The great object was to seduce the signs, and
military actually in arms ; for long ertbrts to
experience had taught the French j°J™f "*®
that it is by them that all social con-
vulsions in their country are, in the last resort,
determined. They were not long in finding a
few desperadoes who were -willing to execute
their designs. A captain in the Legion de la
ing fund, which, in 1816, was 20.000,000, and in 1817 was
increased to 40,000,000, had been highly gratifying. U
was as follows .
Sams applied.
Francs.
1816 20.439,724
1817 43.064,946
1618 51,832,333
1819 67,094,682
Annuities bonght ap.
Francs.
1.762,765
.. 3.322,114
3,675,642
. . 4,854,776
And from a statement laid before the Chamber by the
celebrated economist M Ganihl, it appeared that before
the Revolution the public burdens stood thus :
Francs.
Total taxes 565,000,0C0
Of which the direct taxes were —
Franes. f. a.
On realized property . . . 250,000,000, or 8 1^0 per cent-
Industry and commerce. 30,000,000, or 1 1-20 "
Consumers 304,000,000, or 10 1- 2 "
After the Revolution in 1820 they stood thus :
Francs.
Total revenue and taxes 875,941,063
Of which raised by Franw.
taxes 600,712,600
Of which the land paid. 268,000,000, or 9 francs 16 cents
Taxed capital money . . 154.000,000, or 9 " 16 ''^
Industry and commerce. 56.000,000, or 1 " 16
Consumers 302,116,300, or 6 " 16 "
So that the taxes on land, industry, and fixed capitall
had increased a third, and those on consumption had re-|
mained the same, though their amount per head dimin-
ished, from the increase of population, in the intervening!
period, from 25.000.000 to .30,0(10.000 souls.— Ann. Hist.,t
lii. 175. 15*8. 200 ; and iv. 611, f:u3.
1820.]
HISTORY OF EUROTE.
S07
Meurtlie, in garrison nt Paris, named IS'aiilil, a
half-pay colonel, named Sauzet, and a colonel
of the disbanded Imperial Guard, named Ma-
zaire, agreed to act as leaders. Their plan was
to surprise the fortress of Vincennes, to cor-
rupt the regiments in Paris, to rouse the fau-
bourgs and the schools, and with the united
forces march on tlie Tuileries. A great num-
ber of the half-pay generals of the Empire — in
particular, Generals Pajol, Bacheluz, Merten,
ilaransin, Lafitte, and superior officers in re-
tirement^were engaged in the conspiracy, the
object of which was to dethrone the Bourbons.
On that they were all agreed, but on ulterior
measures there was great difference of opinion.
Lafayette desired to proclaim a republic or a
constitutional monarchy, whose interests were
ideatical with those of the Revolution, and
who might be " fettered by the bonds of a rep-
resentative democrac}'." Tlie great majority
wished to proclaim Napoleon II., hoping to re-
store with him the days of glory, of promotion,
and plunder. Lafaj-ette indulged a sanguine
hope that, as Napoleon's son was in the hands
of the Austrians, wlio would not allow him to
accept the proffered crown, it would become a
matter of necessity to bestow on him the dic-
tatorship, of which lie had enjoyed a foretaste
in 1790, and of which he had dreamed in 1815.
