Kitabı oku: «Memoirs of the Duchesse De Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1841-1850», sayfa 22

Sagan, November 4, 1850.– Yesterday's newspapers announce an important event, the resignation of Radowitz, which was offered and accepted, after a long council following upon the conference at Warsaw: his retirement offers every prospect of peace, and may Heaven grant that those prospects continue. If Radowitz, Bunsen, and the lame Arnim had not been members of the King's council, many miseries and calamities would have been avoided. I have always been afraid of Bunsen, as his action in conjunction with Lord Palmerston can never be anything but mischievous.

Sagan, November 6, 1850.– Here we have been lashed by a tempest which has threatened to overwhelm us for the last two days. At Berlin tempests of another sort have terrified every one. The retirement of Radowitz which, alas! I cannot yet regard as positive, the serious, and perhaps fatal illness of Brandenburg, the resignation of Ladenberg, the appeal of Bernstorff, the ill-temper of the Prince of Prussia, the King's agitation, the general uneasiness, the meeting of the Chambers on the 21st, and the continued military preparations both here and in Austria are events quite sufficient to produce utter despondency or feverish excitement in every mind.

Sagan, November 8, 1850.– We are passing through dark days. Just at the time when Count Brandenburg had gained a hearing for his pacific views he fell ill and died. Radowitz is certainly going to Erfurt, but Ladenberg is returning to the council, and orders are published to make every preparation for war. The Prussian railway of Kosel has received orders to carry no more Austrian troops from Cracow to Troppau. Bernstorff, who had been summoned to Berlin to take the place of Radowitz, has received orders not to come; and Erfurt is very near Sans Souci! Dresden is delighted by the possibility of war, as it hopes to reconquer the parts of Saxony which were acquired by Prussia in 1814. Silesia will be the first province invaded by the Austrians or occupied by the Cossacks. Count Brandenburg died in consequence of overstrain during the last two years of the acrimonious scenes through which he had to live at Warsaw, of the very stormy discussion which took place in the council on his return, and also of a chill which followed this hurricane. An important despatch came in during the night and he got up to reply to it: he was immediately taken with a shivering fit and was carried off with a gastric fever complicated with gout; he was bled and given an emetic most inadvisedly, so people say. It is possible, but doctors seem to me to be nothing but the agents of Providence; they cure or kill according to the completion which the sick man's task has reached. This death deprives the King of one of his most loyal and disinterested servants. The hand of Fate is obvious in all these events and produces general despondency and consternation.

Sagan, November 11, 1850.– Every hour brings us nearer to a decision by bloodshed. We thought that peace was at hand and suddenly the army is mobilised. The Landwehr has been called out, to the great disturbance of civil administration, agriculture, manufacture, and private life; several of my workmen, servants, and keepers have been obliged to go off; horses have been requisitioned and my stable has just been decimated. I hear from Berlin that war is not yet inevitable, but every hour makes it more probable, and for what reason, in Heaven's name? Because those who relied upon boasting and trickery have at length been caught in their own snares. The end of the week must see the final solution of the question. Heaven grant that the wind of peace may blow in this direction.

Sagan, November 13, 1850.– The first collision between the Prussians and the Austro-Bavarians has already taken place near Fulda.²⁴⁵ The official or Ministerial gazette die Deutsche Reform, which appears twice daily at Berlin, brought me the news. It says that the Prussians were the first to fire; that the Austrians had not even loaded their guns, so that several were wounded and were unable to defend themselves; that a misunderstanding was the cause of the conflict; and that after this skirmish the Prussian General, von Gröben, fell back beyond Fulda. The account is preceded by a very pacific leading article. Meanwhile it seems that Bernstorff has actually gone to Berlin, but only for the purpose of refusing the Ministerial post which had been offered to him. Confusion is thus complete. Since the trumpet-blast of war resounded, every one is absorbed by the thoughts, the predictions, and the arrangements which so engrossing an occurrence naturally produces. However, I have decided not to stir from here; I think it is bad policy to abandon one's home in the hour of danger, and a course of action which is almost always regretted.

Sagan, November 15, 1850.– My brother-in-law came back yesterday from Berlin where he had left a state of peace. The King had visited the Austrian Minister; a long explanation took place which began with some temper and afterwards grew calm. Eventually they separated in mutual satisfaction. I can only pray that nothing but good may result from this explanation and that no further clouds will come to obscure the horizon. Radowitz has so infuriated the Prince of Prussia that in a council held upon the return of the Count of Brandenburg from Warsaw in which Radowitz preached peace, the Prince accused him of treachery to his country in no measured terms. The poor Count felt this reproach so deeply that it is generally thought to have been the cause of his death. The fact remains that in his delirium this scene was continually before his mind and caused him the greatest uneasiness. It reminds me of the quarrel between the Dauphin and Marshal Marmont at Saint-Cloud in the month of July 1830.

