The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-03-28
THE REMusAT MEMOIRS y
Revelations Of the Character aSd
Policy of TaIlcyraud.

Of the Character aSd
Policy of Tallcyrand.
The most interesting feature OF the cons
Guiding volume OF these Memoirs Is the light 1t throws
upon the character OF NJ. de Taeyrand. Contrary to
the theory which portrays him fahess and cold
hearted stacmer, wholly cynical and pessimIstic
In his ideas and selfish In his objects,
Madame de R5musat represents him as
Statesman who gave the Emperor Ills Views candldiy
and consistently advocated policy which, " adhered
to, would have benefited Europe and probably have
pcrpetuated the Napolconic dynasty She reports Tai
eyrand saying to her at the beginning Of the Span
fish business
Take my advice. do not feel ahg affection for this |
man. but rest assured that, with all his faults he 10
at present necessary to France. lie knows how to |
uphold the country, and each Of us ought to do his
best TO aid him. However, " he listens to the sage
advice he is receiving at present. viii not answer for
anything. lie Is now embarked in ptlablc Intrigue
the Prince Of Peace, and want to gain him over, as
" he had any Importance In spain II is hne policy |
iepata,on Of close aiIiance with deteste minister
know well enough that he deceives that Minister and
viii throw him over when he perceycs that he counts
desplcabe pctfdy. The Emperor win not see that he
was called by his destiny to he everywhere and always
the man Of the nations, the founder OF useful aud
possible Innovations. To restore religion, morality,
aud order 10 France; to applaud the cviiaaticn OF
his fr"ueps V ihe @ o the Whns, I"
make Italy o Kingdom Independent both of Austria
and himself; to keep the Car shut up at home by
creating the natural barrier which Poland offers
these what ought to have been he Emperor's de-
signs and 1t was to these that each of my treaties was
leading him. But ambition. anger pride, and the
fools TO whom he listens, often misead him. lie
suspects me whenever speak to him OF "modera-
tion;' and II he ceases to trust You viii
that he will compromise both himself and us by i'm
prudence and folly Nevertheless shall watch over
| him to the enl. have associated myself with the
creation OF his Empire: should like to see II hold
| together my last work; and, long as can
| my way to the success OF my plan, VIII not re-
| n0uncc 1t.
How prophetic all this sounds at this distance of
time! 1t win compare with Burke's remonstranccs
| against the policy which lost Great Britain her
American Empire, as an exposition of far-sghted
craftsmanship which events have completely justified
OF the Polish question find Talleyrand saying at
| an earlier period;
A kingdom of Poland ought to be established. It
would be the bulwaik Of our Independence; but 1t
| ought not to be done by halves,
And at another time Madame Rdmusat says of
| Talleyrand:
One of his favorite theories, and 1t is which has
always seemed Just and reasonable is that the policy
France ought tend TO the release of Poland from
foreign yoke, and TO the use Of that country as u
barrier against Russia and eounterpose to Austria.
He always exertcd his influence In this direction.
have often heard him say that the rcpose OF all Europe
depended OH Poland.
Again we find Taeyrand possessed with a concep-
tion of English liberty and the place occupied by
England In the fabric OF civilization one would
hardly expect from Frenchman In that age of uni
versal hatred Of everything English. lie is quoted
as saying, ut the time OF the Berlin DEGREES aud
Napoleon attempt to foment rebellion In Ireland:
Tremble, foolish people that you are, at the Empe.
rOr's the English; for, IL the English
Constitution is destroyed. understand clearly that
the civilization OF the world VIII be shaken to It's very
! foundations.