The day of rising was fixed for 19th August:
Nantil was to raise his legion, and head the
attack ; Lafayette went to his chateau of La-
grange to rouse his department, and aid in the
assault on A^incennes ; M. d'Argenson
i.iu oQn''' went to Alsace to array in arms its
JJO, JJU ; ,. 1 TIT J
Cap. vii. numerous repubheans ; and JM. de
62,63; Lac. Corcelles was charged with organiz-
i'.m^"^' ing the revolt in, the great and pop-
\ilous city of Lyons. ^
An accidental circumstance prevented this
gj deeply laid design from being carried
Which fails into etfect. On the day before it was
byaccident. to have taken place, an explosion
Aug. 19. Qf powder, from fortuitous causes,
took place in the castle of Vincennes, and this
led to the military and police being assembled
in considerable numbers in that important for-
tress. Their presence led the conspirators to
suppose that their -designs were discovered,
which was really not the case, for they were
not fully developed till long afterward. In-
formation had, however, been given to Gov-
ernment, by some of the officers upon wliom
unsuccessful attempts had been made, of a plot
to overturn the Government, and the whole
ISIinisters, in consequence, were summoned to
tlie Duke de Ricliehcu's on tiie morning of the
19tli. From the information there laid before
them, it was resolved to remove the Legion de
la Meurthe, which was most disaffected, from
Paris to the frontiers, and the suspected officers
were arrested in their barracks early in the
forenoon by officers of the police. M. de Latour
Maubourg, the War Minister, was himself pres-
ent when this was done. No resistance was
attempted; the common soldiers were aston-
ished, not irritated ; it was their officers, not
themselves, who were privy to the oonspir-
ncj'. Before night, the Legion de la Mcnrthe
marched out for I.an
mult and indiscipline, which recalled the
description given by Tacitus of the Roman
legions in the mi;tiny which Germanicus repress-
ed. Several of their officers were
arrested on the march. Nantil, and 3-99 331^.''
the principal leaders of the con- cap. vii.'
spiracy, however, made their es- 66, 67 ; Lac .
cape.' '"■ 8. 9-
Government acted with the utmost lenity in
the prosecutions consequent on this
abortive revolt. Lists of the persons i.enity
implicated in it had been furnished shown in
to the Ministry, and they comprised the prose
most of the leaders of the Liberal ^^t'o^s.
party in Paris. M. Lafayette and M. Manuel
were at its head. Ministers, however, recoiled
from the idea of openly coming to a rujiture
of an irreconcilable kind with the chiefs of a
party strong in the Chambers, strong in popular
support, strong, as had recently appeared, in
the aft'ections of a part at least of the arnij'.
It was doubtful how far — however clear the
moral evidence might be — the complete meas-
ure of legal proof could be obtained against
the real but half-vailed leaders of the conspir-
acy. It was deemed more expedient, there-
fore, to proceed only against the inferior agents,
and even against them in the most lenient
manner. They were sent for trial to the
Chamber of Peers, by whom a few, after a
long interval, were convicted, and sentenced
to secondary punishments, and several acquit-
ted. But ten years afterward, the real 2 Lac iii
leaders were revealed in those who ]2 , cap.
received the rewards of treason, at vn. 67, es ;
a time when none dared call it by L'^J'^o!,''
its right name.^
While conspiracies so serious and widespread
were in progress to overthrow the g,
d}-nasty of the Bourbons, Providence Birth oVthc
appeared in an extraordinary manner Duke of
to have interposed in their behalf; g"'^^'^?"''"
and an event occurred which, be^'ond
any which had yet occurred, elevated the hopes
of their partisans throughout the country. The
Duchess de Berri, notwithstanding the dreadful
shock received from the murder of her husband,
went successfully through the whole period of
her pregnancy, and on the night of the 2nt]i
September was safely delivered of a son, who
was christened Henry Duke of Bordeaux. As
by the Salic Law males only can succeed to the
throne of France, and the infant whicli the
duchess bore was the last hope of continuing
the direct line of succession, the utmost pains
were taken to secure decisive evidence of the
child really being of the royal line. The mo-
ment the duchess was seized with her pains,
she desired that Marshal the Duke of Albufera
(Suchet) should be sent for, and she had the
courage and presence of mind, after the de-
livery was over, to insist that the umhilic:il
cord should not be cut till tlie marshal withiiis
own eyes had been satisfied witii the reality of
the birth and the sex of the infant. Several of
tlie Guard, besides the usual attendants on the
princess, were also cye-wilncsses to the birth.
