Let’s have another look at Hortense’s Memoirs. If you want to read the book it is available for free at the side bar in English and French. Use the widget on the sidebar to translate the text below into pretty much any language.
Hortense suggests that there was a racial component to the allied war against Napoleon. Just that Napoleon’s enemies ever called him “Buonaparte” as some sort of knock implies this. As if it is a shame to be Italian. I highlight this to remind us that those who ENDLESSLY foment discord between the races tend to be quite “Northern”. They also can be counted upon to smear anyone who won’t just let them have their way as “racists” and most of us are quite onto this incessantly employed PR trick.
In this passage, it is worth noting that Marie Louise admits that it seems as if there is a powerful curse that follows her wherever she goes. This belief is very much corroborated in Marie Louise diary.
Hortense’s memoirs continues:
France was uneasy, the political parties were becoming active again. In order to compel them all to share his views the Emperor in the past had used violence. When arguments did not succeed, he used force. And force succeeded. The young men belonging to the former nobility who were obliged to enlist against the wishes of their parents became our partisans from the moment they shared the glory of the new regime. In the present instance, however, neglecting the older members of that nobility, which he neither needed nor feared, the Emperor called to the colors all the youths belonging to the richest and most influential families of France.
His orders for this enforced draft were already severe. Unfortunately, the manner in which they were executed was even harsher and more inconsiderate. The result was the arousing of bitter animosities. Victories would have saved everything, defeats envenomed all public complaints. The benefits of the law-giver, the exploits of the general were speedily forgotten.
People only remembered the acts of a man ever anxious to conquer more territory. Even we, the members of his own family, who were used to letting him dictate to us in everything, now dared to protest and blame him openly for continuing a war which perhaps he lacked the power of bringing to an end.
The Prince of Benevento [Monsieur de Talleyrand], who for a long time had felt himself to be in disgrace, recognized the weakness of the Emperor's position and sought to take advantage of it. He had at his disposal the means of doing much harm and he employed them all.
A man who hates another but lacks courage to combat him openly rarely lets slip an opportunity for which he has long been secretly waiting. Meanwhile the crusade of the northern races, allied one to another, at last set foot on the soil of France, which had so long remained inviolate.
A panic such as never occurred before seized the capital. The enemy actually in France. Where is our army? What forces can we oppose to such a formidable invasion? As a matter of fact no steps had been taken to defend the city. I had gone to attend mass at the Tuileries.
The Duchesse de Montebello, apparently much alarmed, spoke to me, saying "Madame, have you heard the news? The allied armies have crossed the Rhine. Paris is panic-stricken. What can the Emperor be doing?"
The Empress, whom the Duchess had informed of what was happening, appeared to be much upset. "I seem to attract misfortune wherever I go," she said to me. "All those who have had anything to do with me, either intimately or at a distance, have suffered from this more or less. Since my childhood I have constantly been obliged to escape hurriedly from where I happened to be."
The original French is available below:
