The Sword of Honor; or, The Foundation of the French Republic

by Eugène Sue

  CHAPTER VI.

  IN THE ORANGERY AT ST. CLOUD.

  Promptly at noon of the 19th Brumaire the Council of Ancients assembledin the great gallery of the palace at St. Cloud, still under thepresidency of Lemercier, one of the most active spirits in theconspiracy. An usher announced:

  "General Bonaparte."

  General Bonaparte entered the gallery with a lofty air; his aidestrailed in his wake. Through the doors of the gallery, which remainedopen, were visible the guns and fur caps of a platoon of grenadiers.

  "What! Soldiers here!" demanded several members of the minority, withindignation. "What right has General Bonaparte to announce himself inthis guise? Would he play the role of a new Caesar?"

  "I demand the floor!" cried Bonaparte imperiously.

  "In what title, in what right do you thrust yourself into theseprecincts?" demanded Savary.

  "General Bonaparte has the floor," Lemercier declared from his chair.

  "Representatives of the people, you are in no ordinary circumstances,"began Bonaparte, when at last he could speak. "You are sitting upon avolcano. Allow me to speak with the frankness of a soldier, thefrankness of a citizen zealous for the welfare of his country; andsuspend, I pray you, your judgment till you have heard me to the end. Iwas at ease and quiet in Paris when I received the decree of the Councilof Ancients, which opened my eyes to the dangers that it and theRepublic ran. At once I called to my brothers-in-arms, and we came togive you our support. We came to offer you the arm of the nation, foryou are its head. Our intentions were pure and disinterested; and as theprice of the devotion we yesterday and to-day displayed, lo, already wereap calumnies! There is speech of 'a new Caesar,' 'a new Cromwell';they pretend that I aim to establish a new military government."

  The majority violently applauded these words. The minority held itselfimpassible. General Bonaparte continued, increasingly threatening,imperious, and haughty:

  "If it was said, to put me outside the law, I would call upon you, bravedefenders of the Republic, with whom I have shared so many perils toestablish liberty and equality. I would throw myself and my braves uponthe courage of you all, and upon my fortune!" (Shudders of indignationamong the minority, shocked by this audacious appeal to force.) "Iinvite you, Representatives of the people, to form into a generalcommittee, and to take those salutary measures which the present dangersurgently demand. You will find my arm ever ready to execute yourcommands."

  Then Bonaparte and his suite retired.

  While the majority of the Council of Ancients pledged their allegianceto the military dictator, the republican majority in the Council of FiveHundred, assembled in the Orangery of the palace, was a prey to themost lively agitation. Lucien Bonaparte was in the chair.

  "You have the floor, citizen," he said, indicating Emile Gaudin, who wason his feet.

  The latter mounted to the tribunal: "Citizen Representatives," he began,"a decree of the Council of Ancients has transferred the seat of thelegislative body to this commune. So extraordinary a measure can only beevoked by the fear of, or approach of, some extraordinary danger. Infact, the Council of Ancients has declared to the French people that itmade use of the right conferred upon it by Article 102 of theConstitution, in order _to disarm the factions which seek to subjugatethe national representation, and to restore internal peace_. I ask,first, that a committee of seven members be elected to report on thecondition of the Republic and the means of saving it; second, that thecommittee make its report to the present session; third, that until thenall deliberation be suspended; fourth, that all motions be submitted toit. Let the Assembly decide."

  Long applause followed this speech. Representative Delbrel rose next.

  "Representatives of the people," said he, "grave dangers do, in fact,threaten the Republic. But those who wish to destroy it are themselvesthe very ones who, under the pretext of saving it, wish to change oroverturn the existing form of government. In vain these conspiratorshave hoped to frighten us by deploying about us the trappings of armedforce. If, nevertheless, the conspirators succeed in deceiving ormisleading the courage of our troops, we shall know how to die at ourposts, in the defense of public liberty against the tyrants, againstthe dictators who wish to crush it. _We want the Constitution!_"

  Again prolonged applause burst out as Delbrel uttered these words. Manyof the members spontaneously rose and repeated, with enthusiasm:

  "The Constitution or death!"

  Lucien Bonaparte hammered his bell for silence, and Delbrel resumed,energetically:

  "Bayonets affright us not. Here we are free! I ask that all the membersof this Council, by roll-call, renew at once their oath to sustain theConstitution of the year III."

  The Assembly rose as one. "Down with the traitors!" "Long live theConstitution!" "Death to the traitors and conspirators!" shouted severalmembers.

