I suggested that it might be as well to make the letter substantially the
Duke's Memorandum, and particularly to remind France that the Quadruple
Alliance still existed. We shall have the drafts of the letter tomorrow.
Parliament to be prorogued to October 26.
To-morrow the Brazilians will acknowledge Miguel as the Regent, if he will marry Maria da Gloria. Then came some absurd conditions. However, the thing is to be considered to-morrow. Aberdeen's idea is that there is no doing anything with Don Pedro, and that we must acknowledge Don Miguel as soon as he will grant an amnesty.
We were to have a Council on Wednesday for the prorogation. The King will not much like this, as he wanted to go to Ascot, but he may have it as early as he likes, and he ought to receive General Baudrand soon. We may have the Council at 10, and he may be at Ascot in excellent time.
August 24.
The Council is at 1. At 1 I went to the Duke. Told him of my recent letters to the Chairs. He said we must not make bankrupts of the Company, if we would use them hereafter. I said it was my duty to state the case of the public, as the Board were guardians of the territorial revenue.
A letter from Count Moltke, requesting to see me. I have appointed to- morrow at 3.
Cabinet at 3. Aberdeen read the proposed letter from the King to King Louis
Philippe. With a few trifling alterations it was adopted.
The Duke called on Marmont to-day, and received from him a military account of the affair at Paris. Marmont said he knew nothing of the Ordonnances, and disapproved of them. He was at the King's levée on the Tuesday, and was told there were quelques inquiétudes at Paris, and to take the command of the troops. He found only 7,000 men. Polignac, forgetting any were en congé, thought there were 12,000. He occupied the Places de l'Hôtel de Ville, de la Bastille, de Victoire, and de Vendôme in sufficient force. His troops were not attacked. He withdrew them at night, and reoccupied the Posts in the morning. Then the attack began. The troops maintained themselves, but he found it necessary to withdraw them to the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Pont Neuf, and the Place de Vendôme. In the Louvre he had two battalions of Swiss; two battalions of the Line in the Place de Vendôme; the Guards in the Tuileries. He kept open his communication with the country by posts at all the avenues leading to the garden of the Tuileries and the Bois de Boulogne, Champs Elysées, &c. The battalion at the Place de la Bastille could not retreat by the straight road, and was obliged to march all round Paris, crossing the river at the bridge nearest Charenton, and coming to the Tuileries by the Faubourg.
The two battalions in the Place de Vendôme went over to the people. He then sent one battalion from the Louvre to the grille of the Tuileries garden, opposite the Rue de Rivoli, and so protected his flank. On Thursday he had lost 1,800 men, killed and wounded; and 1,200 égarés—besides the two battalions; but he had received a reinforcement of 3,000 men. The troops were extenués de fatigue. When Lafitte and the others came to him he told him he could not order the fire to cease. He was attacked.