24 janvier 1781
23 novembre 1855
Molé, Comte (1781-1855)
Molé, Mathieu-Louis (1781-1855 ; comte)
Fils d'Edouard François Mathieu Molé, conseiller au Parlement de Paris, et de Marie-Louise de Lamoignon, Mathieu-Louis Molé est né à Paris le 24 janvier 1781 et mort à Champlâtreux (Val d’Oise) le 23 novembre 1855. Enfant d’une des plus illustres familles parlementaires de l’Ancien régime, il n’a pas l’occasion de poursuivre d’études car la Terreur le conduit en prison avec sa famille tandis que son père est guillotiné.
Il se marie, en 1798, avec Caroline de La Briche, fille unique d’Alexis de La Live de La Briche et d’Adélaïde de La Briche, un couple très fortuné. La mère hérite de son oncle, en 1785, du château du Marais, près de Dourdan, qui devient un des principaux lieux de réunions de la société qu’elle regroupe autour d’elle et qui comprend notamment sa belle-soeur Mme d’Houdetot, Mme de Rémusat, Mme de La Live Jully. Elle hérite aussi, de son mari, un hôtel rue de la Ville-l’Evêque qui devient sa résidence parisienne et abrite longtemps le ménage Molé. En 1802, après le mariage de sa soeur Félicité avec son oncle Christian de Lamoignon, Molé hérite de la propriété de Champlâtreux qui nécessite de grands travaux de restauration. Il s’y investit beaucoup, ayant des relations assez tendues avec sa belle-mère et peu d’amour pour sa femme. Molé fréquente beaucoup le salon de Mme de Beaumont où il retrouve Joubert, Fontanes et Chateaubriand avec lequel il connaît une grande amitié qui se transforme plus tard en haine. Les deux principales raisons de ce ressentiment sont d’une part la jalousie de Molé pour le succès littéraire de Chateaubriand : il se pose presque en concurrent en publiant, anonymement, fin 1805, des Essais de morale et de politique ; et, d’autre part, leur rivalité autour de Cordélia de Castellane qui est la maîtresse de l’un puis de l’autre. C’est Angélique de Vintimille qui introduit Molé auprès de Cordélia Greffulhe, épouse de Boniface de Castellane, en 1815. Il a 34 ans et elle 21 ans. Une vive passion s’engage entre eux, à laquelle Cordélia met fin brutalement au printemps 1817, pensant que l’attachement de son amant peut être trop encombrant. Elle continue cependant à l’aimer et leur liaison reprend début 1821. Après une nouvelle rupture en 1824, elle tombe dans les bras de Chateaubriand. Finalement, elle revient vers Molé à la fin de l’année 1827. Depuis le début et sans cesse, il est animé d’une grande passion pour elle. Elle est pour lui la compagne idéale avec qui il rêve de faire sa vie. Au soir de la mort de Cordélia, le 8 avril 1847, il estime que sa propre vie est finie.
Comme Molé, dans son ouvrage, faisait implicitement l’éloge de Napoléon, ce dernier n’hésite pas à le nommer auditeur au Conseil d’Etat en janvier 1806, avant qu’il ne devienne conseiller de cette institution le 19 février 1809. Entre-temps, Molé est nommé préfet de la Côte-d’Or (10 novembre 1807) où il reste jusqu’en février 1809. C'est une grande année pour lui car il est aussi fait comte d’Empire (29 septembre) et nommé directeur général des Ponts et Chaussées (2 octobre). Il plaît de plus en plus à l’Empereur qu’il rencontre fréquemment, mais il est assez détesté par ailleurs. Nommé provisoirement ministre de la Justice le 13 juin 1813, il succède officiellement à Régnier le 20 novembre 1813, devenant à 32 ans le plus jeune ministre de Napoléon. Rendu à la vie privée par la chute de l’Empire, il refuse, au moment des Cent-Jours, toutes les propositions de Napoléon (la Justice, les Affaires étrangères, l’Intérieur) à l’exception de la direction des Ponts et Chaussées, ne souhaitant pas s’investir auprès d’un homme qu’il pressent perdu alors qu’il l’a autrefois tant admiré. Molé est encore nommé pair de France par Napoléon le 2 juin 1814, mais prétexte une santé défaillante pour s’éloigner du pouvoir et partir en cure.
Il choisit d’assurer Louis XVIII de son inaltérable fidélité et reçoit, le 12 septembre 1817, le ministère de la Marine confié à lui par le duc de Richelieu qui préfère constituer son gouvernement d’hommes du centre et en exclure les ultras. Il suit Richelieu dans sa démission le 16 décembre 1818. Il accepte le portefeuille des Affaires étrangères dans le premier gouvernement de Louis-Philippe, pour une courte durée (11 août-1er novembre 1830) car il est toujours en désaccord avec Talleyrand, ambassadeur de France à Londres, qui traite directement avec le roi. Il reprend le portefeuille des Affaires étrangères et la présidence du Conseil le 6 septembre 1836, succédant à Thiers et y reste jusqu’à sa démission le 8 mars 1839 (entre-temps, il doit, à cause de son plus farouche adversaire de l’époque, Guizot, démissionner en avril 1837 et former un nouveau ministère). En 1848, Louis-Philippe pense demander à Molé de former un nouveau gouvernement, puis y renonce, lorsque les émeutes de février commencent. Les conditions de départ du roi découragent Molé mais il continue de défendre intimement la cause de la monarchie et de l’ordre. Il arrive à l’Assemblée constituante le 28 septembre 1848, après avoir été élu à Bordeaux. Il est de ceux qui préfèrent élire un président à l’issue du travail constituant de l’Assemblée, mais cette dernière fixe finalement la date de l’élection au 10 décembre.
Dès son élection comme président, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte consulte les sages que sont pour lui Molé,Thiers, Berryer, Montalembert, Broglie (appelés le groupe des Burgraves) qui incarnent le parti de l’ordre. Molé joue un grand rôle dans l’élaboration de la loi Falloux (mars 1850) et est appelé à présider le comité de l’enseignement libre. Il fait aussi partie de la commission constituée le 1er mai 1850 pour réformer la loi électorale. Au moment où Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte s’apprête à violer la Constitution pour garder le pouvoir, Molé croit encore au possible retour de la monarchie. A partir de l’avènement du Second Empire, il reste à l’écart de la politique active, gardant seulement son engagement au sein du comité de l’enseignement libre, passant la plus grande partie de son temps dans sa propriété de Champlâtreux où il meurt le 23 novembre 1855.
Le 20 février 1840, il est élu à l'Académie française.
Mathieu Molé est une figure historique controversée. Au moment de sa mort, ceux de gauche le qualifient d'opportuniste, arriviste, « adorateur de tous les soleils », alors que la droite loue son ambition et sa fidélité aux souverains successifs qu’il a servis avec le même dévouement.
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