The Portland daily press., 1881-11-16

sible? That is fancy of which the French are
at present full, but it will pass away like all
others. What they wantsis glory and gratihed
vanity; but as for liberty they do not under
stand what it means. Look at the armyl Inc
victories we have just won have already re-
stored the French soldier to his true character.
To him l am everything. Let the directory
try to take the command from me and they Will
see who is master The nation must nave
chief and o chief rendered illustrlouS by glory,
not by theories of the Government, by phrases,
nv theoretic speeches which Frenchmen do
not understand. Give them baubles-that
sufices them. They will be amused and will let
themselves be led so long as the end toward
which they are going is skillfully hidden from
them.
AS for your country, M. de Melzi, it possess
es still fewer elements of republication than
France, and can be more easily managed than
any other. You know better than any one that
we shall do what we like with Italy. But the
time has not yet come. We must temporlZe WITH
the fever of the moment, and we are going to
have two republics here of our own particular
kind. Monge will arrange that for us. In the
meantime have already expunged two from
Italian territory, and though they were quite
aristocratie republics, they had more public
spirit and more fixed opinions than we found
anywhere else. They would in the end have
hampered us. For the rest am quite determ-
ined. l will not give up either Lombardy or
Mantua to Austria. You may reckon upon that
zi) and you see that at whatever decision we
arrive at with respect to your country you may
enter into my views without having anything
to fear either from the return or the power OF
Austria. 1 will give her Venice and portion
of the terra firma of that ancient republic as an
Naturalization. I do not want to
leave Italy unless it be to play part in France
similar to my part here, and the time has not
yet come; the pear is not yet ripe. But the
management of all this does not depend excu-
aiu Thara diaa0 in Paris
One party is in favor of the Bourbons; do not
intend to contribute to its triumph. [ am quite
ready to weaken the Republican party; some
say shall do it for my own advantage, not
that of the former dynasty. In the meantime
must act with the Republican party. And
then, if peace BIO necessary in order to satisfy
our Paris boobies, and if it has to be made, it is
my task to make it. If left the merit of it to
another such a concession would place him
higher in public favor than all my victories
have placed me.
At another time he writes:-
We left Milan on the LIST Fructidorl august
49,, had place in BoDaparte's carriage with
his wife and Berthier. During the drive he
was gay and animated, told us several anec-
dotes of his youth and said that he had just
completed his twenty-ninth year. He was ex-
tremely attentive to his wife, frequently taking
little conjugal liberties that rather embarrass-
ed Berthier and me; but his free and easy
manners were so full of affection and tender
ness toward woman as loyable as she was
good that they might easily be excused. Al
though the conversation occasionally turned on
grave matters he did not betray the subject that
was engrossing his thoughts. He avoided talk
| ing politics before Berthier, whom he valued
only for his usefulness chief of staff, the du-
ties of which post he fulfilled with marvellous
activity. No one could surpass him him in tb at
quality In speaking of Talleyrand Bonaparte
took occasion to praise him, his humor and his
ability and in this the Generals wife agreed.
The conversation turned also on other person.
ages who might play part in public affairs in
Paris,and among these l named Roed' ror,
dwelling on his penetration, his ability as a
writer and his extensive knowledge. Bona
| parte, however, expressed an extreme aversion
| to him. He severely oensured his conduct to-
| ward Louis XVIand the royal family on the
| 10th of August, declaring that it combined both
! treason and dfplicity, and adding that he could
| never feel much confidence in a man who had
| laid himself open to such a reproach. did my
| best to defend him, but Nine. Bonaparte did
not support me; she, like Berthier, kept silence.
The sequel has shown that Roederer succeeded
| in overcoming Bonapartes aversion; probabl Y
his service on the 18th Brumaire blotted out
the recollection of the 10th of August.
Again the great man said
There are only three ways of placing ones
self at the head of a nation-by birth, by right
of conquest, and by an avowed and recognized
government 1t is not to birth that owe the
place occupy; do not wish to appear to owe
| it to conquest: constitution only can secure
| it to me, and am nothing if that constitution
which has given me my place be not maintain
| ed.
| Napoleon, who was something Of fatalist
said to Joseph
| Nothing has yet happened to me that I have
| not foreseen; j alone am surprised at nothing
| that have accomplished. Even SO I can also
divine the future, and even SO shall reach the
| end proposed to myself.
| These fantastic notions seem to have been
| shared more or less by all the family. M.
| Charles Bonaparte, the father, died at Mont.
| pelier, in his 37th year. of very long standing
| chronic disease. Joseph Bonaparte, who was
| with him in his very last moments, often heard
| him, when partly delirious from pain, asking
| for his son Napoleon. "Where is he?' he re-
| peatedly exclaimed. "Where is my son Ma
! poleon? He whose sword will make kings trem
ble He who will change the face of Europe
| He would defend me from my enemies; he
| would save my lifei'' Joseph Bonaparte, who
| told Count Mot this anecdote, added, II am
! almost ashamed of what l say to you, and
| certainly would say it to no one but your.
self. But the thing is certain. There exists
| moreover, another witness to this singular
| faet-Fesch my mothers brother He
as we'll as I, was present at my fathers death
bed, and can confirm what | have just told
| you"
The morning after the attempt ON the life OF
| the First Consul Mot went to the Tuileries,
where great many persons had gathered
| Fouche, who was present, and perhaps already
| better informed endeavored to insinuate
| that the roysists and the enaigres might have
| had some hand in this fresh conspiracy
| he was not listened to. 1t was admitted that
| those whom he accused would have
| have profted by the plot but no one would
believe they were its authors. The First Con
| sui said to his Ministers: "Don't make car
naagnole out of this; it was your terrorists who
| did it,"
Later in the day he spoke before the Section
of the Interior:
sit is impossible" he said, "that these things
can continue; it is time to rid society of this
scourge; before five days have passed twenty
or thirty of these monsters must die; and two
or three hundred must be deported AS for
me, am ready to take upon myself all the
weight, and all the opportunities of such a
course, for I see nothing that is not honorable
in such a measure of public safety. l would
summon these men, whose names are in every
mouth before me; would seat myself in the
curule chair in the largest hall of the palace
wherein dwell; and in the presence of the
whole people. were it possible to unite them in
one place, would condemn them myself,
and dividing the penalty of death and
that of deportation in the proportion [ have
just indicated, would in one day aVenge the
outrages they have inflicted on society and
mankind"
In his intimate conversations with Mot Jo-
seph Napoleon would express his disin-
clination to playing the puppet in his brothers.
hands. He acknowledged Napoleons power,
while he felt no affection for him.
''He is wonderful man. and each day am
more and more amazed ct the depth, the ex-
tent and the boldness of his projects. Believe
me, he has not yet reached the goal of his am
bition,s' Joseph exclaimed when his brother
was First Consul. He told Mot that, wishing
to induce his brother to adopt the heredity
principle, he had pressed him to put away his
wife and to marry again, and that he had re-
capitul ated the various arguments in favor of
this proceeding, which had been discussed in
our former conversations. Then he added
these remarkable words: " You hesitate said
to the First Consul. We'll, what will be the
consequence? Why, that should any natural
cause bring about the death of your wife you
will pass for her poisoner in the eyes of France,
in those of Europe, and in mine, who know you
we'll! Who is there that will believe that you
have not done what it was 80 clearly your in
terest to do? 1t is better to forestall these dis
graceful suspicious. You are not really mar
ried; you have never consented to have your
union with this woman consecrated by the
church. Leave her for political reasons, and do
not let it be believed that you have got rid OF
her by crime"
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