551 
PARIS. 
On the arrival of the emperor, who was attended by 
his brothers, all the aflembly rofe. He faluted them re- 
fpeftfully, after which the members re-feated themfelves, 
and a profound lilence fucceeded. At length Napoleon 
attempted to fpeak. He was pale and agitated, and evi¬ 
dently laboured under much didrefs. At fird he fpoke 
in a low and almod unintelligible tone, and his i'entences 
were imperfect and disjointed: but by degrees he became 
calm, and matter of himfelf. He acknowledged the full 
extent of the difaders which the army had experienced, 
and confefied that he had now no refource but in the af¬ 
fection, fidelity, and zeal, of his people. He therefore in- 
treated the advice of the affembly as to the meafures which 
it was neceffary to adopt. 
Count Regnault then addreffed the affembly in a long 
fpeech. He propofed the immediate recruiting of the 
armies. “ The only conqueft for which we fight (faid he) 
is peace; but, in order that we may not be compelled to 
beg it on our knees, it is neceffary that the number of 
our foldiers fhould correfpond with their courage. A na¬ 
tion defeated, but which never will be utterly vanquifhed, 
fhould not prefent the reed of peace, but when leaning 
upon the maflive club of war. I conclude with moving, 
That the chambers make an appeal to French valour, 
tvhi 1 ft the emperor is treating of peace in the mofl deady 
and dignified manner.” 
La Fayette next rofe, and fpoke as follows: “ The lad 
fpeaker has propofed that pacific overtures fhould be made 
to the allies; that, while an appeal is made to French va¬ 
lour, the emperor fhould treat for peace in the mod: dig¬ 
nified manner. But with what profpeft of fuccefs will he, 
or can he, treat ? Have not our enemies pledged them¬ 
felves to a line of conduCf, which, adopted when the 
iffue of the conted was uncertain, and while all France 
appeared to have rallied round the emperor of their 
choice, will not be readily abandoned now that viftory 
has crowned their ed'orts ? Mingled fentiments of aft'ec- 
tion and refpeft prevent me from being more explicit. 
There is but one mcafnre which can fave the country; and, 
if the miniders of the emperor will not advife him to 
adopt it, his great foul will reveal it to him.” 
This fpeech was received with much difapprobation by 
thofe attached to the emperor, but was applauded by many 
of the oppofite party. Napoleon received it with a fmile 
of difdain. 
The difeuffion continued feveral hours, during which 
count Lnnjuinais and M. Condant fupported the fenti- 
ments of M. La Fayette. At the clofe, Carnot, at the 
fuggedion of Napoleon, addreffed the affembly: he very 
earntdly deprecated violent meafures; and, to conci¬ 
liate all parties, he concluded with moving, “ that the 
chambers fhould be invited to treat with the allied fove- 
reigns, through an embaffy of their own choodng; and 
that the miniders fliould propofe a law for the railing of 
men and money.” The affembly afterwards broke up, 
although no one appeared fatisfied. 
It is now neceflary to return to the proceedings of the 
two chambers. After a night fpent in f'ufpenfe and fear, 
the members affembled early next morning, the 22d. 
Their deliberations were dormy and important. We can 
only give here a very brief recapitulation of their mod 
prominent features. 
M. Crochon thought meafures neceffary to procure 
means for fupporting the war; while negociations for 
obtaining peace fhould alfo be fet on foot. He then pro¬ 
pofed that the affembly fhould iffue a declaration, dating 
that the “French nation renounced for ever all defire of 
conqued, and all offenfive and ambitious war. She 
would never again take up arms but for the defence of 
her territory, to avenge the outrages committed againd 
her dignity, or for the defence of an ally unjudly at¬ 
tacked.” Crochon alfo propofed to declare, that five 
commifiioners, two from the houfe of peers, and three 
from their body, fhould be fent to the allies to negociate 
a peace. 
On this propofition the order of the day was called for; 
when M. Duchefme came forward and faid, that he could 
not fee that thefe propofitions could be attended with the 
defined effeft; that they could expeft no favourable iffue 
to negociations, as the allies had exprefsly declared that 
they would liden to no overtures while Napoleon was at 
their head. The prefident then declared that the affembly 
would foon receive from the emperor a meffage which 
would meet all its wilhes. 
M. Durbach faid, “ There is no middle courfe : we mud 
proceed. We have only one refolution left, which is to 
engage the emperor, in the name and fafety of the date, 
in the facred name of a fud'ering country, to declare his 
abdication." The motion is feconded ! exclaimed feveral 
voices, amidd exprelfions of impatience. “Yes,” faid 
general Solignac, “ we ought t;o confider the fafety of the 
empire. I move that a deputation of five members be 
appointed to proceed to the emperor, which deputation 
fhall exprefs to his majedy the urgency of his decifion.” 
It was again dated, that a fatisfa&ory melfage would foon 
be received from the emperor. ^ 
The fitting, after fome difficulty, was fufpended for an 
hour. Almod immediately after this, Davoud entered; 
and, the prefident having refumed his feat, the former 
communicated to them fome advices from the army: 
fuch as, that 20,000 men mud have been aflembled at 
Avefnes, and that 5,000 more had been armed from fome 
waggons which had been found on the road ; that, on 
the 20th, Soult had rallied at Rocroy 2000 troops of the 
old guard, and fome other detachments. That Grouchy, 
on the 18th, had beat the Pruffian army, and had nearly 
40,000 men with him. This force, faid he, leaves 60,000 
men on the line of the north ; and he could immediately 
fend 10,000 more, with 200 pieces of cannon. He called 
upon the chambers to adopt vigorous meafures. 
While thefe important deliberations were going on in 
the chambers, equally important were taking place at 
the Elyfee palace, where Bonaparte was. He had pafied 
a forrowful night. His friends were in terror and con- 
dernation. His miniders confulted only their own fafety, 
their own ambition, and delire of power. After the 
breaking up of the council on the preceding evening, thefe 
minillers remained at the palace, and many of them urged 
his voluntary abdication. They endeavoured to convince 
him of the impolfibility of refilling the progrefs of the 
allied armies; and-alfo of the determination of the allied 
fovereigns never to treat with him, or to (heath thefword 
while he continued on the throne. After reminding him 
of their former fidelity, &c. they dated that they had a 
facred duty to their country to difcharge, and were com¬ 
pelled no longer to conceal that he formed the only ob- 
itacle to the falvation and happinefs of France. They de- 
feribe the glory which would attach to a facrifice fo great 
and fo noble. Notwithdanding a great many arguments 
of this fort that were adduced, Napoleon would not liden 
to the propofition. At length, after the whole night had 
pafied in difeufiion, he promifed that, if the negociations 
of the chamber failed, he would make the facrifice re¬ 
quired. 
He then retired to his cabinet, where he awaited, in 
the mod anxious fufpenfe, the proceedings of the cham¬ 
bers. During the day, fome of his miniders and coun- 
fellors of date entered the apartment. At length, general 
Solignac, a member of the chamber of deputies, was an¬ 
nounced. “Solignac!” exclaimed the emperor; “he 
has not fpoken to me thefe five years; what can he want ?” 
The miniders withdrew, and Solignac was immediately 
admitted. The meeting was of courfe entirely private; 
but we are able to quote the words in which the general 
afterwards dated the fubdance of the converfation. “ I 
came to anticipate the pofitive vote of the chamber of re- 
prefentatives ; I informed him, that the chamber had 
determined to exclude him from the throne; but it was 
widied to (how regard for the army in proceedings con¬ 
cerning the perfon of its chief, whofe authority the 
troops 
