Life of Napoleon III., emperor of the French

Preface

The following narrative appeared in the pages of a popular Boston weekly newspaper, the Pilot, where, though far from possessing any graces of style, and though necessarily containing much that is not new, it attracted attention enough to encourage the wi'iter to present it in a more permanent form to a more varied circle of readers.

It is not without serious defects. It pretends to little or no philosophy, dry facts alone, generally, being given. Its claims to originality are just as slight ; the works of well-known writers, principally French, and sometimes their language also, having been unscrupulously drawn upon ; and it cannot be denied that an involuntary partiality for the subject may have often somewhat hastened the conclusions.

The writer of course believes that the facts are all relevant and authentic, that the language could

4 PREFACE.

be borrowed when it perfectly expressed what himself wished to convey, and that the partiality has never led him into any undue misrepresentation ; but of all this the readers alone can be the judges.

Extensive extracts from the works of Louis Napoleon are given, and all his letters of any importance, his proclamations, decrees, messages, &c., to which access could be obtained, are presented with as little curtailment as possible. These reveal the man as fully as can be expected, and at all events enable every reader to judge for himself.

However serious, then, its deficiencies may be, the book is now submitted to the public with the confident belief that it will afford every candid reader considerable assistance in forming a just idea of the merits or demerits of a personage who at present occupies the most prominent position on earth, and therefore lends at least a temporary interest to the most unpretending work connected with his name.

Chapter I

PAaB Illustrious Birth of the Prince. Queen Hortense. Eariy Education,

Napoleon his Instructor. The Invasion. Emperor Alexander.

Death of Josephine. Maternal Education. . . . . .13

Chapter II

Eetum of Napoleon to the Tuileries. Eeception of Hortense. Consequences of "Waterloo. The Necklace. Fury of the Eoyalists. Departure of the Queen. Separation of the Brothers. Constance. Arenemberg. Augsburg. Rome. Switzerland. Hopes excited by the Revolution of July. . .... 31

Chapter III

The Brothers participate in the Italian Insurrection. Death of the elder. Hortense saves her remaining Son by a timely Elight. Fruitless Application to Louis Philippe. Again ordered to quit Paris. Short Stay in England. Return to Arenemberg. Death of the Duke of Reichstadt. Deputation from Poland. . . 47

Chapter IV

Louis Napoleon an Author. His " Reveries Politiques." " Considerations sur la Suisse." Refuses the Offer of the Crown of Portugal with the Hand of Donna Maria. His " Manuel d'Artil-

lerie." Life at Arenemberg 57

1* (5)

Chapter V

Napoleonic Reaction. Country restless under Louis Philippe. Louis Napoleon persuaded by Partisans that his Time is come. Opinions entertained of the Prince at that Period. Chateaubriand. Lafayette. Armand Carrel. Personal Appearance. Decides on making an Attempt at Strasburg. His Letter on the Subject. Failure. Uniyersal Eidicule. Extract from a German Newspaper of the Time. Louis Napoleon imprisoned and exiled. His Accomplices tried and acquitted

Chapter VI

Louis Napoleon's Letter to his Mother, regarding the Affair of Strasburg. Confident in his Hopes of Success. The Rendezvous. Six in the Morning. Colonel Vaudrey. Address to the Fourth Artillery. Enthusiasm. Unsuccessful Attempt on General Voirol. Total Failure in the Barracks Finckmatt. Imprisoned and examined. Sent to Paris. Banished to America. Letter to O'Dillon Barrot 85

Chapter VII

Continuation of Louis Napoleon's Letter to his Mother. Leaves France. On the Atlantic. Rio Janeiro. Arrives in New York. Letter to Vieillard. Short Stay in New York. Called back by his Mother's Illness. Her Death. Laity's Pamphlet. Louis Napoleon obliged to leave Switzerland in consequence. Letter to the Swiss Government. Life in London. Publishes " Id6es Napoleoniennes." .

Chapter VIII

The Id6es Napol6oniennes. Objects of the work. Progress. No Government established on immutable Principles. United States and Russia, alone, are fulfilling their Mission. Is France to do Nothing 1 Napoleon the testamentary Executor of the Revolution. Justice at last done to his Memory. State of France on his Accession to Power. Intolerance. His Object was to guide France to Liberty. Favors no Party. Centralization of his Authority necessary. His grand Institutions. The civil Order. Napoleon no systematic Despot. His grand Views of forming one great Em'opean Association. Intended to give France her full Share of Liberty. Causes of his 'Fall. Napoleonian Ideas have taken Koot every -where. Eemarks. . . .115

