“Fouché wasn't handsome, but he had a charming wit and was extremely amiable.”
– Mémoires de Charlotte Robespierre sur ses deux frères, Dépôt central, Paris, 1835, p. 122
“The winter of 1801 in Paris was quite agreeable to me, due to the ease with which Fouché granted the various requests I made to him regarding the return of the émigrés. In the midst of my disgrace, he gave me the pleasure of being useful, and I remain grateful to him for that. [...] Fouché was Minister of Police. His approach, as my mother used to say, was to do as little harm as possible, once the necessity of the goal was acknowledged.”
– Madame de Staël, Dix années d’exil, Charpentier, Paris, 1861, pp. 235 & 305
“Assured of my discretion, Fouché spoke before me and with me in the most honorable manner. Never have I had a better sense of his intellect. Our conversations covered everything; we reviewed people and events; never have I formed a more favorable opinion of him, and I can say that I became attached, with esteem and affection, to a man who seemed to me to be of such superior stature and of such independent and genuine kindness. [...] Fouché was quite tall, thin, and pale, a pallor that was mainly due to the fact that in his youth his hair had been, or must have been, a very dull blond. His eyes, very small, set close together, and very red, were nevertheless quite piercing, and his entire face lacked neither character nor, at times, a certain nobility.”
– Mémoires de Mme de Chastenay, v. I & II, pp. 464 & 39-40
“Fouché [...] was a genuine product of the Revolution. Careless of his appearance, he wore the gold lace and the ribbons which were the insignia of his dignities as if he disdained to arrange them. He could laugh at himself on occasion : he was active, animated, always restless ; talkative, affecting a sort of frankness which was merely the last degree of deceit ; boasting ; disposed to seek the opinion of others upon his conduct by talking about it, and sought no justification except in his contempt of a certain class of morality, or his carelessness of a certain order of approbation.”
– Mémoires de madame de Rémusat, v. I, S. Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, Londres, 1880, pp. 426-427
“Madame de Custine’s closest friends—those who belonged to her inner circle and whom she saw constantly—were [first] Fouché, whom she affectionately called Chéché.”
– Gaston Maugras, Delphine de Sabran, marquise de Custine, Paris, Plon, 1912, p. 370
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When you push it open, the door shaft makes a very light noise. The indoor lights are not bright, the heavy curtains isolate the night outside, and there is a faint spice smell in the air, which seems to be used to cover something else.
" You and I both know the consequences of acting rashly, don't we?"
Talleyrand smiled.
" Am I supposed to think it's trust, or have no choice but to?"
" Haven't you always lived off someone else's' have no choice but to'?"
" You have no pleasure at all, my dear Fouch é."
He gets up and walks around the table to you, and the distance between you is reduced so close that you can smell his cold fragrance.
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"You never spoke of me with such vitriol. Is Duke N really that much more interesting to you? I’m hurt… I might actually get jealous in a second." (Stifling a laugh)
"Talleyrand, shut your mouth."
Revolutionaries that encountered each other before the revolution compilation
Comment if there was anything that surprised you! 🙃🫢
Sources:
For the college relationships between Robespierre, Desmoulins, Suleau and Fréron, see this post.
For Robespierre welcoming Louise de Kéralio to the Academy of Arras, see Un inédit de Robespierre: Sa réponse au discours de réception de Mademoiselle de Kéralio 18 avril 1787 (1974) by Léon Berthe.
For the relationship between Robespierre and Carnot pre-revolution, see this post.
For the relationship between Robespierre and Fouché pre-revolution, see this post.
For the relationship between Robespierre and Guffroy pre-revolution, see Censure républicaine, ou, Lettre d’A-B-J Guffroy, répresentant du peuple (1794), page 66: ”Robespierre the elder must remember my firmness when, both working as judges in the episcopal hall of Arras, we condemned an assassin to death. He must remember, it seems to me, our philosophical and philanthropic debates, and even that it cost him much more than me to resolve to sign the sentence.”
