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ORNiA 
WiJTY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 


Mr.  Norton  Simon 


ot  Distorg 


Joseph  Bonaparte 


BY 


JOHN   S.  C.  ABBOTT 


WITH  ENGRAVINGS 


NEW  YORK   AND  LONDON 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 

1902 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 
HABPEB   &    BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 

Copyright,  1897,  by  SUSAN  ABBOTT  MKAD. 


PREFACE. 


THE  writer  trusts  that  he  may  be  pardoned 
for  relating  the  following  characteristic  anec- 
dote of  President  Lincoln,  as  it  so  fully  illus- 
trates the  object  in  view  in  writing  these  his- 
tories. In  a  conversation  which  the  writer  had 
with  the  President  just  before  his  death,  Mr. 
Lincoln  said: 

"I  want  to  thank  you  and  your  brother  for 
Abbotts'  series  of  Histories.  I  have  not  edu- 
cation enough  to  appreciate  the  profound  works 
of  voluminous  historians,  and  if  I  had,  I  have 
no  time  to  read  them.  But  your  series  of  His- 
tories gives  me,  in  brief  compass,  just  that 
knowledge  of  past  men  and  events  which  I 
need.  I  have  read  them  with  the  greatest  in- 
terest. To  them  I  am  indebted  for  about  all 
the  historical  knowledge  I  have." 

It  is  for  just  this  purpose  that  these  Histo- 
ries are  written.  Busy  men,  in  this  busy  life, 
have  now  no  time  to  wade  through  ponderous 
folios.  And  yet  every  one  wishes  to  know  the 


-VI  PREFACE. 

general  character  and  achievements  of  the  il- 
lustrious personages  of  past  ages. 

A  few  years  ago  there  was  published  in 
Paris  a  life  of  King  Joseph,  in  ten  royal  oc- 
tavo volumes  of  nearly  five  hundred  pages 
each.  It  was  entitled  "  Memoires  et  Correspond' 
ance,  Politique  et  Militaire,  du  Roi  Joseph,  Publies, 
Annotes  el  Mis  en  Ordre  par  A.  du  Gasse,  Aide" 
•de-camp  de  £  A.  I.  Le  Prince  Jerome  Napok- 
on."  These  volumes  contained  nearly  all  the 
•  correspondence  which  passed  between  Joseph 
and  his  brother  Napoleon  from  their  childhood 
until  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo.  Every  his- 
torical statement  is  substantiated  by  unequivo- 
cal documentary  evidence. 

From  this  voluminous  work,  aided  by  other 
historical  accounts  of  particular  events,  the  au- 
thor of  this  sketch  has  gathered  all  that  would 
be  of  particular  interest  to  the  general  reader 
.at  the  present  time.  As  all  the  facts  contained 
in  this  narrative  are  substantiated  by  ample 
-documentary  proof,  the  writer  can  not  doubt 
that  this  volume  presents  an  accurate  account 
of  the  momentous  scenes  which  it  describes, 
and  that  it  gives  the  reader  a  correct  idea  of 
the  social  and  political  relations  existing  be- 
tween those  extraordinary  men,  Joseph  and 
-Napoleon  Bonaparte.  It  is  not  necessary  that 


PREFACE.  Vll 

the  historian  should  pronounce  judgment  upon 
every  transaction.  But  he  is  bound  to  state 
every  event  exactly  as  it  occurred. 

No  one  can  read  this  account  of  the  strug- 
gle in  Europe  in  favor  of  popular  rights  against 
the  old  dynasties  of  feudal  oppression,  without 
more  highly  appreciating  the  admirable  insti- 
tutions of  our  own  glorious  Republic.  Neither 
can  any  intelligent  and  candid  man  carefully 
peruse  this  narrative,  and  not  admit  that  Jo- 
seph Bonaparte  was  earnestly  seeking  the  wel- 
fare of  the  people  •  that,  surrounded  by  dynas- 
ties strong  in  standing  armies,  in  pride  of  nobil- 
ity, and  which  were  venerable  through  a  life  of 
centuries,  he  was  endeavoring  to  promote,  un- 
der monarchical  forms,  which  the  posture  of  af- 
fairs seemed  to  render  necessary,  the  abolition 
of  aristocratic  usurpation,  and  the  establishment 
of  equal  rights  for  all  men.  Believing  this,  the 
writer  sympathizes  with  him  in  all  his  strug- 
gles, and  reveres  his  memory.  The  universal 
brotherhood  of  man,  the  fundamental  principles 
of  Christianity,  should  also  be  the  fundamental 
principles  in  the  State.  Having  spared  no  pains 
to  be  accurate,  the  writer  will  be  grateful  to  any 
critic  who  will  point  out  any  incorrectness  of 
statement  or  false  coloring  of  facts,  that  he  may 
make  the  correction  in  subsequent  editions. 


Viil  PREFACE. 

This  volume  will  soon  be  followed  by  an- 
other, "  The  History  of  Queen  Hortense,"  the 
daughter  of  Josephine,  the  wife  of  King  Louis, 
the  mother  of  Napoleon  III. 


JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT. 


FAIR  HAVEN,  CONN., 
May,  1869. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Pagi 

i   SCENES   IN  EARLY   LIFE 13 

n.   DIPLOMATIC    LABORS 06 

HI.  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER 67 

IV.   JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES 93 

V.   THE   CROWN  A  BURDEN 135 

VI.   THE   SPANISH   PRINCES 166 

VH.   JOSEPH   KING   OF   SPAIN 199 

VIH.   THE    SPANISH   CAMPAIGN   OF  NAPOLEON 229 

IX.   THE  WAR   IN    SPAIN   CONTINUED 264 

X.   THE   EXPULSION  FROM   SPAIN 291 

XI.   LIFE  IN  EXILE 319 

XIL   LAST  BAYS   AND  DEATH 865 


EJSGRAV1NGS, 

Pmge 

fOSEPH  AND  NAPOLEON — TOUR  IN  COKSICA 28 

JOSEPH  GIVING  HIS  CLOAK  TO  HIS  BROTHER  LOUIS    41 

CORNWALLIS  AND  JOSEPH. 88 

JOSEPH  AT  MALMAISON 98 

JOSEPH  ON  HIS  NEAPOLITAN  TOUR... 155 

<4UEEN  JULIE  LEAVING  NAPLES......... 187 

JOSEPH  RECEIVING   THE  ADDRESSES  OF  THE  SPAN- 
ISH SENATE 198 

JOSEPH  ENTERING  MALAGA.....................    261 

BACK  OF  CIUDAD  RODRIGO. ....................    286 

ANGUISH  OF  MARIA  LOUISA 314 

DEATH  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  HEICHSTADT 363 


JOSEPH  BONAPARTE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE. 


Corsica.  Parent  agei 

THE  island  of  Corsica,  in  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  sixty  miles  from  the  coast  of  Tuscany, 
is  about  half  as  large  as  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts. In  the  year  1767  this  island  was  one  of 
the  provinces  of  Italy.  There  was  then  resid- 
ing, in  the  small  town  of  Corte,  in  Corsica,  a 
young  lawyer  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  was 
the  descendant  of  an  illustrious  race,  which  could 
be  traced  back,  through  a  succession  of  distin- 
guished men,  far  into  the  dark  ages.  Charles 
Bonaparte,  the  young  man  of  whom  we  speak, 
was  tall,  handsome,  and  possessed  strong  native 
powers  of  mind,  which  he  had  highly  cultivated. 
In  the  same  place  there  was  a  young  lady,  Le- 
titia  Raniolini,  remarkable  for  her  beauty  and 
her  accomplishments.  She  also  was  of  an  an- 
cient family.  When  but  sixteen  years  of  age 


14:  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1768. 

Birth  of  Joseph  Bonaparte  Journey  to  Franca 

Letitia  was  married  to  Charles  Bonaparte,  then 
but  nineteen  years  old. 

About  a  year  after  their  marriage,  on  the  7th 
of  January,  1768,  they  welcomed  their  first-born 
child,  Joseph  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  In  nine- 
teen months  after  the  birth  of  Joseph,  his  world- 
renowned  brother  Napoleon  was  born.  But  in 
the  mean  time  the  island  had  been  transferred 
to  France.  Thus  while  Joseph  was  by  birth 
an  Italian,  his  brother  Napoleon  was  a  French- 
man. 

Charles  Bonaparte  occupied  high  positions- 
of  trust  and  honor  in  the  government  of  Corsica, 
and  his  family  took  rank  with  the  most  distin- 
guished families  in  Italy  and  in  France.  Joseph 
passed  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  upon  his 
native  island.  He  was  ever  a  boy  of  studious 
habits,  and  of  singular  amiability  of  character. 
When  he  was  twelve  years  of  age  his  father 
took  him,  with  Napoleon  and  their  elder  sister 
Eliza,  to  France  for  their  education.  Leopold, 
the  grand  duke  of  Tuscany,  gave  Charles  Bona- 
parte letters  of  introduction  to  Maria  Antoi- 
nette, his  sister,  who  was.  then  the  beautiful  and 
admired  Queen  of  France. 

Leaving  Joseph  at  the  college  of  Antun,  in 
Burgundy,  the  father  continued  his  journey  to 


1780.]   SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         15 

Fraternal  Attachment.  Character  of  Joseph. 

Paris,  with  Napoleon  and  Eliza.  Eliza  was 
placed  in  the  celebrated  boarding-school  of  St. 
Cyr,  in  the  metropolis,  and  Napoleon  was  taken 
to  the  military  school  at  Brienne,  a  few  miles 
out  from  the  city.  The  father  was  received  as 
a  guest  in  the  gorgeous  palace  of  Versailles. 
Joseph  and  Napoleon  were  very  strongly  at- 
tached to  each  other,  and  this  attachment  con- 
tinued unabated  through  life.  When  the  two 
lads  parted  at  Autun  both  were  much  affected. 
Joseph,  subsequently  speaking  of  it,  says: 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  moment  of  our  sep- 
aration. My  eyes  were  flooded  with  tears.  Na- 
poleon shed  but  one  tear,  which  he  in  vain  en- 
deavored to  conceal.  The  abbe*  Simon,  who 
witnessed  our  adieus,  said  to  me,  after  Napo- 
leon's departure,  '  He  shed  only  one  tear ;  but 
that  one  testified  to  as  deep  grief  in  parting  from 
you  as  all  of  yours.' " 

The  two  brothers  kept  tip  a  very  constant 
correspondence,  informing  each  other  minutely 
of  their  studies,  and  of  the  books  in  which  they 
were  interested.  Joseph  became  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  scholars  in  the  college  of 
Autun,  excelling  in  all  the  branches  of  polite 
literature.  He  was  a  very  handsome  young 
man,  of  polished  manners,  and  of  unblemished 


16  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1782. 

Prince  of  Cond6.  Anecdote. 

purity  of  life.  His  natural  kindness  of  heart, 
combined  with  these  attractions,  rendered  him 
a  universal  favorite. 

Autun  was  in  the  province  of  Burgundy,  of 
which  the  Prince  of  Cond^,  grandfather  of  the 
celebrated  Duke  d'Enghien,  was  governor.  The 
prince  attended  an  exhibition  at  the  college,  to 
assist  in  the  distribution  of  the  prizes.  Joseph 
acquitted  himself  with  so  much  honor  as  to  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  prince,  and  he  inquired 
of  him  what  profession  he  intended  to  pursue. 

Joseph,  in  the  following  words,  describes  this 
eventful  incident: 

"  The  solemn  day  arrived.  I  performed  my 
part  to  admiration,  and  when  we  afterward  went 
to  receive  the  crown,  which  the  prince  himself 
placed  on  our  heads,  I  was  the  one  whom  he 
seemed  most  to  have  noticed.  The  Bishop  of 
Antun's  friendship  for  our  family,  and  no  doubt 
also  the  curiosity  which  a  little  barbarian,  re- 
cently introduced  into  the  centre  of  civilization 
inspired,  contributed  to  attract  the  prince's  at- 
tention. He  caressed  me,  complimented  me  on 
my  progress,  and  made  particular  inquiries  as 
to  the  intentions  of  my  family  with  respect  to 
me.  The  Bishop  of  Autun  said  that  I  was 
destined  for  the  Church,  and  that  he  had  a  liv« 


1782.]    SCENES  IN  EABLY  LIFE.         17 

Anecdote.  Letter  to  Napoleon. 

ing  in  reserve,  which  he  would  bestow  upon  me 
as  soon  as  the  time  came. 

"  *  And  you,  my  lad,'  said  the  prince,  '  have 
you  your  own  projects,  and  have  you  made  up 
your  mind  as  to  what  you  wish  ?' 

" '  I  wish,'  said  I, '  to  serve  the  king.'  Then 
seeing  him  disposed  to  listen  favorably  to  me, 
I  took  courage  to  tell  him  that  it  was  not  at  all 
mv  wish,  though  it  was  that  of  my  family,  that 
I  should  enter  the  Church,  but  that  my  dearest 
wish  was  to  enter  the  army. 

"  The  Bishop  of  Autun  would  have  objected 
to  my  project,  but  the  prince,  who  was  colonel- 
general  of  the  French  infantry,  saw  with  pleas- 
ure these  warlike  dispositions  on  my  part,  and 
encouraged  me  to  ask  for  what  I  wanted.  I 
then  declared  my  desire  to  enter  the  artillery, 
and  it  was  determined  that  I  should.  Imagine 
my  joy.  I  was  proud  of  the  prince's  caresses, 
and  rejoiced  more  in  his  encouragement  than  I 
have  since  in  the  two  crowns  which  I  have 
worn. 

"  I  immediately  wrote  a  long  letter  to  my 
brother  Napoleon,  imparting  my  happiness  to 
him,  and  relating  in  detail  all  that  had  passed; 
concluding  by  begging  him,  out  of  friendship 
for  me,  to  give  up  the  navy  and  devote  himself 

6—2 


18  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1784. 

Return  to  Corsica.  Death  of  big  Father 

to  the  artillery,  that  we  might  be  in  the  same 
regiment,  and  pursue  our  career  side  by  side. 
Napoleon  immediately  acceded  to  my  propo- 
sal, abandoned  from  that  moment  all  his  naval 
projects,  and  replied  that  his  mind  was  made  up 
to  dedicate  himself,  with  me,  to  the  artillery — 
with  what  success  the  world  has  since  learned. 
Thus  it  was  to  this  visit  of  the  Prince  of  Cond6 
that  Napoleon  owed  his  resolution  of  entering 
on  a  career  which  paved  the  way  to  all  his 
honors." 

In  1784,  Joseph,  then  sixteen  years  of  age, 
returned  to  Corsica.  During  his  absence  he 
had  entirely  forgotten  the  Italian,  his  native 
language,  and  could  neither  speak  it  nor  under- 
stand it.  After  a  few  months  at  home,  during 
which  time  he  very  diligently  prosecuted  his 
studies,  his  father,  whose  health  was  declining, 
found  it  necessary  to  visit  Paris  to  seek  medi- 
cal advice.  He  took  his  son  Joseph  with  him. 
Arriving  at  Montpellier,  after  a  tempestuous 
voyage,  he  became  so  ill  as  to  be  unable  to  pro- 
ceed any  farther.  After  a  painful  sickness  of 
three  months,  he  died  of  a  cancer  in  the  stom- 
ach, on  the  24th  of  February,  1785.  The  dying 
father,  who  had  perceived  indications  of  the  ex» 
alted  powers  and  the  lofty  character  of  his  son 


1785.]   SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE,         19 


Her  Character. 


Napoleon,  in  the  delirium  of  his  last  hours  re- 
peatedly cried  out, 

"Napoleon!  Napoleon!  come  and  rescue 
me  from  this  dragon  of  death  by  whom  I  am 
devoured." 

Upon  his  dying  bed  the  father  felt  great  so- 
licitude for  his  wife,  who  was  to  be  left,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-five,  a  widow  with  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  were  under  thirteen  years 
of  age.  Joseph  willingly  yielded  to  his  father's 
earnest  entreaties  to  relinquish  the  profession 
of  arms  and  return  to  Corsica,  that  he  might 
solace  his  bereaved  mother  and  aid  her  in  her 
arduous  cares.  Napoleon  says  of  this  noble 
mother . 

"She  had  the  head  of  a  man  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  a  woman.  Left  without  a  guide  or  pro- 
tector, she  was  obliged  to  assume  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs,  but  the  burden  did  not  over- 
come her.  She  administered  every  thing  with 
a  degree  of  sagacity  not  to  be  expected  from  her 
age  or  sex.  Her  tenderness  was  joined  with 
severity.  She  punished,  rewarded  all  alike. 
The  good,  the  bad,  nothing  escaped  her.  Ah, 
what  a  woman !  where  shall  we  look  for  her 
equal  ?  She  watched  over  us  with  a  solicitude 
unexampled.  Every  low  sentiment,  every  un« 


20  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1785. 

Madame  Pennon.  Lucien. 

generous  affection  was  discouraged  and  dis- 
carded. She  suffered  nothing  but  that  which 
was  grand  and  elevated  to  take  root  in  our 
youthful  understandings.  She  abhorred  false- 
hood, and  would  not  tolerate  the  slightest  act 
of  disobedience.  None  of  our  faults  were  over- 
looked. Losses,  privations,  fatigue  had  no  ef- 
fect upon  her.  She  endured  all,  braved  all. 
She  had  the  energy  of  a  man  combined  with 
the  gentleness  and  delicacy  of  a  woman." 

Madame  Permon,  mother  of  the  Duchess  of 
Abrantes,  a  Corsican  lady  ol  fortune  who  re- 
sided at  Montpellier,  immediately  after  the 
death  of  Charles  Bonaparte,  took  Joseph,  the 
orphan  boy,  into  her  house.  Madame  Permon 
and  Letitia  Eaniolini  had  been  companions 
and  intimate  friends  in  their  youthful  days. 
"  She  was  to  me,"  says  Joseph,  "  an  angel  of 
consolation  ;  and  she  lavished  upon  me  all  the 
attentions  I  could  have  received  from  the  most 
tender  and  affectionate  of  mothers." 

Joseph  soon  returned  to  Corsica,  Napoleon 
had  just  before  been  promoted  to  the  military 
school  in  Paris,  in  which  city  Eliza  still  con- 
tinued at  school.  Lucien,  the  next  younger 
brother,  had  also  now  been  taken  to  the  Con- 
tinent, where  he  was  pursuing  his  educa* 


1786. j    SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE,         21 

Habits  of  Napoleon.  Studies  of  the  Brothers. 

tion.  The  four  remaining  children  were  very 
young. 

"  My  mother,"  says  Joseph,  "moderated  the 
expression  of  her  grief  that  she  might  not  ex- 
cite mine.  Heroic  and  admirable  woman  !  the 
model  of  mothers;  how  much  thy  children  are 
indebted  to  thee  for  the  example  which  thou 
hast  given  them  I" 

Joseph  remained  at  home  about  a  year,  de- 
voting himself  to  the  care  of  the  family,  when 
Napoleon  obtained  leave  of  absence,  and,  to  the 
great  joy  of  his  mother,  returned  to  Corsica. 
He  brought  with  him  two  trunks,  a  small  one 
containing  his  clothing,  and  a  large  one  filled 
with  his  books.  Seven  years  had  now  passed 
since  the  two  affectionate  brothers  had  met. 
Napoleon  had  entirely  forgotten  the  Italian 
language ;  but,  much  chagrined  by  the  loss,  he 
immediately  devoted  himself  with  great  energy 
to  its  recovery.  "His  habits,"  says  Joseph, 
"  were  those  of  a  young  man  retiring  and  stu- 
dious." For  nearly  a  year  the  two  brothers 
prosecuted  their  studies  vigorously  together, 
while  consoling,  with  their  filial  love,  their  re- 
vered mother.  After  some  months  Napoleon 
left  home  again,  to  rejoin  his  regiment  at  Va- 
lence. During  this  brief  residence  on  his  n** 


22  JOSEPH  BONAPABTE.       [1787. 

Mirabeau.  Joseph  studies  Law. 

tive  island,  with  his  accustomed  habits  of  in- 
dustry,  he  employed  the  hours  of  vacation  in 
writing  a  history  of  the  revolutions  in  Corsica. 
At  Marseilles  he  showed  the  manuscript  to  the 
abbe  Eaynal.  The  abbe*  was  so  much  pleased 
with  it  that  he  sent  it  to  Mirabeau.  This  dis- 
tinguished man  remarked  that  the  essay  indi- 
cated a  genius  of  the  first  order. 

Joseph  decided,  being  the  eldest  brother,  to 
remain  at  home  with  his  mother,  to  study  law, 
and  commence  its  practice  in  Ajaccio,  where 
his  mother  then  resided.  He  accordingly  went 
to  Pisa  to  attend  lectures  in  the  law  school 
connected  with  the  celebrated  university  in 
that  place.  His  rank  and  character  secured 
for  him  a  distinguished  reception,  and  he  was 
presented  by  the  French  minister  to  the  grand 
duke.  Here  Joseph  became  deeply  interested 
in  the  lectures  of  Lampredi,  who  boldly  advoca- 
ted the  doctrine,  then  rarely  heard  in  Europe, 
of  the  sovereignty  of  the  people.  There  were 
many  illustrious  patriots  at  Pisa,  and  many 
ardent  young  men,  whose  minds  were  imbued 
with  new  ideas  of  political  liberty.  Freely  and 
earnestly  they  discussed  the  themes  of  aristo- 
cratic usurpation,  and  of  the  equal  rights  of  all 
men.  Joseph,  with  enthusiasm,  embraced  the 


1788.]  SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         23 

Commence*  Practice.  Treatise  of  Napoleoa. 

cause  of  popular  freedom,  and  became  the  un- 
relenting foe  of  that  feudal  despotism  which 
then  domineered  over  all  Europe.  His  asso- 
ciates were  the  most  illustrious  and  cultivated 
men  of  the  liberal  party.  At  that  early  period 
Joseph  published  a  pamphlet  advocating  the 
rights  of  the  people. 

Having  finished  his  studies  and  taken  his 
degree,  Joseph  returned  to  Corsica.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1788,  being  then  twenty 
years  of  age,  and  commenced  the  practice  of 
law  in  Ajaccio.  Upon  this  his  return  to  Cor- 
sica he  met  his  brother  Napoleon  again,  who, 
a  few  days  before,  had  landed  upon  the  island. 
Napoleon  was  then  intensely  occupied  in  writ- 
ing a  treatise  upon  the  question,  "  What  are 
the  opinions  and  the  feelings  with  which  it  is 
necessary  to  inspire  men  for  the  promotion  of 
their  happiness  ?" 

"  This  was  the  subject  of  our  conversations," 
says  Joseph,  "in  our  daily  walks,  which  were 
prolonged  upon  the  banks  of  the  sea ;  in  saun- 
tering along  the  shores  of  a  gulf  which  was  as 
beautiful  as  that  of  Naples,  in  a  country  fra- 
grant with  the  exhalations  of  myrtles  and  or- 
anges. We  sometimes  did  not  return  home 
until  night  had  closed  over  us.  There  will  be 


24  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1788, 

Testimony  of  Joseph.  Ambition  of  Napoleon. 

found,  in  what  remains  of  this  essay,  the  opin- 
ions and  the  characteristic  traits  of  Napoleon, 
who  united  in  his  character  qualities  which 
seemed  to  be  contradictory — the  calm  of  rea- 
son, illumined  with  the  flashes  of  an  Oriental 
imagination  ;  kindliness  of  soul,  exquisite  sensi- 
bility ;  precious  qualities  which  he  subsequent- 
ly deemed  it  his  duty  to  conceal,  under  an  ar- 
tificial character  which  he  studied  to  assume 
when  he  attained  power,  saying  that  men  must 
be  governed  by  one  who  is  fair  and  just  as 
law,  and  not  by  a  prince  whose  amiability  might 
be  regarded  as  weakness,  when  that  amiabili- 
ty is  not  controlled  by  the  most  inflexible  jus- 
tica 

"He  had  continually  in  view,"  continues 
Joseph,  "the  judgment  of  posterity.  His  heart 
throbbed  at  the  idea  of  a  grand  and  noble  ac- 
tion which  posterity  could  appreciate. 

"'I  would  wish  to  be  myself  my  posterity,' 
he  said  to  me  one  day,  l  that  I  may  myself 
enjoy  the  sentiments  which  a  great  poet,  like 
Corneille,  would  represent  me  as  feeling  and 
uttering.  The  sentiment  of  duty,  the  esteem 
of  a  small  number  of  friends,  who  know  us  as 
we  know  ourselves,  are  not  sufficient  to  in- 
spire noble  and  conscientious  actions.  With 


1789.]   SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.          25 

Foresight  of  Napoleon.  Constituent  Assembly 

such  motives  one  can  make  sages,  but  not  he* 
roes.  If  the  movement  now  commenced  con- 
tinue in  France,  she  will  draw  upon  herself 
the  entire  of  Europe.  She  can  only  be  de- 
fended by  men  passionate  for  glory,  who  will 
be  willing  to  die  to-day,  that  they  may  live 
eternally.  It  is  for  an  end  remote,  indetermi- 
nate, of  which  no  definite  account  is  taken,  that 
the  inspired  minority  triumphs  over  the  inert 
masses.  Those  are  the  motives  which  have 
guided  the  legislators,  who  have  influenced  the 
destinies  of  the  world.' " 

It  is  remarkable  that  at  so  early  a  period 
Napoleon  so  clearly  foresaw  that  the  opinions 
of  political  equality,  then  struggling  for  exist- 
ence in  Paris,  and  of  which  he  subsequently 
became  so  illustrious  an  advocate,  would,  if 
successful,  combine  all  the  despots  of  Europe 
in  a  warfare  against  regenerated  France.  Jo- 
seph and  Napoleon  both  warmly  espoused  the 
cause  of  popular  liberty,  which  was  even  then 
upheaving  the  throne  of  the  Bourbons. 

At  this  time,  June,  1789,  the  Constituent 
Assembly  commenced  its  world-renowned  ses- 
sion in  Paris.  As  soon  as  the  liberal  constitu- 
tion, which  it  adopted,  was  issued,  Joseph,  who 
"was  then  president  of  the  district  in  Ajaccio, 


26  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1789. 

Gratitude  of  Napoleon.  Anecdote. 

published  an  elementary  treatise  upon  the  con- 
stitution both  in  French  and  Italian,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  his  native  island. 
This  work  conferred  upon  him  much  honor, 
and  greatly  increased  his  influence. 

The  mayor  of  the  city,  Jean  Jerome  Levie, 
was  a  very  noble  man,  and  a  particular  friend 
of  the  Bonapartes.  Very  liberally  he  contrib- 
uted of  his  large  fortune  to  aid  the  poor.  "  Na- 
poleon," says  Joseph,  "  honored  him  at  Saint 
Helena  in  his  last  hour,  and  left  him  a  hundred 
thousand  francs.  This  proves  the  truth  of 
what  I  have  often  said  of  the  kindness  and 
tenderness  of  Napoleon's  heart.  It  was  this 
which  led  him  in  his  last  moments  to  remem- 
ber the  abbe*  Recco,  Professor  of  the  Royal  Col- 
lege of  Ajaccio,  who  in  our  early  childhood, 
before  our  departure  for  the  Continent,  kindly 
admitted  us  to  his  class,  and  devoted  to  us  his 
attention.  I  recall  the  incident  when  the  pupils 
were  arranged  facing  each  other  upon  the  op- 
posite sides  of  the  hall  under  an  immense  ban- 
ner, one  portion  of  which  represented  the  flag 
of  Rome,  and  the  other  that  of  Carthage.  As 
the  elder  of  the  two  children,  the  professor 
placed  me  by  his  side  under  the  Roman  flag. 

"  Napoleon,  annoyed  at  finding  himself  be- 


JOSEPH  AND  NAPOLEON — TOUB  IN   CORSICA. 


1790.]  SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         29 

Tour  in  Corsica.  Characteristics. 

neath  the  flag  of  Carthage,  which  was  not  the 
conquering  banner,  could  have  no  rest  until  he 
obtained  a  change  of  place  with  me,  which  I 
readily  granted,  and  for  which  he  was  very 
grateful.  And  still,  in  his  triumph,  he  was 
disquieted  with  the  idea  of  having  been  unjust 
to  his  brother,  and  it  required  all  the  authority 
of  our  mother  to  tranquilize  him.  This  abbe 
Recco  was  also  remembered  in  his  will." 

On  one  occasion  Napoleon  accompanied  Jo- 
seph on  horseback  to  a  remote  part  of  the  isl- 
and, to  attend  a  Convention,  where  Joseph  was 
to  address  the  assembly. 

"  Napoleon  was  continually  occupied,"  says 
Joseph,  "  in  collecting  heroic  incidents  of  the 
ancient  warriors  of  the  country.  I  read  to  him 
my  speech,  to  which  he  added  several  names 
of  the  ancient  patriots.  During  the  journey, 
which  we  made  quite  slowly,  without  a  change 
of  horses,  his  mind  was  incessantly  employed 
in  studying  the  positions  which  the  troops  of 
different  nations  had  occupied,  during  the  many 
years  in  which  they  had  combatted  against  the 
inhabitants  of  the  island.  My  thoughts  ran  in 
another  direction.  The  singular  beauty  of  the 
scenery  interested  me  much  more." 

Louis  Napoleon,  in  an  article  which  he  wrote 


30  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1791, 

Testimony  of  Louis  Napoleon.  Death  of  Mirabeau. 

while  a  prisoner  at  Harn,  upon  bis  uncle,  King 
Joseph,  just  after  his  death,  says : 

"  Joseph  was  born  to  embellish  the  arts  of 
peace,  while  the  spirit  of  his  brother  found  it- 
self at  ease  only  amid  events  which  war  intro- 
duces. From  their  earliest  years  this  difference 
of  capacity  and  of  inclination  was  clearly  mani- 
fested. Associated  in  the  college  at  Autun 
with  his  brother,  Joseph  aided  Napoleon  in  his 
Latin  and  Greek  compositions,  while  Napole- 
on aided  Joseph  in  all  the  problems  of  physics 
and  mathematics.  The  one  made  verses,  while 
the  other  studied  Alexander  and  Caesar."1 

During  the  meeting  of  the  Convention  at 
Bastia,  above  alluded  to,  the  tidings  came  of 
the  death  of  Mirabeau.  By  the  request  of  the 
President,  Joseph  Bonaparte  announced  the 
event  to  the  Convention  in  an  appropriate  eu- 
logy. The  two  brothers  had  but  just  returned 
to  Ajaccio  when  the  grand-uncle  of  the  Bona- 
parte  children  died.  He  had  been  a  firm  friend 
of  the  family,  and  was  greatly  revered  by  them 
all  A  few  moments  before  his  death  he  as- 
sembled them  around  his  dying  bed,  and  took 
an  affectionate  leave  of  each  one.  Joseph  was 

1  Quelques  Mot  sur  Joseph  Napoleon  Bonaparte ;  Oeuvrai 
de  Napoleon  III.,  tome  ii.  p.  452. 


1792.]    SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         31 

French  Revolution.  Anecdote. 

now  a  member  of  the  Directory  of  the  depart- 
ment. We  have  the  testimony  of  Joseph  that 
the  dying  uncle  said  to  his  sobbing  niece, 

"  Letitia,  do  not  weep.  I  arn  willing  to  die 
since  I  see  you  surrounded  by  your  children. 
My  life  is  no  longer  necessary  to  protect  the 
family  of  Charles.  Joseph  is  at  the  head  of 
the  administration  of  the  country ;  he  can 
therefore  take  care  of  the  interests  of  the  fam- 
ily. You,  Napoleon,  you  will  be  a  great  man." 

The  French  Revolution  was  now  in  full  ca- 
reer. Napoleon  returned  to  Paris,  and  witness- 
ed the  awful  scenes  of  the  10th  of  August, 
1792,  when  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries  was 
stormed,  the  royal  family  outraged,  and  the 
guard  massacred.  He  wrote  to  Joseph, 

"  If  the  king  had  shown  himself  on  horse« 
back  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  he  would  have 
gained  the  victory ;  at  least  so  it  appeared  to 
me,  from  the  spirit  which  that  morning  seemed 
to  animate  the  groups  of  the  people. 

"  After  the  victory  of  the  Marseillaise,  I  saw 
one  of  them  upon  the  point  of  killing  one  of 
the  body-guard ;  '  Man  of  the  South,'  said  I, 
*  let  us  save  the  poor  fellow.'  '  Are  you  from 
the  South  ?'  said  he.  <  Yes,'  I  replied.  *  Very 
well,1  he  rejoined,  '  let  him  be  saved  then.' w 


32  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1792. 

The  Emigrants.  The  Republicans. 

The  French  monarchy  was  destroyed. 
France,  delivered  from  the  despotism  of  kings, 
was  surrendered  to  the  still  greater  despotism  of 
irreligion  and  ignorance.  Faction  succeeded 
faction  in  ephemeral  governments,  and  anar- 
chy and  terror  rioted  throughout  the  kingdom. 
Thousands  of  the  nobles  fled  from  France  and 
joined  the  armies  of  the  surrounding  monar- 
chies, which  were  on  the  march  to  replace  the 
Bourbons  on  the  throne.  The  true  patriots  of 
the  nation,  anxious  for  the  overthrow  of  the  in- 
tolerable despotism  under  which  France  had  so 
long  groaned,  were  struggling  against  the  coa- 
lition of  despots  from  abroad,  while  at  the 
same  time  they  were  perilling  their  lives  in  the 
endeavor  to  resist  the  blind  madness  of  the  mob 
at  home.  With  these  two  foes,  equally  formi- 
dable, pressing  them  from  opposite  quarters, 
they  were  making  gigantic  endeavors  to  estab- 
lish republican  institutions  upon  the  basis  of 
those  then  in  successful  operation  in  the  Unit- 
ed States.  Joseph  and  his  brother  Napoleon 
with  all  zeal  joined  the  Republican  party.  They 
were  irreconcilably  hostile  to  despotism  on  the 
one  hand,  and  to  Jacobinical  anarchy  upon  the 
other.  In  devotion  to  the  principles  of  repub- 
lican liberty,  they  sacrificed  their  fortunes,  and 


1793.]   SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         33 

Paoli.  HU  Appreciation  of  Napoleon. 

placed  their  lives  in  imminent  jeopardy.  Anx- 
ious as  they  both  were  to  see  the  bulwarks  of 
the  old  feudal  aristocracy  battered  down,  they 
were  still  more  hostile  to  the  domination  of  the 
mob. 

"  1  frankly  declare,"  said  Napoleon,  "  that  if 
I  were  compelled  to  choose  between  the  old 
monarchy  and  Jacobin  misrule,  I  should  infi- 
nitely prefer  the  former." 

General  Paoli  had  been  appoined  by  Louis 
XVI.  lieutenant-general  of  Corsica.  This  il- 
lustrious man,  disgusted  with  the  lawless  vio- 
olence  which  was  now  dominant  in  Paris,  and 
despairing  of  any  salutary  reform  from  the 
revolutionary  influences  which  were  running 
riot,  through  an  error  in  judgment,  which  he 
afterward  bitterly  deplored,  joined  the  coalition 
of  foreign  powers  who,  with  fleets  and  armies, 
were  approaching  France  to  replace,  by  the 
bayonet,  the  rejected  Bourbons  upon  the  throne. 
Both  Joseph  and  Napoleon  were  exceedingly 
attached  to  General  Paoli.  He  was  a  family 
friend,  and  his  lofty  character  had  won  their  rev- 
erence. Paoli  discerned  the  dawning  greatness 
of  Napoleon  even  in  these  early  years,  and  on 
one  occasion  said  to  him, 

"0  Napo'eonI  you  do  not  at  all  resemble 


34  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1793. 

Corskan  Peasantry.  Flight  of  the  Bonapartea. 

the  moderns.  You  belong  only  to  the  heroes 
of  Plutarch." 

Paoli  made  every  effort  to  induce  the  young 
Bonapartes  to  join  his  standard  ;  but  they,  be- 
lieving that  popular  rights  would  yet  come  out 
triumphant,  resolutely  refused.  The  peasantry 
of  Corsica,  unenlightened,  and  confiding  in  Gen- 
eral Paoli,  to  whom  they  were  enthusiastically 
attached,  eagerly  rallied  around  his  banner. 
England  was  the  soul  of  the  coalition  now  form- 
ed against  popular  rights  in  France.  Paoli,  in 
loyalty  to  the  Bourbons,  and  in  treason  to  the 
French  people,  surrendered  the  island  of  Cor- 
sica  to  the  British  fleet. 

The  Bonaparte  family,  in  wealth,  rank,  and 
influence,  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  upon 
the  island.  An  exasperated  mob  surrounded 
their  dwelling,  and  the  family  narrowly  escaped 
with  their  lives.  The  house  and  furniture  were 
almost  entirely  destroyed.  At  midnight  Ma- 
dame Bonaparte,  with  Joseph,  Napoleon,  and  all 
the  other  children  who  were  then  upon  the  isl- 
and, secretly  entered  a  boat  in  a  retired  cove, 
and  were  rowed  out  to  a  small  vessel  which  was 
anchored  at  a  short  distance  from  the  shore. 
The  sails  were  spread,  and  the  exiled  family, 
in  friendlessness,  poverty,  and  dejection,  were 


1793.]  SCENES  IN  EARLY  LIFE.         86 


Their  Arrival  in  France. 


landed  upon  the  shores  of  France.  Little  did 
they  then  dream  that  their  renown  was  soon  to 
fill  the  world  ;  and  that  each  one  of  those  chil- 
dren was  to  rise  to  grandeur,  and  experience  re- 
verses which  will  never  cease  to  excite  the  sym« 
pathies  of  mankind. 


36  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1793, 

The  Allies.  The  National  Assembly. 


CHAPTER  II. 
DIPLOMATIC  LABORS. 

IT  was  the  year  1793.  On  the  21st  of  Janu- 
ary the  unfortunate  and  guilty  Louis  XVI. 
had  been  led  to  the  guillotine.  The  Royalists 
had  surrendered  Toulon  to  the  British  fleet.  A 
Republican  army  was  sent  to  regain  the  impor- 
tant port.  Joseph  Bonaparte  was  commissioned 
on  the  staff  of  the  major-general  in  command, 
and  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  attack  upon 
Cape  Brun.  All  France  was  in  a  state  of  terri- 
ble excitement.  Allied  Europe  was  on  the 
march  to  crush  the  revolution.  The  armies  of 
Austria,  gathered  in  Italy,  were  threatening  to 
cross  the  Alps.  The  nobles  in  France,  and  all 
who  were  in  favor  of  aristocratic  domination, 
were  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  join  the 
Allies,  overwhelm  the  revolutionists,  and  re- 
place the  Bourbon  family  on  the  throne. 

The  National  Assembly,  which  had  assumed 
the  supreme  command  upon  the  dethronement 
of  the  king,  was  now  giving  place  to  another 
assembly  gathered  in  Paris,  called  the  NationaJ 


1794.]       DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  37 

Commission  of  Napoleon.  Marriage  of  Joseph. 

Convention.  Napoleon  was  commissioned  to 
Dbtain  artillery  and  supplies  for  the  troops  com- 
posing the  Army  of  Italy,  who,  few  in  numbers, 
quite  undisciplined  and  feeble  in  the  materials 
of  war,  were  guarding  the  defiles  of  the  Alps, 
to  protect  France  from  the  threatened  Austrian 
invasion  in  that  quarter.  He  was  soon  after 
named  general  of  brigade  in  the  artillery,  and 
was  sent  to  aid  the  besieging  army  at  Toulon. 
Madame  Bonaparte  and  the  younger  children 
were  at  Marseilles,  where  Joseph  and  Napoleon, 
the  natural  guardians  of  the  family,  could  more 
frequently  visit  them.  On  the  last  day  of  No- 
vember of  this  year  the  British  fleet  was  driven 
from  the  harbor  of  Toulon,  and  the  city  recap- 
tured, as  was  universally  admitted,  by  the  gen- 
ius of  Napoleon. 

In  the  year  1794  Joseph  married  Julie  Cla- 
ry, daughter  of  one  of  the  wealthiest  capitalists 
of  Marseilles.  Her  sister  Eugenie,  to  whom  Na- 
poleon was  at  that  time  much  attached,  after- 
ward married  Bernadotte,  subsequently  King 
of  Sweden.  Of  Julie  Clary  the  Duchess  of 
Abrantes  says: 

"  Madame  Joseph  Bonaparte  is  an  angel  of 
goodness.  Prononnce  her  name,  and  all  the  in* 
digent,  all  the  unfortunate  in  Paris,  Naples,  and 


38  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1795. 

Madame  Bonaparte.  Letter  from  Napoleon. 

Madrid,  will  repeat  it  with  blessings.  Never 
did  she  hesitate  a  moment  to  set  about  what 
she  conceived  to  be  her  duty.  Accordingly 
she  is  adored  by  all  about  her,  and  especially 
by  her  own  household.  Her  unalterable  kind- 
ness, her  active  charity,  gain  her  the  love  of 
every  body." 

The  brothers  kept  up  a  very  constant  cor- 
respondence. These  letters  have  been  pub- 
lished unaltered.  They  attest  the  exalted  and 
affectionate  character  of  both  the  young  men. 
Napoleon  writes  to  Joseph  on  the  25th  of  June, 
1795: 

"In  whatever  circumstances  fortune  may 
place  you,  you  w.ell  know,  my  dear  friend,  that 
you  can  never  have  a  better  friend,  one  to 
whom  you  will  be  more  dear,  and  who  desires 
more  sincerely  your  happiness.  Life  is  but 
a  transient  dream,  which  is  soon  dissipated. 
If  you  go  away,  to  be  absent  any  length  of 
time,  send  me  your  portrait.  We  have  lived 
so  much  together,  so  closely  united,  that  our 
hearts  are  blended.  I  feel,  in  tracing  these 
lines,  emotions  which  I  have  seldom  experi« 
enced  ;  I  feel  that  it  will  be  a  long  time  before 
we  shall  meet  again,  and  I  can  not  continue 
ny  letter." 


1795.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  39 

Letter  from  Napoleon.  Louis  Bonaparte. 

Again  Napoleon  writes  on  the  12th  of  Au- 
gust :  "  As  for  me,  but  little  attached  to  life,  I 
contemplate  it  without  much  anxiety,  finding 
myself  constantly  in  the  mood  of  mind  in  which 
one  finds  himself  on  the  eve  of  battle,  convinced 
that  when  death  comes  in  the  mids^  to  termi- 
nate all  things,  it  is  folly  to  indulge  in  solici- 
tude." 

In  these  letters  we  see  gradually  developed 
the  supremacy  of  the  mind  of  Napoleon,  and 
that  soon,  almost  instinctively,  he  is  recognized 
as  the  head  of  the  family.  On  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember he  writes  from  Paris : 

"I  am  very  well  pleased  with  Louis.1  He 
responds  to  my  hopes,  and  to  the  expectations 
which  I  had  formed  for  him.  He  is  a  fine  fel- 
low; ardor,  vivacity,  health,  talent,  exactness 
in  business,  kindness,  he  unites  every  thing. 
You  know,  my  friend,  that  I  live  for  the  bene- 
fits which  I  can  confer  upon  my  family.  If 
my  hopes  are  favored  by  that  good-fortune 
which  has  never  abandoned  my  enterprises,  I 
shall  be  able  to  render  you  happy,  and  to  ful- 
fill your  desires.  I  feel  keenly  the  absence  of 
Louis.  He  was  of  great  service  to  me.  Nev- 
er was  a  man  more  active,  more  skillful,  more 

*  Napoleon's  younger  brother,  father  of  Napoleon  III. 


40  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1795. 

Louis  Napoleon.  Anecdote, 

winning.  He  could  do  at  Paris  whatever  he 
wished." 

None  of  the  members  of  the  Bonaparte 
family  were  ever  ashamed  to  remind  them- 
selves of  the  days  of  their  comparative  pover- 
ty and  obscurity.  "One  day,"  writes  Louis 
Napoleon,  now  Napoleon  III.,  "Joseph  related 
that  his  brother  Louis,  for  whom  he  had  felt, 
from  his  infancy,  all  the  cares  and  tenderness 
of  a  father,  was  about  to  leave  Marseilles  to  go 
to  school  in  Paris.  Joseph  accompanied  him 
to  the  diligence.  Just  before  the  diligence 
started  he  perceived  that  it  was  quite  cold,  and 
that  Louis  had  no  overcoat.  Not  having  then 
the  means  to  purchase  him  one,  and  not  wish- 
ing to  expose  his  brother  to  the  severity  of  the 
weather,  he  took  off  his  own  cloak  and  wrapped 
it  around  Louis.  This  action,  which  they  mu- 
tually recalled  when  they  were  kings,  had  al- 
ways remained  engraved  in  the  hearts  of  them 
both,  as  a  tender  souvenir  of  their  constant  in- 
timacy."1 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1796,  Napoleon  was 
married  to  Josephine  Beauharnais.  "Thus  van- 
ished," writes  Joseph  Bonaparte,  "  the  hope 
which  my  wife  and  I  had  cherished,  for  sev 

1  Oeuvres  de  Napoleon  III.,  tome  detixifeme,  p.  4fil. 


1796.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  43 

Marriage  of  Napoleon.  CarnoU 

eral  years,  of  seeing  her  younger  sister  Eugenie 
united  in  marriage  with  my  brother  Napoleon. 
Time  and  separation  disposed  of  the  event  oth- 
erwise." 

A  few  days  after  Napoleon's  marriage  he 
took  command  of  the  Army  of  Italy,  and  has- 
tened across  the  Alps  to  the  scene  of  conflict. 
After  the  victory  of  Mondovi,  Napoleon,  cher- 
ishing the  hope  of  detaching  the  Italians  from 
the  Austrians,  sent  Joseph  to  Paris  to  urge 
upon  the  Directory  the  importance  of  making 
peace  with  the  Court  of  Turin.  General  Junot 
accompanied  Joseph,  to  present  to  the  Directo- 
ry the  flags  captured  from  the  enemy.  The  as- 
tonishing victories  which  Napoleon  had  gained 
excited  boundless  enthusiasm  in  Paris.  Car- 
not,  one  of  the  Directors,  gave  a  brilliant  en- 
tertainment in  honor  of  the  two  ambassadors, 
Joseph  and  Junot.  During  the  dinner  he 
opened  his  waistcoat  and  showed  the  portrait 
of  Napoleon,  which  was  suspended  near  his 
heart.  Turning  to  Joseph,  he  said, 

"  Say  to  your  brother  that  I  wear  his  minia 
ture  there,  because  I  foresee  that  he  will  be  the 
saviour  of  France.  To  accomplish  this,  it  is 
necessary  that  he  should  know  that  there  is  no 
one  in  the  Directory  who  is  not  his  admirer 
and  his  friend." 


4A  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1796. 

Joseph  an  Ambassador.  Reconquest  of  Corsica. 

The  measures  which  Napoleon  had  suggest- 
ed were  most  cordially  approved  by  all  the 
members  of  the  Government  One  of  the  most 
important  members  of  the  Cabinet  proposed 
that  Joseph  Bonaparte  should  immediately, 
upon  the  ratification  of  peace,  be  appointed 
ambassador  of  the  French  Kepublic  to  the 
Court  of  Turin.  Joseph,  with  characteristic 
modesty,  replied,  that  though  he  was  desirous 
of  entering  upon  a  diplomatic  career,  he  did  not 
feel  qualified  to  assume  at  once  so  important 
a  post.  He  was  however  prevailed  upon  to 
enter  upon  the  office. 

From  this  mission,  so  successfully  accom- 
plished, Joseph  returned  to  his  brother,  and 
joined  him  at  his  head  -  quarters  in  Milan. 
Napoleon  pressed  forward  in  his  triumphant 
career,  drove  the  Austrians  out  of  Italy,  and 
soon  effected  peace  with  Naples  and  with 
Rome. 

Having  accomplished  these  results,  Napole- 
on immediately  fitted  out  an  expedition  for  the 
reconquest  of  Corsica,  his  native  island,  which 
the  British  fleet  still  held.  The  expedition 
was  placed  under  the  command  of  Genera/ 
Gentili.  The  troops  sailed  from  Leghorn,  and 
disembarked  at  Bastia.  Joseph  accompanied 


1796.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  45 

Reception  In  Corsica,  Return  to  the  Continent. 

them.  Immediately  upon  landing,  the  Corsi- 
cans  generally  rose  and  joined  their  deliverers, 
and  the  English  retired  in  haste  from  the  isl- 
and. Joseph  gives  the  following  account  of 
his  return  to  his  parental  home : 

"  I  was  received  by  the  great  majority  of 
the  population  at  the  distance  of  a  league  from 
Ajaccio.  I  took  up  my  residence  in  the  man- 
sion of  Ornano,  where  I  resided  for  several 
weeks,  until  our  parental  homestead,  which 
had  been  devastated,  was  sufficiently  repaired 
to  be  occupied.  I  could  not  detect  the  slight- 
est trace  of  any  unfriendly  feelings  toward  our 
family.  All  the  inhabitants,  without  any  ex- 
ception, hastened  to  greet  me.  In  my  turn,  I 
reorganized  the  government  without  consult- 
ing any  other  voice  than  the  public  good.  A 
commissioner  from  the  Directory  soon  arrived, 
and  he  sanctioned,  without  any  exception,  all 
the  measures  which  I  had  adopted. 

"Having  thus  fulfilled,  according  to  my 
best  judgment,  the  mission  which  fraternal 
kindness  had  intrusted  to  me,  and  leaving  our 
native  island  tranquil  and  happy  in  finding  it- 
self again  restored  to  the  laws  of  France,  I  pre- 
pared to  return  to  the  Continent,  having  made 
a  sojourn  in  Corsica  of  three  months." 


46  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1797. 

Joseph  at  Parma.  The  Duke  and  Duchess 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1797,  Joseph  was 
appointed  ambassador  to  the  Court  of  Parma. 
He  presented  to  the  duke  credentials  from  the 
Directory  of  the  French  Republic,  containing 
the  following  sentiments : 

"The  desire  which  we  have  to  maintain 
and  to  cherish  the  friendship  and  the  kind  re- 
lations happily  established  between  the  French 
Republic  and  the  Duchy  of  Parma,  has  induced 
us  to  appoint  Citizen  Bonaparte  to  reside  at  the 
Court  of  your  Royal  Highness  in  quality  of 
ambassador.  The  knowledge  which  we  have 
of  his  principles  and  his  sentiments  is  to  us  a 
sure  guarantee  that  the  choice  which  we  have 
made  of  his  person  to  fulfill  that  honorable 
mission  will  be  agreeable  to  you,  and  we  are 
well  persuaded  that  he  will  do  every  thing  in 
his  power  to  justify  the  confidence  we  have 
placed  in  him.  It  is  in  that  persuasion  that  we 
pray  your  Royal  Highness  to  repose  entire 
faith  in  every  thing  which  he  may  say  in  our 
behalf,  and  particularly  whenever  he  may  re 
new  the  assurance  of  the  friendship  with  which 
¥re  cherish  your  Royal  Highness." 

The  Duke  of  Parma  had  married  an  Aus- 
trian duchess,  sister  of  Maria  Antoinette.  She 
was  an  energetic  woman,  and  in  conjunction 


1797.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  47 

Anecdote.  Eliza  Bonaparte. 

with  the  ecclesiastics,  who  crowded  the  palace, 
had  great  control  over  her  husband.  But  the 
spirit  of  the  French  Revolution  already  per- 
vaded man}'  minds  in  Parma.  Not  a  few  were 
restive  under  the  ojd  feudal  domination  of  the 
duke  and  the  arrogance  of  the  Church.  One 
day  Joseph  was  walking  through  the  gardens 
of  the  ducal  palace  with  several  of  the  digni- 
taries of  the  Court.  He  spoke  with  admiration 
of  the  architectural  grandeur  and  symmetry  of 
the  regal  mansion. 

"That  is  true,"  one  replied,  "but  turn  your 
eyes  to  the  neighboring  convent ;  how  far  does 
it  surpass  in  magnificence  the  palace  of  the 
sovereign!  Unhappy  is  that  country  where 
things  are  so." 

After  the  peace  of  Leoben  Napoleon  return- 
ed to  Milan  and  established  himself,  for  several 
months,  at  the  chateau  of  Montebello.  Joseph 
soon  joined  his  brother  there.  In  the  mean 
time  their  eldest  sister,  Eliza,  had  been  mar- 
ried to  M.  Bacciochi,  a  young  officer  of  great 
distinction.  He  was  afterward  created  a  prince 
by  Napoleon.  He  was  a  man  of  elegant  man- 
ners, and  had  attained  no  little  distinction  in 
literary  and  artistic  accomplishments. 

44  We  have  often  been  amused,"  say  the  ao« 


4:8  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 

"  Napoleon  Dynasty."  Pauline  Bonaparte. 

thors  of  the  "  Napoleon  Dynasty,"  "  to  see  Brit- 
ish writers,  some  of  whom  doubtless  never 
passed  beyond  the  Channel,  speak  deprecia- 
tingly of  the  manners  and  refinement  of  these 
new-made  princes  and  nobles  of  Napoleon's 
Empire.  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  ele- 
gant manners  of  the  refined  Italians  read  such 
slurs  with  a  smile.  Whatever  may  be  the 
crimes  of  the  Italians,  they  have  never  been 
accused,  by  those  who  know  them,  of  coarse- 
ness of  manner,  or  lack  of  refinement  of  mind 
and  taste.  Eliza  is  said  to  have  possessed 
more  of  her  brother's  genius  than  any  other 
one  of  the  sisters.  Chateaubriand,  La  Harpe, 
Fontanes,  and  many  other  of  the  most  illustri- 
ous men  of  France  sought  her  society,  and  have 
expressed  their  admiration  of  her  talents." 

At  Montebello  the  second  sister,  Pauline, 
was  married  to  General  Leclerc.  Pauline  was 
pronounced  by  Canova  to  be  the  most  peerless 
model  of  grace  and  beauty  in  all  Europe.  The 
same  envenomed  pen  of  slander  which  has 
dared  to  calumniate  even  the  immaculate  Jo* 
sephine  has  also  been  busy  in  traducing  the 
character  of  Pauline.  We  here  again  quote 
from  the  "  Napoleon  Dynasty,"  by  the  Berke- 
ley men : 


1797.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  49 

Undeserved  Reproach.  Tha  Slandered  defended. 

"  No  satisfactory  evidence  has  ever  been 
adduced,  in  any  quarter,  that  Pauline  was  not 
a  virtuous  woman.  Those  who  were  mainly 
instrumental  in  originating  and  circulating 
these  slanders  at  the  time  about  her,  were  the 
very  persons  who  had  endeavored  to  load  the 
name  of  Josephine  with  obloquy.  Those  who 
saw  her  could  not  withhold  their  admiration. 
But  the  blood  of  Madame  Mere  was  in  her 
veins,  and  the  Bonapartes,  especially  the  wom- 
en of  the  family,  have  always  been  too  proud 
and  haughty  to  degrade  themselves.  Even 
had  they  lacked  what  is  technically  called 
moral  character,  their  virtue  has  been  intrench- 
ed behind  their  ancestry,  and  the  achievements 
of  their  own  family;  nor  was  there  at  any  time 
an  instant  when  any  one  of  the  Bonapartes 
could  have  overstepped,  by  a  hair's  breadth, 
the  bounds  of  decency  without  being  exposed. 
None  of  them  pursued  the  noiseless  tenor  of 
their  way  along  the  vale  of  obscurity.  They 
were  walking  in  the  clear  sunshine,  on  the 
topmost  summits  of  the  earth,  and  millions  of 
enemies  were  watching  every  step  they  took. 

"  The  highest  genius  of  historians,  the  bitter- 
est satire  of  dramatists,  the  meanest  and  most 
malignant  pens  of  the  journalists  have  assailed 
6—4 


50  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797 

Joseph  at  Rome.  The  Allies. 

them  for  more  than  half  a  century.  We  have 
written  these  words  because  a  Eepublican  is 
the  only  one  likely  to  speak  well  even  of  the 
good  things  of  the  Bonaparte  family.  It  was, 
and  is,  and  will  be,  the  dynasty  of  the  people 
standing  there  from  1804  a  fearful  antagonism 
against  the  feudal  age,  and  its  souvenirs  of 
oppression  and  crime." 

On  the  7th  of  May,  1797,  Joseph  was  pro- 
moted to  the  post  of  minister  from  the  French 
Kepublic  to  the  Court  at  Rome.  He  received 
instructions  from  his  Government  to  make 
every  effort  to  maintain  friendly  relations  with 
that  spiritual  power,  which  exerted  so  vast  an 
influence  over  the  masses  of  Europe.  Pope 
Pius  VI.  gave  him  a  very  cordial  reception, 
and  seemed  well  disposed  to  employ  all  his 
means  of  persuasion  and  authority  to  induce 
the  Vendeans  in  France  to  accept  the  French 
Republic.  The  Vendeans,  enthusiastic  Cath- 
olics, and  devoted  to  the  Bourbons,  were  still, 
with  amazing  energy,  perpetuating  civil  war 
in  France.  The  Allies,  ready  to  make  use  of 
any  instrumentality  whatever  to  crush  repub- 
licanism, were  doing  every  thing  in  their  pow- 
er to  encourage  the  Vendeans  in  their  rebellion, 
The  Austrian  ambassador  at  the  Papal  Court 


1797.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  51 

The  Pope.  General  Provera. 

was  unwearied  in  his  endeavors  to  circumvent 
the  peaceful  mission  of  Joseph. 

Though  the  Pope  himself  and  his  Secretary 
of  State  were  inclined  to  amicable  relations 
with  the  French  Government,  his  Cabinet,  the 
Sacred  College,  composed  exclusively  of  eccle- 
siastics, was  intent  upon  the  restoration  of  the 
Bourbons,  by  which  restoration  alone  the  Cath- 
olic religion  could  be  reinstated  with  exclusive 
power  in  France. 

By  the  intrigues  of  Austria,  General  Pro- 
vera,  an  Austrian  officer,  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  all  the  Papal  forces.  Joseph  imme- 
diately communicated  this  fact  to  the  Directo- 
ry in  Paris,  and  also  to  his  brother.  This  Aus- 
trian officer  had  been  fighting  against  the 
French  in  Italy,  and  had  three  times  been  tak- 
en prisoner  by  the  French  troops. 

Napoleon,  who  had  lost  all  confidence  in  the 
French  Directory,  and  who,  by  virtue  of  his 
victories,  had  assumed  the  control  of  Italian 
diplomacy,  immediately  wrote  as  follows  to  Jo- 
seph : 

"Milan,  Dec.  14,1797. 

"  I  shared  your  indignation,  citizen  ambas- 
sador, when  you  informed  me  of  the  arrival  of 
General  Provera.  You  may  declare  positively 


52  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 

Letter  from  Napoleon.  Republicans  in  Rom* 

to  the  Court  of  Rome  that  if  it  receive  into 
its  service  any  officer  known  to  have  been  in 
the  service  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  all  good 
understanding  between  France  and  Rome  will 
cease  from  that  hour,  and  war  will  be  already 
declared. 

"  You  will  let  it  be  known,  by  a  special  note 
to  the  Pope,  which  you  will  address  to  him  in 
person,  that  although  peace  may  be  made  with 
his  majesty  the  Emperor,  the  French  Republic 
will  not  consent  that  the  Pope  should  accept 
among  his  troops  any  officer  or  agent  belong- 
ing to  the  Emperor  of  any  denomination,  ex- 
cept the  usual  diplomatic  agents.  You  will  re- 
quire the  departure  of  M.  Provera  from  the 
Roman  territory  within  twenty-four  hours,  in 
default  whereof  you  will  declare  that  you  quit 
Rome." 

The  spirit  of  the  French  Revolution  at  this 
time  pervaded  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  all 
the  kingdoms  of  Europe.  In  Rome  there  was 
a  very  active  party  of  Republicans  anxious  for 
a  change  of  government.  Napoleon  did  not 
wish  to  encourage  this  party  in  an  insurrection. 
By  so  doing,  he  would  exasperate  still  more 
the  monarchs  of  Europe,  who  were  already 


1797.]      DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  53 

Policy  of  Joseph.  Intrigues  of  the  Allies. 

combined  in  deadly  hostility  against  republic- 
an France ;  neither  did  he  think  the  Repub 
lican  party  in  Rome  sufficiently  strong  to  main- 
tain  their  cause,  or  the  people  sufficiently  en- 
lightened for  self-government.  Thus  he  was 
not  at  all  disposed  to  favor  any  insurrectionary 
movements  in  Rome  ;  neither  was  he  disposed 
to  render  any  aid  whatever  to  the  Papal  Gov- 
ernment in  opposing  those  who  were  struggling 
for  greater  political  liberty.  He  only  demand- 
ed that  France  should  be  left  by  the  other  gov- 
ernments in  Europe  in  entire  liberty  to  choose 
her  own  institutions.  And  he  did  not  wish 
that  France  should  interfere,  in  any  way  what- 
ever, with  the  internal  affairs  of  other  nations. 
While  Joseph  was  officiating  as  ambassador 
at  Rome,  endeavoring  to  promote  friendly  re- 
lations between  the  Papal  See  and  the  new 
French  Republic,  he  was  much  embarrassed  by 
the  operations  of  two  opposite  and  hostile  par- 
ties of  intriguants  at  that  court.  The  Aus- 
trians,  and  all  the  other  European  cabinets, 
were  endeavoring  to  influence  the  Pope  to  give 
his  powerful  moral  support  against  the  French 
Revolution.  On  the  other  hand  there  was  a 
party  of  active  revolutionists,  both  native  and 
foreign,  in  Rome,  struggling  to  rouse  the  popu- 


54  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 

The  revolutionary  Spirit.  Anecdote. 

lace  to  an  insurrection  against  the  Government, 
to  overthrow  the  Papal  power  entirely,  as 
France  had  overthrown  the  Bourbon  power, 
and  to  establish  a  republic.  These  men  hoped 
for  the  countenance  and  support  of  France. 
But  Joseph  Bonaparte  could  lend  them  no 
countenance.  He  was  received  as  a  friendly 
ambassador  at  that  court,  and  could  not  with- 
out ignominy  take  part  with  conspirators  to 
overthrow  the  Government.  He  was  also 
bound  to  watch  with  the  utmost  care,  and 
thwart,  if  possible,  the  efforts  of  the  Austrians, 
and  other  advocates  of  the  old  rdgime. 

On  the  27th  of  December  three  members  of 
the  revolutionary  party  called  upon  Joseph 
and  informed  him  that  during  the  night  a  rev- 
olution was  to  break  out,  and  they  wished  to 
communicate  the  fact  to  him,  that  he  might  not 
be  taken  by  surprise.  Joseph  reproved  them, 
stating  that  he  did  not  think  it  right  for  him, 
an  ambassador  at  the  Court  of  Eome,  to  listen 
to  such  a  communication  ;  and  moreover  h& 
assured  them  that  the  movement  was  ill-tinned, 
and  that  it  could  not  prove  successful. 

They  replied  that  they  came  to  him  for  ad- 
vice, for  they  hoped  that  republican  France 
would  protect  them  in  their  revolution  as  soon 


1797.]       DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.          55 

Joseph  in  Rome.  The  Revolutionist*. 

as  it  was  accomplished.  Joseph  informed  them 
that,  as  an  impartial  spectator,  he  should  give 
an  account  to  his  Government  of  whatever 
scenes  might  occur,  but  that  he  could  give  them 
no  encouragement  whatever ;  that  France  was 
anxious  to  promote  a  general  peace  on  the  Con- 
tinent, and  would  look  with  regret  upon  anjr 
occurrences  which  might  retard  that  peace. 
He  also  repeated  his  assurance  that  the  revo- 
lutionary party  in  Home  had  by  no  means  suf- 
ficient strength  to  attain  their  end,  and  he  en- 
treated them  to  desist  from  their  purpose. 

The  committee  were  evidently  impressed  by 
his  representations.  They  departed  declaring 
that  every  thing  should  remain  quiet  for  the 
present,  and  the  night  passed  away  in  tranquil- 
lity. On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  one  of 
the  Government  party  called,  and  confidential- 
ly informed  Joseph  that  the  blunderheads  were 
ridiculously  contemplating  a  movement  which 
would  only  involve  them  in  ruin.  The  Papal 
Government,  by  means  of  spies,  was  not  only 
informed  of  all  the  movements  contemplated, 
but  through  these  spies,  as  pretended  revolu- 
tionists, the  Government  was  actually  aiding 
in  getting  up  the  insurrection,  which  it  would 
promptly  crush  with  a  bloody  hand. 


56  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 

Conflict  with  the  dragoons.  Prudence  of  Joseph. 

At  4  o'clock  the  next  morning  Joseph  was 
aroused  from  sleep  by  a  messenger  who  in- 
formed him  that  about  a  hundred  of  the  rev- 
olutionists had  assembled  at  the  villa  Medici, 
where  they  were  surrounded  by  the  troops  of 
the  Pope.  Joseph,  who  had  given  the  revolu- 
tionists good  advice  in  vain,  turned  upon  his 
pillow  and  fell  asleep  again.  In  the  morning 
he  learned  that  there  had  been  a  slight  con- 
flict, that  two  of  the  Pope's  dragoons  had  been 
killed,  and  that  the  insurgents  had  been  put  to 
flight;  several  of  them  having  been  arrested. 
These  insurgents  had  assumed  the  French  na- 
tional cockade,  implying  that  they  were  acting, 
in  some  degree  of  co-operation,  with  revolu- 
tionary Franca 

Joseph  immediately  called  upon  the  Secreta- 
ry of  State,  and  informed  him  that  far  from  * 
complaining  of  the  arrest  of  persons  who  had 
assumed  the  French  cockade,  he  came  to  make 
the  definite  request  that  he  would  arrest  all 
such  persons  who  were  not  in  the  service  of 
the  French  legation.  He  also  informed  the 
secretary  that  six  individuals  had  taken  refuge 
within  his  jurisdiction.  At  Home  the  residen- 
ces of  the  foreign  ambassadors  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  sanctuary  in  common  with  most 


1797.]       DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  57 


Duphot's  contemplated  Marriage. 


of  the  churches.  Joseph  informed  the  secreta- 
ry, that  if  those  who  had  taken  refuge  in  his 
palace  were  of  the  insurgents,  they  should  be 
given  up.  As  he  returned  to  his  residence  he 
found  General  Duphot,  a  very  distinguished 
French  officer,  who  the  next  day  was  to  be 
married  to  Joseph's  wife's  sister,  and  several 
other  French  gentlemen,  eagerly  conversing 
upon  the  folly  of  the  past  night.  Just  as  they 
were  sitting  down  to  dinner,  the  porter  inform- 
ed him  that  some  twenty  persons  were  endeav- 
oring to  enter  the  palace,  and  that  they  were 
distributing  French  cockades  to  the  passers-by, 
and  were  shouting  "  Live  the  Republic."  One 
of  these  revolutionists,  a  French  artist,  burst 
like  a  maniac  into  the  presence  of  the  ambas- 
sador, exclaiming  "  We  are  free,  and  have  come 
to  demand  the  support  of  France." 

Joseph  sternly  reproved  him  for  his  sense- 
less conduct,  and  ordered  him  to  retire  imme- 
diately from  the  protection  of  the  Embassy,  and 
to  take  his  comrades  with  him,  or  severe  meas- 
ures would  be  resorted  to.  One  of  the  officers 
said  to  the  artist  scornfully,  "  Where  would 
your  pretended  liberty  be,  should  the  governor 
of  the  city  open  fire  upon  you  ?" 