Austria is willing to regard the attack near Fulda as due to chance and not as inspired by any premeditation. Both sides seem anxious to pursue peace, and Austria is sensible enough to lend herself to anything that will shield Prussian pride during this forced retreat. The Austrians have resolved to send twenty-five thousand men to Schleswig-Holstein to finish the difficulties there. The most troublesome point between Vienna and Berlin is Hanover. Austria wishes that Hanover should give free passage to her troops, while Berlin is anxious that Hanover should not grant this concession. I think this is the only outstanding point which could throw us back into the anguish of war.

I am very curious to know what impression Madame Swetchine has made upon you.²⁴⁶ She is old and ugly but clever and well educated, pleasant and insinuating, and entirely suited for the profession she has followed for the last thirty years. I have been always surprised that those who are religious by profession and who should always be considering their own consciences, should yet find so much time to deal with the consciences of others.

Sagan, November 18, 1850.– For several days the chances have been in favour of peace. Apparently the conferences which are to settle the fate of Germany will be begun at Dresden on December 1, and Russia undertakes the guarantee which Austria and Prussia simultaneously claim, while the disarmament of the two Powers will go on simultaneously, if agreed upon.²⁴⁷ At the same time, we cannot absolutely deny every possibility of war. The Democratic party, for instance, which is fairly strong in the Chambers to be opened on the 21st; the personal ambitions of those who do not belong to this party, but who are foolish enough to think that if they join its shouts for war they will be able to muzzle it afterwards; personal hatred, foolish vanity, patriots with their silly love of glory and all that is most inappropriately termed the national honour, are influences now working, and Manteuffel is obliged to maintain the struggle alone. He is accused of having already sold himself to Russia and to Austria! Perhaps the forces which France, according to the newspapers, is sending to the banks of the Rhine, will provide food for reflection.

Sagan, November 29, 1850.– The Minister, Manteuffel, left Berlin yesterday to keep an appointment with Prince Schwarzenberg;²⁴⁸ there is no reason to suppose that this interview will further the cause of peace. It is also said that the Chambers will be prorogued. Whatever solution may be attained, every one must be prepared.

Sagan, December 1, 1850.– All the railways are crowded by troop trains, and in spite of this military energy, which continues to increase, people are still betting that peace will be secured. Baron Manteuffel passed near here a few hours ago in a special train for Berlin; in this railway carriage our destinies are contained.²⁴⁹ Baron von Meyendorff was present at the interview, and doubtless his influence was weighty and helped to turn the scale. I have also been told that the Elector of Hesse is helping to simplify the matter by declaring that he has no wish for either Austrian or Prussian help, and is capable of reducing his subjects to obedience unaided.

The castle court is full of waggons, carriages, and horses; the castle is full of officers of high rank, and the villages are full of soldiers; everything is in a bustle; drums are beating, trumpets sounding, and yet the whole may be nothing more than a military parade at once ridiculous and burdensome.

Sagan, December 3, 1850.– Letters and newspapers from France have not come in for several days; this delay is doubtless due to the movements of the troops, which have delayed and disorganised both the regularity and the safety of the railways. Such irregularity in the delivery of letters is a misfortune which I feel deeply at this moment, which is a serious time for me in every respect, as my house has just been the scene of a tragedy. One of the officers of high rank – a talented man, and much esteemed in the army, rich and respected – has blown out his brains in consequence of some service dispute. He had dined with me a few hours previously, and gave no sign that he had determined on the fatal act. He has left a letter in which he explains his motives for this action, and the arrangements he desires to be made. In it he thanks me for my kindly welcome, and apologises for the act which he was proposing to commit under my hospitable roof. This event has affected us all deeply. The poor man has just been buried amid the universal regret of the detachment; the funeral was not carried out with military honours on account of the suicide, but it was honoured by the tears of all those who had served with and under the deceased man.

To-day we shall know how the Chambers have welcomed the arrangement which Manteuffel and Schwarzenberg have agreed upon; the matter must have been discussed yesterday. A stormy and hostile feeling prevailed, and in any case the contest will have been keen. Herr von Ladenberg had offered his resignation, as he declines peace at any price. If the Chambers show themselves too intractable, will the authorities have the courage to dissolve them, and exercise the rights of making peace and war which the Constitution guarantees to the King, or will they yield before the outcries of the democracy and their dupes who fill the Prussian Chambers? That is the question. One might bet with equal certainty upon either issue, so impossible is it to rely upon a consistent or regular policy when definite resolutions are required.

