Paftoral Letter from the Archbishop of Mechlin, to the Commissioner of the Executive Directory with the Administration of the Canton.

Citizen Commiffioner,

THE Catholic, Apoftolic, and Roman religion, which I pro

fefs from my heart, and of which I am one of the principal paftors, pofitively prohibits me from taking an oath of hatred, whether it relates to the perfon of a king, or to royalty itself. In the first inftance, we ought to love our neighbour, even though we fuffer injuries ;-in the fecond, royalty being good in itself, and of divine institution, it cannot be an object of hatred; which hatred is not permitted to one or the other, without renouncing the principles of Chriftianity; much lefs to call God to be the witness to an action, the perpetration of which is forbidden under pain of eternal punishment. The impoffibility in which we now find ourfelves of fulfilling what is required of us, fhould by no means render our fidelity fufpected; for I flatter myself that you have fufficient grounds for informing the government, that neither myfelf nor any of my clergy would make any fcruple against promifing to the republic, and if neceffary, under an oath, never to co-operate, either directly or indirectly, in the re-establifhment of monarchy in France; and that the faid government may perfectly affured that they fhall never have caufe to punish any infractions in the priefts, for acting in oppofition to their views, except when the laws of the conftitution fhall be irreconcilable with the laws of God and the precepts of the gofpel. For what remains, we have given, and fhall continue to give, evident proofs of our fubmiflion to the powers to which Divine Providence. has fubjected us; and the Belgian clergy have hitherto certainly conducted themselves in fuch a manner, in the patient fufferance of the loss of all their effects, that it is fcarcely poffible to find any fubject of complaint against them.

Health and fraternity.

Proclamation of the Executive Directory to the French People, That the French Armies be complete and ready to march on the 15th Vendemiaire next, Get. 6.

Citizens,

Fourth complementary Day, 5th Year,

THE 18th Fructidor has reduced to filence the orators of London, who held their fittings in Paris.

Since that memorable day, the English ambaffador, urged to

explain

explain himself in a pofitive manner as to the first object of his miffion, has returned to England.

On her fide, Auftria fuffers herself to be governed by the cabinet of St. James's, which is inceffantly bartering for the divifion of Europe, and the commotiens of the continent. The Emperor himself acts in contradiction to the wishes of his ftates, and thofe of his heart: he refifts the need his people have of peace, and gives himself up exclufively to preparations for war.

His armaments warn us of what we have to do for ourselves. It it be intended to take advantage of that generous confidence which led us to fubfcribe to the preliminary articles of Leobenif, with peace ever in their mouths, our enemies breathe nothing but war-the French nation, which fpeaks of war only because it wishes for peace, muft prepare itself to preferve its dignity; and the valour of its armies must refume its advantages.

It, above all things, behoves us fully to convince the enemy, that there now no longer remains in France but one fingle party, one fentiment, one intereft-that of the fovereign people, who are fenfible of their grandeur, and will preferve their liberties.

The Executive Directory.confults only thefe motives.

The constitutional law authorizes it to provide for the safety of the state. It feels a fatisfaction in making you judges of the reafons which determine it to make ufe of that facred right.

Your enemy, who could not refift your courage, thought to vanquish you by craft. He deceived you by the parade of his negotiations. Had he fincerely wifhed for what he appeared to feek, peace would have been concluded. The Executive Directory had been eager to ftop the career of the French armies. It yielded fincerely to the hope of conciliation which was made to glitter before its eyes; and it exulted in idea at the means which it was going to have in its power of rendering liberty dear, and of procuring France as much happiness in peace, as the had acquired glory in war.

But, after having obtained that interruption to the course of our victories, what was the intention? To gain time; to foment among you inteftine divifions; to take advantage of their effects, to make Frenchmen maffacre one another, until the proper moment should arrive when they might fall upon the wrecks, and divide among themselves the bleeding parts of a thus divided country, and blot out France from the lift of nations! Republican franknefs could not fufpect this fnare of the politics of courts; but you have feen, citizens, whether this plan has been faithfully followed. Your public officers compofed for the greater part the auxiliary army which fought in the midst of you for your most cruel enemies. They had called for hordes of those barbarous emigrants, eager to tear the bofom of their country, and those fa natic priefis, fkilled in blowing about every where the murderous

zeal

zeal of homicidal piety. The national tribune no longer refounded but with the voice of the deputies of Auftria and England calumniating your defenders, infulting your generals, bufy in palfying your government, and reducing it by degrees to that abfolute ftate of infignificance which correfponded fo well with their royal inftructions, and the wishes of their employers.

At length the veil is torn off: the partifans of foreigners are no longer the organs of the national will: the helm of the republic is in republican hands, and the people of France have French representatives.

Citizens, in these circumftances, what part ought your magiftrates to take? Animated with the fincere defire of giving to France a folid and lafting peace, worthy of the republic, fuitable to its intercits, and confiftent with its engagements, in what manner ought they now to reprefs the infolence, and elude the frauds of the cabinet of London? How ought they to act, to compel the cabinet of Vienna to remain no longer indecifive, and to deliver Auftria itself from the English influence, the only real obftacle to the peace of Europe?

There is but one courfe to be taken. Since your enemies, while they feigned to negotiate, preferved themselves in a hoftile posture, their example compels you to refume your arms, and at once abfolves you from the blame of all the calamities which muft be, to their countries, the inevitable confequence of the rupture of the truce.