The  artist  retired  in  confusion.     But  the  tu- 


58  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 


Invasion  of  the  Palace. 


mult  around  the  palace  increased.  Joseph's 
friends  saw,  in  the  midst  of  the  mob,  well-known 
spies  of  the  Government  urging  them  on,  shout- 
ing Vive  la  Republique,  and  scattering  money  with 
a  liberal  hand.  The  insurgents  were  availing 
themselves  of  the  palace  of  the  French  ambas- 
sador as  theirplace  of  rendezvous,  and  where,  if 
need  be,  they  hoped  to  find  a  sanctuary.  Joseph 
took  the  insignia  of  his  office,  and  calling  upon 
the  officers  of  his  household  to  follow  him,  de- 
scended into  the  court,  intending  to  address  the 
mob,  as  he  spoke  their  language.  In  leaving 
the  cabinet,  they  heard  a  prolonged  discharge 
of  fire-arms.  It  was  from  the  troops  of  the  Gov- 
ernment ;  a  picket  of  cavalry,  in  violation  of  the 
established  usages  of  national  courtesy,  had  in- 
vaded the  j  urisdiction  of  the  French  ambassador, 
which,  protected  by  his  flag,  was  regarded  as  the 
soil  of  France,  and,  without  consulting  the  am- 
bassador, were  discharging  volleys  of  musket- 
ry through  the  three  vast  arches  of  the  palace. 
Many  dropped  dead ;  others  fell  wounded  and 
bleeding.  The  terrified  crowd  precipitated  it- 
self into  the  courts  and  on  the  stairs,  pursued 
by  the  avenging  bullets  of  the  Government. 
Joseph  and  his  friends,  as  they  boldly  forced 
their  way  through  the  flying  multitude,  en« 


1797.]        DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  59 


Account  of  the  Insurrection. 


countered  the  dying  and  the  dead,  and  not  a 
few  Government  spies,  who  they  knew  were 
paid  to  excite  the  insurrection  and  then  to  de- 
nounce the  movement  to  the  authorities. 

Just  as  they  were  stepping  out  of  the  vesti» 
bule  they  met  a  company  of  fusileers  who  had 
followed  the  cavalry.  At  the  sight  of  the 
French  ambassador  they  stopped.  Joseph  de- 
manded the  commander.  He,  conscious  of  the 
lawlessness  of  his  proceedings,  had  concealed 
himself  in  the  ranks,  and  could  not  be  distin- 
guished. He  then  demanded  of  the  troops  by 
whose  order  they  entered  upon  the  jurisdiction 
of  France,  and  commanded  them  to  retire.  A 
scene  of  confusion  ensued,  some  advancing,  oth- 
ers retiring.  Joseph  then  facing  them,  said,  in 
a  very  decisive  tone,  "  that  the  first  one  who 
should  attempt  to  pass  the  middle  of  the  court 
would  encounter  trouble." 

He  drew  his  sword,  and  Generals Duphot  and 
Sherlock  and  two  other  officers  of  his  escort, 
armed  with  swords  or  pistols  and  poniards, 
ranged  themselves  at  his  side  to  resist  their  ad- 
vance. The  musketeers  retired  just  beyond 
pistol-shot,  and  then  deliberately  fired  a  general 
discharge  in  the  direction  of  Joseph  and  his 
friends.  None  of  the  party  immediately  sur- 


60  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797, 


Death  of  Duphot 


rounding  the  ambassador  were  struck,  but  sev- 
eral were  killed  in  their  rear. 

Joseph,  with  General  Duphot,  boldly  ad- 
vanced as  the  soldiers  were  reloading  their 
muskets,  and  ordered  them  to  retire  from  the 
jurisdiction  of  France,  saying  that  the  ambas- 
sador would  charge  himself  with  the  punish- 
ment of  the  insurgents,  and  that  he  would  im- 
mediately Bend  one  of  his  own  officers  to  the 
Vatican  or  to  the  Governor  of  Rome,  and  that 
the  affair  would  thus  be  settled.  The  soldiers 
seemed  to  pay  no  regard  to  this,  and  continued 
loading  their  muskets.  General  Duphot,  one  of 
the  most  brave  and  impetuous  of  men,  leaped 
forward  into  the  midst  of  the  bayonets  of  the 
soldiers,  prevented  one  from  loading  and  struck 
up  the  gun  of  another,  who  was  just  upon  the 
point  of  firing.  Joseph  and  General  Sherlock, 
as  by  instinct,  followed  him. 

Some  of  the  soldiers  seized  General  Duphot, 
dragged  him  rudely  beyond  the  sacred  pre- 
cincts of  the  ambassador's  palace  and  the  flag  of 
France,  and  then  a  soldier  discharged  a  musket 
into  his  bosom.  The  heroic  general  fell,  and 
immediately  painfully  rose,  leaning  upon  his 
sabre.  Joseph,  who  witnessed  it  all,  in  the 
midst  of  this  scene  of  indescribable  confusion 


1797.J       DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  61 


Peril  of  Joseph. 


called  out  to  his  friend,  who  the  next  day  was 
to  be  his  brother-in-law,  to  return.  General 
Duphot  attempted  it,  when  a  second  shot  pros 
trated  him  upon  the  pavement.  More  than 
fifty  shots  were  then  discharged  into  his  lifeless 
body. 

The  soldiers  now  directed  their  fire  upon 
Joseph  and  General  Sherlock.  Fortunately 
there  was  a  door  through  which  they  escaped 
into  the  garden  of  the  palace,  where  they  were 
for  a  moment  sheltered  from  the  bullets  of  the 
assassins.  Another  company  of  Government 
troops  had  now  arrived,  and  was  firing  from 
the  other  side  of  the  street.  Two  French  offi- 
cers, from  whom  Joseph  had  been  separated, 
now  joined  him  and  General  Sherlock  in  the 
garden.  There  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  sol- 
diers from  entering  the  palace,  where  Joseph's 
wife  and  her  sister,  who  the  next  day  was  to 
have  become  the  wife  of  General  Duphot,  were 
trembling  in  terror.  Joseph  and  his  friends  re- 
gained the  palace  by  the  side  of  the  garden. 
The  court  was  now  filled  with  the  soldiers, 
and  with  the  insurgents  who  had  so  foolishly 
and  ignominiously  caused  this  horrible  scene. 
Twenty  of  the  insurgents  lay  dead  upon  the 
pavement. 


62  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 


Note  to  Talleyrand. 


"I  entered  the  palace,"  Joseph  writes  in 
his  dispatch  to  Talleyrand ;  "  the  walks  were 
covered  with  blood,  with  the  dying,  dragging 
themselves  along,  and  with  the  wounded,  loudly 
groaning.  We  closed  the  three  gates  fronting 
upon  the  street.  The  lamentations  of  the  be- 
trothed of  Duphot,  that  young  hero  who,  con- 
stantly in  the  advance-guard  of  the  armies  of 
the  Pyrenees  and  of  Italy,  had  always  been  vic- 
torious, butchered  by  cowardly  brigands ;  the 
absence  of  her  mother  and  of  her  brother, 
whom  curiosity  had  drawn  from  the  palace  to 
see  the  monuments  of  Rome ;  the  fusillade  which 
continued  in  the  streets,  and  against  the  gates 
of  the  palace ;  the  outer  apartments  of  the  vast 
palace  of  Corsini,  which  I  inhabited,  thronged 
with  people  of  whose  intentions  we  were  igno- 
rant: these  circumstances  and  many  others  ren- 
dered the  scene  inconceivably  cruel." 

Joseph  immediately  summoned  the  servants 
of  the  household  around  him.  Three  had  been 
wounded.  The  French  officers,  impelled  by 
an  instinct  of  national  pride,  heroically  emerged 
from  the  palace,  with  the  aid  of  these  domestics, 
to  rescue  the  body  of  their  unfortunate  general 
Taking  a  circuitous  route,  notwithstanding  the 
fusillade  which  was  still  continued,  they  sue- 


1797.]        DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  63 

Imbecility  of  the  Papal  Government. 

ceeded  in  reaching  the  spot  of  his  cowardly  as- 
sassination. There  they  found  the  remains  of 
this  truly  noble  young  man,  despoiled,  pierced 
with  bullets,  clotted  with  blood,  and  covered 
with  stones  which  had  been  thrown  upon  him. 

It  was  six  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Two 
hours  had  elapsed  since  the  assassination  of 
Duphot ;  and  yet  not  a  member  of  the  .Eoman 
Grovernment  had  appeared  at  the  palace  to 
bring  protection  or  to  restore  order.  Joseph 
was,  properly,  very  indignant,  and  resolved  at 
once  to  call  for  his  passports  and  leave  the  city. 
He  wrote  a  brief  note  to  the  Secretary  of  State, 
and  sent  it  by  a  faithful  domestic,  who  succeed- 
ed in  the  darkness  in  passing  through  the  crowd 
of  soldiers.  As  the  firing  was  still  continued, 
Joseph  and  his  friends  anxiously  watched  the 
messenger  from  the  attic  windows  of  the  palace 
till  he  was  lost  from  sight. 

An  hour  passed,  and  some  one  was  heard 
knocking  at  the  gate  with  repeated  blows. 
They  supposed  that  it  was  certainly  the  gov- 
ernor or  some  Roman  officer  of  commanding 
authority.  It  proved  to  be  Chevalier  Angio- 
lini,  minister  from  Tuscany,  the  envoy  of  a 
prince  who  was  in  friendly  alliance  with  the 
French  Republic.  As  he  passed  through  the 


64  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1797. 

The  Ministers  of  Tuscany  and  Spain. 

soldiery  they  stopped  his  carriage,  and  sarcas- 
tically asked  him  "  if  he  were  in  search  of 
dangers  and  bullet-wounds."  He  courageous- 
ly  and  reproachfully  replied,  "  There  can  be 
no  such  dangers  in  Rome  within  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  ambassador  of  France."  This  was 
a  severe  reproach  against  the  officers  of  a  na- 
tion who  were  indebted  to  the  moderation  of 
the  French  Republic  for  their  continued  polit- 
ical existence.  The  minister  of  Spain  soon  also 
presented  himself,  braving  all  the  dangers  of 
the  street,  which  were  truly  very  great.  They 
were  both  astonished  that  no  public  officer 
had  arrived,  and  expressed  much  indignation 
in  view  of  the  violation  of  the  rights  of  the 
Embassy. 

Ten  o'clock  arrived,  and  still  no  public  offi- 
cer had  made  his  appearance.  Joseph  wrote 
a  second  letter  to  the  cardinal.  An  answer 
now  came,  which  was  soon  followed  by  an  offi- 
cer and  about  forty  men,  who  said  that  they 
had  been  sent  to  protect  the  ambassador's  com- 
munications with  the  Secretary  of  State.  But 
they  had  no  authority  or  power  to  rescue  the 
palace  from  the  insurgents,  who  were  crowd- 
ed into  one  part  of  it,  and  from  the  Govern- 
ment troops,  who  occupied  another  part.  No 


1797.]       DIPLOMATIC  LABORS.  65 


Joseph  leaves  Rome. 


attention  had  been  paid  to  Joseph's  reitera- 
ted demands  for  the  liberation  of  the  palace 
from  the  dominion  of  the  insurgents  and  the 
troops. 

Joseph  then  wrote  to  the  secretary,  demand 
Ing  immediately  his  passport.  It  was  sent  to 
him  two  hours  after  midnight  At  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  fourteen  hours  after  the  assas- 
sination of  General  Duphot,  the  investment  of 
the  palace  by  the  troops  and  the  massacre  of 
the  people  who  had  crowded  into  it,  not  a  sin- 
gle Eoman  officer  had  made  his  appearance 
charged  by  the  Government  to  investigate  the 
state  of  affairs. 

Joseph,  after  having  secured  the  safety  of 
the  few  French  remaining  at  Rome,  left  for 
Tuscany,  and  in  a  dispatch  to  the  French  Gov- 
ernment minutely  detailed  the  events  which 
had  occurred.  In  the  conclusion  of  his  dis- 
patch he  wrote: 

"  This  Government  is  not  inconsistent  with 
itself.  Crafty  and  rash  in  perpetrating  crime, 
cowardly  and  fawning  when  it  has  been  com- 
mitted, it  is  to-day  upon  its  knees  before  the 
minister  Azara,  that  he  may  go  to  Florence 
and  induce  me  to  return  to  Rome.  So  writes 
to  me  that  generous  friend  of  France,  worthy 

6—5 


66  JOSEPH  BONAPAKTE.        [1797. 


Letter  of  Talleyrand. 


of  dwelling  in  a  land  where  his  virtues  and  his 
noble  loyalty  may  be  better  appreciated." 

In  reply  to  this  dispatch  the  French  minis- 
ter, Talleyrand,  wrote  to  Joseph,  "I  have  re- 
ceived, citizen,  the  heart-rending  letter  which 
you  have  written  me  upon  the  frightful  events 
which  transpired  at  Rome  on  the  28th  of  De- 
cember. Notwithstanding  the  care  which  you 
have  taken  to  conceal  every  thing  personal  to 
yourself  during  that  horrible  day,  you  have 
not  been  able  to  conceal  from  me  that  you 
have  manifested,  in  the  highest  degree,  courage, 
coolness,  and  that  intelligence  which  nothing 
can  escape ;  and  that  you  have  sustained  with 
magnanimity  the  honor  of  the  French  name. 
The  Directory  charges  me  to  express  to  you, 
in  the  strongest  and  most  impressive  terms,  its 
extreme  satisfaction  with  your  whole  conduct. 
You  will  readily  believe,  I  trust,  that  I  am  hap- 
py to  be  the  organ  of  these  sentiments." 


1798.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.    67 

Elected  to  the  Council  of  Five  Hundred 


J 


CHAPTER  III. 

JOSEPH  THE   PEACE-MAKER 

OSEPH,  after  a  short  tarry  at  Florence,  re- 
turned to  Paris,  where  he  again  met  his 
brother.  Napoleon  was  much  disappointed 
with  the  result  of  the  embassy  to  Eome,  for 
he  had  ardently  hoped  to  cultivate  the  most 
friendly  relations  with  that  power.  Joseph 
was  favored  with  a  long  interview  with  the 
Directory,  by  whom  he  was  received  with 
great  cordiality.  In  testimony  of  their  satis- 
faction, they  offered  him  the  embassy  to  Ber- 
lin. He,  however,  declined  the  appointment, 
as  he  preferred  to  enter  the  Council  of  Five 
Hundred,  to  which  office  he  had  been  nomina- 
ted by  the  Electoral  College  of  one  of  the  de- 
partments. The  Government  of  France  then 
consisted  of  an  Executive  of  five  Directors,  a 
Senate,  called  the  Council  of  Ancients,  and  a 
House  of  Representatives,  called  the  Council 
of  Five  Hundred. 

Preparations  were  now  making  for  the  ex- 


, 


68  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1798, 


Remarks  of  Napoleon. 


pedition  to  Egypt.  The  command  was  offered 
to  Napoleon.  For  some  time  he  hesitated  be- 
fore  accepting  it  One  day  he  said  to  his 
brother  Joseph, 

"The  Directory  see  me  here  with  uneasi- 
ness, notwithstanding  all  my  efforts  to  throw 
myself  into  the  shade.  Neither  the  Directory 
nor  I  can  do  any  thing  to  oppose  that  tenden- 
cy to  a  more  centralized  government,  which  is 
so  manifestly  inevitable.  Our  dreams  of  a  re- 
public were  the  illusions  of  youth.  Since  the 
ninth  Thermidor,1  the  Eepublican  instinct  has 
grown  weaker  every  day.  The  efforts  of  the 
Bourbons,  of  foreigners,  sustained  by  the  re- 
membrance of  the  year  1793,  had  reunited 
against  the  Republican  system  an  imposing 
majority.  But  for  the  thirteenth  Vendemiaire* 
and  the  eighteenth  Fructidor,*  this  majority 

1  9th  Thermidor,  28th  of  July,  1794.  This  was  the  date 
of  the  overthrow  of  Robespierre,  and  of  the  termination  of 
the  Reign  of  Terror.  The  enormous  atrocities  perpetrated 
under  the  name  of  the  Republic  had  excited  general  distrust 
of  republican  institutions. 

4  13th  Vendemiaire,  5th  of  October,  1795,  when  Napoleon 
quelled  the  insurgent  sections. 

3 18th  Fructidor,  4th  of  September,  1 797.  On  this  day  th« 
majority  of  the  French  Directory  overthrew  the  minority, 
who  were  in  favor  of  monarchical  institutions.  Sixty-thre* 
Deputies  were  bnnished  for  conspiring  to  introduce  monarchy. 
Both  councils  renewed  their  oath  of  hatred  against  royalty. 


1798.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.    69 


Remarks  of  Napoleon. 


would  have  triumphed  a  long  time  ago.  The 
feebleness,  the  dissensions  of  the  Directory, 
have  done  the  rest.  It  is  upon  me  that  all 
eyes  are  fixed  to-day.  To-morrow  they  will 
be  fixed  upon  some  one  else.  While  waiting 
for  that  other  one  to  appear,  if  he  is  to  appear, 
my  interest  tells  me  that  no  violence  should  be 
done  to  fortune.  We  must  leave  to  fortune 
an  open  field. 

"  Many  persons  hope  still  in  the  Republic 
Perhaps  they  have  reason.  I  leave  for  the 
East,  with  all  means  for  success.  If  my  coun- 
try has  need  of  me — if  the  number  of  those 
who  think  with  Talleyrand,  Sieyes,  and  Roe- 
derer  should  increase,  should  war  be  resumed, 
and  prove  unfriendly  to  the  arms  of  France,  I 
shall  return  more  sure  of  the  opinion  of  the 
nation.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  war  should  be 
favorable  to  the  Republic,  if  a  military  states- 
man like  myself  should  rise  and  gather  around 
him  the  wishes  of  the  people,  very  well,  I 
shall  render,  perhaps,  still  greater  services  to 
the  world  in  the  East  than  he  can  do.  I  shall 
probably  overthrow  English  domination,  and 
shall  arrive  more  surely  at  a  maritime  peace, 
than  by  the  demonstrations  which  the  Direc- 
tory makes  upon  the  shores  of  the  Channel. 


70  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1798. 


Napoleon's  Patriotism. 


"  The  system  of  France  must  become  that 
of  Europe  in  order  to  be  durable.  We  see 
thus  very  evidently  what  is  required.  I  wish 
what  the  nation  wishes.  Truly  I  do  not  know 
what  it  wishes  to-day,  but  we  shall  know  bet- 
ter hereafter.  Till  then  let  us  study  its  wishes 
and  its  necessities.  I  do  not  wish  to  usurp  any 
thing.  I  shall,  at  all  events,  find  renown  in  the 
East;  and  if  that  renown  can  be  made  servicea- 
able  to  my  country,  I  will  return  with  it.  I  will 
then  endeavor  to  secure  the  stability  of  the  hap- 
piness of  France  in  securing,  if  it  is  possible,  the 
prosperity  of  Europe,  and  extending  our  free 
principles  into  neighboring  states,  who  may  be 
made  friends  if  they  can  profit  from  our  mis- 
fortunes." 

"  Such,"  says  Joseph,  "  were  the  habitual 
thoughts  of  General  Bonaparte.  His  happi- 
ness was  not  to  depend  merely  upon  the  pos- 
session of  power.  He  wished  to  merit  the 
gratitude  of  his  country  and  of  posterity  by  his 
deeds,  and  to  conform  his  life  to  duty,  sure  that 
it  was  by  such  renown  alone  that  his  name 
could  pass  down  to  future  ages." 

Joseph  was  now  a  member  of  the  Council 
of  Five  Hundred.  His  brother  Lucien,  though 
he  was  still  very  young,  had  also  been  elected 


1799.]   JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.  71 

The  Directory.  State  of  Franc*. 

a  member  of  the  same  body.  The  brilliant 
achievements  of  the  young  conqueror  in  the 
East  roused  the  enthusiasm  of  France.  The 
conquest  of  Malta,  the  landing  at  Alexandria, 
the  battle  of  the  Pyramids,  and  the  entrance  into 
Cairo,  had  been  reported  through  France,  rous- 
ing in  every  hill  and  valley  shouts  of  exulta- 
tion. Napoleon  was  rapidly  gaining  that  re- 
nown which  would  enable  him  to  control  and 
to  guide  his  countrymen. 

The  Directory  still  nominally  governed 
France,  though  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  under 
their  inefficiency  and  misrule,  were  passing  rap- 
idly to  ruin.  The  Directors  contemplated  with 
alarm  the  rising  celebrity  which  Napoleon  was 
acquiring  in  the  East.  They  made  a  formida- 
ble attack  upon  him,  through  a  committee,  in 
the  Council  of  Five  Hundred.  Joseph  defend- 
ed his  absent  brother  with  so  much  eloquence 
and  power,  as  to  confound  his  accusers,  and  he 
obtained  a  unanimous  verdict  in  his  favor. 

The  state  of  things  in  France  was  now 
very  deplorable.  The  Allies  with  vigor  had 
renewed  the  war.  The  Austrian  armies  had 
again  overrun  Italy,  and  were  threatening  to 
scale  the  Alps,  and  to  rush  down  upon  the 
plains  of  France.  The  British  fleet,  the  most 


72  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1799. 

Anarchy.  Joseph  sends  to  Napoleon. 

powerful  military  arm  the  world  has  ever 
known,  had  swept  the  commerce  of  France 
from  all  seas,  had  captured  many  of  her  colo- 
nies, and  was  bombarding,  with  shot  and  shell, 
every  city  of  the  Kepublic  within  reach  of  its 
broadsides.  The  five  Directors  were  quarrel- 
ling among  themselves,  some  favoring  monar- 
chy, others  republicanism.  The  two  councils, 
that  of  the  Ancients  and  that  of  the  Five  Hun- 
dred, were  at  antagonism.  Many  formidable 
conspiracies  were  formed,  some  for  the  support 
of  the  Allies  and  the  restoration  of  the  Bour- 
bons, others  for  the  re-introduction  of  the  Jac- 
obinical Keign  of  Terror. 

France  was  in  a  state  of  general  anarchy. 
There  was  no  man  of  sufficient  celebrity  to  gain 
the  confidence  of  the  people,  so  that  he  could 
assume  the  office  of  leader,  and  bring  order  out 
of  chaos.  The  once  mighty  monarchy  of  France 
was  in  the  condition  of  a  mob,  without  a  head, 
careering  this  way  and  that  way,  in  tumultuous 
and  inextricable  confusion.  Joseph  sent  a  spe- 
cial messenger,  a  Greek  by  the  name  of  Bour- 
baki,  to  Jean  d'Acre,  to  communicate  to  Na- 
poleon the  state  of  affairs. 

Informed  of  these  facts,  at  this  momentous 
crisis  Napoleon,  having  attained  renown  which 


1799.]   JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.   73 

Return  of  Napoleon.  Remarks  of  Moreau. 

caused  every  eye  in  France  to  be  fixed  upon 
him,  landed  at  Frejus,  and  was  borne  along, 
with  the  acclamations  of  the  multitude,  to  Paris. 
Immediately  upon  the  young  general's  arrival, 
General  Moreau  hastened  to  his  humble  resi- 
dence in  the  Rue  de  la  Victoire,  and  earnestly 
said  to  him, 

"  Disgusted  with  the  government  of  the  law- 
yers, who  have  ruined  the  Republic,  I  come  to 
offer  you  my  aid  to  save  the  country." 

A  number  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
of  France  crowded  the  small  parlors  of  Gener- 
al Bonaparte.  As  he  was  speaking,  with  that 
genius  which  ever  commanded  attention  and 
assent,  of  the  political  condition  and  wants  of 
France,  Moreau  interrupted  him,  saying, 

"  I  only  desire  to  unite  my  efforts  with 
yours  to  save  France.  I  am  convinced  that  you 
only  have  the  power.  The  generals  and  the 
officers  who  have  served  under  me  are  now  in 
Paris,  and  are  ready  to  co-operate  with  you." 
The  little  saloon  was  crowded.  General  Mac- 
donald  was  present  Generals  Jourdan  and 
Augereau  had  conversed  with  Salcetti,  and  re 
ported  that  Bernadotte  and  a  majority  of  the 
Council  of  Five  Hundred  were  in  favor  of  the 
movement. 


74  JOSEPH  BONAPABTE.       [1799. 


18th  Brumaire. 


Joseph  co-operated  diligently  with  Napole- 
on in  the  measures  now  set  on  foot  to  rescue 
France  from  destruction.  Joseph  dined  with 
Sie'yes.  At  the  table  Sie'yes  said  to  his  guests, 

"  I  wish  to  unite  with  General  Bonaparte, 
for  of  all  the  military  men  he  is  the  most  of  a 
statesman." 

On  the  18th  Brumaire1  the  Directory  was 
overthrown,  and,  without  one  drop  of  blood 
being  shed,  a  new  government  was  organized, 
and  Napoleon  was  made  consul.  The  world 
is  divided,  and  perhaps  may  forever  remain  di- 
vided, in  its  judgment  of  this  event.  Some 
call  Napoleon  a  usurper.  France  then  called 
him,  and  still  calls  him,  the  saviour  of  his 
country. 

In  the  midst  of  these  tumultuary  scenes, 
when  it  was  uncertain  whether  Napoleon 
would  gain  his  ends  or  fall  upon  the  scaffold, 
General  Augereau  came,  in  great  alarm,  to  St. 
Cloud,  and  informed  Napoleon  that  his  ene- 
mies in  the  two  councils  were  proposing  to 
vote  him  an  outlaw. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Napoleon  calmly,  "  you 
and  I,  General  Augereau,  have  long  been  ac- 
quainted with  each  other.  Say  to  your  friends 

» 18tk  Brvmaire,  Nov.  9th,  1799. 


1799.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.  75 


Character  of  Joseph. 


the  cork  is  drawn,  we  must  now  drink  the 
wine." 

Joseph  Bonaparte,  who  a  little  before  these 
events  had  withdrawn  from  the  Council  of 
Five  Hundred,  was  with  his  brother  constant- 
ly through  these  momentous  scenes.  Imme- 
diately after  the  establishment  of  the  new  gov- 
ernment he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
legislative  body,  and  soon  after  of  the  Council 
of  State.  Joseph  had  become  a  very  wealthy 
man,  having  acquired  a  large  fortune  by  his 
marriage.  He  owned  a  very  beautiful  estate 
at  Mortfontaine,  but  a  few  leagues  from  Paris. 
Both  Joseph  and  his  wife  were  extremely  fond 
of  the  quiet,  domestic  pleasures  of  rural  life. 
Neither  of  them  had  any  taste  for  the  excite- 
ment and  the  splendors  of  state.  But  France, 
in  her  condition  of  peril,  assailed  by  the  al- 
lied despotism  of  Europe  without,  and  agita- 
ted by  conspiracies  within,  demanded  the  ener- 
gies of  every  patriotic  arm.  Joseph  was  thus 
constrained  to  sacrifice  his  inclinations  to  his 
sense  of  duty.  He  rendered  his  brother  in- 
valuable assistance  by  the  energy  and  the  con- 
ciliatory manners  with  which  he  endeavored 
to  carry  out  the  plans  of  the  First  Consul. 
Lucien  Bonaparte,  eight  years  younger  than 


76  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1799. 


Plans  and  Measures  of  Napoleon. 


Joseph,  accepted  the  post  of  Minister  of  the 
Interior. 

Before  the  overthrow  of  the  Directory  mob 
Jaw  had  reigned  triumphant  in  Paris.  Napo- 
leon, as  first  consul,  immediately  took  up  his 
residence  in  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries.  It  was 
proposed  to  him  that  he  should  close  the  gates 
of  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries,  that  it  might  no 
longer  be  a  place  of  public  resort.  Joseph 
strenuously  opposed  the  measure,  and  it  was 
renounced.  The  great  object  Napoleon  aimed 
at  was  to  ascertain  the  wishes  of  the  people, 
that  he  might  be  the  executor  of  their  will. 
His  only  power  consisted  in  having  cordially 
with  him  the  masses  of  the  population.  He 
was  untiring  in  his  endeavors  to  ascertain  pub- 
lic sentiment,  and  endeavored  to  adopt  those 
measures  which  should,  from  their  manifest 
wisdom  and  justice,  secure  public  approbation. 
In  this  service  Joseph  was  invaluable  to  his 
brother.  He  gave  brilliant  entertainments  at 
his  chateau  at  Mortfontaine ;  and  being  a  man 
of  remarkably  amiable  spirit  and  polished  man- 
ners, he  secured  the  confidence  of  all  parties, 
and  exerted  a  very  powerful  influence  in  heal- 
ing the  wounds  of  past  strife.  At  these  enter- 
tainments Joseph  made  it  his  constant  object 


1799.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKES.  77 


Joseph  an  Ambassador. 


to  study  the  wishes  and  the  opinions  of  the 
different  classes  of  society. 

The  Directory  had  involved  the  public  in 
serious  difficulties  with  the  United  States.  Na- 
poleon immediately  appointed  Joseph,  with  two 
associates,  to  adjust  all  the  differences  between 
the  two  countries.  As  both  parties  were  dis- 
posed to  friendly  relations,  all  difficulties  were 
speedily  terminated,  and  a  treaty  was  signed 
on  the  30th  of  September,  1800,  at  Joseph's 
mansion  at  Mortfontaine. 

England  and  Austria,  with  great  vigor,  still 
pressed  the  war  upon  France,  notwithstanding 
the  earnest  appeals  of  Napoleon  to  the  King  of 
England  and  the  Emperor  of  Austria  in  behalf 
of  peace.  This  refusal  to  sheathe  the  sword 
rendered  the  campaign  of  Marengo  a  necessi- 
ty. Napoleon  crossed  the  Alps,  and  upon  the 
plains  of  Marengo  almost  demolished  the  ar- 
mies of  Austria.  The  haughty  Emperor  was 
compelled  to  sue  for  that  peace  which  he  had 
so  scornfully  rejected.  The  commissioners  of 
the  two  powers  met  at  Luneville.  Napoleon, 
highly  gratified  at  the  skill  which  Joseph  had 
displayed  in  adjusting  the  difficulties  in  the 
United  States,  appointed  him  as  the  ambassa- 
dor from  France  to  secure  a  treaty  with  Aus- 


78  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1799. 

Peace  of  Lunerille.  Hostility  of  England. 

tria.  The  two  brothers  were  in  daily,  and 
sometimes  in  hourly  conference  in  reference  to 
the  questions  of  vast  national  importance  which 
this  treaty  involved.  But  Joseph  was  again 
entirely  successful.  On  the  9th  of  February, 
1801,  the  peace  of  Luneville  was  concluded,  to 
the  great  satisfaction  of  the  Emperor,  and  to 
the  great  gratification  of  France.  Napoleon 
says,  in  the  conclusion  of  a  letter  which  he 

«/      * 

wrote  to  Joseph  upon  this  subject,  "The  na- 
tion is  satisfied  with  the  treaty,  and  I  am  ex- 
ceedingly pleased  with  it." 

France  was  now  at  peace  with  all  the  Con- 
tinent. England  alone  implacably  continued 
the  war.  But  England  was  inaccessible  to  any 
blows  which  France  could  strike  without  mak- 
ing efforts  more  gigantic  than  nation  ever  at- 
tempted before.  Napoleon  resolved  to  make 
these  efforts  to  attain  peace.  He  prepared  al- 
most to  bridge  the  Channel  with  his  fleet  and 
gun-boats,  that  he  might  pour  an  army  of  in- 
vasion upon  the  shores  of  the  belligerent  isle, 
and  thus  compel  the  British  to  sheathe  the 
sword.  While  these  immense  preparations 
were  going  on,  the  First  Consul  devoted  his 
energies  to  the  reconstruction  of  society  in 
France. 


1799.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.     79 


Religious  Reaction. 


Revolutionary  fury  had  swept  all  the  institu- 
tions of  the  past  into  chaotic  ruin.  The  good 
and  the  bad  had  been  alike  demolished.  Chris- 
tianity had  been  entirely  overthrown,  her 
churches  destroyed,  and  her  priesthood  either 
slaughtered  upon  the  guillotine,  or  driven  from 
the  realm.  France  presented  the  revolting  as- 
pect of  a  mighty  nation  without  morality,  with- 
out religion,  and  without  a  God.  The  masses 
of  the  people,  particularly  in  the  rural  districts 
of  France,  had  become  disgusted  with  the  reign 
of  vice  and  misery.  They  longed  to  enjoy 
again  the  quietude  of  the  Sabbath  morning, 
the  tones  of  the  Sabbath  bell,  the  gathering  of 
the  congregations  in  the  churches,  and  all  those 
ministrations  of  religion  which  cheer  the  joy- 
ous hours  of  the  bridal,  and  which  convey 
solace  to  the  chamber  of  death.  The  over- 
whelming majority  of  the  people  of  France 
were  Roman  Catholics.  Among  the  millions 
who  peopled  the  extensive  realm  there  were 
but  a  few  thousands  who  were  Protestants. 
Napoleon  had  not  the  power,  even  had  he 
wished  it,  of  establishing  Protestantism  as  the 
national  religion. 

He  therefore,  in  accordance  with  his  policy 
of  adopting  those  measures  which  were  in  ac- 


80  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1799. 


The  Concordat. 


cordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  people,  resolved 
to  recognize  the  Catholic  religion  as  the  relig- 
ion of  France,  while  at  the  same  time  he  en- 
forced perfect  liberty  of  conscience  for  all  other 
religious  sects.  He  also  determined  that  all 
the  high  dignitaries  of  the  Church  should  be 
appointed  by  the  French  Government,  and  not 
by  the  Pope.  He  deemed  it  not  befitting  the 
dignity  of  France,  or  in  accordance  with  her 
interests,  that  a  foreign  potentate,  by  having 
the  appointment  of  all  the  places  of  ecclesiasti- 
cal power,  should  wield  so  immense  an  influ- 
ence over  the  French  people. 

But  to  re-establish  the  Catholic  religion,  and 
to  invest  it  with  the  supremacy  which  it  had 
gained  over  the  imaginations  of  men,  it  was 
necessary  to  bring  the  system  under  the  pater- 
nal jurisdiction  of  the  Pope,  who  throughout 
all  Europe  was  the  recognized  father  and  head 
of  the  Church. 

But  the  Pope  was  jealous  of  his  power.  He 
would  be  slow  to  consent  that  any  officers  of 
the  Church  should  be  appointed  by  any  voice 
which  did  not  emanate  from  the  Vatican.  It 
was  also  an  established  decree  of  the  Church 
that  heresy  was  a  crime,  meriting  the  severest 
punishment,  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical.  The 


1799.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.    81 


The  Concordat. 


Pope,  therefore,  could  not  consent  that  any- 
where  within  his  spiritual  domain  freedom  of 
conscience  should  be  tolerated.  Under  these 
circumstances,  nothing  could  be  more  difficult 
than  the  accomplishment  of  the  plan  which. 
Napoleon  had  proposed  for  the  promotion  oi 
the  peace  and  prosperity  of  France. 

The  eyes  of  the  First  Consul  were  imme- 
diately turned  to  his  brother  Joseph,  as  the  most 
fitting  man  in  France  to  conduct  negotiations 
of  so  much  delicacy  and  importance.  He  con- 
sequently was  appointed,  in  conjunction  with 
M.  Crete t,  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and  the 
abbe'  Bernier,  subsequently  Bishop  of  Orleans 
as  commissioner  on  the  part  of  France  to  a 
conference  with  the  Holy  See.  The  Pope  sent, 
as  his  representatives,  the  cardinals  Consalvi 
and  Spina,  and  the  father  Caselli.  Here  again 
Joseph  was  entirely  successful,  and  accomplish- 
ed his  mission  by  securing  all  those  results 
which  theFirst  Consul  so  earnestly  had  de- 
sired. 

• 

The  celebrated  Concordat1  was  signed  July 

1  "I  hold  it  for  certain  that  in  1802  the  Concordat  was,  on 
the  part  of  Napoleon,  an  act  of  superior  intelligence,  much 
more  than  of  a  despotic  spirit,  and  for  the  Christian  religion 
in  France  an  event  as  salutary  as  it  was  necessary.  After 
the  anarchy  and  the  revolutionary  orgies,  the  solemn  recog- 
6—6 


82  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1801 

The  Re-ertablishment  of  Christianity. 

15th,  1801,  at  the  residence  of  Joseph  in  Far- 
is,  in  the  Rue  Faubourg  St.  Honord  It  was 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  signa- 
tures of  the  several  commissioners  were  affixed 
to  this  important  document 

"  At  the  same  hour,"  writes  Joseph,  "  I  be- 
came the  father  of  a  third  infant,  whose  birtb 
was  saluted  by  the  congratulations  of  the  plen- 
ipotentiaries of  the  two  great  powers,  and 
whose  prosperity  was  augured  by  the  envoys 
of  the  vicar  of  Christ  Their  prayers  have  not 
been  granted.  A  widow  at  thirty  years  of 
age,  separated  from  her  father,  proscribed,  as 
has  been  all  the  rest  of  her  family,  there  only 
remains  to  her  the  consolation  of  reflecting 
that  she  has  not  merited  her  misfortunes."1 

Thus  did  Napoleon  re-establish  the  Chris- 
tian religion  throughout  the  whole  territory  of 
France.  In  this  measure  he  was  strenuously 
opposed  by  many  of  his  leading  officers,  and  by 

nition  of  Christianity  by  the  State  could  alone  give  satisfac- 
tion to  public  sentiment,  and  assure  to  the  Christian  influ- 
ence the  dignity  and  the  stability  which  it  was  needful  that 
it  should  recover." — Meditations  sur  I'e'tat  Actuel  de  la  Re- 
ligion Chretienne,  par  M.  Guizot,  p.  5. 

1  This  daughter  subsequently  married  her  cousin,  the 
brother  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  III.,  the  second  son  of 
Louis  Bonaparte.  He  died  at  an  early  age,  in  a  campaign  for 
the  liberation  of  Italy. 


1801.]  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.  83 

The  Re-establishment  of  Christianity. 


the  corrupt  revolutionary  circles  of  France,  yet 
throughout  all  the  rural  districts  the  restora- 
tion of  religion  was  received  with  boundless 
enthusiasm. 

"  The  sound  of  the  village  bells,"  writes 
Alison,  "  again  calling  the  faithful  to  the  house 
of  God,  was  hailed  by  millions  as  the  dove  with 
the  olive-branch,  which  first  pronounced  peace 
to  the  green,  undeluged  earth.  The  thought- 
ful and  religious  everywhere  justly  considered 
the  voluntary  return  of  a  great  nation  to  the 
creed  of  its  fathers,  from  the  experienced  im- 
possibility of  living  without  its  precepts,  as  the 
most  signal  triumph  which  has  occurred  since 
it  ascended  the  imperial  throne  under  the  ban- 
ners of  Constantine." 

Nearly  all  the  powers  upon  the  Continent 
of  Europe  were  now  at  peace  with  France. 
England  alone  still  refused  to  sheathe  the 
sword.  But  the  people  of  England  began  to 
remonstrate  so  determinedly  against  this  end- 
less war,  which  was  openly  waged  to  force 
upon  France  a  detested  dynasty,  that  the  Eng- 
lish Government  was  compelled,  though  with 
much  reluctance,  to  listen  to  proposals  for 
peace. 

The  latter  part  of  the  year  1801,  the  pleni- 


84  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1801. 


Peace  of  Amiens. 


potentiaries  of  France   and  England  met  at 
Amiens,  an  intermediate   point  between  Lon 
don  and  Paris.    England  appointed,  as  her  am 
bassador,  Lord  Cornwallis,  a  nobleman  of  ex- 
alted character,  and  whose  lofty  spirit  of  honor 
was  superior  to  every  temptation.     "  The  First 
Consul,"  writes  Thiers,  "  on  this  occasion  made 
choice  of  his  brother  Joseph,  for  whom  he  had 
a  very  particular  affection,  and  who,  by  the 
amenity  of  his  manners,  and  mildness  of  his 
character,  was  singularly  well  adapted  for  a 
peace-maker,  an  office   which  had  been  con 
stantly  reserved  for  him." 

Napoleon,  who  had  nothing  to  gain  by  war, 
was  exceedingly  anxious  for  peace  with  all  the 
world,  that  he  might  reconstruct  French  soci- 
ety from  the  chaos  into  which  revolutionar}' 
anarchy  had  plunged  it,  and  that  he  might 
develop  the  boundless  resources  of  France. 
Lord  Cornwallis  was  received  in  Paris,  with 
the  utmost  cordiality  by  Napoleon.  Joseph 
Bonaparte  gave,  in  his  honor,  a  magnificent 
entertainment,  to  which  all  the  distinguished 
Englishmen  in  France  were  invited,  and  also 
such  Frenchmen  of  note  as  he  supposed  Lonf 
Cornwallis  would  be  glad  to  meet. 

La  Fayette  was  not  invited.    Cornwallis  had 


1801.J  JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.   85 


Anecdote  of  Lord  Cornwallig, 


commanded  an  army  in  America,  where  he  had 
met  La  layette  on  fields  of  blood,  and  where 
he  subsequently,  with  his  whole  army,  had  been 
token  prisoner.  Joseph  thought  that  painful  as- 
sociations might  be  excited  in  the  bosom  of  his 
English  guest  by  meeting  his  successful  antag- 
onist. He  therefore,  from  a  sense  of  delicacy, 
avoided  bringing  them  together.  But  Corn- 
wallis  was  a  man  of  generous  nature.  As  he 
looked  around  upon  the  numerous  guests  as- 
sembled at  the  table,  he  said  to  Joseph, 

"  I  know  that  the  Marquis  de  la  Fayette  is 
one  of  your  friends.  It  would  have  given  me 
much  pleasure  to  have  met  him  here.  I  do 
not,  however,  complain  of  your  diplomatic  cau- 
tion. I  suppose  that  you  did  not  wish  to  in- 
troduce to  me  at  your  table  the  general  of 
Georgetown.  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  in- 
tention, which  I  fully  appreciate.  But  I  hope 
that  when  we  know  each  other  better,  we  shall 
banish  all  reserve,  and  not  act  as  diplomatists, 
but  as  men  who  sincerely  desire  to  fulfill  the 
wishes  of  their  governments,  nnd  to  arrive 
promptly  at  a  solid  peace.  Moreover,  the 
Marquis  de  la  Fayette  is  one  of  those  men 
whom  we  can  not  help  loving.  During  his 
captivity  I  presented  myself  before  the  Em- 


8$  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1802. 


Anecdote. 


peror  (of  Germany)  to  implore  his  liberation, 
which  I  did  not  have  the  happiness  of  obtain- 
ing." 

Cornwallis  left  Paris  for  Amiens.  Joseph 
immediately  after  proceeded  to  the  same  place. 
As  he  alighted  from  his  carriage  in  the  court- 
yard of  the  hotel  which  had  been  prepared  for 
him,  one  of  the  first  persons  whom  he  met  was 
Lord  Cornwallis.  The  English  lord,  disregard- 
ing the  formalities  of  etiquette,  advanced,  and 
presenting  his  hand  to  Joseph,  said, 

"I  hope  that  it  is  thus  that  you  will  deal 
with  me,  and  that  all  our  etiquette  will  not  re- 
tard for  a  single  hour  the  conclusion  of  peace. 
Such  forms  are  not  necessary  where  frankness 
and  honest  intentions  rule.  My  Government 
would  not  have  chosen  me  as  an  ambassador, 
if  it  had  not  been  intended  to  restore  peace  to 
the  world.  The  First  Consul,  in  choosing  his 
brother,  has  also  proved  his  good  intentions. 
The  rest  remains  for  us." 

Louis  Napoleon  gives  the  following  rather 
amusing  account  of  this  incident.  "When 
Joseph,  plenipotentiary  of  the  French  Kepub- 
lic,  journeyed  with  his  colleagues  toward  Ami- 
ens, to  conclude  peace  with  England,  in  1802, 
they  were  much  occupied,  he  said,  during  the 


CORNWALLIS   AND   JOSEPH. 


1802.]   JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER    89 

Hostility  of  the  English  Government. 

route,  as  to  the  ceremonial  which  should  be 
observed  with  the  English  diplomatists.  In 
the  interests  of  their  mission  they  desired  not 
to  fail  in  any  proprieties.  Still,  being  repre- 
sentatives of  a  republican  state,  they  did  not 
wish  to  show  too  much  attention,  prevenance, 
to  the  grand  English  lords  with  whom  they 
were  to  treat. 

"The  French  ambassadors  were  therefore 
much  embarrassed  in  deciding  to  whom  it  be- 
longed to  make  the  first  visit.  Quite  inexpe- 
rienced, they  were  not  aware  that  foreign  diplo- 
matists always  conceal  the  inflexibility  of  their 
policy  under  the  suppleness  of  forms.  Thus 
they  were  promptly  extricated  from  their  em- 
barrassment ;  for,  to  their  great  astonishment, 
they  found,  upon  their  arrival  at  Amiens,  Lord 
Cornwallis  waiting  for  them  at  the  door  of  his 
hotel,  and  who,  without  any  ceremony,  him- 
self opened  for  them  the  door  of  their  carriage, 
giving  them  a  cordial  grasp  of  the  hand."1 

Lord  Cornwallis,  however,  found  himself  in- 
cessantly embarrassed  by  instructions  he  was 
receiving  from  the  ministry  at  London.  They 
were  very  reluctantly  consenting  to  peace,  be- 
ing forced  to  it  by  the  pressure  of  public  opin- 
1  GEuvres  de  Napoleon  III.  tome  ii.  p.  456. 


90  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1802. 


.  Treaty  of  Amiens  Concluded. 


ion.  They  were,  therefore,  hoping  that  obsta- 
cles would  arise  which  would  enable  them, 
with  some  plausibility,  to  renew  the  war.  Na- 
poleon continually  wrote  to  his  brother  urging 
him  to  do  every  thing  in  his  power  to  secure 
the  signing  of  the  treaty.  In  a  letter  on  the 
10th  of  March,  he  writes, 

"The  differences  at  Amiens  are  not  worth 
making  such  a  noise  about.  A  letter  from 
Amiens  caused  the  alarm  in  London  by  assert- 
ing that  I  did  not  wish  for  peace.  Under 
these  circumstances  delay  will  do  real  mischief, 
and  may  be  of  great  consequence  to  our  squad- 
rons and  our  expeditions.  Have  the  kindness, 
therefore,  to  send  special  couriers  to  inform  me 
of  what  you  are  doing,  and  of  what  you  hear; 
for  it  is  clear  to  me  that,  if  the  terms  of  peace 
are  not  already  signed,  there  is  a  change  of 
plans  in  London." 

The  treaty  was  signed  on  the  25th  of  March, 
1802.  Joseph  immediately  prepared  to  return 
to  Paris.  Lord  Cornwallis,  in  taking  leave  of 
Joseph,  said, 

"  I  must  go  as  soon  as  possible  to  London,  in 
order  to  allay  the  storm  which  will  there  be 
gathering  against  me." 

"When  I  arrived  in  Paris,"  writes  Joseph, 


1802.]   JOSEPH  THE  PEACE-MAKER.  91 


Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre. 


"the  First  Consul  was  at  the  opera;  he 
caused  me  to  enter  into  his  box,  and  presented 
me  to  the  public  in  announcing  the  conclusion 
of  the  peace.  One  can  easily  imagine  the  emo- 
tions which  agitated  me,  and  also  him,  for  he 
was  as  tender  a  friend,  and  as  kind  a  brother, 
as  he  was  prodigious  as  a  man  and  great  as  a 
sovereign." 

Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre,  in  his  preface  to 
"  Paul  and  Virginia,"  renders  the  following 
homage  to  the  character  of  Joseph  at  this  time: 

"  About  a  year  and  a  half  ago  I  was  invi- 
ted by  one  of  the  subscribers  to  the  fine  edi- 
tion of  Paul  and  Virginia  to  come  and  see  him 
at  his  country-house.  He  was  a  young  father 
of  a  family,  wh/>se  physiognomy  announced 
the  qualities  of  his  mind.  He  united  in  him- 
self every  thing  which  distinguishes  as  a  son, 
a  brother,  a  husband,  a  father,  and  a  friend  to 
humanity.  He  took  me  in  private,  and  said, 
4  My  fortune,  which  I  owe  to  the  nation,  af- 
fords me  the  means  of  being  useful.  Add  to 
my  happiness  by  giving  me  an  opportunity  of 
contributing  to  your  own.'  This  philosopher, 
so  worthy  of  a  throne,  if  any  throne  were 
worthy  of  him,  was  Prince  Joseph  Napoleon 
Bonaparte." 


92  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.         [1802. 

Talleyrand.  Madame  de  Stael. 

While  the  treaty  of  Amiens  was  under  dis- 
cussion, Talleyrand  wrote  to  Joseph :  "  Your  lot 
will  indeed  be  a  happy  one  if  you  are  able  to 
secure  for  your  brother  that  peace  which  alone 
his  enemies  fear.  I  embrace  you,  and  I  love 
you.  I  think  that  this  affair  will  kill  me  un- 
less it  is  closed  as  we  desire." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty,  Talleyrand 
again  wrote:  "Mr  DEAR  JOSEPH,  —  Citizen 
Dupuis  has  just  arrived.  He  has  been  re- 
ceived by  the  First  Consul  as  the  bearer  of 
such  good,  grand,  glorious  news  as  you  have 
just  sent  by  him  should  be  received.  Your 
brother  is  perfectly  satisfied  (parfaitement  con- 
tent"}. 

Madame  de  Stael  wrote  to  Joseph :  "  Peace 
with  England  is  the  joy  of  the  world.  It  adds 
to  my  joy  that  it  is  you  who  have  promoted  it. 
and  that  every  year  you  have  some  new  occa- 
sion to  make  the  whole  nation  love  and  ap- 
plaud you.  You  have  terminated  the  most 
important  negotiation  in  the  history  of  Franco. 
That  glory  will  be  without  any  alloy." 


1803.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.       93 


Rupture  of  the  Peace  of  Amiens. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES. 

THE  peace  of  Amiens  was  of  short  duration. 
In  May,  1803 — but  fourteen  months  after 
the  signing  of  the  treaty — England  again  re- 
newed hostilities  without  even  a  declaration  of 
war.  This  was  the  signal  for  new  scenes  of 
blood  and  woe.  Napoleon  now  resolved  to  as- 
sail his  implacable  foe  by  carrying  his  armies 
into  the  heart  ot  England.  Enormous  prep- 
arations were  made  upon  the  French  coast  to 
transport  a  resistless  force  across  the  Channel. 
Joseph  Bonaparte  was  placed  in  command  of 
a  regiment  of  the  line,  which  had  recently  re- 
turned, with  great  renown,  from  the  fields  of 
Italy. 

In  the  midst  of  these  preparations,  which 
excited  fearful  apprehensions  in  England,  the 
British  Government  succeeded  in  organizing 
another  coalition  with  Austria  and  Russia,  to 
fall  upon  France  in  the  rear.  The  armies  of 


94  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1803. 


Rupture  of  the  Peace  of  Amiens. 


these  gigantic  Northern  powers  commenced 
their  march  toward  the  Rhine.  Napoleon 
broke  up  the  camp  of  Boulogne  and  advanced 
to  meet  them.  The  immortal  campaigns  of 
Ulm  and  Austerlitz  were  the  result.  Incredi- 
ble as  it  may  seem,  England  represented  this 
as  an  unprovoked  invasion  of  Germany  by 
Napoleon.  This  incessant  assault  of  the  Al- 
lies upon  France  was  a  great  grief  to  the  Em- 
peror. In  the  midst  of  all  the  distractions 
which  preceded  this  triumphant  march,  he 
wrote  to  his  Minister  of  Finance : 

"I  am  distressed  beyond  measure  at  the  ne- 
cessities of  my  situation,  which,  by  compelling 
me  to  live  in  camps,  and  engage  in  distant  ex- 
peditions, withdraw  my  attention  from  what 
would  otherwise  be  the  chief  object  of  my 
anxiety,  and  the  first  wish  of  my  heart  —  a 
good  and  solid  organization  of  all  which  con- 
cerns the  interests  of  banks,  manufactures,  and 
commerce." 

While  Napoleon  was  absent  upon  this  cam- 
paign, Joseph  was  left  in  Paris,  to  attend  to  the 
administration  of  home  affairs.  This  he  did, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Napoleon,  and  with 
great  honor  to  himself.  Napoleon  was  now 


1803.J  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.        95 

Conspiracy  to  assassinate  Napoleon. 

Emperor  of  France,  and  the  Senate  and  the 
people  had  declared  Joseph  and  his  children 
heirs  of  the  throne,  on  failure  of  Napoleon's 
issue. 

A  gigantic  conspiracy  was  formed  in  Eng- 
land by  Count  d'Artois,  subsequently  Charles 
X.,  and  other  French  emigrants,  for  the  assas- 
sination of  Napoleon.  The  plan  was  for  a  hun- 
dred resolute  men,  led  by  the  desperate  George 
Cadoudal,  to  waylay  Napoleon  when  passing, 
as  was  his  wont,  with  merely  a  small  guard  of 
ten  outriders,  from  the  Tuileries  to  Malmaison. 
The  conspirators  flattered  themselves  that  this 
would  be  considered  war,  not  assassination. 
The  Bourbons  were  then  to  raise  their  banner 
in  France,  and  the  emigrants,  lingering  upon 
the  frontiers,  were  to  rush  into  the  empire  with 
the  Allied  armies,  and  re-establish  the  throne 
of  the  old  re'gime.  The  Princes  of  Conde 
grandfather,  son,  and  grandson,  were  then  in 
the  service  and  pay  of  Great  Britain,  fighting 
against  their  native  land,  and,  by  the  laws  of 
France  traitors,  exposed  to  the  penalty  of 
death.  The  grandson,  the  Duke  d'Enghien, 
was  on  the  French  frontier,  in  the  duchy  of 
Baden,  waiting  for  the  signal  to  enter  France 
arms  in  hand. 


96  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1802. 


Arrest  of  the  Duke  d'Enghien. 


It  was  supposed  that  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  conspiracy  for  the  assassination, 
as  he  was  known  frequently  to  enter  France 
by  night  and  in  disguise.  But  it  afterward  ap- 
peared that  these  journeys  were  to  visit  a 
young  lady  to  whom  the  duke  was  much  at- 
tached. 

Napoleon,  supposing  that  the  duke  was  in- 
volved in  the  conspiracy,  and  indignant  in 
view  of  these  repeated  plots,  in  which  the 
Bourbons  seemed  to  regard  him  but  as  a  wild 
beast  whom  they  could  shoot  down  at  their 
pleasure,  resolved  to  teach  them  that  he  was 
not  thus  to  be  assailed  with  impunity.  A  de 
tachment  of  soldiers  was  sent  across  the  border, 
who  arrested  the  duke  in  his  bed,  brought  him 
to  Vincennes,  where  he  was  tried  by  court- 
martial,  condemned  as  a  traitor  waging  war 
against  his  native  country,  and,  by  a  series  of 
accidents,  was  shot  before  Napoleon  had  time 
to  extend  that  pardon  which  he  intended  to 
grant.  The  friends  of  Napoleon  do  not  se- 
verely censure  him  for  this  deed.  His  enemies 
call  it  wanton  murder.  Joseph  thus  speaks  of 
this  event : 

"  The  catastrophe  of  the  Duke  d'Enghien 
requires  of  me  some  details  too  honorable  to 


1803.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.       99 

Joseph's  Interview  with  Napoleon. 

the  memory  of  Napoleon  for  me  to  pass  them 
by  in  silence.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  duke  at 
Vincennes,  I  was  in  my  home  at  Mortfontaine. 
}  was  sent  for  to  Malmaison.  Scarcely  had  I 
ar/ived  at  the  gate  when  Josephine  came  to 
*meet  me,  very  much  agitated,  to  announce  the 
event  of  the  day.  Napoleon  had  consulted 
Cambaceres  and  Berthier,  who  were  in  favor 
of  the  prisoner;  but  she  greatly  feared  the 
influence  of  Talleyrand,  who  had  already  made 
the  tour  of  the  park  with  Napoleon 

" ;  Your  brother,'  said  she,  '  has  called  for 
you  several  times.  Hasten  to  interrupt  this 
long  interview ;  that  lame  man  makes  me 
tremble.' 

"  When  I  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  saloon, 
the  First  Consul  took  leave  of  M.  de  Talley- 
rand, and  called  me.  He  expressed  his  astonish- 
ment at  the  great  diversity  of  opinion  of  the  two 
last  persons  whom  he  had  consulted,  and  de- 
manded mine.  I  recalled  to  him  his  political 
principles,  which  were  to  govern  all  the  fac- 
tions by  taking  part  with  none.  I  recalled  to 
him  the  circumstance  of  his  entry  into  the  artil- 
lery in  consequence  of  the  encouragement  which 
the  Prince  of  Conde"  had  given  me  to  commence 
a  military  career.  I  still  remembered  the  qua- 


100          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1803. 

Conflicting  Views.  Madame  de  rttaaL 

train  of  the  verses  composed  by  the  abbd  Si- 
mon: 

"  '  Conde  !  quel  nom,  1'univers  le  ve"nere  j 
A  ce  pays-  il  est  cher  a  jamais ; 
Mars  1'honore  pendant  la  guerre, 
Et  Minerve  pendant  la  paix.'1 

"Little  did  we  then  think  that  we  should 
ever  be  deliberating  upon  the  fate  of  his  grand- 
son. Tears  moistened  the  eyes  of  Napoleon. 
With  a  nervous  gesture,  which  always  with 
him  accompanied  a  generous  thought,  he  said, 
'  His  pardon  is  in  my  heart,  since  it  is  in  my 
power  to  pardon  him.  But  that  is  not  enough 
for  me.  I  wish  that  the  grandson  of  Conde 
should  serve  in  our  armies.  I  feel  myself  suf- 
ficiently strong  for  that.' 

"  With  these  impressions  I  returned  to  Mort- 
fontaine.  The  family  were  at  the  dinner-table. 
I  took  a  seat  by  the  side  of  Madame  de  Stae'l, 
who  had  at  her  left  M.  Mathieu  de  Montmo- 
rency.  Madame  de  Stae'l,  with  the  assurance 
which  I  gave  her  of  the  intention  of  the  First 
Consul  to  pardon  a  descendant  of  the  great 
Conde',  exclaimed  in  characteristic  language, 

1        "Conde !  what  a  name !  the  universe  reveres  it; 
To  this  country  it  is  ever  daar ; 
Mars  honors  it  during  war, 
And  Minerva  daring  peace. '' 


1803.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.    101 

Execution  of  the  Duke  d'F.nghien. 

" '  Ah !  that  is  right ;  if  it  were  not  so,  we 
should  not  see  here  M.  Mathieu  de  Montmo- 
rency.' 

"  But  another  nobleman  present,  who  had  not 
emigrated,  said  to  me,  on  the  contrary:  'Will  it 
then  be  permitted  to  the  Bourbons  to  conspire 
with  impunity  ?  The  First  Consul  is  deceived 
if  he  think  that  the  nobles  who  have  not  emi- 
grated, and  particularly  the  historic  nobility, 
take  any  deep  interest  in  the  Bourbons.'  Sev- 
eral others  present  expressed  the  same  views. 

"  The  next  day,  upon  my  return  to  Malmai- 
son,  I  found  Napoleon  very  indignant  against 
Count  Real ;  whose  motives  he  accused,  re- 
proaching him  with  having  employed  in  his 
government  certain  men  too  much  compromised 
in  the  great  excesses  of  the  Revolution.  The 
Duke  tfEnghien  had  been  condemned  and  execu- 
ted even  before  the  announcement  of  his  trial  had 
been  communicated  to  Napoleon. 

"  Subsequently  he  was  convinced  of  the  in- 
nocence of  Real,  and  of  the  strange  fatality 
which  had  caused  him  for  a  moment  to  appear 
culpable  in  his  eyes.  In  the  mean  time,  re- 
suming self-control,  he  said  to  me,  '  Another 
opportunity  has  been  lost  It  would  have 
been  admirable  to  have  had^  as  aid-de-camp, 


102  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1803. 

Statement  of  Joseph  Bonaparte'. 

the  grandson  of  the  great  Conde".  But  of  that 
there  can  be  no  more  question.  The  blow  ia 
irremediable.  Yes ;  I  was  sufficiently  strong 
to  allow  a  descendant  of  the  great  Conde  to 
serve  in  our  armies.  But  we  must  seek  conso- 
lation. Undoubtedly,  if  I  had  been  assassina- 
ted by  the  agents  of  the  family,  he  would  have 
been  the  first  to  have  shown  himself  in  France, 
arms  in  his  hands.  I  must  take  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  deed.  To  cast  it  upon  others,  even 
with  truth,  would  have  too  much  the  appear- 
ance of  cowardice,  for  me  to  be  willing  to 
do  it.' 

"Napoleon,"  continues  Joseph,  "has  never 
appeared  with  greater  eclat  than  under  these 
sad  and  calamitous  circumstances.  I  only 
learned,  several  years  afterward,  in  the  United 
States,  from  Count  Heal  himself,  the  details  of 
that  which  passed  at  the  time  of  the  death  of 
the  Duke  d'Enghien.  It  was  at  New  York,  in 
the  year  1825,  at  Washington  Hall,  where  we 
met,  by  an  arrangement  with  M.  Le  Ray  de 
Chaumont,  the  proprietor  of  some  lands,  a  por- 
tion of  which  he  had  sold  to  me  and  to  M. 
Real,  that  he  informed  me  how  a  simple  emo- 
tion of  impatience  on  his  part  had  very  invol- 
untarily the  effect  of  preventing  the  kindly 


1803.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      103 


Statement  of  Count  ReaL 


feeling  which  the  First  Consul  cherished  in 
favor  of  the  Duke  d'Enghien. 

"  M.  Real,  one  of  the  four  counsellors  of 
state  charged  with  the  police  of  France,  had 
charge  of  the  arrondissement  of  Paris  and  of 
Vincennes.  A  dispatch  was  sent  to  him  in  the 
night,  informing  him  of  the  condemnation  of 
the  prince.  The  police  clerk,  attending  in  the 
chamber  which  opened  into  his  apartment,  had 
already  awoke  him  twice  for  reasons  of  but  lit- 
tle importance,  which  had  quite  annoyed  M. 
Real.  The  third  dispatch  was  therefore  placed 
upon  his  chimney,  and  did  not  meet  his  eye 
until  a  late  hour  in  the  morning. 

"  Opening  it,  he  hastened  to  Malmaison, 
where  he  was  preceded  by  an  officer  of  the 
gendarmerie,  who  brought  information  of  the 
condemnation  and  execution  of  the  prince. 
The  commission  had  judged,  from  the  silence 
of  the  Government,  that  he  was  not  to  be  par- 
doned. I  need  not  dwell  upon  the  regret,  the 
impatience,  the  indignation  of  Napoleon." 

The  crown  of  Lombardy  was,  about  this 
time,  offered  to  Joseph,  which  he  declined,  as 
he  did  not  wish  to  separate  himself  from 
France.  The  kingdom  of  Naples  was  now  in- 
fluenced by  England  to  make  an  attack  upon 


104  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Expulsion  of  the  Knglish. 


Napoleon.  The  King  of  Naples  supposed  that 
France  could  be  easily  vanquished,  with  En- 
gland, Russia,  Austria,  and  Naples  making  a 
simultaneous  attack  upon  her.  But  the  great 
victory  of  Austerlitz,  which  compelled  Austria 
and  Russia  to  withdraw  from  the  coalition, 
struck  the  perfidious  King  of  Naples  with  dis- 
may. France  had  done  him  no  wrong,  and 
the  only  apology  the  Neapolitan  Court  had  for 
commencing  hostilities  was,  that  if  the  French 
were  permitted  to  dethrone  the  Bourbons  and 
to  choose  their  own  rulers,  the  Neapolitan 
might  claim  the  same  privilege. 

A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz 
Joseph  received  orders  from  his  brother  to 
hasten  to  the  Italian  Peninsula,  and  take  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  Italy,  and  march  upon 
Naples.  The  King  of  Naples  had,  in  addition 
to  his  own  troops,  fourteen  thousand  Russians 
and  several  thousand  English  auxiliaries.  Jo- 
seph placed  himself  at  the  head  of  forty  thou- 
sand French  troops,  and  in  February,  1806, 
entered  the  kingdom  of  Naples.  The  Nea- 
politans could  make  no  effectual  resistance. 
Joseph  soon  arrived  before  Capua,  a  fortified 
town  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  the  metropo- 
lis of  the  kingdom.  Eight  thousand  of  the 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.       105 


Conquest  of  Naples. 


Neapolitan  troops  took  refuge  in  the  citadel, 
and  made  some  show  of  resistance.  They 
soon,  however,  were  compelled  to  surrender. 

The  Neapolitan  Court  was  in  a  state  of 
consternation.  The  English  precipitately  em- 
barked in  their  ships  and  fled  to  Sicily.  The 
Russians  escaped  to  Corfu.  The  Court,  hav- 
ing emptied  the  public  coffers,  and  even  the 
vaults  of  the  bank,  took  refuge  in  Palermo,  on 
the  island  of  Sicily.  The  prince  royal,  with  a 
few  troops  of  the  Neapolitan  army,  who  ad- 
hered to  the  old  monarchy,  retreated  two  or 
three  hundred  miles  south,  to  the  mountains 
of  Calabria.  On  the  15th  of  February,  Joseph, 
at  the  head  of  his  troops,  marched  triumphant- 
ly into  Naples.  He  not  only  encountered  no 
resistance,  but  the  population,  regarding  him 
as  a  liberator,  received  him  with  acclamations 

°f  joy- 
On  the  30th  of  March,  1806,  Napoleon  is- 
sued a  decree,  declaring  Joseph  king  of  Na- 
ples.    The  decret  was  as  follows  : 

"  Napoleon,  by  the  grace  of  God  and  the 
constitutions,  Emperor  of  the  French  and  King 
of  Italy,  to  all  those  to  whom  these  presents 
come,  salutation. 

"  The  interests  of  our  people,  the  honor  of 


106  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806 

Debasement  of  the  Neapolitans  under  the  Old  Regime 

our  crown,  and  the  tranquillity  of  the  Conti- 
tinent  of  Europe  requiring  that  we  should  as- 
sure, in  a  stable  and  definite  manner,  the  lot 
of  the  people  of  Naples  and  of  Sicily,  who 
have  fallen  into  our  power  by  the  right  of  con- 
quest, and  who  constitute  a  part  of  the  grand 
empire,  we  declare  that  we  recognize,  as  King 
of  Naples  and  of  Sicily,  our  well -beloved 
brother,  Joseph  Napoleon,  Grand  Elector  of 
France.  This  crown  will  be  hereditary,  by 
order  of  primogeniture,  in  his  descendants 
masculine,  legitimate,  and  natural,"  etc. 

