| |
Notwithstanding
the general dismay which prevailed in Paris that capital continued
tranquil, when by a singular chance, on the very day on which Napoleon
evacuated the burning city of Moscow, Mallet attempted his extraordinary
enterprise. This General, who had always professed Republican principles,
and was a man of bold decided character, after having been imprisoned
for some time, obtained the permission of Government to live in Paris
in a hospital house situated near the Barriere de Trove. Of Mallet's,
conspiracy it is not necessary to say much after the excellent account
given of it in the Memoirs of the Duc de Rovigo. Mallet's plan was
to make it be believed that Bonaparte had been killed at Moscow, and
that a new Government was established under the authority of the Senate.
But what could Mallet do? Absolutely nothing: and had his Government
continued three days he would have experienced a more favourable chance
than that which he ought reasonably to have expected than asserted
that the Emperor was dead, but an estafette from Russia would reveal
the truth, resuscitate Napoleon, and overwhelm with confusion Mallet
and his proclamation. His enterprise was that of a madman. The French
were too weary of troubles to throw themselves into the arms of, Mallet
or his associate Lahorie, who had figured so disgracefully on the
trial of Moreau. Yet, in spite of the evident impossibility of success,
it must be confessed that considerable ingenuity and address marked
the commencement of the conspiracy. On the 22d of October Mallet escaped
from the hospital house and went to Colonel Soulier, who commanded
the tenth cohort of the National Guard, whose barracks were situated
exactly behind the hospital house. Mallet was loaded with a parcel
of forged orders which he had himself prepared. He introduced himself
to Soulier under the name of General La Motte, and said that he came
from General Mallet.
Colonel Soulier
on hearing of the Emperor's death was affected to tears. He immediately
ordered the adjutant to assemble the cohort and obey the orders
of General La Motte, to whom he expressed his regret for being himself
too ill to leave his bed. It was then two o'clock in the morning,
and the forged documents respecting the Emperor's death and the
new form of Government were read to the troops by lamplight. Mallet
then hastily set off with 1200 men to La Force, and liberated the
Sieurs Gudal and Laholze, who were confined there. Mallet informed
them of the Emperor's death and of the change of Government; gave
them some orders, in obedience to which the Minister and Prefect
of Police were arrested in their hotel.
I was then
at Courbevoie, and I went to Paris on that very morning to breakfast,
as I frequently did, with the Minister of Police. My surprise may
be imagined when General
Mallet gave out that the Emperor was killed under the walls of Moscow
on the 8th of October; he could not take any other day without incurring
the risk of being contradicted by the arrival of the regular courier.
The Emperor being dead, he concluded that the Senate ought to be
invested with the supreme authority, and he therefore resolved to
address himself in the name of that body to the nation and the army.
In a proclamation to the soldiers he deplored the death of the Emperor;
in another, after announcing the abolition of the Imperial system
and the Restoration of the Republic, he indicated the manner in
which the Government was to be reconstructed, described the branches
into which public authority was to be divided, and named the Directors.
Attached to the different documents there appeared the signatures
of several Senators whose names he recollected but with whom he
had ceased to have any intercourse for a great number of years.
These signatures were all written by Mallet, and he drew up a decree
in the name of the Senate, and signed by the same Senators, appointing
himself Governor of Paris, and commander of the troops of the first
military division. He also drew up other decrees in the same form
which purported to promote to higher ranks all the military officers
he intended to make instruments in the execution of his enterprise.
He ordered
one regiment to close all the barriers of Paris, and allow no person
to pass through them. This was done: so that in all the neighbouring
towns from which assistance, in case of need, might have been obtained,
nothing was known of the transactions in Paris. He sent the other
regiments to occupy the Bank, the Treasury, and different Ministerial
offices. At the Treasury some resistance was made. The minister
of that Department was on the spot, and he employed the guard of
his household in maintaining his authority. But in the whole of
the two regiments of the Qnard not a single, objection was started
to the execution of Mallet's orders (Memoirs of the Duc de Rivogo,
tome vi. p. 20.)
I learned
from the porter that the Duc de Rovigo had been arrested and carried
to the prison of La Force. I went into the house and was informed,
to my great astonishment, that the ephemeral Minister was being
measured for his official suit, an act which so completely denoted
the character of the conspirator that it gave me an insight into
the business.
Mallet repaired
to General Hulin, who had the command of Paris. He informed him
that he had been directed by the Minister of Police to arrest him
and seal his papers. Hulin asked to see the order, and then entered
his cabinet, where Mallet followed him, and just as Hulin was turning
round to speak to him he fired a pistol in his face. Hulin fell:
the ball entered his cheek, but the wound was not mortal. The most
singular circumstance connected with the whole affair is, that the
captain whom Mallet had directed to follow him, and who accompanied
him to Hulin's, saw nothing extraordinary in all this, and did nothing
to stop it. Mallet next proceeded, very composedly, to Adjutant-General
Doucet's. It happened that one of the inspectors of the police was
there. He recognised General Mallet as being a man under his supervision.
He told him that he had no right to quit the hospital house without
leave, and ordered him to be arrested. Mallet, seeing that all was
over, was in the act of drawing a pistol from his pocket, but being
observed was seized and disarmed. Thus terminated this extraordinary
conspiracy, for which fourteen lives paid the forfeit; but, with
the exception of Mallet, Guidal, and Lahorie, all the others concerned
in it were either machines or dupes.
|
|
