Napoleon’s return from Moscow was not like his returns from the campaigns of Vienna and Tilsit when he came back crowned with laurels, and bringing peace as the reward of his triumphs.  It was remarked that Napoleon’s first great disaster followed the first enterprise he undertook after his marriage with Maria Louisa.  This tended to confirm the popular belief that the presence of Josephine was favourable to his fortune; and superstitious as he sometimes was, I will not venture to affirm that he himself did not adopt this ides.  He now threw off even the semblance of legality in the measures of his government:  he assumed arbitrary power, under the impression that the critical circumstances in which he was placed would excuse everything.  But, however inexplicable were the means to which the Emperor resorted to procure resources, it is but just to acknowledge that they were the consequence of his system of government, and that he evinced inconceivable activity in repairing his losses so as to place himself in a situation to resist his enemies, and restore the triumph of the French standard.

But in spite of all Napoleon’s endeavours the disasters of the campaign of Russia were daily more and more sensibly felt.  The King of Prussia had played a part which was an acknowledgment of his weakness in joining France, instead of openly declaring himself for the cause of Russia, which was also his.  Then took place the defection of General York, who commanded the Prussian contingent to Napoleon’s army.  The King of Prussia, though no doubt secretly satisfied with the conduct of General York, had him tried and condemned; but shortly after that sovereign commanded in person the troops which had turned against ours.  The defection of the Prussians produced a very ill effect, and it was easy to perceive that other defections would follow.  Napoleon, foreseeing the fatal chances which this event was likely to draw upon him, assembled a privy council, composed of the Ministers and some of the great officers of his household.  Mm. de Talleyrand and Cambaceres, and the President of the senate were present.  Napoleon asked whether, in the complicated difficulties of our situation, it would be more advisable to negotiate for peace or to prepare for a new war.  Cambaceres and Talleyrand gave their opinion in favour of peace, which however, Napoleon would not hear of after a defeat; but the Due de Feltre,—­[Clarke]—­knowing how to touch the susceptible chord in the mind of Bonaparte, said that he would consider the Emperor dishonoured if he consented to the abandonment of the smallest village which had been united to the Empire by a ‘Senatus-consulte’.  This opinion was adopted, and the war continued.