The  former  Government  of  Naples  was  de- 
tested by  the  whole  people.  The  warmest  ad- 
vocates of  the  Allies  have  never  yet  ventured 
to  utter  a  word  in  its  defense.  Even  the 
grandees  of  the  realm  were  heartily  glad  to  be 
rid  of  their  dissolute,  contemptible,  and  tyran- 
nical queen,  who  regarded  the  inhabitants  of  the 
kingdom  but  as  her  slaves,  and  the  wealth  of 
the  kingdom  but  as  her  personal  dowry,  to  be 
squandered  for  the  gratification  of  herself  and 
her  favorites.  With  great  energy  Joseph  im- 
mediately commenced  a  reform  in  all  the  ad- 
ministrative departments.  He  carefully  sought 
out  Neapolitan  citizens  of  integrity,  intelli- 
gence, and  influence,  to  occupy  the  important 


1806.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.     107 


Debasement  of  Maple*. 


public  stations.  Accompanied  by  a  guard  of 
chosen  men,  he  made  a  tour  of  the  country; 
thus  informing  himself,  by  personal  observa- 
tion, of  the  character  of  the  inhabitants,  and  of 
the  wants  and  capabilities  of  the  kingdom.  It 
was  indeed  a  gloomy  prospect  of  indolence 
and  poverty  which  presented  itself  to  his  eye, 
though  the  climate  was  enchanting,  with  its 
genial  temperature,  its  brilliant  skies,  and  its 
fertile  soil.  The  landscape  combined  all  the 
elements  of  sublimity  and  of  beauty,  with  tow- 
ering mountains  and  lovely  meadows,  streams 
and  lakes  watering  the  interior,  and  harbors 
inviting  the  commerce  of  the  world.  But  the 
condition  of  the  populace  was  wretched  in  the 
extreme.  The  Government,  despotic  and  cor- 
rupt, seized  all  the  earnings  of  the  people,  and 
consigned  nearly  the  whole  population  to  pen- 
ury and  rags.  King  Ferdinand  and  his  disso- 
lute queen,  Louisa,  made  an  effort  to  rouse  the 
people  to  resist  the  French.  Their  efforts 
were,  however,  entirely  in  vain.  Joseph  is- 
sued the  following  proclamation  to  the  Near 
poli  tans,  which  they  read  with  great  satisfac- 
tion : 

"  People  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples ;  the 
Emperor  of  the  French,  King  of  Italy,  wishing 


108  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [180d 


Administration  of  King  Joseph. 


to  save  you  from  the  calamities  of  war,  had 
signed,  with  your  Court,  a  treaty  of  neutrality. 
He  believed  that  in  that  way  he  could  secure 
your  tranquillity,  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  con- 
flagration with  which  the  third  coalition  has 
menaced  Europe.  But  the  Court  of  Naples 
has  zealously  allied  itself  with  our  enemies, 
and  has  opened  its  states  to  the  Russians  and 
to  the  English. 

"  The  Emperor  of  the  French,  wh'ose  justice 
equals  his  power,  wishes  to  give  a  signal  ex- 
ample, commanded  by  the  honor  of  his  crown, 
by  the  interests  of  his  people,  and  by  the  ne- 
cessity of  re-establishing  in  Europe  the  respect 
which  is  due  to  public  faith. 

"  The  army  which  I  command  is  on  the 
march  to  punish  this  perfidy.  But  you,  the 
people,  have  nothing  to  fear.  It  is  not  against 
you  that  our  arms  are  directed.  The  altars, 
the  ministers  of  your  religion,  your  laws,  your 
property,  will  be  respected.  The  French  sol- 
diers will  be  your  brothers.  If,  contrary  to 
the  benevolent  intentions  of  his  majesty,  the 
Court  which  excites  you  will  sacrifice  you,  the 
French  army  is  so  powerful  that  all  the  forces 
promised  to  your  princes,  even  if  they  were 
on  your  territory,  could  not  defend  it.  Peo 


1807.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      109 


1  "mba  rrassme  n  t «. 


pie  I  have  no  solicitude.  This  war  will  be  for 
you  the  epoch  of  a  solid  peace,  and  of  durable 
prosperity." 

Ferdinand,  upon  retiring  to  the  island  of 
Sicily,  had  swept  the  continental  coast  of  ev- 
ery vessel  and  even  boat.  Joseph  thus  found 
it  quite  impossible  to  transport  his  troops 
across  the  strait  of  Messina  to  pursue  the  fugi- 
tive king.  He,  however,  made  a  very  thor- 
ough survey  of  the  continental  kingdom,  and 
having  planned  many  measures  of  internal  im- 
provement of  vast  magnitude,  which  were  sub- 
sequently executed,  he  returned  to  Naples. 
He  was  here  received  with  congratulations  by 
all  classes  of  his  subjects. 

The  clergy,  led  by  Cardinal  Buffo,  and  even 
the  nobility,  vied  with  each  other  in  their  ex- 
pressions of  satisfaction  in  a  change  of  dynas- 
ty. The  great  majority  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent people  in  the  kingdom  were  weary  of  the 
corrupt  Court  which,  swaying  the  sceptre  of 
feudal  despotism,  had  consigned  Naples  to  in- 
dolence, dilapidation,  and  penury.  Joseph  im 
mediately  selected  the  most  distinguished  Ne- 
apolitans as  members  of  his  council.  He  made 
every  effort  to  introduce  into  his  kingdom  all 
the  benefits  which  the  French  Revolution  had 


110  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1807. 


Philanthropic  Labors. 


brought  to  France,  while  he  carefully  sought 
to  avoid  the  evils  which  accompanied  that 
great  popular  movement. 

Though  Joseph  soon  found  himself  firmly 
seated  on  the  throne,  war  still  lingered  along 
the  coasts,  and  in  the  more  remote  parts  of  his 
kingdom.  The  fortress  of  Gaeta,  almost  im- 
pregnable, was  still  held  by  a  garrison  of  Fer- 
dinand's troops.  Marauding  bands  of  Neapol- 
itans, lured  by  love  of  plunder,  infested  and 
pillaged  the  unprotected  districts.  The  Eng- 
lish fleet  was  hovering  along  the  coast,  watch- 
ing for  opportunities  of  assault.  It  landed  an 
army  at  the  Gulf  of  St.  Euphemia,  and  dis- 
comfited a  small  division  of  Joseph's  troops. 
Thus  the  kingdom  was  in  a  general  state  of 
disorder  wherever  the  influence  of  Joseph  was 
not  sensibly  felt. 

But  the  wise .  and  energetic  measures  he 
adopted  removed  one  after  another  of  these 
evils.  He  found  but  little  difficulty  in  per- 
suading all  those  who  co-operated  with  him  in 
the  government,  both  French  and  Neapolitans, 
that  the  interests  of  each  individual  class  in 
the  community  were  dependent  upon  the  eleva- 
tion and  improvement  of  the  whole  country; 
and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  princiisJ 


1807.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      Ill 


Philanthropic  Labors. 


noblemen  in  Naples  were  among  the  first  to 
appreciate  and  adopt  the  great  ideas  of  reform 
which  Joseph  introduced.  Influenced  by  his 
arguments,  they,  of  their  own  accord,  relin- 
quished their  feudal  privileges,  and  adopted 
those  principles  of  equal  rights  upon  which  the 
empire  of  Napoleon  was  founded,  and  which 
gave  it  its  almost  omnipotent  hold  upon  popu- 
lar affections.  Even  the  ecclesiastics,  men  of 
commanding  character  and  intelligence,  who 
had  been  introduced  into  the  Council  of  State, 
voted  for  the  suppression  of  monastic  orders, 
and  for  the  use  of  their  funds  to  place  the  credit 
of  the  kingdom  upon  a  solid  basis. 

Eeform  was  thus  extended,  wisely  and  effi- 
ciently, through  all  the  departments  of  Gov- 
ernment. And  though  the  masses  of  the  peo- 
ple, being  illiterate  peasants,  incapable  of  any 
intelligent  administration  of  public  affairs,  had 
but  little  voice  in  the  Government,  every  thing 
was  done  for  their  welfare  that  enlightened 
patriotism  could  suggest.  All  writers,  friends 
and  foes,  agree  alike  in  their  testimony  to  the 
wise  measures  adopted  by  Joseph.  He  found- 
ed colleges  for  the  instruction  of  young  men, 
and  many  other  institutions  of  a  high  charac* 
ter  for  male  and  female  education.  Splendid 


112  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807 


The  Lazzaronu 


roads  were  constructed  from  one  extremity  of 
the  kingdom  to  the  other;  manufactories  of 
various  kinds  were  established  and  encour- 
aged ;  the  arts  were  rewarded  ;  agriculture  re- 
ceived a  new  impulse ;  the  army  was  efficient- 
ly organized  and  brought  under  salutary  dis- 
cipline ;  a  topographical  bureau  was  created, 
the  whole  kingdom  carefully  surveyed,  and  a 
fine  map  constructed.  The  mouldering  ram- 
parts of  the  city  were  rebuilt,  and  new  fort- 
resses reared. 

Naples  had  for  ages  been  filled  with  a  mis- 
erable idle  population,  called  lazzaroni.  They 
infested  the  streets  and  the  squares,  and  were 
devoured  by  vermin,  and  half-covered  with 
rags.  With  no  incitement  to  industry,  indeed 
with  hardly  the  possibility  of  obtaining  any 
work,  they  had  fallen  into  the  most  abject  state 
of  vice  and  despair.  These  men,  in  large  num- 
bers, were  collected,  comfortably  clothed,  well 
fed,  well  paid,  and  were  employed  in  construct- 
ing a  new  and  splendid  avenue  to  the  metropo- 
lis. Made  happy  by  industry,  and  inspired  by 
its  sure  reward,  they  became  contented  and  use- 
ful subjects. 

The  Ministry  of  the  Interior  was  confided 
to  Count  Miot.  It  was  his  duty  to  devote  all 


1806.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.     113 


Vigorous  Measures. 


his  energies  to  promote  the  interests  of  agri- 
culture, commerce,  manufactures,  the  arts,  the 
sciences,  public  instruction,  and  all  liberal  in- 
stitutions. The  country  had  been  filled  with 
brigands,  rioting  in  violence,  robbery,  and  mur- 
der. To  repress  their  excesses,  Joseph  estab- 
lished a  military  commission  with  each  army 
corps,  whose  duty  it  was  to  judge  and  execute, 
without  appeal,  the  brigands  taken  with  arms 
in  their  hands. 

The  English  fleet  commanded  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  Neapolitan  troops,  under  the 
command  of  Ferdinand,  had  fled  to  Calabria, 
and,  under  the  protection  of  the  English  fleet 
had  crossed  the  straits  of  Messina  to  the  island 
of  Sicily.  The  British  squadron  then  swept 
the  coasts  of  Calabria,  applying  the  torch  to 
all  the  public  property  which  could  not  be  car- 
ried away.  While  these  scenes  were  transpir- 
ing, Napoleon  wrote  to  Joseph  almost  daily, 
giving  him  very  minute  directions.  He  wrote 
to  him  on  the  12th  of  January,  1806  :  "  Speak 

seriously  to  M and  to  L ,  and  say  that 

you  will  have  no  robberies.  M robbed 

much  in  the  Venetian  country.  I  have  re- 
called S to  Paris  for  that  reason.  He  is  a 

bad  man.  Maintain  severe  discipline." 

6—8 


114  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 

Letters  from  Napoleon  and  others. 

Again  he  wrote  on  the  19th  :  "  It  is  my  in- 
tention that  the  Bourbons  should  cease  to  reign 
at  Naples.  I  wish  to  place  upon  that  throne  a 
prince  of  my  family ;  you  first,  if  that  is  agree- 
able to  you ;  another,  if  that  is  not  agreeable 
to  you.  The  country  ought  to  furnish  food, 
clothing,  horses,  and  every  thing  that  is  neces- 
sary for  your  army ;  so  that  it  shall  cost  me 
nothing." 

Again,  on  the  27th,  Napoleon  wrote  from 
Paris :  "  I  have  only  to  congratulate  myself 
with  alJ  that  you  did  while  you  remained  in 
Paris.  Receive  my  thanks,  and,  as  a  testimony 
of  my  satisfaction,  my  portrait  upon  a  snuff- 
box, which  I  will  forward  by  the  first  officer 
I  send  to  you.  Tolerate  no  robbers.  I  have 
just  received  a  letter  from  the  Queen  of  Naples. 
I  shall  not  reply.  After  the  violation  of  the 
treaty,  I  can  no  longer  trust  her  promises." 

Again,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1806,  he 
writes :  "  Believe  in  my  friendship.  Do  not 
listen  to  those  who  wish  to  keep  you  out  of  fire, 
loin  du  feu.  It  is  necessary  that  you  should 
establish  your  reputation,  if  there  should  be 
opportunity.  Place  yourself  conspicuously 
As  to  real  danger,  it  is  everywhere  in  war." 

The  Prince-royal  of  Naples  wrote  a  letter  to 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      115 


The  British  Fleet. 


Joseph,  with  the  hope  of  regaining  his  crown. 
He  stated  that  the  King  and  Queen  had  abdi- 
cated in  favor  of  their  son.  Joseph  replied 
that  he  could  not  listen  to  the  appeal ;  that  he 
could  only  execute  the  orders  which  he  received, 
and  that  the  application  was  too  late. 

The  city  of  Gaeta  was  one  of  the  strongest 
positions  in  Europe.  The  troops  of  Ferdinand 
maintained  a  siege  there  for  many  months. 
They  were  very  efficiently  aided  by  the  British 
fleet,  which  brought  them  continual  re-enforce- 
ments and  supplies.  Its  capture  was  considered 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  achievements  in  mod- 
ern warfare.  There  was  now  not  a  spot  upon 
the  Continent  of  Europe  where  a  flag  floated  in 
avowed  hostility  to  France.  Ferdinand  of  Na- 
ples, with  a  small  army,  had  fled  to  the  island 
of  Sicily,  where,  for  a  short  time,  he  was  pro- 
tected by  the  British  fleet. 

In  the  mean  time  King  Joseph  was  devoting 
himself  untiringly  and  with  great  wisdom  to 
the  development  of  the  new  institutions  of  re- 
form, and  of  equal  rights  for  all,  which  every- 
where accompanied  the  French  banners.  Mar- 
shal  Massena  was  sent  to  the  provinces  of  Gala* 
bria  to  put  a  stop  to  brigandage.  The  brigands 
were  merciless.  Severe  reprisals  became  nee- 


116  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Brigandage. 


essary.  The  British  fleet,  under  Sir  Sidney 
Smith,  hovered  along  the  shores  of  the  gulfs 
of  Salerno  and  of  Naples,  striving  to  rouse  and 
encourage  resistance  to  the  new  Government. 

There  was  a  renowned  bandit,  named  Mi- 
chael Pozza,  who,  from  his  energy  and  atrocities, 
had  acquired  the  sobriquet  of  Fra  Diavolo,  or 
brother  of  the  devil.  His  bands,  widely  scat- 
tered, were  at  times  concentrated,  and  waged 
fierce  battle.  Gradually  French  discipline  gain- 
ed upon  them.  Large  numbers  of  the  Neapoli- 
tans, hating  the  old  regime,  and  glad  to  be  rid 
of  it,  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  new  institutions. 
The  robbers  were  at  length  cut  to  pieces.  Fra 
Diavolo  escaped  to  the  mountains,  where  he 
was  taken  and  shot.  In  this  warfare  with  the 
brigands,  the  Neapolitan  troops,  emboldened  by 
the  presence  and  protection  of  the  French  army, 
displayed  very  commendable  courage. 

While  engaged  in  these  warlike  operations, 
through  his  able  generals,  Joseph  was  much 
occupied  with  the  employment,  more  congenial 
to  him,  of  conducting  the  interior  administra- 
tion. It  was  his  first  endeavor  to  eradicate 
every  vestige  of  the  old  despotism  of  feudalism 
— a  system  perhaps  necessary  in  its  day,  but 
which  time  had  outgrown.  The  whole  pohti- 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      117 


Success  of  the  new  Measures. 


cal  edifice  was  laid  upon  the  foundation  of  the 
absolute  equality  of  rights  of  all  the  citizens — a 
principle  until  then  unknown  in  Naples.  There- 
had  been  no  gradations  in  society.  There  were 
a  few  families  of  extreme  opulence,  enjoying: 
rank  and  exclusive  privileges,  and  then  came 
the  almost  beggared  masses,  with  no  incentives 
to  exertion.  The  enervating  climate  induced 
indolence.  Life  could  be  maintained  with  but 
little  clothing,  and  but  little  food.  The  cities 
and  villages  swarmed  with  half-clad  multitudes, 
vegetating  in  a  joyless  existence. 

Joseph  gave  his  earnest  attention  to  rousing 
the  multitude  from  this  apathy.  He  thought 
that  one  of  the  most  important  means  to  awaken 
a  love  of  industry  was  to  make  these  poor  peo- 
ple, as  far  as  possible,  landed  proprietors.  The 
man  who  owns  land,  though  the  portion  may 
be  small,  is  almost  resistlessly  impelled  to  cul- 
tivate it.  His  ambition  being  thus  roused,  his 
intellectual  and  social  condition  becomes  amel- 
iorated, and  he  is  prepared  to  take  part,  as  a 
citizen,  in  the  administration  of  affairs.  A  new 
division  of  territory  was  created  into  provinces 
and  districts,  in  which  the  prominent  men,  who 
were  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  reform,  were 
appointed  to  the  administration  of  local  inter 


118  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Ancient  Corruptions. 


ests.  Still  many  of  the  old  nobility  struggled 
hard  to  maintain  their  feudal  power.  But  res- 
olutely Joseph  proceeded  in  laying  the  foun* 
dations  of  a  national  representation,  derived 
from  popular  election,  which  should  be  the  or- 
gan of  the  whole  nation,  to  make  known  to  the 
King  the  wishes  and  necessities  of  the  people. 

This  was  an  immense  stride  in  the  direction 
of  a  popular  government  It  endangered  the 
feudal  privilege,  which  upheld  the  throne  and 
the  castle,  in  other  lands.  Hence  it  was  that 
the  throne  and  the  castle  combined  to  over- 
throw institutions  so  republican  in  their  ten- 
dencies. 

The  whole  system  of  administration  had 
been  awfully  corrupt  Justice  was  almost  un- 
known. All  the  tribunals  were  concentrated 
in  the  city  of  Naples.  There  were  tens  of 
thousands  of  prisoners,  very  many  for  political 
offenses,  awaiting  trial.  In  the  provinces  of 
Calabria  Joseph  appointed  judicial  commissions 
to  attend  to  these  cases.  In  three  months  about 
five  thousand  prisoners  had  a  hearing.  Many 
of  them  had  been  detained  over  twenty  years. 
Not  a  few  were  incarcerated  through  malicious 
accusations.  Those  guilty  of  some  slight  of- 
fense were  imprisoned  with  assassins,  all  alike 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      119 

Prisou  Reform.  Financial  Reform. 

exposed  to  the  damp  of  dungeons  and  infected 
air. 

A  system  of  very  effective  prison  reform 
was  immediately  established  by  Joseph.  The 
prisoners  were  placed  in  apartments  large  and 
well-ventilated.  They  were  separated  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  nature  of  the  offenses  of 
which  they  were  accused.  Distinct  prisons 
were  appropriated  to  females.  Hospitals  were 
established  for  the  sick  of  both  sexes,  with  every 
necessary  arrangement  for  the  restoration  of 
health. 

A  thorough  reform  was  introduced  into  the 
finances.  Under  the  old  regime,  all  had  been 
confusion  and  oppression.  The  only  object  of 
the  Government  seemed  to  be  to  get  all  it  could. 
In  the  country  the  people  often  were  compel- 
led to  pay  their  lords  not  only  money,  but  also 
very  onerous  personal  services.  This  was  all 
remedied  by  the  adoption  of  an  impartial  sys- 
tem of  taxation.  And  it  was  found  that  the 
new  imposts,  honestly  collected,  were  far  less 
oppressive  to  the  people,  and  more  in  amount. 

The  overthrow  of  the  feudal  system  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  State  a  vast  amount  of 
land  which  had  been  uncultivated.  This  was 
divided  among  a  large  number  of  people,  who 


120  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Encouragement  to  Education. 


paid  for  it  an  annual  sum  into  the  treasury. 
Thus  the  welfare  of  these  individuals  was  great- 
ly promoted,  and  the  resources  of  the  State  in 
creased. 

And  now  Joseph  turned  his  attention  to 
public  instruction.  The  last  Government  had 
been  opposed  to  education.  It  had  entered  into 
open  warfare  against  the  sciences,  prohibiting 
the  introduction  of  the  most  important  foreign 
publications.  Joseph  immediately  established 
schools  for  primary  instruction  all  over  the 
realm.  Normal  schools  were  organized  for  the 
education  of  teachers.  In  the  smallest  hamlets 
teachers  were  provided  to  instruct  the  children 
in  the  elements  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
school -mistresses,  who.  in  addition  to  the  same 
lessons,  were  to  teach  the  young  girls  the  duties 
proper  to  their  sex. 

This  impulse  to  education  spread  rapidly 
through  all  the  provinces.  The  free  school* 
established  in  Naples  were  soon  so  crowded 
that  it  became  necessary  to  add  to  their  num. 
ber.  The  university  at  Naples,  frowned  upon 
by  the  former  Government,  had  fallen  into 
deep  decline.  Nineteen  chairs  of  professors 
were  vacant.  Others  were  occupied,  but  their 
duties  quite  neglected.  The  university  vras 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      121 


Opposition  to  Reform. 


reorganized  in  accordance  with  the  enlighten- 
ment  of  modern  times.  New  professorships 
were  endowed  in  the  place  of  those  which  had 
become  useless.  Especial  efforts  were  made 
to  secure  learned  men  for  those  chairs  from 
the  kingdom  of  Naples.  But  education  was 
at  so  low  an  ebb  that  it  was  necessary  to  ob- 
tain several  professors  from  abroad.  Every- 
where a  thirst  for  knowledge  seemed  to  mani- 
fest itself. 

These  reforms  were  exceedingly  popular 
with  the  great  majority  of  the  Neapolitans, 
But  there  were  not  wanting  those  who  opposed 
them.  There  were  those  of  the  privileged 
class  who  had  been  enriched  by  the  ignorance 
and  debasement  of  the  people.  These  men 
began  gradually  to  develop  their  opposition. 
Joseph  had  endeavored  to  employ  Neapolitans 
as  much  as  possible  in  the  Government.  He 
employed  Frenchmen  in  the  military  and  civil 
service  only  where  he  could  find  no  Neapoli- 
tans equal  to  the  post.  Some  of  the  Neapoli- 
tans, jealous  of  French  influence,  while  also 
secretly  clinging  to  ancient  abuses,  began  cau- 
tiously the  attempt  to  retard  these  reforms. 
Joseph  listened  patiently  to  their  objections  in 
cabinet  council,  and  then  said* 


122  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


The  Fine  Arts. 


"  I  have  carefully  followed  a  discussion 
which  relates  so  intimately  to  the  public  wel- 
fare. I  had  hoped  to  hear  reasons.  I  have 
heard  only  passions.  I  look  in  vain  for  any 
indications  of  love  of  country  in  the  objections 
to  the  proposed  laws.  I  must  say  that  I  see 
only  the  spirit  of  party." 

He  then  examined,  one  by  one,  the  objec- 
tions which  had  been  brought  forward,  and 
added,  "  Do  you  think,  gentlemen,  that  I  arn 
willing  to  sustain  these  exclusive  privileges? 
We  have  not  destroyed  these  Gothic  institu- 
tions, the  remnants  of  barbarism,  in  order  to 
reconstruct  them  under  other  forms.  And 
can  any  of  you  cherish  the  thought  that  this 
resistance,  which  ought  to  surprise  me,  can  in- 
duce me  to  retrograde  toward  institutions  con- 
demned by  the  spirit  of  the  age  ?  No ;  too 
long  have  the  people  groaned  under  the  weight 
of  intolerable  abuses.  They  shall  be  delivered 
from  them.  If  obstacles  arise,  be  assured  that 
I  shall  know  how  to  remove  them." 

The  fine  arts  were  also  languishing,  with 
every  thing  else,  under  the  execrable  regime 
of  the  Bourbons  of  Naples.  But  the  taste  for 
the  fine  arts  survived  their  decay.  The  new 
Government  instituted  schools  of  art  under 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      123 


Monasteries. 


the  direction  of  the  most  skillful  masters. 
Painting,  drawing,  sculpture,  engraving,  all  re- 
ceived a  new  impulse. 

There  were  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in 
this  attempt  to  regenerate  an  utterly  depraved 
state  more  than  can  now  be  easily  imagined. 
He  who  should  attempt  to  erect  a  modern  man- 
sion upon  the  ruins  of  the  Castle  of  Heidelberg 
would  find  more  difficulty  in  removing  the  old 
foundations  than  in  rearing  the  new  structure. 
Thus  Joseph  found  ancient  abuses,  hallowed 
by  time,  and  oppressive  institutions  interwoven 
with  the  very  life  of  the  people,  which  it  was 
necessary  utterly  to  abolish  or  greatly  to  modi- 
fy. The  monastic  institution  was  one  of  these. 
The  land  was  filled  with  gloomy  monasteries, 
crowded  with  idle,  useless,  and  often  dissolute 
monks.  There  had  been  in  past  ages  seasons 
of  persecution,  in  which  the  refuge  of  these 
sanctuaries  was  needed,  but  the  spirit  of  the 
age  no  longer  required  them.  They  had  ren- 
dered signal  service  in  times  of  barbarism,  but 
it  was  no  longer  needful  for  religion  to  hide  in 
the  obscurity  of  the  cloister. 

"Altars,"  said  Joseph,  "are  now  erected  in 
the  interior  of  families.  The  regular  clergy 
respond  to  the  wants  of  the  people.  The  love 


124  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Debate  in  the  Council. 


of  the  arts  and  of  the  sciences,  widely  dif- 
fused, and  the  colonial,  'commercial,  and  mili- 
tary spirit  constrain  all  the  Governments  of 
Europe  to  direct  to  important  objects  the  gen- 
ius, activity,  and  pecuniary  resources  of  their 
nations.  The  support  of  considerable  land 
and  sea  forces  involves  the  necessity  of  great 
reforms  in  other  departments  of  the  general 
economy  of  the  State.  The  first  duty  of  peo- 
ples and  princes  is  to  place  themselves  in  a 
condition  of  defense  against  the  aggressions  of 
their  enemies.  Still  we  do  not  forget  that  we 
ought  to  reconcile  these  principles  with  the 
respect  with  which  we  should  cherish  those 
celebrated  places  which,  in  barbaric  ages,  pre- 
served the  sacred  fire  of  reason,  and  which  be- 
came the  de*pot  of  human  knowledge." 

The  debates  upon  this  subject  in  the  Coun- 
cil of  State  were  long  and  animated.  The 
peasantry,  ignorant  and  superstitious,  clung  to 
their  old  prejudices,  and  could  not  easily  throw 
aside  the  shackles  of  ages.  Many  of  these  re- 
ligious communities  were  wealthy,  the  recipi- 
ents of  immense  sums  bequeathed  to  them  by 
the  dying.  There  was  no  legal  right,  no  right 
but  that  of  revolution  and  the  absolute  neces- 
sities of  the  State,  for  wresting  this  property 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      125 


Reform  of  Monastic  Institutions. 


from  them.  But  it  was  manifest  to  every  in- 
telligent mind  that  the  Neapolitan  kingdom 
could  never  emerge  from  the  stagnation  of 
semi-barbarism  without  the  entire  overthrow 
of  many,  and  the  radical  reform  of  the  remain- 
der of  these  institutions. 

At  length  a  law,  very  carefully  matured, 
was  enacted,  suppressing  a  large  number  of 
these  religious  orders,  and  introducing  essen- 
tial changes  into  those  which  were  permitted 
to  survive.  The  possessions  of  those  which 
were  abolished,  generally  consisting  of  large 
tracts  of  land,  reverted  to  the  State,  and  were 
sold  at  auction  in  small  farms.  The  money 
thus  raised  helped  replenish  the  bankrupt 
treasury.  The  poor  monks,  expelled  from 
their  cells,  with  no  habits  of  industry,  and  no 
means  of  obtaining  a  support,  received  a  life 
pension,  amounting  to  a  little  more  than  one 
hundred  dollars  a  year. 

The  three  abbeys  of  Mount  Cassin,  Cava, 
and  Monte  Verging  contained  very  consider- 
able libraries,  and  were  the  depots  of  impor- 
tant records  and  manuscripts.  These  were  in- 
trusted to  the  keeping  of  a  select  number  of 
the  most  intelligent  monks.  It  was  their  duty 
to  arrange  and  catalogue  the  books  and  manu« 


126  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Ecclesiastical  Reforms. 


scripts,  and  to  search  out  those  works  which 
could  throw  light  upon  the  sciences,  the  arts, 
and  the  past  history  of  the  realm.  They  re- 
tained the  buildings,  the  necessary  furniture, 
and  received  a  small  additional  stipend. 

There  were  some  passes  through  the  mount- 
ains which  were  perilous  in  the  winter  season. 
Upon  these  bleak  eminences  houses  of  refuge 
were  erected,  to  shelter  travellers  and  to  help 
them  on  their  way.  In  each  of  these  twenty- 
five  monks  were  placed.  Their  labors  were 
arduous,  as  often  all  the  necessaries  of  life  had 
to  be  brought  upon  their  backs  from  the  plains 
below.  They  received  a  frugal  but  comfort- 
able support. 

The  salaries  of  the  hard-working  clergy 
were  increased.  The  vases  and  ornaments 
from  the  suppressed  convents  were  distributed 
among  those  poorer  parishes  which  were  in  a 
state  of  destitution.  The  furniture  of  the  con- 
vents was  transferred  to  the  civil  and  military 
hospitals.  The  pictures,  bas-reliefs,  statuary, 
and  other  objects  of  art  were  collected  for  the 
national  museum  which  the  King  wished  to 
establish.  The  mendicant  friars,  who  had  suf- 
ficient education,  were  intrusted  with  the  in* 
atruction  of  the  children. 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      127 


New  Public  Works. 


The  number  of  priests  under  the  old  r6- 
gime  had  increased  to  a  degree  entirely  dis- 
proportioned  to  the  wants  of  the  community. 
They  were  consequently  wretchedly  poor.  A 
fixed  salary  was  assigned  to  the  rectors,  that 
they  might  live  respectably,  and  the  ordina- 
tions in  each  diocese  were  so  regulated  that 
there  should  be  but  one  priest  for  about  one 
thousand  souls. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  such  changes 
could  be  effected  without  much  friction.  Not 
only  bigotry  opposed  them,  but  there  was  a 
deep-seated,  though  unintelligent  religious  sen- 
timent, which  remonstrated  against  them.  The 
advocates  of  the  old  regime  availed  themselves, 
in  every  possible  way,  of  this  sentiment,  while 
the  British  fleet,  continually  hovering  around 
the  coasts,  and  occasionally  landing  men  at 
unguarded  points,  contributed  much  toward 
keeping  the  spirit  of  insurrection  alive,  and 
preventing  the  tranquillity  of  the  country. 

New  public  works  were  commenced  in  the 
capital,  to  employ  the  idle  and  starving  multi- 
tudes there.  The  country  roads,  so  long  in- 
fested with  robbers,  were  in  a  wretched  condi- 
tion. The  entire  stagnation  of  all  internal  com- 
merce had  left  them  unused  and  almost  im- 


128  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


New  Public  Works. 


passable.  The  old  roads  were  repaired,  and 
new  ones  vigorously  opened.  The  inhabitants 
of  the  provinces,  and  even  the  soldiers  who 
could  be  conveniently  spared,  were  employed 
in  these  enterprises.  The  soldiers,  receiving 
slight  additional  pay,  cheerfully  contributed 
their  labors.  French  officers  of  engineers,  of 
established  ability,  superintended  these  nation- 
al works. 

King  Joseph  was  but  the  agent  of  his  bi oth- 
er Napoleon.  Though  himself  a  man  of  supe- 
rior ability,  and  imbued  with  an  ardent  spirit 
of  humanity,  in  these  great  enterprises  he  was 
carrying  out  the  designs  with  which  the  im- 
perial mind  of  his  brother  was  inspired.  Thus 
the  kingdom  of  Naples,  in  a  few  months,  under 
the  reign  of  Joseph,  made  more  progress  than 
had  been  accomplished  in  scores  of  years  un- 
der the  dominion  of  the  Neapolitan  Bourbons. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1806,  Joseph  wrote 
to  Napoleon :  "  My  previous  letters  have  an- 
nounced to  your  Majesty  that  perfect  order  is 
restored  in  the  Calabrias.  I  am  not  less  pleased 
with  the  inhabitants  of  Apulia.  They  are 
more  enlightened,  less  passionate,  but  equally 
zealous  with  the  Calabrians  to  withdraw  their 
country  from  the  debasement  into  which  it  is 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      129 


Report  of  Joseph  to  the  Emperor. 


plunged.  I  am  particularly  satisfied  with  the 
priests,  the  nobles,  and  the  landed  proprietors. 

"I  now  fully  recognize  the  justice  of  the 
principles  which  I  have  so  often  heard  from 
the  lips  of  your  Majesty.  And  I  confess  that 
experience  has  proved  to  me  how  true  it  is 
that  it  is  necessary  to  see  to  every  thing  one's 
self;  that  not  a  moment  of  time  must  ever  be 
lost ;  that  we  can  not  rely  upon  the  activity 
of  any  person,  and  that  every  thing  is  possible, 
with  a  determined  will  on  the  part  of  the  chief. 
I  say  to  myself,  ten  times  a  day,  the  Emperor 
was  right 

"  I  have  established  in  each  province  a 
president,  or  prefect,  who  is  entirely  independ- 
ent of  the  military  commandant.  I  have  de- 
creed the  formation  in  each  province  of  a 
legion  whose  organization  I  will  soon  send  to 
your  Majesty.  It  is  not  paid.  It  is  command- 
ed by  those  men  who  are  the  most  opulent, 
the  most  respectable,  and  the  most  attached  to 
the  present  order  of  things.  In  each  province 
I  form  a  company  of  gendarmerie,  composed 
of  Frenchmen  and  Neapolitans.  It  is  with 
some  pride  that  I  see  that  all  the  measures 
which  your  Majesty  has  prescribed  to  me  I 

have  adopted  in  advance. 
6—9 


130  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Letter  from  Napoleon. 


"  Whatever  I  may  say,  your  Majesty  can 
form  no  conception  of  the  state  of  oppression, 
barbarism,  and  debasement  which  existed  in 
this  realm.  And  I  can  assure  your  Majesty 
that  the  Neapolitan  officers  returning  to  their 
homes  become  well  pleased  in  witnessing  the 
spirit  which  animates  their  fellow-citizens.  I 
derive  much  advantage  from  the  knowledge  I 
have  of  the  language,  the  manners,  and  cus- 
toms of  the  country.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
mountains  and  of  the  villages  resemble  closely 
those  of  Corsica.  And  I  do  not  think  that  I 
can  be  mistaken  when  I  assure  your  Majesty 
that  the  people  regard  themselves  as  happy  in 
being  governed  by  a  man  who  is  so  nearly  re- 
lated to  your  Majesty,  and  who  bears  a  name 
which  your  Majesty  rendered  illustrious  before 
he  became  an  emperor,  and  which  has  for  them 
the  advantage  of  being  Italian." 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1806,  Napoleon  wrote 
to  Joseph,  "  My  BROTHER — the  Court  of  Eome 
is  entirely  surrendered  to  folly.  It  refuses  to 
recognize  you,  and  I  know  not  what  sort  of  a 
treaty  it  wishes  to  make  with  me*  It  thinks 
that  I  can  not  unite  profound  respect  for  the 
spiritual  authority  of  the  Pope,  and  at  the  same 
time  repel  his  temporal  pretensions.  It  forgets 


1806.J  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES.      131 


Letter  from  Meneval. 


that  Saint  Louis,  whose  piety  is  well  known, 
was  almost  always  at  war  with  the  Pope,  and 
that  Charles  V.,  who  was  a  very  Christian 
prince,  held  Home  besieged  for  a  long  time, 
and  seized  it,  with  every  Roman  state." 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1806,  M.  de  Me- 
neval, the  Emperor's  secretary,  had  written  to 
Joseph,  "The  Emperor  works  prodigiously. 
He  holds  three  or  four  councils  every  day,  from 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  he  rises, 
until  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  he  goes  to  bed." 

Napoleon  well  knew  the  fickle,  unreliable, 
Jebased  character  of  the  Italian  populace.  He 
was  sure  that  Joseph,  in  the  kindness  of  his 
heart,  was  too  confiding  and  unsuspicious.  He 
wrote  reiteratedly  upon  this  subject :  "  Put  it 
in  your  calculations,"  said  he,  "  that  sooner  or 
later  you  will  have  an  insurrection.  It  is  an 
event  which  always  happens  in  a  conquered 
country.  You  can  never  sustain  yourself  by 
opinion  in  such  a  city  as  Naples,  Be  sure  that 
you  will  have  a  riot  or  an  insurrection.  I 
earnestly  desire  to  aid  you  by  my  experience 
in  such  matters.  Shoot  pitilessly  the  lazzaroni 
who  plunge  the  dagger.  I  am  greatly  sur- 
prised that  you  do  not  shoot  the  spies  of  the 


132  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


Letter  from  Napoleon. 


King  of  Naples.  Your  administration  is  too 
feeble.  I  can  not  conceive  why  you  do  not 
execute  the  laws.  Every  spy  should  be  shot. 
Every  lazzaroni  who  plies  the  dagger  should 
be  shot.  You  attach  too  much  importance  to 
a  populace  whom  two  or  three  battalions  and 
a  few  pieces  of  artillery  will  bring  to  reason. 
They  will  never  be  submissive  until  they  rise 
in  insurrection,  and  you  make  a  severe  exam- 
ple. The  villages  which  revolt  should  be  sur- 
rendered to  pillage.  It  is  not  only  the  right 
of  war,  but  policy  requires  it.  Your  govern- 
ment, my  brother,  is  not  sufficiently  vigorous. 
You  fear  too  much  to  indispose  people.  You 
are  too  amiable,  and  have  too  much  confidence 
in  the  Neapolitans.  This  system  of  mildness 
will  not  avail  you.  Be  sure  of  that.  I  truly 
desire  that  the  mob  of  Naples  should  revolt. 
Until  you  make  an  example,  you  will  not  be 
master.  With  every  conquered  people  a  re- 
volt is  a  necessity.  I  should  regard  a  revolt 
in  Naples  as  the  father  of  a  family  regards  the 
small-pox  for  his  children.  Provided  it  does 
not  weaken  the  invalid  too  much,  it  is  a  salu- 
tary crisis." 

Such  were  the  precautions  which  Napoleon 
was  continually  sending  to  Joseph.     His  amia- 


1806.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  NAPLES 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  his  Wife. 


ble  brother  did  not  sufficiently  heed  them.  He 
fancied  that  the  most  ignorant,  fanatical,  and 
debased  of  men  could  be  held  in  control  by 
kind  words  and  kind  deeds  alone.  But  he 
awoke  fearfully  to  the  delusion  when  a  savage 
insurrection  broke  out  among  the  peasants  and 
the  brigands  of  the  Calabrias,  and  swept  the 
provinces  with  flarne  and  blood  Then  scenes 
of  woe  ensued  which  can  never  be  described. 
It  became  necessary  to  resort  to  the  severest 
acts  of  punishment  Much,  if  not  all  of  this, 
might  have  been  saved  had  the  firm  govern- 
ment which  Napoleon  recommended  been  es- 
tablished at  the  beginning.  It  is  cruelty,  not 
kindness,  to  leave  the  mob  to  feel  that  they 
can  inaugurate  their  reign  of  terror  with  im- 
punity. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  which 
Joseph  wrote  his  wife,  dated  Naples,  March 
22d,  1806,  throw  interesting  light  upon  the 
characters  of  both  the  King  and  the  Emperor. 

"I  repeat  it,  the  Emperor  ought  not  to  re- 
main alone  in  Paris.  Providence  has  made 
me  expressly  to  serve  as  his  safeguard.  Lov- 
ing repose,  and  yet  able  to  support  activity; 
despising  grandeurs,  and  yet  able  to  bear  their 
burden  with  success,  whatever  may  have  been 


1S4  JOSEPH  BONAPAKTE.       [1806. 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  his  Wife. 


the  slight  differences  between  him  and  me,  I 
can  truly  say  that  he  is  the  man  of  all  the 
world  whom  I  love  the  best.  I  do  not  know 
if  a  climate  and  shores  very  much  resembling 
those  which  I  inhabited  with  him,  have  given 
back  to  me  all  my  first  love  for  the  friend  of 
my  childhood ;  but  I  can  truly  say  that  I  often 
find  myself  weeping  over  the  affections  of 
twenty  years'  standing  as  over  those  of  but  a 
few  months. 

"If  you  can  not  come  to  me  immediately, 
send  Ze'naide.1  I  would  give  all  the  empires 
of  the  world  for  one  caress  of  my  tall  Ze'naide, 
or  for  one  kiss  of  my  little  Lolotte.  As  for 
you,  you  know  very  well  that  I  love  you  as 
their  mother,  and  as  I  love  my  wife.  If  I  can 
unite  a  dispersed  family  and  live  in  the  bosom 
of  my  own,  I  shall  be  content ;  and  I  will  sur- 
render myself  to  fulfill  all  the  missions  which 
the  Emperor  may  assign  to  me,  provided  they 
can  be  temporary,  and  that  I  may  cherish  the 
hope  of  dying  in  a  country  in  which  I  have  al- 
ways wished  to  live." 

'  Zenaide  and  Lolotte  (Charlotte),  the  two  daughters  of 
Joseph. 


1806.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN        135 

Jena  and  Auerstadt,  Death  at  Fax. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN. 

THE  close  of  the  year  1806  was  rendered 
memorable  by  the  victories  of  Jena  and 
Auerstadt,  and  the  occupation  of  Prussia  by 
the  armies  of  Napoleon.  The  war  was  wan- 
tonly provoked  by  Prussia.  Napoleon  wrote 
to  Joseph  from  St.  Cloud,  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
tember : 

"  Prussia  makes  me  a  thousand  protestations. 
That  does  not  prevent  me  from  taking  my  pre- 
cautions. In  a  few  days  she  will  disarm,  or 
she  will  be  crushed.  Austria  protests  her  wish 
to  remain  neutral.  Russia  knows  not  what  she 
wishes.  Her  remote  position  renders  her  pow- 
erless. Thus,  in  a  few  words,  you  have  the 
present  aspect  of  affairs." 

A  few  days  after  he  wrote  again  to  Joseph 
from  St.  Cloud:  "My  BROTHER, — I  have  just 
received  the  tidings  that  Mr.  Fox  is  dead.  Un- 
der present  circumstances,  ne  is  a  man  who  dies 
regretted  by  two  nations.  The  horizon  is  some- 


136  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 


England's  New  Alliance. 


what  clouded  in  Europe.  It  is  possible  that  I 
may  soon  come  to  blows  with  the  King  of 
Prussia.  If  matters  are  not  soon  arranged,  the 
Prussians  will  be  so  beaten  in  the  first  encoun- 
ters, that  every  thing  will  be  finished  in  a  few 
days." 

Napoleon  cautioned  his  brother  against 
making  the  contents  of  his  letters  known  to 
others,  saying,  "  I  repeat  to  you,  that  if  this  let- 
ter is  read  by  others  than  yourself,  you  injure 
your  own  affairs.  I  am  accustomed  to  think 
three  or  four  months  in  advance  of  what  I  do, 
and  I  make  arrangements  for  the  worst." 

England,  Russia,  and  Prussia  entered  into  a 
new  alliance  to  crush  the  Empire  in  France. 
The  armies  of  Prussia,  two  hundred  thousand 
strong,  commenced  their  march  by  entering 
Saxony,  one  of  the  allies  of  Napoleon.  Alex- 
ander of  Russia  was  hastening  to  join  Prus- 
sia, with  two  hundred  thousand  men'  in  his 
train.  England  was  giving  the  most  energetic 
co-operation  with  her  invincible  fleet  and  her 
almost  inexhaustible  gold.  Upon  the  eve  of 
this  terrible  conflict,  Napoleon,  in  the  follow- 
ing terms,  addressed  Europe,  to  which  address 
no  reply  was  returned  but  that  of  shot  and 
shell. 


1806.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       137 


Napoleon's  Address  to  Europe. 


"Why  should  hostilities  arise  between 
France  and  Russia?  Perfectly  independent 
of  each  other,  they  are  impotent  to  inflict  evil, 
but  all-powerful  to  communicate  benefits.  If 
the  Emperor  of  France  exercises  a  great  influ- 
ence in  Italy,  the  Czar  exerts  a  still  greater  in- 
fluence over  Turkey  and  Persia.  If  the  Cabi- 
net of  Russia  pretends  to  have  a  right  to  affix 
limits  to  the  power  of  France,  without  doubt  it 
is  equally  disposed  to  allow  the  Emperor  of  the 
French  to  prescribe  the  bounds  beyond  which 
Russia  is  not  to  pass. 

"  Russia  has  partitioned  Poland.  Can  she 
then  complain  that  France  possesses  Belgium 
and  the  left  banks  of  the  Rhine  ?  Russia  has 
seized  upon  the  Crimea,  the  Caucasus,  and  the 
northern  provinces  of  Persia.  Can  she  deny 
that  the  right  of  self-preservation  gives  France 
a  title  to  demand  an  equivalent  in  Europe. 
Let  every  power  begin  by  restoring  the  con- 
quests which  it  has  made  during  the  last  fifty 
years.  Let  them  re-establish  Poland,  restore 
Venice  to  its  Senate,  Trinidad  to  Spain,  Ceylon 
to  Holland,  the  Crimea  to  the  Porte,  the  Cau- 
casus and  Georgia  to  Persia,  the  kingdom  of 
Mysore  to  the  sons  of  Tippoo  Saib,  and  the 
Mahratta  States  to  their  lawful  owners,  and 


138  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 

Views  of  the  Emperor.  Message  to  the  Senate. 

then  the  other  powers  may  have  some  title  to 
insist  that  France  shall  retire  within  her  an- 
cient limits." 

It  was  important  to  prevent  the  union  of 
these  mighty  hosts,  now  combined  to  overthrow 
the  new  system  in  France.  As  Napoleon  left 
Paris,  to  strike  the  Prussian  army  before  it 
could  be  strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  the 
Russians,  he  wrote  to  Joseph : 

"  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness.  The  present 
struggle  will  be  speedily  terminated.  Prussia 
and  her  allies,  be  they  who  they  may,  will  be 
crushed.  And  this  time  I  will  settle  finally 
with  Europe.  I  will  put  it  out  of  the  power 
of  my  enemies  to  stir  for  ten  years." 

In  his  parting  message  to  the  Senate,  he 
said,  "In  so  just  a  war,  which  we  have  not 
provoked  by  any  act,  by  any  pretense,  the  true 
cause  of  which  it  would  be  impossible  to  as- 
sign, and  where  we  only  take  arms  to  defend 
ourselves,  we  depend  entirely  upon  the  support 
of  the  laws,  and  upon  that  of  the  people,  whom 
circumstances  call  upon  to  give  fresh  proof  of 
their  devotion  and  courage." 

The  Prussian  army  was  overwhelmed  at 
Jena  and  Auerstadt,  and  then  Napoleon,  press- 
ing on  to  the  north,  met  the  Russians  at  Fried- 


1806.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       139 

Fearful  Outrages  in  Calabria.  Advice  of  Napoleon. 

land,  and  annihilated  their  forces  also.  The 
atrocities  perpetrated  by  the  Italian  bandits 
were  so  terrible,  that  the  exasperated  soldiers 
often  retaliated  with  fearful  severity.  Joseph, 
by  nature  a  very  humane  man,  endeavored  in 
every  way  in  his  powerto  mitigate  this  ferocity. 
The  revolt  in  Calabria  was  attended  with  almost 
every  conceivable  act  of  perfidy  and  cruelty. 
The  wounded  French  were  butchered  in  the  hos- 
pitals; the  dwellings  of  Neapolitans  friendly 
to  the  new  government  were  burnt,  and  their 
families  outraged  ;  treachery  of  the  vilest  kind 
was  perpetrated  by  those  acting  under  the  mask 
of  friendship.  The  crisis,  which  Napoleon  had 
been  continually  anticipating  and  warning  his 
brother  against,  had  come.  The  case  demanded 
rigorous  measures.  It  was  necessary  to  the 
very  existence  of  the  Government  that  it  should 
prove,  by  avenging  crime,  that  it  was  deter- 
mined to  protect  the  innocent.  Still  the  amiable 
Joseph  was  disposed  to  leniency.  Napoleon 
wrote  him: 

"  The  fate  of  your  reign  depends  upon  your 
conduct  when  you  return  to  Calabria.  There 
must  be  no  forgiveness.  Shoot  at  least  six 
hundred  rebels.  They  have  murdered  more 
soldiers  than  that  Burn  the  houses  of  thirty 


140  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 

Adrice  of  Napoleon.  The  English  Fleet 

of  the  principal  persons  in  the  villages,  and 
distribute  their  property  among  the  soldiers. 
Take  away  all  arms  from  the  inhabitants,  and 
give  up  to  pillage  five  or  six  of  the  large  vil- 
lages. When  Placenza  rebelled,  I  ordered  Ju« 
not  to  burn  two  villages  and  shoot  the  chiefs, 
among  whom  were  six  priests.  It  will  be  some 
time  before  they  rebel  again." 

Where  there  is  this  energy  to  punish  crime, 
the  good  repose  in  safety.  This  apparent  in- 
humanity may  be,  with  a  ruler  who  has  mil- 
lions to  protect,  the  highest  degree  of  humani- 
ty. When  a  lawless  mob  is  rioting  through 
the  streets  of  a  city,  robbing,  burning,  murder- 
ing, it  is  not  well  for  the  Government  affection- 
ately to  address  them  with  soothing  words.  It 
is  far  more  humane  to  mow  down  the  insur- 
gents with  grape  and  canister. 

The  English  fleet  still  menaced  and  assailed 
the  kingdom  of  Naples  at  every  available 
point.  It  held  possession  of  the  island  of  Ca- 
pin,  near  the  mouth  of  the  gulf  of  Naples. 
There  was  a  Neapolitan,  by  the  name  of  Vec- 
chioni,  who  had  professed  the  warmest  attach- 
ment to  the  new  government,  and  whom  Jo- 
seph had  appointed  as  one  of  his  counsellors 
of  state.  This  man  entered  intc  a  conspiracv 


1806,]     THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       141 

Testimony  of  Napoleon  At  Saint  Helens. 


with  the  English,  to  betray  to  them  the  King 
to  whom  he  had  perfidiously  sworn  allegiance. 
His  treason  was  clearly  proved.  But  he  was 
an  old  man.  His  life  had  hitherto  been  pure. 
The  tender  heart  of  Joseph  could  not  bear  to 
inflict  upon  him  merited  punishment.  He  said 
compassionately,  "  The  poor  old  man  has  suf- 
fered enough  already.  Let  him  go."  To  gov- 
ern an  ignorant,  fanatical,  and  turbulent  nation 
swarming  with  brigands,  requires  a  character 
of  stern  mould.  But  for  the  energies  commu- 
nicated to  Joseph  by  Napoleon,  Joseph  could 
not  long  have  retained  his  throne.  The  Em- 
peror at  Saint  Helena,  speaking  of  his  brother, 
said . 

"Joseph  rendered  me  no  assistance,  but  he 
is  a  very  good  man.  His  wife,  Queen  Julia, 
is  the  most  amiable  creature  that  ever  existed 
Joseph  and  I  were  always  attached  to  each 
other,  and  kept  on  good  terms.  He  loves  me 
sincerely,  and  I  doubt  not  that  he  would  do 
every  thing  in  the  world  to  serve  me;  but  his 
qualities  are  only  suited  to  private  life.  He  is 
of  a  gentle  and  kind  disposition,  possesses  tal- 
ent and  information,  and  is  altogether  a  most 
amiable  man.  In  the  discharge  of  the  high 
duties  which  I  confided  to  him,  he  did  the  best 


142  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1806. 

The  Napoleon  Brothers  and  Sisters. 

he  could.  His  intentions  were  good,  and  there- 
fore the  principal  fault  rested  riot  so  much  with 
him  as  with  me,  who  raised  him  above  his 
proper  sphere.  When  placed  in  important 
circumstances,  he  found  himself  unequal  to  the 
task  imposed  upon  him." 

On  another  occasion,  the  Emperor  at  Saint 
Helena,  speaking  of  the  different  members  of 
his  family,  said,  "  In  their  mistaken  notions 
of  independence,  the  members  of  my  family 
sometimes  seemed  to  consider  their  power  as 
detached,  forgetting  that  they  were  merely 
parts  of  a  great  whole,  whose  views  and  inter- 
ests they  should  have  aided,  instead  of  oppo- 
sing. But,  after  all,  they  were  very  young  and 
inexperienced,  and  were  surrounded  by  snares, 
flatterers,  and  intriguers  with  secret  and  evil 
designa 

"And  yet,  if  we  judge  from  analogy,  what 
family,  in  similar  circumstances,  would  have 
acted  better?  Every  one  is  not  qualified  to 
be  a  statesman.  That  requires  a  combination 
of  powers  that  does  not  often  fall  to  the  lot  of 
one.  In  this  respect,  all  my  brothers  are  sin- 
gularly situated.  They  possessed  at  once  too 
much  and  too  little  talent-  They  felt  them- 
selves too  strong  to  resign  themselves  blindly 


1806.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       143 


The  Napoleon  Brothers  and  Sinters. 


to  a  guiding  counsellor,  and  yet  too  weak  to  be 
left  entirely  to  themselves.  But,  take  them  all 
in  all,  I  have  certainly  good  reason  to  be  proud 
of  ray  family. 

"Joseph  would  have  been  an  ornament  to 
society  in  any  country ;  and  Lucien  would 
have  been  an  honor  to  any  political  assembly. 
Jerome,  as  he  advanced  in  life,  would  have  de- 
veloped every  qualification  requisite  in  a  sove- 
reign. Louis  would  have  been  distinguished 
in  every  rank  and  condition  in  life.  My  sister 
Eliza  was  endowed  with  masculine  powers  of 
mind  ;  she  must  have  proved  herself  a  philoso- 
pher in  her  adverse  fortune.  Caroline  possess- 
ed great  talents  and  capacity.  Pauline,  per- 
•Haps  the  most  beautiful  woman  of  her  age,  has 
been,  and  will  continue  to  be  to  the  end  of  her 
life,  the  most  amiable  creature  in  the  world. 
As  to  my  mother,  she  deserves  all  kind  of 
veneration. 

"  How  seldom  is  so  numerous  a  family  en- 
titled to  so  much  praise?  Add  to  this  that, 
setting  aside  the  jarring  of  political  opinions, 
we  sincerely  loved  each  other.  For  my  part, 
I  never  ceased  to  cherish  fraternal  affection 
for  them  ail ;  and  I  am  convinced  that,  in  their 
hearts,  they  felt  the  same  sentiments  toward 


144:  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [1806. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  History  and  Antiquities. 

me,  and  that,  in  case  of  need,  they  would  have 
given  me  proof  of  it" 

The  soil  of  Italy  presented  widely,  upon  its 
'surface,  impressive  monuments  of  the  past. 
The  grand  memories  inspired  by  these  crea- 
tions of  olden  time  tended  to  arouse  the  slug- 
gish spirit  of  the  degenerate  moderns.  To  pro- 
mote these  ennobling  studies,  and  to  increase 
the  taste  for  the  fine  arts,  Joseph  established 
"The  Royal  Academy  of  History  and  Antiq- 
uities," The  number  of  members  was  fixed 
at  forty.  The  King  appointed  the  first  twenty 
members,  and  they  nominated,  for  his  appoint- 
ment, the  rest.  A  museum  was  formed  for 
the  collection  of  antique  works  of  art  found  in 
the  excavations.  An  annual  fund,  of  about 
ten  thousand  dollars,  was  appropriated  to  the 
expenses  of  the  institution.  Two  grand  ses- 
sions were  to  be  held  each  year,  at  which  time 
prizes  were  awarded  by  the  Academy  to  the 
amount  of  about  two  thousand  dollars  for  the 
most  important  literary  works  which  had  been 
produced.  The  first  sessions  were  held  in  the 
hall  of  the  palace.  The  King  wished  thus  to 
manifest  his  interest  in  the  objects  of  the 
Academy,  to  co-operate  in  their  labors,  and  to 
avail  himself  of  the  advantages  of  their  re 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       146 


Relations  between  Napoleon  and  Joseph. 


searches.  The  clergy,  and  the  medical  and 
legal  professions,  were  alike  represented  in  this 
learned  body. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact,  illustrative  of  the 
state  of  learning  at  the  time,  that  of  the  twen- 
ty academicians  first  appointed  by  the  King, 
eleven  were  ecclesiastics.  Two  only  were  no- 
bles. This  class,  rioting  in  sensual  indulgence, 
disdained  any  intellectual  labor.  Notwith- 
standing all  these  expenses,  such  system  and 
economy  were  introduced  into  the  finances, 
that  they  were  rapidly  becoming  extricated 
from  the  chaos  in  which  they  had  long  been 
plunged. 

In  the  midst  of  these  incessant  and  diversi- 
fied labors,  letters  were  almost  daily  passing 
between  Joseph  and  his  brother  the  Emperor. 
On  the  first  day  of  the  year  1807,  Napoleon 
was,  with  his  heroic  and  indomitable  army,  far 
away  amidst  the  frozen  wilds  of  Poland.  Jo- 
seph sent  a  special  deputation  to  his  brother, 
with  earnest  wishes  for  "a  happy  new  year." 
Napoleon  thus  replied,  under  the  date  of  War- 
saw, January  28,  1807 : 

"  MY  BROTHER, — I  have  not  received  the 
letter  of  your  Majesty  and  his  wishes  for  my 
happiness  without  lively  emotion.  Your  de»- 

6—10 


146  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Relations  between  Napoleon  and  Joseph. 

tinies  and  my  successes  have  placed  a  vast 
country  between  us.  You  touch,  on  the  south, 
the  Mediterranean.  I  touch  the  Baltic.  But, 
by  the  harmony  of  our  measures,  we  are  seek- 
ing the  same  object.  Watch  over  your  coasts ; 
shut  out  the  English  and  their  commerce. 
Their  exclusion  will  secure  tranquillity  in  your 
states.  Your  realm  is  rich  and  populous.  By 
the  aid  of  God  it  may  become  powerful  and 
happy.  Receive  my  most  sincere  wishes  for 
the  prosperity  of  your  reign,  and  rely  at  all 
times  upon  my  fraternal  affection.  The  depu- 
tation which  your  Majesty  has  sent  to  me  has 
honorably  fulfilled  its  mission.  I  have  re- 
quested it  to  bear  to  your  Majesty  the  assur- 
ance of  my  sincere  attachment.  Whereupon, 
my  brother,  I  pray  that  God  may  ever  have 
you  in  his  holy  and  worthy  keeping." 

Some  reference  was  made  in  one  of  Joseph's 
letters  to  the  sufferings  which  the  army  in  Na- 
ples endured.  Napoleon  replied,  "The  mem- 
bers of  my  staff,  colonels,  officers,  have  not 
undressed  for  two  months,  and  some  for  four. 
(I  myself  have  been  fifteen  days  without  tak- 
ing off  my  boots),  in  the  midst  of  snow  and 
mud,  without  bread,  without  wine,  without 
brandy,  eating  potatoes  and  meat;  making 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       147 

Relations  between  Napoleon  and  Joseph. 

long  marches  and  counter-marches,  without 
any  kind  of  rest;  fighting  with  the  bayonet, 
and  very  often  under  grapeshot :  the  wounded 
being  borne  on  sledges  in  the  open  air  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

"  It  is  then  ill-timed  pleasantry  to  compare 
us  with  the  Army  of  Naples,  which  is  making 
war  in  the  beautiful  country  of  Naples,  where 
they  have  bread,  oil,  cloth,  bedclothes,  society, 
and  even  that  of  the  ladies.  After  having  de- 
stroyed the  Prussian  monarchy,  we  are  now 
contending  against  the  rest  of  the  Prussians, 
against  the  Eussians,  the  Cossacks,  the  Cal- 
mucks,  and  against  those  tribes  of  the  north, 
which  formerly  overwhelmed  the  Koman  em- 
pire. In  the  midst  of  these  great  fatigues, 
every  body  has  been  more  or  less  sick.  As 
for  me,  I  was  never  better,  and  am  gaining 
flesh. 

"  The  Army  of  Naples  has  no  occasion  to 
complain.  Let  them  inquire  of  General  Ber- 
thier.  He  will  tell  them  that  their  Emperor 
has  for  fifteen  days  eaten  nothing  but  pota- 
toes and  meat,  whilst  bivouacking  in  the  midst 
of  the  snows  of  Poland.  Judge  from  that 
what  must  be  the  condition  of  the  officers 
They  have  nothing  but  meat." 


148          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Letter  from  Joseph. 


On  the  26th  of  March,  1807,  Joseph  wrote, 
in  a  letter  to  his  brother  Napoleon,  urging  the 
promotion  of  Colonel  Destrees,  who,  by  his 
probity,  had  won  the  affections  of  the  people. 

"Here,  sire,  an  honest  man  is  worth  more 
to  me  than  a  man  of  ability.  When  I  find 
both  qualities  united  in  the  same  person,  I  es- 
teem him  of  more  value  than  a  regiment.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  I  value  so  highly  Rey- 
nier,  Partouneaux,  Donzelot,  Lamarque,  Jour- 
dan,  Saligny,  and  Mathieu ;  it  is  this  which 
leads  me  to  prize  so  highly  Roederer  and  Du- 
mas." 

Again  he  wrote  to  his  brother  on  the  29th 
of  March :  "  Sire,  as  I  see  more  of  men  and 
become  better  acquainted  with  them,  I  recog- 
nize more  and  more  the  truth  of  what  I  have 
heard  from  your  Majesty  during  the  whole  of 
my  life.  The  experience  of  government  has 
confirmed  the  truth  of  that  which  your  Majesty 
has  so  often  said  to  me.  I  hope  your  Majesty 
•will  not  regard  this  as  flattery.  But  it  is  true ; 
and  I  never  cease  to  repeat,  and  particularly  to 
myself,  that  you  have  been  born  with  a  su- 
periority of  reason  truly  astonishing,  and  now 
I  recognize  fully  that  men  are  what  you  have 
always  told  me  that  they  were.  How  many 


1807.]   THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       149 

Frank  Admissions  and  Advice  of  Joeeph. 

abuses,  which  I  confess  still  astonish  me,  have 
I  encountered,  in  the  journey  which  I  have 
just  made.  A  prince  confiding  and  amiable 
is  a  great  scourge  from  heaven.  I  am  in- 
structed, sire,  and  I  hope  ere  long  to  be  a  bet- 
ter ruler  by  not  giving  the  majority  of  men 
the  credit  for  that  spirit  of  justice  and  human- 
ity which  I  hope  your  Majesty  recognizes  in 
me.  I  have  assembled  the  notables  of  this 
province.  How  docile  these  people  are!  but 
they  are  very  badly  governed.  I  have  dis- 
missed the  prefect,  the  sub-prefect,  the  general, 
the  commandant,  a  set  of  rascals  who  were 
here  the  instruments  and  the  agents  of  an  hon- 
est prince.  This  province,  the  most  tranquil 
in  the  realm,  had  become,  in  the  opinion  of 
notables,  the  most  disaffected  and  the  most 
ready  to  desire  the  arrival  of  the  enemy.  I 
journeyed  from  village  to  village,  and  speedily 
repaired  the  evil.  These  people  have  so  much 
vivacity  of  spirit  and  ardor  of  soul,  that  both 
good  and  evil  operate  easily  upon  them.  Their 
inconstancy  is  not  so  much  the  result  of  their 
character  as  of  their  topographical  and  milita- 
ry position. 

"  I  am  aware,  sire,  that  I  have  not,  as  your 
Majesty  has,  the  art  of  employing  all  kinds  of 


150  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Frank  Admissions  and  Advice  of  Joseph. 

men.  I  need  honest  men,  in  whom  I  can  re- 
pose some  confidence.  Sire,  I  am  in  that  mood 
of  mind,  which  your  Majesty  recognizes  in 
me,  in  which  I  love  to  say  whatever  I  think 
right.  Your  Majesty  ought  to  make  peace  at 
whatever  price.  Your  Majesty  is  victorious, 
triumphant  everywhere.  You  ought  to  recoil 
before  the  blood  of  your  people.  It  is  for  the 
prince  to  hold  back  the  hero.  No  extent  of 
country,  be  it  more  or  less,  should  restrain  you. 
All  the  concessions  you  may  make  will  be 
glorious,  because  they  will  be  useful  to  your 
peoples,  whose  purest  blood  now  flows ;  and 
victorious  and  invincible  as  you  are,  by  the  ad- 
mission of  all,  no  condition  can  be  supposed  to 
be  prescribed  to  you  by  an  enemy  whom  you 
have  vanquished. 

"  Sire,  it  is  the  love  which  I  bear  for  a 
brother  who  has  become  a  father  to  me,  and 
the  love  which  I  owe  to  France  and  to  the 
people  whom  you  have  given  me,  which  dic- 
tates these  words  of  truth.  As  for  me,  sire,  I 
shall  be  happy  to  do  whatever  may  be  in  my 
power  to  secure  that  end." 

This  strain  of  remark  must  have  been  not  a 
little  annoying  to  the  Emperor.  While  Jo- 
seph did  not  deny  that  the  Emperor  was  wa- 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       151 


Tacit  Reproaches  and  Response. 


ging  war  solely  in  self-defense,  he  assumed  that 
he  was  now  so  powerful  that  he  could  make 
peace  at  any  time  upon  his  own  terms.  But 
dynastic  Europe  was  allying  itself,  coalition 
after  coalition,  in  an  interminable  series,  with 
the  avowed  object  of  driving  Napoleon  from 
the  throne,  reinstating  the  Bourbons,  re-estab- 
lishing  the  old  feudal  despotisms,  and  of  then 
overthrowing  the  regenerated  kingdoms  of 
Italy  and  of  Naples,  and  all  the  other  popular 
governments  established  under  the  protection 
of  Napoleon.  Against  these  foes  the  Emperor 
was  contending,  not  for  France  alone,  but  for 
the  rights  of  humanity  throughout  Europe  and 
the  world.  As  Napoleon  left  Paris  for  the 
campaigns  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt,  he  said  to 
the  Senate, 

"  In  so  just  a  war,  which  we  have  not  pro- 
voked by  any  act,  by  any  pretense,  the  true 
cause  to  which  it  would  be  impossible  to  as- 
sign, and  where  we  only  take  up  arms  to  de- 
fend ourselves,  we  depend  entirely  upon  the 
support  of  the  laws  and  of  the  people." 

No  man  could  deny  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment.  Napoleon  was  driven  to  all  the  rigors 
of  a  winter's  campaign  in  the  wilds  of  Poland. 
To  have  received,  by  the  side  of  his  bleak  bi- 


152  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807 


Tacit  Reproaches  and  Response. 


vouac,  whilst  thus  struggling  to  defend  the 
rights  of  humanity  throughout  Europe,  a  let- 
ter from  his  amiable  brother,  written  in  such  a 
strain  of  implied  reproach,  must  have  been  ex- 
tremely annoying.  One  would  look  for  an  out- 
burst of  indignation  in  response.  We  turn  to 
the  Emperor's  reply.  It  was  as  follows  . 

"  MY  BROTHER, — I  have  received  your  letter 
of  the  29th  of  March,  and  I  thank  you  for  all 
that  you  have  said.  Peace  is  a  marriage  which 
depends  upon  a  union  of  wills.  If  it  be  neces- 
sary still  to  wage  war,  I  am  in  a  condition  to 
do  so.  You  will  see,  by  my  message  to  the 
Senate,  that  I  am  about  to  raise  additional 
troops." 

