defigned for other purposes were carried off by force from the public treafury, to fupply the wants of the troops, and thofe illegal measures found an excufe in the imperious law of neceffity. Every day courier follows courier, to bring to the Directory and to the minifter at war the intelligence of fome misfortune, or the fear of fome new danger. The Directory conjure you, citizens reprefentatives, to beftow the whole of your attention upon the afflicting picture which they present to you, and to occupy yourselves refpecting the fources for fupplying the public treasury with the means neceffary for the fubfiftence of the troops in the interior; the exacteft economy fhall direct the ufe of thofe funds, and fome reforms which the Directory prepare, will foon diminish the consumption and the wants. The armies, fupported by victory, engage no longer the attention of the government but by the accounts of their fuccefs: all their folicitude ought therefore to be confined to the troops in the interior, who are not lefs entitled to the gratitude of the country, and who may expect from it the fuccours which it owes to its defenders. (Signed) REVELLIERE LEPAUX, prefident. Refolution of the Executive Directory refpecting the Suppreffion of the Army of the Coafts of the Ocean. THE Executive Directory, confidering that the troubles which had neceffitated the formation of the army of the coafts of the ocean, and that of the army of the interior, exift no longer; that the feditious who had hoifted the standard of rebellion are difperfed, and that all the inhabitants of the countries which were the theatre of civil war, and of the fatal ravages which it occafioned, have returned to the obedience and fubmiffion they owe to the laws of the Republic; Confidering that it is the intereft of the nation to introduce the ftricteft economy in the expences of the government, and to bring back, as far as circumftances will permit it, order in the finances; refolves as follows: Article I. The army of the coafts of the ocean, and that of the interior, are, and thall remain, fuppreffed, together with the staffs of general officers of thofe reformed armies, after the first day of Vendemiaire, (Sept. 22,) fifth year. Art. II. The 12th, 13th, 14th, and 22d divifions of the army of the coafts of the ocean fhall remain under the vigilance of General Hoche, who fhall preferve the chief command of them; he is confequently authorised to have with him three generals of N 2 brigade, brigade, and three adjutants-general, of whom he will dispose as the fervice fhall require. Art. III. The minifter at war is charged with the execution of this prefent refolution, and will give an account of it to the Directory, which fhall be printed. (Signed) 9th Fructidor (25 Auguft.) THE REVELLIERE LEPAUX, prefident. Executive Directory, 16 Fructidor, (August 27.) HE minifters and all the diplomatic corps affifted at this fitting. The minifter of war prefented to the Executive Directory two aides-de-camp from the army of Italy and the army of the Sambre and the Meufe, bearing the standards taken from the Auftrians. He faid: "CITIZENS DIRECTORS, "You have with all Europe admired the indefatigable activity of the conqueror of Italy. Hitherto all his progrefs was marked by triumphs. There was ftill wanting, to complete his glory, that it fhould be proved by a reverfe. A general, grown hoary in the midst of battles, and fupported by numerous troops, precipitated himself upon our army, and carried for a moment diforder into its ranks; but, thanks to Buonaparte, the fucceffes of the enemy were only ephemeral-the French, always worthy of themselves, and the heroes who command them, foon recovered their fuperiority, and the defeat of the Auftrians was complete. The standards which are now offered to you are the fruits of the victories of Salo, of Lonado, and of Caftigliona. The armies of the Sambre and the Meufe, and the Rhine and the Mofelle, yield in nothing to that of Italy. The trophies they lay before you announce, that on the banks of the Danube, as well as of the Mincio, victory is every where the order of the day, and that the conquerors of Fleurus and of Holland will not belie the wellfounded opinion which their talents and their courage have eftablished. Thanks alfo be rendered to the brave army of the coats of the ocean. Its fucceffes are equally worthy of the national gratitude. The pacification of La Vendée is a triumph as dear to the country as the victories of the other armies. By that happy pacification, Hoche has figned the preliminaries of the glorious peace which Jourdan, Moreau, and Buonaparte, are about at laft to force our enemies to receive. He has marked the term of a war which the blind ambition of Auftria might have ftill for fome time prolonged, but the ravages of which the country will never again have to dread" The aid-de-camp of General Berthier, chief of the etat-majoš of the army of Italy, then addreffed the Executive Directory in the following terms: "CITIZENS DIRECTORS, "You see the standards taken from the enemy by the republicans in Italy. The Auftrians, after having received confiderable reinforcements, attacked fome of our pofts and carried them. Proud of these first advantages, they announced to all Italy, that foon there should not remain a fingle republican in that countrybut fuccefs attended them only for four days. The French troops being concentrated, attacked in their turn this army, for a moment victorious, formidable by its numbers, and the last hope of Auftria. In other four days it was entirely defeated, and all its artillery loft, and Wurmfer, as well as Beaulieu, found in Italy the fame heroes who, in 1792, defied them both at Jemappe. Thefe fucceffes, for ever glorious, are due to the bravery and intrepidity of our foldiers, and to the fkillful difpofitions and indefatigable activity of our young general. Night and day at their head, partaking of their dangers, their fatigues, and their privations, he conducts their attacks, directs their courage, and opens to them every where the road to victory. Citizens Directors, we have to regret the lofs of many brave companions, but they died worthy of the facred cause they defended. I have feen them on the bed of honour, in the field of battle, mortally wounded, and at the point of death, ftop for a moment the laft expiring