Some of his appointments proved failures, while others were completely successful.
Thus Laplace was made Minister of the Interior; but he had no sooner been appointed than it was seen that a mistake had been made.

Napoleon afterwards said of him, that "Laplace looked at no question in its true point of view.

He was always searching after subtleties; all his ideas were problems, and he carried the spirit of the infinitesimal calculus into the management of business." But Laplace's habits had been formed in the study, and he was too old to adapt them to the purposes of practical life.
With Darn it was different.

But Darn had the advantage of some practical training in business, having served as an intendant of the army in Switzerland under Massena, during which he also distinguished himself as an author.

When Napoleon proposed to appoint him a councillor of state and intendant of the Imperial Household, Darn hesitated to accept the office.