preparations for war with england—flotilla at boulogne—sale of louisiana

in the spring of 1803 the treaty of amiens, which a year before had ended the long war with england, was broken. both countries had many reasons for complaint. napoleon was angry at the failure to evacuate malta. the perfect freedom allowed the press in england gave the pamphleteers and caricaturists of the country an opportunity to criticize and ridicule him. he complained bitterly to the english ambassadors of this free press, an institution in his eyes impractical and idealistic. he complained, too, of the hostile émigrés allowed to collect in jersey; of the presence in england of such a notorious enemy of his as georges cadoudal; and of the sympathy and money the bourbon princes and many nobles of the old régime received in london society. then, too, he regarded the country as his natural and inevitable enemy. england to napoleon was only a little island which, like corsica and elba, naturally belonged to france, and he considered it part of his business to get possession of her.

england, on the other hand, looked with distrust at the extension of napoleon’s influence on the continent. northern italy, switzerland, holland, parma, elba, were under his protectorate. she had been deeply offended by a report published in paris, on the condition of the orient, in which the author declared that with six thousand men the french could reconquer egypt; she resented the violent articles in 144the official press of paris in answer to those of the free press of england; her aristocratic spirit was irritated by napoleon’s success; she despised this parvenu, this “corsican scoundrel,” as nelson called him, who had had the hardihood to rise so high by other than the conventional methods for getting on in the world which she sanctioned.

real and fancied aggressions continued throughout the year of the peace; and when the break finally came, though both nations persisted in declaring that they did not want war, both were in a thoroughly warlike mood.

napoleon’s preparations against england form one of the most picturesque military movements in his career. unable to cope with his enemy at sea, he conceived the audacious notion of invading the island, and laying siege to london itself. the plan briefly was this—to gather a great army on the north shore of france, and in some port a flotilla sufficient to transport it to great britain. in order to prevent interference with this expedition, he would keep the enemy’s fleet occupied in the mediterranean, or in the atlantic, until the critical moment. then, leading the english naval commander by stratagem in the wrong direction, he would call his own fleet to the channel to protect his passage. he counted to be in london, and to have compelled the english to peace, before nelson could return from the chase he would have led him.

the preparations began at once. the port chosen for the flotilla was boulogne; but the whole coast from antwerp to the mouth of the seine bristled with iron and bronze. between calais and boulogne, at cape gris nez, where the navigation was the most dangerous, the batteries literally touched one another. fifty thousand men were put to work at the stupendous excavations necessary to make the ports large enough to receive the flotilla. large numbers of troops were brought rapidly into the neighborhood: 145fifty thousand men to boulogne, under soult; thirty thousand to etaples, under ney; thirty thousand to ostend, under davoust; reserves to arras, amiens, saint-omer.

the work of preparing the flat-bottomed boats, or walnut-shells, as the english called them, which were to carry over the army, went on in all the ports of holland and france, as well as in interior towns situated on rivers leading to the sea. the troops were taught to row, each soldier being obliged to practise two hours a day so that the rivers of all the north of france were dotted with land-lubbers handling the oar, the most of them for the first time.

in the summer of 1803, napoleon went to the north to look after the work. his trip was one long ovation. le chemin d’angleterre was the inscription the people of amiens put on the triumphal arch erected to his honor, and town vied with town in showing its joy at the proposed descent on the old-time enemy.

such was the interest of the people, that a thousand projects were suggested to help on the invasion, some of them most amusing. in a learned and thoroughly serious memorial, one genius proposed that while the flotilla was preparing, the sailors be employed in catching dolphins, which should be shut up in the ports, tamed, and taught to wear a harness, so as to be driven, in the water, as horses are on land. this novel power was to transport the french to the opposite side of the channel.

napoleon occupied himself not only with the preparations at boulogne and with keeping nelson busy elsewhere. every project which could possibly facilitate his undertaking or discomfit his enemies, he considered. fulton’s diving boat, the “nautilus,” and his submarine torpedoes, were at that time attracting the attention of the war departments of civilized countries. already napoleon had granted ten thousand francs to help the inventor. from the camp at boulogne he again ordered the matter to be looked into. fulton promised him a machine which “would deliver france and the whole world from british oppression.”

