PROCLAMATION.

Brune, General in Chief of the Army of Italy, to the Sardinian

Infurgents.

Head Quarters, Milan, 18th Meffider (July 6), fixth Year.

EUROPE has witnessed the bloody fcenes of which Italy is the theatre. Scarcely delivered from the evils of war, the fees with indignation difcord exciting them anew. The amicable fuggeftions of the Executive Directory of the French republic have not been able to put a stop to thofe factions which devoured each other, and all were rufhing to certain deftruction.

The French army, furrounded with infurrection and civil war, were obliged to be on their guard. It was eafy to discover in all thefe commotions, the influence of the perfidious government, who have excited every spécies of crime against the repofe of the world, and who have too often turned to their advantage even the most generous paffions.

The real object of thefe laft intrigues of England, is to obstruct the organization of the new republics in Italy, and to paralyze the efforts of the Directory for fecuring peace to all the states of the continent; and, above all, to induce us, by these outrages, to violate treaties which they know we have religiously obferved.

Always certain of punishing her enemies, they have not escaped the notice of the French republic. But in the midst of them, the fees alfo fome friends who have been misled.

She wishes to deftroy the power of the firft, and to restore happinefs to the latter, by fecuring their tranquillity.

In confequence of the formal demand of the Executive Directory, the King of Sardinia has publifhed a full and entire amnesty. No inquiry will take place with refpect to the late disturbances. All proceedings relative to opinions, or political conduct, are annulled. Those who were profecuted, or dreaded profecution on thefe grounds, are free to return to Piedmont, to enjoy their properties and to difpofe of them. As a guarantee of this promife, and likewife of the country which he governs, the King of Sardinia, the ally of our republic, has received a French garrifon into the citadel of Turin.

By this means ought the flames of civil war to be extinguifhed. The French republic, after fo many facrifices to give peace to Italy, will not permit that this fine country fhould be abandoned to the most fanguinary devastation.

I therefore invite all the friends of the French, who, provoked by the injuries, the menaces, and perfecutions of the op

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pofite party, have taken up arms to defend their lives and their honour, to lay down their arms, and return to their habitations, and the bofoms of their families, affured of being no longer difturbed.

As to thofe who, after this amicable and folemn invitation, fhall continue to form armed affemblages, unconnected with the organization of the French army, or the troops of the government of Italy, I declare that they fhall be regarded as enemies to France, the friends of England, and promoters of disturbance; and I fhall cause them to be purfued as fuch.

(Signed)

Brune.

Letter from General Brune to the Chevalier Borghese, Minifter Plenipotentiary of the King of Sardinia to the Cifalpine Republic.

Milan, 2d Thermidor.

YOUR note of yesterday, M. Minifter Plenipotentiary, could not but fill me with aftonishment; I am accustomed only to the language of good faith and honour, and I perceive in what your court has dictated to you, expreflions and affertions, which wound the fimple virtues in which my natior conftitutes her glory. You call upon me to exert all my power to difperfe the Piedmontefe infurgents, at the very time when, drawn into fnares, which their enthufiafm could alone prevent them from difcovering, and which villany alone could contrive, they are maffacred by hundreds; while the infurgents confined in the dungeons of Turin, and other places, are ftill in irons; while your government, communicating its fentiments through you, dares immediately after the amnefty fay, that the country will be expofed to new calamities, if thefe ferocious men (the Piedimontefe infurgents) are restored to liberty. Your amnesty then was intended as a new fnare.

You fay, that Citizen Angros, the French commander at Tortona, has permitted the infurgents to pafs under the fortrefs. This affertion is utterly deftitute of foundation. Having been apprised at midnight, that an armed force was approaching, he put his troops in motion: he intimated that he would not allow treaties to be violated. Angros is a brave man. Would he have done well to have affifted in exterminating wretched fugitives efcaped from the maffacre of the 16th Meflidor? The French respect mifery; they fpare the vanquished; they never affaffinate.

You afk ine, Sir, to take fome fteps. You affect to be ignorant, however, that the force which is under my authority, cannot, and ought not to be employed, but in the event that those of his Sardinian Majefty fhall be infufficient. You fay not a word of the precautions which it would be neceffary to take against affaffins, who form a part of the militia of the King your master,

who

who daily, fince the amnesty, have cut to pieces the small French detachments they meet, and fhoot upon the roads our parties of cavalry. Europe will hear, and hiftory will repeat, to the indignation of pofterity, the anfwer of one of the principal officers of his Sardinian Majefty, the commandant of Alexandria, to the remonftrances of a French general: "What! your troops affaffinated? It is owing to a mistake of our militia, who take them for Piedmontefe infurgents."

You recriminate against Liguria, by accufing that republic of the charges which it imputes to you. The tree of liberty has been thrown down with contempt and infult in the towns which you still occupy. Contributions have been impofed, vexations committed, arms carried off. Your government has been the aggresfor. Liguria fhowed itfelf the first to liften to the invitations of the Executive Directory, for the re-establishment of the peace of Italy. She laid down her arms, at the moment when her energy promised her new victories. Her good faith and generofity have never been expofed to doubt.

Nevertheless, in order to avoid all difputes on the principle of reftitution, by an order of yesterday, I decided, that the places taken on both fides fhall be put into the hands of the French republic, and kept as a depot, till a definitive treaty takes place between the two powers.

