Speech of Citizen Reveilliere Lepaux, Prefident of the Executive Directory, delivered in the Champ de Mars, on the Feftival of the 10th of Auguft. AT FRENCHMEN, Ta period which is now remote, reafon began to illuminate our minds, and the facred fire of liberty glowed in our veins! The ftudy of the energetic languages, a taste for which has fince been generally diffufed, the bold fyftems, the fublime ideas, the profound fentiments, the vigorous images of those philofophers and poets who have rendered Europe illuftrious, at length elevated our understandings, and warmed our imaginations. Thus prepared, the American revolution could not remain a fterile example. Since that memorable epoch, the calls of liberty have been liftened to with rapture in France! At her powerful voice the Dauphine fe defcended from their mountains, and the men of Brittany came forth from their heaths and their forefts--they willed their independance! Soon was this generous movement communicated to every part of the nation-the reprefentatives of the people were affembled! The fpirited refolution paffed by the deputies of the people, on the 23d of June, began to fap the foundation of that throne, which had oppreffed us for fo many ages. The fall of the baftile fhook it to its bafis. But it ftill exifted-it threatened to confolidate itself a new, and by increased force to bear down all before it. Bleffed be the immortal day of the 10th of Auguft! for then it was completely overthrown! The friends of liberty, wearied by the manoeuvres of the court, as basely perfidious as deeply corrupted, flocked here from every quarter. Their awful phalanxes attacked the coloffus of royalty, which was then planning new devaftations and new crimes; it crumbled into duft, and the Republic was proclaimed in the face of its most formidable enemies. In vain do the vile partizans of flavery, or men, who, incapable of forgetting an injury, would facrifice the beft and jufteft of caufes to the paffion of revenge. In vain, I fay, do they endeavour to throw a cloud over the enjoyment of this day. Impartial history will fecure its place among the most glorious of epochs. Pofterity will be informed, that though fome profligate men infinuated themfelves into the facred ranks, and fucceeded at firft in establishing their horrid domination; though they completed the measure of their crimes, by profiting of the aftonishment and confufion neceffarily produced by the dreadful fall of an ancient monarchy; fill it is not the lefs true, that the 10th of Auguft was the work of the purelt patriots. All thofe to whom VOL. V. M nature nature had given great courage and vigorous minds contributed to it by their fpeeches, their writings, or their perfonal efforts. Hiftory will declare, that had it not been for the glorious events of the 10th of Auguft, the territory of France would have been parcelled out into fmall portions, and fhared among the members. of a powerful coalition, or the throne would have been firmly eftablished by the deftruction of our infant inftitutions, and then the furious tyrant would have exercifed a vengeance ftill more execrable and more prolonged than that which marked the tranfient reign of the Triumvirate. It will unfold, that had it not been for this day, Frenchmen would never have enjoyed the full extent of thofe rights which give happiness to the focial flate; equality would not have existed, that equality of rights which renders all the public functions. acceffible to every citizen-that equality which affures to us the conflitution of 1795; a conflitution which, while it gives force to the execution of the laws, and fecurity to perfons and property, does not permit any fainily or individual to affume peculiar prerogatives and diftinctions, or to arrogate to themfelves, .even eventually, claims to public offices; a conftitution which obliges the legiflators and the magiftrates of the Republic to return to the condition of fimple citizens, after a fhort exercife of their authority. Finally, history will declare to pofterity, that, to the immortal 10th of Auguft we are indebted for the Republic! The Republic! Ah! is there one whofe heart is fo cold, and whofe mind is fo grovelling, as not to feel the feale of his exiftence enlarged, and his foul elevated by the idea of being one of its citizens, and breathing the air of liberty! Eut, citizens! it is not fufficient to have combated for the Republic, and to have cftablished it by wife laws; it is neceffary to preferve it. What would be your lot were it to perith? Shame and mifery! The means of perpetuating it is in your own hands. Would we be affured that the throne of kings fhall never rife amongst us-let us pull down the throne of vice! let us erect the throne of virtue! Let all the affections of nature, which corruption had nearly extinguished, and which the violence of faction had almost made us forget, refume their empire. Let all the foft tics of focial relations be drawn clofer. Let the endearing names of faithful lover, tender hufband, good father, affectionate child, difinterefted friend, kind neighbour, and honeft man, be preferred to all the empty titles to which ambition has attached fo much value. Let Republican franknefs, and a fimple life, be preferred to the glare of falfe talents and the brilliancy of fortune. It is by moderate efires, by the practice of forgetting one's felf, and thinking only of promoting he happiness of others, that egotifm egotifm can be deftroyed, and thofe exalted characters formed who fly with ardour to the defence of their country, who augment her profperity, and add to her glory. Then burning with the love of our country, we facrifice our interefts for her's. Then generofity and a masculine energy take the place of hatred and the defire of vengeance. In a word, the habitual exercife of all the public and private virtues leads to the oblivion of the evils infeparable from great political concuffions, while it excites a lively fenfe of the happy confequences refulting from fuch a revolution as our's. Rejoice, ye Republicans, worthy of a name fo glorious! Soon fhall our wife inftitutions produce thofe happy effects; then, all Frenchmen, united by one fentiment, and tasting with rapture the fruits they have gathered, will ever blefs the IMMORTAL DAY OF THE TENTH OF AUGUST. Let Let the civic games aid the