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memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v9-第8部分

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Ouvrard to place at his disposal 10;000;000 of the piastres which he had
received from Spain。  The Minister at the same time informed him that he
had made arrangements on the faith of this advance; which he thought
could not be refused at so urgent a moment。

The embarrassment of the Treasury; and the well…known integrity of the
Minister; M。 de Barbe Marbois; induced Ouvrard to remit the 10;000;000
piastres。  But a few days after he had forwarded the money a Commissioner
of the Treasury arrived at Madrid with a ministerial despatch; in which
Ouvrard was requested to deliver to the Commissioner all the assets he
could command; and to return immediately to Paris。

The Treasury was then in the greatest difficulty; and a general alarm
prevailed。  This serious financial distress was occasioned by the
following circumstances。  The Treasury had; by a circular; notified to
the Receivers…General that Desprez was the holder of their bonds。  They
were also authorised to transmit to him all their disposable funds; to be
placed to their credit in an account current。  Perhaps the giving of this
authority was a great error; but; be that as it may; Desprez; encouraged
by the complaisance of the Treasury; desired the Receivers…General to
transmit to him all the sums they could procure for payment of interest
under 8 per cent。; promising to allow them a higher rate of interest。  As
the credit of the house of Desprez stood high; it may be easily conceived
that on such conditions the Receivers…General; who were besides secured
by the authority of the Treasury; would enter eagerly into the proposed
plan。  In short; the Receivers…General soon transmitted very considerable
sums。  Chests of money arrived daily from every point of France。
Intoxicated by this success; Desprez engaged in speculations which in his
situation were extremely imprudent。  He lent more than 50;000;000 to the
merchants of Paris; which left him no command of specie。  Being obliged
to raise money; he deposited with the Bank the bonds of the Receivers…
General which had been consigned to him; but which were already
discharged by the sums transmitted to their credit in the account
current。  The Bank; wishing to be reimbursed for the money advanced to
Desprez; applied to the Receivers…General whose bonds were held an
security。  This proceeding had become necessary on the part of the Bank;
as Desprez; instead of making his payments in specie; sent in his
acceptances。  The Directors of the Bank; who conducted that establishment
with great integrity and discretion; began to be alarmed; and required
Desprez to explain the state of his affairs。  The suspicions of the
Directors became daily stronger; and were soon shared by the public。  At
last the Bank was obliged to stop payment; and its notes were soon at a
discount of 12 per cent。

The Minister of the Treasury; dismayed; as well may be supposed; at such
a state of things during the Emperor's absence; convoked a Council; at
which Joseph Bonaparte presided; and to which Desprez and Wanlerberghe
were summoned。  Ouvrard being informed of this financial convulsion made
all possible haste from Madrid; and on his arrival at Paris sought
assistance from Amsterdam。  Hope's house offered to take 15;000;000
piastres at the rate of 3 francs 75 centimes each。  Ouvrard having
engaged to pay the Spanish Government only 3 francs; would very willingly
have parted with them at that rate; but his hasty departure from Madrid;
and the financial events at Paris; affected his relations with the
Spanish Treasury; and rendered it impossible for him to afford any
support to the Treasury of France; thus the alarm continued; until the
news of the battle of Austerlitz and the consequent hope of peace
tranquillised the public mind。  The bankruptcy of Desprez was dreadful;
it was followed by the failure of many houses; the credit of which was
previously undoubted。

To temper the exultation which victory was calculated to excite; the news
of the desperate situation of the Treasury and the Bank reached the
Emperor on the day after the battle of Austerlitz。  The alarming accounts
which he received hastened his return to France; and on the very evening
on which he arrived in Paris he pronounced; while ascending the stairs of
the Tuileries; the dismissal of M。 de Barbs Marbois。  This Minister had
made numerous enemies by the strict discharge of his duty; and yet;
notwithstanding his rigid probity; he sunk under the accusation of having
endangered the safety of the State by weakness of character。  At this
period even Madame de Stael said; in a party where the firmness of M。
Barbs Marbois was the topic of conversation〃What; he inflexible?  He is
only a reed bronzed!〃  But whatever may be the opinion entertained of the
character of this Minister; it is certain that Napoleon's rage against
him was unbounded。  Such was the financial catastrophe which occurred
during the campaign of Vienna; but all was not over with Ouvrard; and in
so great a confusion of affairs it was not to be expected that the
Imperial hand; which was not always the hand of justice; should not make
itself somewhere felt。

