Napoleon arrives at Paris. State of France after the battle of Waterloo. Wellington and Blucher cross the Frontiers. Agitation of the Chambers. Napoleon abdicates in favor of his son. Departs for Rochefort and attempts to sail for America. Surrenders himself on board the Bellerophon to the British Government. Arrives in England. Sails for St. Helena. NAPOLEON proceeded to Philippeville, for the purpose of keeping open a communication with Marshal Grouchy, and sending his orders to the Rhine. Here he remained four hours, when he proceeded with the greatest possible expedition for Loan, and reached that place at four o'clock in the afternoon on the twentieth. Here he had an interview with the prefect, ordered his aid-de-camp, Count Bussy, to superintend the defence of the place, and gave various other orders. He waited until he received dispatches from Jerome, by which he learnt that he had rallied more than 25,000 men in rear of Avesne, and fifty pieces of cannon, that the army appeared to augment continually, that most of the general officers had arrived, and that the loss was not so great as might have been imagined. The Emperor ordered the troops to rendezvous at Fere, and fixed upon Loan as the general head-quarters, whither Marshal Soult was ordered to repair. The prefect took every measure to fill the magazines and supply provisions for an army of 80 or 90,000 men, which were expected to concentrate around the town in a few days. Prince Jerome, Marshal Grouchy and General Rapp, had all been ordered to concentrate at this place, which was made the general point of junction. Having given the necessary orders, the Emperor proceeded from Loan to Paris, which is a journey of only twelve hours, and reached the capital on the night of the 20th. He expected to remain at the capital four or five days to make arrangements for this great national crisis, to complete the defences of Paris, and to hasten the resources that might be obtained from the depots and the provinces, and calculated to return to the head-quarters of the army by the 25th. On the evening of the 18th, and on the 19th, Marshal Grouchy attacked the Prussian general Thielman, repulsed him, and was pursuing him in the direction of Brussels, when he was informed of the loss of the battle, and received the orders of the Emperor to retreat towards Namur. He commenced his retreat, and was followed cautiously by the Prussians, who, advancing too near, were attacked and repulsed with the loss of several hundred prisoners. The Marshal arrived at Loan on the 26th, with a force of 32,000 men, 6,500 of whom were cavalry. The situation of France after the battle of Waterloo, was not so desperate as has been considered. This battle might have been to France what the battle of Canne was to Rome, not what that of Zama was to Carthage, had it not been for the unsettled condition of the government. By the 27th of June 70,000 men had rallied between Paris and Loan, from 25 to 30,000 were on their march from the capital and the depots, and General Rapp with 25,000 select troops would have arrived early in July, on the Marne, making a force of 120,000 men, equal to that which the Emperor had at the commencement of hostilities. At Paris there were 500 field pieces; and for it defence it had 36,000 national guards, 30,000 riflemen, 6,000 gunners and 600 pieces of ordnance in battery, formidable entrenchments were erected on the right bank of the Seine, and the works on the left could soon have been completed. The allied armies, weakened by the loss of probably 70 or 80,000 men, would not have been able to cross the frontiers with more than 90,000. They would not have hazarded to penetrate to Paris with so inconsiderable a force, but would have been obliged to wait for the arrival of the Austrian and Russian armies, which could not reach the Marne before the Sfteenth of July; nor more than 30 or 40,000 of their troops, at so early a period as that. This would have given Paris twenty-five days to prepare for its defence, to complete its armaments and fortifications, and to collect troops from all parts of the empire. Besides, Marshal Suchet would at the same time have more than 30,000 men at Lyons, exclusive of the garrison of the town. The defence of the fortified places were such as could be relied upon, they being commanded by select officers and garrisoned by faithful troops. On the 21st of June, Wellington and Blucher entered the territory of France in two columns; on the 24th the former had reached Cambray, and the latter Guise. On the 26th Wellington entered Peronne. But during all this time the three lines of fortresses in their rear on the frontiers of Flanders were invested. On the 25th they heard of the abdication of the Emperor, of the tumultuary and disorderly con duct of the chambers, the divisions and agitation of the gov The abdication of the Emperor was occasioned by the disaffection of the chambers. He arrived at Paris on the night of the 20th of June, and confirmed all that had been feared as to the defeat of the army, and the critical situation of the nation; he immediately called a council of ministers. The two houses assembled, and their sitting of the 21st was characterised by great agitation and alarm. Their fears were not only from the troops of the allies, which were marching towards Paris, but an apprehension prevailed that the Emperor would dissolve the legislative bodies. The utmost agitation prevailed; various propositions were made, debated and withdrawn; all appeared sensible that something must be done, and that immediately, but no one knew what to do. At length the venerable patriot, La Fayette, arose and addressed the chambers: "This is the first time that I have raised my voice within these walls, and I feel the necessity of opening my whole soul to my colleagues. In a time of public distress, the true friends of liberty will perhaps recognise this voice which has always been raised in its