[SAINTE-HÉLÈNE]. MONTCHENU, Claude Marin Henri de (1757-1831). Exceptional L.A. (s.l.n.d. [St. Helena]) addressed to General Gaspard, baron Gourgaud (1783-1852). 9 pp. Large folio. This one evokes "In our conversation of last Monday you explained to me perfectly what you understood by regulation, our conversation was very long and of great composure, in spite of that I did not believe that we had the time necessary to explain to you in my turn my opinion on this regulation. I have always limited myself to telling you that I do not see the same thing in terms of opinion after having discussed it thoroughly, because often in the discussion one loses sight of the things and principles for which one should discuss [...] I have put my thoughts in writing and in order if, after having read them, there is a difference in our ways of seeing things, I would always be ready to discuss them with you as we did on Monday, but in person and not in writing. I dare to believe that having both the same goal and especially the same intentions, we will get along very well. I am only speaking to you about myself, but nevertheless I am very convinced that my colleagues will think all this as I do." Gourgaud full of resentment against Longwood, caught up with his inclinations, and angry with Las Cases and other exiles, bullied by Napoleon, the latter thinks that if Gourgaud is not quickly taken in hand he will compromise the policy that the Emperor imposes on himself vis-à-vis the English. "You said to me that you were here without being supported wanting to make me understand that one took sooner the party of Longwood than yours, and perhaps even against you in that you are in a great error. In all the conversations that have taken place, they have never been spoiled and I would even say that they are often convinced of it. If there are discussions between you and them, it is a pastime they give themselves to distract their enemies because you are too kind to answer them, as I have had the honor of telling you, do not answer them and they will fall out by themselves. The conversations that seem to alarm you should on the contrary reassure you, they are like isolated schoolboys living among themselves hating each other from the bottom of their hearts, they need to talk and they give it their all when they meet us. You must be very sure that if, in one of the conversations it escaped them something interesting, you would be informed on the spot, if they complain about you, you must suspect it, because what prisoner is happy with the one who keeps him they currently attach to praise Cockburn, when he was here we did not want to see him, we treated Admiral Malcolm very well, it was only in the hope of making you angry, because I assure you that he knew him very well. Lady Malcolm was given a cup as a reward for her great devotion, but she was a sovereign bore." Montchenu continues his letter by justifying himself for his conduct toward Gourgaud during a previous appointment: "You told me, I am made a mystery of everything because at Mr. B.'s [...] the day after the tea party you did not say a word, I told you the reason. You were so animated and so heated that I feared to strike you a mortal blow, so I was far from believing that a thing done in broad daylight [...]. You have no doubt the pretension that I am accountable to you for what I do, I owe it only to my sovereign. However, be very convinced that as a confidence I would always be ready to give you some when they would please you, because I do nothing here that I want to disavow before the King [...]; but confidence demands confidence and great reserve necessarily leads to reserve, in spite of this reserve, it was I who informed you that Montholon had lunch at my place. Immediately I saw your eyes light up as if something suspicious could have happened at the commissary of France. Montholon had it signed by the sovereigns who signed the treaty of March 25. As for what concerns us, the government continually speaks to us of regulations without ever having shown us one, not being able to define what these regulations are, I reread the treaty of August 2, 1815 with the greatest attention and I found our true regulations. If monsieur le Gouverneur will read it with the same attention, I am convinced that he will see as I do." Montchenu comments in full pages on the treaty of August 2, 1815. "Napoleon Bonaparte being in the power of the allied sovereigns, LL.MM. the king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the emperor of Austria, the emperor of Russia and the king of Prussia ruled in virtue of the stipulations of the treaty of March 25, 1815 the measures suitable to render impossible any enterprise of his part against the rest of Europe. They are named the plenipotentiaries whose names follow