memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v12-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


was　now　too　late：　the　Allies　had　long　since　determined　not　to　listen　to
any　such　demand。　　They　therefore　answered　the　Duke　of　Vicenza's
application　by　requiring　that　the　propositions　for　peace　should　be
immediately　signed。　　But　these　were　not　the　propositions　of　Frankfort。
The　Allies　established　as　their　bases　the　limits　of　the　old　French
monarchy。　　They　conceived　themselves　authorised　in　so　doing　by　their
success　and　by　their　situation。

To　estimate　rightly　Napoleon's　conduct　during　the　negotiations　for　peace
which　took　place　in　the　conferences　at　Chatillon　it　is　necessary　to　bear
in　mind　the　organisation　he　had　received　from　nature　and　the　ideas　with
which　that　organisation　had　imbued　him　at　an　early　period　of　life。　　If
the　last　negotiations　of　his　expiring　reign　be　examined　with　due
attention　and　impartiality　it　will　appear　evident　that　the　causes　of　his
fall　arose　out　of　his　character。　　I　cannot　range　myself　among　those
adulators　who　have　accused　the　persons　about　him　with　having　dissuaded
him　from　peace。　　Did　he　not　say　at　St。　　Helena；　in　speaking　of　the
negotiations　at　Chatillon；　〃A　thunderbolt　alone　could　have　saved　us：　to
treat；　to　conclude；　was　to　yield　foolishly　to　the　enemy。〃　　These　words
forcibly　portray　Napoleon's　character。　　It　must　also　be　borne　in　mind　how
much　he　was　captivated　by　the　immortality　of　the　great　names　which
history　has　bequeathed　to　our　admiration；　and　which　are　perpetuated　from
generation　to　generation。　　Napoleon　was　resolved　that　his　name　should　re…
echo　in　ages　to　come；　from　the　palace　to　the　cottage。　　To　live　without
fame　appeared　to　him　an　anticipated　death。　　If；　however；　in　this　thirst
for　glory；　not　for　notoriety；　he　conceived　the　wish　to　surpass　Alexander
and　Caesar；　he　never　desired　the　renown　of　Erostratus；　and　I　will　say
again　what　I　have　said　before；　that　if　he　committed　actions　to　be
condemned；　it　was　because　he　considered　them　as　steps　which　helped　him　to
place　himself　on　the　summit　of　immortality　on　which　he　wished　to　place
his　name。　　Witness　what　he　wrote　to　his　brother　Jerome；　〃Better　never；　to
have　lived　than　to　live　without　glory；〃　witness　also　what　he　wrote　later
to　his　brother　Louis；　〃It　is　better　to　die　as　a　King　than　to　live　as　a
Prince。〃　　How　often　in　the　days　of　my　intimacy　with　Bonaparte　has　he　not
said　to　me；　〃Who　knows　the　names　of　those　kings　who　have　passed　from　the
thrones　on　which　chance　or　birth　seated　them？　　They　lived　and　died
unnoticed。　　The　learned；　perhaps；　may　find　them　mentioned　in　old
archives；　and　a　medal　or　a　coin　dug　from　the　earth　may　reveal　to
antiquarians　the　existence　of　a　sovereign　of　whom　they　had　never　before
heard。　　But；　on　the　contrary；　when　we　hear　the　names　of　Cyrus；　Alexander；
Caesar；　Mahomet；　Charlemagne；　Henry　IV。；　and　Louis　XIV。；　we　are
immediately　among　our　intimate　acquaintance。〃　　I　must　add；　that　when
Napoleon　thus　spoke　to　me　in　the　gardens　of　Malmaison　he　only　repeated
what　had　often　fallen　from　him　in　his　youth；　for　his　character　and　his
ideas　never　varied；　the　change　was　in　the　objects　to　which　they　were
applied。

From　his　boyhood　Napoleon　was　fond　of　reading　the　history　of　the　great
men　of　antiquity；　and　what　he　chiefly　sought　to　discover　was　the　means　by
which　those　men　had　become　great。　　He　remarked　that　military　glory
secures　more　extended　fame　than　the　arts　of　peace　and　the　noble　efforts
which　contribute　to　the　happiness　of　mankind。　　History　informs　us　that
great　military　talent　and　victory　often　give　the　power；　which；　in　its
tern；　procures　the　means　of　gratifying　ambition。　　Napoleon　was　always
persuaded　that　that　power　was　essential　to　him；　in　order　to　bend　men　to
his　will；　and　to　stifle　all　discussions　on　his　conduct。　　It　was　his
established　principle　never　to　sign　a　disadvantageous　peace。　　To　him　a
tarnished　crown　was　no　longer　a　crown。　　He　said　one　day　to　M。　de
Caulaincourt；　who　was　pressing　him　to　consent　to　sacrifices；　〃Courage　may
defend　a　crown；　but　infamy　never。〃　　In　all　the　last　acts　of　Napoleon's
career　I　can　retrace　the　impress　of　his　character；　as　I　had　often
recognised　in　the　great　actions　of　the　Emperor　the　execution　of　a　thought
conceived　by　the　General…in…Chief　of　the　Army　of　Italy。