Joseph  had  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
Neapolitans  truly  loved  him.  Napoleon,  in  his 
reply,  said, 

"  I  am  not  of  the  opinion  that  the  Neapoli- 
tans love  you.  It  is  all  resolved  to  this.  If 
there  were  not  a  French  soldier  in  Naples, 
could  you  raise  there  thirty  thousand  men  to 
defend  you  against  the  English  and  the  par- 
tisans of  the  Queen  ?  As  the  contrary  is  evi- 
dent to  me,  I  can  not  think  as  you  do.  Your 
people  will  love  you  undoubtedly,  but  it  will 
be  after  eight  or  ten  years,  when  they  will  tru- 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       153 


Animadversions  of  the  Emperor. 


ly  know  you,  and  you  will  know  them.  To 
love,  with  the  people,  means  to  esteem ;  and 
they  esteem  their  prince  when  he  is  feared  by 
the  bad,  and  when  the  good  have  such  confi- 
dence in  him  that  he  can,  under  all  circum- 
stances, rely  upon  their  fidelity  and  their  aid." 
In  a  letter  to  Joseph,  written  a  few  days  be- 
fore this,  the  Emperor  made  the  following 
striking  remarks :  "  Since  you  wish  me  to 
speak  freely  of  what  is  done  at  Naples,  I  will 
say  to  you  that  I  was  not  just  pleased  with 
the  preamble  to  the  supression  of  the  convents. 
In  referring  to  religion,  the  language  should 
be  in  the  spirit  of  religion,  and  not  in  that  of 
philosophy.  Why  do  you  speak  of  the  serv- 
ices rendered  to  the  arts  and  the  sciences  by 
the  religious  orders ?  It  is  not  that  whi^h  has 
rendered  them  commendable  ;  it  is  the  admin- 
istration of  the  consolations  of  religion.  The 
preamble  is  entirely  philosophical,  and  I  think 
that  it  should  not  be  so.  It  ought  to  have 
been  said  that  the  great  number  of  the  monka 
rendered  their  support  difficult ;  that  the  dig- 
nity of  the  State  required  that  they  should  be 
maintained  in  a  condition  of  respectability : 
hence  the  necessity  for  reform,  that  a  portion 
of  the  clergy  must  be  retained  for  the  admin* 


154  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Domestic  Affections  of  Joseph. 


istration  of  the  sacraments,  that  others  must 
be  dismissed.  I  give  this  as  a  general  prin- 
ciple." 

Joseph  was  well  aware  how  difficult  it  is 
for  truth  to  reach  the  steps  of  the  throne.  In 
his  tour  through  the  provinces,  he  often,  on 
foot,  penetrated  the  crowd  which  surrounded 
him,  and  conversed  with  any  one  whose  intel- 
ligence attracted  his  attention.  He  listened  to 
every  well-founded  complaint,  and  avowed 
himself  deeply  moved  in  view  of  the  oppres- 
sion which  the  people  had  suffered  even  from 
his  own  agents.  But  for  this  personal  observa- 
tion, he  would  have  remained  in  ignorance  of 
these  wrongs  which  he  promptly  and  vigor- 
ously repressed.  Joseph  was  a  man  of  the 
purest  morals,  and,  as  a  husband  and  father, 
was  a  model  of  excellence.  While  engaged  in 
these  labors  at  Naples,  his  wife,  Julie,  who  was 
in  delicate  health,  remained  in  Paris,  occupy- 
ing the  palace  of  the  Luxembourg.  They  ex- 
changed daily  letters.  The  following  extract 
from  one  of  Joseph's  letters,  written  on  the 
26th  of  April,  1807,  will  give  the  reader  some 
insight  to  the  nature  of  this  correspondence, 
and  to  the  heart  of  Joseph. 

"  MY  DEAR  JULIE, — I  have  received  no  let- 


1807.]    THE  CROWN   A  BURDEN.       157 


Letter  to  Julie. 


ter  from  you  to-day.  I  pray  you  not  to  fail  to 
write  to  me.  I  can  not  but  feel  anxious  when 
I  receive  no  letter,  since  your  correspondence 
is  otherwise  regular.  I  wrote  you  yesterday 
of  the  rumors  which  malevolence  had  set  in 
circulation,  but  that  facts  will  gradually  de- 
stroy them.  I  can  give  you  the  positive  assur- 
ance that  you  need  have  no  solicitude  upon 
that  point. 

"  I  have  come  to  pass  Sunday  here.  It  is 
somewhat  remarkable  that  fete  days  are  the 
seasons  which  I  choose  for  a  little  recreation. 
This  shows  with  what  constancy  I  am  em- 
ployed on  other  days  in  the  labors  of  the  Cab- 
inet. Moreover,  the  response  to  every  accu- 
sation is  the  result  which  has  "already  been  at- 
tained here.  Notes  upon  the  Bank  of  Naples, 
which  were  twenty-five  per  cent,  below  par 
when  I  came  here,  are  now  at  par.  I  have, 
with  my  own  resources,  conducted  the  war.and 
the  siege  of  Gaeta,  which  has  cost  six  millions 
of  francs  ($1,200,000) ;  I  have  found  the  means 
to  support  and  pay  ninety  thousand  men,  for  I 
have,  besides  sixty  thousand  land  soldiers,  thir- 
ty thousand  men  as  marines,  invalids,  pension- 
ers of  the  ancient  army,  coast  guards,  shore 
gunners ;  and  I  have  fifteen  hundred  leagues 


158  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Letter  to  Julie. 


of  coast,  all  beset,  blockaded,  ancl  often  attack- 
ed by  the  enemy.  j 

"  With  all  this,  I  have  novso  much  increased 
the  taxes  as  to  excite  the  discontent  of  the 
landed  proprietors  and  the  people.  There  is 
so  little  dissatisfaction  that  I  can  travel  almost 
anywhere  alone  without  imprudence;  that  Na- 
ples is  as  tranquil  as  Paris ;  that  I  can  borrow 
here  whatever  one  has  to  lend ;  that  I  have  not 
a  single  class  of  society  discontented ;  and  it  is 
generally  admitted  that  if  I  do  not  do  better  it 
is  not  my  fault ;  that  I  set  the  example  of  mod- 
eration, of  economy ;  that  I  indulge  in  no  lux- 
uries; that  I  make  no  expenses  for  myself; 
that  I  have  neither  mistresses,  minions,  nor  fa- 
vorites ;  that  no  person  leads  me,  and,  indeed, 
that  every  thing  is  so  well  ordered  here  that 
the  officers  and  other  Frenchmen  whom  I  am 
compelled  to  send  away  complain,  when  they 
are  absent,  that  they  can  not  remain  in  Naples. 

"  Read  this,  my  good  Julie,  to  mamma  and 
to  Caroline,  since  they  are  anxious,  and  say  to 
them  that  if  they  knew  me  better,  they  would 
feel  less  solicitude.  Say  to  them  that  one  does 
not  change  at  my  age ;  remind  mamma  that  at 
every  period  of  my  life,  an  obscure  citizen,  cul- 
tivator, magistrate,  I  have  always  sacrificed 


1807.]   THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       159 


Letter  to  Julie. 


with  pleasure  my  time  to  my  duties.  It  sure- 
ly is  not  I,  who  jtrize  grandeurs  so  little,  who 
can  fall  asleep  in  their  bosom.  I  see  in  them 
only  duties,  never  privileges. 

"  I  work  for  the  kingdom  of  Naples  with  the 
same  good  faith  and  the  same  self-renunciation 
with  which,  at  the  death  of  my  father,  I  labored 
for  his  young  family,  whom  I  never  ceased  to 
bear  in  my  heart,  and  all  sacrifices  were  for  me 
enjoyments.  I  say  this  with  pride,  because  it 
is  the  truth.  I  live  only  to  be  just ;  and  justice 
requires  that  I  should  render  this  people  as 
happy  as  the  scourge  of  war  will  render  possi- 
ble. I  venture  to  say,  notwithstanding  their 
situation,  that  the  people  of  Naples  are  perhaps 
more  happy  than  any  other  people. 

"  Be  tranquil,  then,  my  love,  and  be  assured 
that  these  sentiments  are  as  unchanging  in  my 
soul  as  the  immortal  attachment  which  I  bear 
for  you  and  for  my  children  ;  if  there  be  any 
sacrifice  which  they  cost  me,  it  is  being  separa- 
ted from  you.  Ambition  certainly  would  not 
have  led  me  away  two  steps  if  I  could  have  re- 
mained tranquil.  But  honor  and  the  senti- 
ment, of  my  duty  induce  me,  three  times  a  year, 
to  make  the  tour  of  my  realm  to  solace  the  un- 
happy. 


160  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Reforms. 


"  Under  these  circumstances,  I  thank  Heaven 
for  having  given  me  health  and  ability  to  bear 
the  burden  of  affairs,  and  moderation  which 
does  not  permit  me  to  be  dazzled  by  grandeur, 
and  energy  which  does  not  allow  me  to  slum- 
ber at  my  post;  and  a  good  conscience  and  a 
good  wife  to  pronounce  judgment  upon  what 
I  ought  to  do.  I  embrace  you  all  tenderly." 

It  was  clear  that  the  statesmanship  of  Na- 
poleon was  the  controlling  influence  in  Jo- 
seph's administration,  for  in  reading  the  details 
of  his  interior  policy,  we  find  that  the  institu- 
tions of  regenerated  France  were  taken  as  the 
models.  To  invest  with  honor  the  profession 
of  a  soldier,  no  one  who  had  been  condemned 
for  crime  was  permitted  to  enter  the  army. 
Degrading  punishments  were  abolished;  dis- 
tinctions and  rewards  were  accorded  to  eminent 
merit  Promotion  depended  no  longer  upon 
the  accident  of  birth,  but  upon  services  ren- 
dered, so  that  every  office  of  honor  or  emolu- 
ment was  alike  within  the  reach  of  all.  Jo- 
seph, in  his  tour  through  the  provinces,  re- 
ceived very  touching  proofs  of  the  affections 
of  the  people.  It  was  indeed  manifest  to  all 
that  a  new  era  of  prosperit}7  had  dawned  upon 
Naples.  Still  no  devotion  to  the  interests  of 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       161 


Tour  through  the  Provinces. 


the  people  can  save  a  ruler  from  enemies.  Two 
assassins  attempted  the  life  of  the  King.  They 
were  arrested,  tried,  condemned,  and  execu- 
ted.1 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1807,  Joseph  set  out 
on  a  tour  through  the  provinces  of  the  Abruz- 
zes,  a  mountainous  region  traversed  by  the 
Apennines.  He  found  the  government  admi- 
rably administered  under  the  authority  of  the 
French  General,  Guvion  Saint  Cyr.  The  peo- 
ple were  everywhere  prosperous  and  happy. 
The  region,  abounding  in  precipitous  crags  and 
gloomy  defiles,  with  communications  often  ren- 
dered impracticable  by  the  rains  and  the  melt- 
ing snows  cutting  gullies  through  the  soil  of 
sand  and  clay,  had  become  quite  isolated. 

The  inhabitants  spontaneously  arose  to  cel- 
ebrate the  arrival  of  the  King  by  constructing 
durable  roads.  Joseph  promptly  lent  the  en- 

1  ' '  The  entrance  of  Joseph  to  Cosenza,  the  capital  of  hither 
Calabria,  on  the  1  tth  of  April,  was  as  a  national  fete.  Guards 
of  honor,  chosen  from  among  the  most  distinguished  families, 
all  the  clergy,  all  the  population  were  at  the  gates  to  receive 
him.  He  was  accompanied  into  the  city  with  shouts  of  joy, 
the  streets  being  ornamented  with  triumphal  arches.  One 
would  have  thought  that  he  was  a  sovereign  returning  after  a 
long  absence  to  the  midst  of  a  people  by  whom  he  was  idol- 
ized."— Menioires  et  Correspondence  Politique  et  Militaire,  dv 
Roi  Joseph,  p.  1 27. 
6—11 


162  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Daily  Correspondence  with  Napoleon. 

terprise  his  royal  support.  He  appointed  a 
committee  of  able  men,  selected  from  each  of 
the  capitals  of  the  three  provinces,  with  three 
road  engineers,  to  secure  the  judicious  expen- 
diture of  the  money  and  the  labor  ;  and  offered 
rewards  to  those  communes  which  should  push 
the  improvements  with  the  greatest  vigor.  A 
system  of  irrigation  and  drainage  was  also 
adopted  which  contributed  immensely  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  region,  checking  emigration 
by  opening  wide  fields  to  agricultural  industry. 
During  all  this  time  Joseph  kept  up  almost 
a  daily  correspondence  with  his  brother.  The 
letters  of  Napoleon  were  written  hurriedly,  in 
the  midst  of  overwhelming  cares,  intended  to 
be  entirely  private,  with  no  idea  that  their  un- 
studied expressions,  in  which  each  varying 
emotion  of  his  soul,  of  hope,  of  disappoint- 
ment, of  irritation,  found  utterance,  would  be 
exposed  to  the  malignant  comments  of  his  foes. 
The  friends  of  Napoleon  appeal  triumphantly 
to  this  -unmutilated  correspondence,  running 
through  the  period  of  many  long  and  eventful 
years,  to  prove  that  Napoleon  was  animated  by 
a  high  ambition  to  promote  the  interests  of 
humanity;  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  philan- 
thropic as  well  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  men. 


1807.]    THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       163 

Testimony  of  Joseph  to  the  Character  of  Napoleon. 

Joseph  himself,  whose  upright  character  no  in- 
telligent man  has  yet  questioned,  says,  in  bis 
autobiography,  written  at  Point  Breeze,  New 
Jersey,  when  sixty-two  years  of  age : 

"Having  attained  a  somewhat  advanced 
age,  and  enjoying  good  health,  disabused  of 
many  of  the  illusions  which  enable  me  to 
bear  the  storms  of  life,  and  replacing  those  il- 
lusions by  that  tranquillity  of  soul  which  re- 
sults from  a  good  conscience,  and  from  the  se- 
curity which  is  afforded  by  a  country  admi- 
rably constituted,  I  regard  myself  as  having 
reached  the  port.  Before  disembarking  upon 
the  shores  of  eternity,  I  wish  to  render  an  ac- 
count to  myself  of  the  long  voyage,  and  to 
search  out  the  causes  which  have  borne  so 
high,  in  the  ranks  of  society,  my  family,  and 
which  have  terminated  in  depriving  us  of  that 
which  appertains  to  the  humblest  individual — 
a  country  which  was  dear  to  us,  and  which  we 
have  served  with  good  faith  and  devotion. 

"It  is  neither  an  apology  nor  a  satire  which 
I  write.  I  render  an  account  to  myself  of 
events,  and  I  wish  to  place  upon  paper  the  rec- 
ollections which  they  have  left  behind.  There 
are  some  transactions  which  I  now  condemn, 
after  having  formerly  approved  of  them ;  there 


164  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Testimony  of  Joseph  to  the  Character  of  Napoleon. 

are  others  of  which  I  to-day  approve,  after 
having  formerly  condemned  them.  Such  is 
the  feebleness  of  our  nature,  dependent  always 
upon  the  circumstances  which  surround  us,  and 
which  frequently  govern  us — a  thought  which 
ought  to  lead  every  true  and  reflective  man  to 
charity. 

"  I  venture  to  affirm  that  it  is  the  love  of 
truth  which  leads  me  to  undertake  this  writing. 
It  is  a  sentiment  of  justice  which  I  owe  to  the  man 
•who  was  my  friend,  and  whom  human  feebleness 
has  disfigured  in  a  manner  so  unworthy.  Napo- 
leon was,  above  all,  a  friend  of  the  people,  and  he 
was  a  just  and  good  man,  even  more  than  he  was 
a  great  warrior  and  administrator.  It  is  'my 
duty,  as  his  elder  brother,  and  one  who  has  not  al- 
ways shared  in  his  political  opinions,  to  speak  of 
that  which  I  know,  and  to  express  convictions 
which  I  profoundly  cherish.  I  am  now  in  a  bet- 
ter situation  to  appreciate  what  were  the  causes 
foreign  to  his  nature,  which  forced  him  to  as- 
sume a  factitious  character — a  character  which 
made  him  feared  by  the  instruments  which  he 
had  to  employ,  in  order  to  sustain  against  Eu- 
rope the  war  which  the  oligarchy  had  declared 
against  the  principles  of  the  revolution,  and 
which  the  British  Cabinet  waged  against  that 


1807.]   THE  CROWN  A  BURDEN.       166 

Testimony  of  Joseph  to  the  Character  of  Napoleon. 

France  whose  supremacy  it  could  prevent  only 
by  exciting  against  her  Continental  wars  and 
civil  dissensions,  and  those  despotic  principles 
of  government  which  no  longer  belonged  to 
the  nation  or  the  age  in  which  we  lived." 


J.66  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Letter  to  Julie. 


CHAPTER  VL 

THE    SPANISH    PRINCES. 

TOWARD  the  close  of  the  year  1807  brig- 
andage  was  entirely  suppressed,  all  traces 
of  insurrection  had  disappeared,  and  tranquilli- 
ty and  prosperity  reigned  throughout  the  king- 
dom of  Naples.  In  July  Joseph  wrote  from 
Capo  di  Monte  to  Queen  Julie,  who  was  then 
at  Mortfontaine,  as  follows : 

"My  DEAR  .JULIE, — I  have  received  your 
letter  of  the  15th  from  Mortfontaine.  The 
sentiment  which  you  have  experienced  in  re- 
turning to  that  beautiful  place,  where  we  have 
been  so  happy  for  so  long  a  time,  and  at  so  lit- 
tle expense,  needs  not  the  explanation  of  any 
supernatural  causes.  You  perceive  that  there 
you  have  been  happier  than  you  are  now,  than 
you  will  be  for  a  long  time.  The  happiness 
which  you  have  there  enjoyed  is  sure  as  the 
past ;  that  which  is  destined  for  you  here  is  as 
uncertain  as  the  future.  Life  at  Mortfontaine 
is  that  of  innocence  and  peace;  it  is  that  of  the 


1807.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.       167 


Letter  to  Julie. 


patriarchs.  The  life  at  Naples  is  that  of  kings. 
It  is  a  voyage  over  a  sea,  often  calm?  but  some- 
times stormy.  The  life  at  Mortfontaine  was  a 
promenade  as  placid  as  its  waters.  It  flowed 
noiselessly  like  the  light  skiff  which  a  slight 
effort  of  the  oars  of  Zenaide1  sufficed  to  push 
forward  around  the  isle  of  Molton.* 

"  But  after  all  these  regrets  of  a  good  heart, 
gentle  and  reasonable,  there  come  the  results 
of  the  reflections  of  a  strong  mind  and  an  ele- 
vated soul  which  owes  itself  entirely  to  the 
will  of  Providence,  manifested  by  the  spontane- 
ous coming,  and  not  desired  by  us,  of  grand- 
eurs which  point  us  to  other  duties.  I  con- 
sole myself,  in  this  new  career,  by  seeing  it 
traversed  by  my  wife  and  my  children.  The 
most  unpleasant  part  of  the  voyage  is  over,  that 
which  I  have  taken  without  them.  Now  peace 
will  reunite  us.  And  if  you  do  not  find  here 
your  own  country,  our  reunion  will  give  us 
the  illusion  of  it  As  we  shall  be  the  same  to 
each  other,  I  believe  that,  come  what  may,  you 
will  find  Mortfontaine,  where  you  see  me  hap- 
py in  the  love  of  my  family,  and  in  the  happi- 
ness which  I  shall  be  able  to  confer,  and  in  that 

••'  Daughter  of  the  king. 
*  An  island  in  the  lake  of  Mortfontaine. 


168  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Victories  of  the  Emperor.  Joseph  and  Napoleon  meet  at  Venice. 

still  greater  happiness  of  which  I  shall  dream. 
Adieu,  my  dear  Julie.  I  embrace  you  tenderly." 

The  victories  of  the  Emperor,  the  peace  of 
Tilsit,  the  Russian  alliance,  had  greatly  dimin- 
ished the  influence  of  the  British  Cabinet  upon 
the  Continent,  and,  in  the  same  proportion,  had 
increased  that  of  France.  Still  the  Cabinet  of 
St.  James  was  unrelenting  in  opposition  to  Na- 
poleon. The  British  cruisers  ran  along  the 
coast  of  Italy,  landing  here  and  there  Sicilian 
or  Calabrian  brigands,  who  were  under  the  pay 
of  Ferdinand  and  Caroline.  It  was  also  proved 
that  assassins  were  in  the  employ  of  Ferdinand 
and  his  queen. 

Toward  the  end  of  November  Napoleon  vis- 
ited Venice,  and,  by  appointment,  met  his  broth- 
er Joseph  there.  It  has  generally  been  affirm- 
ed that  there  was  a  secret  article  in  the  treaty 
of  Tilsit  authorizing  Napoleon  to  dethrone  the 
Bourbons  of  Spain,  who  had  treacherously  en- 
deavored to  strike  him  in  the  back  when,  in 
the  campaigns  of  Jena,  Auerstadt,  and  Auster- 
litz,  he  was  contending  against  England,  France, 
and  Russia.  But  that  secret  article,  if  there 
were  such,  has  been  kept  so  secret,  that  no 
sufficient  evidence  has  yet  been  adduced  that 


1807.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        169 


Joseph  returns  to  Naples. 


it  existed.  Joseph,  however,  wrote,  when  an 
exile  in  America: 

"At  the  time  of  my  interview  with  the 
Emperor  at  Venice,  he  spoke  to  me  of  troubles 
in  the  royal  family  of  Spain  as  probably  lead- 
ing to  events  which  he  dreaded,  'I  have 
enough  work  marked  out,'  he  said.  "The 
troubles  in  Spain  will  only  aid  the  English  to 
impair  the  resources,  which  I  find  in  this  alli- 
ance, to  continue  the  war  against  them.'  " 

On  the  16th  of  December  Joseph  returned 
to  Naples,  and  the  next  day  presided  at  the 
council  of  ministers.  He  did  not  make  any 
communication  of  importance.  "It  is  only 
known,"  writes  the  Count  of  Melito,  "  that  he 
sent  one  of  his  aides  on  a  mission  to  the  Em- 
peror Alexander.  It  was  hence  concluded  that 
arrangements  of  some  nature  had  been  entered 
into  at  Venice  in  harmony  with  the  views  of 
the  Emperor  of  Russia."  Joseph,  however, 
writes,  in  reference  to  this  mission,  "  General 
Marie  took  letters  to  Russia  and  congratula- 
tions, and  brought  me  back  letters,  affectionate 
even,  from  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  his 
compliments ;  that  was  all." 

Lucien  Bonaparte,  a  very  independent  and 
impulsive  young  man,  was  not  disposed  to  sub- 


170  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 

Lucien  Bonaparte.  Letter  from  Eliza  Bonaparte. 

mit  to  the  dictation  of  his  elder  brother  Napo- 
leon. He  had  entered  into  a  second  marriage, 
which  displeased  Napoleon,  as  it  very  seriously 
interfered  with  his  plans  of  forming  a  dynasty. 
Joseph  was  sent  to  meet  the  refractory  brother 
at  Modena,  and  to  endeavor  to  promote  recon- 
ciliation. The  following  letter  from  Eliza,  writ- 
ten to  her  brother  Lucien  upon  this  subject 
will  be  read  with  interest  It  was  dated  Mar- 
lia,  June  20th,  1807 : 

"  MY  DEAR  LUCIEN, — I  have  received  your 
letter.  Permit,  to  my  friendship,  a  few  reflec- 
tions upon  the  present  state  of  things.  I  hope 
that  you  will  not  be  annoyed  by  my  observa- 
tions. 

"  Propositions  were  made  to  you,  a  year 
ago,  which  you  should  have  found  seasonable, 
and  which  you  should  immediately  have  ac- 
cepted, for  the  happiness  of  your  family  and 
of  your  wife.  You  now  refuse  them.  Do  you 
not  see,  my  dear  friend,  that  the  only  means 
of  placing  obstacles  in  the  way  of  adoption  is, 
that  his  Majesty  should  have  a  family  of  which 
he  can  dispose?  In  remaining  near  Napoleon, 
or  in  receiving  from  him  a  throne,  you  will  be 
useful  to  him.  He  will  marry  your  daughters ; 


1807.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.       171 


Letter  from  Eliza  Bonaparte. 


and  so  long  as  lie  can  find,  in  the  members  of 
his  family,  the  instruments  for  executing  his 
projects  and  his  policy,  he  will  not  choose  stran- 
gers. We  must  not  treat  with  the  master  of  the 
world  as  with  an  equal.  Nature  made  us  the 
children  of  the  same  father,  and  his  prodigies 
have  rendered  us  his  subjects.  Although  sove- 
reigns, we  hold  every  thing  from  him.  It  is 
a  noble  pride  to  acknowledge  this ;  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  our  only  glory  should  be  to 
prove  by  our  manner  of  governing  that  we  are 
worthy  of  him  and  of  our  family. 

"Keflect  then  anew  upon  the  propositions 
which  are  made  to  you.  Mamma  and  we  all 
should  be  so  happy  to  be  reunited,  and  to  make 
only  one  political  family.  Dear  Lucien,  do 
that  for  us,  who  love  you,  for  the  people  whom 
my  brother  has  given  for  you  to  govern,  and 
to  whom  you  will  bring  happiness. 

"  Adieu.  I  embrace  you.  Do  not  feel  un- 
kindly to  me  for  this ;  and  believe  that  my 
tenderness  will  always  be  the  same  for  you. 
Embrace  your  wife  and  your  amiable  family. 
Chevalier  Angelino,  who  has  come  to  see  me, 
has  often  spoken  to  me  of  you  and  of  your  wife. 
My  little  one  is  charming.  I  have  weaned  her. 


172  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  Napoleon. 


I  shall  be  very  happy  if  she  is  soon  able  to 
play  with  all  the  family.     Adieu. 

"  Your  sister  and  friend,  ELIZA." 

The  letters  of  the  Emperor  were  sometimes 
severe  in  reproof  of  the  policy  of  his  brother. 
It  is  evident  that  Joseph  was,  at  times,  quite 
wounded  by  these  reproaches.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  a  long  letter,  written  on  the  19th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1807,  Joseph  says : 

"I  am  far  from  complaining  of  any  one. 
The  people  and  the  enemy  are  what  they  must 
be.  But  it  would  be  pleasant  to  me,  could 
your  Majesty  truly  know  my  position,  and  ren- 
der some  justice  to  the  efforts  and  to  the  priva- 
tions of  every  kind  which  I  impose  upon  my- 
self to  do  the  best  I  can.  Although  the  pres- 
ent state  of  affairs  may  not  be  good,  still  I  hope 
for  better  times.  No  person  desires  it  moro 
than  I  do.  When  I  have  a  thousand  ducats  I 
give  them ;  and  I  can  assure  your  Majesty  that 
I  have  never  in  my  life,  which  has  been  com- 
posed of  so  many  different  shades,  found  less 
opportunity  to  gratify  my  private  inclinations. 
I  have  no  expenses  but  for  the  public  wants. 
I  occupy  myself  day  and  night  in  the  adminis- 
tration. I  think  the  administration  as  good  as 


1806.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        173 

Interchange  of  Letters. 

possible;  but  it  has  no  more  the  power  than 
have  I  to  correct  the  times,  and  to  create  that 
which  does  not  exist  and  can  not  exist,  except 
where  there  is  interior  tranquillity  and  external 
peace." 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1806,  Joseph  wrote 
to  his  brother,  "  I  remain  here  till  your  Maj- 
esty's birthday,  on  which  I  wish  you  joy.  I 
hope  that  you  may  receive  with  some  little 
pleasure  this  expression  of  my  affection.  The 
glorious  Emperor  will  never  replace  to  me 
the  Napoleon  whom  I  so  much  loved,  and 
whom  I  hope  to  find  again,  as  I  knew  him  twen- 
ty years  ago,  if  we  are  to  meet  in  the  Elysian 
Fields." 

Napoleon  replied  from  Eambouillet,  on  the 
23d  of  August, 

"MY*BROTHER, — I  have  received  your  letter 
of  the  13th  of  August.  I  am  sorry  that  you 
think  that  you  will  find  your  brother  again 
only  in  the  Elysian  Fields.  It  is  natural  that 
at  forty  he  should  not  feel  toward  you  as  he 
did  at  twelve.  But  his  feelings  toward  you 
are  more  true  and  strong.  His  friendship  has 
the  features  of  his  mind." 

In  December  Napoleon  had  a  personal  in- 
terview with  Lucien,  and  he  gives  the  follow- 


174  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807. 


Interchange  of  Letters. 


ing  account  of  it,  in  a  letter  to  Joseph,  dated 
Mantua,  17th  December,  1807: 

"My  BROTHER, — I  have  seen  Lucien  at  Man- 
tua. I  talked  with  him  several  hours.  He 
undoubtedly  will  inform  you  of  the  disposition 
in  which  he  left.  His  thoughts  and  his  lan- 
guage are  so  different  from  mine  that  I  found  it 
difficult  to  get  an  idea  of  what  he  wished.  I 
think  that  he  told  me  that  he  wished  to  send 
his  eldest  daughter  to  Paris,  to  be  near  her 
grandmother.  If  he  continue  in  that  disposi- 
tion, I  desire  to  be  immediately  informed  of  it. 
And  it  is  necessary  that  that  young  person 
should  be  in  Paris  in  the  course  of  January, 
either  accompanied  by  Lucien,  or  intrusted  by 
him  to  the  charge  of  a  governess,  who  will  con- 
vey her  to  Madame.1  Lucien  seems  to  be  agi- 
tated by  contrary  sentiments,  and  not;  to  have 
sufficient  strength  to  come  to  a  decision. 

"I  have  exhausted  all  the  means  in  my 
power  to  recall  Lucien,  who  is  still  in  his  early 
youth,  to  the  employment  of  his  talents  for 
me  and  for  the  country.  If  he  wish  to  send 
his  daughter,  she  should  leave  without  delay, 
and  he  should  send  a  declaration  by  which  he 
places  her  entirely  at  my  disposal,  for  there  ii 

1  Madame  Letitia,  Napoleon's  mother. 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        175 


Interchange  of  Lett«n. 


not  a  moment  to  be  lost;  events  hurry  onward, 
and  I  must  accomplish  my  destiny.  If  he  has 
changed  his  opinion,  let  me  immediately  be  in- 
formed of  it,  for  then  I  must  make  other  ar- 
rangements. 

"  Say  to  Lucien  that  his  grief  and  the  part- 
ing sentiments  which  he  manifested  moved 
me ;  that  I  regret  the  more  that  he  will  not  be 
reasonable,  and  contribute  to  his  own  repose 
and  to  mine.  I  await  with  impatience  a  reply 
clear  and  decisive,  particularly  in  that  which 
relates  to  Charlotte." 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1808,  a  fiend-like 
attempt  was  made  to  blow  up  the  palace  of 
Salicetti,  Joseph's  minister  of  police.  About 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  the  minister 
was  entering  his  chamber,  there  was  a  terrific 
explosion.  An  infernal  machine  had  been 
placed  in  the  cellar.  The  whole  palace  was 
shattered  and  rent,  while  large  portions  were 
thrown  into  utter  ruin.  Salicetti,  severely 
wounded,  heard  the  shrieks  of  his  daughter, 
the  Duchess  of  Lavello,  and  rushed  to  her  aid. 
He  found  her  buried  five  or  six  feet  deep  in 
the  debris  which  had  been  thrown  upon  her. 
It  was  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
her  agonized  father,  aided  by  the  domestics. 


176  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808, 


Attempt  to  assassinate  Salicetti. 


could  succeed  in  extricating  her.  Though 
alive,  she  was  sadly  maimed.  Two  of  the  in- 
mates of  the  palace  were  killed,  and  others 
were  severely  injured. 

Napoleon,  when  informed  of  the  event, 
wrote  to  Joseph,  under  date  of  February  llth, 
1808:  "The  terrible  misfortune  which  has 
happened  to  Salicetti  seems  to  me  to  have  been 
the  result  of  over-indulgence.  When  were 
traitors  ever  before  allowed  to  live  free  in  a 
capital — wretches  who  had  plotted  against  the 
State  ?  Their  lives  ought  not  to  be  spared ; 
but  if  that  is  done,  at  least  you  ought  to  send 
them  sixty  leagues  from  the  capital  or  shut 
them  up  in  a  fortress.  Any  other  conduct  is 
madness." 

Napoleon,  having  gained  a  glorious  peace 
upon  the  plains  of  Poland,  which  disarmed  the 
nations  of  the  north,  now  turned  his  special 
attention  to  the  south — to  Portugal,  Spain,  It- 
aly, Rome,  and  Naples.  The  possession  of  the 
kingdom  of  Naples,  instead  of  being  a  source 
of  profit  to  the  Emperor,  occasioned  him  con- 
tinued and  heavy  expense.  Joseph  was  ever 
calling  for  money  to  meet  the  innumerable  de- 
mands involved  in  carrying  on  war  with  the 
English,  and  in  urging  forward  those  reforma 


18W.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        177 


Napoleon  complains  of  Roederer. 


which  were  essential  to  the  regeneration  of 
a  realm  which  former  misgovernment  had 
plunged  to  a  very  low  abyss  of  poverty  and 
ruin.  The  Emperor,  bearing  the  burden  of 
the  exhaustive  wars  ever  waged  against  him, 
while  continually  aiding  Joseph,  still  often  and 
severely  reproached  him  with  the  manner  in 
which  his  finances  were  conducted.  On  the 
llth  of  February,  1808,  he  wrote : 

"  MY  BROTHER, — The  administration  of  the 
realm  of  Naples  is  very  bad.  Roederer  makes 
brilliant  projects,  ruins  the  country,  and  pays 
no  money  into  your  treasury.  This  is  the 
opinion  of  all  the  French  who  come  from  Na- 
ples. Roederer  is  upright,  and  has  good  in- 
tentions, but  he  has  no  experience." 

Again,  on  the  26th  of  February,  he  wrote : 
*'  Roederer  is  of  the  race  of  men  who  always 
ruin  those  to  whom  they  are  attached.  Is  it 
want  of  tact,  is  it  misfortune?  No  matter 
which ;  there  is  not  one  of  your  friends  who 
does  not  detest  Roederer.  He  is  at  Naples  as 
at  Paris,  without  credit  with  any  party  ;  a  man 
of  no  sagacity,  of  no  tact,  whom,  however,  I  es- 
teem for  many  good  qualities,  but  whom,  as  a 
statesman,  I  can  make  nothing  of." 

Joseph,  however,  earnestly    defended    his 

6—12 


178          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 

Queen  Julie  and  her  Children  repair  to  Naples. 

financial  agent  as  an  able  and  an  honest  man, 
who  made  enemies  only  of  those  who  wish- 
ed to  plunder  the  treasury.  This  led  Joseph, 
whose  constant  effort  it  was  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  his  people,  to  whose  interests  he 
was  entirely  devoted,  to  order  a  minute  state- 
ment to  be  drawn  up  of  the  condition  of  the 
realm  in  all  respects.  This  remarkable  docu- 
ment was  written  by  Count  Melito,  the  Minister 
of  the  Interior.  It  gave  an  accurate  narrative 
of  all  the  ameliorations  which  had  been  intro- 
duced by  Joseph,  and  will  ever  remain  a  mon- 
ument of  his  goodness  and  tireless  energies 
as  a  sovereign.  As  none  of  the  statements 
could  be  doubted,  the  document  at  the  time  pro- 
duced a  profound  impression  throughout  Eu- 
rope. 

Queen  Julie  now  came  to  NapJes  with  her 
children  to  join  her  husband.  She  was  re» 
ceived  with  great  enthusiasm.  There  has  sel- 
dom been  found,  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
a  worse  woman  than  Caroline,  the  wife  of  Fer- 
dinand, the  former  King  of  Naples.  And  his- 
tory records  the  name  perhaps  of  no  better 
woman  than  Julie,  the  wife  of  Joseph.  The 
King  met  the  Queen  on  the  4th  of  April  at 
Saint  Lucie,  and  conducted  her,  greeted  by  the 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        179 


Treachery  of  Spaia. 


acclamations  of  their  rejoicing  subjects,  into 
their  beautiful  capital. 

The  treachery  of  the  Court  of  Spain,  which, 
like  an  assassin,  endeavored  to  strike  the  Em- 
pire of  France  stealthily,  with  a  poisoned  dag- 
ger, in  the  back,  was  known  throughout  Eu- 
rope. These  proud  dynasties  regarded  Napo- 
leon, because  he  was  an  elected,  not  a  legitimate 
sovereign,  as  an  outlaw,  with  whom  no  treaties 
were  binding,  and  whom  they  could  betray, 
entrap,  and  shoot  at  pleasure. 

When  Napoleon  was  far  away,  in  his  win- 
ter campaign,  bivouacking  upon  the  cold  sum- 
mit of  the  Landgrafenberg,  the  evening  before 
the  battle  of  Jena  he  received  information 
that  the  Bourbons  of  Spain,  then  professing 
friendship,  and  bound  to  him  by  a  treaty  of  al- 
liance, were  secretly  entering  into  a  contract 
with  England  to  assail  him  in  the  rear.  Na- 
poleon had  neither  done  nor  meditated  aught 
to  injure  Spain.  His  crime  was  that  he  had 
accepted  the  crown  from  the  people,  and  was 
ruling  in  behalf  of  their  interests,  and  not  in 
the  interests  of  the  nobles  alone. 

"  A  convention,"  says  Alison,  "  was  secret- 
ly concluded  at  Madrid  between  the  Spanish 
Government  and  the  Russian  ambassador,  to 


180  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Plan  of  Napoleon. 


which  the  Court  of  Lisbon  was  also  a  party, 
by  which  it  was  agreed  that,  as  soon  as  the 
favorable  opportunity  was  arrived,  by  the 
French  armies  being  far  advanced  on  their 
road  to  Berlin,  the  Spanish  Government  should 
commence  hostilities  in  the  Pyrenees,  and  in- 
vite  the  English  to  co-operate." 

Napoleon,  by  his  camp-fire,  upon  the  eve  of 
a  terrible  battle,  read  the  account  of  this  per- 
fidy. As  he  folded  the  dispatches,  he  said 
calmly,  but  firmly,  "  The  Bourbons  of  Spain 
shall  be  replaced  by  princes  of  my  own  fami- 
ly." 

"  The  Spanish  Bourbons,"  says  Napier, 
"  could  never  have  been  sincere  friends  to 
France  while  Bonaparte  held  the  sceptre ;  and 
the  moment  that  the  fear  of  his  power  ceased 
to  operate,  it  was  quite  certain  that  their  ap- 
parent friendship  would  change  to  active  hos- 
tility." 

"  When  I  made  peace  on  the  Niemen,"  said 
Napoleon,  "  I  stipulated  that  if  England  did 
not  accept  the  mediation  of  Alexander,  Russia 
should  unite  her  arms  with  ours,  and  compel 
that  power  to  peace.  I  should  be  indeed  weak 
if,  having  obtained  that  single  advantage  from 
those  whom  I  have  vanquished,  I  should  per- 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        181 

Plan  of  Napoleon.  Testimony  tn  Favor  of  Joseph. 

mil  the  Spaniards  to  embroil  me  afresh  on  my 
weak  side.  Should  I  permit  Spain  to  form  an 
alliance  with  England,  it  would  give  that  hos- 
tile power  greater  advantages  than  it  has  lost 
by  the  rupture  with  Russia.  I  wish,  above 
all  things,  to  avoid  war  with  Spain.  Such  a 
contest  would  be  a  species  of  sacrilege.  If  I 
can  not  arrange  with  either  the  father  or  the 
son,  I  will  make  a  clean  sweep  of  them  both." 

Bum  or  was  busy  throughout  Europe  in  dis- 
cussing the  plans  of  Napoleon.  The  report 
soon  became  general  that  the  crown  of  Spain 
was  to  be  offered  to  Joseph.  His  kindness  of 
heart,  his  nobleness  of  character,  and  the  im- 
mense benefits  which  he  had  conferred  upon 
the  Neapolitan  realm,  had  secured  for  him  al- 
most universal  respect  and  affection.  The  Nea* 
politans  were  greatly  alarmed  from  fears  that 
he  would  be  transferred  to  Spain. 

"  The  King,"  writes  his  very  able  biogra- 
pher, A.  du  Casse,  "  was  universally  beloved, 
because  he  began  to  be  appreciated  at  his  true 
value.  His  good  qualities,  the  love  with  which 
he  cherished  his  subjects,  had  won  all  hearts. 
His  departure  was  dreaded.  Joseph,  however, 
did  not  slacken  the  reins  of  government.  The 
Councils  of  State  and  the  ministers,  presided 


182  JOSEPH  BONAPAKTE.       [1808. 


Joseph's  Journey  to  Bayonne. 


over  by  him,  continued  their  labors  to  amelio- 
rate the  administration  of  the  realm,  to  embel- 
lish Naples,  to  encourage  discoveries,  to  unite 
the  learned  in  a  literary  corps.  The  King 
wished  that,  even  after  his  departure,  the  im- 
pulse which  he  had  given  should  continue  un- 
interrupted." 

It  was  at  Naples,  under  the  encouragement 
of  Joseph,  that  the  art  of  lithography  was  dis- 
covered. On  the  23d  of  May,  1808,  the  King, 
by  the  request  of  Napoleon,  left  Naples  for 
France.  He  left  his  family  behind  him,  and 
hastened  through  Turin  and  Lyons  to  meet 
his  brother  at  Bayonne.  His  departure  caused 
great  anxiety  and  sadness  throughout  the  king- 
dom of  Naples.  Who  would  wear  the  crown 
about  to  be  vacated  ?  Would  the  Two  Sicilies 
be  annexed  to  the  kingdom  of  Italy  under  Eu- 
gene ?  Would  Louis,  Lucien,  or  one  of  Napo- 
leon's marshals  succeed  Joseph  ? 

On  the  journey  Joseph  met  the  Bishop  of 
Grenoble,  formerly  the  abbe  Simon,  his  ancient 
professor  of  mathematics  and  philosophy  in 
the  College  of  Autun.  Joseph  had  ever  cher- 
ished the  memory  of  his  teacher  with  great 
affection,  and,  upon  meeting,  threw  his  arms 
around  him  in  a  tender  embrace.  As  the 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        183 


Forebodings  of  Joseph. 


bishop  complimented  him  upon  his  high  des- 
tiny, and  congratulated  him  upon  the  proba- 
bility of  his  immediate  elevation  to  the  throne 
of  Spain,  Joseph  replied  sadly,1 

"  May  your  felicitations,  Monsieur  the  Bish- 
op, prove  of  happy  augury  to  your  former  pu- 
pil. May  your  prayers  avert  the  calamities 
which  I  foresee.  As  for  me,  ambition  does 
not  blind  me.  The  joys  of  the  crown  of  Spain 
do  not  dazzle  my  eyes.  I  leave  a  country  in 
which  I  think  that  I  have  done  some  good, 
where  I  flatter  myself  to  have  been  beloved, 
and  that  I  leave  behind  me  some  regrets. 
Will  it  be  the  same  in  the  new  realm  which 
awaits  me  ? 

"  The  Neapolitans  have,  so  to  speak,  never 
known  nationality.  By  turns  conquered  by 
the  Normans,  the  Spaniards,  the  French,  it  was 
little  matter  to  them  who  their  masters  were, 
provided  that  these  masters  left  them  their 
blue  skies,  their  azur,e  sea,  their  spot  in  the 
sunshine,  and  a  few  pence  for  their  macaroni. 

"Arriving  among  them,  I  found  every 
thing  to  do.  I  stimulated  their  natural  apa- 
thy, gave  nerve  to  the  administration,  intro- 

1  We  are  indebted,  for  the  report  of  this  conversation,  to 
M.  Simon,  of  Nantes,  a  nephew  of  the  bishop. 


184          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Forebodings  of  Joseph. 


duced  some  order  everywhere.  They  were 
pleased  with  my  good  intentions,  with  my  ef- 
forts. They  loved  me  with  the  same  fervor 
with  which  they  hated  the  King  of  Sicily  and 
his  odious  ministers.  In  Spain,  on  the  con- 
trary, I  shall  labor  in  vain ;  I  can  not  so  com- 
pletely lay  aside  my  title  of  a  foreigner  that  I 
can  escape  the  hatred  of  a  people  proud  and 
sensitive  upon  the  point  of  honor ;  of  a  people 
who  have  known  no  other  wars  but  wars  of 
independence,  and  who  abhor,  above  all  things, 
the  French  name. 

"The  Peninsula  contains  at  this  moment, 
under  arms,  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  na- 
tional soldiers,  who  will  excite,  at  the  same 
time,  against  my  government,  the  monks,  the 
clergy,  the  friends  (and  they  are  still  numerous) 
of  legitimacy,  the  ancient  and  faithful  servants 
of  old  Charles  .IV.,  the  gold  and  the  intrigues 
of  England.  Every  thing  will  prove  an  ob- 
stacle to  my  plans  of  amelioration.  They  will 
be  misrepresented,  calumniated,  disowned. 

"  In  view  of  the  insurrection  of  which  the 
Prince  of  Asturias  has  recently  given  an  ex* 
ample  against  his  own  father,  in  the  midst  of 
license  and  anarchy,  the  natural  consequence 
of  long  demoralization  and  the  disorders  of  a 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        185 

Forebodings  of  Joseph.  The  Brigands. 

dissolute  court,  of  a  dynasty  used  up,  will  not 
all  wise  and  well-moderated  liberty  be  regard- 
ed as  the  equal  of  tyranny?  Monsieur  the 
Bishop,  I  see  a  horizon  charged  with  very 
black  clouds.  They  contain  in  their  bosom  a 
future  which  terrifies  me.  The  star  of  my 
brother,  will  it  always  shine  luminous  and  bril- 
liant in  the  skies?  I  do  not  know  ;  but  sad 
presentiments  oppress  me  in  spite  of  myself. 
They  besiege  me  ;  they  govern  me.  I  greatly 
fear  that,  in  giving  me  a  crown  more  illustri- 
ous than  that  which  I  lay  aside,  the  Emperor 
will  place  upon  my  brow  a  burden  heavier 
than  it  can  bear.  Pity  me,  then,  my  dear 
teacher,  pity  me ;  do  not  felicitate  me." 

The  brigands  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  and 
the  eternal  and  natural  enemies  of  repose 
which  are  to  be  found  in  all  countries,  avail- 
ing themselves  of  the  absence  of  King  Joseph, 
and  encouraged  by  the  presence  of  the  British 
fleet  and  the  gold  of  the  British  Cabinet,  re- 
doubled their  efforts  in  local  insurrections,  and 
committed  cowardly  assassinations.  The  ban- 
dits would  land  here  and  there,  and  perpetrate 
the  most  atrocious  crimes,  burning,  plundering, 
murdering. 

Joseph  was  anxious,  before  leaving  Naples, 


186  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Queen  Julie  leaving  Naples. 


to  establish  institutions  of  liberty  which  might 
be  permanent.  On  the  21st  of  July,  the  Coun- 
cil of  State  received  from  the  King  a  constitu- 
tion, which  he  had  drawn  up  with  the  aid  of 
his  ministers.  It  contained  the  clear  announce- 
ment of  the  principles  which  had  animated 
him  during  his  reign,  and  was  founded  upon 
the  constitutions  in  France  and  in  the  king- 
dom of  Italy.  Though  the  constitution  was 
not  perfect — for  the  world  is  ever  making  prog- 
ress— it  was  greatly  in  advance  of  any  thing 
which  had  been  known  in  the  kingdom  of 
Sicily  before,  and  conferred  immense  advanta- 
ges upon  the  realm.  There  was  but  one  legisla- 
tive body.  It  consisted  of  five  sections,  equal 
in  number:  the  clergy,  the  nobility,  the  land- 
ed proprietors,  the  philosophers,  and  the  mer- 
chants. The  Council  of  State  chose  five  of 
the  most  distinguished  persons,  of  the  various 
classes,  to  convey  to  Joseph  their  thanks  for 
the  constitution  he  had  conferred  upon  the 
realm. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  Queen  Julie,  with  her 
children,  left  Naples  to  join  her  husband  in 
Spain.  A  numerous  cortege  escorted  her  from 
the  city  with  every  testimonial  of  regret.  On 
the  8th  Joseph  abdicated  the  crown,  which 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        189 

Summary  of  Joseph's  Benefactions  to  Naples. 

was  subsequently  transferred  to  the  brow  of 
Napoleon's  cavalry  leader,  Murat,  who  had 
married  Caroline  Bonaparte. 

"  Here  terminates,"  writes  M.  Casse,  "  our 
task  relative  to  the  short  reign  of  Joseph  in 
Naples.  That  prince  had  rendered  to  that 
beautiful  country  services  which,  long  after 
his  departure,  conferred  blessings  upon  the 
realm,  which  had  been  surrendered  until  then 
to  the  sad  regime  of  a  feudalism  crushing  to 
the  people.  His  successor  found  the  ground 
clear,  war  extinct  almost  everywhere,  the  con- 
quest assured,  tranquillity  established,  abuses 
reformed,  civil  administration  organized,  the 
monks  suppressed,  the  finances  restored,  credit 
consolidated,  public  instruction  and  legislation 
founded  upon  liberal  bases,  and  wisely  adapted 
to  the  manners  of  the  inhabitants. 

"  The  army  was  formed  under  the  shade  of 
the  flag  of  France ;  the  marine  commenced  to 
be  regenerated.  The  sciences  and  the  arts, 
encouraged,  were  beginning  to  diffuse  them- 
selves ;  brigandage  was  breathing  its  last  sigh. 
There  remained  for  Murat  only  to  reap  the 
fruits  of  the  wise  and  paternal  conduct  of  the 
older  brother  of  the  Emperor.  He  inherited  a 
country  of  rich  and  fertile  soil,  with  a  delight- 


190  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 

Hoetflity  of  the  British  Government. 

fill  climate,  inhabited  by  a  population  blessing 
the  guardian  hand  which  had  delivered  them 
from  the  ignorance  into  which  the  ancient  Gov- 
ernment seemed  to  have  plunged  them  by  de- 
sign. The  task  of  the  new  sovereign  seemed 
to  be  only  to  complete  the  work  of  the  phil- 
osophic King." 

It  was  the  implacable  hostility  of  the  Brit- 
ish Government,  ever  ready  to  avail  itself  of 
the  treachery  of  Spain,  which  in  the  view  of 
Napoleon  rendered  it  necessary  for  him,  as  an 
act  of  self-preservation,  to  place  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Spanish  Peninsula  in  friendly 
hands.  On  the  18th  of  April,  1808,  Napoleon 
had  written  to  Joseph, 

"  England  begins  to  suffer.  Peace  with  that 
power  alone  will  enable  me  to  sheathe  the 
sword  and  restore  tranquillity  to  Europe." 

Before  we  accompany  Joseph  to  Spain,  let 
us  briefly  review  the  condition  of  Europe  at 
this  time.  By  the  peace  of  Tilsit,  the  Emper- 
or Alexander  had  recognized  all  the  changes 
which  the  sword  of  Napoleon  had  effected  upoa 
the  Continent  of  Europe.  The  Czar  was  on 
terms  of  personal  friendship  with  Napoleon,  and 
it  was  understood  that  he  had  given  his  consent 
to  Napoleon's  design  to  dethrone  the  Bonr- 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        191 


Condition  of  Europe. 


bons  of  Spain.  The  infamous  British  expedi- 
tion to  Copenhagen,  with  the  bombardment  of 
the  city  and  the  destruction  of  the  Danish  fleet, 
had  created  general  indignation  throughout 
the  European  world.  England  had  but  one 
single  ally  left,  the  half-mad  King  of  Sweden. 
The  ships  of  England,  excluded  from  every 
port  upon  the  Continent,  wandered  idly  over 
the  seas. 

Austria,  humiliated  by  the  treaty  of  Pres- 
burg,  was  sullen  and  silent,  watching  for  an 
opportunity  to  regain  its  former  ascendency 
and  military  prestige.  In  Prussia  the  House 
of  Brandenburg  had  been  terribly  punished. 
Though  it  still  reigned,  it  was  with  diminished 
territory,  with  its  military  strength  nearly  de- 
stroyed, and  with  all  its  strong  places  held  by 
French  troops.  The  Cabinet  at  Berlin  could 
not  venture  in  any  way  to  oppose  the  will  of 
Napoleon.  All  the  kings  and  princes  of  the 
Confederation  of  the  Ehine  were  united  to 
France  by  the  closest  alliance. 

Jerome,  Napoleon's  youngest  brother,  was 
king  of  Westphalia.  Louis  reigned  in  Holland. 
French  influence  was  supreme  in  Switzerland. 
The  Emperor  Napoleon  was  king  of  Italy,  and 
Joseph,  reigning  at  Naples,  was  about  to  be 


192  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Measures  of  the  Bourbons  of  Spain. 


transferred  to  Spain.  Turkey  was  allied  with 
France,  seeking  from  the  Emperor  protection 
from  the  encroachments  of  Eussia.  Conse- 
quently England  was  at  war  with  the  Porte. 

Spain  occupied  a  peculiar  position.  The 
King,  Charles  IV.,  a  near  relative  of  Louis 
XVL,  had  united  with  allied  Europe  in  the 
war  against  the  French  Republic.  Terribly 
punished  by  the  French  armies,  Spain  had 
made  peace  at  the  treaty  of  Basle  in  July, 
1795.  Soon  after,  the  two  powers  entered 
into  an  alliance,  offensive  and  defensive,  en- 
gaging to  assist  each  other  with  both  land  and 
sea  forces. 

This  brought  down  upon  Spain  the  ven- 
geance of  the  British  Government,  which,  with 
its  invincible  fleet,  swept  all  seas.  Spanish 
commerce  at  once  became  the  prey  of  Eng- 
lish privateers.  Cadiz  was  bombarded,  and  the 
Spanish  naval  fleet  encountered  very  severe 
loss.  The  peace  of  Amiens,  to  which  the  Brit- 
ish Government  had  been  very  reluctantly 
compelled  to  assent  by  the  pressure  of  English 
public  opinion,  gave  peace  to  Spain.  But 
when  the  Court  of  Saint  James,  by  the  rupture 
of  the  peace  of  Amiens,  renewed  its  assault 
upon  France,  the  Spanish  Court,  anxious  to 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES.        193 

Measure*  of  the  Bourbons  of  Spain. 

avoid  a  war  with  England,  proposed  to  Napo- 
leon that,  instead  of  aiding  him  directly  by 
fleet  and  army,  according  to  the  terms  of  the 
alliance,  Spain  should  pay  France  an  annual 
subsidy  of  six  million  francs.  The  proposition 
was  accepted. 

The  English  minister,  ascertaining  this,  with- 
out any  declaration  of  war,  seized  every  thing 
belonging  to  Spain  which  could  be  found 
afloat.  As  Spain,  supposing  that  her  assumed 
neutrality  would  be  respected,  had  her  fleet 
and  merchandise  everywhere  exposed,  her  loss 
was  very  severe. 

When  the  Bourbons  of  Spain  saw  that  the 
British  Government  had  succeeded  in  forming 
a  new  alliance  against  Napoleon,  which  would 
compel  the  French  Emperor  to  take  his  armies 
hundreds  of  leagues  north  to  struggle  against 
the  united  armies  of  Prussia  and  Kussia,  it  was 
thought  that  Napoleon  must  inevitably  fall. 
Spain  decided  again  to  make  common  cause 
with  the  Allies,  as  we  have  before  mentioned. 
A  vehement  proclamation  was  issued,  calling 
the  Spaniards  to  arms.  The  utter  crushing  of 
Prussia  on  the  fields  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt 
literally  frightened  Spain  out  of  her  wits.  She 
sent  an  ambassador  extraordinary  to  congratu- 

6—13 


194          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1807, 

Character  of  the  Royal  Family  of  Spain. 

late  Napoleon  upon  his  victory,  and  to  assure  him 
of  the  continued  friendship  of  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment. Napoleon  concealed  his  just  resentment 
The  time  to  rectify  the  wrong  had  not  yet 
come. 

Queen  Caroline,  the  wife  of  Charles  IV.  of 
Spain,  was  one  of  the  most  infamous  of  women ; 
still  she  could  not  be  worse  than  her  husband. 
There  was  a  very  handsome  young  fellow  in 
the  body-guard,  named  Godoy.  Caroline  fell 
in  love  with  him,  made  him  her  intimate  friend, 
lavished  upon  him  titles  and  wealth  and  posts 
of  responsibility.  He  was  called  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  in  consequence  of  the  agency  he  had  in 
effecting  the  treaty  of  Basle.  He  was  in  all 
respects  a  very  weak  and  worthless  creature; 
but  he  had  become  in  reality  the  sovereign  of 
Spain,  governing  with  unlimited  power.  This 
man,  in  his  anxiety  to  disarm  the  anger  of  Na- 
poleon, sent  an  ambassador  to  the  Emperor  to 
renew  his  pledges  of  friendship,  and  to  give  as- 
surance of  his  entire  submission  in  all  things 
to  Napoleon's  will.  A  secret  treaty  was  ac- 
cordingly made  on  the  27th  of  October,  1807, 
which  enabled  Napoleon,  among  other  conces- 
sions, to  station  large  bodies  of  French  troops 
within  the  Spanish  territory. 


1807.]    THE  SPANISH  PRINCES         195 


The  Spanish  Princes. 


The  King's  eldest  son,  Ferdinand,  the  heir 
to  the  throne,  was  then  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  and  bore  the  title  of  the  Prince  of  Asturias. 
His  mother  had  truly  characterized  him  as 
having  "a  mule's  head  and  a  tiger's  heart." 
He  hated  Godoy,  and  was  accused  of  attempt- 
ing to  poison  his  father  and  mother,  that  he 
might  get  the  crown.  His  arrest  and  threaten- 
ed execution  by  his  father  roused  the  masses 
of  Madrid  to  a  fury  of  insurrection.  Much  as 
they  detested  Ferdinand,  they  hated  still  more 
implacably  the  King  and  Queen,  and  the 
Queen's  infamous  paramour,  Godoy.  A  raging 
insurrection  swept  the  streets  of  Madrid.  The 
King  was  terror-stricken,  and  implored  help 
from  Napoleon.  He  wrote : 

"SiRE,  MY  BROTHER, — I  have  discovered 
with  horror  that  my  eldest  son,  the  heir  pre- 
sumptive to  the  throne,  has  not  only  formed 
the  design  to  dethrone  me,  but  even  to  attempt 
the  life  of  myself  and  his  mother.  Such  an 
atrocious  attempt  merits  the  most  exemplary 
punishment.  I  pray  your  Majesty  to  aid  me 
by  your  light  and  council." 

Ferdinand  also  appealed  to  the  Emperor. 
He  wrote,  "The  world  more  and  more  daily 
admires  the  greatness  and  goodness  of  Napo- 


196  JOSEPH   BONAPAUTE.        [1807. 


The  Spanish  Princes. 


leon.  Rest  assured  that  the  Emperor  shall 
ever  find  in  Ferdinand  the  most  faithful  and 
devoted  son.  Ferdinand  implores,  therefore, 
his  powerful  protection,  and  prays  that  he  will 
grant  him  the  honor  of  an  alliance  with  some 
august  princess  of  his  family." 

Thus  Napoleon  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
found  the  King  of  Spain,  Godoy,  and  the  Fer- 
dinands, all  kneeling  at  his  feet.  Speaking 
upon  this  subject  at  Saint  Helena,  he  said  : 

"  The  fact  is,  that  had  it  not  been  for  their 
broils  and  quarrels  among  themselves,  I  should 
never  have  thought  of  dispossessing  them. 
When  I  saw  those  imbeciles  quarrelling  and 
trying  to  dethrone  each  other,  I  thought  I 
might  as  well  take  advantage  of  it,  and  dispos- 
sess an  inimical  family.  Had  I  known  at  first 
that  the  transaction  would  have  given  me  so 
much  trouble,  or  that  even  it  would  have  cost 
the  lives  of  two  hundred  men,  I  would  never 
have  attempted  it.  But  being  once  embarked, 
it  was  necessary  to  go  forward." 


1808.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF   SPAIN.       199 


Abdication  of  Charles  IV. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

JOSEPH   KING  OF  SPAIN. 

A  FTER  a  series  of  the  wildest,  most  tumul- 
*£**  tuous,  and  frantic  scenes  of  which  even 
Spanish  history  gives  any  account,  Charles  IV. 
abdicated  in  favor  of  his  son  Ferdinand.  On 
the  20th  of  March,  1808,  the  new  King,  Ferdi- 
nand VII.,  was  saluted  by  the  acclamations  of 
the  people  and  the  soldiers,  and  received  the 
homage  of  the  Court.  One  of  his  first  acts  was 
to  arrest  the  hated  Manuel  Godoy.  Murat  was 
then  in  command  of  the  French  troops  in  Spain, 
and  was  about  entering  Madrid.  Junot,  with  a 
French  army,  had  taken  possession  of  Portugal. 
Spain  was  nominally  in  alliance  with  France. 
England  was  consequently  waging  war  against 
Spain.  The  French  troops  were  in  Spain  to 
protect  the  kingdom  from  the  English. 

The  young  King  Ferdinand  immediately 
dispatched  the  Duke  of  Pargue  to  convey  as- 
surances of  friendship  to  Murat,  and  to  sound 
hia  intentions.  At  the  same  time  he  sent  three 


200  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Ferdinand  claims  the  Crown. 


of  the  grandees  of  Spain  to  announce  his  ac- 
cession to  the  throne  to  Napoleon,  and  to  give 
him  renewed  pledges  of  his  friendship  and  de- 
votion. On  the  23d  of  April  Murat  took  mil- 
itary possession  of  Madrid.  The  next  day 
Ferdinand  made  his  triumphal  entrance  into 
the  metropolis.  He  was  received  with  bound- 
less exultation,  so  greatly  were  the  people  re- 
joiced to  be  delivered  from  the  detestable  Go- 
doy.  Thus  far  Napoleon  did  not  recognize 
the  accession  of  Ferdinand.  He  however  sent 
the  Duke  of  Rovigo  to  Madrid  to  ascertain  the 
circumstances  of  the  abdication.  In  the  mean 
time  the  old  King,  who  had  retired  with  the 
Queen  to  Aranjuez,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Em- 
peror, in  which  he  said  that  he  had  been  forced 
to  abdicate  in  favor  of  his  son  by  the  clamors 
of  the  people  and  the  insurrection  of  the  sol- 
diers, threatening  him  with  instant  death  if  he 
refused. 

"  I  protest  and  declare,"  he  said,  "  that  my 
decree  of  the  19th  of  March,  in  which  I  abdi- 
cated the  crown  in  favor  of  my  son,  is  an  act 
to  which  I  have  been  forced  to  prevent  the 
greatest  misfortunes  and  the  effusion  of  the 
blood  of  my  well-beloved  subjects.  It  ought 
consequently  to  be  regarded  as  of  no  value." 


1808.J  JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       201 


Measures  of  Hunt. 


The  Queen  also  wrote  to  Murat,  entreating 
him,  in  the  most  supplicating  terms,  to  rescue 
her  paramour  Godoy  from  prison,  and  stating 
that  they  had  abdicated  only  to  save  their  lives. 
While  Charles  IV.  and  Caroline  were  making 
these  secret  protestations  to  Napoleon  and  Mu- 
rat, the  abdicated  King,  to  lull  the  suspicions  of 
Ferdinand,  was  reiterating  the  public  declara- 
tion that  the  abdication  was  free  and  uncon- 
strained, and  that  never  in  his  life  had  he  per- 
formed an  act  more  agreeable  to  his  inclina- 
tions. 

Murat  took  the  old  King  and  Queen  under 
his  protection,  provided  them  with  a  suitable 
guard,  and  demanded  the  liberation  of  Godoy. 
Ferdinand,  convinced  that  he  could  not  main- 
tain the  throne  without  the  support  of  Napo- 
leon, sent  his  younger  brother,  Don  Carlos,  to 
intercede  with  the  Emperor  in  his  favor.  While 
these  scenes  were  transpiring,  Savary,  Duke  of 
Rovigo,  arrived  at  Madrid.  He  assured  Ferdi- 
nand that  it  was  the  Emperor's  desire  to  unite 
France  and  Spain  in  the  closest  alliance.  He 
proposed  that  Ferdinand  should  visit  Napoleon, 
that  in  a  personal  interview  they  might  the  bet- 
ter mutually  understand  each  other.  The  coun- 
sellors of  Ferdinand  urged  the  adoption  of  thia 


202  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Ferdinand  visits  Bayonue. 


measure,  as  one  which  would  secure  the  confi- 
dence of  the  Emperor,  and  which  might  induce 
him  to  give  a  princess  of  his  family  to  Ferdi- 
nand. Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
April,  1808.  The  great  object  of  Napoleon  was 
to  secure  a  government  in  Spain  whose  treach- 
ery he  need  not  fear,  and  upon  whose  friendly 
co-operation  he  could  rely.  Charles  IV.,  the 
weakest  of  weak  men,  enslaved  by  long  habit, 
was  the  obsequious  tool  of  his  stronger-minded 
wife.  The  Queen,  Caroline,  sought,  at  whatev- 
er price,  to  save  her  lover  Godoy.  Ferdinand 
wished  to  crush  Godoy,  his  implacable  foe. 

Ferdinand  decided  to  visit  the  Emperor,  and 
on  the  10th  of  April  left  Madrid  for  that  pur- 
pose. When  he  reached  his  frontiers  he  wrote 
a  very  suppliant  letter  to  Napoleon,  entreating 
the  recognition  of  his  right  to  the  throne,  and 
pledging  his  friendship.  Napoleon  replied  that 
he  was  ready  to  recognize  the  Prince  of  Asturi- 
as  as  King  of  Spain  if  it  should  appear  that 
Charles  IV.  had  not  been  compelled  to  abdicate 
through  fear  of  his  life.  By  this  extraordinary 
concurrence  of  circumstances  Napoleon  became 
the  judge  between  the  father  and  the  son,  both 
of  whom  had  appealed  to  his  decision. 

Ferdinand,  with  his  suite,  crossing  the  fron- 


1808.]  JOSEPH   KING  OF  SPAIN.       203 


Tne  Royal  Family  follow. 


tiers,  hastened  to  Bayonne,  and  entered  the  city 
on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  April.     He  was 
received  by  the  Emperor  with  distinguished 
marks  of  attention  and  kindness,  but  not  with 
regal  honors.    The  Prince  of  Peace,  whose  liber- 
ation Murat  had  secured,  came  hurrying  on  to 
Bayonne,  to  plead  his  cause  before  the  Emperor; 
and  he  was  followed,  in  a  few  hours,  by  Charles 
IV.  and  the  Queen.    Thus  the  whole  family  was 
assembled  at  Bayonne.     The  result  of  several 
stormy  interviews,  in    which    the    King,  the 
Queen,  and  their  son  exhausted  upon  each  other 
the  language  of  vituperation,  and  in  which  the 
enraged  old  King  was  with  difficulty  restrained 
from  a  violent  personal  attack  upon  his  son, 
the  parties  all  agreed  to  cede  to  Napoleon  the 
crown  of  Spain.     Ferdinand  first  renounced  his 
rights  in  favor  of  his  father,  and  Charles  IV. 
transferred  the  sceptre  to  Napoleon.     The  im- 
perial palace  of  Campiegne,  its  parks  and  for- 
ests, were  placed  at  the  disposition  of  Charles  IV. 
for  himself,  his  Queen,  and  Godoy,  during  his 
life,  with  an  annual  pension  of  thirty  million 
reals.     He  was  also  given  the  proprietorship  of 
the  chateau  of  Chambord,  with  its  parks,  for- 
ests, and  farms,  to  dispose  of  as  he  pleased. 
Upon  the  death  of  the  King,  the  Queen  was  to 


204          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Remarks  of  Napoleon. 


receive  a  pension  of  two  million  reals.  The  two 
princes,  Ferdinand  and  Don  Carlos,  were  as- 
signed to  the  castle  of  Valen9ay,  its  park,  for- 
ests, and  farms,  with  an  income  amounting  to 
about  half  a  million  dollars. 

