Unexpected receipts in the Post-office Department—­Arrival of Napoleon’s Commissioners at M. de Talleyrand’s—­Conference of the Marshals with Alexander—­Alarming news from Essonne—­Marmont’s courage—­The white cockade and the tri-coloured cockade—­ A successful stratagem—­Three Governments in France—­The Duc de Cadore sent by Maria Louisa to the Emperor of Austria—­Maria Louisa’s proclamation to the French people—­Interview between the Emperor of Austria and the Duc de Cadore—­The Emperor’s protestation of friendship for Napoleon—­M.  Metternich and M. Stadion—­Maria Louisa’s departure for Orleans—­Blucher’s visit to me—­Audience of the King of Prussia—­His Majesty’s reception of Berthier, Clarke, and myself—­Bernadotte in Paris—­Cross of the Polar Star presented to me by Bernadotte.

After my nomination as Director-General of the Post office the business of that department proceeded as regularly as before.  Having learned that a great many intercepted letters had been thrown aside I sent, on the 4th of April, an advertisement to the ‘Moniteur’, stating that the letters to and from England or other foreign countries which had been lying at the Post-office for more than three years would be forwarded to their respective addresses.  This produced to the Post-office a receipt of nearly 300,000 francs, a fact which may afford an idea of the enormous number of intercepted letters.

On the night after the publication of the advertisement I was awakened by an express from the Provisional Government, by which I was requested to proceed with all possible haste to M. de Talleyrand’s hotel.  I rose, and I set off immediately, and I got there some minutes before the arrival of the Emperor’s Commissioners.  I went up to the salon on the first floor, which was one of the suite of apartments occupied by the Emperor Alexander.  The Marshals retired to confer with the monarch, and it would be difficult to describe the anxiety—­or, I may rather say, consternation—­which, during their absence, prevailed among some of the members of the Provisional Government and other persons assembled in the salon where I was.

While the Marshals were with Alexander, I learned that they had previously conversed with M. de Talleyrand, who observed to them, “If you succeed in your designs you will compromise all who have met in this hotel since the 1st of April, and the number is not small.  For my part, take no account of me, I am willing to be compromised.”  I had passed the evening of this day with M. de Talleyrand, who then observed to the Emperor Alexander in my presence, “Will you support Bonaparte?  No, you neither can nor will.  I have already had the honour to tell your Majesty that we can have no choice but between Bonaparte and Louis XVIII.; anything else would be an intrigue, and no intrigue can have power to support him who may be its object.  Bernadotte, Eugene, the Regency, all those propositions result from intrigues.  In present circumstances nothing but a new principle is sufficiently strong to establish the new order of things which must be adopted.  Louis XVIII. is a principle.”