Memoirs of Napoleon, vol 15 | Page 9

we stood
with reference to each other. "Go to him, go to him," said M. de
Talleyrand, "and be assured Fouche will say to you nothing on the
subject."
I felt great repugnance to see Fouche, and consequently I went to him
quite against my inclination. I naturally expected a very cold reception.
What had passed between us rendered our interview exceedingly
delicate. I called on Fouche at nine in the morning, and found him
alone, and walking in his garden. He received me as a man might be
expected to receive an intimate friend whom he had not seen for a long
time. On reflection I was not very much surprised at this, for I was well
aware that Fouche could make his hatred yield to calculation. He said
not a word about his arrest, and it may well be supposed that I did not
seek to turn the conversation on that subject. I asked him whether he

had any information to give me respecting the elections of the Yonne.
"None at all," said he; "get yourself nominated if you can, only use
your endeavours to exclude General Desfouinaux. Anything else is a
matter of indifference to me."--"What is your objection to
Desfournaux?"--"The Ministry will not have him."
I was about to depart when Fouche; called me back saying, "Why are
you in such haste? Cannot you stay a few minutes longer?" He then
began to speak of the first return of the Bourbons, and asked me how I
could so easily bring myself to act in their favour. He then entered into
details respecting the Royal Family which I conceive it to be my duty
to pass over in silence: It may be added, however, that the conversation
lasted a long time, and to say the least of it, was by no means in favour
of "divine right."
I conceived it to be my duty to make the King acquainted with this
conversation, and as there was now no Comte de Blacas to keep truth
and good advice from his Majesty's ear, I was; on my first solicitation,
immediately admitted to, the Royal cabinet. I cautiously suppressed the
most startling details, for, had I literally reported what Fouche said,
Louis XVIII. could not possibly have given credit to it. The King
thanked me for my communication, and I could perceive he was
convinced that by longer retaining Fouche in office he would become
the victim of the Minister who had been so scandalously forced upon
him on the 7th of July. The disgrace of the Duke of Otranto speedily
followed, and I had the satisfaction of having contributed to repair one
of the evils with which the Duke of Wellington visited France.
Fouche was so evidently a traitor to the cause he feigned to serve, and
Bonaparte was so convinced of this,--that during the Hundred Days,
when the Ministers of the King at Ghent were enumerated in the
presence of Napoleon, some one said, "But where is the Minister of the
Police?"
"E-h! Parbleu," said Bonaparte, "that is Fouche?" It was not the same
with Carnot, in spite of the indelible stain of his vote: if he had served
the King, his Majesty could have depended on him, but nothing could
shake the firmness of his principles in favour of liberty. I learned, from

a person who had the opportunity of being well informed, that he
would not accept the post of Minister of the Interior which was offered
to him at the commencement of the Hundred Days until he had a
conversation with Bonaparte, to ascertain whether he had changed his
principles. Carnot placed faith in the fair promises of Napoleon, who
deceived him, as he had deceived others.
Soon after my audience with the King I set off to discharge my duties
in the department of the Yonne, and I obtained the honour of being
elected to represent my countrymen in the Chamber of Deputies. My
colleague was M. Raudot, a man who, in very trying circumstances,
had given proofs of courage by boldly manifesting his attachment to
the King's Government. The following are the facts which I learned in
connection with this episode, and which I circulated as speedily as
possible among the electors of whom I had the honour to be President.
Bonaparte, on his way from Lyons to Paris, after his landing at the gulf
of Juan, stopped at Avalon, and immediately sent for the mayor, M.
Raudot. He instantly obeyed the summons. On coming into Napoleon's
presence he said, "What do you want, General? "This appellation
displeased Napoleon, who nevertheless put several questions to M.
Raudot, who was willing to oblige him as a traveller, but not to serve
him as an Emperor. Napoleon having given him some orders, this
worthy servant of the