The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 307
ing to constitutional form, referred to the considera- frightfully dangerous. Moral delinquencies can be
tion of the Tribunate. It was in this body, the only hardly with any probabllity attributed to worthy or
existing branch of the constitution where was pre- innocent persons; but there is no character so pure,
served some shadow of popular forms and of free that he who bears it may not be supposed capable
debate, that those who continued to entertain free of entertaining false and exaggerated opinions in posentiments could have any opportunity of expressing litics, and, as such, become the victim of treachery
them. Benjamin Constant, Daunon, Chenier, and and delation. In France, a prey to so many factions,
others, the glieanings as it were of the liberal party, the power of the police had become overwhelming;
made an honourable but unavailing defence against indeed the very existence of the government seemed
this invasion of the constitution, studying at the in some measure dependent upon the accuracy of
sane time to express their opposition in language their intelligence; anld for this purpose their numbers
and by arguments least likely to give offence to the had been enlarged, and their discipline perfected,
government. To the honour of the Tribunate, which under the administration of the sagacious and crafty
was the frail but sole remaining barrier of liberty, Fouche. This remarkable person had been an outthe project had nearly made shipwreck, and was rageons jacobin, and dipped deep in the horrors of
only passed by a snall majority of fobrty-nine over the revolutionary government-an adherent of Barforty-one. In the Legislative Body thfere was also a ras, and a partaker in the venality and peculation
strong minority. It seemed as if the friends of which characterized that period. He was, therefore,
liberty, however deprived of direct popular re- totally without principle; but Iris nature was not of
presentation, and of all the means of influencing that last degree of depravity, which delights in evil
public opinion, were yet determined to maintain an for its own sake, and his good sense told him, that
opposition to the first consul, somewhat on the plan an unnecessary criTme was a political blunder. The
of that of England. lenity with which he exercised his terrible cffinc,
Another law, passed at this time, must have had when left in any degree to his own discretion, while
a cooling effect on the zeal of some of these patriots, it never prevented his implicit execution of BonaIt was announced that there were a set of persons, parte's comnlands, nlade the abominable system over
who were to be regarded rather as public enemies which he presided to a certain extent endurable;
than as criminals, and who ought to be provided and thus even his good qualities, while they relieved
against rather by anticipating and defeating their individual suffering, swere of disservice to his country,
schemes than by punishing their offences. These by reconciling her to bondage.
consisted of republicans, royalists, or any others en- The haute police, as it is called by the French,
tetraining, or supposed to entertain, opinions ini- meaninjg that department which applies to politics
mical to the present state of affairs; and the law and state affairs, hisd been unaccountably neglected
now passed entitled the government to treat them by the ministers of Louis XVI., and was much disas suspected persons, and, as such, to banish them organized by the conrsequences of the Revolution.
from Paris or from France. Thus was the chief The demagogues of the Conrention had little need
consul invested with full power over the personal of' a regular system of the kind. Every affiliated
liberty of every person whoma he chose to consider club of jacobins supplied them with spies, and with
as the enemy of his government. instrulments of their pleasure. The Directory stood
Bonaparte was enabled to avail himself to the in a diffterent situation. They had no general party
uttermost of the powers which he had thus ex- of their own, and maintained their authority, by batracted fiom the constitutional bodies, by the fright- lancing the moderates and democrats against each
fill agency of the police. This institution may, even other. They, therefore, were more dependent upon
in its mildest form, be regarded as a necessary evil; the police than their predecessors, and they intrustfor although, while great cities continue to afford ed Fouche with the superintendance. It was then
obscure retreats for vice and crimes of every de- that, destroying, or rather superseding, the separate
scription, there must be men, whose profession it is offices where the agents of the police pretended to
to discover and bring criminals to justice, as while a certain independence of acting, he brought the
there are vermin in tile animal world, there must be whole system to concentrate within his own cabinet.
kites and carrion-crows to dimini.sh their number; By combining the reports of his agents, and of the
5.e', as the excellence of these guardians of the various individuals with whom under various prepublic depends in a great measure on their famili- texts he maintained correspondence, tile minister of
arity with the arts, haunts, and practices of culprits, police arrived at so accurate a knowledge of te.,they cannot be expected to feel the same horror for purpose, disposition, adherents, and tools of the di/'
crimes, or criminals, which is common to other men. ferent parties in France, that he could anticipate
On the contrary, they have a symlpathy with them of their mode of acting upon all occasions that were
thIe same kind which hunters entertain for the game likely to occur, knew what measures were likely to
which is the object of their pulrsuit. Besides, as be proposed, and by whom they were to be supmuch of their business is carried on by the medium ported; and when any particular accident took
of spies, they must be able to personate the manners place, was able, from his previous general informaand opinions of those whom they detect; and are fre- tion, to assign it to the real cause, and the true
qrrently induced, by their own interest, to diiect, en- actors.
courage, nay, suggest crimes, that they may obtain An unlimited system of espial, and that stretching
the reward due for conviction of the offenders. through society in all its ramifications, was necessary
Applied to state offences, the agency of such per- to the perfection of this system, which had not arsons, though sometimes unavoidable, is yet more rived to its utmost height, till Napoleon ascended