For Fréron’s father Élie Fréron praising one of Collot d’Herbois’ plays, see this post.
For the relationship between Desmoulins and Charles Lambrechts, see a letter to the former from the latter dated September 12 1781, cited in Camille et Lucile Desmoulins: un rêve de république (2018) page 28-29: ”[Your successes make me encourage you] to make the final efforts to overcome the small natural defect of which you complain, and which must embarrass you much more in France than it would embarrass you in this country, where people hardly plead verbally, and where in all genres people look much more at the substance than at the form; I urge you, however, not to be discouraged on this side and I dare to predict that with constancy you will overcome all obstacles; you will imitate Demosthenes in this.”
For the relationship between Desmoulins and Lucile Duplessis’ mother, see this post.
For Lucile Desmoulins and Sylvain Maréchal’s relationship, see Lucile’s diary from 1788.
For Hérault de Séchelles and Michel Lepeletier being childhood friends, see the Convention session of December 29 1793 (Gazette nationale ou le Moniteur universel, number 100, page 404), during which Hérault is recorded to have said: ”I who, in the world, have never had more than one close friend since the age of six. Here he is! Michel Lepeletier, oh you from whom I have never parted, you whose virtue was my model, you who like me was the target of parliamentary hatred, happy martyr!”
For Billaud-Varennes serving as Danton’s secretary in 1787, see Billaud-Varenne, membre du Comité de salut public: mémoires inédits et correspondance (1893) page 21. See also Notes de Topino-Lebrun, juré au Tribunal révolutionnaire de Paris sur le procès de Danton et sur Fouquier-Tinville (1875) page 19, according to which Danton during his trial would have stated: ”Billaud-Varennes doesn’t forgive me for having been my secretary.”
For Brissot and Pétion being childhood friends, see Discours de Jérôme Pétion sur l’accusation intentée contre Maximilien Robespierre (1792) page 16: ”I’ve known [Brissot] since his childhood. I’ve seen him in these moments where the soul completely shows itself.”
For Barbaroux taking an optics course under Marat, see Mémoires inédits de Charles Barbaroux, député a la Convention nationale (1822), page 57.
For Brissot and Marat’s relationship pre-revolution, see Mémoires de Brissot, volume 1, page 346-361, as well as a letter from Brissot to Marat dated June 6 1782 and a letter from Marat to Brissot dated 1783.
For Brissot’s relationship with the Rolands pre-revolution, see a letter from Brissot to M. Roland dated June 24 1787, and an undated one from Brissot to Mme Roland, as well as Mémoires de Madame Roland, volume 2, page 358.
For the relationship between Brissot, Clavière and Mirabeau, see Mémoires de Brissot, volume 2, page 23-24 and 28-33, as well as a letters from Mirabeau to Brissot dated 11 August 1783 and 15 July 1786and a letter from Brissot to Mirabeau dated July 1786.
For the relationship between Brissot and Lafayette, see a letter from Lafayette to Washington in favor of Brissot dated May 25 1788, and number 659 (May 29 1791) of Brissot’s journal Le Patriote Français: ”I saw Lafayette before the revolution.”
For the relationship between Madame de Genlis and Brissot, see Mémoires inédites de Madame la comptesse de Genlis, volume 4, page 106-110, as well as this letter dated June 1783 from Félicité Brissot to Félicité Genlis.
For Condorcet objecting to Brissot’s imprisonment in the Bastille in 1784, see Mémoires de Brissot, volume 1, page 348: ”I owed my freedom also to the warmth of a few precious friends who offered to vouch for me at the price of their own liberty; I also owed it to the almost universal outcry from men of letters, even those I scarcely knew at the time, who, convinced of the austerity of my principles and morals, denounced as slander the composition of the pamphlets attributed to me and loudly demanded the end of my captivity. Thus, not only did the friends I mentioned in these memoirs give me proof of their devotion, but I also received marks of interest from a host of other people who were then almost strangers to me, such as Condorcet, with whom I have since had so many honorable relations.”
