The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE ME3IOIIIS OF JOSEPH FOUCHE.
Dolt Or OTYANTO, MtntrrEll OP THE OENER•i. POLICE
OS' EiatlCE...-TIIAN,LATrb rims' THE TRENCH.
Knight.
The impression which the publication of these Memoirs
produced in I'aris, and the effort made to suppress them,
will naturally give them an increased interest, and tend to
excite towards them an additional portion of public curio-
sity in this country. The great share which Ibis distin-
guished individual hail in the great work of the Revolu-
tion, necessarily furnished him with the materials for
describing the internal economy and the policy of the
institutions by which it was carried through. This nar-
rative of events is evidently drawn up with an anxiety to
place himself in the best possible light, and to represent
himself as guided by the purest views. He wouhl fain
have it believed, that, while supporting the cause of ty-
ranny, and issuing mandates the most despotic, he was all
along the patron of liberty and the friend of the people.
There are occasionally, indeed, conclusions from which he
cannot escape, and he modestly confesses himself in the
wrong ivii,r,.ver he fears to outrage all belief by pretend-
ing to be in the right. An example of this occurs very
eatly : he condemns himself for having voted for the death
of Louis XVIII.; but die apology is sadly defective. The
motives by which he was actuated betray not only a con-
fused head, but a bad heart. The crisis, it seems, presented
difficulties which he conc,lived it impossible to overcome,
but by exciting the worst passions of the people, and goad-
Fling them on to those excesses of rage and reienttntist in
' which they would, in all likelihood, uproot all before them.
The Paris edition is before us, and we will give his own
words :
" II est poertant an vote qui 'este ininstifiable, j'avourrai
mime. sans home comma sans laiblesse. qu'il me fait connaitre le
rewords. Mais j'en prends a tenon le Dieu de la virile, c'etait
Bien moius le monarque au fond tine j'entendis frapper did etait bon
et juste). que In diaLeine, slurs incompatible aver le mooed ordre
de chose,. Et puis, le •dirai-je, car les revelations excluent lea
riticencee, it roe paraissait aloes, confine a tent d'autres,que nous
ne pourtions inspirer asses d'energie a la representation et I la
masse du peuple, pour smirmonter le crise, qu'en outrant touter lea
'ailesiir,r, vie,: dqinuant touter les boritea, qu'en compromettant
Mules !es awn-mile, r6volutionnuires Tell? fut la raison d'etat qui
nous parut eziger cet effeayant sacrifice. En.politique, l'atrocute
aurainelle auss: parfois son point de vue &gluten* ?"
We will give this passage from the present translation,
that the reader may judge of the general fidelity with
which this work is executed:—
, " There was, however, one vote which is unjustifiable; I will
even own, without a blush. that it sometimes awakens remorse
within me. But I call the God of truth to witness, that it was far
less against the .Monarch that I aimed the blow (for he was good
and jolt) than against the kingly office. at that tunic incompatible
with the new order of things. I will also add, for concealment is
no longer of avail, that it then appeared to me, as to so many
others, that we could not inspire the representatives, and the mats
of the peoude, with an energy sufficient to surmount the difficulties
of the crisis, but by abamidoning every thing like moderation,
breaking through all restraint, and indulging the extremity of re.
volutionary excess. Such was the reason of state which appeared
to 111 to require this frightful sacrifice. In polities, even atrocity
itself may sometimes produce a salutary effect."
These 2li enrolee will supply the curious reader with nu-
merous interesting anecdotes and circumstances relating to
the important period when the writer figured in the revo-
lutionary scene, and to his contemporaries on the political
stage. IVe give the following extract as a specimen:—
" War was fully decided upon, when the Emperor caused his
confidential Minister to open fresh negotiations with London ; but
these proposals not only came too late, but were made without any
ability. Some persona, who were in the secret of every intrigue,
assured me at this time that the Cabinet employed this clumsy ex-
pedient, in concert with the principal Russians of the French party.
Seeing themselves on the eve of being expelled from the cfuncils of
Si. Petersburgh, they imagined that the Emperor Alexander, alarm-
ed at the idea of the possibility of an arrangement between France
and England would re-enter the Continental system to prevent his
being isolated, and that he would once more submit to Napo-
leon's will. But however this may be, Maret wrote to Lord Castle.
reagh a letter, containing the following propositions :—To renounce
all extension of territory on the side of the Pyrenet.s, to declare the
actual dynasty of Spain irdependent, and to guarantee the ir.depen-
uence otrthat .Monarchy, to guarantee to the House of Braganza the
independence and integrity of Portugal, as well as the kingdom of
Naples to Joachim, and the kingdom of Sicily to Ferdinand IV.
As to the other objects of disetoston, our Cabinet proposed to ne-
gotiate them upon this bailie, that each Poser should keep what
the ether could not wrest from it by the war. Lind Castlereagh re-
plied, that if by the acme] dynasty of Spain time brother of the
Cnief of the French Government was meant, be was commanded by
I.is Sovereign to declare candidly, that he could not receive any pro-
peasls of peace founded typo that basis. Here the matter dropped.
