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Participate of this republican feaft, which makes, by a cordial brotherhood, the French and Batavians one people; on this hofpitable ground, where you provifionally experience the first fruits of that happy tranquillity which you will find in your own habitations. Reunite your voices and citizen-like dances as clofely as your hearts are already tied. Recollect, in your warlike fongs, thofe worthy Frenchmen, thofe noble Dutchmen, martyrs to liberty, who fell dead at your fides in the field of honour. Anfwer, through patriotic tones, in the fongs attuned to victory, those which echo from all quarters; from the gates of the capital to the borders of Weftphalia; and to the cries of joy that refound the fucceffes of your brothers on the whole courfe of the Rhine.

Let, fecondly, this new folemnity, ordained as a national acknowledgment, ferve as a token of fucceeding triumphs, the fecurity of the Republic; the joy of its good inhabitants; the defpair of revolters; the terror of our enemies; and an incitement to following generations.-Long live the Republic!

The minifter was then addretfed in a fuitable manner by the reprefentative Lestevenon.

Declaration of the Archduke Charles, published at Mentz, on the 30th of May, and given out in General Orders to the Army.

THE

HE unjust and extravagant demands of the haughty govern ment of France having banithed all hopes of peace, and rendered another campaign unavoidable, his Imperial Majefty has, in confequence, given notice of the ceffation of the armiftice; and hoftilities will recommence on the 31st, between the hours of eleven and twelve at noon.

His Majefty having deigned to confer on me, at this impor tant crifis, the command of this army, and thereby to bestow on me the most flattering proofs of his confidence, it is my duty to exert my utmost powers; and I request and trust that all the troops under my command, on whofe good conduct depend the fafety of our common country, and the obtaining of an honourable peace, animated with an equal zeal and a generous patriotifm, will concur with perfeverance and courage to effect this important and falutary end to which I now exhort them in the most folemn

manner.

The mutual confidence of the troops in their general, and the general in his troops, is indifpenfable to the execution of fo great a plan, and the fulfilment of duties fo noble and fo facred. It is this confidence which I requeft of the army which I have. the honour to command, and which, I flatter myself, I merit by. the fincerity of my attachment.

I am proud to find myfelf at the head of one of the finest and bravest armies which has yet taken the field, and which has already given proofs fo exemplary and fo numerous of the most unalterable courage, and moft unfhaken fidelity.

Without fhewing any predilection or partiality for the troops of the hereditary territories of his Imperial Majefty, merit, wherever found, fhall, without diftinction, receive its due reward; and fufferings, wherever felt, alike excite my commiferation. Our connections, our views, our advantages, are fo closely united, that all have the fame claim to my attachment and affiftance.

The fame spirit muft animate us, founded on reciprocal esteem, and a juft confidence derived from experience.

The generals will labour ftill to increafe among the troops under their respective orders this general attachment to their duty, by ftrengthening in them the fentiment of love for their country, and the noble enthufiafm for renown and glory. They will carefully guard them against the frenzy of the times, which feduces the public opinion, and breaks the bonds of fociety: they will not permit individuals, by imprudent difcourfe, illgrounded cenfure, the mania of political fcandal, or precipitatejudgments, to deftroy the conftant perfeverance of the whole body; they will maintain in the flower of the German people the abfolute conviction, and the most lively fentiment of the juftness of our cause, and they will infpire the foldier with confidence in his leaders and in himfelf, It is certainly imprudent to defpife an enemy, at least relative to his courage and his ftrength; but it is the highest degree of pufillanimity to efteem him above ourfelves, and to attribute to him a fuperiority of which no kind of proof has yet been given.

We fight for every thing which ought to be moft dear to us; and to defend religion, our form of government, property, true political liberty, order, and the laws, against the attacks of a people who have trampled under foot all the bonds of fociety, destroyed all ideas, and all poffeffions; and, deftitute of religion, confcience, or fenfe of duty, endeavour to precipitate all humanity into one common ruin.

We defend the rights of all civilized nations. Germany has confided to us the care of its well-being, and its prefervation. We must answer for this great charge: we can, if we will.

The Field-Marshal will communicate these fentiments to the troops under his command; and will affure them of the unlimited confidence he places in the talents and exertions of their generals, and in the valour and intrepidity which they themselves have manifefted on all occafions.

ARCHDUKE CHARLES, Field-Marshal.

3

Proclamation

Proclamation of General Kleber, commanding the left Wing of the Army of the Sambre and Meufe, to the Inhabitants of the right Bank of the Rhine.

THE pride and the obftinacy of your fovereign princes compel us again to fight them. The French armies are on the point of traverfing your country: the most rigid difcipline will be obferved on their march, for the preservation of order, and the fecurity of the perfons and property of the inhabitants. You will never have reafon to reject the confidence you repose in them, by remaining quietly at your refpective houfes, and profecuting your ordinary occupations. I fhall protect your peaceful habitations from all the evils which attend a state of warfare, and all I require in return is, that you will not quit your houfes. Thofe that reject this offer, and fly with the enemy, fhall be treated as hoftile; they shall be confidered as having endeavoured to promote their caufe, or engaged in their defence; their property fhall be given up to fire and pillage. Inhabitants of the right bank of the Rhine, your fate is in your own power! You are apptifed that it will wholly depend upon the mode of conduct you think proper to adopt. It will give me much fatisfaction to treat you as friends, and not as enemies; nor to be compelled to refort to acts of feverity, which will unfortunately be provoked by your implacable refentment against the troops under my command. 31st May 1796.