The old king hastened to the apartment on the
first alarm, and wlicii the infant was prescntvd
to him, said, "Hero is a fine Duke de Bordeaux :
lie is born for us all;" and taking a few drops
of tin! wine of Pan, which according to old
tradition had anointed the lips of Henry IV.
before lie had received liis mother's milk, did
308
HISTORY OF EUROPE.
iho same to his infant dosoouilant. Then takini;
n pla.-is, ho tilloil it, ami drank Id tho
^r^p. vii. hJalth of" tlio (hiohoss. "Sire!" f^lio
I.an'i vi. roplioil, " 1 -wish 1 knew the soni:; of
n35, 336; Jean d' Albert, that every tliinir shunhl
Lar. Hi. 16, ^^^ ^^one here as at the birtli of Henry
''• IV.'"
Xo words can convey an idea of the trans-
c, ]^orts into wliieli the Royalists -were
fr.iver'siil tiirown over all France by this au-
iransporis sjiieions event ; and oven tliose of the
i:i France, opposite jiarties eoiild not resist feel-
ing tl»c intluenee of tlio general enthusiasm.
There was sonic thing iu the birth of the in-
f.ir.t — the last remnant of a long line of kings,
and who had been born in so interesting and
almost miraculous a manner after his father's
death — whicli spoke to ever}- heart. Tiie gen-
eral enthusiasm exceeded even that felt at the
birth of the king of Rome, ten years before
— for Napoleon might have had many other
sons — but 110 one, save this infant, could trans-
mit in the direct line the blood of Henry IV.
and Louis XIV. to future generations. It liad
been announced that twelve cannon-shots should
announce the birth of a daughter, twenty-four
of a son. When tho guns began to fire, all
Paris was roused, and in speechless anxiet}'
watched the successive discharges; but when
the thirteenth report announced that an heir to
tlie monarchy lisfd been born, the transpox'ts
were universal. The telegraph speedily con-
veyed it to ever}- part of France, and the
thirteenth gun in all the fortresses and harbors
announced the joyful intelligence to the people.
One would have supposed, from the universal
jo}-, that France had but one heart, one soul
— so strongly had the romantic and interesting
circumstances of the birtli wrought upon the
public mind. Congratulatory addresses from
everj' part of the country poured in to the
king and the duchess, and the grace of her
manner and felicity of her answers added to
tlie general enchantment. A protest, in the
name of the Duke of Orleans, was published in
tlie London papers, though disavowed by that
prince; but he asked the important question
solemnly of tlia Duke of Albufera — " M. le
JIarechal," said he, "you are a man of honor;
you were a witness of the accouchement of the
Duchess de Berri. Is she really the mother of
a boy?" "As certainly as your royal highness
is father of the Duke de Chartres," replied the
marshal. " That is enough, M. le ISIarechal,"
rejoined the duke; and lie immediately went
v.itli the duchess to congratulate the happy
iiiother, and salute the infant who might one
day be their king. At the same time, the
Duchess de Berri gave proof that she was ani-
mated with the sublime spirit of forgiveness
sliown on his death-bed by her husband, by
requesting and obtaining the pardon of two
men, named Gravin and Bonton, sentenced to
death for an attempt on her life,* or that of
* " Sire I comme je ne puis voir le Roi aujourd'hui, je
Hii ccris pour lui dernander la grace de deux rnalheureux
(,ui ont etc condamnes a mort pour tentative contre ma
jxrsonne. Je serais au desespoir qu'il put y avoir des
Frarn'ais qui rnourussent pour moi : I'ange que je pleure
deniandait en mourant la grace de son meurtrier, il stra
I'arbilre de ma vie ; me permettez-vous, mon oncle, de
I'iuiiter, et de supplier votre Majestc d'accorder la grace
de la vie a ces deux mfortunes ; L'auguste exemple du
[C'llAl'. IX.
her cliild, which she did in terms so touching
lliat they deserve a place even in general his-
tory. Her conduct at tiiis period was
so generous and noble, that the Km- ^ jy.'"*
peror Alexander expressed his adini- t;ap. v'ii.