celebration of this day. every citizen open his heart to the most amiable fraternity and the pureft joy. Heavenly concord! defcend to prefide at our feftivals, where liberty difplays with enthufiafm all the luftre of her charms! A Proclamation by His Imperial Majefty. We FRANCIS II. &c. &c. IN the prefent moment, when a coincidence of the most unex pected events favours the rapid progrefs of the enemy, and calls for our redoubled care to afford affiftance to our ftates menaced in this manner, we find this our resolution strengthened by confidering, that Providence has put us at the head of a nation, which has given us, on every occafion, the most effectual proofs of the greatnefs of their zeal to fupport the measures taken for the defence of their country, of their laws, which render them happy, and of a Prince who returns to their fidelity a love for every individual. Though fear, and perhaps intentional reports, magnify the danger more than it in reality is, and prefent it as nearer at hand, we must not conceal from our faithful subjects that the fituation of affairs is preffing, and does not allow us to remain satisfied with ordinary measures, but impofes on us, and all thofe who wish to fee the welfare of the ftate fecure, more than extraordinary exertions. Much as the long duration of a war, carried on under many changes of fortune, has affected the powers of the nation, yet the refources of fo powerful a ftate are far from being exhausted. M 2 Though Though government continues to refrain with abhorrence from the violent measures which our enemies employ for the fuppreflion of our fellow-citizens and the deftruction of Europe; countries fo well populated, fo fertile, and enriched by nature and industry, ftill offer innumerable means of defence, by employing which we would find ourselves enabled to meet every danger. But we trust in the juftice of our caufe, and in the protection of the Almighty, who regards that juftice, that the moment will not arrive in which the nation will be forced to have recourse to the most extraordinary means. In this perfuafion, we fhall always confine ourfelves only to the measure of calling to arms thofe, who are otherwife, agreeably to the military fyftem, exempted from military fervice; including alfo all foreigners, who have not acquired the rights of citizenship in the Auftrian dominions by refiding in them for ten years. At the fame time we promife to all thofe who fhall willingly follow this our call, and who shall offer to their municipalities to ferve in the army, 1. That as foon as ever we fhall have fecured to the nation, agreeably to our wifh and defire, an honourable and permanent peace, they fhall be difmiffed at the termination of the war. 2. That during the war they fhall be treated as volunteers. 3. That they fhall be at liberty, agreeably to their abilities and capacity, to chufe and name the regiment in which they wish to ferve; and that, 4. As a juft recompence on their return home, every poffible affiftance fhall be given to them in their employments and fettling; and that, on all occafions, they fhall be preferred. Though we can promife ourfelves the principal operation of this proclamation, from the unequivocal fentiments of our faithful fubjects, yet we think it our duty to imprefs upon their minds, that in following willingly this honourable call of their country, they likewife protect their families and private property; and that, if on the contrary, they fhould neglect to join us for the general fecurity, they would be forced, in cafe of unfortunate events, to carry parricidal arms against their native land, and, as abufed organs of the enemy, to promote the ruin of public order, the deftruction of their fellow citizens, and of their families, and to affift in the common destruction. Behold the ftill fmoaking ruins of Italy, and the exceffes and most inhuman cruelties committed there! Behold the devaftations which the once flourishing territories of Germany have fuffered, inundated by the armies of the enemy! And you cannot remain dubious about the terrible fate which threatens every country, and every nation, on being invaded by fuch enemies. Done at Vienna, the 11th of August, 1796. A Copy A Copy of a Circular Letter fent to the Magiftrates in the Northern Counties of England, by Mr. King. IT SIR, T having been judged neceffary to remove a confiderable number of French ecclefiaftics from the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, and it being proposed to land them at different ports in the North of England, from whence they may be diftributed into the neighbouring country, I am directed by the Duke of Portland to acquaint you, that one of the tranfports conveying these unfortunate perfons will be directed to your port. His Grace is confident that the humanity and kindnefs which has been fo univerfally extended to thefe unfortunate exiles, will not be withheld upon this occafion; and he trufts to your benevolent attention to procure them fuch affistance and accommodation, on their arrival, as their diftreffes make neceffary. I am, Sir, Your moft obedient humble fervant, 6 Auguft. (Signed) J. KING, MAYOR OF BOSTON. Decree of the Neutral Affembly of the United Provinces for the Abolition of a privileged Church. 1. THERE cannot, nor fhall be longer any reigning or peculiarly privileged church permitted in the United Nether lands. 2. All placards and refolutions of the former States-General, tending to opprefs the diffenting churches, are revoked and rendered void. 3. No diftinctive drefs fhall be worn, or church ceremonies be exhibited, except within the refpective buildings of either religious perfuafion. Nor fhall any bells be rung, in future, for the fervice of the church. 4. A commiffion fhall be appointed, as fpeedily as poffible, to investigate all thofe difficulties, which are the remains of a predominant church; to examine into the funds of payment, and to devife regulations, in fome wife, for the future fubfiftence of teachers, and others connected with the church. 5. A circular miffive fhall be dispatched throughout all quarters. of the Republic, exhorting the proper perfons to remit and do away all perfonal fuppreffive burdens laid on thofe of the diffenting churches; and requefting their immediate anfwer, for the fatisfaction of this affembly. 13 Auguft. Nuremberg, |