(Signed)

KLEBER.

Proclamation of the Archduchefs of Auftria, Maria Elizabeth, to the Inhabitants of Tyrol.

DEARLY AND MUCH BELOVED SUBJECTS,

THE defire you have manifefted to take up arms for the good of fovereigns, and the defence of your country, has often compelled me to fhed tears of gratitude. I am unable to recompence, as I wish, the brave men who devote themselves in a caufe fo loyal; but as an inhabitant of Tyrol I will, for the benefit of the defenders of the country, difpofe of every thing fuperfluous; gold and filver watches, knives, medals, plate, &c. which I will diftribute myself after the war, as acknowledgments to those brave Tyrolians who fhall diftinguish themselves by their courage and and brilliant actions. I entreat all the brave defenders of the country to believe, that they fhall ever be the objects of my moft anxious folicitude, and that I will not neglect to make known to the Emperor, my dear relation, the fervices they thall have

rendered,

rendered, for the purpose of obtaining from him the rewards they

may deferve.

(Signed)

Done at our Court, at Infpruck,
the 30th of May, 1796.

MARIE ELIZABETH.

Proclamation by General Buonaparte and Commillary Salicetti, dated the 30th of Floreal (19th May).

THE French Republic, while it has fworn hatred to tyrants, has fworn fraternity to nations.

This principle, fanctioned by the conftitution of the Republic, is as much a principle of the army. The defpotifm which for fo long a time has held Lombardy under its yoke, has been the cause of great calamities to France; but the French know that the caufe of kings is not the cause of the people.

The victorious army of a monarch are infolent, and spread terror among the nations where they carry their victories; but a republican army, though forced to carry on a deadly war against the kings with whom it contends, promifes friendship to the · people whom its victories deliver from tyranny. Refpect for the perfons and property, and refpect for the religion of the people, are the fentiments which actuate the government of the French Republic, and their victorious army in Italy. Of this the good order which they have obferved from the firft moment of their entry into Lombardy, is no unequivocal proof.

If the victorious French confider the inhabitants of Lombardy as brethren, the latter ought to entertain a reciprocity of affection. The army muft purfue its victories, and drive entirely out of Italy that defpotifm which has held Lombardy in chains. The independence of this country, and its good fortune, depend upon the fuccefs of the French enterprizes. Lombardy then ought to fecond them by all the means in its power. To affure the march of the troops provifions are neceffary, which they cannot receive from France, from which they are feparated; they ought to find then thefe in Lombardy, where they are making their conquests. The rights of war give them fecurity for obtaining them, and friendship ought to be eager to offer them.

Twenty millions of French money are impofed as a contribué tion for this purpofe; the divifion will be made among the diffe rent provinces of Auftrian Lombardy. The terms of payment, which admit of the leaft poffible delay, will be fixed by particular inftructions. It is certainly a moderate contribution for fo fertile a country, particularly when we reflect upon the advantages which must refult from it. The divifion might have been fettled by agents of the French government, and this mode would

certainly

certainly have been reasonable; but the French Republic, not withing to referve to itself this right, has left it to the local authorities, and to the affembly of the state. It only points out to you, as the bafis upon which you ought to levy this contribution, that it ought to be proportionably divided among thofe provinces which formerly paid impofts to the tyrant of Auftria, and that it ought to fall upon the rich and the ecclefiaftical bodies, who too long thought themfelves privileged, and withftood all taxation; do not opprefs the poorer class. If fome requifitions be made in kind, the general in chief, and the commiffary of the government, declare, that there fhall be no furcharge upon the contribution. They will afterwards fettle the price of the articles required, which they will pay to the venders with the produce of the contribution fixed as above, or with the receipts which they will give, inftead of ready money.

Art. I.
I. THE

Proclamation of Commissary Salicetti.

HE council established on the 9th of May laft by the Archduke, at the moment of his flight, on which he devolved, by an edict, the exercife of the fupreme power, is fuppreffed. The prefident of the fupreme tribunal, the two prefi dents of appeal and of the firft inftance, and the prefident of the magiftracy, who were appointed by the Archduke to compofe this council, are prohibited from continuing their functions.

II. The general council of decurions, concentrated into privi leged claffes, whofe functions were referved for extraordinary occafions, having become useless by prefent circumstances, is alfo fuppreffed; and the fame prohibition is extended to the nobles and patricians who compose it.

III. The magistracy, known by the name of magiftrat politique de la chambre, whofe complicated functions having also become ufelefs, tend only to throw obftacles in the way of the fimple courfe of government, is likewife fuppreffed; and thofe who exercifed the office are forbidden to affemble, except it be to replace, after receiving other inftructions, the members of this body, when their functions fhall be rendered fubfervient to the happiness of the people.

IV. The authorities thus fuppreffed thall be provifionally replaced by a military agency, compofed of citizens Maurin, Reboul, and Patrain.

V. The affembly of the ftate, compofed of thirteen members, to whom the government of all Lombardy is committed, is provifionally retained in the functions allotted to it by its inftitution. It fhall exercife thefe functions in the name of the Republic of VOL. V. France,

E

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