Another evidence of the soundness of Taeyrand'i
: views on the Spanish question is that he proposct
adopting the cause of the Crown Prince Ferdinand
and marrying him to lady of the Imperial house
The Memoirs say that 'he predicted even then t
1.-THE Emperor that any other line of conduct woul'
"involve him In llnicultes''
| We again have In this volume. as In the forme
ones, interesting inside views of the parvenu cour
created by Napoleon. Madame de Remusat write
In 1907:
The Emperor also began TO settle great revenue
upon his marsl'as and generals and to found thos
v tined to disappear with himself A man would fin,
Y himself endowed with considerable revenue, per
i aps declared proprietor of vast number Of league
u of territory In Poland, Hanover, or Westphaa. Bu
there We're great difficulties alput realizing the reve
n nues. The conquered countries gave them up reluc
tany and the agents sent to collect them found them
rs selves In AN embarrassing position lransactionsan
TO concessions became inovtble portion of the prom
pleasing the Emperor the taste for luxury, i'm
~ prudent confidence In the future, induced these mel
+ to place their expenditure on the footing Of the pre-
sumed income which they expected to receive. Debt
Is accumulated, cmbarrassments cropped up, In TN
midst of this seeming opnence; the public beloldln
extreme luxury, took immense fortunes for granted
of and yet nothing real nothing secure at the bot
Mt tom of all this. We have seen most Of the Marshal
coming TO the Emperors, when pressed by their cred
ie tors. to solicit aid, which he granted according
~ his fancy, the interests to be served by bndin
r certain persons to himself. These demands becan
m excessive and perhaps the necessity for satisyn
them counted for much among the motives of the sui
+ sequcnt Marshal Ney bought house; Its pun
chase and the sums expended upon 1t cost him MOI
l- than million, and he has since complained biterl
s of the difficulties Into which this purchase threw hin
Marshal Davoust was in the same case. The En,pert
prescribed to each of his marsals the purchase of
house which involved great establishment and iarl
ar objects of all kinds adorned these dwellings; spcnd
" services Of plate gitered Oh the Marsnals' table
he dress cost great sums This display pleased Boni
rd parte, satisfied the shopkeepers dazzed everybod
mt and by removing individuals from their prop
ny sphere augmented teirdependence oil the Emperor
ii. in fact, perfectly carried out his Intentions.
h. During this time the old nobility of France liv
do simply, collecting Its ruins together, finding It's
cir under no particular obligations. Boosting of
ng poverty rather than complaining bnt In reality reco
erng Its estates by degrees and reamassiDg those fo
ny tunes which at the present day 1t enjoys
H. Can we wonder that all Christendom turned at |;
se upon conqueror who betrayed such an absoutedlsI
The gard of all rights OF persons and property and
an be satisfied with nothing short of his overtlrow9
on The las: volume contains fresh evidences OF NaI
leons abiuai dupliclty and deliberate preference
cts falselood to truth. 1t shows how he got Fouche
is write elaborate letter to Josephine setting fol
I
protesting that the idea was his own, and his act
not known to the Emperor An illustration Of
Emperor's character is afforded by his conduct at
masked balls which were given In the winter
';ll 1S07-'0s:
o., He was closely masked, and yet easy to recogn
guise, as he walked through the rooms. genera
gh leaning on the arm OF Duroc. He accosted the lad
n d %a: en very na s
~ recognize who II was that spoke to him, he would
~ off the speakers mask, revealing himself by this I,
IL act OF power lie also took great pleasure, un
OF his disguise, In seeking out certain husba
ore and tormenting Them with anecdotes true or false
their wives II he learned afterward that these reve
'h- tions had been followed by unpleasant consequence
hs became very angry; for he SS would not permit
rk' pendent of him. 1t must he said, because It is
truth, that there is In Bonapare natural badne
which makes him like to do evil In small as well ~
In great things.
Mr.. The concluding chapter of these Memoirs descr
the treachery by which Napoleon obtained possess
fe OF the Prince Of the Asturias, and show that Tall
ster rand's consistent opposition to the fatal Span
OIL policy was the cause of the final rupture between
:" and the Emperor. Among the falsehOods vii
. Napoleon circulated from st. Helena II is asset
or that Tacyrand favored the Spanish war, but Mad'
"m, "nc Rdmusats testimony does not stand alone on
,rs, point. She quotes Talleyrands language;
This is a base Intrigue. 1t is an enterprise aga
u national aspiration; we declare ourselves thereby
enemies OF the people; 1t Is bunder which VIII nt
last be repaired.
ran lie was open and outspoken In his opposition an
lr, was Known 10 al iaiIs' "hhchi""e's' h'"'" WIN
NJ. BeugnOt, In his Memoirs, records an almost Id
nca teal conversation with the Prince:
iem NictoiieS vanno' ena.. su." a ,, ups, ''a , Wv,
pe- veess ~ .nen, "oer' @ az" III, n ,,i .v ',, nv
hieh forgotten by anybody.
At this distance we can only wonder AT the Inn
Ar dence OF military adventurer who VIII accept
nn, safeguards and adhere to no policy that would
dis allies but endeavors govern all Europe through
ates mppet kings. Talleyrand's wisdom IL too Obv'
ems | ma Emn.rnr Ind uothing IN fear from spain
They -, - ,,,,,.,a, har ,,io,as,,n ,oy sh. az
ibed sh""'u nave o"'N"''" "o' "'o""a''f' w, QUO ="
Vat then have guarded one OF MS frontiers ana perm
ming him turn his whole force toward the Contin
tcu y al Then, with Poland revived, he would have Great
was balance In Eastern Europe which could have
us's maintained with the least possible strain upon
nelf resources Of France. Unfortunately tho Memoirs
hus- , a, ,,,o ,o,,nni,. of tho snansh war with "