memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v7-第14部分

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who　on　other　occasions　had　shown　an　officious　readiness　to　execute
Bonaparte's　commands　did　not　now　fear　to　risk　his　displeasure　by　opposing
the　opinion　he　had　expressed　in　the　Council　of　State　on　the　discussion　of
the　question　of　the　Consulate　for　life。　　Bonaparte　then　said；　〃Hereditary
succession　is　absurd。　　It　is　irreconcilable　with　the　principle　of　the
sovereignty　of　the　people；　and　impossible　in　France。〃

In　this　scene　of　the　grand　drama　Bonaparte　played　his　part　with　his
accustomed　talent；　keeping　himself　in　the　background　and　leaving　to
others　the　task　of　preparing　the　catastrophe。　　The　Senate；　who　took　the
lead　in　the　way　of　insinuation；　did　not　fail；　while　congratulating　the
First　Consul　on　his　escape　from　the　plots　of　foreigners；　or；　as　they　were
officially　styled；　the　daggers　of　England；　to　conjure　him　not　to　delay
the　completion　of　his　work。　　Six　days　after　the　death　of　the　Due
d'Enghien　the　Senate　first　expressed　this　wish。　　Either　because　Bonaparte
began　to　repent　of　a　useless　crime；　and　felt　the　ill　effect　it　must
produce　on　the　public　mind；　or　because　he　found　the　language　of　the
Senate　somewhat　vague；　he　left　the　address　nearly　a　month　unanswered；　and
then　only　replied　by　the　request　that　the　intention　of　the　address　might
be　more　completely　expressed。　　These　negotiations　between　the　Senate　and
the　Head　of　the　Government　were　not　immediately　published。　　Bonaparte　did
not　like　publicity　except　for　what　had　arrived　at　a　result；　but　to　attain
the　result　which　was　the　object　of　his　ambition　it　was　necessary　that　the
project　which　he　was　maturing　should　be　introduced　in　the　Tribunate；　and
the　tribune　Curee　had　the　honour　to　be　the　first　to　propose　officially；
on　the　30th　of　April　1804；　the　conversion　of　the　Consular　Republic　into
an　Empire；　and　the　elevation　of　Bonaparte　to　the　title　of　Emperor；　with
the　rights　of　hereditary　succession。

If　any　doubts　could　exist　respecting　the　complaisant　part　which　Curee
acted　on　this　occasion　one　circumstance　would　suffice　to　remove　them；
that　is；　that　ten　days　before　the　development　of　his　proposition
Bonaparte　had　caused　the　question　of　founding　the　Empire　and　establishing
hereditary　succession　in　his　family　to　be　secretly　discussed　in　the
Council　of　State。　　I　learned　from　one　of　the　Councillors　of　State　all
that　passed　on　that　occasion；　and　I　may　remark　that　Cambaceres　showed
himself　particularly　eager　in　the　Council　of　State；　as　well　as　afterwards
in　the　Senate；　to　become　the　exalted　subject　of　him　who　had　been　his
first　colleague　in　the　Consulate。

About　the　middle　of　April；　the　Council　of　State　being　assembled　as　for　an
ordinary　sitting；　the　First　Consul；　who　was　frequently　present　at　the
sittings；　did　not　appear。　　Cambaceres　arrived　and　took　the　Presidency　in
his　quality　of　Second　Consul；　and　it　was　remarked　that　his　air　was　more
solemn　than　usual；　though　he　at　all　times　affected　gravity。

