登陆注册
5367000000054

第54章 NAPOLEON AND HIS SYSTEM(6)

To execute the legacy of the revolution, then; to fulfil his providential mission; to keep his place,--in other words, for the simplest are always the best,--to keep his place, and to keep his Government in decent order, the Emperor was obliged to establish a military despotism, to re-establish honors and titles; it was necessary, as the Prince confesses, to restore the old prestige of the Government, in order to make the people respect it; and he adds--a truth which one hardly would expect from him,--"At the commencement of a new society, it is the legislator who makes and corrects the manners; later, it is the manners which preserve the laws." Of course, and here is the great risk that all revolutionizing people run--they must tend to despotism; "they must personify themselves in a man," is the Prince's phrase; and, according as is his temperament or disposition--according as he is a Cromwell, a Washington, or a Napoleon--the revolution becomes tyranny or freedom, prospers or falls.

Somewhere in the St.Helena memorials, Napoleon reports a message of his to the Pope."Tell the Pope," he says to an archbishop, "to remember that I have six hundred thousand armed Frenchmen, qui marcheront avec moi, pour moi, et comme moi." And this is the legacy of the revolution, the advancement of freedom! A hundred volumes of imperial special pleading will not avail against such a speech as this--one so insolent, and at the same time so humiliating, which gives unwittingly the whole of the Emperor's progress, strength, and weakness.The six hundred thousand armed Frenchmen were used up, and the whole fabric falls; the six hundred thousand are reduced to sixty thousand, and straightway all the rest of the fine imperial scheme vanishes: the miserable senate, so crawling and abject but now, becomes of a sudden endowed with a wondrous independence; the miserable sham nobles, sham empress, sham kings, dukes, princes, chamberlains, pack up their plumes and embroideries, pounce upon what money and plate they can lay their hands on, and when the allies appear before Paris, when for courage and manliness there is yet hope, when with fierce marches hastening to the relief of his capital, bursting through ranks upon ranks of the enemy, and crushing or scattering them from the path of his swift and victorious despair, the Emperor at last is at home,--where are the great dignitaries and the lieutenant-generals of the empire? Where is Maria Louisa, the Empress Eagle, with her little callow king of Rome? Is she going to defend her nest and her eaglet? Not she.Empress-queen, lieutenant-general, and court dignitaries, are off on the wings of all the winds--profligati sunt, they are away with the money-bags, and Louis Stanislas Xavier rolls into the palace of his fathers.

With regard to Napoleon's excellences as an administrator, a legislator, a constructor of public works, and a skilful financier, his nephew speaks with much diffuse praise, and few persons, we suppose, will be disposed to contradict him.Whether the Emperor composed his famous code, or borrowed it, is of little importance;but he established it, and made the law equal for every man in France except one.His vast public works and vaster wars were carried on without new loans or exorbitant taxes; it was only the blood and liberty of the people that were taxed, and we shall want a better advocate than Prince Louis to show us that these were not most unnecessarily and lavishly thrown away.As for the former and material improvements, it is not necessary to confess here that a despotic energy can effect such far more readily than a Government of which the strength is diffused in many conflicting parties.No doubt, if we could create a despotical governing machine, a steam autocrat,--passionless, untiring, and supreme,--we should advance further, and live more at ease than under any other form of government.Ministers might enjoy their pensions and follow their own devices; Lord John might compose histories or tragedies at his leisure, and Lord Palmerston, instead of racking his brains to write leading articles for Cupid, might crown his locks with flowers, and sing [Greek text omitted], his natural Anacreontics;but alas! not so: if the despotic Government has its good side, Prince Louis Napoleon must acknowledge that it has its bad, and it is for this that the civilized world is compelled to substitute for it something more orderly and less capricious.Good as the Imperial Government might have been, it must be recollected, too, that since its first fall, both the Emperor and his admirer and would-be successor have had their chance of re-establishing it.

"Fly from steeple to steeple" the eagles of the former did actually, and according to promise perch for a while on the towers of Notre Dame.We know the event: if the fate of war declared against the Emperor, the country declared against him too; and, with old Lafayette for a mouthpiece, the representatives of the nation did, in a neat speech, pronounce themselves in permanence, but spoke no more of the Emperor than if he had never been.

Thereupon the Emperor proclaimed his son the Emperor Napoleon II.

"L'Empereur est mort, vive l'Empereur!" shouted Prince Lucien.

Psha! not a soul echoed the words: the play was played, and as for old Lafayette and his "permanent" representatives, a corporal with a hammer nailed up the door of their spouting-club, and once more Louis Stanislas Xavier rolled back to the bosom of his people.

In like manner Napoleon III.returned from exile, and made his appearance on the frontier.His eagle appeared at Strasburg, and from Strasburg advanced to the capital; but it arrived at Paris with a keeper, and in a post-chaise; whence, by the orders of the sovereign, it was removed to the American shores, and there magnanimously let loose.Who knows, however, how soon it may be on the wing again, and what a flight it will take?

