Memoirs of the Private Life, Return, and Reign of Napoleon in 1815, Vol. I | Page 5

was the master of all. If it is true
that the French abandoned Napoleon in 1814, it was not because we
were tired of Napoleon or discontented with his government, but
because the nation was exhausted, discouraged, and demoralized by an
uninterrupted succession of calamitous wars. The people would still
have been delighted to obey him, but they had neither strength nor soul.
The real causes of the downfal of Napoleon are to be found in his
hatred towards England, and in the continental system, which resulted
from that hatred. This gigantic system, which oppressed all Europe,
could not fail to raise the entire continent against Napoleon and France,
and thus to bring on the ruin of both. "Rome," as it is said by
Montesquieu, "extended her empire because her wars only followed in
succession. Each nation, such was her inconceivable good fortune,
waited till another had been conquered, before beginning the attack."
Rome fell as soon as all the nations assailed and penetrated on every
side.]
Hostilities ended with the abdication of Napoleon. The people of Paris,
who had scarcely recovered from the panic with which they were struck
by the marauding hordes of Russia, displayed the most extravagant
gladness when they thought that they were delivered from the visitation,
which again threatened them in the presence of the allies and the
imperial army.
The neighbouring departments, which the enemy prepared to invade,
rejoiced on being relieved from impending pillage and devastation.
The departments which had been occupied by the enemy were
intoxicated with joy, when they anticipated the termination of their
sufferings.
Thus almost all the people of France turned away from their discarded
sovereign. And they abandoned themselves to joy when they thought
that they were delivered from the scourge of war, and that they could
hope to enjoy the blessings of peace.
It was in the midst of this pouring out of the spirit of selfishness, that

the senate raised the brother of Louis XVI. to the throne. His election
was not in conformity to the expectations of the people, and it
disappointed the wishes which had been uttered in favour of the
Empress and her son; yet the choice of the senate was but slightly
opposed, because the recall of Louis seemed to be necessarily the
pledge of peace. And peace was more the object of the public wish than
any other thing. Besides which, the Bourbons followed the wise
counsels which had been given to them. They lost no time in issuing
their proclamations, couched in fair language, in order to calm the fears
and diminish the antipathies excited by their recall.
"We will guarantee," said they, "the rank, the honours, and the rewards
of the military.
"The magistracy and all public functionaries shall retain their offices
and their pre-eminence.
"To the people we promise a total oblivion of their political conduct;
and we will maintain them in the full enjoyment of their civil rights,
their property, and their social institutions."
The French nation, whose confidence is so easily abused, considered
these promises as sacred and inviolable, and they delighted in repeating
the happy reply of the Count of Artois[3], "Il n'y aura rien de changé en
France, il n'y aura que quelques Français de plus." They, the men, who
had banished the imperial dynasty, laboured to foster the growing
confidence of the nation. The press was brought into full play, and the
country teemed with publications in which they represented the
sovereign whom they had brought in, as invested with those attributes
which were calculated to conciliate the nation. The public were
carefully informed, that the king "opened and read all the dispatches
himself. It is he who dictates every answer. Where it becomes
necessary to meet the ministers of foreign powers, he transacts business
with them; he receives the reports of their missions, which he answers
either by word of mouth, or in writing. In short, he alone directs all the
concerns of the government, both at home and abroad. If his virtues and
goodness are such as to cause the French to know that they will now
find a kind and affectionate father in their King, they may also look

with confidence to the future fate of the nation, relying on his brilliant
information, his strength of character, and his aptitude for business[4]."
[Footnote 3: He arrived at Paris before his august brother, and by these
pleasing expressions he replied to the addresses of congratulation
presented to him by the municipality of Paris.]
[Footnote 4: Extracted from the Journal des Débats. The principal
proprietor and editor of this paper was Monsieur Laborie, one of
Talleyrand's creatures, and private secretary to the provisional
government.]
Thus the people congratulated themselves, when they were assured that
their Chief Magistrate was an enlightened sovereign, a kind sovereign,