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

4680 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
which was restored to the lawful owners. The catho- ment of achieving despotic power, the undisputed
lic religion was declared to be that of the state, but command, namely, of the army, would be naturally
all other christian sects were to be protected. The unwilling to risk the continuance of his authority by
king's authority was recognized as head of the army, any attempt to innovate upon those conditions,
and the power of making peace and war was vested which he had by his own charter assured to the
in hiln exclusively. The liberty of the press was people. On the contrary, conditions formed and
established, but under certain restraints. The con- decreed by the Senate of Bonaparte might, on the
scription was abolished-the responsibility of minis- popular party's resuming the ascendancy, be altered
ters recognized; and it may be said, in general, that or recalled by the Chambers with the same levity
a constitution was traced out, good so far as it went, and fickleness which t'ie people of France, or at
andsusceptible of receiving the flrther improvements least those acting as their representatives, had so
which time and experience might recommend. The often displayed. To give permanence to the concharter was presented to the Legislative Body by the stitution, therefore, it was best it should emanate
king in person, with a speech, which announced that from the party most interested in preserving it, and
the principles which it recognized were such as had least able to infringe it; and that undoubtedly, as
been adopted in the will of his unfortunate brother, France stood at the time, wvas the sovereign. In
Louis XVI. Great Britain, the constitution is accounted more
Yet though this charter contained a free surrender secure, because the king is the source of law, of
of great part of the royal rights which the old race of honour, and of all ministerial and executive power;
Bourbons had enjoyed, as well as of all the arbitrary whilst lhe is responsible to the nation through his
power which Napoleon had usurped, we have seen ministers, for the manner in which that power is
that it was unacceptable to an active aeldinfluential exercised. An arrangement of a different kind
party in the state, who disdained to accept security would expose the branches of the legislature to a
for property and freedom under the ancient forms of discordant struggle, which ought never to be cona feudal charter, and contended that it ought to have templated as possible.
emanated directly from the will of the sovereign Thlle zealous liberalists of France were inrduced,
people. We have no hesitation in saying, that this however, to mutiny against the name under which
was as reasonable as the conduct of a spoiled child, their free constitution was assigned thenr, and to call
who refuses what is given to him, because he is not back Bonaparte, who had abolished the very semsuffered to take it; or the wisdom of a hungry man, blance of freedom, rather than to accept, at the
who should quarrel with his dinner, because he hands of a peaceful monarch, the degree of liberty
does not admire the shape of the dish in which it is which they themselves had acquired. The advanserved ulp. tages which they gained will appear in the sequel.
This is the common-sense view of the subject. If Thus setting out with varying and contradictory
the constitution contained the necessary guarantees opinions of the nature and origin of the new consliof political fieedom, and security of life and pro- tution, the parties in the state regarded it rather as
perty; if it was to be looked to as the permanent a fortress to be attacked and defended, than as a
settlement and bulwark of the liberties of France, temple in which all men were called to wvorship.
and considered as a final and decided arrangement, The French of this period might be divided into
liable indeed to be improved by the joint consent of three distinct and active parties-royalists; liberals
the sovereign, and the legal representatives of the of every shade, down to republicans; and Bonasubject, but not to be destroyed by any or alloftthese partists. And it becomes our duty to say a few
authorities, it was a miatter of utter unimportance, words concerning each of these.
whvcther the systemrn was constructed in the form of' The ROYALISTS, while they added little real
a charter granted by the king, or that of conditions strength to the king by their numbers, attracted
dictated to him by the subject. But if there was to much jealous observation from their high birth and
be a retrospect to the ephemeral existence of all the equally hligh pretensions; embroiled his affairs by
French constitutions hitherto, excepting that under their imprudtent zeal; embittered his peace by their
which Bonaparte had enthralled the people, then just and natural complaints; and drew suspicion on
perhaps the question might be entertained, whether his government at every effort which he made to
the feudal or the revolutionary form vwas most likely serve and relieve themn. They consisted chiefly of
tobe innovated; or, in other words, whether the condi- the emigrant nobles and clergy.
tions attached to the plan of government now adopt- The former class wvere greatly reduced in numed were most likely to be innovated upon by the ber by war and exile; insomuch, that to the House
king, or by the body who represented the people. of Peers, consistihg of one hundred and seventy,
Assuming the fatal doctrine, that the party in and upwards, the ancient nobles of France supplied
whose name the conditions of the constitution are only thirty. The rest were the fortunate marshals
expressed, is entitled to suspend, alter, or recal and generals, whom the wars of the Revolution had
them, sound policy dictated that the apparent power raised to rank and wealth: and the statesmen, many
of granting should be ascribed to the party least of whom had attained the same station by less hoable and willing to recal or innovate upon the grant nourable means of elevation. The old noblesse,
which he had made. In this view of the case. it after their youth had been exhausted, their fortunes
might be reckoned upon that the kivg, unsupported destroyed, and their spirits broken, while following
unless by the royalists, who were few in number, throug-h foreign countries the adverse fortunes of
unpopular from circumstances, and for the present the exiled Bourbons, beheld the restoration, indeed,
dvested, excepting nominally, of the great instru- of the monarchy, but were themselves recalled to