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

134.:LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
great note (and who was perhaps selected on that
CIIAPTER XLVIII. very account, that his proposal might be disavowed
should it meet with unexpected' opposition), took the
Napoleonl meditates a change of title from chief consul to lead in this measure, which was to destroy the slight
emperor.-A motion to this purpose brought forward and nominal remains of a free constitution which
in the Triblunate-Opposed by Carnot-Adopted by the France retained under her present formn of governTribtunate and Senate.-Ouutline of the new system- m-ent. "It was tiiie to bid adieu," lie said, " to
Coldly received by the people.-Napoleon visits Boa- political illusions. The internal turanquillity of
logne, Aix-la-Chapelle, and the Frontiers of Germlany, France had been regained, peace with foreign states
where he is received with respect.-The coronation —
s is smoned from Rme to the cerey at had been secured by victory. The fineances of the
Pins Vii. is summoned from Rome to the ceremonty at
Ptariso-Details.-Reflections.-Chanzges that took place country had been restored, its code of laws renovated
in Italy.-Napoleon appoislted Sovereign of Italy, and and re-established. It was time to ascertain the
crowtued eat Milan. —Genoa annlexed to France. possession of these blessings to the nation in future,
and the orator saw no mode of doing this, save renTIsr time seemed now propitious for Bonaparte dering the supreme power hereditary in the person
to make the last remaining movement in the great and family of Napoleon, to wvhom France owed such
game, which he had hitherto played with equal skill, a debt of gratitude. This," he stated, "was the uniboldness, and success. The opposing factions of versal desire of the army and-of the people. lie
the state lay in a great measure prostrate before invited the Tribunate, therefore, to give effect to the
him.'The death of the Duke d'Enghien and of general wish, and hail Napoleon Bonaparte by the
Pichegra had intimidated the royalists, while the title of emperor, as that which blest corresponded
exile of AMoreau had left the republicans without a with the dignity of the nation."
leader. The members of the Tribunate contended with
These events, while they greatly injured Bona- each other who should most enhance the merits of
parte's character as a man, extended, in a like pro- Napoleon, and prove, in the most logical and rhetoportion, the idea of his power, and of his determi- rical terms, the advantages of arbitrary power over
nation to employ it to the utmost extremity against the various modifications of popular or limited gowhosoever might oppose him. This moment, there- vernments. But one man, Carnot, was bold enough
fore, of general submission and intimidation, was to oppose the full tide of sophistry and adulation.
the fittest to be used for transmuting the military This name is unhappily to be read among the colbaton of the first consul into a sceptre, resembling leaguses of Robespierre in the Revolutionary Comthose of the ancient and established sovereignties of mittee, as well as amongst those who voted for the
Europe; and it only remained, for one who could death of the misused and unoff'ending Louis XVI.;
now dispose of France as he listed, to dictate the yet his highly honourable conduct in the urgent crisis
form and fashion of the new emblem of his sway. now under discussion, shows that f lie zeal for liberty
The title of king most obviously presented itself; which led him into such excesses, was genuine and
but it was connected with the claims of the Bour- sincere; ard that, in point of firmness and public
bons, which it was not Bonaparte's policy to recal spirit, Carnot equalled the ancient patriots whom
to remembrance. That of emperor implied a yet he aspired to imlitate. His speech was as temperate
higher power of sovereignty, and there existed no and expressive as it was eloquent. Bonaparte, lie
completitor who could challenge a claim to it. It admiiitted, had saved France, and saved it by the
was a novelty also, and flattered the French love assumption of absolute power; but this he contended
of change; and though, in fact, the establishment was ouly the temporary consequence of a violent
of an empire was inconsistent with the various oaths crisis of the kind to which republics were subject,
taken against royalty, it was not, in terms, so di- and the evils of which could only be stemmed by a
rectly contradictory to themr. As the re-establish- remedy equally violent. The present head of' the
ineat of a kingdom, so far it was agreeable to those government was, he allowed, a dictator; but in
wlho might seek, not indeed how to keep their vows, the same sense in which Fabius, Camilluu, and
but how to elude, in words at least, the charge of Cincinnatus, were so of yore, who retired to the
having broken them. To Napoleon's own ear, the condition of private citizens when they had accornword king might sound as if it restricted his power plished the purpose foir which temporary supremacy
within the limits of the ancient kingdom; while that had been intrusted to theim. T'he like was to be
of emperor might comprise donminions equlal to the expected from Bonaparte, who, on entering on the
wide sweep of ancient Rome herself, and the bounds government of the state, had invested it with repulbof the habitable earth alone could be considered as lican forms, which he had taken a solemn oath to
circuurnscribing their extent. umaintain, and which it was the object of Ctlre's
The mnain body of the nation being passive or in'- motion to invite himn to violate. He allowed that
tinmidated, there was no occasion to stand upon much the various republican forms of France had been
ceremony with the constitutional bodies, the metun- foulnd deficient in stability, which he contended was
bers of vhich were selected and paid by Bonaparte owing to the tempestuous period in which they had
himself; held their posts at his pleasure, had every been adopted, and the excited and irritable temper
species of advancement to hope if they promnoted of men fired with political animosity, and incapable
1;; schemes: and every evil, of which the least at the mnloment of steady or philosophical reflection
would be deprivation of office, to expect, should but he appealed to the United States of America, as
they thwart him. an example of a democratical government, equally
On the 30th of April, 1804, Curde, an orator of no wise, vigorous, and permanent: He admlitted the