the Army was undecided; that in the Army the African Generals
counterpoised the President; that the National Guard favored the
Assembly, and in the Assembly the Left; that Colonel Forestier answered
for the 8th Legion; Colonel Gressier for the 6th, and Colonel Howyne for
the 5th; that at the order of the Sixteen of the Left there would be an
immediate taking up of arms; that my signature would suffice; that,
nevertheless, if I preferred to call together the Committee, in Secret
Session, we could wait till the next day; that on the order from the
Sixteen, a battalion would march upon the Elysee; that the Elysee
apprehended nothing, thought only of offensive, and not of defensive
measures, and accordingly would be taken by surprise; that the soldiers
would not resist the National Guard; that the thing would be done without
striking a blow; that Vincennes would open and close while Paris slept;
that the President would finish his night there, and that France, on
awakening, would learn the twofold good tidings: that Bonaparte was out
of the fight, and France out of danger.

He added,--

"You can count on two Generals: Neumayer at Lyons, and Lawoestyne at
Paris."

He got up and leaned against the chimney-piece; I can still see him
there, standing thoughtfully; and he continued:

"I do not feel myself strong enough to begin exile all over again, but I
feel the wish to save my family and my country."

He probably thought he noticed a movement of surprise in me, for he
accentuated and italicized these words.

"I will explain myself. Yes; I wish to save my family and my country. I
bear the name of Napoleon; but as you know without fanaticism. I am a
Bonaparte, but not a Bonapartist. I respect the name, but I judge it. It
already has one stain. The Eighteenth Brumaire. Is it about to have
another? The old stain disappeared beneath the glory; Austerlitz covered
Brumaire. Napoleon was absolved by his genius. The people admired him so
greatly that it forgave him. Napoleon is upon the column, there is an end
of it, let them leave him there in peace. Let them not resuscitate him
through his bad qualities. Let them not compel France to remember too
much. This glory of Napoleon is vulnerable. It has a wound; closed, I
admit. Do not let them reopen it. Whatever apologists may say and do, it
is none the less true that by the Eighteenth of Brumaire Napoleon struck
himself a first blow."

"In truth," said I, "it is ever against our