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It is well known, that on the evening preceding the 18th Fructidor, placards, journals, the hired railers of the royalift commiffioners, infolently bawled abroad the crimes of Buonaparte; while, in the tribune, the orators dared to revile the liberty of Italy. On the evening preceding that day, they affected to tell us of the faction of Orleans, a chimera invented to conceal the real faction of the friends of Louis XVIII. You have feen whether both have not been repreffed by a juft profcription. Above all, they affected to tell us inceffantly of terrorism and of anarchy, in order to divert our attention from a much more dreadful anarchy, and a much more ferious terror, which they were defirous to organize. You have feen, too, whether, on the 18th Fructidor, anarchy and terror have tarnished the wifdom of the operations of the legislative body, and of the government. You have seen, whether, for a moment, the idea was entertained of again rearing fcaffolds and baftiles. It is time to banish that odious abuse of words-to carry back men's views, their fentiments, their hopes, to the republican system, and its institutions—to reinvigorate public fpirit-to reanimate, in France, patriotism, enfeebled, attacked, depraved by fo many infamous arts.

Till you receive the wife measures which the executive power and the legislative body are about to adopt in concert for their objects, it belongs to you, citizens commiffioners, to begin this important work. It is your business to tell Frenchmen, that their rights as well as their duties were engraved by nature upon their hearts, before they were written on the table of the laws. Nature, before the conftitution, faid to man, "Be juft, if you with to deserve freedom; be virtuous, if you wish to preserve liberty; adore your country, if you wish to be protected by its laws." Such is the only language which the government speaks to the French people. You will receive from the Executive Directory the proclamation which has been addreffed to the French nation, to reprefent to them, in the prefent fituation of affairs, the neceffity of an unanimous and permanent return to republican ufages. You cannot too much infift upon the truths contained in this proclamation; you cannot diffufe them too widely; and engrave them upon your own hearts, in order to imprefs them upon thofe over whom your jurifdiction extends.

You have remarked, doubtlefs, that perfidious combination, that fyftem, purfued with a conftancy truly invincible, by which the' confpirators had almoft infenfibly moulded the manners, the habits, the inftitutions of democracy, to aristocratic, facerdotal, and royal forms. In a republic, men almoft were prohibited to be republicans. The glorious title of citizen, which is not fully known, which is not ufed but by free nations, had become the object of contempt and infult. The language of the confpirators was the language of flaves. The names of patriot and friend of

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the government were, in their jargon, the fhameful fynonimes of villain and affaffin. To love the conftitution, was to incur the reproach of brigand. Our patriotic airs, thofe immortal hymns which fo often have led our defenders to victory; those republican fongs, which electrified the heart in the first enthufiafm of our revolution; thofe airs of liberty were, in the ears of the partifans of kings, only cries of pillage, and the founds of murder! Thofe whom we once heard fcoff at Heaven, and ridi cule priests, were now become apoftles! What do I fay? Thofe who pore with morality, with virtue, with religion, affecting their language,proached the French with the want of virtue, of religion, of morality; because the French no longer looked with refpect on the virtue of flaves, on the morality of courts, and the religion of murderers and executioners.

Citizens, let us ftrenuously urge the French to refume more than ever their republican difpofition. Let us prove to the wretches who have ridiculed our laws, dictated by philofophy, that we have not ftudied in vain the leffons of experience; that we have traversed the ages that have been contained in the interval between the year 1789 and 1797, to expofe ourselves anew to those reactions which perpetuate the torment of revolutions, and the exceffes of anarchy which diffolve the focial body. Such has ever been the aim of our perfidious enemies. At every period they have affumed every form, and provoked every excefs, in order to decry and dishonour liberty. They laboured to difgrace the revolution with horrors, in order to accufe it of the calamities of which they themselves were the authors and the accomplices. Preferve the French people from falling again into that horrible fnare. Let them repofe upon the vigour of the government. Independently of the means it poffeffes, its principle will confift in the tranquillity of the people, in their obedience to the laws, in their inviolable respect for their fundamental charter. Liberty confists in the execution of thofe laws which a people have inftituted for themselves. Such is the ftandard of freedom, the inexhauftible fource of pure republican fpirit.

That fpirit of light and life which the love of the republic diffufes in the hearts into which it penetrates, has been unfortunately misconceived and difhonoured: it is effential that it should be beloved; and to cause it to be beloved, it is neceffary that it fhould be better known. It is by inftruction, by fentiment, by whatever can frike the imagination, the fenfes, and the heart, that the fuccefs of the facred caufe which has just triumphed must be completed. You will therefore fay to the journalists-" Political writers, if your hearts be inflamed with the fire of patriotifm, you will cause it to rekindle in your productions; and in your useful cenfures, in your leffons and counfels, you will add decency to the noble franknefs which ought to infpire you

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with zeal for the public good: leave to the libellifts spleen and imposture cause the laws to be beloved; and you will thus enhance the value of your efforts and courage, instead of plunging yourselves in the mire of guilt and calumny." You will fay to men of letters and dramatic writers-" Children of genius and the arts, confider that, under defpotifa, Corneille, Moliere, and Voltaire, dared to attack the defpots, the Mahomets and the Tartuffes. What would they not have done, had they written for liberty? Venture, then, to tread in their steps; reproduce on your ftages republican traits and the heroical virtues, which it is no longer neceffary to feek in the annals of history. Defcribe the tolly, and unmask the knavery, of our new apoitles, of our modern converts, of the perfidious flanderers of our liberty, and of our falfe friends. The public morals may, in your hands, become a magiftracy: employ them for the general good of the ftate; and let your talents concur in propagating the republican fpirit in France"

