The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-04 00:00:00

'CORRESPONDENCE OF NAPOLEON L

The tenth volume of the correspondence of Napo-
leon I. has just appeared. It comprises the period
between the Ist of October, 1804, and the 28th of
June, 1805, during which 894 letters were written
on the most important affairs of State, from the
navy, public works, finance, the public and
private conduct of public functionaries of every
grade, to the squabbles of the opera dancers in
Paris. One of the first that caught my eye on
opening the volume is the following
" Chalon-sur-Saone, 17 Germinal, an XIII.
(7 April, 1805).

"M. Forfait,—l have received your letter. The
Minister of Marine has informed me that, by your
own admission, you have an interest in many public
companies, both of contractors of public works as
of constructors. I myself was much annoyed at
seeing that you bad an interest in the business of
a contractor of Antwerp. Such things are incom-
patible with the confidence which I give to persons
whom I take into my service. Yet I will do you
the justice to think that in no circumstance this
has had any influence on your duties. If commer-
cial speculations appear more advantageous than
your services in the Council of State or in the
Marine Department, I have no objection to what
may be advantageous to you ; but if you mean to
continue serving either in the Council of State or
in the navy, I require of you to give up every
species of interested connection with contractors or
constructors under any pretext whatever.
" NAPOLEON."
M. Forfait, I suppose, made his choice, though
what it was we do not know. Before this letter
was written he and his friends, no doubt, denounced
the "calumniators" of public functionaries quite
as vehemently as M. Billault did the other day in
the Legislative Corps, to the applause of his hearers,
who are always disposed to admire courage of every
kind, and who know that he generally succeeds
best in fiction. Had Napoleon I. lived to our day,
he would see that M. Forfait andlis like were only
in the infancy of their art.
From Chambery he writes on the 17th of April,
1805, to Fouche, Minister of Police :
" The Bulletin de l'Europe (a paper of the day
as unfortunate as the Courrier du Limanche) is
animated by a bad spirit. I am astonished, how-
ever, to find Esmenard there. Tell them, for their
own good, that the days of the Quotidienne [the
Union of the present day] have passed away. They
dare not indulge their evil disposition. People see
that they are kept within boands ; but the tip of
ear is seen. For instance, had they nothing better
to say, when speaking of the addresses, on the
topographic office ? I mean that the newspaper
serve the Government, and not oppose it. Esme-
nerd is a man of merit, but Michaud is, as ever, a
rascal. " NAPOLEON."
On the 28th of June, 1805, he writes from Plais-
ance a letter to his " cousin," Marshal Berthier, full
of instructions on the preparations for the invasion
of England. The following extract is curious :
" Keep your eye on everything. Master all the
details about provisions, eau-de-vie, shoes, and
everything concerning the landing Have every-
thing in your portfolio in perfect order. Put on
board a great quantity of artillery tools—you know
there is always a deficiency in campaigning. I
shall have to lay siege to Dover Castle, to Chatham,
and perhaps Portsmouth. Talk it over with Mares-
col (General of Engineers). It is possible that I
shall have troops enough to besiege the three places
at the same time. We must have no ifs,' or buts,'
or 'fors'—all the chances are calculated beforehand.
Let tools of every kind be shipped, and take care
that nothing be wanted. I don't know how many
companies of miners I have ordered."
Nelson seems to occupy his thoughts during a
great part of this period. He writes to Vice-
Admiral Decres the same day :
"I am still without any positive information. It
would appear that Nelson has been to the West
Indies, but with ten ships only. Anyhow he could
not have left but on the 25th Floreal (15th. of May).
In that case Magon will have arrived before him.
Nelson was first before Surinam, then at Trinidad,
and then at Barbadoes. This leaves a chance for
the arrival of the President frigate, which sailed on
the let Prairial (20thMay)—that is, with hardly any
days difference, and with the advantage of one ship
against a squadron, following a shorter route, and
losing no time in giving chase or seeking for in-
formation. Nelson will lose two days at Cape
Verd. He will take many days in waiting for the
frigates and vessels chasing on his way. When he
learns that Villeneuve is not at the Windward
Islands he will go on to Jamaica, and while he is
occupied with taking in provisions and waiting for
him that great blow can be struck. This is my
calculation. Ship at Brest all the provisions you
can. Can't we do anything with this ship of the
line L'Ocean ? Don't forget the gunboats. Let all
that are in the ports embark on the sth Thermidor
(25th of July). Let good troops be embarked, and
let everything, even to the pinnaces, be armed;
18 and 24. pounders are everywhere 18 and 24-
pounders. Send the captain of a frigate to Havre
and one to Dunkirk to hasten the departure from
both. Order the Cannoniere frigate to be ready
with its stores, and leave in 24 hours after the
arrival of your courier. You know bow useful this
frigate must be to us. Keep ready at Havre one
or two good sailing brigs to carry orders. In
moments so critical it is a great relief to get news
every day. I suppose you have at Cherbourg a
month's provisions at least for every one."
To the same he again writes the same day, still
about Nelson ;
"I am in receipt of your courier and your letters
from Guadaloupe. I beg of you to reassure me by
your first courier, for I tremble lest the English
get information of all by that way. . . Let
us see what we have now against us. There are but
18 vessels before Brest, six at Rochefort, and eight
at Ferrol. We don't know what is in the Mediter-
ranean, bat certainly there are not more than four
ships. We want information about Nelson and Col-
lingwood. They were together on the 25th Floreal
on the Spanish coast with 17 ships. They then
parted company, and we really know nothing about
them since. If they are together, they arrived on
the 26th Prairial at Surinam, and on the Ist Mes-
sidor at Barbadoes. If they then appeared
before Martinique they found our squadron
composed of 14 French and six Spanish
line-of-battle ships. Nelson will have done one
of two things—tried to rally a squadron, as
Villen e uve will have left, or, when Villeneuve knew
of the arrival of Nelson in these waters, he will
again have left. But it is hard to believe that
any newsthe
without getting —nglish would send
17 men of war to the West Indies, while
Cochrane Who has saiv Nelson,
will with his 10 vessels, joining
and with the three that are at Jamaica, ill have
19, which will give him the superiority
Over our
squadron—it is, 1 say, hard to believe that When
the enemy has thus the chance of finding himself
mastar everywhere, he would blindly abandon
India. There is another observation. If the two
English squadrons together have been in America
they will have passed Cape Verd, and will not
arrive but on the sth Messidor—that is, 4Q days'
-voyage. If, on the other hand, Nelson was alone,
he will have been so without hesitating and seeking
any information. Then what will he do with his
10 ships ? He will loae eight or ten drys in join-
ing Cochrane ; during which Villeneuve will leave,
and the enemy will be weakened at the moment of
combat by being deprived of Nelson's and Cochrane's
squadrons. It is certain that Nelson was short of
provisions. He must have landed on the coast of
Africa to take in water. His crews were worn out
with fatigue. He landed his sick at Gibraltar. His
crews I believe to be incomplete ; and he will be
more prudent and reserved. My opinion is that
Nelson has gone to America, and that Collingwood
has gone to India. Anyhow we ought to have
every day new data to go on."
Amid all these plans he had time to write the
following to M. Cambheeres, which is dated 11th
.of April, 1805:
My Cousin,-1 herewith send you a memorial
which has been addressed to me by the leader of
the opera dancers. It seems to me at the first
gi 'ance improper to let Deport get up the ballets.
has not yet a
Th young man year of reputation.
lArben one succeeds in so eminent a manner in a