ration of it in a t()uching epistle ad- 73, b3;
drcfsed with liis own hand to tiie prin- 33'J;"33-''
cess.' '
The birth of the Duke de Bordeaux, which
afforded so fair a prospect of continu- gg
iiig the direct line of succession, con- Congrata-
lirming the dynasty of tlie Bourbons, latious
and establislung tlie peace of Europe, l™"' "^'^
. . r i. t » i European
was too important an event not to powers,
awake the general sympathj- and in- and pro-
terestof the European powers. Con- "'o'ions in
, , .. ^ ■ T r 11 1' ranee,
gratuhitions were received Irom all
quarters: that from the Emperor Alexander
was peculiarly warm and cordial. The corps
diplomatique of Paris expressed a noble senti-
ment on this occasion in the words, " Providence
has awarded the greatest possible blessing to
the paternal tenderness of your Majesty. The
child of grief, of regrets, of tears, is also tho
cliiJd of Europe — he is at once the guarantee
and the pledge of the repose and peace which
should follow so many agitations." This ex-
pression revealed the feeling of the European
powers: it was, that the elder branch of the
Bourbons was the sole pledge for the peace of
Europe, and that the new-born infant was the
bond which was to unite its rulers. Tlie Em-
peror Alexander wrote to Louis — " The birth
of the Duke of Bordeaux is an event whicli I
consider as most fortunate for the peace of
Europe, and which affords just consolation
to your family. I pray your Majesty to be-
lieve that I adopt the title of the 'child of Eu-
rope,' which the dij>lomatic body has already
bestowed upon him." Promotions, honors,
and gratifications were bestowed in the most
liberal manner in France: the crown debtors
were nearly all liberated fj-oni prison ; most of
the political offenders pardoned ; im- 2 ^ ^jj
mense sums bestowed in charity ; and 75, 78; Lac!
a great creation of the order of the iii- 1", I'J;
Cordon Bleu attested at once the grat- ^^-'"iog'
itude and liberality of the sovereign.^ '
But though these circumstances argued fa-
vorably for the stability of the dy- gg
nasty, and the consequent peace of Rupture
Europe, symptoms were not awanting with the
of a divergence of opinion, which por- ^°'^"'''
tended divisions that might prove fa-
tal in future times. It was with the Doctrinaires
that the rupture first took place. This part}*,
which afterward, from the talents of some of its
members, became so celebrated, had alreadj- be-
come important, from its position between the
two great parties which divided the state, and its
power, \>y inclining to either side, to give a pre-
ponderance to either. The conduct of the lead-
ers of this party during the session, if not decid-
edly hostile to the Ministry, had been equivocal ;
Roi nous a habitues a la clemence ; daignera-t-il permct-
tre que les premiers instants de I'existence de mon Henri,
de mon rher fils, du votre, du fils de la France, soicnt
marques par un pardon ? Excusez, mon chcr onode, la
liberie que j'ose prendre de vous ouvrir mon cCEUr ; dans
loutcs les occasions voire indulgente bonte m'y a encour-
agee. Je supplie le Roi d'excuser ma hardicsse. ct de
croire au respect profond avcc IpoupI je suis."
ol me Duchesse de Bern au Roi tie France, 28 Sept., l;.'20.
1S20.]
HISTORY OF EUROTE.
309
and the increasing leaning of Government to
the Royalist side, since the great reaction con-
sequent on the death of the Duke de Berri, had
rendered the position -which tliey still held
under the Administration precai'ious and pain-
ful. At the same time Government could not
dispense with the support of the Ro\-alists, for
it was by their aid alone that the majorities,
slender as they were, in the Chamber of Depu-
ties had been obtained. The Doctrinaires had
become sensible of the great error into which
they had fallen in supporting the coup d'etat of
5th September, 1810, which changed the Elec-
toral Law ; and it was by the secession of a
part of their members from the Liberal ranks
tliat the amendment of M. Boin, wliich again
changed it, had been carried. But on other
points they were decidedly opposed to the Gov-
ernment as now constituted ; and the divergence
before the close of the session had become so
evident, that neither the security of the one
party, nor the character of the other, would
admit of their longer remaining united. The
Duke de Richelieu, accordingly, at the instiga-
tion of M. Laine, who had been much hurt by a
speech of M. Royer-Collard on the budget, took
his resolution, in which he was unanimously
supported b}' the Cabinet; and the Moniteur,
in announcing, after the close of the session, the
names of the Council of State, omitted those of
Ro3er-Collard, Guizot, Barante, Camille-Jour-
dan, and Mirbel. Four prefects, who were
known to belong to the same party, were dis-
missed from office. At the same time, the Duke
, Q ^,jj de Richelieu had several conferences
55, 58 ; ' with M. de Villele and M. Corbiere,
Lam. vi. on the conditions of a cordial imion
337, 338. .^yi^ij ^Yie Royalist party.'
