New-York tribune., 1881-11-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
COITNT Mot,

a., 1-eo and became a clerk III the - i.
Omce short time before the dowhiar, I,,.tion "
WI. He witnessed the horrors oi 'no ~ ,a,,icb
al t,roncb all the changes of Government "nl., i
an, NM ,a,aoed 70 retain place in the civil au-
;;a,rotion and 10 rise from post to post uhtiA'
80 having filed important diplomatic oHiceS
..1or tho Directory he was made AmDassauor "
Nonles nv the First Consul, and afterwaru create" "
men,ber of the Council of State. lie khe" poi'oH
ally nearly all the prominent charac'ois oA ~
Revolution, the Consulate and the EmPHo' ~
-roo warmly attached TO Joseph Bonaparte, WIN
made of him friend and trusted counclo' uu,.n5 mt
his brief reign in Naples and his stormy anu -.
fated career as King of Spain. Inc Coun' ""'
Paris when Napoleon came back from 'ne u''"' T,
Moscow campaign, witnessed the return Hon 80 80
ond the Hundred Days. and then after tne maj
' N &c ,I, Emnire retired from public life TO
.toot /, the country. In 1928 lie came 10 INC
Irn;tod Stotes to visit his old friend the ex-hihs
,osenb who was then living at BordentoWh, No"'
1say under the name OF Count de SurVlIicIs'
Count Mot remained wear IN TINS country li''
memoirs as left by him in the hands OF MS sou,
law General Fleischmann, contalned an account "
his American tour, but this has beeh CliV'eu ii'"'
the printed volume, for tha reason as INC eu'oi "a
Mains that since il was written st ih"lS 0N'
lent works have been published on America; anu
the institutions, the political government Vi 'n0
limited States and even the manners OF 'he lnn""F
tants have so greatly changed that whaI was
novel and accurate in 1925 might appear a' 'no
nresent time antQuated and incorrect Alhoi iio"n
readers will regret this sacrifice OF por'on Vi .uo
work which would have been peculiarly interesting
TO them. go, %, or
.o ontiro perio1 from the outbreak of the Revoln-
tiop in Paris 10 the banshment of Napoleon to St.
IIeopa Their historical value is considerable, from
the fact that they were not written from recollec-
tion hnt from journals carefully kept by the Count
in which it was his habit during his public career 10
note down every evening the doings and converse
tions of the day. Many Interesting conversations
with Napoleon are recorded. lhe chlel historic
yalue of the book is, however, It's detailed account
of the Spanish 6GScO. Count Mot was with Joseph
from his entry into Spain to his defeat at the oate
of Vittoro and his retreat across the fyrehees'
and brings many new facts TO light about the most
serious OF Napoleon's political blunders and next
10 the Russian campaign, his moSI uhlol'un"'o
military undertaking.
These Memoirs are not as entertaining as tnose OF
Madame de Remusat. They are overloaded with
historical details The writer is too much occupied
with his narrative of the political and diplomatic
n ovements in which he was concerned 10 give as
much attention as could be wished to the manners
of his time or the characteristics of the famous per-
sons with whom he came in contact. Nevertheless
he furnishes some good Lits of personal description
Here. for instance, are his portraits OF Danton,
Camille Desmoulins and Robesplerre;
Danton the most remarkable OF all the peTSonages
whom / have named, had hldeous face Ills pro-
portions were athletic in that respect ne was even
thought to resemble Mirabeau. But the complexion
OF the latter was OF liVld pallor, WINE 'hae Vi
Danton was of a reddish-brown, and his counte-
nance was very animated The tone OF his voice
was impressive, he spoke with warmth ana eneI gy
that appeared natural to himi ms eiocuIon Was
fiery and always accompanied by violent gestlculac
tlons; at table he generally struck the Keynote OF
the conversation, and made frequent use OF hguIa-
tive expressons" The charlot-wheels ol the !teVo-
linton will crush its enemies" " The Revolution is
like Saturn 1t will devour ITS children anu Other
phrases of the same kind. He felt profound CON
tempt for the GirOndlsts, regarding them as foOls
who had recOiled before the loglca results o! ther
principles. He made no secret OF his love ol pleas
ure and of money, and sneeTed at VAN scIupIes Oh
conscience and delicacy Camille DeslnOullns was
also among the number of those who dned pretty
frequently ut DeiOrgucss. His personal appearance
was comln1nplace, he had no external advantages,
nor diu his conversation belle the grudgiDg hand
with which nature had endowed him. Gloomy ana
silent his cOuntenanCe wore an expression 0i pro-
Sonu1 melancholy and it was difficult to recognize
the orator of the early days OF the keYolutl0n OF
1889, the orator who standing or chaf az thee
Paais Royal, had by his stirring speech prOduC eu
fhe great nOpular movement of that famous period.
At the time when | was in the habit of seeing him,
he was horrorstruck at he terrible scenes which
nassed before his eyes every day, and endeavor
inv to arouse spirit OF humanity nave sun 10
speak of Robespierre. saw MN, as nave alIeauy
said once only. Elegant in dress carefully curled
and powdered, composed IN manner, he formed the
most curious contrast with the disordered affected
neglect and that appeared IN the attire
and manners of his colleagues. His department
was grave aud he took hardly any part III the con
versation, speaking only now ana tneh a = lew sen
liity of his pale and sinister cOuntenance 1t Wa
evident that he did not feel at his ease, ana
learned afterward that he owed grudge to DE
forgues for having thrown him into he company o.
men whom he pretended to regard as very uncertain
patriots or what was stlll more criminal III Ills eFos
as ModeTates
Count Mot first saw Bonapartc in Italy Tit
Count was then Minister to Tuscany, andJnet The
voung general near Brescia. He quite aston
isled at his appearance:
Nothing could be more unlike the idea my magi
nation had formed of him. In the midst OF q nu
merous staff, saw man below the Tllu''le % nelgnt
aud OF an extremely spare figure. HIS powdered
hair, oddly cut and falling squaIeIy below the ears
reached down to his shoulders. lie was dressed III
straight coat buttoned up to the chm ana cdge1
with very narrow gold embroidery anu lie wore
tricOlorcd feather i'll his hat. AG hrst slght ne df
not strike me as handsome; bat ms m stlohgiN
marked features, hls quick and piercing eyes, III
brusque and animated gestures, revealed an ardec
spirit while his wide aud thoughtful brow was tha
OF profound thinker. He made Inc sit near him
end we talked Of Italy. He spoke in short sen
fences and at that time of his life, very incorrectly
The next meeting was at Montebello where Bona
parte had already begun TO throw off the military
simplicity of his eaIlieI life and to adopt the man
neIs of conqueIor. His aides-de-eamp anC
officers were longer received at his table, and HI
had become fastdIous IN the choice Of the guest
whom he admitted to it.. An invitation was al
honor eagerly sought, and obtained with great diff
Guilty. lie dined. TO speak, in public; the inhabi
tants of the country were admitted TO the room il
which he was eating and allowed to gaze at hin
with keen curiosity. He was in nOwise embar
rassed or confused by these excessive honors, bu
received them as though he had been accustomed t'
them all his life. His Ieception-rooms anu an i'm
mense tent pitched in front of the palace were con
stantly full OF a crowd of generals administrator
and great contractors besides members of thu
highest nobility, and the most distinguished men il