Star.
London, England, 1816-09-03 00:00:00

•Paucur.

(ems A tiallste. Pena)
In terming the interesting Memoirs from whkh
we extracted a portion in our Taper of Saturtiay, we
shall continue to pursue the same brevity:
The Doke of Otranto was scarcely in lllyria when
war broke out. Having no force to oppose to the ifs.
vasion of the enemy, he returned to France, when he
received from Bonaparte a letter, which commanded
him to go to Naples. The Duke gave to that Court
all the counsels which wisdom and circumstances pre.
scribed. If King Joachim bad followed his advice,
be would not have taken the path which leads to ca-
tastrophes. As a proof that the Duke of Otranto glid
use that intrepid freedom in disclosing truth to Na-
, we shall extract the following paragraphs
ones letter written by the Duke to Bonaparte, just
before the disastrous campaign of 1814.
K stag—When your Majesty was at the highest pitch of glory
• and of power, I had the courage to tell you the truth, hostess it
was the only thing you wanted. At present I owe kto yea
evilly, bet with more discretion, because yea an in misfor-
tune. Your speech to the Legislative Body would have made a
deep Impression on Europe, and would have affected racy bean
If your Majesty had added to the .desire which yea ban mani-
fested for peace, a magnanimous renunciation of your ancient
system of universal monarchy. Until yea have declared yoisseif
an that point, the ceekeeed Powers will believe pr will say that
this system is only adjourned; that you will profit by events to
suer to It. The French nation Inert will remain in the same
1 ahem. It seems to me that lf, in that case, you would concert-
I • trate all your forces between the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the
boyeednikes and es were.yotou
wouldine bags frank
all
atkecluatwiskluesamondotantotteo
1
r isms 4 the necks to defend your Bogie"; and, assuredly, that
lapin would still he the most beautiful and the most powerful
in the world-4t would be Wicket for year gluey and for the

prosperity of Francs.
• I am convinced that you Meet have fed peace but at that
peke. I fear that I sea the ally one to speak to you thk
lar-
page. Minting the fakehoods of coorders—eaperience ought
to have made you acquainted with them. It is they who have
tCriyour armies into Spain, into Poland, Into Russia; who
made yes retwom your most faithful Minds, and who tat-
Wei also hare dissuaded you from egging the peace at Dresden. lk
la they who deceive you at present, and who asaggarate to you
=rec. There remains enough to render you happy, sad
peaceful sod prosperous; but there remains no more. and
Ili Europe Is persuaded of this ; k would seat be usekss to so-
demobr to impose an Anion en it; it would no longer be
deceived.
.6 I conjure your Majesty not to Meet my connsele.--they
proceed from a hart which has never ceased to be attached to
you, even at mentents when it could have wished it. I have not
the foolish self-love to imagine that I see better than another—if
every one had the same frankness they would hold to you the
lame language. They would have spoken to you as I did after the
peace of Tilsit, after the peace of Vienne, before the war against
Riled*, and in the last place at Dresden.
* For the dignity of man, it la Alleging that I shall be the only
OW who dares to tell you what he -thinks. If your Maje*y ex-
periences new misfortunes, I shall not have to reproach myself
with having cared to tell yes the truth. In the name of Ileavetr
put an end to the war; grant that peoples minds may be
able to find a moment of repose!' •
The many interesting documents contained in this
work, some of which are original, will be read with
pleasure by those who tweet the wisdom and virtue
of an experienced and sagacious Statesman. They
are too long to be transcribed wholly, and any par-
tial selection of passages would only weaken that
effect which they are so well calculated to produce.
Whoever reads them, however, with attention, must
regret that counsels given with so much frankness,
and comprehending so prudent and conciliating a
system of policy, were not listened to by the restored
Monarch or his Ministers.
As the Duke of Otranto had several times repeated
that the manner in which things went on prepared a
new succession in France and the return of Bona-
parte, his enemies inferred, when Napoleon landed,
that it was he who brought him back; they sur-
rounded the King and obtained from his Majesty an
order to have the Duke conveyed to Lisle, and car-
ried off as a hostage. Some gene d'armes and agents
of the police went to his house, but such is the as-
cendant of probity and courage, that none of the
Sbirris dared to lay hands upon his person. In the;
night preceding this attempt the Count of Artois had
desired a conference with the Duke of Otranto. Tait
conference took place at the Count d'Escar's, and
' lasted several hours. It is presumed, that the Prince's
proposals were not accepted, and it was doubtless
feared that the Duke would lend his aid to the new
order of things.
It is to be remarked, that the name of the Duke
of Otranto is not round mingled in the various in-
trigues which took place turing his several adminie...
orations He has served several governments with
equal fidelity and scents, but he has never been their
confidant- When Bonaparte arrived at Paris he sent
for the Duke of Otranto. u They wanted to carry,
you off," said he, as he approached him, 46 to hinder
you from being useful to your country. Well ! I offer
you an opportunity to tender it fresh services. Tha
moment is difficult, but your courage and mine are
superior to the crisis. Accept once more the ministry
of the police."
The Duke sheared, in their full extent, the dangers
of the situation of things. After having received die
assurance that Austria and England secretly aPpro.,
ved of Bonaparte's escape, and otitis return to France,'
he accepted the office of Minister of Police.
All the words and all the writings of the Duke
in-
spire the most profound security. As be had never
wanted consolation when in disgrace, he had no wed'
of vengeance whet( in favour. He did not propose
to Bonaparte a vain amnesty; he wrote to him that
he must be ignorant of every thiing and in this re.]
spelt be gave the example which he recommended.
He caused the apprehensions of his enemies to be
*Wed, aid passports to be given to these who could
not believe that he would pardon the injuries which'
they had sought to do him.
Every thing proceeded in concert between Bona-
parte and his Minister, till the moment when the lat-
ter received from Vienna a letter, written by a Mem-
ber of the Congress, who positively declared, that
Bonaparte would not be recogthied—that all the
Powers were unanimous, and were preparing to