Although the great abilities of the persons
g7 thus dismissed from the Government
View.s of deprived them of very powerful sup-
Uie Doctri- port, especially in debate, yet in
nairts. truth the severance was unavoida-
ble, for there was an irreconcilable ditterence
between them. It arose from principle, and
an entirely different view of the most desirable
structure of society, or of what was practicable
under e.xisting circumstances. The Doctrinaires
were conservative in their views, but they were
so on the principles of the Revolution. Tliey
adored tlie equality which was at once the
object of its ambition, and the victory it had
achieved. They thought it was possible, on the
basis of absolute equality, to construct the fabric
of constitutional monarchy and reguhited free-
dom. They wisiied a hierarchy, but it was one,
not of rank, or territories, or fortune, but of
talent; and, being conscious of great abilities
in tlieinselvcs, they indulged the secret iiope
that under such a sj-stem they would rise to
tlie power and eminence which tliey were con-
scious their capacity deserved. They had tl|e
natural jealousy which intellectual always feels
of political power, and felt the utmost ""repug-
nance at the restoration of those distinctions in
society which tended to re-establish the ancient
supremacy of rank or fortune. In a word, they
^vere the i)hilosophers of the Revolution ; and
philosophers, Avhen tiiey are not tlie sycoiihnnts,
are always jealous of nobles.
The Royalists, on the other liand, were set
upon an entirely dilFerent set of objects. They
were as well aware as the Doctrinaires that the
old regime could not be re-establish- gg
ed, that feudality was forever abol- Views of the
ished, and that general liberty was I^oyal'sis.
at once the birth-right and greatest blessing of
man. But they thought it could only be secured
by the continuance of tlie monarchy, and that
constitutional goverimient was impossible with-
out the reconstruction of a territorial nobility
and ecclesiastical hierarchy, who might be at
once a support of the throne and a check upon
its power. Absolute equality-, according to
them, was the best possible foundation for East-
ern despotism, but the worst for European free-
dom ; you might as well construct a palace ov.t
of the waves of the ocean, as a constitutional
monarchy out of the absolute equality of classes.
Infidelity had been the principle ot the Revo-
lution in matters of belief; the only foundation
for the monarchy was to be found in the i-esto-
ration of the influence of the ancient faith. The
centralization of all power in the capital b}' the
system of the Revolution, and the destruction
of all power in the provinces by the division of
property, threatened, in their view, the total
destruction of public freedom, and would leave
France no other destiny but that of an armed
democracy or an irresistible despotism. The
sequel of this history will show which of these
sets of opinions was the better founded ; in the
mean time, it is obvious that they were wholly
irreconcilable with each other, and that no har-
monious cabinet could by possibility be con-
structed out of the leaders of such op2:)Osite
parties.*
* M.de Chateaubriand, in an article ill the CoMsfn'a/fur,
on 3Uth Nov., Ibl9, lia.s well explained the views and in-
tentions of the Royalists at this period ; and sub-soquint
events have rendered his words prophetic: " Voila don;;
les Royalistes au pouvoir, fermenient resolus a inaintcnir
la eharte ; tout leur edilice sera pose sur ce londeiiieiit ;
inais, au lien de batir uiie democratie, ils eleveront une
monarchie. Ainsi leur premier devoir, comme leur jire-
iiiier soin, serait de changer la loi des elections. lis le-
raient en meme temps retrancher de la loi de recrutenient
le titre VI. ,i et rendraient aiiisi a la couronne, une des
lilus importantes i)r€rof;atives. lis rolabliraicnt dans la
loi sur la liberte de la jiresse le inot • Kfli;,Mon,' tju'a leur
lionte eternelle, de ]iruteiidus hoinnus il'Klal en out banui.