The　partisans　of　hereditary　succession　were　the　majority；　and　resolved　to
present　an　address　to　the　First　Consul。　　Those　of　the　Councillors　who
opposed　this　determined　on　their　part　to　send　a　counter…address；　and　to
avoid　this　clashing　of　opinions　Bonaparte　signified　his　wish　that　each
member　of　the　Council　should　send　him　his　opinion　individually；　with　his
signature　affixed。　　By　a　singular　accident　it　happened　to　be　Berlier's
task　to　present　to　the　First　Consul　the　separate　opinions　of　the　Council。
Out　of　the　twenty…seven　Councillors　present　only　seven　opposed　the
question。　　Bonaparte　received　them　all　moat　graciously；　and　told　them；
among　other　things；　that　be　wished　for　hereditary　power　only　for　the
benefit　of　France；　that　the　citizens　would　never　be　his　subjects；　and
that　the　French　people　would　never　be　his　people。　　Such　were　the
preliminaries　to　the　official　proposition　of　Curee　to　the　Tribunate；　and
upon　reflection　it　was　decided　that；　as　all　opposition　would　be　useless
and　perhaps　dangerous　to　the　opposing　party；　the　minority　should　join　the
majority。　　This　was　accordingly　done。

The　Tribunate　having　adopted　the　proposition　of　Curee；　there　was　no
longer　any　motive　for　concealing　the　overtures　of　the　Senate。　　Its
address　to　the　First　Consul　was　therefore　published　forty　days　after　its
date：　the　pear　was　then　ripe。　　This　period　is　so　important　that　I　must
not　omit　putting　together　the　most　remarkable　facts　which　either　came
within　my　own　observation；　or　which　I　have　learned　since　respecting　the
foundation　of　the　Empire。

Bonaparte　had　a　long　time　before　spoken　to　me　of　the　title　of　Emperor　as
being　the　most　appropriate　for　the　new　sovereignty　which　he　wished　to
found　in　France。　　This；　he　observed；　was　not　restoring　the　old　system
entirely；　and　he　dwelt　much　on　its　being　the　title　which　Caesar　had
borne。　　He　often　said；　〃One　may　be　the　Emperor　of　a　republic；　but　not　the
King　of　a　republic；　those　two　terms　are　incongruous。〃

In　its　first　address　the　Senate　had　taken　as　a　test　the　documents　it　had
received　from　the　Government　in　relation　to　the　intrigues　of　Drake；　who
had　been　sent　from　England　to　Munich。　　That　text　afforded　the　opportunity
for　a　vague　expression　of　what　the　Senate　termed　the　necessities　of
France。　　To　give　greater　solemnity　to　the　affair　the　Senate　proceeded　in
a　body　to　the　Tuileries；　and　one　thing　which　gave　a　peculiar　character　to
the　preconcerted　advances　of　the　Senate　was　that　Cambaceres；　the　Second
Consul；　fulfilled　his　functions　of　President　on　this　occasion；　and
delivered　the　address　to　the　First　Consul。

However；　the　First　Consul　thought　the　address　of　the　Senate；　which；　I
have　been　informed；　was　drawn　up　by　Francois　de　Neufchateau；　was　not
expressed　with　sufficient　clearness；　he　therefore；　after　suffering　a
little　interval　to　elapse；　sent　a　message　to　the　Senate　signed　by
himself；　in　which　he　said；　〃Your　address　has　been　the　object　of　my
earnest　consideration。〃　　And　though　the　address　contained　no　mention　of
hereditary　succession；　he　added；　〃You　consider　the　hereditary　succession
of　the　supreme　magistracy　necessary　to　defend　the　French　people　against
the　plots　of　our　enemies　and　the　agitation　arising　from　rival　ambition。
At　the　same　time　several　of　our　institutions　appear　to　you　to　require
improvement　so　as　to　ensure　the　triumph　of　equality　and　public　liberty；
and　to　offer　to　the　nation　and　the　Government　the　double　guarantee　they
require。〃　　From　the　subsequent　passages　of　the　message　it　will　be
sufficient　to　extract　the　following：　〃We　have　been　constantly　guided　by
this　great　truth：　that　the　sovereignty　dwells　with　the　French　people；　and
that　it　is　for　their　interest；　happiness；　and　glory　that　the　Supreme
Magistracy；　the　Senate；　the　Council　of　State；　the　Legislative　Body；　the
Electoral　Colleges；　and　the　different　branches　of　the　Government；　are　and
must　be　instituted。〃　　The　omission　of　the　Tribunate　in　this　enumeration
is　somewhat　remarkable。　　It　announced　a　promise　which　was　speedily
realised。

