Private Memoirs Of Napoleon Bonaparte During The Periods Of The Directory The Consulate And The Empire By John S Memes Lld PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 edition. Excerpt: ...him with the utmost uneasiness; and, in a word, Bonaparte could not endure the public discussions on law projectsBonaparte composed the first consular ministry as follows: --Berthier was minister of war; Gaudin, formerly employed in the administration of the post-office, was appointed minister of finance; Cambaceres remained minister of justice; Forfait was minister of marine; La Place of the interior; Fouche of police; and Reinhard of foreign affairs. Reinhard and La Place were soon replaced, the former by the able M. Talleyrand, the latter by Lucien. It may be said, that Lucien merely passed through the ministry on his way to his lucrative embassy to Spain. As to La Place, Bonaparte always entertained a high opinion of his talents. His appointment to the ministry of the interior was a compliment paid to science; but it was not long before the first consul repented of his choice. La Place, so happily calculated for science, displayed the most inconceivable mediocrity in administration. He was incompetent to the most trifling matters: as if his mind, formed to embrace the system of the world, and to interpret the laws of Newton and Kepler, could not descend to the level of subjects of detail, or apply itself to the duties of the department with which he was intrusted for a short, but yet, with regard to him, too long a time. When I quitted the service of the first consul, Talleyrand was still at the head of the foreign department. I have frequently been present at this great statesman's conferences with Napoleon, and I can declare that I never saw him flutter his dreams of ambition; but, on the contrary, he always endeavoured to make him sensible of his true interests. BONAPARTE FIRST CONSUL. On the 26th Brumaire (17th of November, 1799, ).