The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-11-06
" FRAGMENT FROM THE INEDITED ME.
MOIRS OF JOSEPH

lhe catastrophe or the DUO aEigheiR requires the
meEtion at my hands of some details toe honorable
to the memory of Napoleon to be suppressed.
When tho Due reached Vinccnnss was at my seat
Of .M0rfontaim and was Immediately sent for to Nal
naison. The moment arrived, Josephine came ut
to meet nae, in much emotion and related the event
OF the day Napoleon had already consulted Cam
baceres and Berthicr who were favorable to the pr-
soner but she expressed great fear Of the influence
Of TallcyraRd, who had already walked several times
round the Park with Nspoleoa. g Your brother,n
she said to me- has asked fer you several times al
ready hasten to break in upon that long converse
tlon, for am afraid Of that lame man." | went TO
the door Of the apartment opening the Park whcm
the First Consul dismissed M Talleyrand, and called
He expressed his surprise at the great diversity
OF opinion between the persons he had consulted and
thea asked me for mine.
Irecslled TO him the political principle which re-
quircd that, remaining impassivc among all parties
he should control them all and be, in his own Lam
guage, the key stone Of the arch recalled to him the
circumstances of his entrance into the artillery
owing to the encouragement given 10 me by the
Prince Of Conde that should be soldier, when he
visited the College of Autun in 1888 on his route 10
Dion, where he was proceeding TO preside the
States of Burgundy, Of which he was Governor. i
stil knew by heart the chorus Of the piece Of
composed for that occasion by our Principal the
Able Simon. Whe could then have foreseen that
We should have to decide the fate Of bis grandson
The eyes Of Napoleon were moist and be said 10
me with nervous movement which in him always
accompanied the expression Of generous feeling
"Hs pardon is in my heart, since l can pardon him;
but this is not enough for mel desire that the de-
scendant Of the great Condo should in our ar
mics; feel nyself strong enough for that"
/ rsturned 10 .Morfonfaine in this belief They
were at dinner. took my seat beside de. de Siasl
who had at her right NJ. .hahieW de Msntmorency.
Mde. de Stael, upon my assuring her that the FIRST
CoRsul meant 10 pardon the descendant Of the great
Condo, replied, ''ah much the better if il were
otherwise We should Matthew here no more" N.
de Crosss a, Brissse who bad not emigrated said
the other hand, Shsll the Bourbons be permitted 10
conspire with inpunityi The first Consul is deceived,
if he thinks the nobility that did not smigrate, espe-
enlly the nobility Of historical renown, feels any
great interest IN the Bourbons"
Hew did they treat Diren, and my ancestor, and
90 many others And calling out Iousfy : Tonnrrr,
Tonnere, be called upon him IN. de Clermont Ton
nere) who wss among nay guests, and Messrs. Rade-
rer Freville, Graroin (ssnislas) de Jaucourt Bou-
ehsrd and others to confirm bis testimony.
The nert day, on my return to Msmsison, I found
Napoleon furious against Real whose designs he de-
neuneed, and reproached himself with having en-
Ployed about the Government men too much compro-
missed by their revolutionary excuses. The Duke
had bees condemned and executed even before any
notice oft had reached the first Consul lie belieT-
ed Real to have neglected his duty in order to indulge
his revolutionary passions. But in the end he was
convinced Of the innocence Of Real and OF the strange
fatality which for aoment rendered him an object
Of distrust
Nevertheless, resuming his eslmness, he said,
Here Is another opportunity lost 1t would have
been hne 10 have descendant Of the grand Condo
for sd-de-csmp. But let as say no more Of il. The
blow is irrepsrable. Yes, / was strong enough to
cause Condo 10 serve in our armies. We must con-
sole ourselves for everything; for doubtless II had
been asssssinsed by any Of the agents o. the family,
he would have been the first 10 show himself in arms
in France. | mast assume the responsibility Of the
event To cast il upon others, with justice,
would seem too like cOWardice for me 10 expose my
self to the suspcionn
Napoleon sIrsyS held the same language at St.
Helena, and in his will. He expressed his regrets
TO me by those quotations from Cofneilie, which ho
seemed TO address to those who, like Real had de-
prived him Of The opportunity Of displaying to the
world ell that there was OF noble and generous in his
heart.
only learned some years afterwards, in the Uni
ted Sstes from W. Real HIMSELF the details Of what
happened at the death Of the Duke. II was la New
York, in 1896, st Washington Hsll where NC were
together by previous arrangement with III lie Ray de
Easement, great landed proprietor Of which part
was sold TO NJ. Real and myself that NJ. Real in
formed US how single act Of Impotence on his part
had aoIt uninientionay defeated the designs of the
First Consul towards Due dEnshcin.
One Of the four Counseliors Was charged with tho
police Of France N. Reel had in his Circuit, Paris
and Vineenues. Il in bis Office that IN the night
arrived the despatch announcing the condemnation
Of the Duke. The Clerk who sat up in the apart
nent adjoining his, had already reused him twice
third despatch placed tho manepiece, without
wskiug Real, and not by him till after day
light Having read IT, he proceeded in all haste 10
Mslrnsson where be found officer Of gcndarmsrie,
already arrived with tho Intelligence Of the condem-
nation and execution Of The Duke the Court having
concluded that a pardon was not 10 be expected,
since the Government renamed silent