Miiiistres 1 vous londez une lej;i.slatioii, el elle produira
des mcEurs confornics a vos regies.
" Aprcs la modilication des lois capitalcs, les Royalistes
proposeraient les loi.s les i)Ius nionarchujues, sur I'orjian-
isation des communes el sur la IJarde Pvalionalo. lis al-
laibliraient le systOme de centralisation ; ils rendraient une
jiuissance salutaire aux conseils generaux. Croaiit, par-
tout, des agrcgations d'niterets, ils les substilucraient a
CCS individuahtes trop lavorubles a rctublissemenl de In
tyrannic. En un mot, ils recomiioscraienl I'aristocratie,
Iroisieme pouvuir qui /iiani/ue a 7ios inxtilulions, et doni
I'absence produit le froltement dangereux que Ton re-
inarque aujourd'hui entrc la ])uissuiice royale et la puis-
sance poi)ulairc. Cest dans cette vuc, que les Uoyalistes
Kolliciteraient les substitutions en faveur de la I'airie. Ms
cliercheraicnt a urreter, par tons les nioyens legaux, la di-
vision des proprietes, divi.sioii qui, dans trintc ans, en rea-
lisant la loi agnurc, nousfira tomOcr t?i democratie forcic.
" Une autre nicsure iinportante serait encore jirise par
Tadministration Koyaliste. Celti: udmtiiistration demand-
erait aux Chambrcs, tant dans rinteret des acquereiirs
que dans ccltii des aiicirriH iiropriftaires, uiie juste inilcni-
nite pour les (ainjilcs ijiii ont perdu leurs biens dans lo
coiirs de la Ri viihilioii. l.rs deux espoces de projirietc s
qui existent ]iariiii nous, et qui creent, pour aiiisi dire,
deux peuples sur le moment, sont la graride nlaie de la
France. I'our la giierir, les Royalistes n'auraieiil que lo
merite de faire revivre la proposition de M. lo Marechal
Macdonald ; ' On ujiprend tout dans les camps Fraiifais :
la justice comme la gloire.'" — Conscrvaletcr, 30 Nov.,
IHI'J , and QCuvrvs de M. (Jiiateaubhiand, xx. 270, 2 71.
' That regulating the promoiion ol'ofllccrii irrespeclivo
of the Crown,— Ante, ch. vi.
HISTORY OF EUIIOPE.
[CiiAr. IX.
Tlio groat iiiilitarv conspirnov, 'uhich Mna to
(;.) linvo biokoii out on I'.tth Aiiirust^
PisiurhaiuTs had its raiiiilieatiotis in tlio prov-
i II till' pniv- iin-.s, and in sovorul ]>laces the dis-
'"I'lnioHsiiros turhancos \vhioh onsuid roquircd
oftlioCov- to be ooorood by open force. At
trmmiii. Hresl, M. l?alhirt, the deimtv, 'wns
openly iusultod by the popidaee, and the im-
tional guard evinced such symptoms of dis-
alfeetion that it required to be dissolved. At
Saunuir, M. InMijaniin (.'onstant was threat-
ened by the scholars of the military school
for cavalry. Every thing indicated the ap-
proach of'tho most fearful of all contests — a
contest of classes. The exasperation of parties,
as usual iu cases ■where they arc nearly bal-
anced, was extreme ; the Iloyalists were excited
by the prospect of ere long attaining power,
the Liberals oxasjjcrated at the thoughts of
losing it. The ruling principle with the Duke
de Kichelieu, and which had directed the dis-
tribution of the honors of the Cordon Bleu, had
been to form a new hierarchy, drawn from all
cla.sses, around the throne, and thus to interest
in its support alike the Liberals, Imperialists,
and Royalists. This maxim had been acted
upon with great discrimination and success;
but now the violent exasperation of parties,
and the ascertained conspiracies in the army,
, ^. ^.j- rendered it advisable to adopt still