Talleyrand meanwhile had dealt with Barras. Talleyrand and Admiral
Bruix arrived at Barras's house shortly after eleven o'clock and informed
Barras (also falsely) that the other four Directors had resigned. It was
surely understood that Bonaparte had appeared on horseback only
because the Republic was in supreme danger and in the circumstances
Barras would surely not demur at offering his resignation. Barras signed
without comment and appended a note saying that it was 'with joy that he
rejoined the ranks of the ordinary citizens'. Barras then set out for his
country seat at Grosbois. The morning's events were a spectacular
triumph for the venal Talleyrand. Napoleon had given him two million
francs to bribe Barras if necessary. When Barras caved in without a
struggle, a delighted Talleyrand pocketed the funds. Barras's inertia is
surprising, and there may be merit in the idea that he was temporarily
'dissociated', semi-catatonic with shock at the treachery of Bonaparte and
Josephine.
All this time the usually volatile Parisian population had not stirred a
muscle. Night fell on a scene of apparently total triumph for the
conspirators. Bonaparte's military stranglehold on the city was complete.
Yet neither he nor Sieyes were confident that they had won the struggle
yet, and indeed it was an egregious error on their part to plan a coup
extending over two days, allowing their opponents time to recover their
nerve and regroup. Napoleon told Bourrienne: 'Today has not been too
bad. Tomorrow we shall see.' All the same he placed two loaded pistols
under his pillow. Bourrienne himself next morning drove past the Place
de Ia Revolution where the guillotine had stood and told a friend:
'Tomorrow we will either sleep at the Luxembourg or we will end here.'
Sieyes, too, was concerned that the events of tomorrow would be no
walk-over. There were three principal dangers. First, Gohier and
Moulin might escape or contrive to get word out that they had not
resigned. Secondly, the ultra-republican army might not react favourably
to the coup. Thirdly, and most importantly, none of the conspirators had
thought through exactly how the Legislature could be persuaded to
endorse a legal transfer of power.
The drama of 19 Brumaire quickly unfolded at the Chateau of St
Cloud. Napoleon surrounded the palace with 6,ooo men under General
Murat and stiffened the military presence with Sebastiani's dragoons. In
part the show of force was meant to overawe the Guardsmen in the inner
chateau, whose job it was to protect the assemblymen. The legislators
arrived early for the scheduled noon meeting and found a scene of
confusion, as contractors and workmen tried to get the palace,
uninhabited since 1790 when Louis XVI and his family had spent their
marcin
(Marcin)
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