"I did not raise the siege until after I had ruined the fortifications," he replied.
"That is not what Kleber wrote; but that does not concern me." Then he added, smiling: "It happened while Clark was minister." There was a moment's silence, during which Bonaparte endeavored to make Bernadotte lower his eyes.

Not succeeding, he said: "Go on." Bernadotte bowed and continued: "Perhaps no minister of war--and the archives of the ministry are there for reference--ever received the portfolio under more critical circumstances: civil war within, a foreign enemy at our doors, discouragement rife among our veteran armies, absolute destitution of means to equip new ones.

That was what I had to face on the 8th of June, when I entered upon my duties.

An active correspondence, dating from the 8th of June, between the civil and military authorities, revived their courage and their hopes.

My addresses to the armies--this may have been a mistake--were those, not of a minister to his soldiers, but of a comrade among comrades, just as my addresses to the administrators were those of a citizen to his fellow-citizens.