I have a letter from Potsdam, dated November 30, from which the following is an extract: "Our excellent Sovereign has seemed greatly depressed during the illness and the death of Count Brandenburg, the fall of Radowitz, the keen discussions with the Prince of Prussia, and the determination to mobilise the army; but he has shown keen repugnance for the Gerlach party,²⁵⁰ and for Herr von Manteuffel, and great exasperation at the insulting threats of Russia to occupy the eastern province as Hesse is occupied. Then, after a terrible inward struggle, the King has recovered his calm with reference to the arrangements for peace, and has become almost affectionate towards Herr von Manteuffel; he has also resolved to send him with the Prince of Schwarzenberg. The King hopes to preserve peace."

I have also another letter which says: "The Russian Court has officially notified the other Courts of its strict neutrality in purely German affairs, though this does not apply to the Holstein affair. On this question the reserve is made that if any one Power should claim to prevent the passage of Federal troops, Russia would oppose such claim by force. The London and Paris Cabinets had recognised the same right in the case of Denmark, and have undertaken to leave Russia a free hand. The King of Denmark asked the Emperor Nicholas for twelve thousand men, and the Emperor replied that he would send a hundred and twenty thousand."

Sagan, December 5, 1850.– The following are some details which reached me from an authentic source: Baron Manteuffel arrived on Thursday, November 28, at five o'clock in the evening, at Olmütz, and the conference between himself and Prince Schwarzenberg immediately began and lasted till half-past twelve. The first interview led to no result, and Manteuffel declared his intention of leaving the place an hour later by the night train; Prince Schwarzenberg made no offer to detain him; on the contrary, he rang the bell and ordered the carriage to take the Baron back to the station; at that moment Herr von Meyendorff intervened, and begged the two diplomatic champions to make trial of a second interview the next day. Schwarzenberg and Manteuffel consented, and their conference was resumed the next morning at nine o'clock and continued till five in the evening. The former had spoken in the course of the previous evening with such frankness concerning the equivocal policy of Prussia, that Herr von Manteuffel was obliged to tell him that he could not listen to such language. During the second interview he showed more self-control and more readiness to make concessions, and eventually the conference ended in the following result: Prussia will occupy the military road in Hesse, but will allow the Austrian troops to make use of it for the pacification of the country; Cassel is to have a garrison composed partly of Austrians and partly of Prussians; the domestic affairs of Hesse are to be arranged by two Commissioners appointed by Austria and Prussia; the question of Schleswig will also be discussed by two Commissioners, representing each of the great Powers; Denmark and Holland will be requested to reduce their military forces by two-thirds, and if it should be necessary to bring up troops to secure this result, Austria declares herself indifferent upon the question as to which Power is to undertake the operation; in such an event she will allow Prussia to take the matter in hand alone or to entrust the task to one of the other Powers in the Germanic Confederation. The general interests of Germany are to be discussed in the free conferences held at Dresden. Prince Schwarzenberg had given no clear explanation of the basis upon which he will regard these interests as established, but he has consented that the Frankfort Diet should be suspended while the Dresden conferences are in progress. Stipulations have also been made that Prussia should set the example of disarmament, but that the moment when disarmament is to be begun shall depend upon the will of the King of Prussia. This latter article is, I think, kept strictly secret. The King has shown great satisfaction with these results; however, he could not help saying aloud at table that Manteuffel had only secured what Radowitz, the most German of all his Ministers, had demanded.

In the Prussian Chambers discussion had been marked by strong and violent feeling. The result has been an adjournment till January 3. Embarrassment will arise in Parliament on the question of money. Will the Chambers vote the money which has been expended in preparations now found to be useless? It is thought that they will not. There is talk of a direct appeal from the King to the Powers and to the goodwill of his subjects. We shall see what effect will be produced upon the provinces and the country at large by the return of the Deputies to their homes during the month of adjournment. This period will probably be spent in every kind of intrigue and in stirring public feeling, and as such efforts can be complicated by representing the pecuniary sacrifice as pure loss, very unpleasant incidents may be the consequence. We are thus entering upon a new phase.

Sagan, December 9, 1850.– At the present moment all eyes are turned to Dresden. In five days the conferences are to be opened, and as these poor provinces have been exhausted by the concentration of the troops, it is of urgent importance that the disarmament should be quickly begun; they can no longer maintain the troops upon a war footing, as they will be literally ruined by them if they are not turned into an enemy's country.