Ashamed of its overtures, our Cabinet, whose only object was to
have drawn Rusals into some act of weakness, perceived too late
that it,had imp/awed noon otsr diplomacy a character of fickleness,
had faith, amid ignorance. As all was transacted iu the utmost se.
cresy, what most puzzled the politicians was, that in France, and
sves in Russia, the exterior furius of entity were kept up amid the
immense preparrttons. The limperor Alexander's Ambassador was
still at Paris, while Napoleon had his at St. Peteraburgh. Nor was
this all ; Alexander had his confidential Diplomatist, Count Carr-
nitscheff. resident in the Fiench capital. This amiable Russian,
in the midst of the dissipations of a brilliant Court, and the myete-
ries of more than one amorous intrigue purposely ill-managed, did
not neglect a secret commission of the highest importance to his
clearer. Seconded by women, some of whom were stimulated
by low, and others by a spirit of intrigue, lie managed his
plans so as to discover Napoleoo's real intentions of iryading
Russia. Suspicion having been nisei as to the secret ob-
ject of his mission, he was watched and placed under surreil-
tait:e, but all to no purpose. At length, Silvery sent to him
a person attached to the police, who gave hint some false informa-
tion, and drew from him in return some fresh indications, which
increased the suspicion already indulged. But, favoured by his
gallant connexions, Czerniutcheff was warned in time ; he avoided
the snare, insulted the spy, and went to Maret to complain of hay.
ing been subjected to suet revolting proceedings. That very day,
the Emperor haying been infomued of the subject of his complaint,
determined upon communicating to him the secret accounts which
inculpated him. Czernitscheffi came out triumphant from this or.
deal, by giving an explanation of his conduct, and of the cause of
his complaints. The police received formal orders to take off the
earveillanee. Being thus at liberty to continue his investigations,
he succeeded in executing the object of his omission. He was parti-
ailarty anxious to procure the lists of the intended movements of
the French army; these ha obtained through the medium of a
clerk belonging to the Bureau des tronventens, named Michel. An
oversight of this person, who thus betrayed the secret of the Em.
peror's operations, having awakened sonic suspicions,. he was ar-
rested. Czernitscheff was intmnediately informed of it, and left
Paris with the greatest precinitation, carrying off with him some
most important documenta. In vain was a telegraph order given
to seize his person ; he had got the start by five or six hours, and
this advantage was sufficient to enable him to cress the Rhine. He
had just passed the bridge of Kehl, when the tzlegraphic order for
his arrest reached S:rasburgli.
His precipitate flight from Paris prevented him from burning his
secret correspondence, which it was his custom to conceal under the
carpet of his room; and as the lane: was necessarily the object of
minute search, the police agents discovered the papers of Czernitsm
chef. The first thing found in them was the proof that a great in-
(inutcy had been kept up between this Russian Noldernan and se-
veral ladies of Napolcoo's Conn, amongst others the Duchess of ,
ll—. She, lee ever, it is said, exculpated herself by aileging '
that she had acted in concert with her husband. to endeavour to
ascertain the secret object of Crernitschers mission. Among the
papers discovered was also a letter in Michel's handwriting; so
convincing a proof of his guilt sealed his late—he expiated his trea-
son with his life. This affair brought to light a very singular fact,
viz. that the Russian Cabinet had foreseen, even from the conch of
the interview at Erfurt, the passibility of a rupture with France.
It was then that Homan/off said, in order to justify his complaisant
policy, and with reference to Napoleon,' We must wear him out'
arrant fuser.)
The circumstances of Czetnitschefr a Sight, which was soon
known is the saloons, made considerable noise, and accelerated the
rupture. The Emperor, whose departure was determined upon,
anxious to obtain some popularity, visited the different quarters of
Paris, examining the public works, and acting little precnttcerted
scenes, either with the Prefect of Parte, or the Prefect of Police,
Pasquier. lie also went frequently to the chase, affecting to appear
more occupied with his pleasures than with the vast enterprise he
had engaged in. I saw him at St. Cloud, whither I went to pay
my speeds to him, without any intention of soliciting or obtaining
an audience. The mournful aspect of that Court, and the anxious
looks of the courtiers, appeared to me to form a strong contrast with
the confidence of the Emperor. Ile bad never enjoyed such perfect'
; health never had I seen Ins features, formed after the antique,
lighted up with a greater glow of mental vigour, of greater =lli-
dence in himself, founded on a deep conviction of his prodigious ,
power. I experienced a feeling of involuntary melancholy, which
I should have been unable to define, had nut the most gloomy pre-
sentiments taken possession of nty mind.
" In the mean time the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh, whether its
real intention was to employ every possible means of reconciliation,
compatible with the independence of the Russian empire, or whe-
ther it had only the view of obtaining some certain information re-
specting the true intentions of Napoleon, ordered Prince Kourakin
to make known to the French Government the bases 0 an arrange-
ment which his Sovereign was wiling to accede to. These were
the deliverance of Prussia, a reduction of the garrison of Dantsie,
and the evacuation of Swedish Pomerania; upon these conditions,
m the Czar engaged to make no change whatever in the measures pro-
hibiting a direct trade with England, and to concert with France a
system of licences to be granted in Russia.
Kourakin's note remained unanswered for a fortnight. At
m length, on the 9th of May. the day of the Emperor's departure for
Germany, Maret asked Kourakin if he had full powers for treat-
ing ; Kourakin replied, that the character of Ambassador, with
which he was invested, should be considered as sufficient. Being