Memoirs of Napoleon, vol 6 | Page 8

analogous to them:
Thus, for instance, I have only referred in passing to a man who, since
become a monarch, has not ceased to honour me with his friendship, as
will be seen in the course of my Memoirs, since the part we have seen
him play in the events of the 18th Brumaire. This man, whom the
inexplicable combination of events has raised to a throne for the
happiness of the people he is called to govern, is Bernadotte.
It was evident that Bernadotte must necessarily fall into a kind of
disgrace for not having supported Bonaparte's projects at the period of
the overthrow of the Directory. The First Consul, however, did not dare
to avenge himself openly; but he watched for every opportunity to

remove Bernadotte from his presence, to place him in difficult
situations, and to entrust him with missions for which no precise
instructions were given, in the hope that Bernadotte would commit
faults for which the First Consul might make him wholly responsible.
At the commencement of the Consulate the deplorable war in La
Vendee raged in all its intensity. The organization of the Chouans was
complete, and this civil war caused Bonaparte much more uneasiness
than that which he was obliged to conduct on the Rhine and in Italy,
because, from the success of the Vendeans might arise a question
respecting internal government, the solution of which was likely to be
contrary to Bonaparte's views. The slightest success of the Vendeans
spread alarm amongst the holders of national property; and, besides,
there was no hope of reconciliation between France and England, her
eternal and implacable enemy, as long as the flame of insurrection
remained unextinguished.
The task of terminating this unhappy struggle was obviously a difficult
one. Bonaparte therefore resolved to impose it on Bernadotte; but this
general's conciliatory disposition, his chivalrous manners, his tendency
to indulgence, and a happy mixture of prudence and firmness, made
him succeed where others would have failed. He finally established
good order and submission to the laws.
Some time after the pacification of La Vendee a rebellious disposition
manifested itself at Tours amongst the soldiers of a regiment stationed
there. The men refused to march until they received their arrears of pay.
Bernadotte, as commander-in-chief of the army of the west, without
being alarmed at the disturbance, ordered the fifty-second
demi-brigade-- the one in question--to be drawn up in the square of
Tours, where, at the very head of the corps, the leaders of the mutiny
were by his orders arrested without any resistance being offered. Carnot
who was then Minister of War, made a report to the First Consul on
this affair, which, but for the firmness of Bernadotte, might have been
attended with disagreeable results. Carnet's report contained a plain
statement of the facts, and of General Bernadotte's conduct. Bonaparte
was, however, desirous to find in it some pretext for blaming him, and

made me write these words on the margin of the report: "General
Bernadotte did not act discreetly in adopting such severe measures
against the fifty-second demi-brigade, he not having the means, if he
head been unsuccessful, of re-establishing order in a town the garrison
of which was not strong enough to subdue the mutineers."
A few days after, the First Consul having learned that the result of this
affair was quite different from that which he affected to dread, and
being convinced that by Bernadotte's firmness alone order had been
restored, he found himself in some measure constrained to write to the
General, and he dictated the following letter to me:
PARIS, 11th Vendemiaire. Year XI.
CITIZEN-GENERAL--I have read with interest the account of what
you did to re-establish order in the fifty-second demi-brigade, and also
the report of General Liebert, dated the 5th Vendemiaire. Tell that
officer that the Government is satisfied with his conduct. His
promotion from the rank of Colonel to that of General of brigade is
confirmed. I wish that brave officer to come to Paris. He has afforded
an example of firmness and energy which does honour to a soldier.
(Signed) BONAPARTE.
Thus in the same affair Bonaparte, in a few days, from the spontaneous
expression of blame dictated by hate, was reduced to the necessity of
declaring his approbation, which he did, as may be seen, with studied
coldness, and even taking pains to make his praises apply to Colonel
Liebert, and not to the general-in-chief.
Time only served to augment Bonaparte's dislike of Bernadotte. It
might be said that the farther he advanced in his rapid march towards
absolute power the more animosity he cherished against the individual
who had refused to aid his first steps in his adventurous career. At the
same time the persons about Bonaparte who practised the art of
flattering failed not to multiply