The　will　of　Bonaparte　being　thus　expressed　in　his　message　to　theSenate；
that　body；　which　was　created　to　preserve　the　institutions　consecrated　by
the　Constitution　of　the　year　VIII。；　had　no　alternative　but　to　submit　to
the　intentions　manifested　by　the　First　Consul。　　The　reply　to　the　message
was；　therefore；　merely　a　counterpart　of　the　message　itself。　　It
positively　declared　that　hereditary　government　was　essential　to　the
happiness；　the　glory；　and　the　prosperity　of　France；　and　that　that
government　could　be　confided　only　to　Bonaparte　and　his　family。　　While　the
Senate　so　complaisantly　played　its　part　in　this　well…get…up　piece；　yet；
the　better　to　impose　on　the　credulity　of　the　multitude；　its　reply；　like
Bonaparte's　message；　resounded　with　the　words　liberty　and　equality。
Indeed；　it　was　impudently　asserted　in　that　reply　that　Bonaparte's
accession　to　hereditary　power　would　be　a　certain　guarantee　for　the
liberty　of　the　press；　a　liberty　which　Bonaparte　held　in　the　greatest
horror；　and　without　which　all　other　liberty　is　but　a　vain　illusion。

By　this　reply　of　the　Senate　the　most　important　step　was　performed。　　There
now　remained　merely　ceremonies　to　regulate　and　formulas　to　fill　up。
These　various　arrangements　occasioned　a　delay　of　a　fortnight。　　On　the
18th　of　May　the　First　Consul　was　greeted　for　the　first　time　by　the
appellation　of　Sire　by　his　former　colleague；　Cambaceres；　who　at　the　head
of　the　Senate　went　to　present　to　Bonaparte　the　organic　'Senatus…consulte'
containing　the　foundation　of　the　Empire。　　Napoleon　was　at　St。　Cloud；
whither　the　Senate　proceeded　in　state。　　After　the　speech　of　Cambaceres；
in　which　the　old　designation　of　Majesty　was　for　the　first　time　revived；
the　EMPEROR　replied：

　　　　　All　that　can　contribute　to　the　welfare　of　the　country　is　essentially
　　　　　connected　with　my　happiness。　　I　accept　the　title　which　you　believe
　　　　　to　be　conducive　to　the　glory　of　the　nation。　　I　submit　to　the
　　　　　sanction　of　the　people　the　law　of　hereditary　succession。　　I　hope
　　　　　that　France　will　never　repent　the　honours　she　may　confer　on　my
　　　　　family。　　At　all　events；　my　spirit　will　not　be　with　my　posterity　when
　　　　　they　cease　to　merit　the　confidence　and　love　of　the　great　nation。

Cambaceres　next　went　to　congratulate　the　Empress；　and　then　was　realised
to　Josephine　the　prediction　which　I　had　made　to　her　three　years　before　at
Malmaison。


　　　　　＇In　the　original　motion　as　prepared　by　Curee；　the　Imperial　dignity
　　　　　was　to　be　declared　hereditary　in　the　family　of　Napoleon。　Previous　to
　　　　　being　formerly　read　before　the　Tribunate；　the　First　Consul　sent　for
　　　　　the　document；　and　when　it　was　returned　it　was　found　that　the　word
　　　　　family　was　altered　to　descendants。　　Fabre；　the　President　of　the
　　　　　Tribunate；　who　received　the　altered　document　from　Maret；　seeing　the
　　　　　effect　the　alteration　would　have　on　the　brothers　of　Napoleon；　and
　　　　　finding　that　Maret　affected　to　crest　the　change　as　immaterial；　took
　　　　　on　himself　to　restore　the　original　form；　and　in　that　shape　it　was
　　　　　read　by　the　unconscious　Curee　to　the　Tribunals。　　On　this　curious；
　　　　　passage　see　Miot　de　Melito；　tome　ii；　p。　179。　　As　finally　settled　the
　　　　　descent　of　the　crown　in　default　of　Napoleon's　children　was　limited
　　　　　to　Joseph　and　Louis　and　their　descendants；　but　the