For Brissot and Gabriel Vaugeois being college comrades, see Mémoires de Brissot, volume 1, page 34: ”I have yet not spoken of Vaugeois, he was one of my college comrades, who had de la solidité dans l’esprit and love for the sciences.”
For the relationship between Prieur de la Côte d’Or and Guyton-Morveau, see Prieur de la Côte d’Or(1946) by Georges Bouchard, page 54, 62.
For Laclos critizicing Carnot’s work Éloge à Vauban, see Lettre à MM. de l'Académie françoise, sur l'éloge de M. le maréchal de Vauban, proposé pour sujet du prix d'éloquence de l'année 1787
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I also like the line in Fouché's memoirs from the same scene:
"Carnot in the council, who could not forgive me for having called him an old woman."！
That very evening of July 7th, several Prussian battalions forced the gates of the Tuileries Palace, invading the courtyards and avenues of the palace. The government commission, no longer free to act, ceased its functions, which it announced by message. A particular circumstance marked this separation of my colleagues; Carnot, one of the most resentful of my remaining in the ministry, and of finding himself, so to speak, under my surveillance while awaiting a place of residence, wrote me the following note: "Traitor, where do you want me to go?" I replied just as laconically: "Fool, wherever you like." It must be said that I had had more than one altercation with Carnot in the council, who could not forgive me for having called him an old woman.
MÉMOIRES DE JOSEPH FOUCHÉ, DUC D'OTRANTE, MINISTRE DE LA POLICE GÉNÉRALE. SECONDE PARTIE
"Fouché himself, who, like the enchanter Ismen in Jerusalem Delivered, entered through a hidden opening in the woodwork of the chamber."
What?? My abs are killing me lol
Seriously, what is the structure of a fouché house????
As always, this is a machine translation, so I apologize if it's difficult to read.
Junot set out to carry out this order; he appeared at the balcony door, and with the most gracious air signaled to Sarlovesus that he wished to speak with him. The colonel rose and went out into the corridor.
"What is it?" he asked.
"A most painful duty that I must fulfill: the First Consul wants me to make sure of your person."
"You are engaged in a vile business, Junot! Is being an informer a promotion?"
Junot, at this offensive remark, flew into a fury, and without further thought of his duty, proposed to the colonel that they fight; But the two gendarmerie officers with whom he had been accompanied declared that he could not act in this way and that he must take Sarlovesus not to the field of a duel, but to the Minister of Police.
Junot yielded, postponing the duel, and took the prisoner to Fouché, who, not knowing what to do with him for the night, lodged him in his hotel, where he had a bed made for him. I learned from the colonel that, when he thought he was sleeping peacefully, he was awakened by an unexpected visit, that of Fouché himself, who, like the enchanter Ismen in Jerusalem Delivered, entered through a hidden opening in the wood paneling of the room. His appearance greatly surprised Sarlovesus, who believed himself destined for some fatal adventure. He rises on his seat, mechanically searching for weapons that were no longer at his disposal.
Fouché saw him make the gesture; for a nightlight left on a nearby table illuminated the objects quite well, not to mention the candle that the minister carried in a dark lantern.
F “Relax, Colonel,” he told him; “I come as a friend, have no fear.”
S “Indeed, Citizen Minister, you are the only one I could fear, for generally you do not use against those in your power what knights called courtly arms.”
Fouché smiled, and then spoke:
F “So you allowed yourself to be arrested?”
S “I was taken at the Opera; could I have doubted that Junot was working under your orders?”
F “Not under mine, Colonel, but under those of the First Consul; I received the first news of your misfortune when I saw you.”
S “So then I owe Bonaparte my deepest gratitude.”
F “—He distrusts you and denounces you as a conspirator.”