146

gray redingote and petit chapeau worn by napoleon.

147“i have just read the project of citizen fulton, engineer, which you have sent me much too late,” he wrote, “since it is one that may change the face of the world. be that as it may, i desire that you immediately confide its examination to a commission of members chosen by you among the different classes of the institute. there it is that learned europe would seek for judges to resolve the question under consideration. a great truth, a physical, palpable truth, is before my eyes. it will be for these gentlemen to try and seize it and see it. as soon as their report is made, it will be sent to you, and you will forward it to me. try and let the whole be determined within eight days, as i am impatient.”

he had his eye on every point of the earth where he might be weak, or where he might weaken his enemy. he took possession of hanover. the irish were promised aid in their efforts for freedom. “provided that twenty thousand united irishmen join the french army on its landing,” france is to give them in return twenty-five thousand men, forty thousand muskets, with artillery and ammunition, and a promise that the french government will not make peace with england until the independence of ireland has been proclaimed.

an attack on india was planned, his hope being that the princes of india would welcome an invader who would aid them in throwing off the english yoke. to strengthen himself in the orient, he sought by letters and envoys to win the confidence, as well as to inspire the awe, of the rulers of turkey and persia.

the sale of louisiana to the united states dates from this time. this transfer, of such tremendous importance to us, was made by napoleon purely for the sake of hurting england. france had been in possession of louisiana but three years. she had obtained it from spain only on the condition that it should “at no time, under no pretext, and 148in no manner, be alienated or ceded to any other power.” the formal stipulation of the treaties forbade its sale. but napoleon was not of a nature to regard a treaty, if the interest of the moment demanded it to be broken. to sell louisiana now would remove a weak spot from france, upon which england would surely fall in the war. more, it would put a great territory, which he could not control, into the hands of a country which, he believed, would some day be a serious hindrance to english ambition. he sold the colony for the same reason that former french governments had helped the united states in her struggles for independence—to cripple england. it would help the united states, but it would hurt england. that was enough; and with characteristic eagerness he hurried through the negotiations.

“i have just given england a maritime rival which, sooner or later, will humble her pride,” he said exultingly, when the convention was signed. the sale brought him twelve million dollars, and the united states assumed the french spoliation claims.

this sale of louisiana caused one of the first violent quarrels between lucien bonaparte and napoleon. lucien had negotiated the return of the american territory to france in 1800. he had made a princely fortune out of the treaty, and he was very proud of the transaction; and when his brother joseph came to him one evening in hot haste, with the information that the general wanted to sell louisiana, he hurried around to the tuileries in the morning to remonstrate.

napoleon was in his bath, but, in the mode of the time, he received his brothers. he broached the subject himself, and asked lucien what he thought.

“i flatter myself that the chambers will not give their consent.”

149“you flatter yourself?” said napoleon. “that’s good, i declare.”

“i have already said the same to the first consul,” cried joseph.

“and what did i answer?” said napoleon, splashing around indignantly in the opaque water.

“that you would do it in spite of the chambers.”

“precisely. i shall do it without the consent of anyone whomsoever. do you understand?”

joseph, beside himself, rushed to the bathtub, and declared that if napoleon dared do such a thing he would put himself at the head of an opposition and crush him in spite of their fraternal relations. so hot did the debate grow that the first consul sprang up shouting: “you are insolent! i ought——” but at that moment he slipped and fell back violently. a great mass of perfumed water drenched joseph to the skin, and the conference broke up.

an hour later, lucien met his brother in his library, and the discussion was resumed, only to end in another scene, napoleon hurling a beautiful snuff-box upon the floor and shattering it, while he told lucien that if he did not cease his opposition he would crush him in the same way. these violent scenes were repeated, but to no purpose. louisiana was sold.

150

napoleon the great (“napoleon le grand”) in coronation robes. 1805.

painted and engraved by order of the emperor. engraved by desnoyers, after portrait painted by gérard in 1805.