CHAPTER VIII.

1806.

Alarm of the city of Hamburg--The French at Bergdorf--Favourable

orders issued by Bernadotte--Extortions in Prussia--False

endorsements--Exactions of the Dutch--Napoleon's concern for his

wounded troops--Duroc's mission to the King of Prussia--Rejection of

the Emperor's demands--My negotiations at Hamburg--Displeasure of

the King of Sweden--M. Netzel and M. Wetteratedt.

At this critical moment Hamburg was menaced on all sides; the French

even occupied a portion of its territory. The French troops, fortunately

for the country, were attached to the corps commanded by the Prince de

Ponte-Corvo. This military occupation alarmed the town of Hamburg, to

which, indeed, it proved very injurious. I wrote to Marshal Bernadotte

on the subject. The grounds on which the Senate appealed for the

evacuation of their territory were such that Bernadotte could not but

acknowledge their justice. The prolonged stay of the French troops

in the bailiwick of Bergdorf, which had all the appearance of an

occupation, might have led to the confiscation of all Hamburg property

in England, to the laying an embargo on the vessels of the Republic,

and consequently to the ruin of a great part of the trade of France and

Holland, which was carried on under the flag of Hamburg. There was no

longer any motive for occupying the bailiwick of Bergdorf when there

were no Prussians in that quarter. It would have been an absurd

misfortune that eighty men stationed in that bailiwick should, for the

sake of a few louis and a few ells of English cloth, have occasioned

the confiscation of Hamburg, French, and Dutch property to the amount of

80,000,000 francs.

Marshal Bernadotte replied to me on the 16th of November, and said, "I

hasten to inform you that I have given orders for the evacuation of the

bailiwick of Bergdorf and all the Hamburg territory. If you could obtain

from the Senate of Hamburg, by the 19th of this month, two or three

thousand pairs of shoes, you would oblige me greatly. They shall be paid

for in goods or in money."

I obtained what Bernadotte required from the Senate, who knew his

integrity, while they were aware that that quality was not the

characteristic of all who commanded the French armies! What extortions

took place during the occupation of Prussia! I will mention one of the

means which, amongst others, was employed at Berlin to procure money.

Bills of exchange were drawn, on which endorsements were forged, and

these bills were presented to the bankers on whom they were purported

to be drawn. One day some of these forged bills to a large amount were

presented to Messrs. Mathiesen and Silleine of Hamburg, who, knowing

the endorsement to be forged, refused to cash them. The persons who

presented the bills carried their impudence so far as to send for the

gendarmes, but the bankers persisted in their refusal. I was informed of

this almost incredible scene, which had drawn together a great number

of people. Indignant at such audacious robbery, I instantly proceeded to

the spot and sent away the gendarmes, telling them it was not their duty

to protect robbers, and that it was my business to listen to any just

claims which might be advanced. Under Clarke's government at Berlin

the inhabitants were subjected to all kinds of oppression and exaction.

Amidst these exactions and infamous proceedings, which are not the

indispensable consequences of war, the Dutch generals distinguished

themselves by a degree of rapacity which brought to mind the period of

the French Republican peculations in Italy. It certainly was not their

new King who set the example of this conduct. His moderation was well

known, and it was as much the result of his disposition as of his

honest principles. Louis Bonaparte, who was a King in spite of himself,

afforded an example of all that a good man could suffer upon a usurped

throne.

When the King of Prussia found himself defeated at every point he

bitterly repented having undertaken a war which had delivered his States

into Napoleon's power in less time than that in which Austria had fallen

the preceding year. He wrote to the Emperor, soliciting a suspension

of hostilities. Rapp was present when Napoleon received the King of

Prussia's letter. "It is too late," said he; "but, no matter, I wish to

stop the effusion of blood; I am ready to agree to anything which is

not prejudicial to the honour or interests of the nation." Then calling

Duroc, he gave him orders to visit the wounded, and see that they wanted

for nothing. He added, "Visit every man on my behalf; give them all the

consolation of which they stand in need; afterwards find the King of

Prussia, and if he offers reasonable proposals let me know them."

