From the moment of Napoleon’s arrival at Warsaw until the commencement of hostilities against the Russians he was continually solicited to reestablish the throne of Poland, and to restore its chivalrous independence to the ancient empire of the Jagellons.  A person who was at that time in Warsaw told me that the Emperor was in the greatest uncertainty as to what he should do respecting Poland.  He was entreated to reestablish that ancient and heroic kingdom; but he came to no decision, preferring, according to custom, to submit to events, that he might appear to command them.  At Warsaw, indeed, the Emperor passed a great part of his time in fetes and reviews, which, however, did not prevent him from watching, with his eagle eye, every department of the public service, both interior and exterior.  He himself was in the capital of Poland, but his vast influence was present everywhere.  I heard Duroc say, when we were conversing together about the campaign of Tilsit, that Napoleon’s activity and intelligence were never more conspicuously developed.

One very remarkable feature of the imperial wars was, that, with the exception of the interior police, of which Fouche was the soul, the whole government of France was at the headquarters of the Emperor.  At Warsaw Napoleon’s attention was not only occupied with the affairs of his army, but he directed the whole machinery of the French Government just the same as if he had been in Paris.  Daily estafettes, and frequently the useless auditors of the Council of State, brought him reports more or less correct, and curious disclosures which were frequently the invention of the police.  The portfolios of the Ministers arrived every week, with the exception of those of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the War Department; the former had first stopped at Mayence with the Empress, but had been called on to Warsaw; and the latter, Clarke, was, for the misfortune of Berlin, governor of that city.  This state of things lasted during the ten months of the Emperor’s absence from Paris.  Louis xiv. said, “I am myself the State.”  Napoleon did not say this; but, in fact, under his reign the Government of France was always at his headquarters.  This circumstance had well-nigh proved fatal to him, on the occasion of the extraordinary conspiracy of Malet, with some points of which I alone, perhaps, am thoroughly acquainted.  The Emperor employed the month of January in military preparations for the approaching attack of the Russians, but at the same time he did not neglect the business of the cabinet:  with him nothing was suffered to linger in arrear.