It  is  said  that  Napoleon  obtained  at  Bayonne 
such  developments  of  the  character  of  Ferdi- 
nand that  he  saw  that  it  was  utterly  in  vain  to 
attempt  to  make  a  respectable  king  of  him ;  one 
upon  whom  he  could  repose  the  slightest  reli- 
ance ;  and  he  could  no  longer  think  of  sacrifi- 
cing the  daughter  of  Lucien  to  so  worthless  a 
creature.  Speaking  upon  this  subject  at  Saint 
Helena,  Napoleon  said  to  Las  Casas : 

"  Ferdinand  offered,  on  his  own  account,  to 
govern  entirely  at  my  devotion,  as  much  so  as 
the  Prince  of  Peace  had  done  in  the  name  of 
Charles  IY.  And  I  must  admit  that  if  I  had 
fallen  into  their  views  I  should  have  acted  much 
more  prudently  than  I  have  actually  done. 
When  I  had  them  all  assembled  at  Bayonne,  I 
found  myself  in  command  of  much  more  than 
I  could  have  ventured  to  hope  for.  The  same 
occurred  there,  as  in  many  other  events  of  my 
life,  which  have  been  ascribed  to  my  policy,  but 
in  fact  were  owing  to  my  good-fortune. 

"  Here  I  found  the  Gordian  knot  before  me. 


1808.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       205 


Proclamation  of  Charles  IV. 


I  cut  it.  I  proposed  to  Charles  IV.  and  the 
Queen  that  they  should  cede  to  me  their  rights 
to  the  throne.  They  at  once  agreed  to  it,  I  had 
almost  said  voluntarily;  so  deeply  were  their 
hearts  ulcerated  toward  their  son,  and  so  de- 
sirous had  they  and  their  favorite  now  become 
of  security  and  repose.  The  Prince  of  Asturi- 
as  did  not  make  any  extraordinary  resistance. 
Neither  violence  nor  menaces  were  employed 
against  him.  And  if  fear  decided  him,  which 
I  well  believe  was  the  case,  it  concerns  him 
alone." 

On  the  8th  of  May  Charles  IV.  issued  a 
proclamation  to  the  Spanish  nation,  informing 
them  that  he  had  ceded  the  crown  to  Napoleon, 
and  enjoining  it  upon  them  to  transfer  their 
homage  to  him.  "We  have,"  said  he,  "ceded 
all  our  rights  over  Spain  to  our  ally  and  friend 
the  Emperor  of  the  French,  by  a  treaty  signed 
and  ratified,  stipulating  the  integrity  and  inde- 
pendence of  Spain  and  the  preservation  of  our 
holy  religion,  not  only  as  dominant,  but  as 
alone  tolerated  in  Spain." 

As  the  throne  was  thus  transferred  without 
any  action  of  the  people  whatever,  Napoleon 
felt  the  necessity  of  obtaining  something  like 
a  national  sanction  of  the  deed,  and  an  expres- 


206          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 


Joseph  Proclaimed  King  of  Spain. 


sion  of  the  national  will  in  respect  to  the  sove- 
reign who  should  be  placed  over  them.  Mu- 
rat,  at  Madrid,  announced  to  the  council-gen- 
eral of  Castile,  to  the  junta  or  council  of  the 
Government,  and  to  the  municipality,  that  the 
Emperor  desired  to  know  their  opinion  in  ref- 
erence to  the  choice  of  a  sovereign  from  the 
princes  of  his  own  family.  All  these  three 
bodies  united  in  the  expression  of  the  wish 
that  the  choice  should  fall  upon  Prince  Joseph, 
King  of  Naples.  A  deputation  of  distinguish- 
ed men  was  sent  to  convey  this  wish  to  the 
Emperor.  Fortified  by  these  documents,  Na- 
poleon, on  the  6th  of  June,  proclaimed  that 
the  crown  of  Spain  was  transferred  to  his 
brother  Joseph. 

Joseph  was  at  that  time  on  the  road  to  Bay- 
onne,  not  yet  knowing  the  decision  of  his  broth- 
er, and  in  heart  very  reluctant  to  assume  the 
crown  of  Spain.  Napoleon  rode  out  from 
Bayonne  to  meet  Joseph,  whom  he  sincerely 
loved,  and  who  was  so  ready  to  sacrifice  his  in- 
clinations and  his  happiness  to  aid  the  Empe« 
ror  in  his  gigantic  plans.  The  Emperor  made 
the  following  statement  to  Joseph  as  they  rode 
back  together  to  Bayonne  : 

"  The  passions  of  the  princes  of  the  House 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       207 


Remarks  of  Napoleon. 


of  Spain  have  precipitated  a  crisis  which  has 
arrived  too  soon.  They  could  no  more  agree 
together  at  Bayonne  than  they  could  in  Spain. 
Charles  IV.  preferred  to  retire  to  France  upon 
certain  conditions,  rather  than  go  back  to  Spain 
without  the  Prince  of  Peace.  The  Queen  also 
preferred  to  see  a  stranger  ascend  the  throne 
rather  than  Ferdinand.  Neither  Ferdinand 
nor  any  other  Spaniard  wished  for  Charles 
IV.  if  the  reign  of  Godoy  were  to  be  recom- 
menced ;  they  preferred  a  stranger  to  him.  I 
am  fully  satisfied,"  said  the  Emperor, ."  that  it 
would  require  greater  efforts  to  sustain  Charles 
and  the  Prince  of  Peace  than  to  change  the 
dynasty.  Ferdinand  has  shown  himself  so 
moderate  in  ability,  and  so  unreliable  in  char- 
acter, that  it  would  be  inconsistent  for  me  to 
commit  myself  for  him  in  sustaining  a  son 
who  has  dethroned  his  father.  This  dynasty 
is  no  longer  suitable  for  Spain.  With  it  no 
regeneration  is  possible.  The  most  prominent 
personages  of  the  monarchy,  in  rank,  in  intel- 
ligence, and  in  character,  assembled  at  Bay- 
onne in  a  national  junta,  are,  in  general,  con- 
vinced of  this  truth.  Since  destiny  has  so  or- 
dered it,  and  since  it  is  in  my  power  now  to 
do  that  which  I  had  no  wish  to  undertake,  I 


208  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 


Remarks  of  Napoleon. 


have  designed  to  regenerate  Spain  by  placing 
over  it  my  brother,  the  King  of  Naples,  who  is 
agreeable  to  the  junta,  and  who  will  be  also  so 
to  the  nation.  Ferdinand  has,  for  a  long  time, 
sought  one  of  my  nieces  in  marriage.  But 
since  the  interview  at  Bayonne,  knowing 
more  intimately  the  character  of  the  prince, 
I  can  not  think  it  proper  to  accede  to  his  de- 
mands. 

"  The  Spanish  princes  have  already  left  for 
France.  They  have  ceded  their  rights  to  the 
crown.  I  wish  to  transfer  the  crown  to  my 
brother,  the  King  of  Naples.  It  is  important 
that  he  should  not  hesitate.  The  Spaniards, 
as  also  foreign  sovereigns,  will  think  that  I 
wish  to  place  that  crown  upon  my  head,  as  I 
have  done  with  that  of  Lombardy  when  Jo- 
seph refused  to  accept  it.  The  tranquillity  of 
Spain,  of  Europe,  the  reconciliation  of  all  the 
members  of  the  family1  depend  upon  the  de- 
cision which  Joseph  now  makes.  I  will  not 
cherish  the  thought  that  the  regret  to  leave  a 
beautiful  country,  where  there  are  no  longer 
nny  dangers  to  be  encountered,  can  induce 
Joseph  to  refuse  a  throne,  where  there  are 

Napoleon  then  contemplated  making  Lucien  King  of 
Naples. 


1808,]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       209 


Opinions  of  the  Junta. 


great  obstacles  to  be  overcome,  and  much  good 
to  be  accomplished." 

When  they  reached  Bayonne,  Joseph  found 
all  the  members  of  the  Junta  assembled  in  the 
chateau  of  Marrac.  He  responded  vaguely  to 
the  address  of  congratulation  the  Junta  made 
to  him,  wishing  first  to  converse  with  each  in- 
dividual member  of  that  body.  The  Spanish 
princes  left  for  Valengay,  and  Charles  IV.  had 
no  partisans  whatever.  The  Duke  of  Infanta- 
do  and  M.  Cevallos  had  been  considered  the 
warmest  advocates  of  Ferdinand.  They  both 
called  upon  Joseph,  and  held  a  long  interview 
with  him.  The  duke  offered  him  his  services, 
saying  that  he  had  possessions  in  the  kingdom 
of  Naples,  and  that  his  agents  there  had  in- 
formed him  of  the  wonders  which  Joseph  had 
wrought.  "  If  Joseph,"  said  he,  "  can  be  in 
Spain  what  he  has  been  in  Naples,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  entire  nation  will  rally  around 
him."  M.  Cevallos  expressed  the  same  views. 
Joseph  then  saw  every  member  of  the  Junta 
individually,  nearly  one  hundred  in  number. 
They  all,  without  exception,  described  the 
wretchedness  into  which  Spain  had  fallen,  and 
the  apparent  facility  with  which  it  could  be 
regenerated.  Upon  one  point  they  all  agreed : 


210  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE. 

Motives  of  Joseph. 

that  it  would  be  impossible  to  live  in  peace 
under  either  the  father  or  the  son  ;  that  Joseph 
alone,  sacrificing  the  throne  of  Naples  that  he 
might  ascend  that  of  Spain,  would  meet  the 
wishes  of  all  parties,  and  bring  back  prosperity 
to  the  distracted  realm. 

These  assurances,  which  were  given  to  Jo- 
seph by  all  the  members  of  the  Spanish  Junta 
assembled  at  Bayonne,  that  his  acceptance  of 
the  throne  would  calm  all  troubles,  assure  the 
independence  of  the  monarchy,  the  integrity 
of  its  territory,  its  liberty,  and  its  happiness, 
roused  his  generous  enthusiasm.  "  He  yield- 
ed," writes  his  biographer,  "sacrificing  his 
dearest  interests  to  the  hope  of  doing  good  to 
a  greater  number  of  people,  and  decided  to  ac- 
cept the  crown  which  was  offered  him.  He 
considered  it  his  duty  to  occupy  the  most  dan- 
gerous post.  Virtue,  not  ambition,  led  Joseph 
to  Spain." 

The  Emperor  wished  to  introduce  into  Spain 
the  same  advanced  principles  of  popular  liberty 
which  Joseph,  by  the  Constitution,  had  con- 
ferred upon  Naples.  With  that  object  he  con- 
voked at  Bayonne,  on  the  15th  of  June,  a  Span- 
ish assembly,  called  the  Constitutional  Junta. 
This  Congress  was  to  consist  of  one  hundred  and 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       211 

Address  of  the  Duke  of  InfanUdo.  Addreesei  from  other  Bodies. 

fifty  persons  of  the  most  distinguished  orders 
in  the  state,  though  but  about  one  hundred 
were  actually  convened.  A  large  number  had 
already  assembled  when  Joseph  reached  Bay- 
on  ne.  They  hastened  to  welcome  him.  Many 
of  them,  however,  afterward  proved  his  most 
inveterate  enemies.  The  Duke  of  Infantado, 
addressing  him  in  the  name  of  the  grandees 
of  Spain,  said, 

"Sire,  the  Spaniards  expect,  from  the  reign 
of  your  Majesty,  all  their  happiness.  They  ar- 
dently desire  your  presence  in  Spain  to  fix 
ideas,  to  conciliate  all  interests,  and  to  establish 
that  order  so  necessary  for  the  regeneration  of 
the  country.  Sire,  the  grandees  of  Spain  hare 
always  been  distinguished  by  their  fidelity  to 
their  sovereigns.  Your  Majesty  will  experi- 
ence this,  as  also  our  personal  affection.  Re- 
ceive, sire,  these  testimonies  of  our  loyalty 
with  that  kindliness  so  well  known  by  your 
people  of  Naples,  the  renown  of  which  has 
reached  even  to  us." 

The  deputation  of  the  Royal  Council  of  Cas- 
tile said  to  the  new  King:  "Sire,  your  Maj- 
esty is  a  branch  of  a  family  destined  by 
Heaven  to  reign.  May  Heaven  grant  that  our 
prayers  may  be  heard,  and  that  your  Majesty 


212  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Letter  from  Ferdinand. 


may  become  the  most  happy  King  in  the  uni- 
verse, as  we  desire  for  him  in  the  name  of  the 
supreme  tribunal  of  which  we  are  the  deputies." 

Even  the  Inquisitor,  Don  Raymond  Esten- 
hard,  organ  of  the  councils  of  the  Inquisition, 
declared  in  their  name  "  that  they  were  full 
of  fidelity  and  of  affection ;  that  they  offered 
their  prayers  for  Joseph,  who  was  charged  to 
govern  the  country,  that  he  might  find  happi- 
ness in  his  own  heart  by  contributing  to  the 
happiness  of  his  subjects,  and  that  he  might 
elevate  them  to  that  degree  of  prosperity 
which  might  be  expected  from  him,  particular- 
ly when  aided  by  the  genius  and  power  of  his 
august  brother,  Napoleon  the  Great." 

The  Duke  of  Pargue,  at  the  head  of  a  depu- 
tation representing  the  army,  gave  the  same 
assurances  of  homage  and  support  Even  Fer- 
dinand wrote  Joseph  a  letter  of  congratulation, 
dated  Valengay,  June  22.  It  was  as  follows : 

"SlRE, — Permit  me,in  the  name  of  my  broth- 
er and  of  my  uncle,1  as  well  as  in  my  own,  to  tes- 
tify to  your  Majesty  the  part  which  we  have 
taken  in  his  induction  to  the  throne  of  Spain. 
The  object  of  all  our  desires  having  ever  been 
the  happiness  of  the  generous  nation  which  he 

1  Don  Carlos  and  Den  Antonio. 


1808.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       213 


A  Conitltution  adopted. 


is  called  to  govern,  that  happiness  is  now  com- 
plete, in  view  of  the  accession  to  the  throne  of 
Spain  of  a  prince  whose  virtues  have  rendered 
him  so  dear  to  the  Neapolitans.  We  hope 
your  Majesty  will  accept  our  prayers  for  his 
happiness,  to  which  is  united  that  of  our  coun- 
try, and  that  he  will  grant  to  us  his  friend- 
ship, to  which  we  are  entitled,  for  the  friend- 
ship which  we  feel  for  your  Majesty.  I  pray 
your  Catholic  Majesty  to  receive  the  oath 
which  I  owe  him  as  King  of  Spain,  and  also 
the  oath  of  the  Spaniards  who  are  now  with 
me.  From  your  Catholic  Majesty's  affection- 
ate brother." 

The  Constitutional  Junta  of  Spain  com- 
menced its  session  at  Bayonne  on  the  15th  of 
June.  Ninety-one  members  were  present.  A 
constitution  was  presented  very  much  resem- 
bling that  which  had  been  conferred  upon  Na- 
ples. It  was  discussed  and  voted  upon  with 
perfect  freedom.  Finally,  on  the  7th  of  July, 
it  was  accepted  as  amended  by  the  signature 
of  all  the  members;  "considering,"  as  the  act 
said,  "that  we  are  convinced  that  under  the 
regime  which  the  Constitution  establishes,  and 
under  the  government  of  a  prince  as  just  as  the 
one  whom  we  have  the  happiness  to  possess, 


214          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [180& 


Joneph  leaves  Bayonua. 


Spain  and  all  its  possessions  will  be  as  happy 
as  we  can  desire  it  to  be." 

The  Constitution  being  accepted,  Joseph  ap- 
pointed  his  ministry  and  constituted  his  court; 
placing  all  the  important  offices  in  the  hands 
of  distinguished  Spaniards.  On  the  9th  of 
July  Joseph  left  Bayonne  and  entered  Spain, 
accompanied  by  the  members  of  the  Junta, 
many  grandees  of  Spain,  his  ministers,  and  the 
officers  of  his  household. 

Many  have  reproached  Joseph  for  having 
accepted  the  crown.  But  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  when  he  arrived  at  Bayonne,  the 
treaty  of  abdication  by  the  Spanish  princes  had 
already  been  signed.  An  assemblage  of  Span- 
ish notables  met  him  there,  and  entreated  him 
to  accept  the  crown,  to  rescue  Spain  from  ruin. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  dissent  from  the  opinion 
that  his  presence  would  be  the  signal  of  peace 
and  harmony,  that  it  would  calm  agitation,  and 
unite  all  parties.  In  a  word,  they  declared 
that  it  was  the  only  way  to  rescue  the  country 
from  anarchy,  and  from  those  calamities  which 
menaced  its  entire  ruin.  The  intelligence  of 
the  nation  exulted  in  the  change,  as  promising 
a  new  era  of  equality  and  prosperity. 

On  the  20th  of  July  Joseph  arrived  in  Ma 


1808.J   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       215 


Efforts  of  the  Monks. 


drid.  There  were  about  eighty  thousand 
French  troops  in  Spain.  Much  to  Joseph's 
surprise  and  disappointment,  he  found,  all  over 
the  kingdom,  in  the  provinces,  insurrection 
rising  against  him.  These  scattered  bands  soon 
amounted,  it  was  estimated,  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  men.  The  fanatic  monks, 
alarmed  in  view  of  the  changes  which  had 
been  effected  in  Naples,  were  very  active  in 
rousing  the  peasantry  to  resistance.  The  Brit- 
ish Government,  which  was  then  at  war  with 
Spain  because  it  was  the  ally  of  Napoleon,  in- 
stantly espoused  the  cause  of  the  insurgents, 
and  contributed  all  its  energies  of  fleet  and 
army  and  money  to  drive  Joseph  out  of  Spain. 
The  new  sovereign  had  entered  Madrid 
without  being  greeted  with  any  signal  demon- 
strations of  enthusiasm.  In  accordance  with 
the  established  etiquette  of  the  realm,  he  was 
received  at  the  foot  of  the  grand  stairs  of  the 
palace  by  the  nobility  of  the  country,  and  was 
proclaimed  king  in  the  public  squares  and  prin- 
cipal streets  of  Madrid  with  the  accustomed 
ceremonies  upon  the  advent  of  a  new  sovereign. 
Intensely  occupied  with  the  cares  of  his  new 
government,  Joseph  did  not,  for  some  time,  ful- 
ly comprehend  the  perils  which  menaced  him. 


216  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 

Insurrections.  Disappointment  of  Joseph. 

Step  by  step  be  was  led  on,  as  be  quelled  here 
and  there  a  popular  insurrection,  until  he  found 
himself  involved  in  a  stern  war  with  the  great 
mass  of  the  Spanish  peasantry,  with  all  the 
priesthood  fanning  the  flames  of  opposition,  and 
the  British  Government  energetically  co-opera- 
ting with  purse  and  sword.  It  would  require 
volumes  to  describe,  with  any  degree  of  mi- 
nuteness, the  tremendous  struggle.  Napier  has 
performed  that  task  in  his  immortal  work  upon 
the  Peninsular  War. 

Joseph  soon  awoke  to  a  full  realization  of 
the  peril  of  his  position.  On  the  13th  of  July 
he  wrote  to  the  Emperor  from  Burgos  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  "It  seems  to  me  that 
no  person  has  been  willing  to  tell  the  exact 
truth  to  your  Majesty.  I  ought  not  to  con- 
ceal it.  The  task  undertaken  is  very  great. 
To  accomplish  it  with  honor  will  requrre  im- 
mense resources.  Fear  does  not  make  me  see 
double. 

"  In  leaving  Naples,  I  have  indeed  yielded 
my  life  to  the  most  hazardous  events.  My  life 
is  of  but  little  consequence.  I  surrender  it  to 
you.  But  in  order  not  to  live  with  the  shame 
attached  to  failure,  great  resources  are  requi- 
site in  men  and  money.  I  am  not  alarmed,  in 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       217 

The  Friends  of  Joseph  overawed  and  silenced. 

view  of  my  position.  But  it  is  unique  in  his- 
tory. I  have  not  here  a  single  partisan." 

Again,  on  the  19th,  he  wrote,  "It  is  evi- 
dent that  we  have  not  the  soil,  since  all  the 
provinces  are  in  insurrection  or  occupied  by 
considerable  armies  of  the  enemy." 

On  the  28th  of  July  he  wrote,  "I  have  no 
need  to  inform  your  Majesty  that  one  hundred 
thousand  men  are  necessary  to  conquer  Spain. 
I  repeat  it,  that  we  have  not  a  partisan,  and  the 
entire  nation  is  exasperated,  and  decided  to 
sustain  with  arms  the  part  which  it  has  em- 
braced." 

"  All  my  Spanish  officers  except  five  or  six 
have  abandoned  me.  The  disposition  of  the 
nation  is  unanimous  against  that  which  has 
been  done  at  Bayonne." 

On  the  6th  of  August  he  wrote,  "Your 
Majesty  recommends  me  to  be  happy.  Never 
have  I  been  so  tranquil  and  so  well,  and  so  in- 
defatigable ;  and  if  I  have  occasion  to  envy  in 
your  Majesty  a  superior  genius  which  has  al- 
ways enabled  him  to  command  victory,  I  have 
that  in  common  with  all  the  world.  But  I 
have  no  need  to  envy  any  person  for  composure 
and  tranquillity  of  soul.  And  I  must  avow 
that  I  find  that  adversity  enables  me  to  ex- 


218          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 

Encouragement  from  the  Emperor. 

perience  a  sentiment  which  is  not  without  a 
certain  charm ;  it  is  to  be  above  adversity." 

The  Emperor  endeavored  to  cheer  his  de- 
spondent brother  with  hopeful  words.  On  the 
19th  of  July  he  wrote  him,  "I  see  with  pain 
that  you  are  troubled.  It  is  the  only  misfor- 
tune which  I  fear.  You  have  a  great  many 
partisans  in  Spain,  but  they  are  intimidated. 
They  are  all  the  honest  people.  I  do  not  the 
less  admit  that  your  task  is  great  and  glori- 
ous. You  ought  not  to  consider  it  extraordi- 
nary that  you  have  to  conquer  your  kingdom. 
Philip  V.  and  Henry  IV.  were  obliged  to  con- 
quer theirs.  Be  happy.  Do  not  permit  your- 
self to  be  easily  affected,  and  do  not  doubt  for 
an  instant  that  every  thing  will  end  sooner  and 
more  happily  than  you  think." 

Again,  on  the  1st  of  August,  Napoleon 
wrote,  "Whatever  reverses  fortune  may  have  in 
store  for  you,  do  not  be  uneasy ;  in  a  short  time 
you  will  have  more  than  one  hundred  thousand 
men.  All  is  in  motion,  but  it  must  have  time. 
You  will  reign.  You  will  have  conquered 
your  subjects,  in  order  to  become  their  father. 
The  best  of  kings  hare  passed  through  this 
school.  Above  all,  health  to  you  and  happi- 
ness, that  is  to  say,  strength  of  mind." 


1808.]  JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.      219 


Capitulation  of  Junot. 


On  the  3d  of  August  the  Emperor  again 
wrote,  "You  can  not  think,  my  friend,  how 
much  pain  the  idea  gives  me,  that  you  are 
struggling  with  events  as  much  above  what 
you  are  accustomed  to,  as  they  are  beneath 
your  natural  character.  .  .  .  Tell  me  that  you 
are  well,  in  good  spirits,  and  are  becoming  ac- 
customed to  the  soldier's  trade.  You  have  a 
fine  opportunity  to  study  it." 

General  Junot,  with  a  small  French  force,  at 
that  time  held  possession  of  Portugal.  The 
Cabinet  of  Saint  James  offered  to  the  Spanish 
Junta  at  Seville  to  send  an  army  of  about 
thirty  thousand  men  to  co-operate  with  the 
Spaniards  in  their  struggle  against  the  French. 
For  some  unknown  reason  the  offer  was  de- 
clined, and  the  troops  were  sent  to  Portugal. 
These  British  troops,  acting  in  vigorous  co-op- 
eration with  the  Portuguese,  greatly  outnum- 
bered the  French,  and,  after  a  severe  battle  at 
Torres  Yedras,  Junot  capitulated  at  the  Con- 
vention of  Cintra,  and  his  army  re-embarked, 
and  was  transported  to  France.  This  event 
added  greatly  to  the  embarrassment  of  Joseph. 
Junot  had  afforded  him  much  moral  and  even 
material  support.  Now  Junot  was  driven  from 
the  Peninsula,  and  a  British  army  of  over 


220  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [ISOd 


Napoleon  aromaed. 


thirty  thousand  men,  under  the  ablest  officers, 
and  flushed  with  victory,  was  on  the  frontiers 
of  Spain,  ready  in  every  way  to  co-operate  with 
the  Spaniards. 

This  roused  Napoleon.  He  was  the  last 
man  to  recoil  before  difficulties.  He  had  the 
honor  of  his  arms  to  avenge,  and  his  policy  to 
justify  by  success.  Never  before,  in  the  histo- 
ry of  the  world,  was  there  such  a  display  of 
energy,  sagacity,  and  power.  He  well  knew 
that  all  dynastic  Europe  was  hostile  to  those 
principles  of  popular  liberty  which  were  rep- 
resented by  his  name,  and  that,  notwithstand- 
ing the  obligations  of  treaties,  they  were  ever 
ready  to  spring  to  arms  against  him  whenever 
they  should  see  an  opportunity  to  strike  him  a 
fatal  blow. 

Napoleon  at  once  ordered  eighty  thousand 
veteran  troops  of  the  grand  army  from  the  north 
to  assemble  at  Bayonne.  He  hastened  to  Er- 
furt to  hold  an  interview  with  Alexander  to 
strengthen  their  alliance,  and  to  prevent,  if 
possible,  a  new  coalition  from  being  formed 
against  him  while  absent  with  his  troops  in 
Spain.  The  Spanish  insurgents,  as  they  were 
called — for  they  had  no  established  government 
— were  everywhere  triumphant.  The  French 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       221 


Peril  of  Joseph's  Government. 


array  was  driven  out  of  Madrid,  and,  in  a  state 
of  great  destitution,  was  standing  on  the  de- 
fensive. Joseph  and  all  his  generals  were 
thoroughly  disheartened,  and  were  only  anx- 
ious to  devise  some  honorable  way  by  which 
they  could  abandon  the  enterprise.  The 
priests,  with  a  crucifix  in  one  hand  and  a  dag- 
ger in  the  other,  had  traversed  the  realms  of 
Spain  and  Portugal,  rousing  the  religious  fa- 
naticism of  the  unenlightened  masses  almost  to 
frenzy.  Charles  IV.,  his  Queen,  and  Ferdi- 
nand had  all  been  intensely  devoted  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church.  The  French  were  rep- 
resented as  infidels,  and  as  the  foes  of  the 
Church.  The  whole  nation  was  roused  against 
them.  Even  the  women  took  an  active  part 
in  the  conflict,  perilling  their  own  lives  upon 
the  field,  and  inspiring  the  men  with  the  cour- 
age of  desperation.  The  English,  victorious 
in  Portugal,  were  now  welcomed  into  Spain. 
They  lavished  their  gold  in  paying  the  Spanish 
armies.  Their  fleet  was  busy  in  transporting 
suppliea  To  all  Europe  the  position  of  Jo- 
seph seemed  utterly  hopeless. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  Napoleon,  on  the 
eve  of  leaving  Paris  for  Spain,  said,  at  the 
opening  of  the  Legislative  Corps : 


222          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 


Speech  to  the  Legislative  Corps. 


"  A  part  of  my  troops  are  marching  against 
the  armies  which  England  has  formed  or  dis- 
embarked in  Spain.  It  is  an  especial  favor  of 
Providence,  which  has  constantly  protected  our 
arms,  that  passion  has  so  blinded  the  counsels 
of  the  English,  that  they  have  renounced  the 
protection  of  the  seas,  and  at  length  present 
their  armies  on  the  Continent. 

"  I  leave  in  a  few  days,  to  place  myself  at 
the  head  of  my  army,  and,  with  the  aid  of  God, 
to  crown  in  Madrid  the  King  of  Spain,  and  to 
plant  my  eagles  upon  the  forts  of  Lisbon. 

"  The  Emperor  of  Eussia  and  I  have  met 
at  Erfurt.  Our  first  thought  has  been  of 
peace.  We  have  even  resolved  to  make  many 
sacrifices  that,  if  possible,  the  hundred  millions 
of  men  whom  we  represent  may  enjoy  the  ben- 
efits of  maritime  commerce.  We  are  in  per- 
fect harmony,  and  unchangeably  united  for 
peace  as  for  war." 

In  the  mean  time  Joseph,  struggling  heroi- 
cally against  adversity,  and  exceedingly  em- 
barrassed by  the  false  position  in  which  he 
found  himself  placed,  received  many  consoling 
messages  of  confidence  and  affection  from 
prominent  men  in  the  Spanish  nation.  We 
present  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  ad- 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       223 

The  marvellous  Energy  of  Napoleon. 


dressed  to  him  on  the  2d  of  September,  1808, 
by  M.  M.  Azanza  and  Urquijo,  as  a  specimen 
of  many  others  which  might  be  quoted : 

"  We  do  not  doubt  that  your  Majesty  con- 
templates, with  deepest  grief,  the  disasters  with 
which  Spain  is  menaced,  by  the  obstinacy  of 
those  people  who  will  not  know  the  true  inter- 
ests of  the  realm.  But  at  least  no  one  is  ig- 
norant that  your  Majesty  has  done  and  is  do- 
ing every  thing  which  is  humanly  possible  to 
avoid  such  calamities  for  his  subjects.  The 
day  will  come  when  they  will  recognize  the 
benevolent  intentions  and  paternal  kindness 
of  your  Majesty ;  and  they  will  respond  to  it 
by  testimonies  of  gratitude  and  of  fidelity 
which  will  fill  with  contentment  the  noble 
heart  of  your  Majesty." 

The  almost  supernatural  power  of  the  Em- 
peror was  never  more  conspicuously  displayed 
than  in  the  brief,  triumphant,  overwhelming 
campaign  which  ensued.  He  wrote  to  Joseph 
from  Erfurt,  "  I  leave  to-morrow  for  Paris,  and 
within  a  month  shall  be  at  Bayonne.  Send 
me  the  exact  position  of  the  army,  that  I  may 
form  a  definite  organization  by  making  as  lit- 
tle displacement  as  possible.  In  the  present 
state  of  affairs,  we  may  conclude  that  the  pre- 


224          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1808. 


Napoleon  visits  Spain. 


sumption  of  the  enemy  will  lead  him  to  re- 
main in  the  positions  which  he  now  occupies 
The  nearer  he  remains  to  us  the  better  it  will 
be.  The  war  can  be  terminated  in  a  single 
blow  by  a  skillfully-combined  manoeuvre,  and 
for  that  it  is  necessary  that  I  should  be  there." 

The  single  blow  Napoleon  contemplated 
would  unquestionably  have  annihilated  his 
foes,  but  for  an  inopportune  movement  of  Mar- 
shal Lefebre.  As  it  was,  it  required  three  or 
four  blows,  which  were  delivered  with  stun- 
ning and  bewildering  power  and  rapidity.  On 
the  29th  of  October  Napoleon  took  his  car- 
riage for  Bayonne.  Madrid  was  distant  from 
Paris  about  seven  hundred  miles.  The  rains 
of  approaching  winter  had  deluged  the  roads. 
He  soon  abandoned  his  carriage,  and  mounted 
his  horse.  Apparently  insensible  to  exposure 
or  fatigue,  he  pressed  forward  by  night  and  by 
day,  until,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
3d  of  November,  he  reached  Bayonne.  He 
found  that  his  orders  had  not  been  obeyed,  and 
that  the  troops,  instead  of  being  concentrated, 
had  been  dispersed.  Instantly,  at  the  very 
hour  of  his  arrival,  new  life  was  infused  into 
every  thing.  He  seemed  by  instinct  to  corn, 
prehend  the  posture  of  affairs,  and  to  know 


1808.]   JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.      225 


Spanish  Boasting. 


just  what  was  to  be  done.  Orders  were  is- 
sued with  amazing  rapidity ;  couriers  flew  in 
all  directions.  Barracks  were  erected  \  the 
troops  were  reviewed;  unexecuted  contracts 
were  thrown  up;  agents  were  sent  in  every 
direction  to  purchase  all  the  cloths  in  the 
south  of  France;  hundreds  of  hands  were  busy 
in  cutting  and  making  garments ;  and  at  the 
close  of  a  day  of  such  work  as  few  mortals 
have  ever  accomplished,  Napoleon  leaped  into 
his  saddle  and  galloped  sixty  miles  over  the 
mountains  to  Tolosa,  on  the  Spanish  side  of 
the  Pyrenees.  Here  he  indulged  in  an  hour 
or  two  of  rest,  and  then  galloped  on  thirty 
miles  farther  to  Vittoria.  He  encamped  with 
the  Imperial  Guard  outside  of  the  city. 

The  Spaniards  have  always  been  accused 
of  a  tendency  to  vainglorious  boasting.  The 
trivial  successes  which  they  had  attained,  in 
alliance  with  the  English,  quite  intoxicated 
them.  "  We  have  conquered,"  they  said,  "  the 
armies  of  the  great  Napoleon.  We  will  soon 
trample  all  his  hosts  in  the  dust.  With  an 
army  of  five  hundred  thousand  indignant 
Spaniards  we  will  march  upon  Paris,  and  sack 
the  city.  The  powers  of  Eussia,  Austria,  and 
Prussia  have  fallen  before  Napoleon;  but 

5— iu 


226  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [180a 

The  triumphant  March  of  the  Emperor. 

Spanish  peasants,  headed  by  the  priests  and  the 
monks,  will  roll  back  the  tide  of  victory." 
Such  was  the  insane  boasting. 

Napoleon  was,  at  the  same  time,  the  boldest 
and  the  most  cautious  of  generals.  He  ever 
made  provision  for  every  possible  reverse. 
Stationing  two  strong  forces  to  guard  his 
flanks,  he  took  fifty  thousand  of  the  elite  of 
his  army,  and  plunged  upon  the  centre  of  the 
Spanish  troops.  Such  an  onset  none  but  vet- 
erans could  withstand.  There  was  scarcely 
the  semblance  of  a  battle.  The  Spaniards  fled, 
throwing  down  their  arms,  and  leaping  like 
goats  amidst  the  crags  of  the  mountains. 
Pressing  resistlessly  forward,  Napoleon  reach- 
ed Burgos  on  the  night  of  the  llth.  Here  the 
Spaniards  attempted  another  stand  upon  some 
strongly  intrenched  heights.  A  brief  conflict 
scattered  them  in  the  wildest  confusion,  defeat- 
ed, disbanded,  leaving  cannon,  muskets,  flags, 
and  munitions  of  war. 

Onward  he  swept,  without  a  check,  without 
delay,  crushing,  overwhelming,  scattering  his 
foes,  over  the  intrenched  heights  of  Espinosa, 
through  the  smouldering  streets  of  the  town, 
across  the  bridge  of  Trueba,  choked  with  terri- 
fied fugitives,  through  the  pass  of  Somosierra, 


1808.J  JOSEPH  KING  OF  SPAIN.       227 


Napoleon  enters  Madrid. 


in  one  of  the  most  astounding  achievements 
which  war  has  ever  witnessed,  till  he  led  his 
victorious  troops,  with  no  foe  within  his  reach, 
into  the  streets  of  Madrid.  He  commenced 
the  campaign  at  Vittoria  on  the  9th  of  No- 
vember, and  on  the  4th  of  December  his  army 
was  encamped  in  the  squares  of  the  Spanish 
metropolis.  Europe  gazed  upon  this  meteoric 
phenomenon  with  astonishment  and  alarm. 

The  Spanish  populace  had  been  roused 
mainly  by  the  priests.  In  their  frenzy,  burn- 
ing and  assassinating,  they  overawed  all  who 
were  in  favor  of  regenerating  Spain  by  a  change 
of  dynasty.  It  is  the  undisputed  testimony 
that  the  proprietors,  the  merchants,  the  inhab- 
itants generally  who  were  rich,  or  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances, and  even  the  magistrates  and  mili- 
tary chiefs,  were  quite  disposed  to  listen  to  the 
propositions  of  the  Emperor.  But  overawed 
by  the  populace,  who  threatened  to  carry  things 
to  the  last  extremity,  they  dared  not  manifest 
their  sentiments. 

As  the  French  army  took  possession  of  the 
city,  order  was  immediately  restored.  The  the- 
atres were  re-opened,  the  shops  displayed  their 
wares,  the  tides  of  business  and  pleasure  flowed 
unobstructed  along  the  streets.  Numerous  dep- 


228  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


Proclamation  of  Napoleon. 


utations,  embracing  the  most  wealthy  and  re- 
spectable inhabitants  of  Madrid,  waited  upon 
the  Emperor  with  their  congratulations,  and  re- 
newed their  protestations  of  fidelity  to  Joseph. 
The  Emperor  then  issued  a  proclamation  to 
the  Spanish  nation,  in  which  he  said, 

"  I  have  declared,  in  a  proclamation  of  the 
2d  of  June,  that  I  wished  to  be  the  regenerator 
of  Spain.  To  the  rights  which  the  princes  of 
the  ancient  dynasties  have  ceded  to  me,  you 
have  wished  that  I  should  add  the  rights  of 
conquest.  That,  however,  shall  not  change  my 
inclination  to  serve  you.  I  wish  to  encourage 
every  thing  that  is  noble  in  your  exertions. 
All  that  is  opposed  to  your  prosperity  and 
your  grandeur  I  wish  to  destroy.  The  shack- 
Jes  which  have  enslaved  the  people .  I  have 
broken.  I  have  given  you  a  liberal  constitu- 
tion, and,  in  the  place  of  an  absolute  monarchy, 
a  monarchy  mild  and  limited.  It  depends 
upon  yourselves  whether  that  constitution  shall 
still  be  your  law." 


1808.]    THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.     229 

Retreat  of  Sir  John  Moore  and  Sir  David  Bxird. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN   OF  NAPOLEON. 

IN  less  than  five  weeks  from  the  time  when 
Napoleon  first  placed  his  foot  upon  the  soil 
of  Spain  he  was  master  of  more  than  half  the 
kingdom.  Sir  John  Moore,  with  an  army  of 
about  30,000  Englishmen,  was  marching  rapid- 
ly from  Portugal,  to  form  a  junction  with  an- 
other English  army  of  about  10,000  men  un- 
der Sir  David  Baird,  who  were  advancing  from 
Corunna.  It  was  supposed  in  England  that 
the  co-operation  of  these  highly-disciplined 
troops  with  the  masses  of  the  Spaniards  who 
had  already  fought  so  valiantly,  would  speedily 
secure  the  overthrow  of  the  French. 

But  when  Sir  John  Moore  and  Sir  David 
Baird  learned  that  Napoleon  himself  was  in 
Spain,  that  he  had  scattered  the  Spanish  armies 
before  him  as  the  tornado  drives  the  withered 
leaves  of  the  forest,  that  he  was  already  in 
possession  of  Madrid,  and  would  soon  be  ready 
to  direct  all  his  energies  against  them,  they 
were  both  greatly  alarmed,  and,  turning  about, 
fled  precipitately  back  to  their  ships.  A  depu 


230  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1808. 


The  Spanish  Deputation. 


tation  of  about  twelve  hundred  of  the  notables 
of  Spain  called  upon  Napoleon,  to  confer  with 
him  respecting  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom.  He 
informed  them  very  fully  of  the  benefits  he 
wished  to  confer  upon  Spain  by  rescuing  the 
people  from  the  dominion  of  the  old  feudal 
lords,  and  bringing  them  into  harmony  with 
the  more  enlightened  views  of  modern  times. 
He  closed  his  remarks  to  them  by  saying, 

"The  present  generation  will  differ  in  opinion 
respecting  me.  Too  many  passions  have  been 
called  into  exercise.  But  your  posterity  will 
be  grateful  to  me  as  their  regenerator.  They 
will  place  in  the  number  of  memorable  days 
those  in  which  I  have  appeared  among  you. 
From  those  days  will  be  dated  the  prosperity 
of  Spain.  These  are  my  sentiments.  Go  con- 
sult your  fellow-citizens.  Choose  your  part, 
but  do  it  frankly,  and  exhibit  only  true  colors." 

General  Moore  was  retreating  toward  Corun- 
na.  An  English  fleet  had  repaired  to  that  port 
to  receive  the  troops  on  board.  On  the  22d  of 
December  Napoleon  left  Madrid,  with  40,000 
men,  to  pursue  the  flying  foe.  The  Spaniards, 
instead  of  rallying  to  the  support  of  the  Eng- 
lish, whom  they  never  loved,  dispersed  in  all 
directions,  leaving  them  to  their  fate.  "  The 


1808.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      231 


Anecdote  of  Napoleon. 


Spanish  insurgents,"  says  Napier,"  were  con- 
scious that  they  were  fighting  the  battles  of 
England.  To  restore  Spain  to  Ferdinand,  Eng- 
land expended  one  hundred  millions  sterling 
($500,000,000)  on  her  own  operations.  She 
subsidized  Spain  and  Portugal  besides,  and 
with  her  supply  of  clothing,  arms,  and  ammuni- 
tion, maintained  the  armies  of  both,  even  to 
the  guerrillas."1 

By  forced  marches  the  Imperial  troops  rush- 
ed along,  threading  the  defiles  of  the  mount- 
ains of  (raudarrama  in  mid-winter,  through 
drifts  and  storms  of  snow.  Napoleon  climbed 
the  mountains  on  foot,  sharing  all  the  toil  and 
peril  of  his  troops.  Such  a  leader  any  army 
would  follow  with  enthusiasm.  In  one  of  the 
wildest  passes  of  the  mountains  he  passed  a 
night  in  a  miserable  hut.  Savary,  who  was 
with  him,  writes : 

"The  single  mule  which  carried  his  bag- 
gage was  brought  to  this  wretched  house.  He 
was  provided  with  a  good  fire,  a  tolerable  sup- 
per, and  a  bed.  On  those  occasions  the  Em- 
peror was  not  selfish.  He  was  quite  unmind- 
ful of  the  next  day's  wants  when  he  alone  was 
concerned.  He  shared  his  supper  and  his  fire 

1  Napier,  vol.  iii.  p.  78,  voL  iv.  p.  438. 


232  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [180& 


Atrocities  of  the  English. 


with  all  who  had  been  able  to  keep  up  with 
him,  and  even  compelled  those  to  eat  whose 
Teserve  kept  them  back." 

General  Moore  was  straining  every  nerve 
to  escape.  The  weather  was  frightful,  and  the 
miry  roads  almost  impassable.  The  advance- 
guard  of  Napoleon  was  soon  within  a  day's 
march  of  the  foe.  General  Moore,  as  he  fiVl, 
blew  up  the  bridges  behind  him,  and  reckless- 
ly plundered  the  wretched  inhabitants.  His 
troops  became  exceedingly  exasperated  against 
the  Spaniards  for  their  cowardly  desertion,  and 
reproached  them  with  ingratitude. 

"  We  ungrateful !"  the  Spaniards  replied  ; 
"you  came  here  to  serve  your  own  interests, 
and  now  you  are  running  away  without  de- 
fending us." 

So  bitter  was  the  hostility  which  thus  arose 
between  the  English  and  the  Spaniards,  and 
the  brutality  of  the  drunken  English  soldiers 
was  so  insupportable,  that  the  Spaniards  often 
welcomed  the  French  troops,  who  were  under 
far  better  discipline,  as  their  deliverers.  Sir 
Archibald  Alison,  in  his  account  of  these 
scenes,  says : 

"  The  native  and  uneradicable  vice  of  north- 
ern climates,  drunkenness,  here  appeared  in 


1809.]    THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.     233 

Testimony  of  Alison.  Napoleon  at  Afttorga. 

frightful  colors.  The  great  wine-vaults  of 
Bembibre  proved  more  fatal  than  the  sword  of 
the  enemy.  And  when  the  gallant  rear-guard, 
which  preserved  its  ranks  unbroken,  closed  up 
the  array,  they  had  to  force  their  way  through 
a  motley  crowd  of  English  and  Spanish  sol- 
diers, stragglers  and  marauders,  who  reeled  out 
of  the  houses  in  disgusting  crowds,  or  lay 
stretched  upon  the  roadside,  an  easy  prey  to 
the  enemy's  cavalry,  which  thundered  in  close 
pursuit. 

"  The  condition  of  the  army  became  daily 
more  deplorable ;  the  frost  had  been  succeeded 
by  the  thaw ;  rain  and  sleet  fell  in  torrents ;  the 
roads  were  almost  broken  up ;  the  horses  foun- 
dered at  every  step;  the  few  artillery- wagons 
which  had  kept  up  fell,  one  by  one,  to  the 
fear;  and  being  immediately  blown  up  to  pre- 
vent their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
gave  melancholy  tokens,  by  the  sound  of  their 
explosions,  of  the  work  of  destruction  which 
was  going  on." 

On  the  2d  of  January  Napoleon's  advance- 
guard  had  reached  Astorga.  Notwithstanding 
the  condition  of  the  roads,  and  all  the  efforts 
of  the  retreating  foe,  an  army  of  forty  thousand 
men  had  marched  two  hundred  miles  in  ten 


234          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        {1809, 


A  new  Coalition. 


days.  It  was  a  cold  and  stormy  winter  morn- 
ing  when  Napoleon  left  Astorga,  in  continu- 
ance of  the  pursuit.  He  had  proceeded  but  a 
few  miles  on  horseback,  when  he  was  overta- 
ken by  a  courier  from  France,  bearing  impor- 
tant dispatches.  The  Emperor  alighted  by  the 
roadside,  and,  standing  by  a  fire  which  his  at- 
tendants kindled,  read  the  documents.  His  of- 
ficers gathered  anxiously  around  him,  watching 
the  expression  of  his  countenance  as  he  read. 

The  dispatches  informed  Napoleon  that 
Austria  had  entered  into  a  new  alliance  with 
England  to  attack  him  on  the  north,  and  that 
the  probability  was,  that  Turkey,  exasperated 
by  Napoleon's  alliance  with  Kussia,  would  also 
be  drawn  into  the  coalition.  It  was  also 
stated  that,  though  Alexander  personally  was 
strong  in  his  friendship  for  Napoleon,  the  Rus- 
sian nobles,  hostile  to  the  principle  of  equal 
rights,  inscribed  upon  the  French  banners,  were 
raising  an  opposition  of  such  daily  increasing 
strength,  that  it  was  feared  the  Czar  also  might 
be  compelled  to  join  in  the  new  crusade  against 
France. 

To  conduct  the  war  in  Spain,  Napoleon  had 
withdrawn  one  hundred  thousand  of  his  best 
troops  from  the  Khine.  *  His  frontiers  were 


1809.]    THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.     236 

Anxiety  of  the  Emperor. 

thus  greatly  exposed.  For  a  moment  it  was 
said  that  Napoleon  was  staggered  by  the  blow. 
The  vision  of  another  European  war,  France 
struggling  single-handed  against  all  the  com- 
bined powers  of  the  Continent,  appalled  him. 
Slowly,  sadly  he  rode  back  to  Astorga,  deeply 
pondering  the  awful  question.  There  was 
clearly  but  one  of  two  courses  before  him.  He 
must  either  ignobly  abandon  the  conflict  in  fa- 
vor of  equality  of  rights,  and  allow  the  chains 
of  the  old  feudal  despotism  to  be  again  riveted 
upon  France,  and  all  the  new  governments  in 
sympathy  with  France,  or  he  must  struggle 
manfully  to  the  end.  All  around  him  were 
impressed  with  the  utter  absorption  of  his 
mind  in  these  thoughts.  As  he  rode  back 
with  his  retinue,  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Na- 
poleon seldom  asked  advice. 

Soon  his  decision  was  formed,  and  all  de- 
jection and  hesitation  disappeared.  It  was 
necessary  for  him  immediately  to  direct  all  his 
energies  toward  the  Ehine.  He  consequently 
relinquished  the  personal  pursuit  of  the  Eng- 
lish ;  and  commissioning  Marshal  Soult  to 
press  them  with  all  vigor,  he  prepared  to  return 
to  France.  Rapidly  retracing  his  steps  to  Val- 
ladolid,  he  spent  five  days  in  giving  the  most 


236          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 

New  Year's  WUhes.  Napoleon's  Response. 

minute  directions  for  the  movements  of  the 
army,  and  for  the  administration  of  affairs  in 
Spain.  In  those  few  days  he  performed  an 
amount  of  labor  which  seems  incredible.  He 
had  armies  in  France,  Spain,  Italy,  and  Ger- 
many, and  he  guided  all  their  movements,  even 
to  the  minute  details. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  year  Joseph  had 
written  to  Napoleon,  and,  in  the  expression  of 
those  kindly  sympathies  which  the  advent  of  a 
new  year  awakens,  had  said,  "  I  pray  your  Maj- 
esty to  accept  my  wishes  that,  in  the  course  of 
this  year,  Europe,  pacified  by  your  efforts,  may 
render  justice  to  your  intentions." 

Napoleon  replied,  "  I  thank  you  for  what 
you  say  relative  to  the  new  year.  I  do  not 
hope  that  Europe  can  this  year  be  pacified. 
So  little  do  I  hope  it,  that  I  have  just  issued  a 
decree  for  levying  one  hundred  thousand  men. 
The  rancor  of  England,  the  events  of  Constan- 
tinople, every  thing,  in  short,  indicates  that  the 
hour  of  rest  and  quiet  is  not  arrived." 

The  Emperor,  having  finished  his  dispatch- 
es at  Valladolid,  mounted  his  horse,  and  set  out 
for  Paris.  Mr.  J.  T.  Headley  thus  describes 
this  marvellous  ride : 

"  In  the  first  five  hours  he  rode  the  aston 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      237 


Magnanimity  of  Napoleon. 


ishing  distance  of  eighty-five  miles,  or  seven- 
teen miles  the  hour.  This  wild  gallop  was  long 
remembered  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns 
tnrough  which  the  smoking  cavalcade  of  the 
Emperor  passed.  Belays  of  horses  had  been 
provided  on  the  road ;  and  no  sooner  did  he  ar- 
rive at  one  post,  than  he  flung  himself  on  a  fresh 
horse,  and,  sinking  his  spurs  in  his  flanks,  dash- 
ed away  in  headlong  speed.  Few  who  saw 
that  short  figure,  surmounted  with  a  plain  cha- 
peau,  sweep  by  on  that  day,  ever  forgot  it. 
His  pale  face  was  calm  as  marble,  but  his  lips 
were  compressed,  and  his  brow  knit  like  iron ; 
while  his  flashing  eye,  as  he  leaned  forward, 
still  jerking  impatiently  at  the  bridle  as  if  to 
accelerate  his  speed,  seemed  to  devour  the  dis- 
tance. No  one  spoke,  but  the  whole  suite 
strained  forward  in  the  breathless  race.  The 
gallant  chasseurs  had  never  had  so  long  and  so 
wild  a  ride  before." 

Napoleon  had  acted  a  very  noble  part 
toward  his  brother.  The  masses  of  the  Span- 
ish people  were  very  ignorant  and  fanatical. 
The  priests,  wielding  over  them  supernatural 
terrors,  controlled  them  at  will.  There  were 
certain  reforms  which  were  essential  to  the  re- 
generation of  Spain.  But  these  reforms  would 


238  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.         [1809. 


Reforms  introduced. 


exasperate  the  priests,  and,  through  them,  the 
people.  Napoleon,  anxious  to  save  his  brother 
from  the  odium  of  these  necessary  measures, 
took  the  responsibility  of  them  upon  himself. 
He  issued  a  series  of  decrees  when  he  entered 
Madrid  as  a  conqueror,  and  by  virtue  of  the 
acknowledged  rights  of  conquest,  in  which, 
after  proclaiming  pardon  for  all  political  of- 
fenses, he  introduced  the  following  reforms. 

The  execrable  institution  of  the  Inquisition 
was  abolished.  The  number  of  convents, 
which  had  been  thronged  with  indolent  monks, 
was  reduced  one-half.  One-half  of  the  proper- 
ty of  these  abolished  convents  was  appropri- 
ated to  the  payment  of  the  salary  of  the  labor- 
ing clergy.  The  other  halt  was  set  apart  to 
the  payment  of  the  public  debt.  The  custom- 
houses between  the  several  provinces  of  the 
kingdom,  which  had  been  a  great  source  of  na- 
tional embarrassment,  were  removed,  and  im- 
posts were  collected  only  on  the  frontiers.  All 
feudal  privileges  were  annulled. 

These  measures,  of  course,  exasperated  the 
priests  and  the  nobles.  Unfortunately  the  peo- 
ple were  too  ignorant  to  appreciate  their  full 
value.  As  Joseph  returned  to  Madrid,  under 
the  protection  of  the  arms  of  his  imperial 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      239 


Escape  of  Sir  John  Moore. 


brother,  though  the  bells  rang  merrily,  and 
pealing  cannon  uttered  their  voices  of  welcome, 
and  though  the  most  respectable  portion  of  the 
middle  class  received  him  with  satisfaction, 
there  was  no  enthusiasm  among  the  populace, 
and  the  clergy  and  the  nobility  received  him 
with  suspicion  and  dislike.  The  Emperor, 
upon  his  departure,  had  confided  to  Joseph  the 
command  of  the  army  in  Spain.  But  the  great 
generals  of  Napoleon,  ever  ready  to  bow  to  the 
will  of  the  Emperor,  whose  superiority  they  all 
recognized,  yielded  a  reluctant  obedience  to  Jo- 
seph, whom  they  did  not  consider  their  superi- 
or in  the  art  of  war. 

Sir  John  Moore  continued  his  precipitate 
flight,  vigorously  pursued  by  Marshal  Soult. 
"  There  was  never,"  says  Napier,  "  so  complete 
an  example  of  a  disastrous  retreat.  Aban- 
doning their  wagons,  blowing  up  their  ammu- 
nition, and  strewing  their  path  with  the  debris 
of  an  utterly  routed  army,  they  finally,  with 
torn,  bleeding,  and  greatly-diminished  columns, 
escaped  to  their  ships." 

The  new  coalition  in  Germany  against  Na- 
poleon rendering  it  necessary  for  him  to  with- 
draw a  large  part  of  his  troops  from  Spain, 
greatly  encouraged  the  foes  of  the  new  re*- 


240          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Efforts  of  the  British  Government 


gime.  The  British  Government,  animated  by 
its  success  in  inducing  Austria  again  to  co-ope- 
rate in  an  attack  upon  France,  and  sanguine  in 
the  hope  of  drawing  Russia  and  Turkey  into  the 
coalition,  which  would  surely  bring  the  armies 
of  Prussia  into  the  same  line  of  battle,  redoubled 
its  efforts  in  Spain  and  Portugal.  Emissaries 
were  sent  everywhere  to  rouse  the  populace. 
Gold  was  lavished,  and  arms  and  ammunition 
were  transmitted  by  the  British  fleet  to  impor- 
tant points. 

A  central  junta  was  assembled  at  Seville. 
It  issued  a  proclamation,  calling  upon  the  peo- 
ple everywhere  to  rise  in  guerrilla  bands.  The 
whole  male  population  was  summoned  to  the 
field.  Death  was  the  penalty  denounced  upon 
all  those  who,  by  word  or  deed,  favored  the 
French.  Twenty  thousand  troops  in  Portugal 
were  taken  under  British  pay,  and  placed  un- 
der British  officers,  so  that,  while  nominally  it 
was  a  Portuguese  army,  it  was  in  reality  but  a 
British  force  of  mercenaries.  Numerous  trans- 
ports conveyed  a  large  body  of  troops  from  Eng- 
land under  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  which  was 
landed  in  Lisbon. 

Where  the  French  army  had  control,  there 
seemed  to  be  a  disposition,  especially  among 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      241 


Testimony  of  Alison. 


the  most  intelligent  and  opulent  portion  of  the 
people,  to  accept  the  new  regime  of  Joseph. 
The  bitterest  foe  of  Joseph  will  not  deny  that 
the  reforms  which  he  was  endeavoring  to  in- 
troduce were  admirable,  and  absolutely  essen- 
tial to  the  regeneration  of  Spain.  The  British 
Government  wished  to  restore  the  old  regime 
under  Ferdinand;  for  that  Government  was 
in  sympathy  with  the  British  rule  of  aristocrat- 
ic privilege.  The  French  Government  wished 
to  maintain  the  new  rdgime  under  Joseph,  be 
cause  that  Government  would  bring  Spain  into 
sympathy  with  France,  in  her  defensive  strug- 
gle against  the  combined  despotisms  of  Europe. 
Popular  opinion  in  Spain  seemed  now  to  be 
upon  one  side,  and  again  upon  the  other,  ac- 
cording to  the  presence  of  the  different  armies. 
"  At  Madrid,"  says  Alison,  "  Joseph  reign- 
ed with  the  apparent  consent  of  the  nation. 
Registers  having  been  open  for  the  inscription 
of  those  who  were  favorable  to  his  govern- 
ment, no  less  than  twenty -eight  thousand  heads 
of  families  in  a  few  days  enrolled  themselves 
And  deputations  from  the  Municipal  Council, 
the  Council  of  the  Indies,  and  all  the  incorpora- 
tions, waited  upon  him  at  Valladolid,  to  entreat 

that  he  would  return  to  the  capital  and  reas- 
6—16 


242  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Fury  of  the  Populace. 


sume  the  royal  functions,  to  which  he  at  length 
complied." 

At  Saragossa,  on  the  other  hand,  Joseph 
was  opposed  with  persistence  and  bravery, 
which  has  rendered  the  siege  of  Saragossa  one 
of  the  most  memorable  events  in  the  annals  of 
war.  A  very  determined  leader,  Parafox,  with 
about  thirty  thousand  men,  threw  himself  into 
that  city.  A  proclamation  was  issued,  declar- 
ing that  no  mercy  would  be  shown  to  those 
who  manifested  any  sympathy  for  the  reign 
of  Joseph.  Suspicion  was  sufficient  to  doom 
one  to  mob  violence  and  a  cruel  death. 

"  Terror,"  says  Alison,  "  was  summoned  to 
the  aid  of  loyalty.  And  the  fearful  engines  of 
popular  power,  the  scaffold  and  the  gallows, 
were  erected  on  the  public  square,  where  some 
unhappy  wretches,  suspected  of  a  leaning  to 
the  enemy,  were  indignantly  executed. 

"  The  passions  of  the  people  were  roused  to 
the  very  highest  pitch  by  the  dread  of  treason, 
or  any  accommodation  with  the  enemy.  And 
popular  vehemence,  overwhelming  all  restraints 
of  law  or  order,  sacrificed  almost  every  night 
persons  to  the  blind  suspicions  of  the  multitude, 
who  were  found  hanging  in  the  morning  on  the 
gallows  erected  in  the  Corso  and  market-place." 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      243 


The  Siege  of  Saragoeea. 


The  priests  summoned  the  peasants  from 
all  the  region  around,  so  that  soon  there  were 
fifty  thousand  armed  men  within  the  walls,  in- 
spired by  as  determined  a  spirit  of  resistance 
as  ever  possessed  the  human  heart.  The  siege 
was  commenced  about  the  middle  of  December 
with  thirty-five  thousand  men,  according  to  the 
statement  of  Napier.  It  is  generally  under- 
stood in  warfare  that  one  man,  acting  upon  the 
defensive  within  a  fortress,  is  equal  to  at  least 
five  men  making  the  assault  from  the  outside. 
But  in  the  memorable  siege  of  Saragossa,  the 
besieged  had  a  third  more  men  than  the  be- 
siegers. Alison  thinks  Napier  incorrect,  and 
makes  the  besieging  force  forty-three  thousand. 
This  gives  the  besieged  a  superiority  of  seven 
thousand  men.  It  surely  speaks  volumes  for 
the  courage  and  skill  of  the  French  army,  that 
under  such  circumstances  the  siege  could  have 
been  conducted  to  a  successful  issue,  especially 
when  the  determination  and  bravery  of  the 
people  of  Saragossa  are  represented  as  almost 
without  a  parallel. 

The  scenes  of  woe  which  ensued  within  the 
walls  of  Saragossa  no  pen  can  describe,  no  im- 
agination can  conceive.  In  addition  to  the 
garrison  of  fifty  thousand  men,  the  city  was 


244  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1809. 


Savagery  of  Armies. 


crowded  with  women  and  children,  the  aged 
and  the  infirm.  For  fifty  days  the  storm  of 
war  raged,  with  scarcely  a  moment's  intermis- 
sion. Thirty-three  thousand  cannon  shots  and 
sixteen  thousand  bombs  were  thrown  into  the 
thronged  streets.  Fifty-four  thousand  human 
beings  perished  in  the  city  during  these  fifty 
days — more  than  a  thousand  a  day.  Many 
perished  of  famine  and  of  pestilence.  When 
the  French  marched  into  the  town,  there  were 
six  thousand  dead  still  unburied.  There  were 
sixteen  thousand  helplessly  sick,  and  many  of 
them  dying.  Only  twelve  thousand  of  the  gar- 
rison remained,  pale,  emaciate,  skeleton  men, 
who,  as  captives  of  war,  were  conveyed  to 
France.  When  we  reflect  that  all  this  hero- 
ism and  bravery  were  displayed,  and  all  these 
unspeakable  woes  endured,  to  re-introduce  the 
reign  of  as  despicable  a  monarch  as  ever  sat 
upon  a  throne,  and  to  rivet  the  chains  of  des- 
potism upon  an  ignorant,  debased,  and  enslaved 
people,  one  can  not  but  mourn  over  the  sad 
lot  of  humanity. 

The  rank  and  file  of  armies  is  never  com- 
posed of  men  of  affectionate,  humane,  and  an- 
gelic natures.  It  is  the  tiger  in  the  man  which 
makes  the  reckless  soldier.  Familiarity  with 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH   CAMPAIGN.      245 


Discouragement  of  the  Spaniard*. 


crime,  outrage,  misery,  renders  the  soul  cal- 
lous. There  is  no  rigor  of  army  discipline 
which  can  prevent  atrocities  that  should  cause 
even  fiends  to  blush.  The  story  of  the  sweep 
of  armies  never  can  be  truly  told. 

As  all  the  physical  strength  of  the  region 
for  leagues  around  Saragossa  had  been  gather- 
ed in  that  city,  its  fall  secured  the  submission 
of  the  surrounding  country.  Lannes  was  call- 
ed to  join  the  grand  army  in  Germany.  Junot, 
who  was  left  in  command  of  the  troops  at  Sar- 
agossa, prepared  for  an  expedition  against  Va- 
lencia. City  after  city  passed,  with  scarcely 
any  resistance,  into  the  hands  of  the  French. 
The  campaign  in  Germany  rendered  it  neces- 
sary for  Napoleon  to  withdraw  all  his  best 
troops,  leaving  Joseph  to  maintain  his  position 
in  Spain,  with  a  motley  group  of  Italians, 
Swiss,  and  Germans,  who  were  by  no  means 
inspired  either  with  the  political  intelligence 
or  the  martial  enthusiasm  of  the  French. 

The  Spanish  peasants,  depressed  by  failure, 
and  inspired,  not  by  intelligent  conviction, 
but  by  momentary  religious  fanaticism,  threw 
down  their  arms  and  returned  to  their  homes. 
There  was  but  little  integrity  or  sense  of  honor 
to  be  found  in  Spain,  long  demoralized  by  a 


246  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Victory  of  General  St.  Cyr. 


wretched  government ;  and  the  immense  sup- 
plies which  England  furnished  were  embez- 
zled or  misapplied.  The  Spaniards  are  not 
cowards.  The  feeU*»  resistance  thej  often 
made  proved  that  tney  took  but  little  interest 
in  the  issues  of  the  war.  Ferdinand  had  done 
nothing  to  win  their  regard.  But  he  was  a 
Spanish  prince,  in  the  regular  line  of  descent 
from  their  ancient  kings.  Joseph  Bonaparte 
was  a  stranger,  a  foreigner,  about  to  be  im- 
posed upon  them  by  the  aid  of  foreign  arms. 
It  was  easy,  under  these  circumstances,  to  rouse 
a  transient  impulse  for  Ferdinand,  but  not  an 
abiding  devotion. 

General  Duhesme  was  in  Barcelona  with  a 
few  thousand  troops,  cut  off  from  communica- 
tion with  his  friends  by  the  English  fleet,  and 
a  large  army  of  Spanish  peasants  which  was 
collected  to  secure  his  capture.  General  St. 
Cyr,  with  about  sixteen  thousand  infantry  and 
cavalry,  marched  to  his  relief.  In  a  narrow 
defile,  amidst  rocks  and  forests,  he  encountered 
a  Spanish  force  forty  thousand  strong,  drawn 
up  «in  a  most  favorable  position  to  arrest  his 
progress.  St  Cyr  formed  his  troops  in  one 
solid  mass,  and  charging  headlong,  without  fir- 
Ing  a  shot,  in  half  an  hour  dispersed  the  foe, 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      247 


French  Victories. 


killing  five  hundred,  wounding  two  thousand, 
and  capturing  all  their  artillery  and  ammuni- 
tion. The  next  day  St.  Cyr  entered  Barcelona. 
The  Spaniards  were  so  utterly  dispersed  that 
not  ten  thousand  men  could  be  re-assembled 
two  days  after  the  battle. 

But  the  English  fleet  was  upon  the  coast, 
with  encouragement  and  abundant  supplies. 
After  a  little  while,  another  Spanish  army, 
twenty  thousand  strong,  was  rendezvoused  at 
Molinas  del  Key.  St.  Cyr  again  fell  upon 
these  troops.  They  fled  so  precipitately  that 
but  few  were  hurt.  Their  supplies,  which  the 
British  had  furnished  them,  were  left  upon  the 
field.  St.  Cyr  gathered  up  fifty  pieces  of  can- 
non, three  million  cartridges,  sixty  thousand 
pounds  of  powder,  and  a  magazine  containing 
thirty  thousand  stand  of  English  arms.  Lord 
Collingwood,  who  commanded  the  British  fleet, 
declared  that  all  the  elements  of  resistance  in 
the  province  were  dissolved.  These  events 
took  place  just  before  the  fall  of  Saragossa. 

In  the  middle  of  February  of  this  year, 
1809,  St.  Cj7r  had  twenty-three  thousand  men 
concentrated  at  Villa  Franca.  Forty  thousand 
Spaniards  were  collected  to  attack  him.  Al- 
most contemptuously,  he  took  eleven  thousand 


248          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Desolations  of  War. 


of  his  troops,  surprised  the  Spaniards,  and  scat- 
tered them  in  the  wildest  flight.  He  pursued 
the  fugitives,  and  wherever  they  made  a  stand 
dispersed  them  with  but  little  effort  or  loss 
upon  his  own  side.  There  was  no  longer  any 
regular  resistance  in  Catalonia,  though  guer- 
rilla bands  still  prowled  about  the  country. 

Thus  the  wretched,  desolating  warfare  raged, 
month  after  month.  Nothing  of  importance 
toward  securing  the  abiding  triumph  of  either 
party  was  gained.  Whenever  the  French  army 
withdrew  from  any  section  of  country,  British 
officers  entered,  to  re-organize,  with  the  aid  of 
the  Spanish  priests,  the  peasants  to  renewed 
opposition,  and  British  gold  was  lavished  in 
paying  the  soldiers.  Junot  was  taken  sick,  and 
Suchet,  whom  Napoleon  characterized  at  Saint 
Helena  as  the  first  of  his  generals,  was  placed 
in  command.  "We  have  not  space  to  describe 
the  numerous  battles  which  were  fought,  and 
the  patience  of  our  readers  would  be  exhausted 
by  the  dreary  narration.  The  siege  of  Gerona 
by  St.  Cyr  occupied  seven  months. 