figh, and thus cheer their comrades: "Courage, my friends, the day is our's!" One grievously wounded, and carried off by his comrades, feeing the general pafs, fufpended the groans which pain had forced from him, and exclaimed, "My general, Vive la Republique!" Citizens Directors, let thefe ftandards, thefe trophies, fealed with republican blood, be the pledge of the affurance that the fole and noble ambition of the army of Italy, and of the general who commands it, is to annihilate for ever the enemies of the Republic, and their highest recompence will be, the having obtained fome claim to the gratitude of their country." The aid-de-camp charged to prefent the ftandards conquered by the army of the Sambre and the Meufe, expreffed himself thus: "CITIZENS DIRECTORS, "The army of the Sambre and the Meufe, guided by your genius, conducted by chiefs of your choice, and animated by the courage of patriotifm and the love of liberty, took from the Auftrians at the battle of Altenkirchen these ftandards, which I have the honour of prefenting to you. Often has it already performed the fame homage to the country, and often fhall it renew it, fhould the enemy be ftill obftinately inclined to refift. Point out to the army always the path to victory, and you will fee it conftantly Conftantly purfue it. Exhibit unceasingly wreaths prepared by the gratitude of the nation, and no facrifice will be too dear to obtain that flattering recompence, to extend the glory of the French name, and to affure the triumph of the Republic." The Prefident replied-" Brave warriors, it is with the most lively joy that the Executive Directory receives the trophies of your victories. The intrepidity and the devotion of the republican foldiers, the courage and abilities of the generals, have carried the glory of the French arms to the highest degree, and established for ever the republican government. The prodigies which they have performed, give the femblance of truth to thofe related to us of antiquity, for they have furpaffed them. May fuch conftancy and fuccefs force at last an obflinate enemy to renounce the ridiculous project of overthrowing the Republic, and render him acceffible to the voice of peace, the continual object of our wishes and of our labours! Let the enemies of France learn befide, that if new triumphs are neceffary to reprefs them, thefe triumphs will be eafily obtained by our warriors. They will finish their work. They will do more. After having given most glorious examples of the war-like virtues in their camps, they will difplay in the bofom of their families all the civic virtues, and all the refpe&t they owe to the laws. Brave warriors, return to your brothers in arms; tell them that the acknowledgments of the nation will be equal to their fervices, and that they may reckon on the gratitude of their fellow-citizens, as well as the admiration of pofterity." The prefident gave the fraternal embrace to the two aides-decamp, and to the brother of General Buonaparte, who had arrived with difpatches, and presented each of them with a fword. Proclamation of the Executive Directory relative to the Events that occurred during the Night of the 11th and 12th Fructidor, (Aug. 28, and 29.) 12 Fructidor, (August 29.) LE ET true patriots, let the friends of order rejoice! It is in vain that anarchy and royalifm unite their efforts to shake the firebrands of difcord, and to diffolve the republican government, Their endeavours fhall be fruitless. Some hundred villains, tranfported with rage at being prevented from exercifing their robbery and their domination, no longer hoping to excite the people to infurrection, but by alarming them for liberty, have laft night fpread through the streets badges of ariftocracy, and ftuck up royalist proclamations. Armed with fabres, guns, and piftols, they meanwhile fcoured the various parts of this great commune. They attempted to excite alarms by the found of fire-arms. They everywhere exclaimed that the royalists royalifts had rallied to maffacre all the patriots. They invited the people to their affiftance. They imagined that, in the midft of this diforder, they thould fave their guilty accomplices, who had all departed at this very moment to the place where the legislative body had convoked the high court of juftice; they were then to have indulged themselves in all the horrors which they had conceived in deviling the confpiracy of Baboeuf. But the people, acquainted with their true interefts, fhewed only their attachment to the Republic, and the conftitution by which it is fecured. They deftroyed all the badges of defpotifm, which the most perfidious cunning had diffeminated. They bestowed upon the monsters, who again wifhed to open the career of guilt, all the horror and contempt which they deferved. Confiding in a government with the real and fincere intention of which they are acquainted, all the citizens remained in the most profound tranquillity. Thanks to the wifdom of the people, and to the courage and good conduct of the troops, to the indefatigable zeal of the magiftrates appointed to watch over the public fecurity, and to that of the brave republican generals, the tranquillity of Paris was preferved, and the defigns of anarchy fuppreffed. They all have a right to the public gratitude. Let the enemies of France at length difcover the inutility of their efforts to mislead the mafs of the people. Let its friends rally round the conftitution, which fecures at once our repofe and our liberty, and let them fecond the efforts of a government refolved to maintain it with equal firmnefs against the attempts of all parties. (Signed) REVELLIERE LEPAUX, prefident. By order of the Directory, LAGARDE, fecretary. PROCLAMATION. Gordon Forbes, Major General and Commander in Chief of all his Britannic Majefty's Forces at St. Domingo, to all the Planters of the Spanish Part of the said Island. SPANISH PLANTERS, YOUR king has ceded to the actual government of France the vaft and rich territory occupied and cultivated by your forefathers and you upwards of three centuries. This treaty is on the. point of being carried into execution; commiflioners fent by the Executive Directory are already arrived in your colony, and prepare the destruction of your property in the fame manner as they have effected it in the rich French colony contiguous to your's. |