  "I ask that we take the oath to oppose the re-establishment of all formsof tyranny," cried Grandmaison.

  Grandmaison left the tribunal amid thunderous applause and continuedcries of "Long live the Constitution!" The acclamations lasted severalminutes. Hardly able to dissimulate the inward irritation he felt, youngBonaparte was finally forced to put the taking of the oath to a vote. Itwas carried unanimously, the infamous minority of intriguers in leaguewith the president not daring to come out in the open by voting against.

  When it came in regular course to his turn to take the oath, LucienBonaparte left the chair, ostentatiously mounted the tribunal, and inthe midst of a profound silence, with the eyes of all fixed upon him,uttered the words in a strangely unnatural voice:

  "_I swear fidelity to the Republic and to the Constitution of the yearIII._"

  "Secretary of the _Monitor_ newspaper, insert in the report the solemnoath of Citizen Lucien Bonaparte!" cried Briot quickly. The words werefollowed by shouts of "Bravo!"

  "If he plays false to his oath, the treachery will live in history!"exclaimed Grandmaison.

  Suddenly one of the doors of the Orangery flew open with a crash, and onthe threshold appeared General Bonaparte, encircled by his generals andaides-de-camp, and followed by his company of grenadiers, with fixedbayonets. At the sight of this irruption of armed force into theirsacred precincts, the Representatives of the people sprang from theirbenches as if impelled by an electric shock. Their indignation swelledto voice, and outcries rose in all quarters--"What! Bayonets here! Saberdraggers! Down with the dictator!"

  All his assurance notwithstanding, General Bonaparte fell back beforethe outburst produced by his and his soldiers' presence. He removed hishat and signified that he wished to speak. He made to cross the sill ofthe entrance, when Representative Bigonnet sprang before him, and,barring his passage and that of his armed escort, cried:

  "Back--back, rash man! Leave this place at once; you violate thesanctuary of the law!"

  The attitude of the Representative of the people, his forceful accents,made their impression upon General Bonaparte. He paled, hesitated, andstopped. A new outburst of indignation resounded in the hall:

  "Down with the dictator!"

  "Outlaw the audacious fellow!"

  "Long live the Constitution!"

  "Let us die at our post; long live the Republic!"

  Controlling the passion which boiled within him, General Bonaparte shookhis head haughtily, and seemed again, by a commanding gesture, to askfor the floor. Once more he essayed to cross the threshold of the hall,followed by his staff, when again several Representatives threwthemselves in front of him, forcing him to retire; and Citizen Destremcalled in a voice choked with indignation:

  "General, did you, then, only conquer in order to insult the nationalrepresentation?"

  Anew, and with redoubled energy, the cries broke out of "Long live theConstitution! Outlaw the dictator!"

  White with fear and at a loss what to do, Bonaparte recoiled before theuniversal reprobation displayed against him. His boldness no longerswayed the situation; he made a sign to his officers, several of whomhad carried their cl
enched hands to their sabers, and he and theywithdrew.

  Lucien Bonaparte, the secret accomplice of his brother's intrigueagainst the liberties of the land, and who had followed with anguish thediverse incidents of the preceding scene, seemed stricken withconsternation at the General's retreat. The great uproar which continuedafter the departure of Bonaparte gradually calmed down, and little bylittle peace was restored on the benches of the nationalrepresentatives.

  No sooner had quiet come upon the assembly, however, than a grenadiercaptain burst into the hall, leaving his platoon standing in thehallway. He marched rapidly towards the group in the middle of whichstood Lucien Bonaparte, answering a vehement cross fire of questionsfrom his colleagues with a vehemence no less than theirs. The captainapproached Lucien, spoke a few words in his ear, and the young manhastened from the hall, followed by the captain and his escort. This newviolation of the council-chamber of the Five Hundred was so sudden, thedeparture of their president so unexpected, that the Representatives ofthe people at first were dumb with astonishment. Then a full-throatedcry burst forth, "We are betrayed! Our president has gone over toGeneral Bonaparte!" The agitation of the assembly was tremendous.