Chapter IX

New Hopes. The " Capitole " projected, but finally abandoned. Monthly Publication, "L'Idee Napol^onienne," determined on. Extracts. Letter to the " Times." Louis Napoleon, at the Head of sixty Men, attempts an Insurrection at Boulogne. History of that Affair. Eavorable Aspects of Things at first. Proclamations. ... 134

Chapter X

The Attempt at Boulogne, continued. It is completely frustrated. Pirmness of Captain Col-Puygellier. Attempted Eetreat also fails. Louis Napoleon and all his Followers captured. The Steamboat. Excitement in Paris. The Prince's Proclamation to the Prench People. His " Decree." He and his Accomplices brought for Trial before the Court of Peers. .... 146

Chapter XI

Trial for the attempted Insurrection at Boulogne. Louis Napoleon's Discourse. Examination of the Prisoners. Testimony of the Witnesses. Discourse of the Procurator General. . . .158

Chapter XII

Continuation of the Trial for the Boulogne Attempt. Berryer's Speech. Bold Allusions. General Montholon. Barrot's Speech. Parquin. Persigny. Dr. Conneau. The Accused sentenced to various Terms of Imprisonment 169

Chapter XIII

Imprisonment in Ham. Louis Napoleon's own Opinion on his Captivity and its Occasion. Ham. Its Situation. Its History. The Prince's grateful Letter to his Counsel. His Apartments in the Fortress of Ham. The Garrison. Close and harsh Eestriction exercised towards the Prisoner. His Protest. . . . 183

Notice of " Extinction of Pauperism." Letters of Beranger to the Prince, Madame Dudevant's Insight into the Character of Louis Napoleon, and the Apprehensions of the Socialist Party in case of his Accession to Power 220

Chapter XVII

Great Keputation gained for Louis Napoleon by his "Works. The People of Central America^ solicit him, in case of Liberation, to superintend their contemplated Ship Canal. Correspondence on the Subject. Application of Louis Bonaparte, attacked by serious Illness, to see his Son at his Bedside, refused by the French Government. The Prince's Letter to the King meets no better

. Success. The Prisoner rejects the Terms oifered by Government, and determines to effect his Escape at the first Opportunity. . . 234

Louis Napoleon in England until Febraary, 1848. Short Sketch of the first French Eevolution 274

Chapter XXI

The Consulate. The Empire. Its Fall. The Eestoration. The Chambers. The Eoyal Family. Accession of Charles X. His unwise and despotic Administration. The Ordinances. Revolution of July. Accession of Louis Philippe, and why his Subjects were discontented. . . '' 287

Chapter XXII

Parties in France. The Ministers. Contest in the Chamber. Government Proclamation suppressing the Banquet. Threatening State of the City in consequence. National Guards begin to fraternize with the People. Change of Ministry. Insurrection Btill threatening 300

CHAPTER XXIIT.

Revolution of 1848 continued. Massacre before Guizot's Residence. Measures of the Republicans. Louis Philippe calls oji Thiers to form a Ministry. Storming of the Palais Royal and Massacre of the Municipal Guards. Abdication of the King. Regency of the Duchess of Orleans rejected in the Chamber of Deputies, and a Republic proclaimed. The new Government takes Possession of the Hotel de Ville, and tries to restore Order. . . .315

Chapter XXIV

The Revolution accomplished. Lamartine. Bonapartists excluded from Office. Arrival of Louis Napoleon in Paris, and his Letter to the Government. He is ordered to quit France in twenty-four Hours. Jerome's Letter. Louis Napoleon returns to England. Persigny and his Exertions. Elections. Bonapartes in the Assembly. Attempted Revolution of the 15th of May. National Workshops. Louis Napoleon is elected Representative of Paris and of three Departments 331

CHAPTEE XXV.

Causes of the sudden Bonapartist Enthusiasm. Ill "Will of the Executive Commission. Meetings on the Boulevards. Alarm in the Assembly. Project of Proscription against Louis Napoleon. Letters from the Prince. His Election sanctioned. Letter of Thanks to his Electors. Proclamation of the Prefect, M. Marc Dufraisse 344

Chapter XXVI

Pamous Letter from the Prince to the Assembly. General Cavaignac and the word " Kepublic." Thouret's Proposal. New Letter from the Prince. The sanguinary Days of June and their Causes. General Cavaignac appointed Dictator ; overcomes the Insurgents. Louis Napoleon's Letter to General Piat. His Return to Paris, and First Appearance in the Assembly. Discussions on the Constitution. New Attack, and the Prince's Reply. Singular Scene in the Assembly. ....... 358