Sagan, December 11, 1850.– Count Stolberg, the son of the former Minister, who is stationed at a neighbouring hamlet and has just arrived from Berlin, came to dine here and spend the evening. He is well informed of the course of events at Sans Souci. He has assured me that the authorities have decided to carry matters to extremes with the Chambers if they do not show themselves tractable upon their return. A dissolution will then take place, and as a more amenable Chamber is not probable under the present detestable electoral law, there is an idea of modifying this law by a coup d'état, or an attempt will be made to do without the Chambers by means of a temporary dictatorship, or by an appeal to the people. I must confess that I have great doubts whether the authorities have sufficient courage to carry matters with so high a hand; at the same time, I must admit that things have reached the stage at which we must either pass under the pitiless yoke of the democracy or take the bull by the horns.

Sagan, December 18, 1850.– The Dresden conferences have been adjourned to the 23rd, and there is no idea of disarmament upon any serious scale until their decisions are known. The state of war continues with disastrous results. Those who complain are told that effective remonstrance can only be made under arms. However, to soothe the feelings of Austria, the newspapers publish announcements that the disarmament is beginning, which is only true to a very small extent.

Sagan, December 22, 1850.– I hear from Berlin that the Cabinet has been completed and strengthened with Conservative elements; a good sign, but I shall require twelve signs, like those of the Zodiac, to give me any confidence in their consistency.

Berlin, December 28, 1850.– News from Berlin is entirely peaceful. Schwarzenberg has been received with many marks of distinction, though the troops are still kept under arms. The officers now say that the war footing is continued in agreement with Russia and Austria in order to reduce the little recalcitrant States who look for French support. We shall see.

APPENDIX

I
MADEMOISELLE RACHEL

From Sketches and Portraits by M. de La Rochefoucauld, Duc de Doudeauville, vol. ii. p. 307 ff, edition of 1844

