he world have made the Ministers responsible to the country, whereas he
took care that there should be no responsibility but to himself. He
viewed them, in fact, in the light of instruments which he might break as
be pleased. I found this single index sufficient to disclose all his
future designs In order to make the irresponsibility of his Ministers to
the public perfectly clear, he had all the acts of his Government signed
merely by M. Maret, Secretary of State. Thus the Consulship for life was
nothing but an Empire in disguise, the usufruct of which could not long
satisfy the First Consul's ambition. His brothers influenced him, and it
was resolved to found a new dynasty.

It was not in the interior of France that difficulties were likely first
to arise on Bonaparte's carrying his designs into effect, but there was
some reason to apprehend that foreign powers, after recognising and
treating with the Consular Government, might display a different feeling,
and entertain scruples with regard to a Government which had resumed its
monarchical form. The question regarding the Bourbons was in some
measure kept in the background as long as France remained a Republic, but
the re-establishment of the throne naturally called to recollection the
family which had occupied it for so many ages. Bonaparte fully felt the
delicacy of his position, but he knew how to face obstacles, and had been
accustomed to overcome them: he, however, always proceeded cautiously, as
when obstacles induced him to defer the period of the Consulship for
life.

Bonaparte laboured to establish iii France not only an absolute
government, but, what is still worse, a military one. He considered a
decree signed by his hand possessed of a magic virtue capable of
transforming his generals into able diplomatists, and so he sent them on
embassies, as if to show the Sovereigns to whom they were accredited that