Joseph  was  still  in  Madrid.  As  we  have 
said,  the  more  intelligent  and  opulent  classes 
rallied  around  him.  Sir  Archibald  Alison, 
ever  the  advocate  of  aristocratic  privilege,  while 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      249 


Testimony  of  Alison. 


admitting  the  fact  of  Joseph's  apparent  popu- 
larity in  Madrid,  in  the  following  strain  of  re- 
mark endeavors  to  explain  that  fact : 

"Addresses  had  been  forwarded  to  Joseph 
Bonaparte  at  Yalladolid  from  all  the  incorpo- 
rations and  influential  bodies  at  Madrid,  invit- 
ing him  to  return  to  the  capital  and  resume  the 
reins  of  government.  Kegisters  had  been  open- 
ed in  different  parts  of  the  city  for  those  citizens 
to  inscribe  their  names  who  were  favorable  to 
his  cause.  In  a  few  days  thirty  thousand  sig- 
natures, chiefly  of  the  more  opulent  classes,  had 
been  inscribed  on  the  lists.  In  obedience  to 
these  flattering  invitations,  the  intrusive  King 
had  entered  the  capital  with  great  pomp,  amidst 
the  discharge  of  a  hundred  pieces  of  cannon, 
and  numerous,  if  not  heartfelt,  demonstrations 
of  public  satisfaction;  a  memorable  example  of 
the  effect  of  the  acquisition  of  wealth,  and  the 
enjoyments  of  luxury,  in  enervating  the  minds 
of  their  possessors,  and  of  the  difference  be- 
tween the  patriotic  energy  of  those  classes  who, 
having  little  to  lose,  yield  to  ardent  sentiments 
without  reflection,  and  those  in  whom  the  sug- 
gestions of  interest  and  the  habits  of  indulgence 
have  stifled  the  generous  emotions  of  nature." 

The  great  defect  in  Joseph's  character  as  an 


250          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Joseph's  mistaken  Views. 


executive  officer,  under  the  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed,  was  his  apparent  inabili- 
ty fully  to  comprehend  the  grandeur  of  Napo- 
leon's conceptions.  Instead  of  looking  upon 
Spain  as  an  essential  part  of  the  majestic  whole, 
and  which,  by  its  money  and  its  armies,  must  aid 
in  sustaining  the  new  principle  of  equal  rights 
for  all,  he  forgot  the  general  cause,  and  sought 
only  to  promote  the  interests  of  his  own  king- 
dom. Napoleon,  having  secured  the  reign  of 
the  new  regime  of  equality  in  France,  in  an- 
tagonism to  the  old  regime  of  privilege,  imme- 
diately found  all  Europe  banded  against  him. 
France  could  not  stand  alone  against  such  an- 
tagonism. Hence  it  became  essential  that  alli- 
ances should  be  formed  for  mutual  protection. 
The  genius  of  Napoleon  was  of  necessity  the 
controlling  element  in  these  alliances. 

In  that  view,  he  had  enlarged  and  strength- 
ened the  boundaries  of  France.  He  had  crea- 
ted the  kingdoms  of  Italy  and  Naples.  He  had, 
impelled  by  the  instinct  of  self-preservation, 
bought  out  the  treacherous  Bourbons  of  Spain, 
and  was  endeavoring  to  lift  up  the  Spaniards 
from  ages  of  depressing  despotism,  that  Spain, 
under  an  enlightened  ruler,  rejoicing  in  the  in- 
telligence and  prosperity  which  existed  under 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      251 

The  Hostility  of  fte  Allies  to  Napoleon  personally. 

all  the  new  governments,  might  contribute  its 
support  to  the  system  of  equal  rights  through- 
out Europe. 

England,  Russia,  Prussia,  Austria,  and  the 
aristocratic  party  throughout  all  Europe,  were 
in  deadly  hostility  to  the  principle  of  abolish- 
ing privileged  classes,  and  instituting  equal 
rights  for  all.  They  were  ever  ready  to  squan- 
der blood  and  treasure,  to  violate  treaties,  to 
form  open  or  secret  coalitions,  in  resisting  these 
new  ideas.  Regarding  Napoleon  as  the  great 
champion  of  popular  rights,  and  conscious  that 
there  was  no  one  of  his  marshals  who,  upon 
Napoleon's  downfall,  could  take  his  place,  all 
their  energies  were  directed  against  him  per- 
sonally. 

Thus  we  have  the  singular  spectacle,  never 
before  witnessed  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
never  again  to  be  witnessed,  of  the  combined 
monarchs  of  more  than  a  hundred  millions  of 
men  waging  warfare  against  one  single  man. 
And  therefore  Napoleon  called  upon  all  the  re- 
generated nations  in  sympathy  with  his  views 
to  rally  around  him.  He  regarded  them  as 
wings  of  the  great  army  of  which  France  was 
the  centre.  In  combating  the  coalition,  he  was 
fighting  battles  for  them  all.  They  stood  or 


252          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Joseph's  Want  of  Appreciation. 


fell  together.  In  the  terrific  struggle  which 
deluged  all  Europe  in  blood,  Napoleon  was  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  whole  army  of  re- 
form. He  was  such  by  the  power  of  circum- 
stances. He  was  such  by  innate  ability.  He 
was  such  by  universal  recognition. 

When  therefore  Napoleon  regarded  the  sove- 
reigns appointed  over  the  nations  whom  his 
genius  had  rescued  from  despotism  but  as  the 
generals  of  his  armies,  who  were  to  co-operate 
at  his  bidding  in  defense  of  the  general  system 
of  dynastic  oppression,  it  was  not  arrogance, 
it  was  wisdom  and  necessity  that  inspired  his 
conduct.  Louis  in  Holland,  Jerome  in  West- 
phalia, Eugene  in  Italy,  Murat  in  Naples,  Jo- 
seph in  Spain,  all  were  bound,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Napoleon,  to  contribute  their  portion 
to  the  general  defense. 

Very  strangely,  Joseph  seemed  never  to  be 
able  fully  to  comprehend  this  idea.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  intelligence,  of  high  culture,  and 
a  more  kindly,  generous  heart  never  throbbed 
in  a  human  bosom;  and  yet,  notwithstanding 
all  Napoleon's  arguments,  it  seemed  impossible 
for  him  to  comprehend  why  he  should  not  be 
as  independent  as  the  King  of  Spain,  as  Napo- 
leon was  in  the  sovereignty  of  France.  Fully 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      253 


Character  of  Joseph. 


recognizing  the  immeasurable  superiority  of  hig 
brother  to  any  other  man,  and  loving  him  with 
a  devotion  which  has  seldom  if  ever  been  ex- 
ceeded, he  was  still  disposed  to  regard  himself 
as  placed  in  Spain  only  to  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  the  Spanish  people,  without  regard  to 
the  interests  of  the  general  cause.  Instead  of 
being  ready  to  contribute  of  men  and  money 
from  Spain  to  maintain  the  conflict  against 
coalesced  Europe,  he  was  continually  writing 
to  his  brother  to  send  him  money  to  carry  on 
his  own  Government,  and  to  excuse  him  from 
making  any  exactions  from  the  people.  He 
was  exceedingly  reluctant  to  deal  with  severity, 
or  to  quell  the  outrages  of  brigands  with  the 
necessary  punishment.  His  letters  to  the  Em- 
peror are  often  filled  with  complaints.  He  de- 
plores the  sad  destiny  which  has  made  him  a 
king.  He  longs  to  return,  with  his  wife  and 
children,  to  the  quiet  retreat  of  Mortfontaine. 

Napoleon  dealt  tenderly  with  his  brother. 
He  fully  understood  his  virtues ;  he  fully  com- 
prehended his  defects.  Occasionally  an  ex* 
pression  of  impatience  escaped  his  pen,  though 
frequently  he  made  no  allusion,  in  his  reply, 
to  Joseph's  repinings. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  is  reported  to  have 


254          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 

Remarks  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

said  that  "a  man  of  refined  Christian  sensi- 
bilities has  no  right  to  enter  into  the  profes- 
sion of  a  soldier."  A  successful  warrior  must 
often  perform  deeds  at  which  humanity  shud- 
ders. Joseph  was,  by  the  confession  of  all,  one 
of  the  most  calm  and  brave  of  men  upon  the 
field  of  battle.  Still,  he  was  too  modest  a  man, 
and  had  too  little  confidence  in  himself  to  per- 
form those  hazardous  and  heroic  deeds  of  arms 
which  war  often  requires.  Napoleon,  conscious 
that  his  brother  was  not  by  nature  a  warrior,  and 
also  wishing  to  save  him  from  the  unpopularity 
of  military  acts  in  crushing  sedition,  left  him 
as  much  as  possible  to  the  administration  of 
civil  affairs  in  Madrid.  His  statesmanship  and 
amiability  of  character  could  here  have  full 
scope. 

To  his  war-scarred  veterans,  Junot,  Soult, 
Jourdan,  Suchet,  the  Emperor  mainly  intrust- 
ed the  military  expeditions.  Still,  to  save  Jo- 
seph from  a  sense  of  humiliation,  the  Emperor 
acted  as  far  as  possible  through  his  brother,  in 
giving  commands  to  the  army.  But  the  mar- 
shals, obedient  as  children  to  the  commands  of 
Napoleon,  whose  superior  genius  not  one  of 
them  ever  thought  of  calling  in  question,  often 
manifested  reluctance  in  executing  operations 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      255 


Siege  of  Oporto. 


directed  by  Joseph.  At  times  they  could  not 
conceal  from  him  that  they  considered  their 
knowledge  of  the  art  of  war  superior  to  his. 
Joseph  was  king  of  Spain,  and  was  often  humil- 
iated by  the  impression  forced  upon  him  that 
he  was  something  like  a  tool  in  the  hands  of 
others. 

During  the  year  1809  Joseph  remained 
most  of  the  time  in  Madrid.  There  were  in- 
numerable conflicts  during  the  year,  from  pettj 
skirmishes  to  pretty  severe  battles,  none  of 
which  are  worthy  of  record  in  this  brief  sketch. 

The  latter  part  of  April  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington landed  in  Portugal,  with  English  re-en- 
forcements of  thirty  thousand  men.  With 
these,  aided  by  such  forces  as  he  could  raise 
in  Portugal  and  rally  around  him  in  Spain,  he 
was  to  advance  against  the  French.  Napoleon 
had  been  compelled,  to  withdraw  all  of  the  Im- 
perial Guard,  and  all  of  his  choicest  troops,  to 
meet  the  war  on  the  plains  of  Germany.  Mar- 
shal Soult  was  on  the  march  for  Oporto. 
With  about  twenty  thousand  troops  he  laid 
siege  to  the  city.  The  feebleness  of  the  de- 
fense of  the  Portuguese  may  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  the  city  was  protected  by  two 
hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  and  by  a  force  of 


256          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1809, 


Awful  Slaughter. 


regular  troops  and  armed  peasants  amounting 
to  about  seventy  thousand  men.  Boult,  hav- 
ing made-  all  his  preparations  for  the  assault, 
and  confident  that  the  city  could  not  resist  his 
attack,  wrote  a  very  earnest  letter  to  the 
magistrates,  urging  that  by  capitulation  they 
should  save  the  city  from  the  horrors  of  being 
carried  by  storm.  No  reply  was  returned  to 
the  summons  except  a  continued  fire. 

The  attack  was  made.  The  Portuguese 
peasants  had  tortured,  mangled,  killed  all  the 
French  prisoners  that  had  fallen  into  their 
hands.  Both  parties  were  in  a  state  of  ex- 
treme exasperation.  The  battle  was  short. 
When  the  French  troops  burst  through  the 
barriers,  a  general  panic  seized  the  Portuguese 
troops,  and  they  rushed  in  wild  confusion 
through  the  streets  toward  the  Douro.  The 
French  cavalry  pursued  the  terrified  fugitives, 
and,  with  keen  sabres,  hewed  them  down  till 
their  arms  were  weary  with  the  slaughter. 

A  bridge  crossed  the  river.  Crowded  with 
the  frenzied  multitude,  it  sank  under  their 
weight,  and  the  stream  was  black  with  the 
bodies  of  drowning  men.  Those  in  the  rear, 
by  thousands,  pressed  those  before  them  into 
the  yawning  gulf.  Boats  pushed  out  from  the 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      257 


Oporto  Taken  by  Storm. 


banks  to  rescue  them,  but  the  light  artillery 
of  the  French  was  already  upon  the  water's 
edge,  discharging  volleys  of  grape  upon  the 
helpless,  compact  mass.  Before  the  city  sur- 
rendered, four  thousand  of  these  unhappy  vie- 
tims  of  war,  torn  with  shot,  and  suffocated  by 
the  waves,  were  swept  down  the  stream. 
Though  the  marshal  exerted  himself  to  the 
utmost  to  preserve  discipline,  no  mortal  man 
could  restrain  the  passions  of  an  army  in  such 
an  hour.  The  wretched  city  experienced  all 
the  horrors  of  a  to~wn  taken  by  ,storm.  The 
number  of  the  slain,  according  to  the  report  of 
Marshal  Soult,  was  more  than  eighteen  thou- 
s  aid,  not  including  those  who  were  engulfed  in 
the  Douro.  Multitudes  of  the  wounded  fled  to 
the  woods,  where  they  perished  miserably  of 
exposure  and  starvation.  But  two  hundred 
and  fifty  prisoners  were  taken.  The  French 
took  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  powder, 
a  vast  amount  of  stores,  and  tents  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  fifty  thousand  men.  They 
captured  also  in  the  port  thirty  English  vessels 
loaded  with  wine.  The  loss  of  the  French  in 
capturing  Oporto,  according  to  the  report  of 
the  general-in-chief,  was  but  eighty  killed,  and 
three  hundred  and  fifty  wounded. 
6—17 


258  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Continued  Scenes  of  Carnage. 


It  is  heart-sickening  to  proceed  with  the 
recital  of  these  horrors.  Similar  scenes  took 
place  in  Tarancon,  where  General  Victor  de- 
stroyed the  remains  of  the  regular  Spanish 
army  with  terrible  slaughter.  A  band  of 
about  twelve  thousand  men  were  cut  to  pieces 
by  General  Sebastiani.  Again  the  Spaniards 
met  with  a  fearful  repulse  upon  the  plains  of 
Estremadura.  The  Spanish  general,  Cuesta, 
with  twenty  thousand  infantry  and  four  thou- 
sand horse,  was  attacked  by  General  Victor 
with  fifteen  thousand  foot  and  three  thousand 
horse.  As  usual,  the  French  cut  to  pieces 
their  despised  foes,  capturing  all  their  artillery, 
inflicting  upon  them  a  loss  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  prisoners,  of  ten  thousand  men,  while  the 
French  lost  but  about  one  thousand. 

While  these  scenes  were  transpiring,  Joseph, 
at  Madrid,  not  only  occupied  himself  with  the 
general  direction  of  the  war,  so  far  as  the  in- 
structions which  he  perpetually  received  from 
Paris  enabled  him  to  do,  but  labored  incessant- 
ly, as  he  had  done  in  Naples,  in  promoting  all 
needful  reforms,  and  in  forming  and  executing 
plans  for  the  happiness  of  his  subjects..  He 
caused  a  constitution,  which  had  been  formed 
at  Bayonne,  to  be  published  and  widely  circu- 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      259 


Napoleon's  Remarks  to  O'Mear*. 


lated,  that  the  Spaniards  might  be  convinced 
that  it  was  his  desire  to  reign  over  them  as  a 
f  ither  rather  than  as  a  sovereign. 

Napoleon,  speaking  of  his  brother  Joseph  to 
Dr.  O'Meara  at  Saint  Helena,  said: 

"  Joseph  is  a  very  excellent  man.  His  vir- 
tues and  his  talents  are  appropriate  to  private 
life.  Nature  destined  him  for  that.  He  is  too 
amiable  to  be  a  great  man.  He  has  no  ambi- 
tion. He  resembles  me  in  person,  but  he  i.> 
much  better  than  I.  He  is  extremely  well 
educated." 

"  I  have  always  observed,"  O'Meara  re- 
marks, "that  he  spoke  of  his  brother  Joseph 
with  the  most  ardent  affection." 

The  fickleness  of  the  multitude  was  very 
conspicuous  during  all  these  stormy  scenes. 
Joseph  made  a  short  visit  to  the  southern 
provinces.  Everywhere  he  was  received  with 
the  greatest  enthusiasm,  the  people  crowding 
around  him,  and  greeting  him  with  shouts  of 
"Vive  le  Roi"  Deputations  from  the  cities 
and  villages  hastened  to  meet  him  with  protes- 
tations of  homage  and  fidelity.  Joseph  re- 
sponded, in  those  convincing  accents  which  the 
honesty  of  his  heart  inspired,  that  he  wished 
to  forget  all  the  past,  to  maintain  the  salutary 


260          JO.SEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1809. 


Joseph  at  Malaga. 


institutions  of  religion,  and  to  confer  upon 
Spain  that  constitutional  liberty  which  would 
secure  its  prosperity.  Joseph  and  the  friends 
who  accompanied  him  were  so  much  impress- 
ed with  the  apparent  cordiality  of  their  greet- 
ing that  they  were  sanguine  in  the  hope  that 
the  nation  would  rally  around  the  new  dynas- 
ty. On  the  4th  of  March  the  King  entered 
Malaga.  The  enthusiasm  of  his  reception 
could  scarcely  have  been  exceeded.  The 
streets  through  which  he  passed  were  strewn 
with  flowers,  and  the  windows  filled  with  the 
smiling  faces  of  ladies.  He  remained  there  for 
eight  days,  receiving  every  token  of  regard 
which  affection  and  confidence  could  confer. 

But  in  other  parts  of  the  country  where  Jo- 
seph was  not  present  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole 
population,  without  a  dissenting  voice,  was  ris- 
ing against  him.  His  embarrassments  became 
extreme.  He  not  only  had  no  wish  to  impose 
himself  upon  a  reluctant  people,  but  no  earth- 
ly consideration  could  induce  him  to  do  so.  It 
was  his  sincere  and  earnest  desire  to  lift  up 
Spain  from  its  degradation,  and  make  it  great 
and  prosperous.  The  emissaries  of  Great 
Britain  were  everywhere  busy  recruiting  the 
Spanish  armies,  lavishing  gold  in  payment, 


tQ3EPH  ENTERING  MALAGA. 


1809.]  THE  SPANISH  CAMPAIGN.      263 

Embarrassments  of  Joseph's  Position. 

supplying  the  troops  abundantly  with  clothing 
and  all  the  munitions  of  war,  and  giving  them 
English  officers.  Guerrilla  bands  were  organ- 
ized, with  the  privilege  of  plundering  and  de- 
stroying all  who  were  in  favor  of  the  new  re- 
gime. The  friends  of  the  new  regime  dared 
not  openly  avow  their  attachment  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  Joseph,  unless  protected  by  French 
troops.  It  was  thus  extremely  difficult  to  as- 
certain the  real  wishes  of  the  nation. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  was  upon  the  fron- 
tiers, with  an  army  of  seventy  thousand  Eng- 
lish and  Portuguese.  If  Joseph  remained  in 
Spain,  it  was  clear  that  he  had  a  long  and 
bloody  struggle  before  him.  If  he  threw 
down  the  crown  and  abandoned  the  enterprise, 
Jt  was  surrendering  Spain  to  England,  to  be 
forced  inevitably  into  the  coalition  against 
France.  Thus  the  existence  of  the  new  re- 
gime in  France  seemed  to  depend  upon  the 
result  of  the  struggle  in  Spain.  Joseph  could 
not  abandon  the  enterprise  without  being  ap- 
parently false  to  his  brother,  to  his  own  coun- 
try, and  to  the  principle  of  equal  rights  for  all 
throughout  Europe. 


264  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [1809. 


Wellington  in  Spain. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  WAR  IN  SPAIN  CONTINUED. 

IN  July  of  1809  oseph  was  in  Madrid,  with 
an  army  of  about  forty  thousand  men. 
The  rest  of  the  French  army  was  widely  dis- 
persed. The  Duke  of  Wellington  thought  this 
a  favorable  opportunity  to  make  a  rapid  march 
and  seize  the  Spanish  capital.  Collecting  a 
force  of  eighty-five  thousand  troops,  he  pressed 
rapidly  forward  to  Talavera,  within  two  days' 
march  of  Madrid.  Joseph,  being  informed  of 
the  approach  of  this  formidable  allied  army, 
and  that  they  were  expecting  still  very  con- 
siderable re-enforcements,  resolved  to  advance 
and  attack  them  before  those  new  troops 
should  arrive.  By  great  exertions  he  collect- 
ed about  forty-five  thousand  veterans,  and  on 
the  27th  of  July  found  himself  facing  his  vast- 
ly-outnumbering foes,  very  formidably  posted 
among  the  groves  and  hills  of  Talavera.  For 
two  days  the  battle  raged.  It  was  fearfully 
destructive.  The  allied  army  lost  between  six 


1809.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.        265 

Buttle  of  Talavera.  Retreat  of  Wellington. 

and  seven  thousand  men.  The  French  be- 
tween eight  and  nine  thousand.  The  tall  grass 
took  fire,  and,  sweeping  along  like  a  prairie 
conflagration,  fearfully  burned  many  of  the 
wounded.  The  Spaniards  and  Portuguese 
were  easily  dispersed.  They  seemed  to  care 
but  little  for  the  conflict,  regarding  themselves 
as  the  paid  soldiers  of  England,  fighting  the  bat- 
tles of  England.  But  the  British  troops  fought 
with  the  determination  and  bravery  which  has 
ever  characterized  the  men  of  that  race. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  day's  fight  the 
French  troops  drew  off  in  good  order,  and  en- 
camped about  three  miles  in  the  rear.  Though 
unable  to  disperse  the  army  of  Wellington, 
Joseph  had  accomplished  his  purpose  in  so 
crippling  the  enemy  as  to  arrest  his  farther 
advance,  and  thus  to  save  Madrid.  Joseph 
waited  in  his  encampment  for  the  arrival  of 
Soult,  Ney,  and  Mortier,  who  were  hastening 
to  his  aid.  Wellington,  finding  that  he  could 
place  but  very  little  reliance  upon  his  Portu- 
guese and  Spanish  allies,  decided  to  retreat, 
abandoning  his  wounded  to  the  protection  of 
some  Spanish  troops  whom  he  left  as  a  rear- 
guard, who  in  turn  abandoned  the  sufferers 
entirely  and  returned  to  Portugal. 


266  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1809. 


Complaints  of  the  English. 


The  British  complained  bitterly  of  the  luke- 
waramess  and  even  treachery  of  their  Spanish 
allies.  Alison  gives  utterance  to  these  com- 
plaints in  saying: 

"  From  the  moment  the  English  troops  en- 
tered Spain,  they  had  experienced  the  wide 
difference  between  the  promises  and  the  per- 
formance of  the  Spanish  authorities.  We  have 
the  authority  of  Wellington  for  the  assertion 
that  if  the  Junta  of  Truxillo  had  kept  their 
contract  for  furnishing  two  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  rations,  the  Allies  would,  on  the  night 
of  the  27th  of  July,  have  slept  in  Madrid. 
But  for  the  month  which  followed  the  bat- 
lie  of  Talavera  their  distresses  in  this  respect 
had  indeed  been  excessive,  and  had  reached 
a  height  which  was  altogether  insupportable. 
Notwithstanding  the  most  energetic  remon- 
strances from  Wellington,  he  had  got  hardly 
any  supplies  from  the  Spanish  generals  or  au 
thorities  from  the  time  of  his  entering  Spain. 
Cuesta  had  refused  to  lend  him  ninety  mules 
to  draw  his  artillery,  though  at  the  time  he  had 
several  hundred  in  his  army  doing  nothing. 
The  troops  of  all  arras  were  literally  starving. 
During  the  month  which  followed  the  junction 
of  the  two  armies,  on  the  22d  of  July,  they 


1809.]      THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         267 


Remarks  of  Alison. 


had  not  received  ten  days'  bread.  On  many 
days  they  got  only  a  little  meat  without  salt, 
on  others  nothing  at  all.  The  cavalry  and  ar- 
tillery horses  had  not  received,  in  the  same 
time,  three  deliveries  of  forage,  and  in  conse- 
quence a  thousand  had  died,  and  seven  hun- 
dred were  on  the  sick  list. 

"These  privations  were  the  more  exasper- 
ating that,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time, 
the  Spanish  troops  received  their  rations  regu- 
larly, both  for  men  and  horsea  The  composi- 
tion of  the  Spanish  troops,  and  their  conduct  at 
Talavera  and  upon  other  occasions,  was  not 
such  as  to  inspire  the  least  confidence  in  their 
capability  of  resisting  the  attack  of  the  French 
armies.  The  men,  badly  disciplined  and  with- 
out uniform,  dispersed  the  moment  they  expe- 
rienced any  reverse,  and  permitted  the  whole 
weight  of  the  contest  to  fall  on  the  English 
soldiers,  who  had  no  similar  means  of  escape. 
These  causes  had  gradually  produced  an  es- 
trangement, and  at  length  a  positive  animosity 
between  the  privates  and  officers  of  the  two  ar- 
mies. An  angry  correspondence  took  place  be- 
tween their  respective  generals,  which  widened 
the  breach." 

A  few  skirmishes  ensued  between  the  con- 


268          JOSEPH  BONAPABTE.       [1809. 

.  Battle  of  the  3d  of  November.  Triumph  of  Joseph. 

tending  parties  until  the  3d  of  November,  when 
Joseph,  with  thirty  thousand  men,  encounter- 
ed fifty-five  thousand  Spaniards.  The  odds 
in  favor  of  the  Spaniards  was  so  great  that 
they  rushed  vigorously  upon  the  French.  A 
battle  of  four  hours  ensued.  The  Spanish  army 
was  broken  to  pieces,  dispersed,  trampled  under 
foot.  Twenty  thousand  prisoners,  fifty-five 
pieces  of  cannon,  and  the  whole  ammunition 
of  the  army  were  captured  by  the  French. 

"  Wearied  with  collecting  prisoners,"  says 
Alison,  "  the  French  at  length  merely  took  the 
arms  from  the  fugitives,  desiring  them  to  go 
home,  telling  them  that  war  was  a  trade  which 
they  were  not  fit  for." 

From  this  conflict  Joseph  returned  in  tri- 
umph to  his  capital.  It  seemed  for  a  time  that 
no  more  resistance  could  be  offered,  and  that 
his  government  was  firmly  established.  Wel- 
lington was  driven  back  into  Portugal,  and 
loudly  proclaimed  that  he  could  place  no  reli- 
ance upon  the  promises  or  the  arms  of  the 
Spaniards  or  the  Portuguese. 

Napoleon  had  returned  from  the  triumph- 
ant campaign  of  Wagram.  Again  he  had  shat- 
tered the  coalition  in  the  north,  and  was  upon 
the  pinnacle  of  his  greatness.  The  total  failure 


1809.]      THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         269 


of  Wellington's  campaign  had  greatly  disap- 
pointed the  British  people.  The  Common 
Council  of  London  petitioned  Parliament  for 
an  inquiry  into  the  circumstances  connected 
with  this  failure. 

"  Admitting  the  valor  of  Lord  Wellington," 
they  said  in  their  address,  "  the  petitioners  can 
see  no  reason  why  any  recompense  should  be 
bestowed  on  him  for  his  military  conduct. 
After  a  useless  display  of  British  valor,  and  a 
frightful  carnage,  that  army,  like  the  preceding 
one,  was  compelled  to  seek  safety  in  a  precip- 
itous flight  before  an  enemy  who  we  were  told 
had  been  conquered,  abandoning  many  thou- 
sands of  our  wounded  countrymen  into  the 
hands  of  the  French.  That  calamity,  like  the 
others,  has  passed  without  any  inquiry,  and,  as 
if  their  long-experienced  impunity  had  put  the 
servants  of  the  Crown  above  the  reach  of  jus- 
tice, ministers  have  actually  gone  the  length  of 
advising  your  majesty  to  confer  honorable  dis- 
tinctions on  a  general  who  has  thus  exhibited, 
with  equal  rashness  and  ostentation,  nothing 
but  a  useless  valor." 

Still,  after  an  angry  debate,  in  which  there 
was  very  strong  opposition  presented  against 
carrying  on  the  war  in  Spain,  it  was  finally 


270  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1809. 

Penbtent  Hostility  of  the  British  Government. 

decided  to  prosecute  hostilities  against  Napole- 
on in  the  Peninsula  with  renewed  vigor.  The 
advocates  of  the  measure  urged  that  there  was 
no  other  point  in  Europe  where  they  could 
gain  a  foothold  to  attack  Napoleon,  and  that 
by  protracting  the  war  there,  and  drawing 
down  the  French  armies,  they  might  afford  an 
opportunity  for  the  Northern  powers  again  to 
rise  in  a  coalition  against  the  new  regime. 
These  views  were  very  strenuously  urged  in  the 
House  of  Lords  by  Lord  Wellesley,  Lord  Cas- 
tlereagh,  and  Lord  Liverpool.  The  vote  stood 
sixty-five  for  the  war,  thirty-three  against  it. 
It  was  resolved  to  concentrate  the  whole  force 
of  England  for  a  new  campaign  in  the  Penin- 
sula. One  hundred  millions  of  dollars  were 
voted  to  the  navy,  one  hundred  and  five  mil- 
lions to  the  army,  and  twenty-five  millions  for 
the  ordnance.  The  British  navy  engaged  in  the 
enterprise  consisted  of  a  thousand  and  nineteen 
vessels  of  war.  In  addition  to  these  forces,  the 
English  were  to  raise  all  the  troops  they  could 
from  Spain  and  Portugal,  offering  them  the  most 
liberal  pay,  and  encouraging  them  to  all  those 
acts  of  guerrilla  warfare  for  which  they  were 
remarkably  adapted,  and  which  might  prove 
most  annoying  to  the  French  communications. 


1811.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         271 

The  Conflict  renewed.  Causes  of  the  Strife. 

Napoleon,  to  meet  the  emergency,  had  in 
the  Peninsula  an  armj  of  two  hundred  and 
eighty  thousand  men  ready  for  service.  Slow- 
ly the  months  of  the  year  1810  rolled  away  over 
that  wretched  land.  There  were  battles  on 
the  plains  and  among  the  hills,  sieges,  bom- 
bardments, conflicts  hand  to  hand  in  the  blood- 
stained streets,  outrages  innumerable,  pesti- 
lence, famine,  conflagration,  misery,  death.  The 
causes  of  the  conflict  were  clearly  defined  and 
distinctly  understood  by  the  leading  men  on 
each  side.  Never  was  there  a  more  moment- 
ous question  to  be  decided  by  the  fate  of  ar- 
mies. England  was  fighting  to  perpetuate  in 
England  and  on  the  Continent  the  old  regime 
of  aristocratic  privilege.  France  was  fighting  to 
defend  and  maintain  in  France  and  among  the 
other  regenerated  nations  of  Europe,  the  new 
regime  of  equal  rights  for  all  men.  The  intelli- 
gent community  everywhere  distinctly  compre- 
hended the  nature  of  the  conflict,  and  chose 
their  sides.  The  unintelligent  masses,  often 
blinded  by  ignorance,  deluded  by  fanaticism, 
or  controlled  by  power,  were  bewildered,  and 
swayed  to  and  fro,  as  controlled  by  circum- 
stances. 

The  year  1811  opened  sadly  upon  this  war- 


272  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1811 

Conscientiousness  of  the  Antagonists. 

deluged  land.  It  would  only  lacerate  the  heart 
of  the  reader  to  give  an  honest  recital  of  the 
miseries  which  were  endured.  No  one  can 
read  with  pleasure  the  account  of  these  scenes 
of  blood,  misery,  and  death.  Equal  bravery 
and  equal  determination  were  displayed  by  the 
French  and  by  the  English,  and,  alas  for  man, 
there  was  probably  much  conscientiousness 
on  both  sides.  There  were  religious  men  in 
each  army,  men  who  went  from  their  knees  in 
prayer  into  the  battle.  There  were  men  who 
honestly  believed  that  the  interests  of  humani- 
ty required  that  the  government  of  the  nations 
should  be  in  the  hands  of  the  rich  and  the  no- 
ble. There  were  others  who  as  truly  believed 
that  the  old  feudal  system  was  a  curse  to  the 
nations,  and  that  a  new  era  of  reform  was  de- 
manded, at  whatever  expense  of  treasure  and 
blood.  And  thus  these  children  of  a  common 
father,  during  the  twelve  long  months  of  anoth- 
er year,  contended  with  each  other  in  the  death- 
struggle  upon  more  battle-fields  than  history 
can  record. 

Joseph,  in  view  of  this  slaughter  and  this 
misery,  was  at  times  extremely  wretched.  He 
knew  not  what  to  do.  Nothing  can  exceed  the 
sadness  of  some  of  his  letters  to  his  brother. 


1811.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         273 


Painful  Position  of  Joseph. 


To  abandon  the  conflict  seemed  like  cowardice, 
and  might  prove  the  destruction  of  the  popu- 
lar cause  all  over  Europe.  To  persevere  was 
to  perpetuate  blood  and  misery.  Seldom  has 
any  man  been  placed  in  a  position  of  greater 
difficulty,  but  the  integrity,  the  conscientious- 
ness, and  the  humanity  of  the  man  were  mani- 
fest in  every  word  he  uttered,  in  every  deed  he 
performed. 

"My  first  duties,"  said  Joseph,  "are  for 
Spain.  I  love  France  as  my  family,  Spain  as 
my  religion.  I  am  attached  to  the  one  by  the 
affections  of  my  heart,  and  to  the  other  by  my 
conscience." 

Napoleon,  wearied  with  these  incessant  wars, 
which  were  draining  the  treasure  and  the 
blood  of  France,  thought  that  if  he  could  con- 
nect himself  by  marriage  with  one  of  the  an- 
cient dynasties,  he  could  thus  bring  himself 
into  the  acknowledged  family  of  kings,  and  se- 
cure such  an  alliance  as  would  prevent  these 
incessant  coalitions  of  all  dynastic  Europe 
against  France.  In  March,  1810,  the  Emperor, 
having  committed  the  greatest  mistake  of  his 
life  in  the  divorce  of  Josephine — a  sin  against 
God's  law,  though  with  him,  at  the  time,  a  sin 
of  ignorance  and  of  good  intentions — a  mistake 

6—18 


274  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1811. 


Birth  of  tha  King  of  Koine. 


which  he  afterward  bitterly  deplored  as  the  ul- 
timate cause  of  his  ruin — married  Maria  Louisa, 
the  daughter  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria.  This 
union  seemed  to  unite  Austria  with  France  in 
a  permanent  alliance,  and  for  a  time  gave 
promise  of  securing  the  great  blessing  which 
Napoleon  hoped  to  attain  by  it.  On  the  20th 
of  March,  1811,  Napoleon  wrote  to  Joseph: 

"  MONSIEUR  MON  FRERE, — I  hasten  to  an- 
nounce to  your  Majesty  that  the  Empress,  my 
dear  wife,  has  just  been  safely  delivered  of  a 
prince,  who  at  his  birth  received  the  title  of 
the  King  of  Rome.  Your  Majesty's  constant 
affection  towards  me  convinces  me  that  you 
will  share  in  the  satisfaction  which  I  feel  at 
an  event  of  such  importance  to  my  family  and 
to  the  welfare  of  my  subjects. 

"  This  conviction  is  very  agreeable  to  me. 
Your  Majesty  is  aware  of  my  attachment,  and 
can  not  doubt  the  pleasure  with  which  I  seize 
this  opportunity  of  repeating  the  assurance  of 
the  sincere  esteem  and  tender  friendship  with 
which  I  am,"  etc. 

On  the  same  day,  a  few  hours  later,  he 
wrote  again  to  his  brother  giving  a  minute  ac- 
count of  the  accouchement,  which  was  very 
severe.  He  closed  this  letter  by  saying: 


1811.]     THE  WAR   CONTINUED.        275 


Despatch  from  Napoleon. 


"  The  babe  is  perfectly  well.  The  Empress 
is  as  comfortable  as  could  be  expected.  This 
evening,  at  eight  o'clock,  the  infant  will  be 
privately  baptized.  As  I  do  not  intend  the 
public  christening  to  take  place  for  the  next 
six  weeks,  I  shall  intrust  General  Defrance, 
my  equerry,  who  will  be  the  bearer  of  this 
letter,  with,  another  in  which  I  shall  ask  you 
to  stand  godfather  to  your  nephew." 

In  May,  Joseph,  accompanied  by  a  small 
retinue,  visited  Paris,  to  have  a  personal  confer- 
ence with  his  brother  upon  the  affairs  of  Spain. 
He  was  much  dissatisfied  that  the  French  mar- 
shals there  were  so  independent  of  him  in  the 
conduct  of  their  military  operations.  The  re- 
sult of  the  conversations  which  he  held  with 
his  brother  was,  that  he  returned  to  Spain  ap- 
parently satisfied.  He  entered  Madrid  on  the 
15th  of  July,  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  con- 
course of  people.  The  principal  inhabitants 
of  the  city,  in  a  long  train  of  carriages,  came 
out  to  meet  him,  a  triumphal  arch  was  con- 
structed across  the  road,  and  joy  seemed  to 
beam  from  every  countenance.  He  immedi- 
ately consecrated  himself  with  new  ardor  to 
the  administration  of  the  internal  affairs  of  his 
realm. 


276  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [181L 


The  Emperor's  Address. 


There  was  very  strong  opposition  manifested 
by  the  people  of  England  against  the  Spanish 
war.  There  were  many  indications  that  the 
British  Government  might  be  forced,  by  the 
voice  of  the  people,  to  relinquish  the  conflict. 
Animated  by  these  hopes,  Joseph  announced 
his  intention  of  calling  a  Spanish  congress,  in 
which  the  people  should  be  fully  represented, 
to  confer  upon  the  national  interests.  Wel- 
lington was  thoroughly  disheartened.  His  dis- 
patches were  full  of  bitter  complaints  against 
the  incapacity  of  the  British  Government.  Na- 
poleon, in  his  address  to  the  legislative  body 
on  the  18th  of  June,  1811,  in  the  following 
terms  alluded  to  the  war  in  Spain  : 

"Since  1809  the  greater  part  of  the  strong 
places  in  Spain  have  been  taken,  after  memo- 
rable sieges,  and  the  insurgents  have  been  beat- 
en in  a  great  number  of  pitched  battles.  Eng- 
land has  felt  that  the  war  is  approaching  a 
termination,  and  that  intrigues  and  gold  are 
no  longer  sufficient  to  nourish  it.  She  has 
found  herself,  therefore,  obliged  to  alter  the 
nature  of  her  assistance,  and  from  an  auxiliary 
she  has  become  a  principal.  All  her  troops  of 
the  line  have  been  sent  to  the  Peninsula. 

"English   blood   has,  at  length,  flowed  in 


1811.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         277 


Grandeur  of  Napoleon. 


torrents  in  several  actions  glorious  to  the 
French  arms.  This  conflict  with  Carthage, 
which  seemed  as  if  it  would  be  decided  on 
fields  of  battle  on  the  ocean  or  beyond  the 
seas,  will  henceforth  be  decided  on  the  plains 
of  Spain.  When  England  shall  be  exhausted, 
when  she  shall  at  last  have  felt  the  evils  which 
for  twenty  years  she  has  with  so  much  cruelty 
poured  upon  the  Continent,  when  half  her 
families  shall  be  in  mourning,  then  shall  a  peal 
of  thunder  put  an  end  to  the  affairs  of  the 
Peninsula,  the  destinies  of  her  armies,  and 
avenge  Europe  and  Asia  by  finishing  this  sec- 
ond Punic  War."1 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1811  Napoleon 
stood  upon  the  highest  pinnacle  of  his  power. 
Coalition  after  coalition  had  been  shattered  by 
his  armies,  and  now  he  had  not  an  avowed  foe 
upon  the  Continent.  The  Emperor  of  Russia 
was  allied  to  him  by  the  ties  of  friendship  ;  the 
Emperor  of  Austria  by  the  ties  of  relationship. 
Other  hostile  nations  had  been  too  thoroughly 
vanquished  to  attempt  to  arise  against  him,  or, 
by  political  regeneration,  had  been  brought 
into  sympathy  with  the  new  regime  in  France. 

The  English,  aided  by  their  resistless  fleet, 
1  Moniteur,  Jan.  11,  1811. 


278  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [181L 


The  Constitution  of  1812. 


still  held  important  positions  in  Portugal. 
They  however  had  no  foothold  in  Spain  ex- 
cepting at  Cadiz,  situated  upon  the  island  of 
Leon,  upon  the  extreme  southern  point  of  the 
Peninsula.  The  usual  population  of  the  city 
of  Cadiz  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
But  this  number  had  been  increased  by  a 
hundred  thousand  strangers,  who  had  thrown 
themselves  into  the  place.  About  fifty  thou- 
sand troops  under  Marmont  were  besieging  the 
city.  The  garrison  defending  Cadiz  consisted 
of  about  twenty  thousand  men,  five  thousand 
of  whom  were  English  soldiers.  The  British 
fleet  was  also  in  its  harbor,  with  encouragement 
and  supplies.  Here  and  there  predatory  bands 
occasionally  appeared,  but  this  was  nearly  all 
the  serious'opposition  which  was  then  present- 
ed to  the  reign  of  Joseph.  The  French  lines 
encompassing  the  city  were  thirty  miles  in 
length,  extending  from  sea  to  sea. 

To  the  great  chagrin  of  England,  the  Span- 
ish leaders  in  Cadiz  convened  a  Congress,  which 
formed  a  constitution,  called  the  Constitution 
of  1812,  far  more  radically  democratic  than 
even  Napoleon  could  advocate  for  Spain. 
Wellington  was  exceedingly  vexed,  and  com- 
plained bitterly  of  this  conduct  on  the  part  of 


1812.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         279 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  Napoleon. 


the  men  whose  battle  he  assumed  to  be  fight- 
ing. "The  British  Government  were  well 
aware,"  says  Alison,  "  while  democratic  frenzy 
was  thus  reigning  triumphant  at  Cadiz,  from 
the  dispatches  of  their  ambassador  there,  the 
Honorable  H.  Wellesley,  as  well  as  from  Wel- 
lington's information  of  the  dangerous  nature 
of  the  spirit  which  had  been  thus  evolved, 
that  they  had  a  task  of  no  ordinary  difficulty 
to  encounter  in  any  attempt  to  moderate  its 
transports."1 

Joseph  grew  more  and  more  disheartened. 
All  his  plans  for  the  pacification  of  the  country 
.were  baffled.  On  the  23d  of  March,  1812,  he 
wrote  to  bis  brother  from  Madrid  as  follows: 

"  SIRE, — When  a  year  ago  I  sought  the  ad- 
vice of  your  Majesty  before  coming  back  to 
Spain,  you  urged  me  to  return.  It  is  there- 
fore that  I  am  here.  You  had  the  kindness  to 
say  to  me  that  I  should  always  have  the  privi- 
lege of  leaving  the  country  if  the  hopes  we 
had  conceived  should  not  be  realized.  In  that 
case  your  Majesty  assured  me  of  an  asylum  in 
the  south  of  the  Empire,  between  which  and 
Mortfontaine  I  could  divide  my  residence. 

"Events  have  disappointed  my  hopes.  I 
1  Alison,  vol.  iii.  p.  407. 


280  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 

Spanish  Antipathy  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

have  done  no  good,  and  I  have  no  longer  any 
hopes  of  doing  any.  I  entreat,  then,  your 
Majesty  to  permit  me  to  resign  to  his  hands 
the  crown  of  Spain,  which  he  condescended  to 
transmit  to  me  four  years  ago.  In  accepting 
the  crown  of  this  country,  I  never  had  any 
other  object  in  view  than  the  happiness  of  this 
vast  monarchy.  It  has  not  been  in  my  power 
to  accomplish  it.  I  pray  your  Majesty  to  re- 
ceive me  as  one  of  his  subjects,  and  to  be- 
lieve that  he  will  never  have  a  more  faithful 
servant  than  the  friend  whom  nature  has  given 
him." 

The  resignation  was  not  then  accepted,  and 
circumstances  soon  became  such  that  Joseph 
felt  that  he  could  not  with  honor  withdraw 
from  the  post  he  occupied. 

The  Spaniards  looked  with  great  distrust 
upon  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who  was  the  em« 
bodiment  of  the  principles  of  aristocracy,  the 
more  to  be  feared  in  consequence  of  his  inflexi- 
ble will.  The  English  deemed  the  re-enthrone- 
ment of  Ferdinand  VII.  and  his  despotic  sway 
essential  to  the  success  of  their  cause.  The 
uncrowned  King  and  his  brother  Don  Carlos 
were  living  very  sumptuously  and  contentedly, 
chasing  foxes  and  hares  at  Valengay,  and  cut* 


1812.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         281 

Embarrassments  of  the  British  Government 

ting  down  the  park  to  build  bonfires  in  cele- 
bration of  Napoleon's  victories. 

The  British  Government,  alarmed  in  view 
of  the  democratic  spirit  unexpectedly  developed 
by  a  portion  of  the  Spanish  allies,  sent  a  secret 
agent,  Baron  Rolli,  a  man  of  great  sagacity, 
address,  and  intrepidity,  to  persuade  Ferdinand 
to  violate  his  pledge  of  honor,  to  escape  from 
Valen<jay,  and  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
Spaniards  who  were  in  opposition  to  Joseph. 
It  was  hoped  that  this  would  awaken  new  en- 
thusiasm on  the  part  of  the  Church  and  the  ad- 
vocates of  the  old  regime,  and  that  it  would 
check  the  spirit  of  ultra  democracy  which  was- 
threatening  to  sweep  every  thing  before  it. 

The  nearest  approach  to  an  honorable  deed 
to  which  Ferdinand  ever  came,  was  in  the 
very  questionable  act  of  revealing  the  plot  to- 
the  French  Government.  Rolli  was  arrested 
and  sent  to  Vincennes.  The  democratic  lead- 
ers in  Cadiz  were  so  incensed  against  what 
Alison  calls  "  the  orderly  spirit  of  aristocratic 
rule  in  England,"  that,  burying  their  animosity 
against  the  French  invasion,  they  almost  wel- 
comed those  foreign  armies,  who  bore  every- 
where upon  their  banners  "Equal  Rights  for 
all  Men."  They  opened  secret  negotiations 


282  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


The  Campaign  to  Moscow. 


with  Joseph,  offering  to  surrender  Cadiz  to  the 
French  troops,  and  to  secure  the  entire  sub- 
mission of  the  whole  peninsula  to  the  govern- 
ment of  Joseph  if  he  would  accept  the  radi- 
cal Constitution  of  1812  in  place  of  the  more 
moderate  Republicanism  of  the  Constitution  of 
Bajonne.  The  hostility  of  the  Spanish  gen- 
erals and  soldiers  to  Wellington  and  the  Eng- 
lish troops  was  bitter  and  undisguised.1 

But  more  bloody  scenes  soon  ensued.  Na- 
poleon, deeming  the  war  in  Spain  virtually  end- 
ed, had  been  induced  to  withdraw  large  num- 
bers of  his  troops,  and  to  embark  in  his  fatal 
campaign  to  Moscow.  Thus  Russia  became  al- 
]:ed  to  England,  and  a  new  opportunity,  under 
more  favorable  auspices,  was  afforded  to  renew 
the  war  in  Spain.  England  concentrated  her 
mightiest  energies  upon  the  Peninsula  against 
the  remnants  of  the  French  army  which  Napo- 
leon had  left  there.  The  Emperor,  with  all  his 
chosen  troops,  composing  an  army  of  over  five 
hundred  thousand  men,  was  on  the  march  thou- 
sands of  miles  toward  the  north.  On  the  9th 
of  May,  1812,  the  Emperor  left  Paris,  to  place 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  troops  in  Dresden. 
The  war  in  Spain  was  now  urged  by  the  Brit- 
Napier,  v.  406,  407. 


1812.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         283 


Miseries  of  the  Conflict. 


ish  Government  with  renovated  fury.  The 
mind  is  wearied  and  the  heart  is  sickened,  in 
reading  the  recital  of  sieges,  and  battles,  and 
outrages  which  make  a  humane  man  to  exclaim, 
in  anguish  of  spirit,  "  O  Lord,  how  long!  how 
long!"  Equal  ferocity  was  upon  both  sides. 
French,  English,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese  sol- 
diers, maddened  by  passion  and  inflamed  with 
intoxicating  drinks,  perpetrated  deeds  which 
fiends  could  scarcely  exceed.  Tortosa,  Tarra- 
gona, Mauresa,  Saguntum,  Valencia,  Badajoz, 
Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  a  score  of  other  places, 
testified  to  the  bravery,  often  the  tiger-like 
ferocity,  of  the  contending  parties,  and  to  the 
misery  which  man  can  inflict  upon  his  brother- 
man. 

Physical  bravery  is  the  cheapest  and  most 
vulgar  of  all  earthly  virtues.  The  vilest  rab- 
ble gathered  from  the  gutters  of  any  city  can, 
by  a  few  months  of  military  discipline  and  ex- 
perience in  the  horrors  of  war,  become  so  reck- 
less of  danger  that  bullets,  shells,  and  grape- 
shot  are  as  little  regarded  as  snowflakes.  Rob- 
ber bands  and  piratic  hordes  will  often  fight 
with  ferocity  and  desperation  which  can  not 
be  surpassed.  It  is  the  cause  alone  which  can 
ennoble  the  heroism  of  the  battle-field.  ID 


284          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


Destitution  of  the  Army. 


these  terrific  conflicts,  especially  when  the 
French  and  the  British  troops  were  brought 
into  contact,  there  often  were  exhibited  all  the 
energy  and  desperation  of  which  human  nature 
is  capable. 

As  the  Emperor  set  out  on  the  Eussian 
campaign,  he  invested  Joseph  with  the  coni' 
mand  of  the  armies  in  Spain.  These  troops 
were  widely  dispersed,  to  protect  different  points 
in  the  kingdom.  But  few  could  be  promptly 
rallied  upon  any  one  field  of  battle.  The  Em 
peror,  burdened  with  the  expense  of  his  im- 
mense army,  and  far  away  amidst  the  wilds  of 
Russia,  could  give  but  little  attention  to  the  af- 
fairs of  Spain,  and  could  send  neither  money 
nor  supplies  to  his  brother,  who  was  so  uneasi- 
ly settled  upon  an  impoverished  throne.  As 
days  of  darkness  gathered  around  the  Emperor, 
a  sense  of  honor  prevented  Joseph  from  aban- 
doning his  post.  His  troops  were  everywhere 
in  a  state  of  great  destitution  and  suffering. 
His  humane  heart  would  not  allow  him  to  wrest 
supplies  from  the  people,  who  were  often  in  a 
still  greater  state  of  poverty  and  want. 

Marshal  Massena  had  entered  Portugal  with 
an  army  of  seventy-five  thousand  men.  Re- 
duced by  sickness  and  destitution,  he  was  com- 


1812.]     THE  WAR  CONTINUED.        287 


Ciudad  Rodrigo. 


pelled  to  withdraw  with  but  thirty-five  thou- 
sand men.  Thus  the  English  army,  no  longer 
held  in  check,  occupied  Ciudad  Rodrigo  and 
Badajoz.1 

Three  thousand  men  were  left  in  garrison 
at  Ciudad  Rodrigo.  Forty  thousand  men  un- 
der Wellington  besieged  it.  After  opening 
two  practicable  breaches,  "Wellington  summon- 
ed a  surrender.  The  French  general,  Barrie, 
replied : 

"  His  Majesty,  the  Emperor,  has  intrusted 
me  with  the  command  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo.  I 
and  my  garrison  are  resolved  to  bury  ourselves 
beneath  the  ruins." 

The  place  was  taken  by  assault,  the  British 
troops  rushing  into  the  breaches  with  courage 
which  could  not  have  been  surpassed.  The 
French,  after  losing  half  their  number,  were 
overpowered.  The  victorious  British  soldiers, 
forgetting  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  were 
their  allies,  pillaged  the  houses  and  the  shops, 
and  committed  every  conceivable  outrage  upon 
the  inhabitants.  Sir  Archibald  Alison  thus  de- 
scribes the  scene : 

"The  churches  were  ransacked,  the  wine 
and  spirit  cellars  pillaged,  and  brutal  intoxica- 

*  Encyclopaedia  Americana,  article  Joseph  Bonaparte. 


288  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


Badajoz. 


tion  spread  in  every  direction.  Soon  flames 
were  seen  bursting  in  several  quarters.  Some 
houses  were  burned  to  the  ground,  others  al- 
ready ignited.  By  degrees,  however,  the  drunk- 
en men  dropped  down  from  excess  of  liquor, 
or  fell  asleep ;  and  before  morning  a  degree 
of  order  was  restored." 

Advancing  from  Ciudad  Eodrigo,  Welling- 
ton, at  the  head  of  a  force  then  numbering  six- 
ty thousand  men,  laid  siege  to  Badajoz,  cross- 
ing the  Guadiarra  above  and  below  the  city. 
The  garrison  in  the  city  consisted  of  but  forty- 
five  hundred  combatants.  The  trenches  were 
opened  upon  the  night  between  the  17tb  and 
18th  of  March.  There  was  no  more  desperate 
fighting  during  all  the  wars  of  Napoleon  than 
was  witnessed  within  and  around  the  walls  of 
Badajoz.  The  British  lost  five  thousand  offi- 
cers and  men  ere  the  city  was  captured.  Again 
had  the  Spaniards  bitter  cause  to  mourn  over 
the  victory  of  those  who  called  themselves  their 
allies.  As  the  British  troops  rushed  into  the 
streets  of  this  Spanish  city  which  they  had 
professedly  come  to  rescue  from  the  govern- 
ment of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  Alison  says: 

"  Disorders  and  excesses  of  every  sort  pre- 
vailed, and  the  British  soldiery  showed,  by 


1812.]      THE  WAR  CONTINUED.         289 


Famine  in  Spain. 


their  conduct  after  the  storm,  that  they  inher- 
ited their  full  share  of  the  sins  as  well  as  the 
virtues  of  the  children  of  Adam.  The  dis- 
graceful national  vice  of  intemperance,  in  par- 
ticular, broke  forth  in  its  most  frightful  colors. 
All  the  wine  shops  and  vaults  were  broken 
open  and  plundered.  Pillage  was  universal. 
Every  house  was  ransacked  for  valuables,  spir- 
its, or  wine ;  and  crowds  of  drunken  soldiers 
for  two  days  and  nights  thronged  the  streets, 
while  the  breaking  open  of  doors  and  win- 
dows, the  report  of  casual  muskets,  and  the 
screams  of  despoiled  citizens  resounded  on  all 
sides." 

The  throne  of  Joseph  was  now  enveloped 
in  gloom.  To  add  to  his  trouble  and  anguish 
of  spirit,  a  dreadful  famine  afflicted  Spain.  But 
the  British  fleet,  in  undisputed  command  of 
the  seas,  could  convey  ample  supplies  to  the 
army  of  Wellington,  and  British  gold  was  lav- 
ished in  keeping  alive  the  flames  of  insurrec- 
tion. Troops  were  landed  at  various  points, 
and  resistance  to  the  French  was  encouraged 
by  every  means  in  the  power  of  the  British 
Government.  At  Madrid  every  morning  there 
were  found  in  the  streets  many  dead  bodies  of 
those  who  had  perished  during  the  night  The 

6—19 


29u  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


Desperate  Condition  of  Joseph. 


French  in  the  capital,  animated  by  the  benevo 
lent  spirit  of  Joseph,  imposed  upon  themselves 
the  severest  sacrifices  to  succor  the  perishing. 
The  situation  of  Joseph  had  become  deplora- 
ble. The  best  troops  were  withdrawn  for  the 
Russian  campaign.  Those  which  remained 
were  starving,  and  without  means  of  transport. 
A  new  government,  under  the  protection  of 
the  English,  was  organized  at  Cadiz,  and  guer- 
rilla bands  were  springing  up  in  all  directions. 
Joseph  had  but  about  twenty  thousand 
troops  in  the  vicinity  of  Cadiz,  with  which 
force  he  could  be  but  little  more  than  a  spec- 
tator of  events  as  they  should  occur.  Wel- 
lington had  a  highly-disciplined  army  of  six- 
ty thousand  men,  independent  of  the  guerrilla 
bands  whom  he  could  summon  to  his  aid. 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.       291 


Increasing  Gloom. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   EXPULSION   FROM   SPAIN. 

JOSEPH  was  much  embarrassed.  Should 
he  leave  his  scattered  forces  in  the  south 
of  Spain,  there  was  danger  that  they  would  be 
attacked  and  destroyed  piecemeal  by  Welling- 
ton. Should  he  withdraw  them,  and  concen- 
trate his  forces  in  the  north,  the  whole  south 
of  Spain  would  be  instantly  overrun  by  the 
English,  and  Joseph  would  lose  one-half  of  his 
kingdom.  His  total  force  in  Spain,  garrison- 
ing the  forts  and  composing  his  detached  bands 
in  the  south,  the  centre,  the  north,  and  the  west, 
amounted  to  a  little  over  two  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand  men. 

In  the  early  part  of  May  of  this  year,  1812, 
the  English,  having  taken  the  defenses  which 
were  erected  for  the  fortification  of  the  Tagus, 
became  dominant  in  that  region.  Disaster  fol- 
lowed disaster.  The  King's  couriers  were  cap- 
tured, so  that  his  orders  did  not  reach  the  mar- 
shals. It  is  hard  to  be  amiable  in  seasons  of 


292  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


Defeat  of  MannonL 


adversity,  and  the  marshals  reproached  each 
other.  Supplies  and  communications  were  cut 
off,  and  women  and  children  were  dying  of 
famine.  The  deadly  warfare  of  guerrilla  bands 
increased  rapidly.  The  most  atrocious  acts  of 
vengeance  and  atrocity  were  multiplied,  and 
Joseph  had  no  power  to  prevent  them.  As 
Marmont  was  in  danger  of  being  cut  off  by 
Wellington,  Joseph,  leaving  a  small  garrison 
behind  him,  took  all  the  troops  that  could  be 
spared,  and  marched  rapidly  to  the  relief  of 
the  marshal.  Leaving  the  Escurial  on  the  23d 
of  July,  he  reached  Peneranda  on  the  25th, 
where  he  learned  that  Marmont  had  attacked 
Wellington  on  the  23d  at  Arapiles,  and,  after 
a  desperate  conflict,  had  been  repulsed.  Mar- 
mont was  severely  censured  for  not  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  Joseph,  whom  he  knew  to  be  at 
hand.  He  was  accused,  perhaps  without  rea- 
son, of  precipitating  the  conflict  from  fear  that 
Joseph  might  take  the  command  and  gain  the 
renown.  Marmont  reported  his  total  loss  in 
the  battle  to  have  been  about  six  thousand 
men  and  nine  guns,  which  were  left  because 
their  carriages  were  knocked  to  pieces.  Wel- 
lington reported  his  own  loss  at  five  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty. 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.       293 


Retreat  of  Joseph. 


Marmont  retreated  to  Valladolid,  to  meet  re- 
enforcements  which  would  join  him  there.  Jo- 
seph returned  to  Madrid,  entering  the  city  on 
the  2d  of  August.  As  the  English  approach- 
ed, Joseph,  with  two  thousand  horse,  met  their 
advance-guard,  and,  with  the  courage  of  de- 
spair, drove  them  back  in  the  wildest  confusion. 
He  then,  at  the  head  of  but  twelve  thousand 
troops,  commenced  his  retreat  toward  Valence. 
Twenty  thousand  Spaniards,  men  and  women, 
dreading  the  vengeance  of  their  enemies,  fol- 
lowed, in  his  retreat,  the  King  whom  they  had 
much  cause  to  love.  It  was  a  mournful  spec- 
tacle. Nobles  of  the  highest  rank,  and  the 
most  intelligent  and  opulent  of  the  city,  toiled 
along  in  their  weary  march,  the  women  and  the 
children  often  unable  to  restrain  their  tears  and 
sobs.  The  partisans  of  the  English,  who 
crowded  into  the  city,  received  Wellington 
and  his  troops  with  every  demonstration  of 
joy.  The  friends  of  the  new  regime  who  re- 
mained behind,  crushed  in  all  their  hopes, 
closed  the  shutters  of  their  houses,  retired  to 
the  remote  apartments,  and  buried  their  griefs 
in  silence. 

Into  whatever  city  the  English  or  the  French 
entered,  they  were  alike  received  with  unbound* 


294  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 

Retreat  of  Joseph.  Spanish  Exiles. 

€d  enthusiasm.  In  every  large  city  there  is  a 
throng  ready  to  shout  hosanna  to  the  conquer- 
or, whoever  he  may  be.  When  Wellington  and 
his  squadrons  entered  a  Spanish  city,  the  friends 
of  the  old  regime  gathered  around  them.  And 
so  it  was  with  the  French  and  their  friends 
when  they  were  the  victors.  Thus  at  Valence, 
where  Joseph  arrived  on  the  31st  of  August, 
he  was  received  with  all  the  honors  which 
could  be  conferred  upon  the  most  beloved 
sovereign.  An  immense  crowd  thronged  the 
streets,  and  lavished  upon  him  every  demon- 
stration of  gratitude.  The  devout  King,  much 
moved  by  this  exhibition  of  popular  affection 
in  these  dark  hours  of  defeat  and  humiliation, 
repaired  at  once  to  the  cathedral,  and  in  a  sol- 
emn Te  Deum  gave  expression  to  his  gratitude 
to  God. 

Joseph's  first  care  was  for  the  unhappy  fugi- 
tives who,  dreading  the  vengeance  of  the  foe, 
had  abandoned  home  and  all,  to  accompany 
him  in  his  flight.  He  had  neither  money,  food, 
nor  shelter  to  give  them.  He  therefore  sent 
this  sorrow-stricken  band,  counting  over  twen- 
ty thousand,  under  an  escort  across  the  Pyre- 
nees into  France,  where  they  would  be  protect- 
ed and  provided  for. 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      295 


Return  to  Madrid. 


At  Valence  Joseph  concentrated  his  scatter- 
ed forces,  and  early  in  November  commenced 
his  march  back  to  Madrid.  It  is  very  difficult 
to  ascertain  the  precise  number  of  the  forces 
on  each  side.  Wellington's  army  was  estima- 
ted at  ninety-two  thousand  men.  Joseph  had 
collected  superior  numbers,  and  marched  ea- 
gerly to  attack  him.  Wellington  rapidly  re- 
treated toward  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  on  the  3d 
of  December  Joseph  entered  Madrid  again  in 
triumph. 

Conciliation,  kindness,  deference  to  the  wish- 
es of  others  are  not  characteristic  virtues  of  the 
English.  They  had  long  assumed,  and  with 
no  little  semblance  of  reason,  that  in  wealth, 
power,  arts,  and  arms  they  were  the  leading 
nation  upon  the  globe.  This  assumption  has 
made  them  unpopular  as  a  people.  They  are 
so  honest  and  plain-spoken  that  they  never 
attempt  to  disguise  their  contempt  for  other 
nations.  The  victorious  soldiers  of  Welling- 
ton particularly  despised  the  Spaniards.  This 
contempt  neither  officers  nor  soldiers  attempt- 
ed to  conceal. 

It  is  just  the  reverse  with  the  French.  The 
characteristic  politeness  of  the  nation  leads 
them  to  compliment  others,  and  to  pay  them 


296  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 

Difference  between  the  French  and  English. 

especial  deference.  They  conceal  the  sense  of 
superiority  which  they  may  perhaps  cherish. 
It  is  frequently  said,  as  characteristic  of  the  two- 
nations,  that  the  stranger  in  London  gets  the 
impression  that  every  Englishman  he  meets 
has  taken  a  special  dislike  to  him  personally ; 
in  Paris,  on  the  other  hand,  he  receives  the 
impression  that  every  Frenchman  with  whom 
he  is  brought  into  contact  has  a  special  fancy 
for  him,  perceiving  in  him  virtues  and  excel- 
lences which  he  never  supposed  that  he  pos- 
sessed. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  himself  was  a 
haughty,  overbearing  man.  No  soldier  loved 
him,  but  all  bowed  submissive  to  his  inflexi- 
ble will.  The  deportment  of  the  British  troops 
in  the  Spanish  capital  was  such  as  to  alienate 
those  who  at  first  welcomed  them,  and  they 
soon  became  universally  disliked.  The  Span- 
iards are  proud,  proverbially  proud  ;  and  they 
could  not  endure  this  contemptuous  assump- 
tion of  superiority.  So  great  became  the  dis- 
satisfaction that  many  of  the  Spanish  generals 
proposed  to  unite  their  troops  with  those  of 
King  Joseph  if  he  would  grant  them  independ- 
ent commands. 

Exultantly  the  English   on   the  Peninsula 


1812.J  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      297 

Withdrawal  of  the  French  Troops  from  Spain. 

heard  the  tidings  of  the  terrible  disasters  Na- 
poleon was  encountering  in  Bussia.  They 
could  scarcely  exaggerate  them.  It  was  mani- 
fest that  for  a  long  time,  at  least,  Joseph  could 
receive  no  assistance  from  France  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, many  regiments  of  infantry  and  caval- 
ry, and  a  number  of  companies  of  artillery,  re- 
ceived orders  immediately  to  leave  Spain,  and 
to  hasten  to  the  aid  of  the  Emperor.  Joseph, 
thus  hopelessly  crippled,  was  directed  by  the 
Emperor  to  concentrate  his  enfeebled  forces 
upon  the  line  of  the  Douro.  Leaving  a  garri- 
son of  ten  thousand  men  in  Madrid,  Joseph, 
with  the  remainder  of  his  troops,  retired  toward 
the  north. 

In  Wellington's  retreat  from  Madrid,  his 
troops  committed  all  imaginable  outrages.  In 
his  dispatch  to  his  officers  commanding  his 
divisions  and  brigades,  he  said : 

"  From  the  moment  the  troops  commenced 
their  retreat  from  the  neighborhood  of  Madrid 
on  the  one  hand,  and  Burgos  on  the  other,  the 
officers  lost  all  command  over  the  men.  Irreg- 
ularities and  outrages  of  all  descriptions  were 
committed  with  impunity,  and  losses  have  been 
sustained  which  ought  never  to  have  occurred. 
The  discipline  of  every  army,  after  a  long  and 


298          JOSEPH  BONAPAP-E.       [1812 


Outrages  of  the  Knglish. 


active  campaign,  becomes  in  some  degree  re- 
laxed ;  but  I  am  concerned  to  observe  that  the 
army  under  my  command  has  fallen  off  in  this 
respect,  in  the  late  campaign,  to  a  greater  degree 
tJian  any  army  with  which  I  have  ever  been,  or  of 
which  I  have  ever  read."1 

Thus  terminated  the  year  1812.  The  disap- 
pointment of  the  British  Government,  in  view 
of  the  discomfiture  and  retreat  of  Wellington, 
was  very  great,  arid  the  indignation  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  English  people  who  were  opposed 
to  this  interminable  warfare  against  the  new 
regime  in  France  knew  no  bounds.  That  the 
English  army  had,  through  a  long  line  of  dis- 
astrous retreat,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
its  commander,  inflicted  outrages  upon  the 
Spanish  people,  its  allies,  greater  than  that  com- 
mander had  ever  read  of  in  history,  koenly 
wounded  the  national  pride. 

