“I will authorise you to disregard Père Pellico’s bigotry, and to build it where you please,” I cried.
M. Blanc smiled, and said, “If your Serene Highness will excuse me, I had sooner not go against the Jesuits.”
I wasn’t king in my own country, as it appeared. Expel the Jesuits, the tempter within me suggested; but then I wasn’t Bismarck, and I hadn’t a “national liberal” party at my back.
I rapidly exposed my views to M. Blanc. I was much struck by the fact that his practical mind insisted on viewing my reforms as questions not of principles but of men.
“You have no men to back you,” he kept saying; “and if you turn out your present set and get some clever Germans you will be deposed.” He had dropped the excessive formality of speech with which he had begun. Several times he used the phrase, “Dr. Coulon is the only man you have.” Then, after thinking for a time, “What do you propose to gain by your reforms? You are rich. Your people are contented. Why trouble yourself? As for works of art, as for theatre, as for orchestra, these things are matters of money, and I will do my best to help. I am not sure that as a mere investment they will not pay, and at all events I will do my best to make them do so; but as for your reforms of army, church, and education that you talk about, I beg your Highness to leave it all alone. The shares in the bank will fall ten per cent. when it is known. My shares here are like the funds at Paris, they hate liberty. The less liberty, the higher they stand. It is just the same at Paris. Suppress a journal, and the rente rise a franc. Suppress all the journals, and they would rise five francs! Suppress the Assembly, and they would rise ten! Does your Serene Highness take part in pigeon-shooting?”
Making nothing of M. Blanc, except as to art matters, I returned slowly to the Castle, where I found the Council of State assembled to take the oaths.
I chatted with the members of the Council, but arranged to develope my plans in the first place to a few carefully-selected individuals. I fixed hours at which I would receive M. de Payan; Dr. Coulon; the curé of the cathedral; l’abbé Ramin; Père Pellico; and Colonel Jacquemet; after seeing the Governor General, Baron Imberty, and talking matters over with him. Baron Imberty I only saw because not to see him would be to pass a slight upon him; but I had no hope of help from him, and none from Colonel Jacquemet. From Père Pellico I knew that I should meet with opposition, and I received him only to see how strong and of what nature the opposition would be. I built my hopes upon M. de Payan, Dr. Coulon, and l’abbé Ramin.
To Baron Imberty I said only that I contemplated a reform in the army, a gradual liberation of the church from state control, and the re-organization of the schools. He answered that my wish was law, but that the church was very well as she stood.
To Colonel Jacquemet I explained in detail my military re-organization scheme, which was the best of my reforms. I pointed out to him that his force of forty men, now reduced to thirty-eight by the unfortunate wart and cold, was only preserved from becoming the laughing-stock of Europe by its exceptional discipline and courage. It was absolutely necessary for me to say this or he would have had a fit upon the spot. I directed that a list should be prepared of all the male inhabitants aged from sixteen to thirty, and numbering, as I calculated, about eight hundred. That of them those physically fit—some six hundred, as I should suppose—were to receive drill, and ultimately uniforms. The gallant forty men were to become sergeants, corporals, and inferior officers of the new national regiment. Captain Ruggeri and Lieutenant Gasignol were named its majors, and Lieutenants Plati and De la Rosière the senior captains. Four other captains were to be selected from among the privates and non-commissioned officers of the guard. The new levy was to be unpaid, and the only increased expense would be the uniforms and rifles, and at first the additional pay of the ten new officers. As vacancies occurred in company officers they were to be filled up by election by the company, but the majors were to be appointed by the colonel. The cost of the uniforms and arms I proposed to meet by selling for old iron our twenty magnificent, but useless pieces of old artillery. Modern artillery for the fortress I proposed to provide out of my private income, and as defence of the town was our only possible service, of field artillery I decided to have none. The night sentry duty at the palace was to be performed by the paid sergeants only, and the regiment was to parade but once a week. I could see that Colonel Jacquemet did not like it, but he bowed and left the room.
My next interview was with M. de Payan. He heartily concurred in my army reform, and said that no measure could be better for the country, educationally, than my plan of universal service of this limited character. When I came to talk of church reforms, however, M. de Payan was very cold and hard to fire. He advised me to talk the matter over with the curé, l’abbé Ramin, a most moderate man, and to beware of Father Pellico. From this negative position I could not move him.