In the course of the month of February 1806 the Emperor issued two
decrees; in which he declared Ouvrard; Wanlerberghe; and Michel;
contractors for the service of 1804; and Desprez their agent; debtors to
the amount of 87;000;000; which they had misapplied in private
speculations; and in transactions with Spain 〃for their personal
interests。〃  Who would not suppose from this phrase that Napoleon had
taken no part whatever in the great financial operation between Spain and
South America?  He was; however; intimately acquainted with it; and was
himself really and personally interested。  But whenever any enterprise
was unsuccessful he always wished to deny all connection with it。
Possessed of title…deeds made up by himselfthat is to say; his own
decreesthe Emperor seized all the piastres and other property belonging
to the Company; and derived from the transaction great pecuniary
advantage;though such advantage never could be regarded by a sovereign
as any compensation for the dreadful state into which the public credit
had been brought。





CHAPTER V

1805…1806。

     Declaration of Louis XVIII。Dumouriez watchedNews of a spy
     Remarkable trait of courage and presence of mindNecessity of
     vigilance at HamburgThe King of SwedenHis bulletinsDoctor Gall
     Prussia covets HamburgProjects on HollandNegotiations for
     peaceMr。 Fox at the head of the British CabinetIntended
     assassination of NapoleonPropositions made through Lord Yarmouth
     Proposed protection of the Hanse townsTheir state
     Aggrandisement of the Imperial familyNeither peace nor war
     Sebastiani's mission to ConstantinopleLord Lauderdale at Paris;
     and failure of the negotiationsAustria despoiledEmigrant
     pensionsDumouriez's intriguesPrince of Mecklenburg…Schwerin
     Loizeau。

I have been somewhat diffuse respecting the vast enterprises of M。
Ouvrard; and on the disastrous state of the finances during the campaign
of Vienna。  Now; if I may so express myself; I shall return to the
Minister Plenipotentiary's cabinet; where several curious transactions
occurred。  The facts will not always be given in a connected series;
because there was no more relation between the reports which I received
on a great variety of subjects than there is in the pleading of the
barristers who succeed each other in a court of justice。

On the 2d of January 1806 I learned that many houses in Hamburg had
received by post packets; each containing four copies of a declaration of
Louis XVIII。  Dumouriez had his carriage filled with copies of this
declaration when he passed through Brunswick; and in that small town
alone more than 3000 were distributed。  The size of this declaration
rendered its transmission by post very easy; even in France。

All my letters from the Minister recommended that I should keep a strict
watch over the motions of Dumouriez; but his name was now as seldom
mentioned as if he had ceased to exist。  The part he acted seemed to be
limited to disseminating pamphlets more or less insignificant。

It is difficult to conceive the great courage and presence of mind
sometimes found in men so degraded as are the wretches who fill the
office of spies。  I had an agent amongst the Swedo…Russians; named
Chefneux; whom I had always found extremely clever and correct。  Having
for a long time received no intelligence from him I became very anxious;
an anxiety which was not without foundation。  He had; in fact; been
arrested at Lauenburg; and conducted; bound; tied hand and foot; by some
Cossacks to Luneburg。  There was found on him a bulletin which he was
about to transmit to me; and he only escaped certain death by having in
his possession a letter of recommendation from a Hamburg merchant well
known to M。 Alopaeus; the Russian Minister in that city。  This
precaution; which I had taken before he set out; saved his life。
M。 Alopaeus replied to the merchant that; in consequence of his
recommendation the spy should be sent back safe and sound; but that
another time neither the recommended nor the recommender should escape so
easily。  Notwithstanding this; Chefneux would certainly have paid with
his head for the dangerous business in which he was embarked but for the
inconceivable coolness he displayed under the most trying circumstances。
Though the bulletin which was found upon him was addressed to M。 Schramm;
merchant; they strongly suspected that it was intended for me。  They
demanded of the prisoner whether he knew me; to which he boldly replied
that he had never seen me。  They endeavoured; by every possible means; to
extort a confession from him; but without success。  His repeated denials;
joined to the name of M。 Schramm; created doubts in the minds of his
interrogators; they hesitated lest they should condemn an innocent man。
They; however; resolved to make a last effort to discover the truth; and
Chefneux; condemned to be shot; was conducted to the plain of Luneburg。
His eyes were bandaged; and he heard the command of preparation given to
the platoon; which was to f
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