CHAPTER XXIV. THE EIGHTEENTH BRUMAIRE
On entering the Rue de la Victoire, Bonaparte found Sebastiani'sdragoons drawn up in line of battle. He wished to address them, but theyinterrupted him at the first words, shouting: "We want no explanations.We know that you seek only the good of the Republic. Vive Bonaparte!"
The cortege followed the streets which led from the Rue de la Victoireto the Tuileries, amid the cries of "Vive Bonaparte!"
General Lefebvre, according to promise, was waiting at the palace gates.Bonaparte, on his arrival at the Tuileries, was hailed with the samecheers that had accompanied him. Once there, he raised his head andshook it. Perhaps this cry of "Vive Bonaparte!" did not satisfy him. Washe already dreaming of "Vive Napoleon?"
He advanced in front of the troop, surrounded by his staff, and readthe decree of the Five Hundred, which transferred the sessions of theLegislature to Saint-Cloud and gave him the command of the armed forces.
Then, either from memory, or offhand--Bonaparte never admitted anyone to such secrets--instead of the proclamation he had dictated toBourrienne two days earlier, he pronounced these words:
"Soldiers--The Council of Ancients has given me the command of the cityand the army.
"I have accepted it, to second the measures to be adopted for the goodof the people.
"The Republic has been ill governed for two years. You have hoped for myreturn to put an end to many evils. You celebrated it with a unanimitywhich imposes obligations that I now fulfil. Fulfil yours, and secondyour general with the vigor, firmness and strength I have always foundin you.
"Liberty, victory, and peace will restore the French Republic to therank it occupied in Europe, which ineptitude and treason alone causedher to lose!"
The soldiers applauded frantically. It was a declaration of war againstthe Directory, and soldiers will always applaud a declaration of war.
The general dismounted, amid shouts and bravos, and entered theTuileries. It was the second time he had crossed the threshold of thispalace of the Valois, whose arches had so ill-sheltered the crownand head of the last Bourbon who had reigned there. Beside him walkedcitizen Roederer. Bonaparte started as he recognized him, and said:
"Ah! citizen Roederer, you were here on the morning of August 10."
"Yes, general," replied the future Count of the Empire.
"It was you who advised Louis XVI. to go before the National Assembly."
"Yes."
"Bad advice, citizen Roederer! I should not have followed it."
"We advise men according to what we know of them. I would not giveGeneral Bonaparte the same advice I gave King Louis XVI. When a king hasthe fact of his flight to Varennes and the 20th of June behind him, itis difficult to save him."
As Roederer said these words, they reached a window opening on thegarden of the Tuileries. Bonaparte stopped, and, seizing Roederer bythe arm, he said: "On the 20th of June I was there," pointing with hisfinger to the terrace by the water, "behind the third linden. Throughthe open window I could see the poor king, with the red cap on his head.It was a piteous sight; I pitied him."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing, I could do nothing; I was only a lieutenant of artillery.But I longed to go in like the others, and whisper: 'Sire, give me fourcannon, and I'll sweep the whole rabble out.'"
What would have happened if Lieutenant Bonaparte had followed hisimpulse, obtained what he wanted from Louis XVI., and _swept the rabbleout_, that is to say the people of Paris? Had his cannon made aclean sweep on June 20th, would he have had to make another the 13thVendemiaire for the benefit of the Convention?
While the ex-Syndic; who had grown grave, was outlining in his mindthe opening pages of his future "History of the Consulate," Bonapartepresented himself at the bar of the Council of the Ancients, followedby his staff, and by all those who chose to do likewise. When the tumultcaused by this influx of people had subsided, the president read overthe decree which invested Bonaparte with the military power. Then, afterrequesting him to take the oath, the president added:
"He who has never promised his country a victory which he did notwin, cannot fail to keep religiously his new promise to serve herfaithfully."
Bonaparte stretched forth his hand and said solemnly:
"I swear it!"
All the generals repeated after him, each for himself:
"I swear it!"