S “—If he had denounced me as a talker, he would have been right; I am imprudent or perhaps insightful: I say what I think, and I am made a crime for it; that is the truth.”
F “—Not everyone can be satisfied, but you are not the only one to rebel.”
S “—Citizen Minister, I inform you that, if you have the whim to repeat my interrogation from earlier, I have the firm resolution not to answer you. I need to sleep.”
F “—I repeat, I am here as a friend; I would like to oblige you. Tell me nothing that could compromise you; I only wish to know one thing: do the soldiers prefer General Moreau to First Consul Bonaparte?”
S “Yes and no: those who served under the general are for him, the others prefer the one who was their leader, and they are the most numerous.”
F “So the chances of success that Moreau might have are slim?”
S “I presume so.”
The conversation continued for some time on this subject, without the colonel being affected. Fouché showed his disappointment at not being able to inspire any confidence in him. He finally left. But in 1814, having met General Count Fournier Sarlovesus at the Tuileries, he approached him and complained that in 1802 he had refused to understand him.
"My intention then," he told him, "was to organize a movement in favor of Moreau, which I would have entrusted to you; but you met me with such coldness that I thought it unnecessary to reveal myself further, certain that you would have thought I was setting a trap for you. I had to abandon this project which, if properly executed, would have brought the Bourbons back eight years earlier."
Sarlovesus explained to Fouché that it would indeed have been impossible that, in the circumstances, one could have, without being mad, added the slightest faith to his words.
〜〜〜
"After spending the night at the Minister of Police's house, very worried about my future, fearing dangerous revelations and promising myself never to confess anything, I woke up early. I was escorted home by four police officers, three to keep me under surveillance, one to search my papers.
While they were busy searching my desk, more attentive to its contents than to my person, the moment to escape seemed to have arrived: I pushed, with the strength nature had given me, the guard closest to me; he collided with his companion so violently that they both fell together; I rushed to the door, opened it in an instant, locked it, and found myself free in the streets of Paris."
Memoires et souvenirs d'une femme de qualité, sur le consultat et l'empire by Lamothe-Langon p.277-p.283
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"Within three months, I will be more powerful than him, and if he doesn't have me killed, he will be at my knees. Desiring no further advancement, I will then be able to withdraw without scruple."
Somehow, Fouché looks really dazzling to Gaillard.
It's machine translated so I apologize if it's hard to read.
This is March 21, 1815. It is barely five o'clock in the morning; the first rays of dawn have not yet illuminated the facades of the houses on the Quai Malaquais. At the Hôtel de Juigné, in the bedroom of the Ministers of Police, which faces north onto the Seine, a man is fast asleep: it is Fouché, reinstated in his position since the previous day. Another man enters the room, preceded by the valet of the Duke of Otranto: "I told you, the Duke only went to bed after two o'clock. Come now, sir, I beg you, do not wake him." "Yes, I absolutely must speak to him." The valet leaves, and Gaillard draws back the curtains and opens the window so that the fresh air can caress the minister's face.
Fouché wakes up and rubs his eyes: "What, it's you!"
G—Yes, I'm starting early this morning to make sure I'm heard. Your apartments will be overrun as soon as the sun rises, and I won't have another chance. However, it's important that you listen to me for a few moments.
Do you remember Robespierre's words to the Jacobins shortly before his death: "Within a fortnight, Fouché's head or mine must fall on the scaffold"?
F—I remember it, the scoundrel! You know, you witnessed it, I gave him the money he needed to go to Versailles and live there until the Constituent Assembly determined the deputies' salaries.
G—That's true.
F—But you haven't forgotten my answer?
G—No.
F—I pick up the glove... and fifteen days later Robespierre was dead!
G—It is not to tell you old stories that I have woken you so early. I am eager to share with you the ideas that have come to me since I ceased to doubt Napoleon's return to the Tuileries and the necessity, under which the arrest warrant issued against you by Louis XVIII made it clear, of recalling you to his Council.