同类推荐
  • 效力篇

    效力篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Life of Francis Marion

    The Life of Francis Marion

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阿耨颰经

    佛说阿耨颰经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七破论

    七破论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冯氏锦囊秘录

    冯氏锦囊秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 风吻男

    风吻男

    不显山,不露水,不给美女走近的机会,他就是做人自律慎独,做事低调稳重的江南,无意中邂逅公司旗下的加盟商闵欢时,她骨子里秉持的距离感,反倒引起他的特别关注;而他,则是风一样的男子,才华横溢,无拘无束,无论走到哪,都是身边众多女性竞相追逐的”完美才子“,唯独他暗恋已久的闵欢,却在他表露完心迹后,不辞而别;当浪漫文青男与冷静克制男在情场相见,他们会有怎样与众不同的角逐?书友群:480070146
  • 魔王与勇者的终末之旅

    魔王与勇者的终末之旅

    在无限重复的空间与时间中,穿梭一切可能的时间点,去迎接最合理的未来,愿黑星照常升起。绝对跳跃的剧情,待君品尝。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 网游之无敌剑客

    网游之无敌剑客

    剑,兵器之王;剑客,游侠之冠;剑术之妙,用最简单的动作击倒对方;剑客杀人,千里之外取人首级,无影无踪;无敌剑客,剑客无敌!而网游中的剑客,又该怎样?手提三尺长剑,斩杀洪荒凶魔,上天入地,诛仙弑佛。本书用剑客行云流水般的舞姿,带你走进一个不同一般的网游世界。
  • 鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    前世她活的憋屈,做了一辈子的小白鼠,重活一世,有仇报仇!有怨报怨!弃之不肖!她是前世至尊,素手墨笔轻轻一挥,翻手为云覆手为雨,天下万物皆在手中画。纳尼?负心汉爱上她,要再求娶?当她什么?昨日弃我,他日在回,我亦不肖!花痴废物?经脉尽断武功全无?却不知她一只画笔便虐你成渣……王府下人表示王妃很闹腾,“王爷王妃进宫偷墨宝,打伤了贵妃娘娘…”“王爷王妃看重了,学仁堂的墨宝当场抢了起来,打伤了太子……”“爱妃若想抢随她去,旁边递刀可别打伤了手……”“……”夫妻搭档,她杀人他挖坑,她抢物他递刀,她打太子他后面撑腰……双重性格男主萌萌哒
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 萧总的秘密

    萧总的秘密

    仇玥是一个宅女。但就是这样一个平凡不过的女孩大学刚毕业就像走了狗屎运一样进了A市第一财团公司.就是这么一个机遇.让改变她命运的一天出现了。上班第一天,她怀着忐忑的心情向公司走去。天呐!公司楼下,居然有两个帅哥在.......其中一个还是公司的总裁。
  • 总裁老公不请自来

    总裁老公不请自来

    第一次见面,苏浅浅被男友甩,情敌一杯水淋过来,不偏不倚的淋到沈彦的脸上。沈彦只是淡定的道:“没事,就当洗脸吧。”第二次见面,苏浅浅被公司扫地出门,临出门时,广告牌砸下来,没砸中正好在下面的苏浅浅,却好巧不巧砸到刚刚过来的沈彦。沈彦只是低沉的说了句:“死不了”结果住院一星期。第三次见面,苏浅浅:总裁,你帮了我这么大忙,我真不知道该怎么谢你呢。沈彦(很淡定):那就以身相许,嫁给我吧。苏浅浅一下子不淡定了,这总裁老公还不请自来了啊。不管有没有阴谋,她还是毫不犹豫的嫁给他,只为他给的倚靠的肩膀。他以王者之姿给予她世人羡慕嫉妒的婚礼,让她成为高高在上的沈夫人。婆婆刁难,小姑难缠,她不屑。她只要守着自己的这片小天地。只是有一天,亲眼见到情敌与他并肩走进内.衣店,她不淡定了。偶遇前任和他谈笑风生,她不明白了。那个他夜半呢喃的名字究竟是谁?新文《裴少的娃娃亲》http://m.pgsk.com/a/960292/已经开始更新,超逗文文,请从简介里的链接进入。
  • 窗外有张脸

    窗外有张脸

    一个春末夏初的晚上,地处桂北湘南的高州城雷鸣电闪、风雨大作,已经下了两天两夜的雨不仅未风停雨住,反而越下越大。夜渐深,雨更猛,风裹雨打枝,雷挟电破云,整个高州城仿佛笼罩在一片世界末日的恐惧之中。林南生坐在灯火通明的红房子鞋店里,一边慢悠悠地品着功夫茶,一边望着雾蒙蒙的窗外发呆。大街上偶尔疾驶而过的汽车,以及匆匆跑过窗前的行人,都没能惊扰他的沉思,好象那一切都是另一个世界的事,与他无关。过了一会儿,林南生转头望了望正伏在柜台上瞌睡的女店员李小菲,点了一支烟,透过淡淡的青烟继续他的呆状。