The last one had scarcely finished, when Bonaparte recognized Barras'secretary, that same Bollot of whom Barras had spoken that morningto his two colleagues. He had come there solely to give his patron anaccount of all that was happening there, but Bonaparte fancied he wassent on some secret mission by Barras. He resolved to spare him thefirst advance, and went straight to him, saying:
"Have you come on behalf of the Directors?" Then, without giving himtime to answer, he continued: "What have they done with that France Ileft so brilliant? I left peace; I find war. I left victories; I findreverses. I left the millions of Italy, and I find spoliation andpenury. What have become of the hundred thousand Frenchmen whom I knewby name? They are dead!"
It was not precisely to Barras' secretary that these words should havebeen said; but Bonaparte wished to say them, needed to say them, andlittle he cared to whom he said them. Perhaps even, from his point ofview, it was better to say them to some one who could not answer him. Atthat moment Sieyes rose.
"Citizens," said he, "the Directors Moulins and Gohier ask to beadmitted."
"They are no longer Directors," said Bonaparte, "for there is no longera Directory."
"But," objected Sieyes, "they have not yet sent in their resignation."
"Then admit them and let them give it," retorted Bonaparte.
Moulins and Gohier entered. They were pale but calm. They knew they cameto force a struggle, but behind their resistance may have loomed theSinnamary. The exiles they sent there the 18th of Fructidor pointed theway.
"I see with satisfaction," Bonaparte hastened to say, "that you haveyielded to our wishes and those of your two colleagues."
Gohier made a step forward and said firmly: "We yield neither to yourwishes, nor to those of our two colleagues, who are no longer ourcolleagues, since they have resigned, but to the Law. It requires thatthe decree transferring the legislative body to Saint-Cloud shall beproclaimed without delay. We have come here to fulfil the duty which thelaw imposes on us, fully determined to defend it against all factiouspersons, whoever they may be, who attempt to attack it."
"Your zeal does not astonish us," replied Bonaparte; "and because youare a man who loves his country you will unite with us."
"Unite with you! And why?"
"To save the Republic."
"To save the Republic! There was a time, general, when you had the honorto be its prop. But to-day the glory of saving it is reserved for us."
"You save it!" retorted Bonaparte. "How will you do that? With the meansyour Constitution gives you? Why, that Constitution is crumbling on allsides, and even if I did not topple it over, it could not last eightdays."
"Ah!" cried Moulins, "at last you avow your hostile intentions."
"My intentions are not hostile!" shouted Bonaparte, striking the floorwith the heel of his boot. "The Republic is in peril; it must be saved,and I shall do it."
"You do it?" cried Gohier. "It seems to me it is for the Directory, notyou, to say, 'I shall do it!'"
"There is no longer a Directory."
"I did indeed hear that you said so just a moment before we came in."
"There is no longer a Directory, now that Sieyes and Ducos haveresigned."
"You are mistaken. So long as there are three Directors, the Directorystill exists. Neither Moulins, Barras nor myself, have handed in ourresignations."
At that moment a paper was slipped in Bonaparte's hand, and a voice saidin his ear: "Read it." He did so; then said aloud: "You, yourself, aremistaken. Barras has resigned, for here is his resignation. The lawrequires three Directors to make a Directory. You are but two, and
, asyou said just now, whoever resists the law is a rebel." Then handingthe paper to the president, he continued: "Add the citizen Barras'resignation to that of citizens Sieyes and Ducos, and proclaim the fallof the Directory. I will announce it to my soldiers."
Moulins and Gohier were confounded. Barras' resignation sapped thefoundations of all their plans. Bonaparte had nothing further to do atthe Council of Ancients, but there still remained much to be done inthe court of the Tuileries. He went down, followed by those who hadaccompanied him up. His soldiers no sooner caught sight, of him thanthey burst into shouts of "Vive Bonaparte!" more noisily and moreeagerly than ever. He sprang into his saddle and made them a sign thathe wished to speak to them. Ten thousand voices that had burst intocries were hushed in a moment. Silence fell as if by enchantment.
"Soldiers," said Bonaparte, in a voice so loud that all could hear it,"your comrades in arms on the frontiers are denuded of the necessariesof life. The people are miserable. The authors of these evils are thefactious men against whom I have assembled you to-day. I hope beforelong to lead you to victory; but first we must deprive those who wouldstand in the way of public order and general prosperity of their powerto do harm."