If war be a fcourge which cannot be fufficiently detefted, but the horror of which falls upon its authors; if humanity revolt against those who fhed blood, who deftroy cities, and lay waste provinces, without any neceffity; if the authors of an iniquitous war be refponfible for the death of the flain, for the burning of habitations, for the deftruction of commerce, and for all the diforders and crimes which men in arms commit; if thofe who unreasonably nourish the fury of war be rerocious monsters, unworthy of the name of men, and not only the enemies of the countries through which they spread devaftation, but of all the human race: you, who have been forced to combat, during fix years, for your independence! you, whom perfidious politicians have endeavoured to make the victims of civil war! you who, conquering and triumphant, have refted your arms, to propofe and to liften to terms of peace! you have not to fear the imprecations, the anathemas, which nature and juftice will direct against your enemies! Compelled to return to the fanguinary conteft from which you had withdrawn, you can declare your intentions before all the world, and take Heaven to witnefs that the cause you defend is juft.

Refume then your arms, citizens, without ceafing to defire peace. Your government perfeveres in offering conditions which

are

are reasonable: perhaps the warlike countenance you are going again to affume will be fufficient to make these conditions be acceded to; but if they be refufed, you will maintain the honour and the laws of the republic.

In the name of the nation, to fulfil its will, to fecure its rights, to preserve its glory, the executive power recalls to their ftandards all the defenders of the country who are not at their pofts, from whatever cause they may be abfent.

The Executive Directory, therefore, require their commiffioners in the departments to cause to be executed, without delay, and without exception, the laws of the 4th Frimaire and 4th Nivofe, of the 4th year, the decree of the 4th Ventofe, and other fubfequent decrees, and to make all the troops of every defcription, and all perfons belonging to the requifitions, who may be found in their departments, join the armies by the 15th Vendemiaire (October 6).

Frenchmen! it is neceffary that your armies be completed by that period, that they be ready to march, and that their imposing and terrible attitude command that glorious peace which should have, fix months ago, been the fruit of their triumphs.

The Executive Directory decree, that this proclamation fhall be printed, folemnly published, and pofted up in all the communes of the republic, under the direction of the commiffioners of the central and departmental administrations; and that the minister at war shall take every measure for its prompt and effectual execution, an account of which he shall render in three days to the Directory,

(Signed) L. M. REVEILLIERE LEPAUX.

The Minifter of the Marine Department and Colonies to the Civil and Military Officers, and to the Seamen and Marines of the Navy.

Citizens,

THE time is at length arrived, when peace, reftored to the continent by the wifdom of the Executive Directory and the yalour of our brave armies, leaves to the republic only one enemy to vanquifh. The folicitude of the legislative body and the government, the hopes of the whole nation, will centre in the navy, and the moft efficacious means will concur for the increase of this most important part of the public force.

Marines, it is you who henceforward will have to fight; it is to you that is referved the honour of terminating a war, which has for fo long a time afflicted human nature, to footh the ambition and hatred of a proud and perfidious power. E

VOL. VII.

You

You remember what has been the policy of the English govern ment fince the commencement of the revolution: it was it that by artifice and manoeuvre fet on foot the coalition of the kings of Europe against a nation which withed to enjoy liberty, and which, exclufively occupied in its own regeneration, had folemnly declared that it would not interfere with the government of any people.

It was the English government that fowed in France the feeds of trouble, miftruit, diffenfion; which lavished gold to divide the first authorities, and to difgrace, by its excefs, our most noble inftitutions.

It is the English government which, in defpite of the rights of men, attempted to ruin our finances by the introduction of falfe affignats, and by the adulteration of the coin.

It is the English government which, having got poffeffion of the port of Toulon, not by force, but by the bafelt treachery, threw into dungeons, or caufed to be allallinated, your brethren in arms faithful to their country. It was the English who, forced to fly thamefully, carried flames into the magazines, the veffels, and the habitations of the citizens, in the hope of converting into an heap of cinders this bulwark of the republic in the Mediterranean.

It is the English government that lighted up the torches of civil war in La Vendée, in the departments of the Weft, at Lyons, and in the South. It was it that drew together, under the banners of fanaticifm and ariftocracy, credulous men deluded by traitors, who had fold themfelves to that government. It is it, that for the space of four years has inceflantly fanned that confuming fire, little caring whether it was profperous or unfuccefsful, provided the blood of Frenchmen flowed.

It is the English government that has vomited upon our coafts the refugees who wifhed to tear the bofom of their country, in order to fubject us again to the yoke of defpotifm. It is that which, by every kind of feduction, introduced all the royalists who propofed the counter-revolution, and whofe infamous projects were defeated by the glorious day of the 18th Fructidor (September 4).

It is that government, in fine it is that alone, which prolongs the troubles that' ftill agitate feveral countries of the world, and endeavours to deceive Europe by. falfe demonftrations, and an apparent defire of peace.

Sailors, the moft brilliant career now opens before you foon will the army of England be ailembled on the ocean; you go to mingle with the conquerors of Fleurus and Arcola; the hero of Italy, all thofe brave men who have extended the limits of the republic, fhall be in your ranks, in your veffels, and their pre

fence