Recall, more efpecially, recall to our national feftivals, thofe who are urged to keep away from them. Those who dreaded their influence, turned them into derifion; but it is a fact, that the people were never prefent at them without a pleafing emotion. It is not the expenfe of them which conftitutes their merit; brilliant by the eclat which the love of the country fupplies at a fmall expenfe, these festivals ought to affemble all its fincere friends; and it is impoffible that fo affecting a fpectacle fhould not infpire every heart with that republican spirit which the confpirators may for a moment have repreffed, but which they have not deftroyed. Repeat to all the French, that the events of the 18th Fructidor have restored to them the republic; that they ought, in their turn, to restore to it the republicans, that they thould pique themfelves at being fo, both in their private and public life, as well in the midst of their families as in the relations of fociety. It is by moderation, by wifdom, and by found ideas of liberty, equality, and philofophy, that the triumph of true principles may be eftablished. The first authorities have furnished them a high example of what is infpired by courage, by the love of the country, and by a zeal for the public good. Let each citizen imitate this example! The French name will be the pride and glory of the nation; and its power, cemented by the union of the wills of all, will at length fnatch the laft hope from thofe obftinate enemies, who, having found it to be invincible without, reckoned entirely, in their aim at fubjugating it, on the disturbances within. You will perceive, citizens, that the confpirators promised them that the country, torn in pieces by its own hands, could no longar refift them, nor preferve from their touch its fcattered fragments. This was the greatest of their crimes: in fpeaking to you of peace, they invited war; but the monfters are removed.

We will now think of nothing but returning thanks to the ge-. nus of the republic; and we will lighten up the facred fire, the hoy love of the country, the national fpirit, which they have endeavoured to extinguish. This is the laft with which the minifter addreffes to you; it is the fame fentiment which is about to regulate in him the conduct of the director.

Health and fraternity!

(Signed)

FRANÇOIS DE NEUFCHATEAU,
Minifter of the Interior.

Letter addreffed, in the Name of the Helvetic Body, to the Minifter for Foreign Affairs of the Cifalpine Republic.

Citizen,

THE dispatch, dated the 18th of July laft, which you addreffed to the diet affembled at Frankenfeld, reached it about the end of that month This is the only reafon why your obliging letter has not been fooner anfwered, and that thanks have not been returned for the official notifications of the establishment of the Cifalpine republic, and the organization of its government.

It was highly agreeable to us to receive, through you, affarances of the amiable difpofition which the Cifalpine republic is pleased to maniteit towards our confederation. We have always endeavoured to preferve the greatest harmony with the ftates which furround us. It will therefore afford us the greatest fatisfaction to enter into a friendly correfpondence with that republic, and to promote the advantage of both states, by pursuing the fame line of conduct which we have hitherto invariably held.

We entreat you to affure the Executive Directory of the fincerity of thefe fentiments, of our zeal to prove that fincerity upon all occafions, and of our ardent withes for the profperity of the Cifalpihe republic. We hope alfo, on your own part, that you will remain convinced of the particular confideration we entertain for you, and with which we are, &c. &c.

(Signed)

LUGO,

Landman of the Thirteen Cantons.

Done in the name, and fealed with the state feal of the confederation, at Zurich, September 13, 1797.

Paftoral

Paftoral Letter from the Archbishop of Mechlin, to the Commiffioner of the Executive Directory with the Adminiftration of the Canton.

Citizen Commissioner,

THE Catholic, Apoftolic, and Roman religion, which I profefs from my heart, and of which I am one of the principal paftors, pofitively prohibits me from taking an oath of hatred, whether it relates to the perfon of a king, or to royalty itself. In the first inftance, we ought to love our neighbour, even though we fuffer injuries;-in the fecond, royalty being good in itself, and of divine inftitution, it cannot be an object of hatred; which hatred is not permitted to one or the other, without renouncing the principles of Chriflianity; much lefs to call God to be the witnefs to an action, the perpetration of which is forbidden under pain of eternal punishment. The impoffibility in which we now nd ourfelves of fulfilling what is required of us, thould by no means render our fidelity fufpected; for I flatter myself that you have fufficient grounds for informing the government, that neither myself nor any of my clergy would make any fcruple against promifing to the republic, and if neceffary, under an oath, never to co-operate, either directly or indirectly, in the re-establishment of monarchy in France; and that the faid government may be perfectly allured that they fhall never have caufe to punish any inactions in the priests, for acting in oppofition to their views, Except when the laws of the conftitution thall be irreconcilable with the laws of God and the precepts of the gofpel. For what remains, we have given, and thall continue to give, evident proofs of our fubmiffion to the powers to which Divine Providence hasubjected us; and the Belgian clergy have hitherto certainly conducted themselves in fuch a manner, in the patient sufferance of the lofs of all their effects, that it is fcarcely poffible to find any fabject of complaint against them.

Health and fraternity.

(L. S.)

JEAN HENRI FRANKENBURG,
Archbishop of Mechlin.

Proclamation of the Executive Directory to the French People, That the French Armies be complete and ready to march on the 15th Vendemiaire next, Cet. 6.

Citizens,

Fourth complementary Day, 5th Year.

THE 18th Fructidor has reduced to filence the orators of London, who held their fittings in Paris.

Since that memorable day, the English ambaffador, urged to

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