John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

11. VI:30. All the morning we were engaged in making preparations for our departure— Mr Petry called upon us with news, which proved to be only a groundless rumour. The Duc de Vicence called immediately afterwards, and told me that the firing of the Cannon, had been for a visit which the Emperor was making to the hospital of Invalids.— He mentioned to me many circumstances relating to the state of public affairs at this time, and said that they were perfectly informed of all the proceedings of the Congress until after the Emperor arrived in Paris.— That six dispatches from Talleyrand to the Ministry of Louis 18 had been received by him the Duke de Vicence since he came to the Department of foreign affairs— They had the whole history, of the Declaration of 13. March, and knew by whom it was written— That Talleyrand obtained the signatures to it— That it was signed first by Prince Metternich, who was un homme très leger; and who scarcely took the trouble of reading it, and never thought of reflecting a moment upon its meaning— The Duke of Wellington signed it in the same manner— The rest signed upon trust— The Duke said it was amusing to be told that Lord Wellington had been highly indignant at learning that he was charged as an instigator of assassination for having signed that declaration— The truth was he had signed it, without knowing what it meant—impelled by a moment of passion— It was a declaration signalizing one individual as a wolf, not entitled to any of the privileges of a human being.— They thought that by using high-sounding and bitter words they alone would suffice to destroy him— At the same time they thought his undertaking so weak and insignificant, that they actually wrote here that two brigades of Gensdarmes would be more than enough to put him down— I told the Duke that I had seen a remark in the Edinburg Review, that if the mere facts of the Emperor’s landing and resumption of the Government of France were put into a Romance, they would be rejected as too improbable for a narrative of fiction— He said it was true, but he could assure me there had been no previous concert between the Emperor and any person here— Not a human being in France knew that he was coming— The Duke saw by a smile on my countenance that I was not altogether credulous of this fact, and said—eh bien!—remember what I now say to you— Depend upon it the fact will ultimately be known and proved— I repeat that there was not a human being in France, who knew of the Emperor’s design, before he landed— I told him what was said in the Edinburg Review of a watch word of La Violette and elle reviendra au printems— He said there was nothing in it. That Le Pere la Violette was a name the Soldiers had given the Emperor among themselves, as they had formerly called him le petit Caporal.— But there was nothing of plot or conspiracy in it— As for himself when he first heard that the Emperor had landed, he did not believe it. He had been a whole day disbelieving it, until it was ascertained to him by a general who had received it directly from General Maison. The Emperor knew, however, the universal discontent, and disgust at the Government of the Bourbons in France— He received the newspapers; but during the whole time that he had been at the Island of Elba, only two persons had been from France to see him. But the Bourbons were so odious that if the Emperor had not come, there would nevertheless have been within two Months a Revolution against them— They knew it very well— All the Correspondence from the interior, as well as that to and from Vienna, which had fallen into the hands of the present government, shewed that Louis 18. himself saw the impossibility of getting along.— The Duke told me that if this change had not taken place he should himself have gone to America— He had made all his arrangements for going this Spring. He could not have lived in France— The Emperor of Russia had kindly given him an invitation to Russia, but he had not chosen to accept it, and had formed the settled determination to go to America— He said also that the Emperor of Russia had spoken to him here at Paris, with great disapprobation of the Bourbons and their proceedings—and said they risked every thing as 251they were going on— He further said that since he had been in the Department they had received three dispatches from the Count de Noailles, the Ambassador of Louis 18 at St. Petersburg. That the Count complained that he found himself embarrassed in Society because he heard opinions expressed very freely against the war— When the Duke left me he said he should send me a despatch to be forwarded to Mr Serrurier, the French Minister in the United States; to whom new Credentials had been sent, and who was understood to have given general satisfaction in America— We had also a visit from Mr Boyd.— In the Evening we paid a visit at the Count de Tracy’s to take leave— The Count himself was abroad— We saw Madame de Tracy and Mr and Madame de l’Aubépin— They told us that General La Fayette was elected a member of the Representative Assembly— And had been President of the electoral college at Melun. That the General would be in Paris next Saturday to dine— I had determined to leave Paris at 4 O’Clock afternoon, on Saturday.— But having a strong wish to see the General, before I go, I now concluded to postpone our departure until the next Morning. The Ladies and Mr: de l’Aubepin, made many enquiries as to the manner of living in America. This family too has had, and perhaps may have again the project of removing to America— After our visit we finished our Evening by a walk upon the Boulevards.