The Emperor's hatred for you is not as strong as Robespierre's; you do not intend to have him killed as you were determined to destroy Robespierre.
I have not come, as you well know, to advise you to commit assassination; I have not come to urge you to treason, the most shameful of all actions; I have come to draw your full attention to the danger of your position. While acknowledging your merit, Napoleon is jealous of you, and in a powerful man, envy is more formidable than hatred. He also holds against you the violence and injustices for which he has rewarded your services and devotion; the cry of his conscience, which he cannot appease, only increases his estrangement from you. The courtiers, displeased to see you return to power, will renew their maneuvers and attack you like moles. The Emperor's highly critical position will multiply your tasks, an inevitable uprising in the west, all of Europe still under arms, encouraged by recent triumphs to which it was so unaccustomed and rightly fearing the vengeance of an enemy also unaccustomed to humiliations—what a multitude of difficulties, what a host of challenges you have never encountered in your previous ministries!
Beware of Napoleon, beware of your enemies, beware of false friends, beware of yourself! Do not let yourself be blinded by past successes; Today everything is new, so your approach must, in my opinion, be new as well; a system that once served you well would now be your undoing. That's what I had to tell you; I wouldn't have found a way to do so by postponing my visit. That's what anyone else in my position could not, or would dare to, tell you.
F— Your approach, my dear Gaillard, is further proof of your friendship, and I thank you for it. I will always be there for you if needed; I count on it. Yes, I admit it, I have never found myself in such a difficult position. I will continue to spend my life with despicable people to whom I will give considerable sums so that they can insinuate themselves into the inner circles of those I point out to them and initiate me into their most secret thoughts.
This association is unpleasant, but if it is the most arduous part of policing, it is indispensable; moreover, it is the most delicate, the one that demands the most work and discernment. Furthermore, Napoleon has his own private police force; he pays clerks in my offices very handsomely to learn the instructions I give them and to ensure my loyalty.
G—And you persist in serving a man who surrounds you with spies? I would consider such mistrust an outrage; I would immediately return my portfolio to him, giving him the reason for my retirement.
F—My friend, you have never held great power; pray that you never will.
〜〜〜
"Thus, all of Europe, still under arms, intoxicated by successes it had not dared to expect, would hasten to return to its states, at the risk of seeing them invaded again, and of falling once more under the humiliating yoke imposed upon it by the man it had managed to dethrone! We will fight these insane plans; will we succeed in rejecting them entirely? Conceived amidst the humiliations of Elba, will cold reason make us renounce them in the intoxication of returning to the French crown? If our efforts are powerless, Napoleon is lost forever; within three months, I will be more powerful than he, and if he does not have me killed, he will be at my knees. Desiring no further advancement, I will then be able to retire without scruple."
“For now, I will follow the path that opens before me once more, as I have followed all the others: loyalty to the sovereign, complete devotion to the nation, courage and freedom in my opinions at the poker table, courage and freedom in the Emperor’s chambers. As for my conduct in my ministry and my instructions to my subordinates: complete freedom of religious and political opinions, no illegal or arbitrary arrests, immediate referral to the courts for crimes and offenses of any kind, complete security, special protection for those whom old grievances might again trouble. In short, to inspire confidence, calm minds, restrain passions, and erase even the memory of past excesses—this will be the constant aim of my efforts. I submit my conduct to your censure, the severity of which I fully understand.” Beware of ceasing to see me as often as you have since I was replaced by the Duke of Rovigo; a minister has every
particular need of a friend such as yourself. I will be over
burdened with work, besieged by importunates, surrounded by scoundrels;
if I should make a mistake that your diligence would have prevented,it will be on your conscience. A sign will suffice to indicate that you have something to communicate with me, and I will interrupt everything to hear you.
Un ami de Fouché : d'après les Mémoires de Gaillard, ancien oratorien, vice-président du Corps législatif... / Baron Despatys,... ; préface de Louis Madelin p.324〜327,p330〜331
