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Meffage of the Directory to the Council of Five Hundred, on the ift
Nivofe (21ft Dec.).

Citizens Representatives,

THE armies of the republic, by their conquefts, have obtained peace on the continent. One enemy alone remains to be combated-This is the English government-They will go and attack it on its own ground. For the arming and equipping of the veffels neceffary to tranfport the republican columns to the plains of Albion, extraordinary funds are necellary. The merchants of Paris have felt, that every Frenchman ought to fecond the ardour of the defenders of liberty. They see that we are about to combat for the freedom of the feas, for the restoration of our manufactures, for the arts, for industry. That cause is their own. They have fent to the Directory the addrefs fubjoined to this meffage. It requests them to invite you to open a loan, the produce of which fecures the execution of the measures adopted to effect a descent upon England. The merchants of Paris, in teftifying their wishes on this fubject, know that they only anticipate the public opinion. It is not an example which they hold up to thofe of other towns; they only afpired to the honour of being first heard. Every Frenchman will contribute to the fuccefs of the great national armament. Where can we have any fears of finding republicans fo indifferent to the brilliant deftiny to which the propofed expedition invites us-where can be found hearts fo infenfible, as not to feize the occafion of feconding the generous ardour of the defenders of the country, and aiding, by a trifling advance, that facred cause to which their brothers and their children have facrificed their blood and their repofe?

The Executive Directory is of opinion, citizens reprefentatives, that a fund, immediately raifed, of forty millions, added to the means that will be procured by the laws made or to be enacted for the completion of the funds of the year fix, will be fufficient for the execution of the plan which it has formed. It is for this that the Directory applies to you. The poffibility of repaying this fum cannot be doubled by any one. You may fo arrange the payment of it as to raise the public credit. The merchants of Paris have pointed out the establishment of an indirect contribution, as the means of effecting its repayment. The principles on which this mode of taxation is adopted, are at prefent univerfally admitted. The premiums inay be fecured on the fuccefs of the grand operation which the Directory is now preparing. The army of England, like the other armies of the republic, will fulfil its engagements.

(Signed)

P. BARRAS, Prefident.
LAGARDE, Sec. Gen.

Summons

I

Summons fent by General Hatry to the Commandant of Mentz.

AM commiffioned to inform you, that it is the intention of the French republic to take poffeffion of the city of Mentz with the troops which I command. No armistice therefore can be granted to his Electoral Highnefs, until the conclufion of the congrefs at Raftadt, unless he immediately gives orders to the magiftrates of Mentz to receive the French troops into their city. Should his Electoral Highnefs not iffue the orders here required before the 31ft of Frimaire (December 20', he will be treated as an enemy, and his electorate ravaged by French troops. I requeft you to communicate to the Elector this determination, and to accept the high confideration with which I have the honour to be. Your humble fervant,

HATRY.

TO the above fummons the governor replied "That he could not give up the city without orders from the Elector."

THE French afterwards applied to the Auftrian governor Neu; the latter replied-" That the Auftrians must withdraw from Mentz before the French entered the city *."

The Minifter of external Relations, to all the diplomatic and confular Agents of the French Republic.

Citizens,

YOU are placed in a new fituation. Your republican fentiments, and your patriotic exertions, ought to foar into a bigher flight.

Of the powers confederated against French liberty, England alone remains to be combated. She is our eternal enemy. A great expedition is preparing against her. The wishes of the nation prefs the armament. All the perfons employed, all the functionaries of the government, ought in this refpect to fecond the views of the Directory. Every part of the French republic at the prefent moment ought to make war against England.

In this general movement you neither can nor ought to remain inactive. You ought, on the contrary, to take a distinguished part in the fuccefs of the enterprife. You know that, for a long

The capitulation for, the furrender of Mentz was figned on the 25th December, at Wesbaden, between the French General Hatry and General Rudt, Counsellors Deel, Kayferberg, and M. Meers and Fabers.

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time, the arms of diplomacy, terrible in the hands of the English minifter, have languished without point in our hands. The Executive Directory is defirous to restore to this department its vigour and luftre. The peace of Campo Formio is fitted to be the epoch of this change. The congress of Raftadt will put the feal to it, and this object you ought to unite to promote.

At prefent, citizens, each of you doubtless forms a juft idea of the greatnefs and the strength of the French republic. Foreign powers know very well, and it is unneceffary to remind you, that you reprefent the first people in Europe, a nation confifting of thirty millions of men, and which on the continent nothing is able to refift.

How then has England, a power inferior in means and in ftrength, even during the times of our monarchy, fucceeded for more than an age in thwarting, and even humbling France? Her infular pofition, and the idea of liberty of which the boasted, have not been the only circumftances that have contributed to this aftonishing effect. It has been in a principal manner the refult of the diplomatic fyftem purfued in England. But even this power, like the whole of her power, is factitious. We fhall very easily be convinced of the truth of this affertion by following the train of English history from the moment the English interfered in the affairs of Europe.

It was the Protector, Cromwell, who firft gave the tone to their diplomacy. Calling to his aid the vigorous and ci-devant republican pen of the celebrated Milton, Cromwell ventured to fpeak to all the cabinets of Europe that haughty language which the minifters of St. James's have always maintained, and which in the commencement, being only the overbearing infolence of a too fuccessful ufurper, appeared in the fequel to be the only energetic, and haughty language of a people calling themfelves free. Engaged in wars, the long feries of which began and ended the reign. of Louis XIV. the governments of Europe confidered as extremely powerful thofe who gave themselves out as fuch. They allowed themfelves to be browbeat, and yielded without inquiry to the pretenfions of a court which accompanied its meflages with

threats.

