第 2 节
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require them。 The people threw themselves at my feet when I took the
reins of government You ought to recollect this; who made a trial of
opposition。 Where was your supportyour strength? Nowhere。 I assumed
less authority than I was invited to assume。 Now all is changed。 A
feeble government; opposed to the national interests; has given to these
interests the habit of standing on the defensive and evading authority。
The taste for constitutions; for debates; for harangues; appears to have
revived。 Nevertheless it is but the minority that wishes all this; be
assured。 The people; or if you like the phrase better; the multitude;
wish only for me。 You would say so if you had only seen this multitude
pressing eagerly on my steps; rushing down from the tops of the
mountains; calling on me; seeking me out; saluting me。 On my way from
Cannes hither I have not conqueredI have administered。 I am not only
(as has been pretended) the Emperor of the soldiers; I am that of the
peasants of the plebeians of France。 Accordingly; in spite of all that
has happened; you see the people come back to me。 There is sympathy
between us。 It is not as with the privileged classes。 The noblesse have
been in my service; they thronged in crowds into my antechambers。 There
is no place that they have not accepted or solicited。 I have had the
Montmorencys; the Noailles; the Rohans; the Beauveaus; the Montemarts;
in my train。 But there never was any cordiality between us。 The steed
made his curvetshe was well broken in; but I felt him quiver under me。
With the people it is another thing。 The popular fibre responds to mine。
I have risen from the ranks of the people: my voice seta mechanically
upon them。 Look at those conscripts; the sons of peasants: I never
flattered them; I treated them roughly。 They did not crowd round me the
less; they did not on that account cease to cry; ‘Vive l'Empereur!'
It is that between them and me there is one and the same nature。 They
look to me as their support; their safeguard against the nobles。 I have
but to make a sign; or even to look another way; and the nobles would be
massacred in every province。 So well have they managed matters in the
last ten months! but I do not desire to be the King of a mob。 If there
are the means to govern by a constitution well and good。 I wished for
the empire of the world; and to ensure it complete liberty of action was
necessary to me。 To govern France merely it is possible that a
constitution may be better。 I wished for the empire of the world; as who
would not have done in my place? The world invited me to rule over it。
Sovereigns and subjects alike emulously bowed the neck under my sceptre。
I have seldom met with opposition in France; but still I have encountered
more of it from some obscure and unarmed Frenchmen than from all these
Kings so resolute; just now; no longer to have a man of the people for
their equal! See then what appears to you possible; let me know your
ideas。 Public discussion; free elections; responsible ministers; the
liberty of the press; I have no objection to all that; the liberty of the
press especially; to stifle it is absurd。 I am convinced on this point。
I am the man of the people: if the people really wish for liberty let
them have it。 I have acknowledged their sovereignty。 It is just that I
should lend an ear to their will; nay; even to their caprices I have
never been disposed to oppress them for my pleasure。 I conceived great
designs; but fate 'has been against me; I am no longer a conqueror; nor
can I be one。 I know what is possible and what is not。 I have no
further object than to raise up France and bestow on her a government
suitable to her。 I have no hatred to liberty; I have set it aside when
it obstructed my path; but I understand what it means; I was brought up
in its school: besides; the work of fifteen years is overturned; and it
is not possible to recommence it。 It would take twenty years; and the
lives of 2;000;000 of men to be sacrificed to it。 As for the rest; I
desire peace; but I can only obtain it by means of victory。 I would not
inspire you with false expectations。 I permit it to be said that
negotiations are going on; there are none。 I foresee a hard struggle;
a long war。 To support it I must be seconded by the nation; but in
return I believe they will expect liberty。 They shall have it: the
circumstances are new。 All I desire is to be informed of the truth。
I am getting old。 A man is no longer at forty…five what he was at
thirty。 The repose enjoyed by a constitutional king may suit me: it will