You have asked me for your portrait, Rachel; do you really wish to know yourself, or have you yielded only to the desires of Madame Récamier? In any case your request is a challenge, and I am too French to be able to decline it; but do not accuse me of foolish presumption or of cruel frankness. There is sadness and melancholy in the depths of your heart, but you prefer to delude yourself concerning its needs. You might be the most accomplished and the most remarkable character of our age, or leave your true friends under a sense of profound regret; that choice is before you. The most exquisite polish of manner is as essential a part of your character as talent. Talent and yourself are inseparable, but in return for these superior powers, have you any thought, any fervour, any gratitude to the Eternal who has given them to you? It was impossible for a poor observer like myself to meet you without studying you with extreme interest. I would have laid aside my pen, but you order and I must obey and my pen will chronicle good and evil, perfections and deficiencies. I could wish you were perfect, Rachel, in every respect, and that you would trample beneath your pretty feet all that could stain your lofty nature. You are your own work and no one can boast of what is your success. The true and the beautiful have been your only masters. No one knows you well, child as you are, thrown into the world without experience and feeling everything with an intensity that is with difficulty repressed. You are one of those chosen natures which sometimes come down to earth by sudden transition; a creature of instinct that knows without learning and understands without study. You study little, but you think deeply and feel more deeply. You have a power of energy and enthusiasm which sometimes frightens you: to great loftiness of mind you add a charming lack of restraint which is sometimes not sufficiently repressed. You can dominate yourself, but you have not yet learnt how to conquer yourself. You have nothing to learn, for you have understood the world as clearly as the theatre and are perfect upon either stage; but when you are tired of putting constraint upon yourself, you sometimes forget the spectators who observe you. Not without anxiety do your admirers see your heart and soul expand too freely. For you the stage is a passion, and glory is your sole object. Your mind is unduly refined, your character vastly distinguished, and exquisite taste is native to you. Greater nobility and dignity cannot be seen at the theatre than you display; you are more than an admirable actor, you are the character in person as it is felt and imagined to be. You then rise to the full height of your fine talents, and your simple and expressive gestures are never exaggerated. Those who criticise you unjustly should rather be astonished by the height of perfection and truth which you have been able to attain since the outset of your career, and should leave to your admirable instinct the task of correcting the slight imperfections which are due to your inexperience of passion. Your soul is an abyss into which you fear to descend: your head is aflame with feeling, your heart is a touchstone which tries every sentiment; you fear danger without attempting to avoid it, and if excitement wears you out, it pleases you. Your beliefs are restricted, and you take men only for what they are worth. You are trustful but not blindly so, and you can be carried away without conviction. You can please, but can you love? It is to be feared that those who feel only the passions of others, for that very reason never attain the passion that they so perfectly express, and which in the world as in the theatre lasts so short a time. Thus privileged you might be sublime. Be not content to remain the most perfect actor that the stage and the world have ever produced. Vexation stirs you, obstacles disgust you, and constraint wearies you, but the trick of counterfeiting feeling has become so natural to you that we rather divine than see your impressions. In your face, as in the whole of your being, there is a delicacy and certainty of expression full of charm. Greater daintiness of bearing, greater distinction of manner, greater tact in conversation or greater soundness of judgment, no one could possess: to invincible perseverance you add an iron will and are able to attack great difficulties by force of character as well as by originality. Every new part is for you the material for a triumph, of which you are happy without being proud, and your modesty justifies your success. When you cannot solve a problem, you outflank it with admirable skill; you are a perfect improvisor, and though we never know what you will say, you always say what should be said. An opinion of you formed in society from first impressions would quote you as the model of all women; but be not content to become an admirable actress, become a perfect model in all respects. To restore the dignity of the theatre by showing that passions can be expressed but need not be felt, would be a true glory and one which you are worthy to claim. Insensible to vulgar sentiment, you can appreciate deserved praise. You have an excellent judgment of those who speak to you and can follow good advice. You read the minds of others with exquisite tact: flattery would leave you untouched but passion stirs you; sincere praise arouses in you the ambition to deserve it, unjust criticism shocks you and you prefer to ignore it. Lively, impressionable, and even imperious, you are nervous, changeable and irascible under your outward calm, and rather passionate than capable of deep feeling. Your genius is as great as your instinct and you will always remain yourself without attempting to imitate any one. Sublime is a great word, Rachel, and to deserve it you must reach perfection. The term has been justly applied to you when you play certain parts in which you are inimitable. Desire that that term should be applicable to your life, and if any obstacle should check your path to sublimity, take breath and resume your progress to the pinnacle of glory. Neglect no tendril of your crown as a woman, and if it is your pleasure to collect wreaths of laurel, disdain not the spray of lilies which contrasts with them so finely. I am no prophet and even less a flatterer, but of all those who have met you, I am perhaps the one who has best understood your position, and my frankness is the irrevocable proof of my esteem. You will be astonished by these words and perhaps be angry, but you will feel no grudge against me, for your mind is too great not to love the truth. But you will think that I am not every one, and that is indeed a valid argument when I am confronted by you who resemble no one. Your genius is depicted on your expressive countenance, and to see you is to know you, for those at least who can study you. Complete frankness is difficult towards one who must be ever self-observant. Your look is piercing and attempts to read the depths of the heart, but if your words are sweet your thoughts are often bitter. What might you be if you had the courage to abandon all these delusions and to seek realities? Ever the perfection of grace upon the stage, you are no less graceful in society, nor does any one appear there with greater charm, distinction and simplicity. You are welcomed and noticed wherever you go; all seek your society, but you have too much pride and real dignity to desire a fleeting success. Your look sometimes expresses madness, passion, extravagance and delirium, and when you feel this, your eyelids droop and immediately restore the greatest calm and sweetness to your face. You are a most exceptional person, difficult to know and yet more difficult to explain. Too much severity towards you would be an injustice; we may be afraid of the dangers which surround you, but your destiny alone can be blamed for them. Who else in your place would have been what you are? And how many obstacles must you not have overcome to attain so fair a result? Everywhere around you are flatterers, admirers, courtiers, adorers, and no support, no real friend. How can you safely avoid these many rocks and reefs? If, however, you understand the high and noble mission to which you are called by the world and by your surprising success, you will never be unequal to your task however difficult it may appear. Talent is all that is usually asked from an artist, but more is asked from you. We wish you to be worthy of your renown, worthy of yourself, and, in short, to be that which you must be to justify the esteem which you inspire. Such demands are entirely an honour, for they show that you are appreciated. Remember that if you do much for the world, the world has done much to support you against envy, at the beginning of your career. Do not fall beneath its hopes and your destiny will be truly great, your life worthy of envy, and you will hold the fairest place in the whole of dramatic history, for the historian will be able to say: Rachel has shown that purity of heart and soul are the food of genius and the best source of real talent. Yes, Rachel, it is my real belief that you will offer the world that has adopted you nobility and generosity of conduct in return for its benefits. As you are endowed with so much energy, can you lack energy in well-doing? No, for you portray virtue too eloquently not to love it. At twenty years life is beginning and your life must be unparalleled. Live, therefore, so that you can always meet the severest eyes and never be like those debtors who do not pay their debts. Continue, in short, to be one of those brilliant personages of whom our country is proud, but whom it has the right to question.