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 
 
 62
 
 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 
 64
 
 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 
 
 65
 
 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 Brumaire 1 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 Concordat 1 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- 
 66
 
 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." 
 
 68
 
 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. 
 69
 
 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- 
 
 610
 
 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. 
 611
 
 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 Zenaide 1 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 Lettn. 
 
 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 
 
 612
 
 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- 
 
 613
 
 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 family 1 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- 
 616
 
 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. Cj 7 r 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. 
 617
 
 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 
 
 618
 
 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 
 
 619
 
 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. 
 620
 
 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 
 
 621
 
 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. 
 
 622
 
 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 name 1 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. 
 
 623
 
 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 
 
 624
 
 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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