On　the　opening　of　the　Congress　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；　convinced　that　he
could　no　longer　count　on　the　natural　limits　of　France　promised　at
Frankfort　by　the　Allies；　demanded　new　powers。　　Those　limits　were
doubtless　the　result　of　reasonable　concessions；　and　they　had　been　granted
even　after　the　battle　of　Leipsic；　but　it　was　now　necessary　that
Napoleon's　Minister　should　show　himself　ready　to　make　further　concessions
if　he　wished　to　be　allowed　to　negotiate。　　The　Congress　was　opened　on　the
5th　of　February；　and　on　the　7th　the　Plenipotentiaries　of　the　Allied
powers　declared　themselves　categorically。　　They　inserted　in　the　protocol
that　after　the　successes　which　had　favoured　their　armies　they　insisted　on
France　being　restored　to　her　old　limits；　such　as　they　were　during　the
monarchy　before　the　Revolution；　and　that　she　should　renounce　all　direct
influence　beyond　her　future　limits。

This　proposition　appeared　so　extraordinary　to　M。　de　Caulaincourt　that　he
requested　the　sitting　might　be　suspended；　since　the　conditions　departed
too　far　from　his　instructions　to　enable　him　to　give　an　immediate　answer。
The　Plenipotentiaries　of　the　Allied　powers　acceded　to　his　request；　and
the　continuation　of　the　sitting　was　postponed　till　eight　in　the　evening。
When　it　was　resumed　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　renewed　his　promise　to　make　the
greatest　sacrifices　for　the　attainment　of　peace。　　He　added　that　the
amount　of　the　sacrifices　necessarily　depended　on　the　amount　of　the
compensations；　and　that　he　could　not　determine　on　any　concession　or
compensation　without　being　made　acquainted　with　the　whole。　　He　wished　to
have　a　general　plan　of　the　views　of　the　Allies；　and　he　requested　that
their　Plenipotentiaries　would　explain　themselves　decidedly　respecting　the
number　and　description　of　the　sacrifices　and　compensations　to　be
demanded。　　It　must　be　acknowledged　that　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　perfectly
fulfilled　the　views　of　the　Emperor　in　thus　protracting　and　gaining　time
by　subtle　subterfuges；　for　all　that　he　suggested　had　already　been　done。

On　the　day　after　this　sitting　some　advantages　gained　by　the　Allies；　who
took　Chatillon…sur…Marne　and　Troves；　induced　Napoleon　to　direct
Caulaincourt　to　declare　to　the　Congress　that　if　an　armistice　were
immediately　agreed　on　he　was　ready　to　consent　to　France　being　restored　to
her　old　limits。　　By　securing　this　armistice　Napoleon　hoped　that　happy
chances　might　arise；　and　that　intrigues　might　be　set　on　foot；　but　the
Allies　would　not　listen　to　any　such　proposition。

At　the　sitting　of　the　10th　of　March　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　inserted　in　the
protocol　that　the　last　courier　he　had　received　had　been　arrested　and
detained　a　considerable　time　by　several　Russian　general　officers；　who　had
obliged　him　to　deliver　up　his　despatches；　which　had　not　been　returned　to
him　till　thirty…six　hours　after　at　Chaumont。　　Caulaincourt　justly
complained　of　this　infraction　of　the　law　of　nations　and　established
usage；　which；　he　said；　was　the　sole　cause　of　the　delay　in　bringing　the
negotiations　to　a　conclusion。　　After　this　complaint　he　communicated　to
the　Congress　the　ostensible　instructions　of　Napoleon；　in　which　he
authorised　his　Minister　to　accede　to　the　demands　of　the　Allies。　　But　in
making　this　communication　M。　de　Caulaincourt　took　care　not　to　explain　the
private　and　secret　instructions　he　had　also　received。　　The　Allies
rejected　the　armistice　because　it　would　have　checked　their　victorious
advance；　but　they　consented　to　sign　the　definitive　peace；　which　of　all
things　was　what　the　Emperor　did　not　wish。

Napoleon　at　length　determined　to　make　sacrifices；　and　the　Duke　of　Vicenza
submitted　new　propositions　to　the　Congress。　　The　Allies　replied；　in　the
same　sitting；　that　these　propositions　contained　no　distinct　and　explicit
declaration　on　the　project　presented　by　them　on　the　17th　of　February；
that；　having　on　the　28th　of　the　same　month；　demanded　a　decisive　answer
within　the　term　of　ton　days；　they　were　about　to　break　up　the　negotiations
Caulaincourt　then　declared　verbally：

1st。　　That　the　Emperor　Napoleon　was　ready　to　renounce　all　pretension　or
influence　whatever　in　countries　beyond　the　boundaries　of　France。

2d。　　To　recognise　the　independence　of　Spain；　Italy；　Switzerland；　Germany；
and　Holland；　and　that　as　to　England；　France　would　make　such　concessions
as　might　be　deemed　necessary　in　consideration　of　a　reasonable　equivalent。

Upon　this　the　sitting　was　immediately　broken　up　without　a　reply。　　It　must
be　remarked　that　this　singular　declaration　was　verbal；　and　consequently
not　binding；　and　that　the　limits　of　France　were　mentioned　without　being
specified。　　It　cannot　be　doubted　that　Napoleon　meant　the　limits　conceded
at　Frankfort；　to　which　he　was　well　convinced　the　Allies　would　not
consent；　for　circumstances　were　now　changed。　　Besides；　what　could　be
meant　by　the　reasonable　equivalent　from　England？　　Is　it　astonishing　that
this　obscurity　and　vagueness　should　have　banished　all　confidence　on　the
part　of　the　Plenipotentiaries　of　the　Allied　powers？　　Three　days　after　the
sitting　of　th