220 ST. HELENA 



would be to nullify their mission and compromise their 

 Courts, Balmain said he did not see that Napoleon's con- 

 sent to the measure was necessary, as he did not consider 

 himself in official relation with Napoleon, but with the 

 Government. He therefore would waive the question of 

 official interview, considering it quite sufficient to encoun- 

 ter him from time to time while walking. He was even 

 willing, as was the case with Admiral Malcolm and many 

 English persons, simply to announce an intention of visiting 

 him. That he had not done so was simply due to the fact 

 that he did not wish to seem opposed to the course taken 

 by the Government or other Commissioners. 



Sir Hudson Lowe remonstrated strongly with the other 

 Commissioners. He said his own relations with Buona- 

 parte were so strained that he could not compel himself to 

 offer an indignity or humiliation to him in his fallen position. 

 Montchenu and Sturmer then wrote this official letter to 

 the Governor : 



The undersigned Commissioners being desirous of fulfilling 

 the principal object of their mission have the honour to beg His 

 Excellency the Governor to procure for them as early as possible 

 an opportunity of seeing Napoleon Buonaparte. 



This letter was forwarded to Buonaparte through Count 

 Montholon, with the copy of the Convention of August 2. 

 Montholon replied in a letter which in detail showed the ill 

 feeling of the Frenchmen against the Governor and against 

 the English nation, against the island, against his being 

 called simply General Buonaparte, and against the world 

 generally. The letter finished : 



Are your Ambassadors aware that the spectacle of a great 

 man struggling with adversity is a spectacle than which there 

 is none more sublime ? Are they ignorant of the fact that Napoleon 

 amid persecutions of every nature which he meets with nothing 

 but serenity is greater and more to be revered than if he were 

 still seated on the first throne of the universe, a throne on which 

 for so long he was the arbiter of kings ? 



This uncalled-for letter still left the Commissioners 

 officially unacknowledged by Napoleon, who from this 

 time became more morose and unbending. He adhered to 

 his resolution not to see the Commissioners officially, yet 

 was ill-humoured and annoyed at not seeing them as visitors, 