Soon after, France, refigned to the government of an indolent prince and corrupted miniiters, enfeebled at once by useless victories and alliances contrary to her interefts, reduced to the moft deplorable impotence, France faw herfelf compelled to tremble before the pretended genius of the cabinet of London. Strengthened by this illufion more than by any real power, England, at the end of each war, figured with diftinction in the pacifications of Nimeguen, Ryfwick, Utrecht, Aix la Chapelle, the treaty of Paris, the conferences of Pilnitz, and the fubfequent crifis of our

revolution.

This prejudice, citizens, it is important to deftroy. This cos loffus with earthen feet must now be overthrown.

It is incumbent on you then, citizens, to attack with courage the power of England in its federative force, while on their fide our armies, precipitating themselves on her coafts, fhall difplay to the eyes of the governments of Europe, on whom her boafts have impofed, the true fecret of her weakness.

Obferve then what in this refpect is the courfe you ought to purfue.

Place your conduct in direct oppofition to that of the envoys of the court of London; adhere to this rule, which cannot mislead you. The caufe which they defend is that of tyranny, of mercantile avarice, of fhameful and criminal machiavelifm. All thefe actions, all thefe views, bear the neceffary mark of their vicious origin.

What has prevented England from imitating Carthage, which, in order to render the nations by which the was furrounded more dependent by an excefs of ambition which degraded humanity, prohibited thofe nations, under the pain of death, to fow, to plant, to cultivate, to trade, or to do any thing of this kind?-a prohibition, the recollection of which excites execration. Is not this the object at which the maritime defpotifm of Great Britain indirectly aims? Does the not wish to engrofs exclufively the commerce of the whole world? And what cabinet in Europe could be fo blind as not to feel the intereft of all the powers in Europe to combat and to extirpate so horrible a monopoly, and to confine to their ifland the pretended defpots who ought not to interfere in the affairs of the continent?

With regard to you, citizens, the caufe you defend is that of Liberty, of philanthropy, of glory, of virtue. The splendour' of fo illuftrious a caufe must be reflected upon you and your actions. France has fought by land for her independence and for her natural barriers; fhe is about to combat for them on the fea, not for herself alone, but in order to liberate the ocean, and to emancipate all the nations, which are equally the victims of English avarice.

London is compared to Carthage; the French might better be compared to the Romans. But Rome was too much a stranger to commerce and the arts. Rome seemed to be ambitious only to conquer the world. She made war upon Carthage as upon a rival empire, not as a commercial people. How far more refpectable are the motives that inftigate the conduct of the French ! It is not merely the injuries of feveral ages that France is now eager to avenge on the English government; it is for the intereft of Europe, and for that of humanity, that the French government undertakes to vindicate the freedom of the feas. Their ufurpation in that refpect is unparalleled in history; and in this

point of view it becomes the duty of every nation to put up, withes for the fortunate fuccefs of our arms.

Do not fhrink, citizens, from a manly and worthy fulfilment of your million. Let the pen and the voice of the French negotiators co-operate with and second the courage and the fword of our gallant defenders.

The more the agents of England are imperious, ftirring, and. crafty, the more you ought to evince of rectitude, loyalty, and of that moderation which exemplifies much more ftrongly that morofe aufterity, the characteristic features of real power.

Keep a watchful and jealous eye on all their proceedings; prevent them from fucceeding in the formation of any new machinations against the republic. Let them fee that you inceffantly purfue their footsteps, and obferve every road they take; explore their attempts even through the fecret receffes of cabinets; be bold and forward to face and attack them in their laft entrench. ments. Be zealous to discover, and vigilant to difconcert the dark intrigues, the black calumnies, the perfidious feductions, and the frightful projects which it is the ftudy of their fecret agency to conceal. This agency is bufy in every quarter, among our avowed enemies, among our fworn allies; in Italy, in Spain, in the Batavian republic; perhaps, ftill more than elsewhere, in the bofom of France itfelf. Relax not your efforts in counteracting their influence, not by petty chicanery and difhonourable frauds, but by wife and well-wifhed reprefentations; you will be duly attended to, and the Directory will lend its arm to your fup

port.

It will be your duty, from time to time, to hold out to the minifters the manly energy of republican language; but, however, without being prodigal of means that muft ftrike and decide: be always prepared to unmask to me the horrid machinations of the infernal genius of the cabinet of London. Government fhould be acquainted with every thing, from every quarter, and in due time-your refpective inftructions fhall be punctually attended to, and daily compared, and thus fubmitted to the infpection of the Executive Directory; and it is furely not your with that it should learn from any other quarter what it should fee and be informed of through the medium of your vigilance. As to what perfonally regards you, citizens, endeavour to make yourselves beloved, esteemed, and refpected. Do not fly in the face of the ufages, of the manners, or of the prejudices of the countries where you refide; but while you obferve every thing that is due to decorum, do not throw off the customs and the manners of republicans. In the room of unmeaning etiquette, Subftitute that fuavity of temper, that polite frankness, which flow from the foul of virtue, and from the consciousness of native dignity which liberty infpires; above all, beware of a vice but Vol. VII.

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