the origins of contemporary france-5-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



in　relation　to　his　own　affairs；＇93＇　when　it　is　over　he　divulges　the

fact　and　gives　the　name；　furthermore；　he　informs　Josephine　in　detail

and　will　not　listen　to　any　reproach：　〃I　have　a　right　to　answer　all

your　objections　with　an　eternal　I！〃



This　term；　indeed；　answers　to　everything；　and　he　explains　it　by

adding：　〃I　stand　apart　from　other　men。　　I　accept　nobody's　conditions；〃

nor　any　species　of　obligation；　no　code　whatever；　not　even　the　common

code　of　outward　civility；　which；　diminishing　or　dissimulating

primitive　brutality；　allows　men　to　associate　together　without

clashing。　　He　does　not　comprehend　it；　and　he　repudiates　it。　　〃I　have

little　liking；〃＇94＇　he　says；　〃for　that　vague；　leveling　word　propriety

（convenances）；　which　you　people　fling　out　every　chance　you　get。　　It　is

an　invention　of　fools　who　want　to　pass　for　clever　men；　a　kind　of

social　muzzle　which　annoys　the　strong　and　is　useful　only　to　the

mediocre。　　。　。　Ah；　good　taste　！　Another　classic　expression　which　I　do

not　accept。〃　〃It　is　your　personal　enemy〃；　says　Talleyrand　to　him；　one

day；　〃if　you　could　have　shot　it　away　with　bullets；　it　would　have

disappeared　long　ago！〃　…　It　is　because　good　taste　is　the　highest

attainment　of　civilization；　the　innermost　vestment　which　drapes　human

nudity；　which　best　fits　the　person；　the　last　garment　retained　after

the　others　have　been　cast　off；　and　which　delicate　tissue　continues　to

hamper　Napoleon；　he　throws　it　off　instinctively；　because　it　interferes

with　his　natural　behavior；　with　the　uncurbed；　dominating；　savage　ways

of　the　vanquisher　who　knocks　down　his　adversary　and　treats　him　as　he

pleases。



V。　His　Policy。



His　tone　and　bearing　towards　Sovereigns。　…　His　Policy。　…　His　means　and

ends。…　After　Sovereigns　he　sets　populations　against　him。　…　Final

opinion　of　Europe。



Such　behavior　render　social　intercourse　impossible；　especially　among

the　independent　and　armed　personages　known　as　nations　or　States。　This

is　why　they　are　outlawed　in　politics　and　in　diplomacy　and　every　head

of　a　State　or　representative　of　a　country；　carefully　and　on　principle；

abstains　from　them；　at　least　with　those　on　his　own　level。　　He　is　bound

to　treat　these　as　his　equals；　humor　them；　and；　accordingly；　not　to

give　way　to　the　irritation　of　the　moment　or　to　personal　feeling；　in

short；　to　exercise　self…control　and　measure　his　words。　　To　this　is　due

the　tone　of　manifestos；　protocols；　dispatches；　and　other　public

documents　the　formal　language　of　legations；　so　cold；　dry；　and

elaborated；　those　expressions　purposely　attenuated　and　smoothed　down；

those　long　phrases　apparently　spun　out　mechanically　and　always　after

the　same　pattern；　a　sort　of　soft　wadding　or　international　buffer

interposed　between　contestants　to　lessen　the　shocks　of　collision。　　The

reciprocal　irritations　between　States　are　already　too　great；　there　are

ever　too　many　unavoidable　and　regrettable　encounters；　too　many　causes

of　conflict；　the　consequences　of　which　are　too　serious；　it　is

unnecessary　to　add　to　the　wounds　of　interest　the　wounds　of　imagination

and　of　pride；　and　above　all；　it　is　unnecessary　to　amplify　these

without　reason；　at　the　risk　of　increasing　the　obstacles　of　to…day　and

the　resentments　of　to…morrow。　…　With　Napoleon　it　is　just　the　opposite：

his　attitude；　even　at　peaceful　interviews；　remains　aggressive　and

militant；　purposely　or　in…voluntarily；　he　raises　his　hand　and　the　blow

is　felt　to　be　coming；　while；　in　the　meantime；　he　insults。　　In　his

correspondence　with　sovereigns；　in　his　official　proclamations；　in　his

deliberations　with　ambassadors；　and　even　at　public　audiences；＇95＇　he