march against him.
Then the Duke spoke to Bonaparte about this
communication, and represented to him, that it was
Impossible that France could sustain the shock of all
Europe united; that it was necessary he should de-
clare himself frankly to. the Station' and make himself
certain of the final determination of the Sovereigns;
that, if they persisted, there was no room for hesita-
tion ; that his own interest, and that of the country,
made it his duty to abdicate, and retire to the United
States.
This counsel was noble and wise;,. it would have
spared many evils, many ravages had it been followed
owl& putignemeity ; but it wounded the prided Do.

impute, sad etched in Ms mind suspicions of kite whi
bad had the courage to give it.
The events which f Mowed alter the battle of w
Iterloo are too fresh in the recollection ..t every 0,.);
to require that they should he now recapitul it( d; ant
it should riot be forgotten that the Duke of o,,„un ,
displayed at that most critical moment the sAmt. fi,rn.
ness, the same prudence, and the same in,id,t,,,o.
which marked his conduct in the preceding )c,,,
Before terminating this article, we shall say a I,„ ir
words upon the manner in which the Duke of Om, ~t
passes his time at Dresden.
He seems to like Simony. He sees but a staff
number of persons;- he is absolutely confined in 11:1 -!
family. The moments which he does not spend wilt) 1
them are consecrated to study. There is much ~i i
of an important letter which he has Ilk titter. to .ii.
Duke of Wellington, on the course of pubis,: itT4i;,„ ,
for these six months past, and the publication ui wiii,t;
is te precede that of the Memoirs. He sp alt.; nt li,dis.
grace with the same moderation as of the other ev.1))) . •
of the French Revolution. When mention 1, maje t-
of his enemies, most of them are indebted t.• hill 11 ?
the happiness of seeing their country Again, r. 14
many for their property and lite, he contents liimo
with pitying them. 66 They are blind," says Ile_
' 64 and tt e;,- blindness will continue, for they ,:„ ntt ._
comprehend that they arc in daskisess." Some:;
he compares the services which the Ultta-ani,„,"
think to do the King and the mossarchy, in time
which the Ultra-Revolutionists have rendered to ii.
; 'berty and the public.
We will here mention a trait of his dommit Its!es -
i because nothing is more calculated to make us rem,
the characters'of celebrated men
Some time ago he received from Paris souse tail
full of insults towards him ; he hastily ran tiiteugh
them, making the follow-tar raced ins: 66 Winos,
has received many praises, one ought to expect t....,
cetve much abuse, and often from the same peep"
['here are vulgar characters to be found among au *:
ranks, even among men of letters ; these, as well a ~
all others of the same description, have rage Maks:, 'I
but no hatred ; it is the necessity of gaining a liles. l,
hood that sets them in motion in every dared .0.... 1
And as their follies are paid for is proportion As they . .
rise higher, I cannot complain of the preference .
which they give one—for the rest, it must be sop. '
posed that the libels are dangerous—let time take is
course—they'will fall to the ground of their (-we .. ,
cord : there is nothing firm and stable but truth.'
i
The ciiscluding paragraph expresses with ao Mo.
siderable candour the comluct pursued by the Auk
of Otranto during the Revolution, and the M'ltiVel
for that conduct which he adopted after the Reston.
lion of Louis XVIII. Written,, as these Memoirs .
have been, under the eye of the Duke himself, we *•
may consider the following lines to contain his semi•
ments, ana, as such, they have at least the merit ci
sincerity.
In our estimation, a Sovereign may safety confide
in the fidelity of a man who has the frankness to say,
'4 I have long been occupied in shutting you out front
the throne—the passage to which, perhaps, would
never have been thrown open to you, had the man, ~
to whom I acted as Minister, conducted himself with
greater prudence. But since Paovtnexce has ;Need
you there, and that you are of opinion that I Call .
aid you better than any other person, to accomrlith
its destinies, and to be serviceable to my country, /
obey the call of duty. I devote to you All my tea%
end all my experience, whatever may be the conma
quences to myrelf."