Negotiations were commenced, but Napoleon's conditions were of a nature

which was considered inadmissible. Prussia still hoped for assistance

from the Russian forces. Besides, the Emperor's demands extended to

England, who at that moment had no reason to accede to the pretensions

of France. The Emperor wished England to restore to France the colonies

which she had captured since the commencement of the war, that Russia

should restore to the Porte Moldavia and Wallachia, which she then

occupied; in short, he acted upon the advice which some tragedy-king

gives to his ambassador: "Demand everything, that you may obtain

nothing." The Emperor's demands were, in fact, so extravagant that it

was scarcely possible he himself could entertain the hope of their being

accepted. Negotiations, alternately resumed and abandoned, were carried

on with coldness on both sides until the moment when England prevailed

on Russia to join Prussia against France; they then altogether ceased:

and it was for the sake of appearing to wish for their renewal, on bases

still more favourable to France, that Napoleon sent Duroc to the King

of Prussia. Duroc found the King at Osterode, on the other side of the

Vistula. The only answer he received from His Majesty was, "The time

is passed;" which was very much like Napoleon's observation; "It is too

late."

Whilst Duroc was on his mission to the King of Prussia I was myself

negotiating at Hamburg. Bonaparte was very anxious to detach Sweden from

the coalition, and to terminate the war with her by a separate treaty.

Sweden, indeed, was likely to be very useful to him if Prussia, Russia,

and England should collect a considerable mass of troops in the north.

Denmark was already with us, and by gaining over Sweden also the union

of those two powers might create a diversion, and give serious alarm to

the coalition, which would be obliged to concentrate its principal force

to oppose the attack of the grand army in Poland. The opinions of M.

Peyron, the Swedish Minister at Hamburg, were decidedly opposed to the

war in which his sovereign was engaged with France. I was sorry that

this gentleman left Hamburg upon leave of absence for a year just at the

moment I received my instructions from the Emperor upon this subject.

M. Peyron was succeeded by M. Netzel, and I soon had the pleasure of

perceiving that his opinions corresponded in every respect with those of

his predecessor.

As soon as he arrived M. Netzel sought an interview to speak to me on

the subject of the Swedes, who had been taken prisoners on the Drave. He

entreated me to allow the officers to return to Sweden on their parole.

I was anxious to get Netzel's demand acceded to, and availed myself

of that opportunity to lead him gradually to the subject of my

instructions. I had good reason to be satisfied with the manner in which

he received my first overtures. I said nothing to him of the justice

of which he was not previously convinced. I saw he understood that his

sovereign would have everything to gain by a reconciliation with France,

and he told me that all Sweden demanded peace. Thus encouraged, I told

him frankly that I was instructed to treat with him. M. Netzel assured

me that M. de Wetterstedt, the King of Sweden's private secretary, with

whom he was intimate, and from whom he showed me several letters, was

of the same opinion on the subject as himself. He added, that he had

permission to correspond with the King, and that he would; write the

same evening to his sovereign and M.. de Wetterstedt to acquaint them

with our conversation.

It will be perceived, from what I have stated, that no negotiation was

ever commenced under more favourable auspices; but who could foresee

what turn the King of Sweden would take? That unlucky Prince took M.

Netzel's letter in very ill part, and M. de Wetterstedt himself received

peremptory orders to acquaint M. Netzel with his sovereign's displeasure

at his having presumed to visit a French Minster, and, above all, to

enter into a political conversation with him, although it was nothing

more than conversation. The King did not confine himself to reproaches;

M. Netzel came in great distress to inform me he had received orders

to quit Hamburg immediately, without even awaiting the arrival of his

successor. He regarded his disgrace as complete. I had the pleasure of

seeing M. Netzel again in 1809 at Hamburg, where he was on a mission

from King Charles XIII.