New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-29
MENEVAL'S MEMOIRS.
NAPOLEON's METHODS ILLUSTRATED BY
THE CASE OF TALLEYRAND.

MEMOIRS ILLUSTRATING THE HISTORY OF
NAPOLEON l. From 1902 to , ISIS BY sycr sar2p
to Napoleon. First Consul and Emperor: Alait h
des Recuetes at the Council Of State under me ne
the order Of the iron Crown; t,orn in Paris In
i77s Died in the Same city in $50 Edited by by
Menevsl With Portraits and Autograph Let
tiers. Volume II. PIP 4S4 ID. Appleton q Co.
One of the most significant passages In the
first volume of Chancellor Pasquiers HISTORICAL
memoirs is to be found in his account OF the
cutting speech with which Napoleon disSraceo
Taleyrand after the Emperors personal cam
paign in Spain The volume In mana co"'a''e
an allusion 10 the matter. Baron de Menevai
was not present but he heard or the i"'i'e"'
from others and he was aware OF attendant cir-
cumstances which escaped the Viigaht EYES Vi
the Project of Police Of Paris. All Menevirs
studies of the personages who surronn1eu Ma
poleon read as If the Emperor himself were
making them His diskes and ds:rusts. as well
az his preferences are reflected by the man WHO
was 81 long In his service as TO be able to thinK
his thoughts He doubtless shared his master
susnicions respecting Talleyrand. who hgures
everywhere in this volume. There Is harnly
massage in which the Prince de BeneVeh' Is
mentioned that does not cast light on the extraor
binary methods of Napoleon In his treatment
Of men, He seems never 10 have cast OH an! =
body If he could help 1t. Indeed. Baron de Meme
val says as much. NO old servant ne re-
marks was ever dismissed until the Emperor
had approved OF the report addressed TO MN on
the subject, and 1t was only on the secohu UT
third relapse that he agreed 10 dismissal A
poor devil Of a coachman. whose constant sta'e
of intoxcation rendered him incapable or DONG
his work escaped being dismissed for long
time because he had driven wagon at the pa't'e
of Marengo" 1t was the same with men IN hehei
life Fouche. Pasquiers predecessor Ill the RE-
<ecture Of Police and Bourrienne Menevals pre-
decessor in the private secretaryshlp' were re-
tanned until they could be endured no longer;
and Fouche in particular, held his place long
after he became dangerous TO the Emperor.
Tn such cases II must seem that Napoleon kept
men beside him In pure indifference to their IN
+r,vues because he was confident OF his power 10
make Use Of them Fouche was. indeed associ-
ated with the beginnings OF Napoeon's power,
and the memory Of this fact may nave given
him share in that feeling Of instructive oeneV-
olence which attached Napoleon to anybody
,ho could invoke old times before him. But
It's certain that Napoleon while he appreciated
honesty and faithfuness. saw the justice OF SELF
seeking In the officials Of a government ike MS
which depended solely on his own lie ana
genius An accidental snot might have zone ioi
him at any time what II did for Turenne on the
morn of victory and then the vast organism
which he held together by his single VIII must
vanish Playing for all or nothing himsen' ne
frankly recognized the right Of others TO turn
the game 10 their own advantage. MeneVai ihdi-
Gates a belief that 1t was this conviction which
led Napoleon to pass over without resentment
the efforts of Murat to make a way for himself
4. ,,,oartai throne This affair In which
Murat was apparently only the tool of Taleyrand
md Fouche reminds the author OF charac-
+erist,c anecdote 1t shows that at least once
the possibility Of the throne suddenly becoming
vacant was openly discussed. Fouche remarked
that if such a contingency ever occurred DC
'would take measures 10 get as much power
into his hands as possible
..you would do we'll" was Napoleon's signih-
cant reply 1T would be your right
The words were remembered. says Meneval.
The way in which Murats conspiracy was dis-
covered exemplifies the risky politics OF the Time
According to Meneval-he does not put the as
sertion in the most positive form-it was the
search for a famous pearl which had disappeared
from the crown treasury Of Spain that Lea 70 lhe
discovery OF Murats letters and brought the
plot TO Napoleon's knowledge. In times when
such narrow chances had TO be run. It was not
diplomacy should have been always on the alert
nor that Napoleon should have employed him
with eagerness and yet with suspicion. In this
casa also NAPOLEON had pleasant memory or
,he mast When as Bishop Of Autun. Talleyrand
had come 10 the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
under the Drectoire, he was penetrating enough
IN foresee the future Of General Bonaparte Inc
First Consul and Emperor remembered this
fact" SAYS the Baron de Meneval. "and there
perhaps Hes the reason Of the sympathy which
Napoleon so long retained for Taleyrand. Even
when guilty collisions. financial matters ana
warnings given by foreign sovereigns Obliged
,ba Emneror 10 remove this minister's portfolio
and 70 dismiss him from his councils. an In
stinctive liking drew him back toward him.
But there was strong bond OF policy which
held the two men together. Talleyrand was one
of the most efficient agents whom Napoleon
could secure for the work OF conclating the old
nobility OF France. Meneval denies facility at
least that the aristocracy had fascination Tor
the self-made ruler But Napoleon. as he says,
Wished TO render himself responsible for every
thing that was distinguished in France He
,neant 10 reorganize the nation on plan OPP
,,osed 10 the old feudasm and to efface the
mutual jealousy Of classes but he recognized
the fact that especially in his relations with
the Governments OF Europe. his ambassadors
II chosen from old families, would be better apie
10 assume a part In the courts 10 WHICH 'hey
were delegated and that their animation 10 the
frcemasonry Of a1stocracy would be OF real
service TO him." For the same reason he needed
Talleyrand as Foreign Minister though ne had
occasion. as Meneval asserts. to learn that I'M
portant documents taken from the Foreign once
were communicated TO foreign Powers me
abatement is referred to in this volume and not
discredited that Talleyrands friends by misuse
OF Information which they had obtained induced
the English to make their memorable attack on
Copenhagen When the knowledge or the sus-
picton OF these breaches OF trust led to Talley-