the Jacobin club ”Your own brothers,” Bernadotte replied, ”were the founders of that club And yet you reproachits principles It is to the instructions of soitation which now prevails” ”True, general,” Napoleon replied, most vehemently, ”and I would rather live in the woods, than in a society which presents no security against violence” This conversation only strengthened the alienation already existing between theh a brave and efficient officer, was a jealous braggadocio At the first intervieeen these two distinguished men, when Napoleon was in command of the army of Italy, they contemplated each other with mutual dislike ”I have seen a man,”
said Bernadotte, ”of twenty-six or seven years of age, who assuood to the Republic” Napoleon su, ”he has a French head and a Roman heart”
There were three political parties now dividing France, the old royalist party, in favor of the restoration of the Bourbons; the radical democrats, or Jacobins, with Barras at its head, supported by the mob of Paris; and the moderate republicans led by Sieyes
All these parties struggling together, and fearing each other, in the eneral anarchy which prevailed, i to secure the support of his all-powerful arm Napoleon determined to co-operate with the moderate republicans
The restoration of the Bourbons was not only out of the question, but Napoleon had no ton to bring the United States into peaceful sube III ”Had I joined the Jacobins,” said Napoleon, ”I should have risked nothing But after conquering with them, it would have been necessary alainst them A club can not endure a permanent chief It wants one for every successive passion Now to make use of a party one day, in order to attack it the next, under whatever pretext it is done, is still an act of treachery It was inconsistent with my principles”
Sieyes, the head of the moderate republicans, and Napoleon soon understood each other, and each adovernment was in a state of chaos ”Our salvation now demands,”
said the wily diplomatist, ”both a head and a sword” Napoleon had both In one fortnight from the time when he landed at Frejus, ”the pear was ripe” The plan was all randeur, kept his own counsel He had secured the cordial co-operation, the unquestioning obedience of all his subordinates Like the general upon the field of battle, he was siive his orders, and coluenerals swept the field in unquestioning obedience
Though he had deterovernment, he wished to avail himself, so far as possible, of the mysterious power of law, as a conqueror turns a captured battery upon the foe from whom it had been wrested Such a plot, so simple, yet so bold and efficient, was never formed before And no one, but another Napoleon, will be able to execute another such again
All Paris was in a state of intense excitereat was to be done Napoleon was to do it But nobody knehen, or what, or how All impatiently awaited orders The majority of the Senate, or Council of Ancients, conservative in its tendencies, and having once seen, during the reign of terror, the horrors of Jacobin domination, were ready, most obsequiously, to rally beneath the banner of so resolute a leader as Napoleon They were prepared, without question, to pass any vote which he should propose The House of Representatives or Council of Five Hundred, e nuling to grasp the reins of power
Carnot, whose co-operation Napoleon had entirely secured, was President of the Senate Lucien Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon, was Speaker of the House The two bodies met in the palace of the Tuileries The constitution conferred upon the Council of Ancients, the right to decide upon the place of islative assearrison in Paris, and all the distinguished military men in the metropolis, had solicited the honor of a presentation to Napoleon Without any public announcement, each one was privately infor of the 9th of Noveiments in the city had also solicited the honor of a review by the distinguished conqueror
They were also infor of the 9th of November The Council of Ancients was called to convene at six o'clock on theof the same day
The Council of Five Hundred were also to convene at 11 o'clock of the sa This, the famous 18th of Brureat struggle These appointiven in such a way as to attract no public attention The general-in-chief was thus silently arranging his forces for the important conflict To none did he reveal those combinations, by which he anticipated a bloodless victory
Theof the 9th of November arrived The sun rose with unwonted splendor over the doed city A h all the streets of the ht of the day, the music of martial bands, the tra of heavy artillery wheels over the paveiments of infantry, artillery, and cavlary, in the proudest array, marched to the Boulevards to receive the honor of a review froypt The whole city was in coies of Napoleon in the retireht o'clock Napoleon's house, in the Rue Chanteraine, was so thronged with illustrious military men, in most brilliant uniform, that every room was filled and even the street was croith the resplendent guests At that moment the Council of Ancients passed the decree, which Napoleon had prepared, that the two legislative bodies should transfer theirto St
Cloud, a few miles from Paris; and that Napoleon Bonaparte should be put in command of all the military forces in the city, to secure the public peace The reainst bloodshed It secured the legislatures from the ferocious interference of a Parisian mob The President of the Council was himself commissioned to bear the decree to Napoleon He elbowed his way through the brilliant throng, crowding the door and the apart, and presented to him the ordinance
Napoleon was ready to receive it He stepped upon the balcony, gathered his vast retinue of powerful guests before him, and in a loud and firm voice, read to them the decree ”Gentlemen,” said he, ”will you help me save the Republic?” One si their swords from their scabbards they waved them in the air and shouted, ”We swear it, ear it” The victory was virtually won Napoleon was now at the head of the French nation Nothing remained but to finish his conquest There was no retreat left open for his foes There was hardly the possibility of a rally And now Napoleon suies to ers were immediately sent to read the decree to the troops already assereet the idol of the army, and ere in a state of ly as their chief A burst of enthusiastic acclamation ascended from their ranks which almost rent the skies Napoleon inificent staff, whoeniously assembled at his house, and, accompanied by a body of fifteen hundred cavalry, who proceeded to the palace of the Tuileries The gorgeous spectacle burst like a vision upon astonished Paris It was Napoleon's first public appearance
Dressed in the utnificent charger, the centre of all eyes The gleas of silver and gold, hich his retinue was eer relief the majestic simplicity of his own appearance
With the pu, Napoleon entered the Council of the Ancients The Ancients the and unexpected splendor and power Ascending the bar, attended by an i escort, he addressed the assembly and took his oath of office
”You,” said Napoleon, ”are the wisdos to concert measures for the salvation of the Republic I coenerals, to offer you support Faithfully will I fulfill the task you have intrusted toin history resehteenth century resembles the present moment”
An aid was i, to inform the five Directors, there in session, of the decree Two of the Directors, Sieyes and Ducos, were pledged to Napoleon, and ined their offices, and hastened to the Tuileries
Barras, bewildered and indignant, sent his secretary with a re the authority of an e as if France were his patrimony, came down upon hinantly exclaimed, ”is that beautiful France which I left you so brilliant! I left you peace I find war I left you victories I find but defeats
I left you ary Where are the hundred thousand lory! They are dead
This state of things can not continue It will lead to despotism”