who was doing the work at this very time, who understood men and who
understood himself, at once put his finger on the weak spot of this
complex mechanism, so badly adjusted and so frail. Two consuls,[2109]
"one controlling the ministers of justice, of the interior, of the
police, of the treasury, and the other the ministers of war, of the
navy, and of foreign affairs." The conflict between them is certain;
look at them facing each other, subject to contrary influences and
suggestions: around the former "only judges, administrators, financiers,
and men in long robes," and round the latter "only epaulets and men of
the sword." Certainly "one will need money and recruits for his army
which the other will not grant."--And it is not your grand-elector who
will make them agree. "If he conforms strictly to the functions which
you assign to him he will be the mere ghost, the fleshless phantom of
a roi faineant. Do you know any man vile enough to take part in such
contrivances? How can you imagine any man of talent or at all honorable
contentedly playing the part of a hog fattening himself on a few
millions?"--And all the more because if he wants to abandon his part
the door stands open. "Were I the grand-elector I would say to the
war-consul and to the peace-consul on appointing them, If you put in a
minister or sign a bill I don't like I'll put you out." Thus does the
grand-elector become an active, absolute monarch.

"But," you may say, "the senate in its turn will absorb the
grand-elector."--"The remedy is worse than the disease; nobody,
according to this plan, has any guarantees," and each, therefore, will
try to secure them to himself, the grand-elector against the senate,
the consuls against the grand-elector, and the senate against the
grand-elector and consuls combined, each uneasy, alarmed, threatened,
threatening, and usurping to protect himself; these are the wheels
which work the wrong way, in a machine constantly getting out of order,
stopping, and finally breaking down entirely.

Thereupon, and as Bonaparte, moreover, was already master, all the
executive powers were reduced to one, and this power was vested in
him.[2110] In reality, "to humor republican opinion"[2111] they gave him
two associates with the same title as his own; but they were appointed
only for show, simply as consulting, inferior, and docile registrars,
with no rights save that of signing their names after his and putting
their signatures to t