Your court has made public the convention figned by Colonel Saint Merfan and me, relative folely to the taking poffeffion of the citadel of Turin, but it has not thought proper to publish the previous convention, which fixes the bafis of the amnesty, and which was figned by Citizen Ginguene, ambaffador of the French republic, and M. de Prioca, his Sardinian Majesty's ambaffador. Besides, I only received a single copy of the royal proclamation, and therefore it was not in my power to distribute it to our generals and commandants. If your infurgents are no better informed than we are of the difpofitions of your court, I am not furprifed that they ftill entertain alarms.

I do not say a word of a number of circumstances which prove a deep, crooked policy, in certain counfellors of his Sardinian Majefty. The indifputable facts I have-mentioned, are sufficient to fhow that difpofition. It is yet time to return to good faith and to juftice. It is the with of the French republic, that all fhould be tranquil and happy around her army. She ought no longer to be disturbed by feditions, occafioned by the most criminal intrigues; and his Sardinian Majefty himself would do well to remember, that it was he himself who called upon us to fecure the tranquillity of his dominions.

I request you, M. Minifter Plenipotentiary, to notify to your court the following demands:

1. That liberty fhall be granted to the imprifoned infurgents.

2. The citadel of Turin fhall be furnished with provisions for two months, and the ftores and other neceffaries which were carried off when the French troops entered, fhall be re-eftablifhed, the taking away of which endangered the fafety of the depot.

3. The militia and other forces, which exceed the peace establishment, fhall be disbanded.

4. The Count de Salla, his Majesty's commandant at Alexandria, fhall be recalled.

Upon thefe conditions, which are all either the provisions or the confequence of the conventions figned at Turin and Milan the 8th and 10th of this month, the French republic can still rely on the fidelity of her ally, and banish all fufpicion, notwithstanding errors of too fatal confequences.

I yesterday fent you copies of my proclamation relative to the infurgents. I fend you feveral others. I trust that as well for the fake of humanity, as the intereft of your court, you will take care to have them distributed.

I have appointed an officer to regulate, in concert with a Sardinian officer, every thing that relates to the communications within the limits of the places which we occupy, and the means of facilitating the return of the infurgents.

(Signed)

Proclamation published on the 21st July, at Turin.

Brune.

THE Marquis Don Charles Francis de Thaon, Chevalier, &c. governor of the city and province of Turin.-After the beneficent orders fo often repeated for the prefervation of tranquillity ia his realm, his Majefty hoped to have feen it perfectly restored among his well-beloved fubjects. It is with the greatest astonishment, and the most lively regret, he learns that this tranquillity is in danger of being interrupted anew by evil-defigning perfons, lately returned into his territories, who labour, by falfe and feducing fchemes, to make the people favour their dark and infidious plans, either by predicting ftill greater misfortunes, or by artful exaggerations of the complaints of the country; or, finally, by openly and unrefervedly exciting all defcriptions and claffes of the inhabitants againft individuals of the French nation.

From the atrocious malice of thefe wicked men must result confequences baneful to the public and private tranquillity of his Majefty's fubjects.

The French live in Piedmont under the protection of public treaties of peace and alliance. All hoftile plans that might be executed against them, would, therefore, be contrary to the engagements of his Majefty, and the principles of honour which al

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ways diftinguished his fubjects. They would be, moreover, the fource of the most heavy misfortunes to the ftate, and to individuals.

His Majefty, therefore, being defirous to prevent such disorders, by making known the danger into which the enemies of public peace endeavour to precipitate his good and faithful fubjects, and putting them on their guard against the dark machinations with which they are furrounded, in order to stop the progrefs of fuch perfidious manoeuvres, has ordered us to notify to the public, that it is his Majefty's intention, that all his fubjects fhould abstain from all difcourfe tending to agitate the minds of the people, and to irritate them against the French; that in case of provocation or infult, complaint fhould be made only to their fuperiors, who may be able to adjuft the public peace; and that all those who shall difobey their orders, fhall be deemed disturbers of the public tranquillity, and punished as fuch.

The Ambassador of the French Republic refiding at the Court of Rome, to the Minifter of Foreign Affairs.

Florence, 11 Nivofe (Dec. 31. IN my difpatch, No. 17, I gave you information relative to the prefent fituation of Rome. Events have fince occurred which obliged me to quit that city. On the 6th Nivofe (Dec. 26), three perfons came to me to say that a revolution was to take place in the course of the night; that the public indignation was extreme, and that they apprized me of this, to the end that no new event fhould furprife me. I replied to them, that my fituation at the court of Rome would not allow me to liften tranquilly to fuch an overture, and that the measure appeared to me to be as useless as ill timed. They replied, that they wished to have my advice, and to know whether the French government would protect their revolution, if it fhould be accomplished? I told them that, as an impartial fpectator of events, I fhould give an account to my government of the transactions; and I added, that at the moment of a general pacification, it would be unfortunate that any thing fhould hap pen, to retard it. As a man, I exhorted them to be tranquil: I did not think they had the means within themselves: and I was fure the French government would not protect them. As minifter of France, I enjoined them not to repeat their vifit with fuch intentions. They quitted me with an affurance that every thing fhould be fufpended for the moment. The night accordingly paffed in tranquillity.

Next evening, Chevalier Azarra told me confidentially, that he had just been with the fecretary of state, and that it appeared VOL. VII.

probable