provokes；　threatens；　and　defies。＇96＇　　He　treats　his　adversary　with　a

lofty　air；　insults　him　often　to　his　face；　and　charges　him　with　the

most　disgraceful　imputations。＇97＇　　He　divulges　the　secrets　of　his

private　life；　of　his　closet；　and　of　his　bed；　he　defames　or　calumniates

his　ministers；　his　court；　and　his　wife；＇98＇　he　purposely　stabs　him　in

the　most　sensitive　part。　　He　tells　one　that　he　is　a　dupe；　a　betrayed

husband；　another　that　he　is　an　abettor　of　assassination；　he　assumes

the　air　of　a　judge　condemning　a　criminal；　or　the　tone　of　a　superior

reprimanding　an　inferior；　or；　at　best；　that　of　a　teacher　taking　a

scholar　to　task。　　With　a　smile　of　pity；　he　points　out　mistakes；　weak

points；　and　incapacity；　and　shows　him　beforehand　that　he　must　be

defeated。　　On　receiving　the　envoy　of　the　Emperor　Alexander　at

Wilna；＇99＇　be　says　to　him：



〃Russia　does　not　want　this　war；　none　of　the　European　powers　are　in

favor　of　it；　England　herself　does　not　want　it；　for　she　foresees　the

harm　it　will　do　to　Russia；　and　even；　perhaps；　the　greatest。　。　。　I　know

as　well　as　yourself；　and　perhaps　even　better；　how　many　troops　you

have。　　Your　infantry　in　all　amounts　to　120；000　men　and　your　cavalry　to

about　60；000　or　70；000；　I　have　three　times　as　many。　。　。　。　The　Emperor

Alexander　is　badly　advised。　　How　can　he　tolerate　such　vile　people

around　him　…　an　Armfeld；　an　intriguing；　depraved；　rascally　fellow；　a

ruined　debauchee；　who　is　known　only　by　his　crimes　and　who　is　the　enemy

of　Russia；　a　Stein；　driven　from　his　country　like　an　outcast；　a

miscreant　with　a　price　on　his　head；　a　Bennigsen；　who；　it　is　said；　has

some　military　talent；　of　which　I　know　nothing；　but　whose　hands　are

steeped　in　blood？＇100＇　。　。　。　。　Let　him　surround　himself　with　the

Russians　and　I　will　say　nothing。　。　。　。　Have　you　no　Russian　gentlemen

among　you　who　are　certainly　more　attached　to　him　than　these

mercenaries？　Does　he　imagine　that　they　are　fond　of　him　personally？　Let

him　put　Armfeld　in　command　in　Finland　and　I　have　nothing　to　say；　but

to　have　him　about　his　person；　for　shame　！　。　。　。　。　What　a　superb

perspective　opened　out　to　the　Emperor　Alexander　at　Tilsit；　and

especially　at　Erfurt！　。　。　。　。　He　has　spoilt　the　finest　reign　Russia

ever　saw。　。　。　。　How　can　he　admit　to　his　society　such　men　as　a　Stein；

an　Armfeld；　a　Vinzingerode？　Say　to　the　Emperor　Alexander；　that　as　he

gathers　around　him　my　personal　enemies　it　means　a　desire　to　insult　me

personally；　and；　consequently；　that　I　must　do　the　same　to　him。　I　will

drive　all　his　Baden；　Wurtemburg；　and　Weimar　relations　out　of　Germany。

Let　him　provide　a　refuge　for　them　in　Russia！〃



Note　what　he　means　by　…　personal　insult＇101＇；　how　he　intends　to　avenge

himself　by　reprisals　of　the　worst　kind；　to　what　excess　he　carries　his

interference；　how　he　enters　the　cabinets　of　foreign　sovereigns；

forcibly　entering　and　breaking；　to　drive　out　their　councilors　and

control　their　meetings：　like　the　Roman　senate　with　an　Antiochus　or　a

Prusias；　like　an　English　Resident　with　the　King　of　Oude　or　of　Lahore。

With　others　as　at　home；　he　cannot　help　but　act　as　a　master。　　　The

aspiration　for　universal　dominion　is　in　his　very　nature；　it　may　be

modified；　kept　in　check；　but　never　can　it　be　completely　stifled。〃＇102＇



It　declares　itself　on　the　organization　of　the　Consulate。　　It　explains

why　the　peace　of　Amiens　could　not　last；　apart　from　the　diplomatic

discussions　and　behind　his　alleged　grievances；　his　character；　his

exactions；　his　avowed　plans；　and　the　use　he　intends　making　of　his

forces　form　the　real　and　true　causes　of　the　rupture。　　In

comprehensible　sometimes　even　in　explicit　terms；　he　tells　the　English：

Expel　the　Bourbons　from　your　island　and　close　the　mouths　of　your