  Lucien Bonaparte, on the other hand, surrounded by his escort ofsoldiers, marched rapidly from the hall of the Five Hundred towards alarge assemblage of troops drawn up in the middle of the park of St.Cloud. A great drove of people, inhabitants of the commune or arrivalsfrom Paris, drawn thither by curiosity, crowded behind the ranks ofsoldiers; among these spectators were John Lebrenn and Duresnel.Bonaparte and his staff were in front of the troops. The General waspale and seemed a prey to keen anxiety; for the rumor had spread amongthe throng of onlookers and the soldiers that he had just been outlawedby the Council of Five Hundred. When Lucien, feigning intenseindignation, ran up and spoke to his brother, his first words reassuredand put new heart into the would-be dictator. Assuredly, failing ofLucien's presence of mind, the fortune of that day would have goneagainst the house of Bonaparte, for the youngster at once faced thetroops and cried, in ringing tones:

  "Citizens! Soldiers! I, president of the Council of Five Hundred,declare to you that the majority of the Council is at this moment underthe terror of several Representatives armed with stilettos, who besiegethe tribunal, threatening their fellow-members with death, and carryingon the most frightful deliberations.

  "Soldiers," he continued, "I declare to you that these audaciousbrigands, who are without doubt sold to England, have set themselves upin rebellion against the Council of Ancients; they have dared to declarea sentence of outlawry against the general charged to execute itsdecree, just as if we were still living in the frightful times of theReign of Terror, when that one word--'outlaw'--sufficed to cause thedearest heads of the fatherland to fall under the knife."

  The aides and generals about Bonaparte began to utter threats againstthe members of the Council of Five Hundred. Colonel Oliver, drawing hissword and brandishing it aloft, cried:

  "These bandits must be put an end to!"

  "Aye! Aye!" replied several voices from the ranks of the soldiery. "Longlive General Bonaparte!"

  "Soldiers, I declare to you," continued Lucien, "that this littlehandful of rabid Representatives has read itself outside the law by itsassaults on the liberty of the Council. Well, in the name of that peoplewhich is a by-word with this miserable spawn of the Terror, I confide toyou, brave soldiers, the necessity of delivering the majority of itsRepresentatives, so that, freed by the bayonet from the stiletto, theymay deliberate on the welfare of the Republic."

  Prolonged acclamation on the part of the officers and soldiers greetedthese words of Lucien's. Exasperation ran high against the'Representatives of the stiletto.' "The villains," exclaimed severalsoldiers, "it is with poniard at throat that they have forced theothers to decree our general an outlaw. They should be shot on the spot!Death to the assassins! To the firing squad with these aristocrats."

  Noticing that his brother was more and more regaining his confidence, atthe success of this jugglery with facts, Lucien continued, addressinghim at first:

  "General! And you, soldiers! You shall not recognize as legislators ofFrance any but those who follow me. As to those who remain in theOrangery, let force be invoked to expel them. These folks are no longerRepresentatives of the people, but Representatives of the poniard. Letthat title stick to them--let it follow them forever, and when they dareto show themselves before the people, let all fingers point them outunder that well-deserved designation, 'Representatives of the poniard'!Long live the Republic!"

  While Lucien was thus haranguing his brother's troops, theRepresentatives of the people, no longer doubting the complicity oftheir president in the schemes of the aspiring dictator, and beset byinexpressible anxiety, set about averting the evils which they feltimpending. Motion after motion followed hard upon one another, andpassed unnoticed amid the tumult.

  "Let us die for liberty!" "Outlawry for the dictator!" "Long live theConstitution!" "Long live the Republic!" Such were the cries that rangwithin the Orangery.

  All at once the roll of drums was heard approaching, then the heavy andregular tread of a marching army. The Orangery door was battered downwith the butts of muskets. General Leclerc, his sword drawn, entered,followed by grenadiers. At this apparition, a death-like stillness fellas if by enchantment upon the assembly. The Representatives, calm andgrave, regained their benches, where they sat immovable as the Senatorsof ancient Rome. Right, succumbing to the blows of brutal force,protested as it fell, and denounced Iniquity triumphant, a denunciationwhich will ring through the ages.

  From the tribunal General Leclerc gave the word of command:

  "In the name of General Bonaparte, the Council of Five Hundred isdissolved. Let all good citizens retire. Forward, grenadiers! Strike forthe breast!"

  The grenadiers swarmed down the length of the hall, presenting thepoints of their bayonets to the breasts of the elected legislators ofthe nation. Most of the Representatives of the people fell back slowly,step by step, still facing the soldiers and crying "Long live theRepublic!" Others threw themselves upon the bayonet-blades; but thegrenadiers raised their guns and dragged the Representatives out of thehall.

  Caesar triumphed; but the day of Brutus will come! Execration onBonaparte!

  Such were the days of Brumaire.