1 823".] Memoirs of General Dumouriez. 



the government, and that the throne 

 could only be reared again by their 

 courageous return to France,-^alone, 

 or at least unaccompanied by fo- 

 reigners ; to put themselves at the head 

 of those who were sacrificing their 

 lives for their sake, and to deserve by 

 tlieir talent and tlieir courage the re- 

 compense which nothing but talent 

 and courage could expect to claim. 

 But certain words are uttered in vain, 

 — certain emotions never penetrate 

 the breasts of some men. 



France, — all in arms, — managed, by 

 the singular talent of her generals and 

 soldiers, to drive back all her enemies. 

 Duraouriez mourned over those tri- 

 umphs abroad, while they served only 

 to nourish crime and calamity at home. 

 When, wearied witlt^so many atroci- 

 ties, his country broke the yoke of her 

 tyrants, and bowed to that of the laws, 

 he began to console himself, and ad- 

 dressed the wisest counsels from his 

 retreat of solitude. But an extraor- 

 dinary man now towered above the 

 revolution, to destroy its beneficial in- 

 fluence, and to build from its wrecks a 

 throne for himself. Dumouriez, who 

 had anticipated and predicted these 

 events, devoted himself to oppose this 

 enemy. 



Bonaparte could only obtain posses- 

 sion of the empire by military suc- 

 cesses ; and, as no power thought of 

 attacking victorious France, his mili- 

 tary successes could only result from 

 invasions and conquests. It was ne- 

 cessary, for the immediate interests of 

 France, to prevent the waste of her 

 treasures, the eflusion of her blood, and 

 the despotism of her growing master, 

 to prevent these conquests. 



This was Dumouriez's purpose: his 

 military plans were not directed against 

 his country, — he has given no project 

 for the invasion of France, — he has 

 always supported the integrity of her 

 territory. During the year he spent 

 on the Continent and in England he 

 was always cpgagcd in plans of de- 

 fence for the countries whose invasion 

 was conleniplHfed by the spoiled child 

 of foi-jtuiu,'. When he saw the we;ik- 

 ijcss of governments, which dissensi(jn 

 made still weaker, he felt the necessity 

 i>i eslablisbing an Jiuropean league, 

 not against l"'rance, but against its 

 head ; to conipi'l him to abandon his 

 aggressions, on the conviction that his 

 /•oiintry wouhi soon re-assume its 

 rights, and dispose of the ciown at her 

 will. 



427 



When Napoleon menaced England 

 with invasion, Dumouriez was sum- 

 moned hither. The English govern- 

 ment received him with generous hos- 

 pitality, and asked his counsel : he 

 arranged a plan of defence for every 

 part of Great Britain, as well as for 

 the different countries of Europe 

 where the soldiers of the French em- 

 peror had raised their standards ; and 

 Spain, with which he was well acquaint- 

 ed, owes to him a portion of her 

 liberty. 



The restoration was not effected as 

 he would have desired, and the restored 

 acted not as it was their duty to do. 

 He proclaimed this ; and the self-lovo 

 of an eminent personage, wounded by 

 the recollection of a miserable pam- 

 phlet; printed long before, did not allow 

 Dumouriez to take that position in 

 France which was marked out for him. 

 He remained in England. 



The faithful and unvarying friend of 

 liberty, he hailed its dawn whenever 

 it appeared ; and, whenever in dan£;er, 

 assisted it with his counsels. The Nea-, 

 politans betrayed his confidence ; but 

 the Greeks, — the noble Greeks, — • 

 whose resurrection charmed his latest 

 days, are carrying into effeci, at this 

 moment, the counsels he gave them 

 eighteen months ago in two Memoirs, 

 where all the energy of youth is uni- 

 ted to all the prudence of age. And for 

 Spain, whose atrocious invasion he 

 condemned and abhorred, he wrote a 

 general system of organization and 

 defence ; but when, some days before 

 his death, a friend asked a supplement 

 for the oflensive part, he replied, " No : 

 pass not the Pyrenees ; my country it; 

 beyond them." 



Such is Dumouriez's life, shortly 

 and imperfectly sketched. An illness 

 of a few days, unaccompanied by pain, 

 —a rapid physical decline, which did 

 not intrude on his fine understanding, 

 nor hi$ generous spirit, — bore him 

 away, in the midst of religious conso- 

 lations, from the cares of his friends, 

 already become his children. On 

 the day of his death, he rose at eight 

 o'clock, as usual; he lay down a.t 

 twelve, at the desire of his medical 

 attendant; and breathed his last at 

 twenty-fivo minutes past two : aged 

 eighty-four years, three months, and 

 seventeen days. 



He was short in stature, but wcll- 

 forrned; his countenance was agree- 

 able; his eyes sparkling with brilliancy 

 «V£n to the last : ho wa« full of kind- 