journalists。　　If　this　is　against　your　constitution　so　much　the　worse

for　it；　or　so　much　the　worse　for　you。　　〃There　are　general　principles

of　international　law　to　which　the　（special）　laws　of　states　must　give

way。〃＇103＇　Change　your　fundamental　laws。　　Suppress　the　freedom　of　the

press　and　the　right　of　asylum　on　your　soil；　the　same　as　I　have　done。

〃I　have　a　very　poor　opinion　of　a　government　which　is　not　strong　enough

to　interdict　things　objectionable　to　foreign　governments。〃＇104＇　As　to

mine；　my　interference　with　my　neighbors；　my　late　acquisitions　of

territory；　that　does　not　concern　you：　〃I　suppose　that　you　want　to　talk

about　Piedmont　and　Switzerland？　These　are　trifles〃＇105＇　　〃Europe

recognizes　that　Holland；　Italy；　and　Switzerland　are　at　the　disposition

of　France。＇106＇　On　the　other　hand；　Spain　submits　to　me　and　through　her

I　hold　Portugal。　　Thus；　from　Amsterdam　to　Bordeaux；　from　Lisbon　to

Cadiz　and　Genoa；　from　Leghorn　to　Naples　and　to　Tarentum；　I　can　close

every　port　to　you；　no　treaty　of　commerce　between　us。　　Any　treaty　that

I　might　grant　to　you　would　be　trifling：　for　each　million　of

merchandise　that　you　would　send　into　France　a　million　of　French

merchandise　would　be　exported；＇107＇　in　other　words；　you　would　be

subject　to　an　open　or　concealed　continental　blockade；　which　would

cause　you　as　much　distress　in　peace　as　if　you　were　at　war。〃　My　eyes

are　nevertheless　fixed　on　Egypt；　〃six　thousand　Frenchmen　would　now

suffice　to　re…conquer　it〃；＇108＇　forcibly；　or　otherwise；　I　shall　return

there；　opportunities　will　not　be　lacking；　and　I　shall　be　on　the　watch

for　them；　〃sooner　or　later　she　will　belong　to　France；　either　through

the　dissolution　of　the　Ottoman　empire；　or　through　some　arrangement

with　the　Porte。〃＇109＇　　Evacuate　Malta　so　that　the　Mediterranean　may

become　a　French　lake；　I　must　rule　on　sea　as　on　land；　and　dispose　of

the　Orient　as　of　the　Occident。　　In　sum；　〃with　my　France；　England　must

naturally　end　in　becoming　simply　an　appendix：　nature　has　made　her　one

of　our　islands；　the　same　as　Oleron　or　Corsica。〃＇110＇　Naturally；　with

such　a　perspective　before　them；　the　English　keep　Malta　and　recommence

the　war。　　He　has　anticipated　such　an　occurrence；　and　his　resolution　is

taken；　at　a　glance；　he　perceives　and　measures　the　path　this　will　open

to　him；　with　his　usual　clear…sightedness　he　has　comprehended；　and　he

announces　that　the　English　resistance　〃forces　him　to　conquer　Europe。　。

。　。〃＇111＇　…　〃The　First　Consul　is　only　thirty…three　and　has　thus　far

destroyed　only　the　second…class　governments。　　Who　knows　how　much　time

he　will　require　to　again　change　the　face　of　Europe　and　resurrect　the

Western　Roman　Empire？〃



To　subjugate　the　Continent　in　order　to　form　a　coalition　against

England；　such；　henceforth；　are　his　means；　which　are　as　violent　as　the

end　in　view；　while　the　means；　like　the　end；　are　given　by　his

character。　　Too　imperious　and　too　impatient　to　wait　or　to　manage

others；　he　is　incapable　of　yielding　to　their　will　except　through

constraint；　and　his　collaborators　are　to　him　nothing　more　than

subjects　under　the　name　of　allies。　…　Later；　at　St。　Helena；　with　his

indestructible　imaginative　energy　and　power　of　illusion；　he　plays　on

the　public　with　his　humanitarian　illusions。＇112＇　But；　as　he　himself

avows；　the　accomplishment　of　his　retrospective　dream　required

beforehand　the　entire　submission　of　all　Europe；　a　liberal　sovereign

and　pacificator；　〃a　crowned　Washington；　yes；〃　he　used　to　say；　〃but　I

could　not　reasonably　attain　this　point；　except　through　a　universal

dictatorship；　which　I　aimed　at。〃＇113＇　In　vain　does　common　sense

demonstrate　to　him　that　such　an　enterprise　inevitably　rallies　the

Continent　to　t