François-Marie, marquis de Barthélemy

François Barthélemy ( since 1808 Comte de, since 1815, Marquis de) ( born October 20, 1747 in Aubagne, † April 3, 1830 in Paris) was a French diplomat and politician. He was in the First Republic from time to time a member of the Board. Later he was under Napoleon Vice President of the Senate and the reign of Louis XVIII. Minister of State and member of the Chamber of Peers.

Life

He was a nephew of the author and archaeologist Jean -Jacques Barthélemy, who also contributed to his education. Through this he got in 1768 and a post in the diplomatic service. After the start of the French Revolution, he was charge d'affaires in London. In 1791 he took over as minister plenipotentiary the legation in Switzerland. The anti-revolutionary sentiment in Solothurn let him dissolve the local embassy and dodge to Baden. Despite the termination of diplomatic relations by the Diet, he remained in Switzerland. He was involved, that the National Convention in 1793 recognized the neutrality of Switzerland. Through him, the annexation of Geneva was postponed. On the other hand he made provisions for deliveries from Switzerland for the French army. He was again officially accredited in Switzerland in 1795 instrumental in the completion of the Peace of Basel with Prussia, Spain, and the Hesse- Kassel. A peace treaty with the United Kingdom failed.

From the Council of Elders he was elected after the elections of 25 February 1797 which resulted in a great success of the royalists on May 26, 1797 in the Board. He stood like Lazare Carnot for a moderate course with some monarchist leanings. Through the Coup of 18 Fructidor V (4 September 1797), which was initiated by the Republican forces in the Directorate gaining strength against the rights, he was overthrown. He was arrested and sent to French Guiana. He managed to escape to the United States and from there to Britain.

After the coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799) called him Napoleon returned to France. This made ​​him in 1800 as a member of the Senate. In addition, he was appointed commander of the Legion of Honour. Barthelemy was in 1802 at the head of the embassy of the Senate, the Napoleon consulate antrug for life. But politically he hardly played a role. When Emperor Napoleon appointed him in 1808 to the Count.

After Napoleon's defeat in the Napoleonic Wars, he served as Vice President of the Senate in April 1814 the presidency of the Senate, which decided the deposition of Napoleon. After the restoration of Louis XVIII appointed him. a peer of France and Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour. He was a member of the committee that drew up the Charter Constitutionnelle. During the reign of one hundred days, Napoleon removed him from the list of Peers. After re- restoration of 1815 he was appointed Minister of State and collected at the Marquis. As a member of the Chamber of Peers he made himself unpopular in 1819, when he made ​​the proposal to restrict the right to vote in favor of the ultra-royalists. He then retired into private life.