still more certainly be the best thing; for my son。〃
From this remarkable address。 Benjamin Constant concluded that no change
had taken place in Bonaparte's views or feelings in matters of
government; but; being convinced that circumstances had changed; he had
made up his mind to conform to them。 He says; and we cannot doubt it;
that he listened to Napoleon with the deepest interest; that there was a
breadth and grandeur of manner as be spoke; and a calm serenity seated on
a brow covered with immortal laurels。〃
Whilst believing the utter incompatibility of Napoleon and constitutional
government we cannot in fairness omit mentioning that the causes which
repelled him from the altar and sanctuary of freedom were strong: the
real lovers of a rational and feasible libertythe constitutional
monarchy men were fewthe mad ultra…Liberals; the Jacobins; the refuse
of one revolution and the provokers of another; were numerous; active;
loud; and in pursuing different ends these two parties; the respectable
and the disreputable; the good and the bad; got mixed and confused with
one another。
On the 14th of May; when the 'federes' were marshalled in processional
order and treated with what was called a solemn festival; as they moved
along the boulevards to the Court of the Tuileries; they coupled the name
of Napoleon ;with Jacobin curses and revolutionary songs。 The airs and
the words that had made Paris tremble to her very centre during the Reign
of Terrorthe 〃Marseillaise;〃 the 〃Carmagnole;〃 the 〃Jour du depart;〃
the execrable ditty; the burden of which is; 〃And with the entrails of
the last of the priests let us strangle the last of the kings;〃 were all
roared out in fearful chorus by a drunken; filthy; and furious mob。 Many
a day had elapsed since they had dared to sing these blasphemous and
antisocial songs in public。 Napoleon himself as soon as he had power
enough suppressed them; and he was as proud of this feat and his triumph
over the dregs of the Jacobins as he was of any of his victories; and in
this he was right; in this he proved himself the friend of humanity。 As
the tumultuous mass approached the triumphal arch and the grand entrance
to the Palace he could not conceal his abhorrence。 His Guards were drawn
up under arms; and numerous pieces of artillery; already loaded were
turned out on the Place du Carrousel。 He hastily dismissed these
dangerous partisans with some praise; some money; and some drink。 On
coming into close contact with such a mob he did not feel his fibre
respond to that of the populace! Like Frankenstein; he loathed and was
afraid of the mighty monster he had put together。
But it was not merely the mob that checked the liberalism or constitution
of Napoleon; a delicate and doubtful plant in itself; that required the
most cautious treatment to make it really take root and grow up in such a
soil: Some of his councillors; who called themselves 〃philosophical
statesmen;〃 advised him to lay aside the style of Emperor; and assume
that of High President or Lord General of the Republic! Annoyed with
such puerilities while the enemy was every day drawing nearer the
frontiers he withdrew from the Tuileries to the comparatively small and
retired palace of the Elysee; where he escaped these talking…dreamers;
and felt himself again a sovereign: Shut up with Benjamin Constant and a
few other reasonable politicians; he drew up the sketch of a new
constitution; which was neither much better nor much worse than the royal
charter of Louis XVIII。 We give an epitome of its main features。
The Emperor was to have executive power; and to exercise legislative
power in concurrence with the two Chambers。 The Chamber of Peers was to
be hereditary; and nominated by the Emperor; and its number was
unlimited。 The Second Chamber was to be elected by the people; and to
consist of 629 members; none to be under the age of twenty…five。 The
President was to be appointed by the members; but approved of by the
Emperor。 Members were to be paid at the rate settled by the Constituent
Assembly; which was to be renewed every five years。 The Emperor might
prorogue; adjourn; or dissolve the House of Representatives; whose
sittings were to be public。 The Electoral Colleges were maintained。
Land tax and direct taxes were to be voted only for a year; indirect
taxes might be imposed for several years。 No levy of men for the army
nor any exchange of territory was to be made but by a law。 Taxes were to
be proposed by the Chamber of Representatives。 Ministers to be
responsible。 Judges to be irrem