Whether it was weariness of the government of the Directory, or thefascination exercised by the magic being who called them to victory--solong forgotten in his absence--shouts of enthusiasm arose, and like atrain of burning powder spread from the Tuileries to the Carrousel,from the Carrousel to the adjacent streets. Bonaparte profited by thismovement. Turning to Moreau, he said:
"General, I will give you proof of the immense confidence I have in you.Bernadotte, whom I left at my house, and who refused to follow us, hadthe audacity to tell me that if he received orders from the Directory heshould execute them against whosoever the agitators might be. General,I confide to you the guardianship of the Luxembourg. The tranquillity ofParis and the welfare of the Republic are in your hands."
And without waiting for a reply he put his horse to a gallop, and rodeoff to the opposite end of the line.
Moreau, led by military ambition, had consented to play a part in thisgreat drama; he was now forced to accept that which the author assignedhim. On returning to the Louvre, Gohier and Moulins found nothingchanged apparently. All the sentries were at their posts. They retiredto one of the salons of the presidency to consult together. But they hadscarcely begun their conference, when General Jube, the commandant ofthe Luxembourg, received orders to join Bonaparte at the Tuileries withthe guard of the Directory. Their places were filled by Moreau anda portion of the soldiers who had been electrified by Bonaparte.Nevertheless the two Directors drew up a message for the Council of theFive Hundred, in which they protested energetically against what hadbeen done. When this was finished Gohier handed it to his secretary, andMoulins, half dead with exhaustion, returned to his apartments to takesome food.
It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon. An instant laterGohier's secretary returned in great perturbation.
"Well," said Gohier, "why have you not gone?"
"Citizen president," replied the young man, "we are prisoners in thepalace."
"Prisoners? What do you mean?"
"The guard has been changed, and General Jube is no longer in command."
"Who has replaced him?"
"I think some one said General Moreau."
"Moreau? Impossible! And that coward, Barras, where is he?"
"He has started for his country-place at Grosbois."
"Ah! I must see Moulins!" cried Gohier, rushing to the door. But at theentrance he found a sentry who barred the door. Gohier insisted.
"No one can pass," said the sentry.
"What! not pass?"
"No."
"But I am President Gohier!"
"No one can pass," said the sentry; "that is the order."
Gohier saw it would be useless to say more; force would be impossible.He returned to his own rooms.
In the meantime, General Moreau had gone to see Moulins; he wished tojustify himself. Without listening to a word the ex-Director turned hisback on him, and, as Moreau insisted, he said: "General, go into theante-chamber. That is the place for jailers."
Moreau bowed his head, and understood for the first time into what afatal trap his honor had fallen.
At five o'clock, Bonaparte started to return to the Rue de la Victoire;all the generals and superior officers in Paris accompanied him. Theblindest, those who had not understood the 13th Vendemiaire, those whohad not yet understood the return from Egypt, now saw, blazing overthe Tuileries, the star of his future, and as everybody could not be aplanet, each sought to become a satellite.
The shouts of "Vive Bonaparte!" which came from the lower part of theRue du Mont Blanc, and swept like a sonorous wave toward the Rue de laVictoire, told Josephine of her husband's return. The impressionableCreole had awaited him anxiously. She sprang to meet him in suchagitation that she was unable to utter a single word.
"Come, come!" said Bonaparte, becoming the kindly man he was in his ownhome, "calm yourself. We have done to-day all that could be done."
"Is it all over?"
"Oh, no!" replied Bonaparte.
"Must it be done all over again to-morrow?"
"Yes, but to-morrow it will be merely a formality."
That formality was rather rough; but every one knows of the events atSaint-Cloud. We will, therefore, dispense with relating them, and turnat once to the result, impatient as we are to get back to the realsubject of our drama, from which the grand historical figure we haveintroduced diverted us for an instant.
One word more. The 20th Brumaire, at one o'clock in the morning,Bonaparte was appointed First Consul for ten years. He himself selectedCambaceres and Lebrun as his associates under the title of SecondConsuls, being firmly resolved this time to concentrate in his ownperson, not only all the functions of the two consuls, but those of theministers.
The 20th Brumaire he slept at the Luxembourg in president Gohier's bed,the latter having been liberated with his colleague Moulins.
Roland was made governor of the Luxembourg.