defence, and never has Our armies have been mingled with the cries of faction. suffered a reverse, and our territory is threatened. It is to you representatives of the people, that it belongs to rally the nation around the tri-colored banner of 1789, that sacred standard which is the signal of the revival of liberty, indeIt is to you that it belongs to vendence and public order. summon the whole nation to the defence of its rights, its independence and its territory against foreign usurpation. A veteran of liberty, and, I repeat it, a stranger to the spirit of faction, I am about to propose to you those measures which our present critical circumstances imperiously require." He then proposed that the Chamber declare that the independence of the nation is threatened; that it declare itself permanent, and every individual who shall attempt disorder to be guilty of treason; that the troops who have fought for the integrity of the French territory have deserved well of their country; that measures be immediatey taken to furnish arms to the national guards who might be destitute, and that the ministers be required to attend before the Chamber to answer such questions as might be asked of them. The resolutions of La Fayette with some modifications, were adopted.The ministers did not appear until 5 o'clock in the afternoon; they were accompanied by Lucien Buonaparte, which occasioned great murmurs; they, however, subsided, on the house being informed by the president that Lucien appeared as the commissioner of the Emperor. The information communicated by the ministers increased the agitation and alarm. M. Duchene and other republican members declared that as the allies had refused to treat with the man at the head of the government, it was a duty which the Chamber owed to the nation, to insist on the unqualified abdication of the Emperor. In this critical conjuncture, Buonaparte seems to have been greatly embarrassed how to act. He was urged by some of his adherents to dissolve the mutinous assembly and establish himself dictator. He hesitated and seemed undecided-exhausted from fatigue, anxiety and the loss of sleep, and impressed from the awfully responsible situation in which he was placed, the war being declared to be prosecuted against him and not against the nation, his energy and decision of character seemed to have forsaken him. Lucien declared that the smoke of the battle of Mount St. Jean had turned his brain. He finally decided to abdicate in favor of his son. Accordingly on the 22d, the following declaration was communicated to the legislative bodies. "FRENCHMEN! In commencing war for the maintenance of the national independence, I relied on the union of all efforts, all wills and all authorities. I had reason to hope for success, and I braved all the declarations of the powers against me.— Circumstances appear to be changed. I offer myself as a sacrifice to the hatred of the enemies of France. May they prove sincere in their declarations, and to have aimed only at me! My political life is ended; and I proclaim my son Napoleon II, Emperor of the French. Unite for the public safety, if you would remain an independent nation.-Done at the palace Elysee, June the 22d, 1815. NAPOLEON." The two chambers voted Buonaparte an address of thanks for the sacrifice he had made for the interest of the nation, which was presented by their president Lanjuinias, and answered by Napoleon. A decree was then proposed by M Dupin introduced by a warm compliment to the Emperor for his abdication, declaring that the Chamber, in the name of the nation, accepted of the abdication of Napoleon, and for constituting the Chamber of Deputies the National Assembly; for constituting a commission to treat for peace with the allies in the name of the nation; for appointing a provisional executive of five members; and for raising a committee to form the basis of a new constitution. The agitation was so great that these propositions were not acted upon. After long discussion, Fouche, minister of general police, Carnot, minister of the interior, and General Grenier were chosen on the part of the Chamber of Deputies, as members of a provisional government, to consist of five. Caulaincourt and Quinette were added by the House of Peers. On the sitting of the 23d, a unanimous vote passed accepting the abdication of Napoleon, and after various propositions were moved and discussed, M. Manuel delivered a long and animated speech, which concluded with the following resolution: "Napoleon the second has become Emperor of the French by the fact of the abdication of Napoleon the first, and the constitutions of the empire; the decision shall be transmitted to the Chamber of Peers by a message." The resolution was seconded by innumerable voices. On its being put to vote, the whole Assembly rose, and the president declared the resolution adopted.As the vote was declared, the cry of vive l'Empereur, burst forth in the assembly and the tribune, and was prolonged amiast the most lively applause. The same evening the House of Peers concurred in the above resolution. After his abdication Napoleon took up his residence at Malmaison, where on the 25th he communicated to the army his farewell address: "NAPOLEON to the brave men of the army under the walls of Paris. Soldiers!-In obeying the necessity which separates me from the brave French army, I feel the happy certainty that it will justify, by the eminent service which the country expects from it, the eulogiums, which even our enemies have not been able to refuse to it. Soldiers! I shall follow your movements although absent I know every corps, and not one of them will gain a single advantage over the enemy, but I shall take notice of the bravery that it will display. They have calumniated you and Men little calculated to appreciate our exertions, have seen in the proofs of attachment which you have given me, only a zeal of which I was the only object. May your fu me. |