As  fresh  tidings  arose  of  the  disasters  which 
had  befallen  Napoleon  in  the  north,  the  Brit- 
ish Government  renewed  their  zeal  to  assail 
him  from  the  south.  Large  re-enforcements 
were  sent  out  during  the  winter  with  such 
abundant  supplies  as  to  enable  Wellington  to 

1  Wellington  to  Officers  commanding  Division*  ai»    tidy 
ades,  ix.  574,  575. 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      299 

Welling  uu  iutiu^eil  with  the  supreme  Command. 

commence  the  spring  campaign  with  every  as- 
surance of  success.  The  Cortes  in  Cadiz,  with 
ever-varying  policy,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
many  of  the  Spanish  generals,  invested  the 
British  duke  with  the  supreme  command.  The 
opposition,  however,  was  so  great  that  the 
duke's  brother,  Mr.  Henry  Wellesley,  who  was 
then  British  ambassador  at  Cadiz,  advised  him 
not  to  accept  the  office.  But  the  energetic 
duke  was  confident  that,  by  combining  the 
whole  military  strength  of  the  Peninsula  with 
the  army  and  fleet  of  England,  he  could  drive 
the  feeble  remnants  of  the  French  from  the 
kingdom.  He  therefore  undertook  the  com- 
mand. 

The  Cortes  was  led  to  this  decisive  measure 
from  the  fact  that  there  was  a  strong  and  in- 
creasing party  of  their  own  number  in  favor 
of  rallying  to  the  support  of  Joseph.  Their 
only  choice  lay  between  Joseph  or  Ferdinand, 
or  the  experiment  of  a  democratic  repub- 
lic. Wellington's  visit  to  Cadiz,  says  Alison, 
"  brought  forcibly  under  his  notice  the  misera- 
ble state  of  the  Government  at  that  place,  ruled 
by  a  furious  democratic  faction,  intimidated  by 
an  ungovernable  press,  and  alternately  the  prey 
of  aristocratic  intrigue  and  democratic  fury. 


300  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.      [1812. 


Battle  of  Villon*. 


He  did  not  fail  to  report  to  the  Government 
this  deplorable  state  of  things." 

In  the  beginning  of  May  Wellington  was 
prepared  to  take  the  field  with  an  allied  army 
of  two  hundred  thousand  men.  The  navy  of 
England  actively  co-operated  with  this  im- 
mense force,  conveying  supplies  and  protecting 
the  extreme  flanks  of  the  line,  which  stretched 
across  the  kingdom.  The  storm  of  war  burst 
forth  again  in  all  its  fury.  Manfully  Joseph 
contended  to  the  last.  In  the  vicinity  of  Val- 
ladolid  he  had  concentrated  fifty  thousand  men, 
and  hoped  to  be  able  there  to  give  battle.  But 
Wellington  came  upon  him  with  an  army  one 
hundred  thousand  strong,  which  was  reported 
to  be  one  hundred  and  ninety  thousand. 

The  French  on  the  14th  of  June  retreated 
to  Tittoria.  The  garrison  in  Madrid  and  the 
civil  authorities  now  abandoned  the  capital  and 
took  refuge  with  the  army.  Here  a  short  but 
terrible  battle  ensued.  The  English  had  eighty 
thousand  combatants  on  the  field ;  the  French, 
according  to  their  statement,  had  but  half  as 
many.  Alison  states  their  force  at  sixty-five 
thousand.  It  was  an  awful  battle.  Both  par- 
ties fought  desperately.  The  loss  of  the  French 
was  six  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixty ;  that 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      SOI 


Victory  of  the  British. 


of  the  English  five  thousand  one  hundred  and 
eighty.1  The  French  army  was  impoverished 
after  weary  months  of  warfare,  in  a  land  stricken 
by  famine,  and  wasted  by  the  sweep  of  armies 
and  the  plundering  of  banditti.  It  was  with 
very  great  difficulty  that  Joseph  could  support 
his  destitute  troops.  Yet  Alison,  in  that  strain 
of  exaggeration  which  sullies  his  often  eloquent 
pages,  writes  r 

"Independent  of  private  booty,  no  less  than 
five  millions  and  a  half  of  dollars  in  the  mili- 
tary chest  of  the  army  were  taken ;  and  of  pri- 
vate wealth  the  amount  was  so  prodigious  that 
for  miles  together  the  combatants  may  almost 
be  said  to  have  marched  upon  gold  and  silver, 
without  stooping  to  pick  it  up." 

In  the  hour  of  victory  Wellington  seemed 
to  have  no  control  over  his  soldiers,  whom  his 
pen  describes  as  drunken  and  brutal.  Eeeling 
in  intoxication,  they  wandered  at  will.  Wel- 
lington states  that  three  weeks  after  the  bat- 
tle above  twelve  thousand  of  his  soldiers  had 
abandoned  their  colors.  "  I  am  convinced,"  he 

1  King  Joseph,  writing  to  Clarke,  under  date  of  July  6, 
1813,  says :  "  Our  army  at  Vittoria  was  but  thirty-five  thou- 
sand. That  fact  can  not  be  contested.  The  pnemy  had  cer- 
tainly seventy  thousand  combatants.  I  can  not  be  deceived 
when  I  say  that  hiB  force  was  double  of  ours. " 


302  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 

Retreat  of  the  French.  San  Scbastlaa 

says  in  a  dispatch  to  Lord  Bathurst,  "  that  we 
have  out  of  our  ranks  doubled  our  loss  in  the 
battle,  and  have  lost  more  men  in  the  pursuit 
than  the  enemy  have." 

The  retreat  of  the  French  was  conducted 
with  the  firmness  and  admirable  discipline 
characteristic  of  French  soldiers.  As  the 
troops  slowly  and  sullenly  retired  toward  the 
French  frontier,  pressed  by  superior  numbers, 
they  turned  occasionally  upon  their  pursuers, 
and  the  advance-guard  of  the  foe  encountered 
several  very  bloody  repulses. 

We  have  not  space  to  allude  to  these  various 
conflicts,  which  only  checked  for  a  moment  the 
enrolling  tide  of  the  victorious  allied  army. 
Wellington's  troops  took  the  town  of  San  Se- 
bastian by  storm.  This  was  a  beautiful  Span- 
ish city,  through  which  the  French  retreated, 
and  where  they  made  a  short  and  desperate 
stand.  We  will  leave  it  to  Mr.  Alison  to  de- 
scribe the  conduct  of  Lord  Wellington's  troops. 

"And  now  commenced,"  writes  Alison,  "a 
scene  which  has  affixed  as  lasting  a  stain  on 
the  character  of  the  English  and  Portuguese 
troops,  as  the  heroic  valor  they  displayed  in 
the  assault  has  given  them  enduring  and  ex- 
alted fame.  The  long  endurance  of  the  assault 


18i2.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.       303 


Excasses  of  the  British  Troops. 


had  wrought  the  soldiers  up  to  perfect  mad- 
ness. The  soldiers  wreaked  their  vengeance 
with  fearful  violence  on  the  unhappy  inhabi- 
tants. Some  of  the  houses  adjoining  the 
breaches  had  taken  fire  from  the  effects  of  the 
explosion.  The  flames,  fanned  by  an  awful 
tempest  which  burst  on  the  town,  soon  spread 
with  frightful  rapidity.  The  wretched  inhabi- 
tants, driven  from  house  to  house  as  the  con- 
flagration devoured  their  dwellings,  were  soon 
huddled  together  in  one  quarter,  where  they 
fell  a  prey  to  the  unbridled  passions  of  the  sol- 
diery. 

"  Attempts  were  at  first  made  by  the  Brit- 
ish officers  to  extinguish  the  flames,  but  they 
proved  vain  among  the  general  confusion  which 
prevailed.  The  soldiers  broke  into  the  burn- 
ing bouses,  pillaged  them  of  the  most  valuable 
articles  they  contained,  and  rolling  numerous 
casks  of  spirits  into  the  streets,  with  frantic 
shoutd,  emptied  them  of  their  contents,  till  vast 
numbers  of  them  sank  down  like  savages,  mo- 
tionless, some  lifeless,  from  the  excess. 

"  Carpets,  tapestry,  beds,  silks  and  satins, 
wearing  apparel,  jewelry,  watches,  and  every 
thing  valuable,  were  scattered  about  upon  the 
Woody  pavements,  while  fresh  bundles  of  them 


304  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812, 


Destruction  of  St.  Sebastian. 


were  thrown  from  the  windows  above  to  avoid 
the  flames,  and  caught  with  demoniac  yells  by 
the  drunken  crowds  beneath.  Amidst  these 
scenes  of  disgraceful  violence  and  unutterable 
woe,  nine-tenths  of  the  once  happy,  smiling 
town  of  St.  Sebastian  were  reduced  to  ashes. 
And  what  has  affixed  a  yet  darker  blot  on  the 
character  of  the  victors,  deeds  of  violence  and 
cruelty  were  perpetrated  hitherto  rare  in  the 
British  army,  and  which  causes  the  historian 
to  blush,  not  merely  for  his  country,  but  for  his 
species." 

The  account  which  is  given  by  Spanish  his- 
torians of  these  transactions  is  even  far  more 
dreadful  than  the  above;  so  revolting  that  we 
can  not  pain  our  readers  by  transcribing  it 
upon  these  pages.  A  document  issued  by 
the  Constitutional  Junta,  after  describing 
crimes  as  awful  as  even  fiends  could  commit, 
adds: 

"  Other  crimes  more  horrible  still,  which  our 
pen  refuses  to  record,  were  committed  in  that 
awful  night,  and  the  disorders  continued  for 
some  days  after  without  any  efficient  steps 
being  taken  to  arrest  them.  Of  above  six 
hundred  houses,  of  which  St.  Sebastian  con- 
sisted on  the  morning  of  the  assault,  there 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      305 


Joseph  abandons  Spain. 


remained  at  the  end  of  three  days  only  thirty- 
si  Y  m 
SIX.  • 

The  Duke  of  Wellington,  in  his  dispatch  to 
the  Spanish  Minister  of  War,  said,  in  reference 
to  these  excesses,  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  restrain  the  passions  of  his  soldiers,  that  he 
and  his  officers  did  their  utmost  to  stop  the 
fire  and  to  avoid  the  disorders,  but  that  all 
their  efforts  were  ineffectual. 

Joseph,  in  his  retreat,  threw  three  thousand 
men  into  the  citadel  of  St.  Sebastian.  They 
held  back  the  British  army  sixty  days.  Their 
skill  and  valor  extorted  the  commendation  of 
their  foes.  The  siege  cost  the  allied  army 
three  thousand  eight  hundred  men,  and  delay- 
ed for  three  months  the  invasion  of  the  south- 
ern provinces  of  France. 

Joseph  slowly  retreated,  fighting  his  way, 
step  by  step,  across  the  Pyrenees  into  France, 
pursued  by  the  victors.  On  the  12th  of  April, 
Joseph,  having  crossed  the  mountains,  and 
being  thus  driven  from  his  kingdom,  had  no 
longer  any  legitimate  power.  The  command 
of  the  French  army  devolved  upon  Soult.  Ut- 
terly weary  of  the  cares  and  harassments  of 

1  Manifesto  par  la  Junte  Constitutionale,  et  les  habitans 
de  !St.  Sebastien. 
6—20 


306  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 


Napoleon's  last  Struggle. 


royalty,  for  which  Joseph  never  had  any  in- 
clination, he  joined  his  wife  and  children  at  his 
estate  at  Mortfontaine.  England  had  wrested 
the  crown  of  Spain  from  Joseph  Bonaparte, 
one  of  the  best  men  whom  a  crown  has  ever 
adorned,  and  soon,  with  the  aid  of  allied  Eu- 
rope, placed  that  crown  upon  the  brow  of  Fer- 
dinand VII.,  one  of  the  worst  men  who  has 
ever  disgraced  a  throne.  The  result  was  that 
Spain  was  consigned  to  another  half-century 
of  shame,  debasement,  and  misery. 

Joseph  had  scarcely  re-united  himself  with 
his  wife  and  children  in  their  much-loved  home 
at  Mortfontaine,  when  the  allied  armies,  num- 
bering more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  bayo- 
nets, came  crowding  upon  France  from  the 
north,  from  the  east,  and  from  the  south  ;  while 
the  fleet  of  England,  mistress  of  all  the  seas, 
lent  its  majestic  co-operation  on  the  west 
Then  ensued  the  sublimest  conflict  of  which 
history  gives  us  any  account.  Never  before, 
in  all  Napoleon's  world-renowned  campaigns, 
had  he  displayed  such  vigor  as  in  the  masterly 
blows  with  which  he  struck  one  after  another 
of  his  thronging  assailants,  and  drove  them, 
staggered  and  bleeding,  before  him. 

France  was  exhausted.      All  Europe  had 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      307 


Joseph's  Devotion  to  his  Brother. 


combined  to  crush  the  Republican  Empire, 
and  restore  the  despotism  of  the  old  regime. 
Through  an  almost  uninterrupted  series  of  vic- 
tories, Napoleon  lost  his  crown.  When  in  any 
one  direction  he  was  driving  his  foes  headlong 
before  him,  from  all  other  points  they  were 
rushing  on,  till  France  and  Paris  were  well- 
nigh  whelmed  in  the  mighty  inundation.  In 
these  hours  of  disaster,  Joseph  offered  life,  prop- 
erty, all  to  the  service  of  his  brother.  They 
held  a  few  hurried  interviews  in  Paris,  and 
then  separated,  each  to  fulfill  his  appointed 
task  in  the  terrible  drama. 

The  Emperor  confided  to  Joseph  the  de- 
fense of  Paris,  and  the  protection  of  his  son 
and  of  the  Empress.  On  the  16th  of  March, 
1814,  the  Emperor  wrote  to  his  brother  from 
Reims : 

"  In  accordance  with  the  verbal  instructions 
which  I  gave  you,  and  with  the  spirit  of  all  my 
letters,  you  must  not  allow,  happen  what  may, 
the  Empress  and  the  King  of  Rome  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  manoeuvres  I 
am  about  to  make  may  possibly  prevent  your 
hearing  from  me  for  several  days.  If  the  en- 
emy should  march  on  Paris  with  so  strong  a 
force  as  to  render  resistance  impossible,  send 


308  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE:.       [1812. 


The  Surrender  of  Pari*. 


off  toward  the  Loire  the  Regent,  my  son,  the 
great  dignitaries,  the  ministers,  the  senators, 
the  President  of  the  Conseil  d'Etat,  the  chief 
officers  of  the  crown,  and  Baron  de  la  Bouil- 
lerie,  with  the  money  which  is  in  my  treasury. 
Never  lose  sight  of  my  son,  and  remember  that 
I  would  rather  know  that  he  was  in  the  Seine, 
than  that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemies 
of  France.  The  fate  of  Astyanax,  prisoner  to 
the  Greeks,  has  always  seemed  to  me  the  most 
lamentable  in  history." 

Faithfully,  energetically,  wisely,  Joseph  ful- 
filled the  mission  intrusted  to  him.  In  every 
possible  way  he  endeavored  to  aid  the  Emper- 
or in  his  heroic  efforts ;  ecruiting  troops,  arm- 
ing them,  and  hurrying  them  off  to  the  points 
where  they  were  most  needed.  It  was  not 
till  the  allied  forces  were  upon  the  heights 
of  Montmartre,  and  where  further  resistance 
would  but  have  exposed  the  capital  to  the  hor- 
rors of  a  bombardment,  that  he  consented  to  a 
surrender.  All  the  arms  in  the  city  had  been 
given  out  to  the  new  levies,  as  they  had  been 
sent  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  none  remained  to 
place  in  the  hands  of  the  populace,  even  were 
it  judged  best  to  summon  them  to  the  defense 
of  the  metropolis.  A  grand  council  was  call- 


1812.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      309 


Great  Perplexities. 


ed  on  the  29th  of  March.  The  ministers,  the 
grand  dignitaries,  the  presidents  of  the  sections, 
of  the  Council  of  State,  and  the  President  of 
the  Senate  were  present. 

The  majority  of  the  council  were  in  favor 
of  defending  the  city  to  the  last  possible  mo- 
ment. There  were  at  hand  the  two  corps  of 
the  dukes  of  Ragusa  and  TreVise,  consisting 
of  about  seventeen  thousand  combatants,  a  few 
thousand  of  the  National  Guard,  poorly  armed, 
a  few  batteries  served  by  the  students  of  the 
schools  and  by  the  Invalides,  and  a  few  hun- 
dred recruits  not  yet  organized.  It  was  urged 
that  the  Empress,  like  another  Maria  Theresa, 
should  remain  with  her  son  in  the  city,  to  as- 
sure the  populace  by  her  presence,  and  em- 
bolden the  defense.  She  was  to  show  herself 
to  the  people  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  with  her 
son  in  her  arms.  Should  the  Empress  leave 
the  city,  it  would  so  discourage  the  people 
that  all  attempts  at  defense  would  be  hopeless. 
Should  she  remain,  the  danger  was  very  great 
that  both  she  and  her  son  might  be  captured ; 
and  unless  she  should  immediately  escape,  all 
egress  might  be  cut  off,  as  the  Allies  were  ran- 
idly  surrounding  the  city. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  discussion,  the  Em- 


310          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1812. 

The  Empress  decide*  to  leave  Paris. 

peror's  letter  to  Joseph  of  the  16th  of  March 
was  presented  and  read.  In  this  it  will  be  re- 
membered that  he  said: 

"  You  must  not  allow,  happen  what  may, 
the  Empress  and  the  King  of  Rome  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Never  lose  sight  of 
my  son,  and  remember  that  I  would  rather 
know  that  he  was  in  the  Seine,  than  that  he 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemies  of  France. 
The  fate  of  Astyanax,  prisoner  to  the  Greeks, 
has  always  seemed  to  me  the  most  lamentable 
in  history." 

This  settled  the  question.  The  situation  of 
affairs  was  so  desperate  that  for  the  Empress 
to  remain  in  Paris  would  be  extremely  peril- 
ous. It  was  therefore  decided  that  she,  with 
the  Government,  should  retire  to  Chartres,  and 
thence  to  the  Loire.  But  Joseph  stated  that 
it  was  important  to  ascertain  the  real  force  of 
the  hostile  army,  which  was  driving  before 
them  the  two  marshals,  Marmont  and  Mortier. 
He  therefore  offered  to  remain  in  the  city, 
making  all  possible  arrangements  for  its  de- 
fense, till  that  fact  should  be  ascertair^d. 
Should  it  be  found  that  resistance  was  quite 
impossible,  he  would  rejoin  the  Government 
upon  the  Loire. 


1813.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.       311 


Disappoiijtment  of  Nnpoleon. 


It  is  very  evident  that  Joseph  and  the  as- 
sembled Senate,  and  that  Napoleon  himself, 
hoped  that  Maria  Louisa,  from  her  own  in- 
ward impulse,  would  soar  to  the  heights  of  a 
heroine.  Napoleon  could  not  ask  her  to  come 
thus  to  his  defense.  At  St.  Helena  the  Em- 
peror allowed  the  regret  to  escape  his  lips  that 
Maria  Louisa  was  not  able  to  rise  to  the  sub- 
limity of  the  occasion.  The  Empress,  how- 
ever, was  but  an  ordinary  woman,  incapable 
of  a  grand  action,  and  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  she  must  have  been  embarrassed  by  the 
thought  that,  in  striving  to  arouse  France  for 
the  defense  of  her  husband,  she  was  arraying 
the  empire  against  her  own  father.  Maria 
Louisa,  as  regent,  presided  over  this  private 
council.  The'  session  was  prolonged  until  after 
midnight.  Joseph  and  the  arch-chancellor  ac- 
companied the  Empress  to  her  home.  It  is 
evident,  even  then,  that  Joseph  hoped  that  the 
Empress  would  assume  the  responsibility  of  a 
heroic  act.  M.  Meneval,  the  secretary  of  the 
Empress,  who  was  present  at  this  interview, 
says: 

"  After  the  exchange  of  a  few  words  upon 
the  disastrous  consequences  of  abandoning 
Paris,  Joseph  and  the  arch-chancellor  ventured 


312  JOSEPH   BONAPARTE.       [1813. 


Panic  in  Paris. 


to  say  that  the  Empress  alone  could  decide 
what  course  it  was  her  duty  to  pursue.  The 
Empress  replied  '  that  they  were  her  appoint- 
ed advisers,  and  that  she  could  not  undertake 
any  course  unless  she  was  advised  to  do  it  by 
them,  over  their  own  seal  and  signature.'  Both 
declined  to  assume  this  responsibility." 

The  departure  of  the  Empress  was  fixed  at 
eight  o'clock  the  next  morning.  Joseph  had 
already  passed  the  barriers,  to  proceed  to  the 
advance  posts  of  the  army  to  reconnoitre  the 
foe.  The  day  had  not  yet  dawned,  when  the 
saloons  of  the  palace  were  filled  with  those 
who  were  to  accompany  the  Empress  in  her 
flight.  Anxiety  sat  upon  every  countenance, 
and  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  caused  every 
voice  to  be  hushed,  so  that  impressive  silence 
reigned.  Early  as  was  the  hour,  the  alarming 
rumor  that  the  Empress  was  to  abandon  Paris 
had  reached  the  ears  of  the  National  Guard. 
Suddenly  the  officers  of  the  guard  who  were 
stationed  at  the  palace,  with  several  others  who 
had  joined  them,  precipitately  entered,  and,  by 
their  earnest  request,  were  conducted  to  the 
Empress.  They  entreated  her  not  to  leave 
Paris,  promising  to  defend  her  to  the  last  pos- 
sible extremity. 


ANGUISH    OF    MAKIA    LOUISA. 


1813.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.      315 

Grief  of  the  Empress.  Departure  of  the  Empress. 

The  Empress  was  moved  to  tears  by  their 
devotion,  but  alleged  the  order  of  the  Emperor. 
Nevertheless,  conscious  of  the  discouraging  ef- 
fect of  her  departure,  she  delayed  hour  after 
hour,  hoping  without  venturing  to  avow  it 
that  some  chance  might  arise  which  would  en- 
able her  to  remain.  M.  Clarke,  the  Minister  of 
War,  alarmed  at  the  danger  that  soon  all  egress 
would  be  impossible,  sent  an  officer  to  the  Em- 
press to  represent  to  her  the  necessity  of  an 
immediate  departure.  Thus  urged  by  some  to 
go,  by  others  to  remain,  the  Empress  was  agi- 
tated by  the  most  distracting  embarrassment. 
She  returned  to  her  chamber,  threw  her  hat 
upon  her  bed,  seated  herself  in  a  chair,  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands,  and  burst  into  an  uncon- 
trollable flood  of  tears.  "O  my  God,"  she 
was  heard  to  exclaim,  "let  them  decide  this 
question  among  themselves,  and  put  an  end  to 
this  my  agony." 

About  ten  o'clock  the  Minister  of  War  sent 
again  to  her  a  message  stating  that  she  had  not 
one  moment  to  lose,  and  that  unless  she  left 
immediately  she  was  in  danger  of  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  Cossacks.  As  Joseph  was 
now  absent,  and  she  could  receive  no  further 
counsel  from  him,  she  hastened  her  departure. 


316  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1813. 


The  Allied  Armies. 


It  was  indeed  true  that  the  delay  of  a  few 
hours  would  have  rendered  her  escape  impos- 
sible, for  that  very  day  the  banners  of  the  Al- 
lies presented  themselves  before  the  walls  of 
the  metropolis. 

Joseph  had  returned  rapidly  to  the  city,  to 
make  as  determined  a  defense  as  possible.  The 
National  Guard  hastened  to  the  posts  assigned 
them.  Volunteers,  many  of  them  armed  with 
shot-guns,  advanced  to  operate  as  skirmishers 
against  the  foa  The  students  of  the  Polytech- 
nic School  served  the  artillery  confided  to  their 
"young  and  brilliant"  valor.  The  thunders 
of  the  cannonade  were  soon  heard,  rousing  the 
populace  to  a  frenzy  of  courage.  They  rushed 
through  the  streets  demanding  arms,  but  there 
were  none  to  be  given  them.  The  arsenals 
were  all  empty. 

The  allied  troops  came  pouring  on  like  the 
raging  tides  of  the  sea.  Their  numbers  in  ad- 
vance and  in  the  rear  far  exceeded  a  million 
of  bayonets.  It  was  all  dynastic  Europe  ar- 
rayed against  one  man.  Distinctly  the  allied 
kings  had  declared  to  the  world  that  they 
were  not  fighting  against  France,  but  against 
Napoleon. 

The  next  day,  the  30th,  Joseph  received  a 


1813.]  EXPULSION  FROM  SPAIN.       317 


Joseph  joina  the  Empreta. 


note  from  General  Marmont,  written  in  pencil, 
from  the  midst  of  the  conflict,  stating  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  prolong  the  resistance 
beyond  a  few  hours,  and  that  measures  must 
immediately  be  adopted  to  save  Paris  from  the 
horrors  of  being  carried  by  storm.  Joseph 
instantly  convoked  a  council,  and  the  opinion 
was  unanimous  that  a  capitulation  was  inevi- 
table. Accordingly  Joseph  at  once  sent  Gen- 
eral Stroltz,  his  aide-de-camp,  to  Marshals  Mar- 
mont and  Mortier,  authorizing  them  to  enter 
into  a  conference  with  the  enemy,  while  they 
were  to  continue  their  resistance  as  persistently 
as  possible. 

All  hope  of  defending  Paris  was  now  aban- 
doned. In  accordance  with  the  instructions  of 
the  Emperor,  it  was  the  duty  of  Joseph  to  join 
himself  to  the  Empress  and  her  son.  At  four 
o'clock  he  crossed  the  Seine.  A  few  moments 
after  the  bridges  were  seized  by  the  enemy. 
Napoleon  had  retired  to  Fontainebleau.  Pass- 
ing through  Versailles,  where  he  ordered  the 
cavalry  in  that  city  to  follow  him,  Joseph  pro- 
ceeded to  Chartres,  where  he  joined  the  Em- 
press and  her  son,  and  with  them  advanced  to 
Blois.  He  hoped  to  join  his  brother  at  Fon- 
tainebleau, there  to  confer  with  him  upon  the 


318  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1813. 


Retirement  of  Joseph. 


measures  to  be  adopted  in  these  hours  of  dis- 
aster. With  this  intention  he  set  out  from 
Blois,  but  squadrons  of  hostile  cavalry  were 
sweeping  in  all  directions,  and  his  communica- 
tion beyond  Orleans  was  cut  off.  He  was 
therefore  compelled  to  return  to  Blois.  There 
he  was  in  the  greatest  peril,  for  the  Cossacks 
were  in  his  immediate  vicinity.  He  could 
neither  reach  the  Emperor  nor  communicate 
with  him.  Neither  could  he  ascertain  the  re- 
sult of  the  negotiation  entered  into  at  Paris 
with  the  foe. 

Almost  immediately  the  news  came  of  the 
Emperor's  abdication.  The  Cossacks  escorted 
Maria  Louisa  and  the  King  of  Rome  to  Ram- 
bouillet,  where  they  were  placed  under  the 
care  of  her  father,  the  Emperor  of  Austria. 
The  Emperor  was  sent  to  Elba.  Joseph,  who 
was  still  wealthy,  purchased  the  estate  of  Pran- 
gins,  on  the  border  of  the  lake  of  Geneva. 
Here  he  had  a  brief  respite  from  the  terriblei 
storms  of  life,  with  his  wife  and  children,  in 
that  retirement  which  he  loved  so  well. 


1815.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  319 


Attempt  to  assassinate  Naapoleon. 


CHAPTER  XL 

LIFE    IN    EXILE. 

WHILE  Joseph  was  enjoying  his  peaceful 
residence  upon  the  shores  of  Europe's 
.•nost  beautiful  lake,  Madame  de  Stael  hastened 
to  inform  him  of  a  plot  which  had  been  reveal- 
ed to  her  for  the  assassination  of  the  Emperor 
at  Elba.  The  evidence  was  conclusive.  Jo- 
seph was  at  breakfast  with  the  celebrated  tra- 
gedian Talma.  Both  Talma  and  Madame  de 
Stael  were  anxious  to  hasten  to  Elba  to  in- 
form the  Emperor  of  his  danger.  But  Joseph 
sent  a  personal  friend,  and  two  of  the  assassins 
were  arrested.1 

At  Prangin,  in  1815,  Joseph  learned  that 
Napoleon  had  landed  in  France,  had  advanced 
as  far  as  Lyons,  and  was  desirous  of  seeing  him 

1  "  I  thanked  them  for  their  generous  offer,  but  preferred 
to  charge  with  that  difficult  commission  M.  Boisneau,  whose 
patriotism  and  personal  attachment  to  Napoleon  I  had  known 
at  the  siege  of  Toulon.  You  know  with  what  success  he  ful- 
filled his  commission."  —  Memoires  dn  Roi  Joseph,  tome 
dixieme,  p.  342. 


320  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1815. 


Landing  of  Napoleon  in  France. 


in  Paris  as  soon  as  possible.  Joseph's  wife, 
Julie,  was  then  in  Paris,  having  been  drawn 
there  by  the  sickness  and  death  of  the  mother, 
Madame  Clary.  He  immediately  left  his  cha- 
teau, after  having  buried  all  his  valuable  pa- 
pers in  a  box  in  the  forest,  setting  out  secretly 
.at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  accompanied  by  the 
two  princesses,  his  daughters.  A  few  hours 
after  his  departure,  an  armed  band,  sent  by 
the  influence  of  the  Allies,  arrived  at  the  cha- 
teau to  arrest  him.  Joseph  upon  his  arrival  in 
France,  immediately,  with  characteristic  devo- 
tion, placed  himself  entirely  at  the  disposition 
-of  the  brother  he  loved  so  well. 

As  Joseph  traversed  France,  he  was  every- 
where met  with  great  enthusiasm,  the  people 
shouting,  "Napoleon  the  Emperor  of  our 
choice;"  "The nation  desires  him  alone;"  "No 
aristocracy ;"  "  Away  with  the  old  regime." 

Before  the  departure  of  the  Emperor  for 
Waterloo,  many  distinguished  persons,  among 
others  Benjamin  Constant,  who  assisted  in 
drawing  up  the  celebrated  Additional  Act,  were 
introduced  to  him  by  Joseph.  One  day  he 
•conducted  to  the  Tuileries  the  son  of  Madame 
de  Stael,  who  bore  a  letter  from  his  mother  to 
the  Emperor,  in  which,  speaking  of  the  Addi- 


1815.]  LIFS  IN  EXILE.  321 


Attempt  to  Kacape. 


tional  Act,  she  said,  "  It  is  every  thing  which 
France  can  now  need;  nothing  but  what  it 
needs,  nothing  more  than  it  needs." 

In  speaking  of  the  "  Acte  Additionel"  Mr. 
Alison  says,  "  It  excited  unbounded  opposition 
in  both  the  parties  which  now  divided  the  na- 
tion, and  left  the  Emperor  in  reality  no  support 
but  in  the  soldiers  of  the  army."  A  few  para- 
graphs later,  when  stating  that  the  "  Acte  "  was 
submitted  to  the  people  to  be  adopted  or  re- 
jected by  popular  suffrage,  he  says  truthfully, 
though  in  manifest  contradiction  to  his  former 
statement : 

"  The  '  Acte  Additionel '  was  approved  by  an 
immense  majority  of  the  electors ;  the  numbers 
being  fifteen  hundred  thousand  to  five  hun- 
dred." 

After  the  disaster  at  Waterloo,  Joseph  was 
the  constant  companion  of  his  brother  during 
those  few  days  of  anguish  *a  which  he  remain- 
ed in  Paris.  On  the  29th  of  June  he  left  the 
metropolis  to  join  his  brother,  who  had  pre- 
ceded him,  at  Eochefort,  where  the  two  intend- 
ed to  embark  for  America  in  two  different 
ships,  the  Saale  and  the  Medusa.  After  sever- 
al days  of  necessary  delay,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  July  8th  Napoleon  was  rowed  out 

6—21 


322  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1815. 

Vigilance  of  the  Allies.  Generosity  of  Joseph. 

to  the  Saale,  which  was  anchored  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  quay.  But  the  Bourbons  and 
the  Allies  were  now  in  power  in  France,  and 
British  guard-ships  were  doubled  along  the 
French  coast.  No  vessel  was  allowed  to  leave. 

Joseph,  who  had  received  letters  from  his 
wife  informing  him  of  all  that  had  transpired 
in  Paris,  proposed  that  the  Emperor  should  re- 
turn to  land,  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
Army  of  the  Loire,  summon  the  population  of 
France  to  rise  en  masse,  and  again  appeal  to 
the  fortunes  of  war.  But  the  Emperor  could 
not  be  persuaded  to  resort  to  a  measure  which 
would  enkindle  the  flames  of  civil  war  in 
France,  and  which  might  also  expose  the  king- 
dom to  dismemberment,  since  the  Allies  already 
held  a  considerable  portion  of  its  territory. 

Joseph  then  urged  his  brother  to  embark 
in  a  small  American  vessel  which  chanced  to 
be  in  the  port,  while  Joseph,  personating  Napo- 
leon, whom  he  strongly  resembled,  should  sur- 
render himself  as  the  Emperor.  It  was  thought 
that  the  British  cruisers,  thus  deceived,  would 
allow  the  American  vessel  to  sail  without  a 
very  rigid  search.  But  the  Emperor  declined 
the  offer  to  escape  at  the  hazard  of  his  brother's 
captivity.  Neither  would  his  pride  of  charac- 


1815.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  323 


Joseph's  Escape. 


ter  allow  him  to  seek  flight  in  the  garb  of  dis- 
guise. He  therefore  urged  Joseph  to  leave  him 
to  his  destiny,  and  to  provide  immediately  for 
his  own  safety. 

During  the  whole  of  Napoleon's  career  there 
were  always  multitudes  ready  to  lay  down  their 
lives  at  any  time  for  his.  protection.  The  cap- 
tain of  the  Medusa,  a  sixty-gun  frigate,  offered 
to  grapple  the  English  frigate  Bellerophon,  of 
seventy-four  guns,  and  to  maintain  the  une- 
qual and  desperate  conflict  until  the  Sadie 
could  escape  with  the  Emperor.  But  as  this 
would  be  sacrificing  many  lives  to  his  person- 
al safety,  Napoleon  declined  the  magnanimous 
offer. 

Leaving  matters  in  this  state  of  uncertainty, 
Joseph  retired  from  Rochefort  to  the  country- 
seat  of  a  friend,  at  the  distance  of  a  few  leaguea 
He  left  his  secretary  behind,  to  keep  him  in- 
formed of  all  that  transpired.  Two  days  after 
he  received  a  letter  announcing  that  the  Em- 
peror had  taken  the  fatal  resolution  to  surren- 
der himself  to  the  British  Government  Jo- 
seph could  no  longer  be  of  any  assistance  to  his 
brother,  and  he  decided  to  leave  France  as  soon 
as  possible.  Under  the  assumed  name  of  M. 
Bouchard,  be  embarked  at  Ro,van  on  the  29th 


324  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1815. 


Joseph  escapes  from  France. 


of  July,  with  four  of  his  suite,  on  board  the 
bark  Commerce,  bound  for  the  United  States. 
The  vessel  was  visited  several  times  by  the 
British  cruisers  without  his  being  recognized. 
On  the  28th  of  August,  1815,  Joseph  landed  at 
New  York.  Captain  Misservey,  of  the  bark, 
was  not  aware  of  the  illustrious  rank  of  his 
passenger,  but  supposed  him  to  be  General 
Carnot.  The  Mayor  of  New  York,  under  the 
same  impression,  called  upon  him  as  General 
Carnot,  to  congratulate  him  upon  his  safe  pas- 


There  were  at  the  time  two  English  frigates 
cruising  before  the  harbor  of  New  York,  to 
search  all  vessels  coming  from  Europe.  One 
of  these  frigates  bore  down  upon  the  Commerce, 
but  the  wind,  and  the  skill  of  the  American 
pilot,  saved  the  ship  from  a  visit.  If  the  Eng- 
lish had  succeeded  in  seizing  the  person  of  Jo- 
seph, they  would  have  taken  him  back  to  Eng- 
land, and  thence  to  Russia,  where  the  Allies 
had  decided  to  hold  him  in  captivity. 

It  was  not  known  in  America  until  Jo 
seph's  arrival  that  Napoleon  had  confided  him- 
self to  the  English.  The  illustrious  exile, 
much  broken  in  health  by  care  and  sorrow, 
assumed  the  title  of  the  Count  of  Survilliers, 


1815.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  825 

Selects  Point  Breeze.  Calumnies  of  the  Allies. 

the  name  of  an  estate  which  he  held  in  France, 
and  sought  the  retreat  of  a  quiet,  private  life, 
as  a  refuge  from  the  storms  by  which  he  had 
so  long  been  tossed. 

After  having  travelled  through  many  of  the 
States  of  the  Union,  and  having  visited  most  of 
the  principal  cities,  he  purchased  in  New  Jer- 
sey, upon  the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  a  very 
beautiful  property,  called  Point  Breeze.  Here 
he  lived  the  sad  life  of  an  exile,  reflecting  upon 
the  ruin  and  dispersion  of  his  family,  and  ex- 
posed to  every  species  of  contumely  from  the 
European  press,  then  controlled  by  the  triumph- 
ant dynasties  of  the  old  feudal  oppression.  It 
was  for  the  interest  of  all  these  regal  courts  to 
convince  the  world  that  the  Bonapartes  were  the 
enemies,  not  the  friends  of  humanity ;  that  they 
were  struggling,  not  for  the  rights  of  mankind, 
but  to  impose  upon  the  world  hitherto  un- 
heard-of despotism;  and  that  in  principles 
and  practice  they  were  the  most  godless  and 
dissolute  of  men.  In  this  they  succeeded  for  a 
time,  and  there  are  thousands  who  still  adhere 
to  the  senseless  calumny.  Terrible  indeed  is 
the  condition  of  a  family  when  it  is  for  the 
vital  interests  of  all  the  crowns  of  Europe 
to  consecrate  their  influence,  and  lavish  their 


326  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1815. 

Noble  Character  of  Joseph  Bonaparte. 

money  to  blacken  the  character  of  all  its 
members. 

But  the  noble  character  of  Joseph  Bona- 
parte could  not  be  concealed.  His  record  had 
been  written  in  ineffaceable  lines.  His  illus- 
trious name,  purity  of  morals,  large  fortune, 
simple  and  cordial  manners,  and  his  wide- 
reaching  liberality,  endeared  him  greatly  to 
his  neighbors  and  multiplied  his  friends.  His 
wife  was  in  such  extremely  delicate  health 
that  it  was  not  deemed  safe  for  her  to  under- 
take a  voyage  across  the  ocean.  But  his  two 
daughters,  the  Princess  Zena'ide  and  Charlotte, 
and  subsequently  his  son-in-law,  Charles  Bona- 
parte, elder  brother  of  the  present  Emperor, 
Napoleon  III.,  shared  with  him  his  exile. 

The  entire  overthrow  of  the  popular  gov- 
ernments which  had  been  established  by  the 
aid  of  Napoleon,  and  the  relentless  spirit 
manifested  by  the  conquerors,  filled  all  lands 
with  exiles.  Many  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  Europe  sought  a  refuge  with  Joseph, 
where  they  were  received  with  the  most  gen- 
erous hospitality.  When  the  tidings  reached 
Point  Breeze  of  the  destitution  in  which  Na- 
poleon was  living  in  the  dilapidated  hut  at  St. 
Helena,  Joseph  immediately  placed  his  whole 


1821.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  327 

Death  of  the  Emperor.  Letter  of  General  Bertrand. 

fortune  at  the  disposal  of  his  brother.  It  was, 
however,  too  late,  and  the  Emperor  profited  but 
little  from  this  generous  offer.  A  few  years 
passed  wearily  away,  when  in  May,  1821,  Na- 
poleon, through  destitution,  insults,  and  an- 
guish, sank  sadly  into  his  grave.  General  Ber- 
trand, who  had  so  magnanimously  accompanied 
the  captive  in  his  imprisonment  at  Saint  Hele- 
na, and  had  shared  in  all  his  sufferings,  commu- 
nicated the  tidings  of  the  death  of  the  Ernper- 
or  to  Joseph  in  the  following  touching  letter. 
General  Bertrand  had  returned  from  Saint 
Helena,  and  his  letter  was  dated  London,  Sep- 
tember 10,  1821 : 

"  PRINCE, — I  write  to  you  for  the  first  time 
since  the  awful  misfortune  which  has  been 
added  to  the  sorrows  of  your  family.  Your 
Highness  is  acquainted  with  the  events  of  the 
first  years  of  this  cruel  exile.  Many  persons 
who  have  visited  Saint  Helena  have  informed 
you  of  what  was  still  more  interesting  to  you, 
the  manner  of  living  and  the  unkind  treat- 
ment which  aggravated  the  influence  of  a 
deadly  climate. 

"  In  the  last  year  of  his  life,  the  Emperor, 
•who  for  four  years  had  taken  no  exercise,  alter- 
ed extremely  in  appearance.  He  became  pale 


£28  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1821. 


Letter  of  General  Bertraud. 


and  feeble.  From  that  time  his  health  deteri- 
orated rapidly  and  visibly.  He  had  always- 
been  in  the  habit  of  taking  baths.  He  now 
took  them  more  frequently,  and  staid  longer 
in  them.  They  appeared  to  relieve  him  for 
the  time.  Latterly  Dr.  Antommarchi  forbade 
him  their  use,  as  he  thought  that  they  only  in- 
creased his  weakness. 

"  In  the  month  of  August  he  took  walking 
exercise,  but  with  difficulty  ;  he  was  forced  to 
stop  every  minute.  In  the  first  years  he  used 
to  walk  while  dictating.  He  walked  about 
his  room,  and  thus  did  without  the  exercise 
which  he  feared  to  take  out-of-doors,  lest  he 
should  expose  himself  to  insult.  But  latterly 
his  strength  would  not  admit  even  of  this. 
He  remained  sitting  nearly  all  day,  and  discon- 
tinued almost  all  occupation.  His  health  de- 
clined sensibly  every  month. 

"Once  in  September,  and  again  in  the  begin- 
ning of  October  he  rode  out,  as  his  physicians 
desired  him  to -take  exercise;  but  he  was  so 
weak  that  he  was  obliged  to  return  in  his  car- 
riage. He  ceased  to  digest;  shivering  fits 
came  on,  which  extended  even  to  the  extremi- 
ties. Hot  towels  applied  to  the  feet  gave  him 
some  relief  He  suffered  from  these  cold  fit* 


1821.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  329 


Letter  of  General  Bertrand. 


to  the  last  hour  of  his  life.  As  he  could  no 
longer  either  walk  or  ride,  he  took  several 
drives  in  an  open  carriage  at  a  foot  pace,  but 
without  gaining  strength. 

"  He  never  took  off  his  dressing-gown.  His 
stomach  rejected  food,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
year  he  was  forced  to  give  up  meat.  He  lived 
upon  jellies  and  soups.  For  some  time  he  ate 
scarcely  any  thing,  and  drank  only  a  little 
pure  wine,  hoping  thus  to  support  nature  with- 
out fatiguing  the  digestion ;  but  the  vomiting 
continued,  and  he  returned  to  soups  and  jellies. 
The  remedies  and  tonics  which  were  tried  pro- 
duced little  effect.  His  body  grew  weaker 
every  day,  but  his  mind  retained  its  strength. 
He  liked  reading  and  conversation.  He  did 
not  dictate  much,  although  he  did  so  from  time 
to  time  up  to  the  last  days  of  his  life.  He  felt 
that  his  end  was  approaching,  and  frequently 
recited  the  passage  from  'Zaire,'  which  closes 
with  this  line : 

"  '  A  revoir  Paris  je  ne  dois  plus  pr&endre.' 

"  Nevertheless  the  hope  of  leaving  this 
dreadful  country  often  presented  itself  to  his 
imagination.  Some  newspaper  articles  and 
false  reports  excited  our  expectations.  We 


330  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1821. 


Letter  of  General  Bertram!. 


sometimes  fancied  that  we  were  on  the  eve  of 
starting  for  America.  We  read  travels,  we 
made  plans,  we  arrived  at  our  house,  we  wan- 
dered over  that  immense  country,  where  alone 
we  might  hope  to  enjoy  liberty.  Vain  hopesl 
vain  projects  I  which  only  made  us  doubly  feel 
our  misfortunes. 

"  They  could  not  have  been  borne  with  more 
serenity  and  courage — I  might  almost  add 
gayety.  He  often  said  to  us  in  the  evening, 
*  Where  shall  we  go?  to  the  Thdatre  Fran9ais 
or  to  the  Opera?'  And  then  he  would  read  a 
tragedy  by  Corneille,  Yoltaire,  or  Racine;  an 
opera  of  Quinault's,  or  one  of  Moliere's  come- 
dies. His  strong  mind  and  powerful  character 
were  perhaps  even  more  remarkable  than  on 
that  larger  theatre  where  he  eclipsed  all  that  is 
brightest  in  ancient  and  in  modern  history. 
He  often  seemed  to  forget  what  he  had  been. 
I  was  never  tired  of  admiring  his  philosophy 
and  courage,  the  good  sense  and  fortitude 
which  raised  him  above  misfortune. 

"  At  times,  however,  sad  regrets  and  recol- 
lections of  what  he  had  done,  contrasted  with 
what  he  might  have  done,  presented  them- 
selves. He  talked  of  the  past  with  perfect 
frankness,  persuaded  that,  on  the  whole,  he 


1821.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  331 


Letter  of  General  Bertrand. 


had  done  what  he  was  required  to  do,  and  not 
sharing  the  strange  and  contradictory  opin» 
ions  which  we  hear  expressed  every  day  on 
events  which  are  not  understood  by  the  speak- 
ers. If  the  conversation  took  a  melancholy 
turn,  he  soon  changed  it.  He  loved  to  talk  of 
Corsica,  of  his  old  uncle  Lucien,  of  his  youth, 
of  you,  and  of  all  the  rest  of  the  family. 

"  Toward  the  middle  of  March  fever  came 
on.  From  that  time  he  scarcely  left  his  bed 
except  for  about  half  an  hour  in  the  day.  He 
seldom  had  the  strength  to  shave.  He  now 
for  the  first  time  became  extremely  thin.  The 
fits  of  vomiting  became  more  frequent.  He 
then  questioned  the  physicians  upon  the  con- 
formation of  the  stomach,  and  about  a  fortnight 
before  his  death  he  had  pretty  nearly  guessed 
that  he  was  dying  of  cancer.  He  was  read  to 
almost  every  day,  and  dictated  a  few  days  be- 
fore his  decease.  He  often  talked  naturally  as 
to  the  probable  mode  of  his  death,  but  when 
he  became  aware  that  it  was  approaching  he 
left  off  speaking  on  the  subject.  He  thought 
much  about  you  and  your  children. 

"  To  his  last  moments  he  was  kind  and  af- 
fectionate to  us  all.  He  did  not  appear  to 
suffer  so  much  as  might  have  been  expected 


332  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1821. 


Letter  of  General  Bertrand. 


from  the  cause  of  his  death.  When  we  ques- 
tioned him  he  said  that  he  suffered  a  little,  but 
that  he  could  bear  it.  His  memory  declined 
during  the  last  five  or  six  days.  His  deep 
sighs,  and  his  exclamations  from  time  to  time, 
made  us  think  that  he  was  in  great  pain.  He 
looked  at  us  with  the  penetrating  glance  which 
you  know  so  well.  We  tried  to  dissimulate, 
but  he  was  so  used  to  reading  our  faces  that 
no  doubt  he  frequently  discovered  our  anxiety. 
He  felt  too  clearly  the  gradual  decline  of  his 
faculties  not  to  be  aware  of  his  state. 

"For  the  last  two  hours  he  neither  spoke 
nor  moved.  The  only  sound  was  his  difficult 
breathing,  which  gradually  but  regularly  de- 
creased. His  pulse  ceased.  And  so  died,  sur- 
rounded by  only  a  few  servants,  the  man  who 
had  dictated  laws  to  the  world,  and  whose  life 
should  have  been  preserved  for  the  sake  of  the 
happiness  and  glory  of  our  sorrowing  country. 

"Forgive,  prince,  a  hurried  letter,  which 
tells  you  so  little  when  you  wish  to  know  so 
much  ;  but  I  should  never  end  if  I  attempted 
to  tell  all.  I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  the  Em- 
peror was  most  anxious  that  his  correspond- 
ence with  the  different  sovereigns  of  Europe 
should  be  printed.  He  repeated  this  to  us  sev 


1821.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  333 


Letter  of  General  Bertrand. 


eral  times,1  Jn  his  will  the  Emperor  expressed 
his  wish  that  his  remains  should  be  buried  in 
France ;  however,  in  the  last  days  of  his  life, 
he  ordered  me,  if  there  was  any  difficulty  about 
it,  to  lay  him  by  the  side  of  the  fountain  whose 
waters  he  had  so  long  drunk." 

Joseph  loved  his  brother  tenderly,  and  he 
naver  could  speak  without  emotion  of  the  in- 
dignities and  cruelties  Napoleon  suffered  from 
that  ungenerous  Government  to  whose  mercy 
he  had  so  fatally  confided  himself.  Anxious 
to  do  every  thing  which  he  thought  might  grat- 
ify the  departed  spirit  of  his  brother,  he  im- 
plored permission  of  Austria  to  visit  Napole- 
on's son,  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt,  that  he  might 

1  The  Emperor  was  very  desirous  that  his  correspondence 
with  the  allied  sovereigns  should  be  published.  He  wrote  to 
Joseph  from  Saint  Helena  to  secure  their  publication  in  the 
United  States  if  possible.  "  It  will  be  the  best  response,"  he 
said,  "to  all  the  calumnies  which  have  been  uttered  against 
me."  During  Joseph's  sojourn  in  England,  he  learned  from 
Dr.  O'Meara  that  the  autograph  originals  of  these  letters  ad- 
dressed by  Napoleon  to  the  sovereigns  had  been  oifered  for 
sale  in  London  in  the  year  1 822 ;  that  they  had  been  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Murray,  a  well-known  publisher ;  that  the  letters 
relating  to  Russia  had  been  purchased  by  a  diplomatic  agent 
of  that  power  for  ten  thousand  pounds  sterling.  There  was 
no  longer  any  hope  of  obtaining  them,  since  they  were  in  the 
hands  of  those  interested  in  having  them  destroyed. — Me- 
vioires  et  Correspondence,  Politique  et  Militaire  du  Jloi  Joseph, 
toiite  dixiemc,  n.  231. 


JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1824 


Marriage  of  Princess  Charlotte. 


sympathize  with  him  in  these  hours  of  afflic- 
tion. The  Court  of  Austria  refused  his  request 

In  1824,  Joseph's  youngest  daughter,  the 
Princess  Charlotte,  left  Point  Breeze  to  join  her 
mother  in  Europe,  where  she  was  to  be  married 
to  Charles  Napoleon  Louis  Bonaparte,  the  son 
of  Louis  and  Hortense,  and  the  elder  brother  of 
the  present  Emperor  of  the  French.  The  tastes 
of  Joseph  inclined  him  to  the  country,  and  to 
its  peaceful  pursuits.  He  had,  however,  a  city 
residence  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  usually 
passed  the  winters.  While  thus  residing  on 
the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  sadly  retracing  the 
memorable  events  of  the  past  and  recording  its 
scenes,  he  received  a  proposition  which  sur- 
prised and  gratified  him.  A  deputation  of 
Mexicans  waited  upon  him  at  Point  Breeze, 
and  urged  him  to  accept  the  crown  of  Mexico. 
The  former  King  of  Naples  and  of  Spain  in  the 
following  terms  responded  to  the  invitation  : 

"I  have  worn  two  crowns.  I  would  not 
take  a  single  step  to  obtain  a  third.  Nothing 
could  be  more  flattering  to  me  than  to  see  the 
men  who,  when  I  was  at  Madrid,  werejunwil- 
ling  to  recognize  my  authority,  come  to-day  to 
geek  me,  in  exile,  to  place  the  crown  upon  my 
head.  But  I  do  not  think  that  the  throne 


1824.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE. 

The  Crown  of  Mexico.  Visit  of  La  Fayette. 

which  you  wish  to  erect  anew  can  promote 
your  happiness.  Every  day  I  spend  upon  the 
hospitable  soil  of  the  United  States  demon- 
strates to  me  more  fully  the  excellence  of  re- 
publican institutions  for  America.  Guard 
them,  then,  as  a  precious  gift  of  Providence; 
cease  your  intestine  quarrels ;  imitate  the 
United  States  and  seek  from  the  midst  of 
your  fellow  •  citizens  a  man  more  capable 
than  I  am  to  act  the  grand  part  of  Washing- 
ton.1 

When  La  Fayette  in  1824  made  his  tri- 
umphal tour  through  the  United  States,  he 
visited  Point  Breeze  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
brother  of  the  Emperor.  Upon  that  occasion 
the  marquis  expressed  deep  regret  in  view  of 
the  course  he  had  pursued  at  the  time  of  the 
abdication  of  Napoleon. 

"  The  dynasty  of  the  Bourbons,"  said  he, 
"can  not  maintain  itself.  It  too  manifestly 
wounds  the  national  sentiment.  We  are  all 
persuaded  in  France  that  the  son  of  the  Em- 
peror alone  can  represent  the  interests  of  the 
devolution.  Place  two  million  francs  at  the 
disposal  of  our  committee,  and  I  promise  you 

*  Qnelqne  Mot  sur  Joseph  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  par  Na- 
poleon III. 


336  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1824. 


General  Lamarque. 


that  in  two  years  Napoleon  II.1  will  be  upon 
the  throne  of  France."" 

Joseph,  however,  did  not  think  it  best  to 
embark  at  that  time  in  any  new  enterprise  for 
the  restoration  of  popular  rights  to  France. 
The  Bourbon  throne  seemed  to  be  for  a  time 
firmly  established.  Joseph  was  getting  to  be 
advanced  in  years.  The  storms  of  his  life  had 
been  so  severe  that  he  longed  only  for  repose. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  correspond- 
ence of  Joseph,  while  he  was  an  exile  in  Amer- 
ica, throw  interesting  light  upon  his  political 
principles  and  upon  his  social  character.  Gen- 
eral Lamarque  was  one  of  the  veteran  gener- 
als of  the  Empire.  After  the  restoration  of 
the  Bourbons,  he  was  highly  distinguished  for 
his  eloquence  in  the  Tribune  as  the  antagonist 
of  aristocratic  privilege.  Napoleon,  when  on 
his  death-bed  at  Saint  Helena,  in  view  of  his 
earnest  support  of  popular  rights,  both  on  the 
battle-field  and  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies, 
recommended  him  for  a  marshal  of  France. 
Those  friends  of  the  Empire  who  had  been  pros- 

1  The  Duke  of  Reichstadt,  son  of  the  Emperor,  then  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  living  at  Vienna,  in  the  Court  of  the  Em- 
peror of  Austria,  his  grandfather.  He  died  of  consumption 
in  July,  1832. 

1  CEuvres  de  Napoleon  III.,  tome  deuxieme,  p.  439. 


1824.J  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  337 


Letter  from  General  Lamarque. 


ecuted  for  the  part  they  took  in  the  Hundred 
Days,  had  found  in  him  a  zealous  friend.  His 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  Poland  had  secured 
for  him  the  homage  of  that  chivalrous  people. 
The  liberal  party  in  France,  with  great  unanim- 
ity, regarded  him  as  their  leader.  Upon  the 
occasion  of  his  funeral,  in  June,  1832,  the  Lib- 
erals in  Paris  made  a  desperate  endeavor  to 
overthrow  the  government  of  Louis  Philippe. 
The  insurgents  numbered  over  one  hundred 
thousand.  The  attempt  was  bloodily  repulsed 
by  the  royalist  troops.  On  the  27th  of  March, 
1824,  General  Lamarque  wrote  a  letter  from 
Paris  to  Joseph,  from  which  we  make  the  fol- 
lowing extracts: 

"  MONSIEUR  LE  COMTE, — The  memory  of 
your  kindnesses  lives  as  vividly  in  my  heart 
as  on  the  day  in  which  I  received  them,  and  I 
ever  seek  occasions  to  prove  this  to  you.  Al- 
ready I  have  refuted,  in  many  articles  of  the 
journals,  the  atrocious  calumnies  which  have 
been  published  against  you,  and  I  ever  avow 
myself  to  the  world  as  your  admirer  and  grate- 
ful friend.  Be  assured  that  your  reputation  is 
honorable  and  glorious.  Truth  has  already 
dispelled  many  clouds ;  soon  it  will  shine  forth 
in  all  its  brilliance. 

6—22 


338  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1824. 


Letter  from  General  Lamarque. 


"You  do  well  to  consecrate  a  portion  of 
your  time  to  writing  your  memoirs.  It  seems 
to  me  that  the  part  most  interesting  will  be 
your  reign  in  Naples.  You  were  there  truly 
the  philosopher  upon  the  throne,  which  Plato 
desired  for  the  interests  of  humanity.  I  recall 
your  journeys  in  which  you  urged  upon  the 
nobles  love  for  the  people ;  upon  the  priests 
tolerance;  upon  the  military,  order  and  moder- 
ation. Not  being  able  to  establish  political 
liberty,  you  wished  to  confer  upon  your  sub- 
jects all  the  benefits  of  municipal  regime,  which 
you  regarded  as  the  foundation  of  all  institu- 
tions. 

"  Under  your  reign — too  short  for  a  nation 
which  has  so  deeply  regretted  you — feudalism 
was  destroyed,  brigandage  disappeared,  the  sys- 
tem of  imposts  was  changed,  order  was  estab- 
lished in  the  finances,  administration  created,, 
the  nobles  and  the  people  reconciled,  new 
routes  opened  in  all  directions,  the  capital  em- 
bellished, the  army  and  marine  reorganized, 
the  English  driven  out  of  the  whole  realm,  and 
Gae'ta,  Scylla,  Reggio,  Manthea,  and  Amanthea 
taken. 

"  Your  memoirs  will  be  a  lesson  for  kings. 
But  that  they  may  be  received  with  the  relig- 


1824]  LITE  IN  EXILE.  339 


Letter  from  General  Lamarque. 


ious  respect  due  to  a  great  misfortune,  it  seems 
to  me  that  you  ought  to  efface  yourself  from 
the  scene  of  the  world,  that  your  writings 
should  be  like  a  voice  coming  from  the  depths 
of  the  tomb,  and  that  you  should  only  ask  of 
your  contemporaries  not  to  calumniate  and 
hate  the  memory  of  a  man  who,  having  attain- 
ed the  height  of  all  dignities,  has  descended 
from  it  with  serenity,  with  resignation,  and  al- 
most with  pleasure.  As  to  Spain,  were  I  in 
your  place,  I  should  say  but  one  word ;  that 
word  would  be  regret  in  not  having  been  able 
to  accomplish  for  Spain  the  good  which  was 
accomplished  for  Naples. 

"  Like  you,  I  have  been  proscribed.  Like 
you,  I  have  wandered  in  foreign  lands,  breath- 
ing always  wishes  for  my  country.  I  know 
how  irritable  and  sensitive  one  thus  is,  and 
how  keenly  one  feels  the  attacks  of  his  ene- 
mies. But  upon  my  return  I  perceived  that 
in  exile  we  exaggerate  the  importance  of  such 
attacks.  Let  not  the  calumnies  which  reach 
you,  after  having  traversed  the  seas,  disturb 
for  a  mo/nent  your  domestic  happiness,  and 
the  calm  of  your  situation.  They  are  the  last 
gusts  of  the  tempest,  the  last  noise  of  the  ex* 
piling  waves." 


340  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE,       [1829. 


Letter  to  Francis  Leiber. 


In  a  letter  to  Francis  Leiber,  dated  July  1, 
1829,  Joseph  writes : 

"  Walter  Scott  wrote  for  the  English  Gov- 
ernment, and  from  information  furnished  him 
by  the  Government  which  succeeded  that  of 
the  Emperor  Napoleon.  Napoleon  found 
France  in  delirium.  He  wished  to  rescue  it 
from  the  anarchy  of  1793,  and  from  a  counter- 
revolution. That  he  well  understood  the  na- 
tional will,  his  miraculous  return  from  the  isle 
of  Elba  will  prove  sufficiently  to  posterity. 
The  English  Cabinet  always  prevented  the  sur- 
render of  his  dictatorship  by  perpetuating  the 
war.  Napoleon  was  thus  under  the  necessity 
of  assuming  the  forms  of  the  other  govern- 
ments of  Continental  Europe,  to  reconcile  them 
with  France.  All  that  which  Napoleon  did, 
his  nobility  (which  was  not  feudal),  his  family 
relations,  his  Legion  of  Honor,  his  new  realms, 
etc.,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  doing.  The 
English  ever  forced  him  to  these  acts,  that  he 
might  put  himself  in  apparent  harmony  with 
all  those  governments  which  he  had  conquer- 
ed, and  which  he  wished  to  withdraw  from  the 
seduction  of  England.  Napoleon  often  said  to 
me,  '  Ten  years  more  are  necessary  in  order  to 
give  entire  liberty.  I  can  not  do  what  I  wish, 


1830.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  341 


Letter  to  La  Fayette. 


but  only  what  I  can.  These  English  compel 
me  to  live  day  by  day.' " 

As  the  tidings  reached  the  ears  of  Joseph 
of  the  great  Revolution  of  1830  in  France,  in 
which  the  throne  of  Charles  X.  was  demol- 
ished, he  wrote  to  La  Fayette  under  date  of 
Sept.  7, 1830 : 

"MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — General  Lallemand, 
who  will  hand  you  this  letter,  will  recall  me  to 
your  memory.  He  will  tell  you  with  what 
enthusiasm  the  population  of  this  country, 
American  and  French,  have  received  the  news 
of  the  glorious  events  of  which  Paris  has  been 
the  theatre.  If  I  had  not  seen  at  the  head  of 
affairs  a  name1  with  which  mine  can  never  be 
in  accord,  I  should  be  with  you  immediately 
with  General  Lallemand.  You  will  recall  our 
interview  in  this  hospitable  and  free  land.  My 
sentiments  are  as  invariable  as  yours  and  those 
of  my  family.  Every  thing  for  the  French  people. 

"  Doubtless  I  can  not  forget  that  my  neph- 
ew, Napoleon  II.,8  was  proclaimed  by  the 
Chamber  which,  in  1815,  was  dissolved  by  the 
bayonets  of  foreigners.  Faithful  to  the  motto 
of  my  family,  Every  thing  by  France  and  for 

1  Louis  Philippe,  Duke  of  Orleans. 

'  Napoleon's  son,  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 


342  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1830. 


Letter  to  La  Fayette. 


France,  I  wish  to  discharge  my  duties  to  her. 
You  know  my  opinions,  long  ago  proclaimed. 
Individuals  and  families  can  have  only  duties 
to  fulfill  in  their  relation  to  nations.  The  na- 
tions have  rights  to  exercise.  If  the  French 
nation  should  call  to  the  head  of  affairs  the 
most  obscure  family,  I  think  that  we  ought  to 
submit  to  its  will  entirely.  The  nation  alone 
has  the  right  to  destroy  its  work. 

"I  ask  for  the  abolition  of  that  tyrannic  law 
which  has  shut  out  from  France  a  family  which 
had  opened  the  kingdom  to  all  those  French- 
men whom  the  Revolution  had  expelled.  I 
protest  against  any  election  made  by  private 
corporations,  or  by  bodies  not  having  obtained 
from  the  nation  the  powers  which  the  nation 
alone  has  the  right  to  confer. 

"Adieu,  my  dear  general.  My  letter  proves 
to  you  the  justice  I  render  to  the  sentiments 
you  expressed  to  me  during  the  triumphal 
journey  you  made  among  this  people,  where  I 
have  seen,  for  fifteen  years,  that  liberty  is  not 
a  chimera,  that  it  is  a  blessing  which  a  na- 
tion, moderate  and  wise,  can  enjoy  when  it 
wishes." 

To  Maria  Louisa,  daughter  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  and  mother  of  the  Duke  of  Reich- 


1830.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  343 


Letter  to  Maria  Louisa. 


stadt,  Joseph  wrote  the  next  day,  September 
10,  as  follows : 

"  MADAME  MY  SISTER, — The  events  which 
transpired  in  Paris  at  the  close  of  July,  and  of 
which  we  have  received  intelligence,  through 
the  English  journals,  to  the  1st  of  August,  re- 
move the  principal  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the 
return  of  Napoleon  II.  to  the  throne  of  his  fa- 
ther. If  the  Emperor,  his  grandfather,1  lends 
him  the  least  support,  if  he  will  permit  that, 
under  my  guidance,  he  may  show  himself  to 
the  French  people,  his  presence  alone  will  re- 
establish him  upon  the  throne.  The  Duke  of 
Orleans  can  rally  around  him  partisans,  only 
in  consequence  of  the  absence  of  the  son  of 
your  Majesty.  It  is  his  re -establishment  in 
France  which  alone  can  reunite  all  parties,  sti- 
fle the  germs  of  a  new  revolution,  and  thus 
secure  the  tranquillity  of  Europe. 

"If  I  were  in  a  position  to  unfold  to  your 
august  father  the  reasons  which  render  this 
step  indispensable  on  his  part  at  this  moment, 
he  could  have  no  doubt  of  its  imperious  neces- 
sity. His  ministry  would  perceive  that  the 
happiness  of  his  grandson,  that  of  France,  the 
tranquillity  of  Italy,  and  perhaps  of  the  rest  of 

1  The  Emperor  of  Austria. 


344  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1830. 


Letter  to  Prince  Metternich. 


Europe,  depend  upon  the  re-establishment  of 
the  throne  of  Napoleon  II.  He  is  the  only  one 
chosen  by  the  voice  of  the  nation.  He  alone 
can  prevent  a  new  revolution  the  results  of 
which  no  mortal  can  foresee.  I  hope  that  the 
many  misfortunes  which  we  have  encountered 
have  not  eifaced  from  the  heart  of  your  Majesty 
the  affection  she  has  manifested  for  me  under 
diverse  circumstances.  I  can  only  offer  to  her 
myself  for  her  son.  For  a  long  time  I  have 
been  disabused  of  the  illusions  of  human  grand- 
eur ;  but  I  am  more  than  ever  the  slave  of  that 
which  I  deem  to  be  my  duty." 

On  the  18th  of  September,  1830,  Joseph 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  which 
he  inclosed  in  a  letter  of  the  same  date  to 
Prince  Metternich.  In  his  letter  to  Metternich, 
Joseph  wrote: 

"I  do  not  doubt,  sir,  that  you  desire  the  wel- 
fare of  the  grandson  of  the  Emperor  whom  you 
have  so  long  served,  the  welfare  of  Austria,  the 
tranquillity  of  Europe,  and  even  of  France,  if 
these  are  all  reconcilable.  I  am  convinced 
that  they  are  to-day  perfectly  reconcilable,  and 
that  Napoleon  II.  restored  to  the  wishes  of  the 
French  people  can  alone  secure  all  these  re- 
sults. I  offer  myself  to  serve  him  as  a  guide 


1830.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  345 


Letter  to  the  Kmperor  of  Austria. 


The  happiness  of  my  county  the  peace  of  the 
world,  will  be  the  noble  ends  of  my  ambition. 

"  Napoleon  II.  arriving  in  France  under  the 
national  colors,  conducted  by  a  man  whose  sen- 
timents and  patriotic  affections  are  well  known, 
can  alone  prevent  the  usurpation  of  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  who,  being  neither  called  to  the 
throne  by  the  rights  of  succession  nor  by  the 
national  will,  clearly  and  legitimately  express- 
ed, can  maintain  himself  in  power  only  by 
caressing  all  parties,  and  finally  becoming  sub- 
ordinate to  the  one  which  offers  him  the  best 
chances  of  success,  whatever  may  be  the  means 
to  be  employed  for  that  end." 

Joseph's  letter  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria 
contained  the  following  expressions:  "The 
particular  esteem  with  which  the  virtues  of 
your  Majesty  inspire  me,  embolden  me  to  re- 
call myself  to  his  recollection  under  circum- 
stances in  which  the  general  welfare  appears  to 
me  to  be  in  accord  with  the  sentiments  of  his 
heart,  that  he  may  restore  to  the  wishes  of  the 
French  people  a  prince  who  alone  can  confer 
upon  them  internal  peace,  and  assure  the  tran- 
quillity of  Europe.  This  peace  and  tranquil- 
lity would  be  disturbed  by  the  efforts  which 
must  be  made  to  sustain  in  France  a  govern- 


JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1830. 


Letter  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria. 


merit  of  usurpation  like  that  of  the  Duke  of  Or- 
leans, or  even  a  republic,  if  the  absence  of  the 
son  of  Napoleon,  the  grandson  of  your  Majesty, 
should  constrain  the  nation,  thus  abandoned  by 
the  prince  of  its  choice,  to  surrender  itself  to 
another  form  of  government.  Sire,  if  you 
will  entrust  to  me  the  son  of  my  brother,  that 
son  whom  he  enjoined,  upon  his  death-bed,  to 
follow  my  advice  in  returning  to  France,  I 
guarantee  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  Alone, 
with  a  tri-color  scarf,  will  Napoleon  II.  be  pro- 
olaimed. 

"  Will  it  be  necessary  for  me  to  speak  of 
myself  to  your  Majesty  to  give  him  confidence 
in  my  character  ?  Must  I  recall  to  his  remem- 
brance that,  after  the  treaty  of  Luneville,  he 
-communicated  to  me,  through  an  autograph 
letter  to  Count  Cobentzl,  that  the  opinion  he 
had  formed  of  my  moderation,  was  such  that 
he  would  with  pleasure  see  me  placed  upon 
the  throne  of  Lombardy  ?  I  refused  that  throne. 
I  preferred  to  remain  in  France.  Since  then, 
#t  Naples,  in  Spain,  has  that  character  been 
falsified  ? 

"To-day,  as  then,  I  am  guided  by  the  single 
sentiment  of  duty.  My  ambition  limits  itself 
to  doing  what  I  ought  for  France,  for  the  mem- 


1830.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  347 

Appeal  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies. 

ory  of  my  brother,  and  to  die  upon  my  native 
soil  a  witness  of  the  happiness  of 'the  grandson 
of  your  Majesty,  which  is  inseparable  from  that 
of  France  .and  from  the  tranquillity  of  Europe. 
I  can  only  contribute  to  that  to-day  by  my 
wishes.  May  your  Majesty  second  them  by 
his  powerful  influence,  and  thus  consolidate  the 
peace  of  the  world  and  the  eternal  glory  of  his 
name." 

On  the  same  day,  September  18,  Joseph 
wrote  an  earnest  appeal  to  the  French  Chamber 
of  Deputies.1  The  following  extracts  will  show 
its  character.  "  It  is  impossible  that  a  house, 
reigning  through  the  principle  of  divine  right, 
should  maintain  itself  upon  a  throne  from  which 
it  has  been  expelled  by  the  nation.  The  di- 
vorce between  the  House  of  Bourbon  and  the 
French  people  has  been  pronounced,  and  noth- 
ing can  destroy  the  souvenirs  of  the  past.  In 
vain  the  Duke  of  Orleans  abjures  his  house  in 
the  moment  of  its  misfortunes.  A  Bourbon 
himself,  returning  to  France,  sword  in  hand, 
with  the  Bourbons,  in  the  train  of  foreign  ar- 
mies, what  matter  is  it  that  his  father  voted  for 
the  death  of  the  King,  his  cousin,  that  he  might 
take  his  place?  What  matter  is  it  that  the 

*  CEuvres  de  Napoleon  III.  tome  deuxifeme,  p.  441. 


348  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1830, 

Appeal  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies. 

brother  of  Louis  XVI.  named  him  lieutenant- 
general  of  the  realm,  and  regent  of  his  grand- 
son ?  Is  he  the  less  a  Bourbon?  Has  he  the 
less  pretension  of  being  entitled  to  the  throne 
by  the  right  of  birth  ?  Is  it  through  the  choice 
of  the  people,  or  the  right  of  birth,  that  he 
claims  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  ancestors? 
"  The  family  of  Napoleon  has  been  elected 
by  three  million  five  hundred  thousand  votes. 
If  the  nation  deem  it  for  its  interest  to  make 
another  choice,  it  has  the  power  and  the  right 
to  do  so  ;  but  the  nation  alone.  Napoleon  II. 
was  proclaimed  king  by  the  Chamber  of  Dep- 
uties in  1815,  which  recognized  in  him  a  right 
conferred  by  the  nation.  That  he  may  be  the 
legitimate  sovereign,  in  the  true  acceptation  of 
the  word,  that  is  to  say,  legally  and  voluntarily 
chosen  by  the  people,  there  is  no  need  of  a  new 
election  so  long  as  the  nation  has  not  adopted 
any  other  form  of  government.  Still  the  na- 
tion is  supreme  to  confirm  or  reject  the  titles 
it  has  given  according  to  its  pleasure.  Till 
then,  gentlemen,  you  are  bound  to  recognize 
Napoleon  II.  And  until  Austria  shall  restore 
him  to  the  wishes  of  France,  I  offer  myself  to 
share  your  perils,  your  efforts,  your  labors,  and, 
upon  his  arrival,  to  transmit  to  him  the  will,  the 


1830.]  LIFE  IN   EXILE.  349 


Letter  to  General  Lamarque. 


examples,  the  last  dispositions  of  his  father,  dy- 
ing a  victim  of  the  enemies  of  France  upon  the 
rock  of  Saint  Helena.  These  words  the  Emper- 
or addressed  to  me  through  General  Bertrand  : 

"  *  Say  to  my  son  that  he  should  remember, 
first  of  all,  that  he  is  a  Frenchman.  Let  him 
give  the  nation  as  much  liberty  as  I  have  given 
it  equality.  Foreign  wars  did  not  permit  me 
to  do  that  which  I  should  have  done  at  the 
general  peace.  I  was  perpetually  in  dictator- 
ship. But  I  ever  had,  as  the  motive  in  all  my 
actions,  the  love  and  the  grandeur  of  the  great 
nation.  Let  him  take  my  device,  Every  thing 
for  the  French  people.  It  is  to  that  people  we 
are  indebted  for  all  that  we  .have  been. 

"  '  The  liberty  of  the  press  is  the  triumph  of 
truth.  It  is  that  which  should  diffuse  general 
intelligence.  Let  it  speak,  and  let  the  will  of 
the  great  mass  of  the  people  be  accomplished.'  " 

Again,  on  the  26th  of  September,  Joseph 
wrote  to  General  Lamarque:  "The  Duke  of 
Orleans,  by  his  birth,  by  his  connection  with  the 
reigning  branches  of  the  family  of  Bourbon, 
which  he  in  vain  attempts  to  ignore,  will  soon 
be  suspected  by  the  patriots  of  France,  and  by 
the  liberals  of  Italy  and  of  Spain.  The  act 
which  places  him  upon  the  throne,  not  ernanat- 


350  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1830. 


Letter  to  General  Lamarque. 


ing  from  the  nation,  can  not  constitute  him 
king  of  the  French.  A  few  capitalists  in  Paris 
are  not  France.  He  can  not  therefore  have  the 
cordial  assent  of  the  liberals  of  any  country. 
He  can  not  have  the  support  of  those  who  be- 
lieve in  the  legitimacy  of  the  elder  branch  of 
his  house.  He  can  not  have  the  assent  of  those 
who  have  not  lost  the  memory  of  the  votes 
which  the  nation  gave  to  Napoleon,  and  to  Na- 
poleon II.,  whom  the  Chamber  of  Deputies 
proclaimed  in  1815. 

"  The  Duke  of  Orleans,  was  he  not  a  pupil 
of  Dumourier?  Did  he  not,  like  Dumourier, 
desert  the  cause  of  the  nation  ?  Did  he  not, 
in  London,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  emigrant 
French  nobility,  ask  pardon  and  make  the 
amende  honorable  for  having,  for  one  instant, 
borne  the  national  colors?  Did  he  not  go  to 
Cadiz,  sent  by  the  English,  to  fight  the  French 
troops  who  did  not  then  wear  the  white  cockade 
of  the  Bourbons  ?  Did  he  not  enter  France 
in  the  train  of  the  Allies,  sword  in  hand,  with 
his  cousins?  Was  he  not  rescued  with  them, 
and  did  he  not  owe  to  the  disaster  at  Waterloo 
his  return  to  France? 

"  The  thirty-two  individuals  who  called  him 
first  to  the  lieutenant-generalship  of  the  realm 


1830.]  LIFE  IN   EXILE.  351 


Letter  to  General  Bernard. 


would  have  called  some  one  else  if  they  had 
not  been  greatly  influenced  by  his  rights  of 
birth.  Was  there  no  other  man  in  France 
more  worthy  to  take  temporarily  the  helm  of 
state?  General  La  Fayette,  who  was  at  the  head 
of  the  provisory  government,  would  he  not 
have  given  to  the  nation,  and  to  the  friends  of 
liberty  and  of  order  in  the  two  worlds,  stronger 
guaranties  than  a  prince  of  the  House  of  Bour- 
bon ?  The  enthronement  of  the  Duke  of  Or- 
leans can  be  approved  only  by  the  enemies  of 
France.  His  illegitimacy,  both  in  view  of  the 
sovereignty  of  the  people  and  of  the  partisans  of 
divine  right,  is  so  evident  that  he  can  only  gov- 
ern by  being  submissive  to  the  will  of  the  fac- 
tions, whom  he  will  be  compelled  to  obey,  now 
one,  and  now  another.  The  time  for  represent- 
ative governments  has  arrived.  Liberty,  equal- 
ity, public  order  can  not  exist  where  those  gov- 
erning are  of  a  different  species  from  those  who- 
are  governed." 

In  a  letter  to  General  Bernard,  on  the  29th 
of  September,  Joseph  uttered  the  following 
prophetic  sentiment:  "You  were  deceived  by 
your  informants  when  you  said  that  the  name 
of  Napoleon  was  not  pronounced  by  the  com- 
batants. It  was  pronounced  by  them.  It  was 


352  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [183L 


Letter  to  La  Fayette, 


pronounced  by  the  Army  of  Algiers.  It  is  to- 
day pronounced  by  the  people  in  the  depart- 
ments and  will  soon  be  by  entire  France.  The 
artifices  of  intrigue  and  deception  are  tempo- 
rary. The  national  will,  sooner  or  later,  must 
triumph." 

La  Fayette  had  been  mainly  instrumental  in 
placing  the  Duke  of  Orleans  upon  the  throne 
of  France.  He  wrote  to  Joseph  Bonaparte  ex- 
plaining his  reasons  for  this.  In  allusion  to 
the  fact  that  he  was  compelled  to  yield  to  the 
pressure  of  circumstances,  he  said,  "  You  know 
that  in  home  affairs,  as  in  foreign  affairs,  no 
one  can  do  just  what  he  wishes  to  have  done. 
Your  incomparable  brother,  with  his  power,  his 
character,  his  genius,  experienced  this  himself." 
He  also  expressed  his  strong  disapproval  of  the 
dictatorship  of  Napoleon,  and  of  the  aristocra- 
cy which  he  introduced.  Joseph  replied  from 
Point  Breeze,  under  date  of  January  15,  1831 : 

"My  DEARGENERAL, — I  have  received  your 
letter  of  the  26th  of  November.  I  am  satisfied 
that  under  the  circumstances  you  did  that 
which  you  conscientiously  thought  it  your  duty 
to  do.  You  have  thought,  as  have  I,  and  as 
did  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  that  a  republic 
could  not,  at  present,  be  established  in  France. 


1831.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  353 


Letter  to  La  Fayette. 


You  have  recoiled  before  the  confusion  which 
it  would  introduce  in  the  interior.  You  could 
undoubtedly  have  found  a  remedy  for  that  in 
the  family  which  the  nation  had  called  to  such 
high  destinies.  But  the  hatred  of  foreigners 
against  that  family  which  France  had  chosen, 
inclined  you  to  a  prince  between  whom  and  le- 
gitimacy there  was  but  a  single  child.1 

"My  reply  is  short.  Let  France  preserve 
peace  and  liberty  with  that  family.  Let  such 
become  the  national  will  legitimately  expressed, 
and  the  conduct  of  the  sixty-two  Deputies,  who 
have  called  the  second  branch  of  the  House  of 
Bourbon  to  power,  will  no  longer  be  discussed 
by  any  one.  Will  this  be  done  ?  Time  alone 
can  tell  us. 

"  The  portion  of  your  letter  in  which  you 
speak  of  the  Napoleonic  system  as  impressed 
with  despotism  and  aristocracy  merits,  on  my 
part,  a  more  detailed  response.  While  I  ren- 
der justice  to  your  good  intentions,  I  can  not 
but  deplore  the  situation  in  which  you  found 
yourself  when  released  from  the  prisons  of  Aus- 

1  Charles  X.  abdicated  in  favor  of  his  grandson,  the  Duke 
of  Bordeaux,  a  child  seven  or  eight  years  old.  Should  that 
child  die,  the  Duke  of  Orleans  would  be  the  legitimate  Bour- 
bon candidate  for  the  throne. 

6—23 


354          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1831. 


Letter  to  La  Fayette. 


tria.  That  imprisonment  did  not  permit  you 
to  judge  of  the  influence  exerted  upon  the  na- 
tional opinion  and  character  by  the  wretched 
Reign  of  Terror.  You  had  only  seen  the  liber- 
al system  of  America,  and  you  have  condemn- 
ed the  all-powerful  man  who  did  not  transfer 
that  system  to  France.  I  remember  that  one 
day  my  brother,  in  coming  from  an  interview 
with  you,  my  dear  general,  said  to  me  these 
words : 

"'I  have  just  had  a  very  interesting  con- 
versation with  the  Marquis  de  la  Fayette  upon 
the  subject  of  the  disorderly  persons  whom  the 
police  has  sent  from  Paris.  I  have  said  to  him 
that  this  was  done  that  they  might  not  disturb 
the  tranquillity  of  good  men  like  himself,  whose 
residence  in  France  appeared  to  them  one  of 
my  crimes.1  The  Marquis  de  la  Fayette  does 
not  know  the  character  of  these  people  in  whom 
he  interests  himself.  He  was  in  the  prisons  of 
despotism  when  these  people  made  all  France 
to  tremble.  But  France  remembers  this  too 
well.  We  are  not  here  in  America.' 

*•'  Napoleon  never  doubted  your  good  inten- 
tions. But  he  thought  that  you  judged  too  fa- 

1  The  Jacobins  wished  all  whom  they  termed  aristocrats 
guillotined  or  expelled  from  France. 


1832.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  355 


vorably  of  your  contemporaries.  He  was  forced 
into  war  by  the  English,  and  into  the  dictator- 
ship by  the  war.  These  few  words  are  the 
history  of  the  Empire.  Napoleon  incessantly 
said  to  me,  '  When  will  peace  arrive  ?  Then 
only  can  I  satisfy  all,  and  show  myself  as  I 
am.' 

"  The  aristocracy  of  which  you  accuse  him 
was  only  the  mode  of  placing  himself  in  har- 
mony with  Europe.  But  the  old  feudal  aristo- 
cracy was  never  in  his  favor.  The  proof  of 
this  is  that  he  was  its  victim,  and  that  he  ex- 
piated, at  Saint  Helena,  the  crime  of  having 
wished  to  employ  all  the  institutions  in  favor 
of  the  people ;  and  the  European  aristocracy 
contrived  to  turn  against  him  even  those  very 
masses  for  whose  benefit  he  was  laboring. 
The  French  nation  renders  him  justice;  and 
the  European  masses  will  not  be  slow  to  say 
that  Napoleon  had  ever  in  view  the  suffrage 
of  posterity,  whose  verdict  is  always  in  favor 
of  him  who  has  only  in  view  the  happiness  of 
his  country." 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1832,  Joseph 
wrote  from  Point  Breeze  to  the  Duke  of 
Reichstadt  as  follows 

"  MY  DEAR  NEPHEW, — The  bearer  of  this 


356  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1832 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 


letter  will  be  the  interpreter  of  my  sentiments. 
He  has  passed  several  weeks  in  my  retreat. 
They  have  been  occupied  with  the  souvenirs 
of  your  father,  and  of  your  future  lot.  I  was 
born  eighteen  months  before  your  father.  We 
were  brought  up  together.  Nothing  has  ever 
diminished  the  warm  affection  which  united 
us.  At  his  death  he  entrusted  to  me  the  care 
of  communicating  to  you  his  last  wishes.  But 
before  my  distance  from  you  enabled  me  to 
fulfill  that  duty,  his  testament  had  been  pub- 
lished in  all  the  leading  journals  of  Europe. 

"  When,  in  1830,  the  house  imposed  upon 
France  by  foreigners  was  again  expelled  by  the 
nation,  I  hastened  to  address  to  the  Chamber 
of  Deputies,  and  to  his  Imperial  Majesty,  your 
grandfather,  the  inclosed  letters.  But  my  dis- 
tance from  France  still  thwarted  my  wishes, 
and  the  younger  branch  of  that  same  house 
was  again  imposed  upon  France  by  a  factious 
minority.  Innumerable  calumnies,  intended 
to  alienate  the  nation  from  you,  were  scattered 
abroad  with  profusion.  A  chamber,  control- 
led by  the  Government  usurping  the  rights  of 
the  nation,  proscribed  us  anew.  But  the 
voice  of  the  people  called  you,  Of  that  I 
have  conclusive  evidence. 


1832.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  357 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Keichstadt 


"Let  his  Imperial  Majesty  consent  to  en- 
trust you  to  my  care ;  let  him  send  me  a  pass- 
port that  I  may  come  to  him  and  to  you,  I 
will  quit  my  retreat  to  respond  to  his  confi- 
dence, to  yours,  to  the  sentiment  which  com- 
mands me  to  spare  no  efforts  to  restore  to  the 
love  of  the  French  the  son  of  the  man  whom 
I  have  loved  the  most  of  any  one  upon  earth. 
My  opinions  are  well  known  in  France.  They 
are  in  harmony  with  those  of  the  nation.  If 
you  enter  France  with  me  and  a  tri-color  scarf, 
you  will  be  received  there  as  the  son  of  Na- 
poleon. 

"  When  you  were  born  in  Paris,  the  20th  of 
March,  1811,  your  father  had  become,  through 
the  love  of  the  French  people  as  well  as  through 
the  obstinacy  of  the  English  oligarchy  making 
war  upon  him,  the  most  powerful  prince  in 
Europe.  The  English  oligarchy  foresaw  the 
prosperity  which  France,  governed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  liberal  doctrines  of  the  age, 
would  attain  if  she  had  peace.  That  oligar- 
chy feared  the  contagion  of  the  example  upon 
other  states.  Therefore  it  did  not  cease  to 
employ  the  immense  resources  which  the  mo- 
nopoly of  the  commerce  of  the  world  placed 
at  its  disposal  to  excite  against  Napoleon  ene- 


358  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1832. 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 


mies  at  home  and  abroad,  and  to  stifle,  at  its 
birth,  the  union  of  the  peoples  and  the  kings 
for  the  reform  of  the  anti-social  privileges  of 
the  oligarchy.  It  therefore  provoked  inces 
sant  war,  and  thus  rendered  France  every  day 
more  powerful,  through  the  victories  she  ob- 
tained under  the  direction  of  your  father, 
whom  it  accused  of  the  calamities  inseparable 
from  a  war  kindled  by  itself,  and  with  the  sole 
object  of  maintaining  its  unjust  privileges. 

"  It  was  at  the  close  of  a  strife  incessantly 
renewed,  excited  by  the  Government  of  a  na- 
tion sufficiently  rich  to  pay  the  soldiers  of  the 
others,  and  sheltered  by  its  insular  position 
against  all  attempts  against  itself,  that,  after 
the  triumphs  of  twenty  years,  your  father  suc- 
cumbed beneath  the  united  efforts  of  the  Al- 
lies of  England,  who  perceived  too  late  their 
fatal  errors. 

"  Napoleon  was  the  friend  both  of  the  peo- 
ples and  of  the  kings.  He  wished  to  reconcile 
them  to  each  other.  He  wished  to  save  other 
states  from  the  misfortunes  which  a  bloody 
revolution  had  inflicted  upon  France.  These 
were  the  reforms  which  he  desired,  voluntary 
ameliorations,  commended  by  the  increasing 
civilization  of  the  world,  and  the  widely-ex- 


1832.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  359 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 


tended  interests  of  all  classes,  and  not  violent 
commotions,  which  always  pass  beyond  the 
end  desired.  His  greatest  vengeance  against 
England  did  not  exceed  that  which  the  advo- 
cates of  the  bill  of  reform  seek  for  to-day. 

"  I  think  that  now  you  are  placed  in  a  po- 
sition to  continue  the  work  with  which  a  di- 
vine genius  inspired  your  father.  France  will 
accept  you  with  enthusiasm.  Factions  will 
subside.  The  power  with  which  your  father 
was  invested  is  no  longer  needful  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  designs.  It  was  war 
which  elevated  upon  the  thrones  of  Europe 
the  princes  of  his  family.  But  it  was  not  that 
he  might  give  them  thrones  that  he  engaged 
in  war.  They  were  military  positions  occu- 
pied during  the  general  struggle  which  the  oli- 
garchies had  decided  never  to  close  but  by  the 
abasement  of  France.  It  was  necessary  to  al- 
low the  conquered  countries  to  be  invaded  by 
the  republican  system  for  which  they  were  not 
prepared,  or  to  cause  them  to  be  governed  by 
men  of  whose  devotion  to  France  and  to  him- 
self he  was  fully  assured.  And  where  could 
he  find  better  guaranties  than  in  his  brothers, 
whom  nature,  as  well  as  the  favors  which  they 
had  received  from  the  nation,  had  destined  to 


360  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1832. 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Keichstadt. 


share  his  adverse  as  well  as  his  good-fortune, 
both  inseparable  from  that  of  France? 

"  To-day  time  has  borne  its  fruits.  Nations 
are  more  enlightened  respecting  their  interests. 
They  know  well  that  the  most  happy  nation 
is  that  in  which  the  greatest  number  of  men 
enjoy  the  most  prosperity ;  which  obeys  a  su- 
preme magistrate  whom  it  loves,  and  who  him- 
self has  not  the  baleful  power  to  abuse  the  life, 
the  property,  the  liberty  of  the  people,  whom 
he  represents  only  that  he  may  protect  the 
rights  which  they  have  entrusted  to  him. 
Such  were  the  opinions,  and  especially  the  in- 
stinct, of  your  father.  Every  thing  for  the  people! 
And  at  the  general  pacification  which  he  de- 
sired with  all  his  heart,  Every  thing  by  the  people, 
and  for  thepeople.  He  did  not  live  long  enough. 

"  May  I  live  long  enough  to  see  you  return 
to  our  country,  restored  to  herself,  the  worthy 
heir  of  his  heart,  all  French,  of  his  generous 
intentions.  As  for  his  immense  genius,  it  is 
no  longer  necessary  for  France  or  for  Europe. 
You  are  destined,  by  your  birth,  to  unite  peo- 
ples and  kings,  and  to  reconcile  the  old  and 
the  new  civilization  ;  to  prevent  new  upheav- 
ings,  to  moderate  all  political  passions,  and 
thus  to  bring  forward  that  prosperity  of  indi- 


1832.]  LIFE  IN  EXILE.  361 


Letter  to  the  Duke  of  Beichatadt 


viduals  and  of  nations  which  can  only  arise 
from  justice,  from  the  free  development  of  all 
rights,  from  the  equilibrium  of  all  duties, 

"  Your  father  was  accustomed  to  say  to  me, 
'When  will  the  time  arise  when  justice  alone 
shall  reign  ?  When  shall  I  finish  my  dictatorship? 
We  do  not  yet  see  that  time.  The  English  oli- 
garchy will  not  have  it  so.  My  son  perhaps  will 
see  it.  May  that  presage  be  soon  accomplished.' 

"  This  is  also  the  fondest  wish  of  my  heart. 
Receive  it  with  the  tenderness  of  the  old  friend 
of  your  glorious  father,  at  Point  Breeze,  State 
of  New  Jersey,  in  the  United  States  of  Ameri- 
ca, where  I  live  as  happy  as  one  can  be  far 
from  his  country,  in  the  most  prosperous  land 
upon  the  earth,  under  the  name  which  I  have 
adopted,  of  the  Count  of  Survilliers." 

The  elder  brother  of  the  present  Emperor, 
Napoleon  III.,  who  had  married  the  youngest 
daughter  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  died  in  Italy  in 
March,  1831.  With  his  younger  brother,  Louis 
Napoleon,  he  had  joined  the  Italians  in  their 
endeavor  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Austria. 
The  young  prince,  who  had  developed  a  very 
noble  character,  fell  a  victim  to  the  fatigues  of 
the  campaign.  By  the  vote  of  the  French  people^ 
the  Duke  of  Beichstadt  was  the  first  heir  ta 


-862  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1832. 


Death  of  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 


the  throne  of  the  Empire.  In  case  of  his 
•death,  the  crown  passed  to  Joseph  Bonaparte. 
As  Joseph  had  no  children,  his  decease  would 
transfer  the  sceptre  to  his  brother,  Louis  Bona- 
parte, and  from  Louis  it  would  pass  to  Louis 
Napoleon,  his  only  surviving  son. 

When,  in  1832,  Joseph  heard  of  the  dan- 
.gerous  sickness  of  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt, 
whose  death,  as  we  have  mentioned,  would 
constitute  Joseph  first  heir  to  the  throne,  he 
with  some  hesitancy  decided  to  leave  his  peace- 
ful retreat  at  Point  Breeze  and  repair  to  Eng- 
land. He  hoped  to  obtain  permission  to  visit 
his  dying  nephew  in  Vienna,  and  then  to  re- 
unite himself  in  Italy  with  his  wife,  and  with 
Jais  revered  mother,  who  was  still  living.  Upon 
his  landing  in  Liverpool  he  received  the  sad  ti- 
dings that  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt  had  breathed 
his  last  on  the  22d  of  July.  He  was  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age,  tall,  graceful,  affectionate, 
and  of  marvellous  beauty.  His  mother  and 
•other  friends  wept  at  the  side  of  his  couch. 
Devoutly  he  partook  of  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and,  with  a  smile  lingering  upon 
•his  cheek,  fell  asleep.  We  trust 

"Asleep  in  Jesus,  blessed  sleep, 
From  which  none  ever  wake  to  weep." 


DEATH    OF    THE    DUKE   OF    KEICHSTADT. 


1832.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       365 


Joseph  in  England. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LAST   DAYS   AND    DEATH. 

JOSEPH,  finding  himself  in  England  in 
1832,  and  his  nephew,  the  Duke  of  Reich- 
stadt,  no  longer  living,  took  up  his  residence  in. 
London.  He  earnestly  desired  to  join  his  wife 
and  mother  in  Italy.  But  the  jealousy  of  the 
Allies  would  not  allow  him,  until  he  was  abso- 
lutely sinking  in  death,  to  place  his  foot  upon 
the  Continent.  His  universally  recognized  vir- 
tues secured  for  him,  from  all  classes  of  society, 
a  cordial  reception. 

While  Joseph  resided  in  England,  the  cele. 
brated  Spanish  chief,  Mina,  who  had  been  one 
of  the  most  formidable  of  the  leaders  of  the 
guerrillas,  made  several  visits  to  the  ex-King, 
expressing  the  deepest  regret  that  he  had  not 
sustained  him.  He  stated  to  Joseph  that  his 
intercepted  letters  had  so  revealed  his  true 
character,  that  others  of  the  leaders  who  had 
operated  against  him  were  now  in  his  favor. 

LaFayette  wrote  Joseph  a  letter  of  sympathy 
in  view  of  his  double  affliction  in  the  loss  of  his 


366  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1832, 

Letter  from  La  Fayette.  Letter  from  Joseph  to  La  Fayt-tte. 

son-in-law,  Napoleon  Louis,  and  his  nephew, 
the  Duke  of  Keichstadt.  The  letter,  from 
which  we  make  the  following  extract,  was  dat- 
ed  La  Grange,  October  13, 1832 : 

"  My  DEAR  COUNT, — I  am  deeply  affected  by 
those  testimonials  of  confidence  and  friendship 
which  you  kindly  give  me.  And  I  merit 
them  by  aii  those  affections  which  attach  me 
to  you.  It  is  with  profound  sympathy  that  I 
share  in  your  grief  from  the  two  cruel  bereave- 
ments. I  should  immediately  have  written  to 
you  in  London,  had  I  not  been  informed  that 
you  were  on  the  route  to  Italy.  I  have,  how- 
ever, since  learned  that  your  entrance  into- 
Home  has  been  interdicted  to  your  filial  piety 
by  a  base  and  barbarous  policy." 

La  Fayette  also  expresses  his  deep  regret  that 
the  Orleans  Government  persisted  in  the  decree 
which  banished  the  Bonaparte  family  from 
France.  Joseph,  in  a  reply  dated  London, 
Nov.  10,1832,  writes: 

"My  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  received 
your  kind  letter,  and  I  thank  you  with  all  my 
heart.  It  is  true  that  I  love,  as  much  as  you 
do,  the  institutions  of  the  United  States.  But 
I  am  near  to  France,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  see 
it  vanish  from  my  eyes  like  a  new  Ithaca  I 


1833.]  LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       36? 


Letter  from  Victor  lingo. 


prefer  France  to  the  United  States  as  the  resi- 
dence for  mj  declining  years,  and  I  rely  upon 
your  powerful  co-operation  to  secure  that  for 
me.  It  only  remains  for  me  to  hope  to  see  my 
country  as  happy  as  that  which  I  have  just 
left — a  country  which  I  love  above  all  others 
except  my  native  soil.  A  day  will  come  un- 
doubtedly, in  which  France  will  have  no  occa- 
sion to  envy  even  happy  America,  As  soor> 
as  it  shall  be  clearly  understood  that  all  ought 
to  devote  themselves  to  the  happiness  of  all, 
the  most  difficult  thing  will  be  accomplished. 
May  we  live  long  enough  to  witness  that,  and 
may  I  have  the  happiness  of  renewing  my 
long  friendship  in  our  common  country,  in- 
sometimes  speaking  to  you  of  the  admiration 
and  gratitude  with  which  you  are  regarded 
in  the  New  World." 

The  following  letter  from  Victor  Hugo  re- 
flects such  light  upon  the  reputation  of  Joseph 
Bonaparte,  as  to  merit  insertion  here.  It  was 
dated  Paris,  Feb.  27, 1833 : 

"SlRE, — I  avail  myself  of  the  first  opportu- 
nity to  reply  to  you.  Monsieur  Presle,  who- 
leaves  for  London,  kindly  offers  to  place  this 
letter  in  the  hands  of  your  Majesty.  Permit 
roe,  sire,  to  treat  you  ever  royally,  vous  traiter 


368          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1833. 


Letter  from  Victor  Hugo. 


toujours  royalement  The  kings  whom  Napole- 
on made,  in  my  opinion  nothing  can  unmake. 
There  is  no  human  power  which  can  efface  the 
august  sign  which  that  grand  man  has  placed 
upon  your  brow.  I  have  been  profoundly 
moved  by  the  sympathy  which  your  Majesty 
has  testified  for  me  upon  the  occasion  of  my 
prosecution  for  '  Le  Eoi  S"1  amuse?  You  love 
liberty,  sire.  Liberty  also  loves  you.  Permit 
me  to  send  you,  with  this  letter,  a  copy  of  the 
discourse  which  I  pronounced  before  the  Tribu- 
nal of  Commerce.  I  am  very  desirous  that 
you  should  see  it  in  a  form  different  from  the 
reports  in  the  journals,  which  are  always  in- 
exact. 

"  I  should  be  very  happy,  sire,  to  go  to 
London  to  clasp  that  royal  hand  which  has  so 
often  clasped  the  hand  of  my  father.  M.Presle 
will  inform  your  Majesty  of  the  obstacles  which 
at  the  present  moment  prevent  me  from  real- 
izing a  wish  so  dear.  I  have  very  many  things 
to  say  to  you.  It  is  impossible  that  the  future 
should  be  wanting  to  your  family,  great  as  has 
been  the  loss  of  the  past  year.  You  bear  the 
grandest  of  historic  names.  In  truth,  we  are 
moving  rather  toward  a  republic  than  toward 
a  monarchy.  But,  to  a  sage  like  you,  the  ex- 


1833.]  LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       369 

Letter  from  the  Duchess  of  Abrantea. 

terior  form  of  government  is  of  but  little  im- 
portance. You  have  proved,  sire,  that  you 
know  how  to  be  worthily  the  citizen  of  a  re- 
public. Adieu,  sire ;  the  day  in  which  I  shall 
be  permitted  to  press  your  hand  in  mine  will 
be  one  of  the  most  glorious  of  my  life.  While 
waiting  for  this  your  letters  render  me  proud 
and  happy." 

The  celebrated  Duchess  of  Abrantes,  wife 
of  Marshal  Junot,  sent  her  Memoirs  to  King 
Joseph  by  the  hands  of  M.  Presle.  The  fol- 
lowing extracts  from  the  letter  of  the  duchess 
to  M.  Presle  shows  the  enthusiastic  attachment 
which  Joseph  won  from  his  friends.  The  let- 
ter is  dated  Paris,  1833  . 

"  Will  you  be  so  good,  sir,  as  to  have  the 
kindness  to  take  charge  of  the  book  which  I 
send  with  this,  and  also  of  the  letter. which  I 
address  to  his  Majesty,  King  Joseph?  I. ear- 
nestly desire  that  both  should  be  transmitted 
to  him  as  promptly  as  possible.  I  very  much 
wish,  sir,  I  could  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you.  My  attachment  for  King  Joseph  is  so 
profound  and  so  true,  of  such  long-standing,  so 
established  upon  bases  which  can  never  crum- 
ble, that  I  would  give  days  of  my  life  to  talk 
a  moment  with  persons  loving  him  as  I  do,  and 

6—24 


370  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [183& 

Letter  from  the  Duchess  of  Abrantes. 


speaking  to  me  as  I  speak  of  him  and  think  of 
him.  As  for  me,  to  see  him  for  one  moment 
would  be  now  the  fulfillment  of  the  most  ar- 
dent of  my  wishes. 

"  With  these  feelings,  you  will  perceive,  sir, 
how  happy  I  shall  be  to  have  him  soon  re- 
ceive this  letter,  which  I  entrust  to  you.  It 
contains  my  wishes  for  the  new  year.  And  I 
can  truly  say  that  there  is  not  another  heart 
in  France  more  sincerely  devoted  to  his  happi- 
ness— his  true  happiness  and  his  glory.  Ah  I 
sir,  I  assure  him  that  in  France  there  is  one 
being  who  is  warmly  attached,  sincerely  de- 
voted to  him,  as  are  all  hers.  My  children 
have  been  cradled  in  the  name  of  Napoleon, 
and  that  without  concealment.  The  misfor- 
tune of  their  father  has  been  an  additional  tie 
to  attach  them  to  the  memory  of  the  Emperor^ 
and  to  all  those  who  bear  his  revered  name. 
The  bust  of  the  Emperor  is  in  my  alcove,  by 
the  side  of  the  font  in  which  I  place  my  lus- 
tral  water.  There  I  every  morning  and  even- 
ing repeat  my  prayers.  Why  should  I  not 
say  this?  I  do  it  because  rny  love  for  my 
country  constrains  me  to  fall  upon  my  knees 
before  that  name  which  constituted  its  glory 
and  its  happiness  for  fifteen  years." 


1833.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.  •    371 

Restoration  of  Napoleon's  Statue  to  the  Column  of  Austerlitz. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  1833,  the  Louis  Phi- 
lippe Government,  in  reluctant  concession  to 
the  almost  universal  voice  of  the  French  people,, 
restored  the  statue  of  Napoleon  to  the  Column 
of  Austerlitz,  in  the  Place  Vendome.  It  i& 
scarcely  too  much  to  say  that  as  that  statue 
rose  to  its  proud  eminence,  the  whole  French 
nation  raised  a  shout  of  joy.  A  Parisian  jour- 
nal, The  Tribune,  intending  perhaps  to  reflect 
upon  the  Government,  expressed  surprise  in  not 
seeing  a  single  member  of  the  Bonaparte  family 
shaking  the  dust  of  exile  from  his  feet,  and 
coming,  in  the  broad  light  of  July,  claiming  a 
"just  reparation."  Joseph  wrote  to  the  editor 
from  London  a  letter  containing  the  following 
sentiments : 

"  I  have  read  in  your  journal  of  July  29th 
the  article  in  which  you  give  an  account  of  the 
solemnity  which  took  place  on  the  28th  at  the 
foot  of  the  Column  of  Austerlitz,  upon  the  in- 
auguration of  the  statue  of  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon. You  attribute  the  absence  of  his  broth- 
ers to  very  strange  sentiments.  Are  you  ig- 
norant, then,  that  an  iniquitous  law,  dictated 
by  the  enemies  of  France  to  the  elder  branch 
of  the  Bourbons,  excluded  these  brothers,  out 
of  hatred  to  the  name  of  Napoleon  ?  Would 


372  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1833. 

Restoration  of  Napoleon's  Statue  to  the  Column  of  Austerlitz. 

you  wish  that,  in  defiance  of  a  law  which  the 
National  Majesty  has  not  yet  repealed,  we 
should  bear  the  brands  of  discord  into  our 
country  at  the  moment  when  it  re-erects  the 
statue  of  our  brother  ?  Every  thing  far  the  na- 
tion, was  the  motto  of  our  brother.  It  shall  be 
ours  also. 

"  Instead  of  speaking,  as  a  hostile  journal 
would  have  done,  in  casting  the  blame  upon 
patriots  proscribed,  who  wander  over  the  world 
the  victims  of  the  enemies  of  their  country, 
would  it  not  have  exhibited  more  of  courage 
and  of  justice  on  your  part,  sir,  to  recall  to  the 
electors  of  France  that  Napoleon  has  a  mother 
who  languishes  upon  a  foreign  soil,  without  it 
being  possible  for  her  children  to  speak  to  her 
a  last  adieu  ?  She  shares  with  three  genera- 
tions of  her  kindred,  including  sixty  French, 
the  rigors  of  an  exile  of  twenty  years.  They 
are  guilty  of  no  other  crime  than  that  of  being 
the  relatives  of  a  man  whose  statue  is  re-erect- 
ed by  national  decree. 

"  The  name  of  Napoleon  will  never  be  the 
banner  of  civil  discord.  Twice  he  withdrew 
from  France,  that  he  might  not  be  the  pretext 
for  the  infliction  of  calamities  upon  his  coun- 
try. Such  are  the  doctrines  which  Napoleon 


1834.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       373 


The  Law  of  Proscription. 


has  bequeathed  to  his  family.  It  is  because 
the  French  people  know  well  that  his  pretend- 
ed despotism  was  but  a  dictatorship,  rendered 
necessary  by  the  wars  which  his  enemies  waged 
against  him,  that  his  memory  remains  popular 
Is  it  just,  is  it  honorable  that  his  family  should 
still  be  condemned  to  endure  the  anguish  of 
exile,  and  to  hear  even  his  ancient  enemies  re- 
proach the  French  with  the  injustice  of  their 
proscription  ?" 

This  law  of  proscription,  dictated  by  the 
Allies  on  the  12th  of  January,  1816,  and  re-af- 
firmed by  the  Government  of  Louis  Philippe, 
was  as  follows : 

"  The  ascendants  and  descendants  of  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte,  his  uncles  and  his  aunts,  his 
nephews  and  his  nieces,  his  brothers,  their 
wives  and  theirdescendants,  his  sisters  and  their 
husbands,  are  excluded  from  the  realm  forever." 

The  penalty  for  violating  this  decree  of  ban- 
ishment was  death.  Madame  Letitia  had  been 
informed  in  Rome  that  the  Louis  Philippe 
Government  contemplated  abolishing  the  de- 
cree of  exile,  so  far  as  she  alone  was  concerned. 
In  response  she  wrote,  April,  1834,  to  a  distin- 
guished gentleman  in  Paris,  M.  Sapey,  as  fol« 
lows: 


374  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1834. 


Letter  from  Madame  Letitia. 


"MONSIEUR, — Those  who  recognize  the  ab- 
surdity of  maintaining  the  law  of  exile  against 
my  family,  and  who  wish  nevertheless  to  pro- 
pose an  exception,  do  not  know  either  my 
principles  or  my  character.  I  was  left  a  widow 
at  thirty-three  years  of  age,  and  my  eight  chil- 
dren were  my  only  consolation.  Corsica  was 
menaced  with  separation  from  France.  The 
loss  of  my  property  and  the  abandonment  of 
my  fireside  did  not  terrify  me.  I  followed  my 
children  to  the  Continent.  In  1814  I  followed 
Napoleon  to  the  island  of  Elba.  In  1816, 
notwithstanding  my  age,  I  should  have  follow- 
ed him  to  Saint  Helena  had  it  not  been  pro- 
hibited. I  resigned  myself  to  live  a  prisoner 
of  state  at  Rome  ;  yes,  a  prisoner  of  state.  I 
know  not  whether  that  was  through  an  ampli- 
fication of  the  law  which  exiled  me  with  my 
family  from  France,  or  by  a  protocol  of  the 
allied  powers. 

"  I  then  saw  persecution  reach  such  a  pitch 
as  to  compel  the  members  of  my  family,  who 
had  devoted  themselves  to  live  with  me  at 
Rome,  to  abandon  the  city.  I  then  decided  to 
withdraw  from  the  world,  and  to  seek  no  other 
happiness  than  that  of  the  future  life ;  since  I 
saw  myself  separated  from  those  for  whom  I 


1835.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       375 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  Louis. 


clung  to  life,  and  in  whom  reposed  all  ray 
souvenirs  and  all  my  happiness,  if  there  were 
any  more  happiness  remaining  for  me  in  this 
world.  How  could  I  hope  to  find  any  equiva- 
lent in  France,  which  was  not  already  poison- 
ed by  the  injustice  of  men  in  power  who  could 
not  pardon  my  family  the  glory  which  it  has 
acquired  ? 

"Leave  me,  then,  in  my  honorable  suffer- 
ings, that  I  may  bear  to  the  tomb  the  integrity 
of  my  character.  I  will  never  separate  my  lot 
from  that  of  my  children.  It  is  the  only  con- 
solation which  remains  to  me.  Eeceive,  never- 
theless, monsieur,  my  thanks  for  the  kind  in- 
terest which  you  have  taken  in  my  affairs." 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1835,  Joseph  wrote 
to  his  brother  Louis,  the  father  of  Napoleon 
III.,  as  follows : 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER, —  I  have  received 
your  letter  of  the  27th  of  December.  I  am 
afflicted  by  the  depression  of  spirits  in  which 
it  was  written.  It  is  true  that  for  many  years 
fortune  has  been  constantly  severe  with  us. 
But  it  is  something  to  be  able  to  say  to  one's 
self  that  fortune  is  blind.  And  an  irreproach- 
able conscience  and  a  good  heart  offer  many 
consolations.  They  accompany  us  wherever 


376  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1835. 


Letter  from  Joseph  to  Ixmie. 


we  go,  and  prevent  us  from  being  too  severe 
in  our  turn  against  fortune  and  her  favorites 
of  the  day. 

"  It  is  indeed  true  that  there  are  but  few 
gleams  of  happiness  to  be  met  in  this  life. 
The  least  unfortunate  have  still  their  storms. 
There  are  but  few  privileged  men.  How  many 
there  are  whom  we  must  admit  to  be  more  un- 
happy than  we  are.  And  we  do  not  sufficient* 
ly  take  into  account  the  sufferings  of  dishonor- 
ed men,  whose  conscience  will  at  times  awake 
and  react  upon  those  who  have  done  it  vio- 
lence. Those  whc  have  borne  arms  against 
their  country,  against  their  benefactor,  who 
have  sold  their  services  to  foreigners,  think 
you  they  can  be  happy  ?  The  consciousness 
of  not  having  merited  the  abandonment  of 
which  you  speak,  is  not  that  a  happy  senti- 
ment ?  It  is  necessary  then  for  us  to  perceive 
what  we  are  in  this  life,  and  not  what  we  could 
wish  to  be.  Being  men,  we  are  destined  to 
live,  that  is  to  say,  to  suffer.  But  we  can  pre- 
serve our  own  self-respect,  and  the  esteem  of 
the  friends  who  appreciate  us.  So  long  as  that 
continues,  one  is  not  absolutely  unhappy.  In 
that  point  of  view,  no  person  ought  to  be  more 
satisfied  than  yourself,  my  dear  Louis.  All 


1335.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       377 

Meeting  of  the  Brothers  in  London. 

other  evils  over  which  we  have  no  control  are 
hard  to  endure,  undoubtedly.  But  their  neces- 
sity, in  spite  of  ourselves,  should  lead  us  to 
bear  them.  We  ought  to  submit  to  that  which 
we  can  not  prevent. 

"  Still,  I  can  say  nothing  upon  this  subject 
which  you  do  not  know  as  well  as  I  do.  But 
I  am  not  writing  a  dissertation.  I  recount  my 
sensations  and  my  sentiments  as  they  flow  from 
my  pen.  The  consciousness  of  not  meriting 
the  evil  which  one  suffers  greatly  mitigates  that 
evil.  Adieu,  my  dear  Louis.  I  love  you  as 
ever.  We  have  not  known  any  revolutions  in 
our  affections." 

Soon  after  Joseph  had  established  himself 
in  London,  he  called  his  brothers  Lucien  and 
Jerome,  and  his  nephew,  Prince  Louis  Napole- 
on, to  join  him  there.  The  acts  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  Louis  Philippe  and  the  intense  opposi- 
tion they  encountered  engrossed  his  meditations. 
Fully  satisfied  that  the  Government  could  not 
maintain  itself  in  the  course  it  was  pursuing, 
Joseph  deemed  it  important  for  the  triumph 
of  what  he  called  the  popular  cause,  to  effect  a 
cordial  union  between  the  Republican  and  Im- 
perial parties.  The  Government  thwarted  this 
union  by  sending  spies  into  the  clubs,  who, 


378  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1836. 


Testimony  of  Loui*  Napoleon. 


joining  those  associations,  assumed  to  be  earn- 
est democrats,  and  strove  in  every  way  to  pro- 
mote discord,  while  they  extolled  in  most  ex- 
travagant terms  the  brutal  deeds  of  Marat,  St. 
Just,  and  Robespierre.  Joseph  could  not  act 
in  harmony  with  such  men,  and  the  projected 
alliance  was  abandoned.1 

In  a  brief  sketch  which  Louis  Napoleon, 
while  a  prisoner  at  Harn,  wrote  of  his  uncle 
Joseph  just  after  his  death,  he  says:  "In  gen- 
eral, Prince  Louis  Napoleon  was  in  accord  with 
his  uncle  upon  all  fundamental  questions; 
but  he  differed  from  him  upon  one  essential 
point,  which  offered  a  very  strange  contrast. 
The  old  man,  whose  days  were  nearly  finished, 
did  not  wish  to  precipitate  any  thing.  He  was 
resigned  to  await  the  developments  of  time. 
But  the  young  man,  impatient,  wished  to  act, 
and  to  precipitate  events. 

"The  insurrection  at  Strasbourg,  in  the 
month  of  October,  1836,  thus  took  place  with- 
out the  authorization  and  without  the  participa- 
tion of  Joseph.  He  was  also  much  displeased 
with  it,  since  the  journals  deceived  him  respect- 
ing the  aim  and  intentions  of  his  nephew.  la 
1837  Joseph  revisited  America.  Upon  his  re- 
'  CEuvres  de  Napoleon  III.,  tome  deuxieme,  p.  449. 


1837.]  LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH,       379 


The  Attempt  at  Strasbourg. 


turn  to  Europe  in  1839  he  found  his  nephew 
in  England.  Then,  enlightened  respecting  the 
object,  the  means,  and  the  plans  of  Prince  Lou- 
is Napoleon,  he  restored  to  him  all  his  tender- 
ness. The  publication  of  Les  Idees  Napoleo- 
niennes  merited  his  entire  approbation.  And 
upon  that  occasion  he  declared  openly  that,  in 
his  quality  of  friend  and  depositary  of  the  most 
intimate  thoughts  of  the  Emperor,  he  could  say 
positively  that  that  book  contained  the  exact 
and  faithful  record  of  the  political  intentions 
of  his  brother." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Louis  Napoleon, 
after  the  attempt  at  Strasbourg,  was  sent  in  a 
French  frigate  to  Brazil,  and  thence  to  New 
York,  where  he  remained  but  a  few  weeks, 
when  he  returned  to  Europe  to  his  dying  moth- 
er. At  New  York,  under  date  of  April  22, 
1837,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his  uncle 
Joseph  at  London.  The  letter  very  clearly  re- 
veals the  relation  then  existing  between  tbem. 

"  MY  DEAR  UNCLE, — Upon  my  arrival  in  the 
United  States,  I  hoped  to  have  found  a  letter 
from  you.  I  confess  to  you  that  I  have  been 
deeply  pained  to  learn  that  you  were  displeased 
with  me.  I  have  even  been  astonished  by  it, 
knowing  your  judgment  and  your  heart.  Yes, 


880          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1837. 

Letter  from  Louis  Napoleon  to  bis  Uncle  Joseph. 

my  uncle,  you  must  have  been  strangely  led 
into  error  in  respect  to  me,  to  repel  as  enemies 
men  who  have  devoted  themselves  to  the  cause 
of  the  Empire. 

"  If,  successful  at  Strasbourg,  and  it  was  very 
near  a  success,  I  had  marched  upon  Paris,  draw- 
ing after  me  the  populations  fascinated  by 
the  souvenirs  of  the  Empire,  and,  arriving  in 
the  capital  a  pretender,  I  had  seized  upon  the 
legal  power,  then  indeed  there  would  have  been 
nobleness  and  grandeur  of  soul  in  disavowing 
my  conduct,  and  in  breaking  with  me. 

"  But  how  is  it  ?  I  attempt  one  of  those 
bold  enterprises  which  could  alone  re-establish 
that  which  twenty  years  of  peace  have  caused 
to  be  forgotten.  I  throw  myself  into  the  at- 
tempt, ready  to  sacrifice  my  life,  persuaded  that 
my  death  even  would  be  useful  to  our  cause. 
I  escape,  against  my  wishes,  the  bayonets  and 
the  scaffold;  and,  having  escaped,  I  find  on 
the  part  of  my  family  only  contumely  and  dis- 
dain. 

"  If  the  sentiments  of  respect  and  esteem 
with  which  I  regard  you  were  not  so  sincere,  I 
should  not  so  deeply  feel  your  conduct  in  re- 
spect to  me ;  for  I  venture  to  say  that  public 
opinion  can  never  admit  that  there  is  any  alien- 


1837.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       381 

Letter  from  Louis  Napoleon  to  his  Uncle  Joseph. 

ation  between  us.  No  person  can  comprehend 
that  you  disavow  your  nephew  because  he  has 
exposed  himself  in  your  cause.  No  one  can 
comprehend  that  men  who  have  perilled  their 
lives  and  their  fortune  to  replace  the  eagle  upon 
our  banners  can  be  regarded  by  you  as  enemies, 
any  more  than  they  could  comprehend  that 
Louis  XVIII.  would  repel  the  Prince  of  Conde 
or  the  Due  d'Enghien  because  they  had  been 
unfortunate  in  their  enterprises. 

"  I  know  you  too  well,  my  dear  uncle,  to 
doubt  the  goodness  of  your  heart,  and  not  to 
hope  that  you  will  return  to  sentiments  more 
just  in  respect  to  me,  and  in  respect  to  those 
who  have  compromised  themselves  for  your 
cause.  As  for  myself,  whatever  may  be  your 
procedure  in  reference  to  me,  my  line  of  con- 
duct will  be  ever  the  same.  The  sympathy  of 
which  so  many  persons  have  given  me  proofs; 
my  conscience,  which  does  in  nothing  reproach 
me  ;  in  fine,  the  conviction  that  if  the  Emperor 
beholds  me  from  his  elevation  in  the  skies,  he 
would  approve  my  conduct,  are  so  many  com- 
pensations for  all  the  mortifications  and  injus- 
tice which  I  have  experienced.  My  enterprise 
bas  failed  ;  that  is  true.  But  it  has  announced 
to  France  that  the  family  of  the  Emperor  is  not 


382  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1840. 

Letter  from  Louis  Napoleon  to  his  Uncle  Joseph. 

yet  dead ;  that  it  still  numbers  many  devoted 
friends ;  in  fine,  that  their  pretensions  are  not 
limited  to  the  demand  of  a  few  pence  from  the 
Government,  but  to  the  re-establishment,  in 
favor  of  the  people,  of  those  rights  of  which 
foreigners  and  the  Bourbons  have  deprived 
them.  This  is  what  I  have  done.  Is  it  for 
you  to  condemn  me? 

"I  send  you  with  this  a  recital  of  my  re- 
movement  from  the  prison  of  Strasbourg,  that 
you  may  be  fully  informed  of  all  my  proceed- 
ings, and  that  you  may  know  that  I  have  done 
nothing  unworthy  of  the  name  which  I  bear. 
I  beg  you  to  present  my  respects  to  my  uncle 
Lucien.  I  rely  upon  his  judgment  and  affec- 
tion to  be  my  advocate  with  you.  I  entreat 
you,  my  dear  uncle,  not  to  be  displeased  with 
the  laconic  manner  in  which  I  represent  these 
facts,  such  as  they  are.  Never  doubt  my  un- 
alterable attachment  to  you. 

"Your  tender  and  respectful  nephew, 

"  NAPOLEON  Louis.'" 

In  1840  the  health  of  Joseph  began  to  be 

1  For  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  his  elder  hrothflr, 
Louis  Napoleon,  in  accordance  with  the  understood  wish  of 
the  Emperor,  adopted  the  signature  of  Napoleon  Louis. 
Soon,  however,  he  again  resumed  his  original  name. 


1843.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       383 


Failing  Health  of  Joseph. 


seriously  impaired.  In  London  he  had  an  at- 
tack of  paralysis,  which  induced  him  to  go  to 
the  warm  baths  of  Wildbad,  in  Wurtemberg. 
He  was  somewhat  benefited  by  the  waters,  and 
cherished  the  hope  that  he  might  join  members 
of  his  family  in  Italy.  But  the  Continental 
•sovereigns  so  feared  the  potency  of  the  name 
of  Bonaparte  upon  the  masses  of  the  people 
that  his  request  was  peremptorily  refused. 
Thus  repulsed,  he  returned  to  the  cold  climate 
of  England. 

In  1841,  the  King  of  Sardinia,  who  was 
strongly  leaning  toward  popular  principles, 
allowed  Joseph  to  take  up  his  residence  in 
Genoa.  He  was  conveyed  to  that  city  in  an 
English  ship.  He  had  been  there  but  a  few 
weeks,  when  the  Duke  of  Tuscany,  commiser- 
ating his  dying  condition,  kindly  consented 
that  he  should  join  his  wife,  his  children,  and 
his  brothers  in  Florence. 

In  1842  Joseph  bequeathed  to  the  principal 
cities  of  Corsica  several  hundred  valuable 
paintings,  which  he  had  received  as  a  legacy 
from  his  uncle,  Cardinal  Fesch. 

In  1843,  the  Government  of  Louis  Philippe, 
with  marvellous  inconsistency,  voted  to  demand 
the  remains  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  from 


384  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1843, 

The  Remains  of  the  Kmperor  brought  back  to  France. 

the  British  Government,  and  to  rear  to  his 
honor,  beneath  the  dome  of  the  Invalides.  the 
monument  of  a  nation's  gratitude,  while  at 
the  same  time  that  Government  persisted  in 
banishing  from  France  all  the  members  of  the 
Napoleon  family. 

A  very  earnest  petition  was  sent  at  this 
time  to  the  Government,  numerously  signed 
by  Frenchmen,  praying  that  the  decree  of 
banishment  against  the  Bonaparte  family 
might  be  annulled.  But  the  Louis  Philippe 
Government  declared  in  council  that  the  reso- 
lution of  the  Government  to  prolong  the  exile 
of  the  family  of  Napoleon  was  positive  and 
unchanging.  Joseph  wrote  a  letter  of  thanks 
in  behalf  of  the  Bonaparte  family  to  the  sign- 
ers of  the  petition,  in  which  he  said : 

"  The  elder  branch  of  the  Bourbons,  brought 
back  to  France  by  foreign  bayonets,  we  have 
ever  frankly  treated  as  enemies.  They  did  not 
conceive  the  hope  of  degrading  us  in  our  own 
eyes.  It  has  been  reserved  for  the  younger 
branch  to  call  artifice  to  its  aid — to  glorify  the 
dead  Napoleon,  and  to  traduce,  to  proscribe  his 
mother,  his  sisters,  his  nephews,  fifty  or  sixty 
French  people,  charged  with  the  crime  of  bear- 
ing his  name. 


1843.]  LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       385 


Letter  of  Thanks  from  Joseph. 


"  Were  Napoleon  living  to-day,  he  would 
think  as  we  do.  He  would  recognize  in  France 
no  other  sovereign  than  the  French  people, 
who  alone  have  the  right  to  establish  such  a 
form  of  Government  as  to  them  may  seem  best 
for  their  interests.  The  too  long  dictatorship 
of  Napoleon  was  prolonged  by  the  persistence 
of  the  enemies  of  the  Revolution,  who  endeav- 
ored to  destroy  in  him  the  principle  of  nation- 
al sovereignty  from  which  he  emanated. 

"  At  a  general  peace,  universal  suffrage,  lib- 
erty of  the  press,  and  all  the  guaranties  for 
the  perpetual  prosperity  of  a  great  nation, 
which  were  in  the  plans  of  Napcieon,  would 
have  been  unveiled  before  entire  France,  and 
would  have  made  him  the  greatest  man  in  his- 
tory. His  whole  thoughts  were  made  known 
to  me.  It  is  my  duty  loudly  to  proclaim  them. 
He  sacrificed  himself  twice,  that  he  might  save 
France  from  civil  war.  The  heirs  of  his  name 
would  renounce  forever  the  happiness  of  breath- 
ing the  air  of  their  native  country,  did  they 
think  that  their  presence  would  inflict  upon  it 
the  least  injury.  Such  are  the  principles,  the 
opinions,  the  sentiments  of  all  the  members  of 
the  family  of  Napoleon,  of  which  I  am  here  the 
interpreter.  Every  thing  for  and  by  the  people.11 

ft— 25 


386          JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.        [1844 


Sickness  and  Death. 


In  the  few  remaining  years  of  his  life, 
nursed  by  the  tender  care  of  his  wife  Julie, 
who  was  to  him  an  angel  of  consolation,  Jo- 
seph remained  in  Florence,  his  mind  entirely 
engrossed  with  the  misfortunes  of  his  family. 
He  had  become  fully  reconciled  to  his  nephew, 
and  keenly  sympathized  with  him  in  his  cap- 
tivity at  Ham.  The  glaring  inconsistency  of 
the  Government  of  Louis  Philippe  in  persisting 
to  banish  from  France  the  relatives  of  a  man 
whom  all  France  almost  adored,  simply  because 
they  were  that  great  man's  relatives,  often 
roused  bis  indignation. 

T.he  thought  that  he  was  an  exile  from 
his  native  land — from  France,  which  he  .had 
served  so  faithfully,  and  loved  so  well — embit- 
tered his  last  hours.  Supported  by  the  devo- 
tion of  Julie,  and  by  the  presence  of  his  broth- 
ers, Louis  and  Jerome,  to  both  of  whom  he 
was  tenderly  attached,  he  awaited  without  re- 
gret the  approach  of  death. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1844,  Joseph  breathed 
his  last  at  Florence,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  He  left  his  fortune,  which  was  not  very 
large,  to  his  eight  grandchildren.  He  also  re- 
quested that  his  remains  should  be  deposited 
in  Florence  until  the  hour  should  come  when 


1844.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       387 


Character  of  Joseph. 


they  could  be  removed  to  the  soil  of  his  beloved 
France.  Queen  Julie  survived  him  but  a  few- 
months.  Her  remains  were  deposited  by  the 
side  of  those  of  her  husband,  and  of  her  second 
daughter,  the  Princess  Charlotte,  who  died  in 
1839. 

Joseph  was  eminently  calculated  to  embel- 
lish society  and  to  adorn  the  arts  of  peace. 
His  literary  attainments  were  very  extensive, 
and  in  the  Tribune  he  was  eminent,  both  as  an 
orator  and  a  ready  debater.  Familiar  with  all 
the  choicest  passages  of  the  classic  writers  of 
France  and  Italy,  and  thoroughly  read  in  all 
the  branches  of  political  economy,  with  great 
affability  of  manners  and  spotless  purity  of 
character,  he  would  have  been  a  man  of  dis- 
tinction in  any  country  and  in  any  age.  To 
say  that  he  was  not  equal  to  his  brother  Napo- 
leon is  no  reproach,  for  Napoleon  has  never 
probably,  in  all  respects,  had  his  equal.  But 
Joseph  filled  with  distinguished  honor  all  the 
varied  positions  of  his  eventful  life.  As  a  leg 
islator,  an  ambassador,  a  general,  a  monarch, 
and  a  private  citizen,  he  was  alike  eminent. 

From  the  commencement  of  his  career  until 
his  last  breath,  he  was  devoted  to  those  princi- 
ples of  popular  rights  to  which  the  French 


388  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1844. 


Character  of  Joseph. 


Revolution  gave  birth,  and  which  his  more  il- 
lustrious brother  so  long  and  so  gloriously  up- 
held against  the  combined  dynasties  of  Europe. 
This  sublime  struggle  of  the  people  throughout 
Europe,  under  the  banners  of  Napoleon,  against 
the  old  regime  of  aristocratic  oppression,  pro- 
foundly moved  the  soul  of  Joseph.  The  hon- 
ors he  received,  the  flattery  at  times  lavished 
upon  him,  did  not  corrupt  his  heart.  "  Under 
the  purple,"  says  Napoleon  III.,  "  as  under  the 
cloak  of  exile,  Joseph  ever  remained  the  same; 
the  determined  opponent  of  all  oppression,  of 
all  privilege,  of  every  abuse,  and  the  earnest 
advocate  of  equal  rights  and  of  popular  lib- 
erty." 

In  his  last  days,  Joseph,  whose  conversa- 
tional powers  were  remarkable,  loved  to  recall 
the  scenes  of  his  memorable  career.  With  the 
most  touching  simplicity,  and  with  a  charm  of 
quiet  eloquence  which  moved  all  hearts,  he 
held  in  breathless  interest  those  who  were 
grouped  around  him.  With  pleasure  he  al- 
luded to  the  comparatively  humble  origin  of 
his  family,  which  had  counted  among  the  mem- 
bers so  many  kings.  He  was  fond  of  relating 
anecdotes  of  the  brother  of  whom  he  was  so 
proud,  and  whom  he  so  tenderly  loved.  One 


1844.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       389 


Character  of  Joseph. 


of  these  characteristic  anecdotes   was  as  fol- 
lows: 

"Joseph,"  said  the  Emperor  to  me  one  day, 

"T '    has    infinite    ability,    has    he  not? 

Well,  do  you  know  why  he  has  never  accom- 
plished any  thing  great  ?     It  is  because  grand 

thoughts  come  only  from  the  heart,  and  T • 

has  no  heart" 

Though  Joseph  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 
gentleness  of  character  and  sweetness  of  dispo- 
sition, the  cruel  treatment  of  his  brother  at 
Saint  Helena  he  could  never  allude  to  without 
intense  emotion.  In  speaking  of  the  destitu- 
tion of  the  Emperor  in  the  hovel  on  that  dis- 
tant rock,  his  eyes  would  fill  with  tears,  and  his 
voice  would  tremble  under  the  vehemence  of 
his  feelings. 

The  course  pursued  by  the  Government  of 
Louis  Philippe,  the  whole  internal  and  exter- 
nal policy  of  that  unhappy  monarch,  arresting 
the  progress  of  popular  rights  at  home  and  de- 
grading France  abroad,  and  especially  its  gross 
inconsistency  in  lavishing  honors  upon  the 
memory  of  Napoleon,  and  yet  persisting  in  ban- 
ishing his  descendants,  roused  his  indignation. 

We  can  not  conclude  this  brief  sketch  more 

1  Talleyrand. 


390  JOSEPH  BONAPARTE.       [1844. 


Character  of  J  oaeph. 


appropriately  than  in  the  words  of  Louis  Na- 
poleon, written  when  he  was  a  captive  at  Ham, 
and  when  his  uncle  Joseph  had  just  died  in  ex- 
ile at  Florence. 

"If  there  existed  to-day  among  us  a  man 
who,  as  a  deputy,  a  diplomatist,  a  king,  a  citizen, 
or  a  soldier,  was  invariably  distinguished  for 
his  patriotism  and  his  brilliant  qualities ;  if  that 
man  had  rendered  himself  illustrious  by  his 
oratorical  triumphs,  and  by  the  advantageous 
treaties  he  had  concluded  for  the  interests  of 
France;  if  that  man  had  refused  a  crown  be- 
cause the  conditions  which  it  imposed  upon 
him  wounded  his  conscience ;  if  that  man  had 
conquered  a  realm,  gained  battles,  and  had  ex- 
hibited upon  two  thrones  the  light  of  French 
ideas ;  if,  in  fine,  in  good  as  in  bad  fortune,  he 
had  always  remained  faithful  to  his  oaths,  to 
his  country,  to  his  friends ;  that  man,  we  may 
say,  would  occupy  the  highest  position  in  pub- 
lic esteem,  statues  would  be  raised  to  him,  and 
civic  crowns  would  adorn  his  whitened  locks. 

"  Well !  this  man  lately  existed,  with  all 
these  glories,  with  all  these  honorable  antece- 
dents. Nevertheless  upon  his  brow  we  see 
only  the  imprint  of  misfortune.  His  country 
has  requited  his  noble  services  by  an  exile  of 


1844.]   LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH.       391 


Character  of  Joseph. 


twenty-nine  years.  "We  deplore  this,  without 
being  astonished  at  it  There  are  but  two  par- 
ties in  France;  the  vanquished  and  the  van- 
quishers at  Waterloo.  The  vanquishers  are  in 
power,  and  all  that  is  national  is  crushed  beneath 
the  weight  of  defeat." 

These  words  were  written  in  the  year  1844. 
The  Empire  is  now  restored.  The  decree  of 
exile  against  the  Bonaparte  family  is  annulled. 
The  heir  of  the  Emperor  sits  upon  the  throne, 
recognized  by  all  the  nations  in  the  Old  World 
and  the  New.  The  time  has  come  when  the 
character  of  Joseph  Bonaparte  can  be,  and  will 
be  justly  appreciated. 


THE     END. 


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