Chapter XXVII

Louis Napoleon in the Assembly declares Ms willingness to accept the Presidential Candidatecy. The new Constitution proclaimed. The rival Candidates. Great Popularity of Louis Napoleon. The live Eagle. Manifesto of the Prince. Opinions of Thiers and Girardin thereupon. Disorders in Rome, and consequent Measures of the Government. Letter of Louis Napoleon giving his Reasons for not voting. 10th of December. The Prince triumphant in Paris 374

Chapter XXVIII

The Inauguration. The President's Address. Difficulties of Louis Napoleon's new Position. Was Prance really a Republic 1 The new Constitution ; its radical Defects. The Ministry. Resignation of the Minister of the Interior. His Successor fails in his Attempt to suppress the Clubs. Alarm of the 29th of January. Programme of the Solidarite Republicaine 389

Chapter XXIX

Extent of the Conspiracy. The Proposition Rateau. Propagandism of the Bed Republicans. Committee of the Street Poitiers. Severe Letter from the President to his Cousin Napoleon. Expedition to Eome. Divisions in the Assembly. New Elections, and Successes of the Mountain. The President's Message. The Red Republicans, headed by Ledru Rollin, attempt another Insurrection, but are completely discomfited. Oudinot besieges and takes Rome 404

Chapter XXX

Affairs in Rome. Letter of Louis Napoleon on the Subject. Resignation of the Minister of Public Instruction. Adjournment of the Assembly. State of Parties. Increasing Popularity of Louis Napoleon among the Army and the People. The Insurgent of June. Railroad Pestivities. The European Powers. Return of the Assembly. Debate on the Roman Letter. Difficulty of the IMinisters. Duel between Thiers and Bixio. Victor Hugo. Louis Napoleon dismisses his Ministers. ..... 422

Chapter XXXI

Proceedings of the Year 1849-50. The new Ministry. Montalembert's Speech. The "Raft." Progress of Socialism. New Elections. Socialists triumphant in Paris. Anger of the Assembly. Debates on the Restriction of Universal Suffrage. The " Vile Multitude." Three million Voters disfranchised. Prosperous Condition of Prance. " A Year Ago." Proposal to increase the President's Salary passed after strong Opposition. Adjournment of the Assembly, President's Tour through the East and West. Famous Discourse at Lyons. Plots of the Royalists. The Visits to Claremont. The Congress of "Wisbaden. Barthelemy Circular. What of the Constitution 1 442

Chapter XXXII

Dispute between General Changarnier and the Government. The Review at Satory. Alarm of the Permanent Committee. Rumored Conspiracy of the Assembly to depose Louis Napoleon, and make Changarnier Dictator. Society of 10th of December dissolved. Reopening of the Assembly. President's Message gives some Glimpses of his future Policy. Spurious Message. General Changarnier openly opposes the President, and obligea the Ministry to resign. He is removed from his Command. Stormy Scene in the Assembly, resulting in the immediate Kesignation of the new Ministry. France for three Months without a regular Cabinet. Joy of the Socialists. The Author of " Le Spectre Rouge " tries to alarm the Country. The Dotation Bill rejected by a Coalition of all Parties. Montalembert's Speech. Popularity of the President. Public Topics 461

CHAPTEB XXXIII.

S'amous Dijon Speech, in which Louis Napoleon announces his Disagreement with the Assembly and his Determination to obey the Will of Prance. Anger of the Assembly, and General Changarnier's Outbreak. Discussion on the Ee vision of the Constitution. Victor Hugo's angry Apostrophe. Rejection of the Bill. The Assembly is prorogued. Candidates for 1852. Alarming State of Prance. Spread of Socialism. Who is to make Head against it 1 Louis Napoleon's Policy. Was it perjured 1 Was it not his only Alternative ? Return of the Assembly. President's Message advocating the Revision. Revision rejected by a Majority of Three. A Bill claiming the direct Authority of the Assembly over the Army is defeated through the Aid of the Mountain. Louis Napoleon again publicly announces his Policy. New Bill introduced reasserting t4ie Authority of the Assembly over the Army, and defining Grounds for impeaching the President. The Crisis approaches 481

Chapter XXXIV

The Coup d'Etat. The Soiree. Last Orders. The Decree and Proclamations. Principal Points of Paris possessed by the Troops. Arrest of all Persons likely to prove dangerous. Tranquillity of the City. Details ' . . .504

CHAPTEH XXXV.

The Coup d'Etat continued. Action of the Representatives. The High Court. Session in the 10th Arrondissement. Little Pighting until Thursday, when General Magnan completely conquers the Insurgents. Dreadful News from the Provinces. Proclamation. General Election. Louis Napoleon invested with Supreme Authority by more than Seven Millions of Votes. Conclusion. 527