a further effort.  And thus, when, on that same morning, the Czar, with the King of Prussia on his right, and Schwarzenberg on his left, rode into Paris at the head of the Russian and Prussian Guards, they met with nothing worse than sullen looks on the part of the masses, while knots of enthusiastic royalists shouted wildly for the Bourbons, and women flung themselves to kiss the boots of the liberating Emperor.  The Bourbon party, however, was certainly in the minority; but at places along the route their demonstrations were effective enough to influence an impressionable populace, and to delight the conquerors.—­“The white cockade appeared very universally:”—­wrote Stewart with suspicious emphasis—­“many of the National Guards, whom I saw, wore them."[446]

Fearing that the Elysee Palace had been mined, the Czar installed himself at Talleyrand’s mansion, opposite the Place de la Concorde; and forthwith there took place a most important private Council.  The two monarchs were present, along with Nesselrode and Napoleon’s Corsican enemy, Pozzo di Borgo.  Princes Schwarzenberg and Lichtenstein represented Austria; while Talleyrand and Dalberg were there to plead for the House of Bourbon:  De Pradt and Baron Louis were afterwards summoned.  The Czar opened the deliberations by declaring that there were three courses open, to make peace with Napoleon, to accept Marie Louise as Regent for her son, or to recall the Bourbons.[447] The first he declared to be impossible; the second was beset by the gravest difficulties; and, while stating the objections to the Bourbons, he let it be seen that he now favoured this solution, provided that it really was the will of France.  He then called on Talleyrand to speak; and that pleader set forth the case of the Bourbons with his usual skill.  The French army, he said, was more devoted to its own glory than to Napoleon.  France longed for peace, and she could only find it with due sureties under her old dynasty.  If the populace had not as yet declared for the Bourbons, who could wonder at that, when the allies persisted in negotiating with Napoleon?  But let them declare that they will no more treat with him, and France would at once show her real desires.  For himself, he would answer for the Senate.  The Czar was satisfied; Frederick William assented; the Austrian princes said not a word on behalf of the claims of Marie Louise; and the cause of the House of Bourbon easily triumphed.[448]

On the morrow appeared in the “Journal des Debats” a decisive proclamation, signed by Alexander on behalf of all the allied Powers; but we must be permitted to doubt whether the Emperor Francis, if present, would have allowed it to appear, especially if his daughter were present in Paris as Regent.  The proclamation set forth that the allies would never again treat with “Napoleon Bonaparte” or any member of his family; that they would respect the integrity of France as it existed under its lawful kings, and would recognize and guarantee the constitution which the French nation should adopt.