fence alone fhall make the enemies tremble, who fhall not long have any barrier to oppofe to you. Adminiftrators, a grand taik is impofed upon you: the works must receive a new impulse; activity is about to reign in the arfenals; and the genius of liberty, which has created the French armies, which has produced fo many prodigies, which has triumphed over fo many obstacles, will prefide over the reftoration of the navy. Felicitate yourselves in your co-operation in fo important a labour; and let the love of the country, that energetic fentiment which, under royalty, is no more than a vain word, which exifts only in republics, redouble your zeal and your efforts. All you, citizens, to whom the Executive Directory confides the deareft interefts of the republic, depend upon its paternal folicitude; the end of your privation is at hand; your wants and those of your families fhall be provided for, and you shall have no longer to ftruggle against that penury which has fo long afflicted you, without diminishing your courage. Second the endeavours of the government; remember the caufe which you are to defend, and you will defend it: be all united in the fame fentiment; let the fame with exift in every heart which fhould be pronounced from every mouth, "Perifh the English government! Live the republic!" Note prefented from the Ambassador of the Ottoman Porte, refpecting the Occupancy of Dalmatia and Iftria by the Imperial Troops. Citizen Directors, THE unexpected occupancy by the Auftrian troops, of Iftria and Dalmatia, the reports circulated that his Imperial Majefty proposes to maintain himself in the poffeffion of these provinces, will not fuffer the Ottoman Porte to remain indifferent as to the future state of a country fo near to its dominions, and belonging to an ancient republic, its faithful friend and ally. The amballador of the Ottoman Porte finds himfelf obliged to explain to the Directory his fentiments on an object which the interests of his court, and the friendship fubfifting between it and the French republic, require to be taken into ferious confideration. The ambaffador is far from believing, that the above-mentioned Occupancy could have been made by the filent or explicit confent of the general in chief Buonaparte; and he is firmly perfuaded, that that illuftrious general must have feen with difpleasure a proceeding fo arbitrary, and fo contrary to the interefts of the Ottoman Porte, as well as to thofe of the French nation, in E 2 whofe 1 whofe name he commands the armies of Italy. The ambaffador knew how to appreciate as highly as he ought the loyalty of the French nation. He knows that, conftant to the principles of real friendship, it could not fail to remark the firmnefs which the Porte has shown, fince the first moments of the political regeneration of France, to remain its faithful ally, and how much the influence of its fovereign on the powers of Barbary has contributed towards provifioning the French fouthern provinces, in circumstances the most critical. The French nation is too dear to its heart for it to believe, that in the moment of negotiation for peace, and when it is about to restore tranquillity to Europe, the French government would confent that the above provinces fhould remain under the power of Auftria. baffador cannot think but the Executive Directory will employ all means, and even the force of arms, to oblige the Emperor to relinquish them. The am The ties of ftrict amity and alliance which unite the Ottoman Porte to the French nation, require that the Directory fhould ufe all its efforts to that effect. This affair is of fuch importance, that the utmost precautions are neceffary to prevent the grievous confequences that might refult from the contrary. It is a common intereft. If Iftria and Dalmatia be granted to the Emperor, there can be no doubt but, become master of those naval forces which belonged to a peaceful republic, he will rife to the rank of a maritime power, and acquire means terrible and perfectly difaftrous to the Ottoman empire. This alliance with Ruffia and England, whofe known defigns are to drive the Sublime Porte, if poffible, from the European provinces, will acquire a ftrength to which it will not be easy to oppofe fufficient obftacles. The Black Sea will be open to the Ruffian fleets, and the Adriatic Sea to thofe of the Emperor. If he remains mafter of Dalmatia, to which will neceffarily be united the republic of Ragufa and Albania, Bofnia will be entirely uncovered, and muft yield to the first shock, because it is deftitute of fortreffes, and would be furrounded every where, but on the eaft, by the Auftrian countries. Epirus, Macedonia, and the other countries as far as the Morea, would run the fame rifk. The commerce of the French would be annihilated in the Levant, fince the productions and merchandifes of Hungary, Dalmatia, and Germany, could be more eafily and fpeedily embarked and conveyed, by a fhorter paffage, than thofe coming from the Mediterranean. This fhort expofition will no doubt offer ample materials for the reflections of the Directory, and it will have no difficulty to convince itself, that the glory and interefts of France require them to take decifive and efficacious measures. The French republic will fhow the fame loyalty and conftancy that it has always done towards its ally the Grand Seignior. Firm in its fentiments, it will not fuffer itfelf to be the caufe of injury to a ftate, which, on all occafions, and in moments of the greatest embarrassment, knew how to refift the intrigues and infinuations of its enemies. The ambaffador, fully convinced that fuch are the fentiments which guide the Executive Directory, expects fhortly to see the happy effects of them: it will be to him the highest fatisfaction to be able to tranfmit to the Sublime Porte allurances to that purpose. Proclamation of the Executive Directory to the French People, 5th Brumaire, 6th Year (26th October). Citizens, THE proclamation of the fourth complementary day, the fifth year, had for its object to put the French armies in a condition to march on the 15th Vendemiaire. The defenders of the country have heard the voice of the Executive Directory; on all fides they rejoined their refpective armies, and the minifter of war has given in on this head the most fatisfactory accounts. By this generous ardour, by this cagerness to maintain liberty, we have recognised the men of France. Their warlike countenance has already overthrown the obstacle which the cabinet of St. James's fo long oppofed to the conclufion of peace with the Emperor. At the fight of your attitude, Auftria returned to her real interefts, and on the 26th of last Vendemiaire the treaty, fufpended for more than fix months, was signed at San Formio, near Udina, between the general in chief Buonaparte, plenipotentiary of the French republic, and four plenipotentiaries of the Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia. You will learn with pleasure, that several millions of men are restored to liberty, and that the French nation is the benefactress of the people. Yet this is not all. To fettle the peace of the Empire, a congrefs is to be affembled. Citizens, every thing prefages that you will in a little while gather the fruit of fo many facrifices. The peace of the continent, will foon be fixed upon eternal bases. It only remains for you to punith the perfidy of that cabinet of London, which ftill blinds courts in fuch a manner as to make them the flaves of her maritime tyranny, and which deceives the English themselves, by extorting from them the means of prolonging upon the ocean the calamities of war, the effufion of human blood, the deftruction of commerce, and all the horrors that it trades in and pays, but which must foon fall alone upon her. It is at London that the miferies of Europe are fabricated: it is there that we must put an end to them. Citizens, Citizens, under thefe circumftances, you fee near at hand the period of thofe military efforts which the government expect still from French valour; but until the near approach of that moment in which this object may be fulfilled, take care not to lay down the arms which render you fo terrible to the enemies of your in-' dependence; take care not to listen to the perfidious machinations of those who would render the effects of your triumphs null. They will repeat to you, that peace being made, you ought to haften to return to your homes. Yes, without doubt the Directory have juft figned for you a peace; but to enjoy its bleffings we must complete our work, enfure the execution of the treaty concluded between France and the Emperor, decide speedily thofe to be concluded with the Empire, crown at length your exploits by an invafion of that island, whither your ancestors carried flavery under William the Conqueror, and bring back thither, on the contrary, the genius of liberty, which muft land there at the fame time with the French. Citizens, be allured that the government defire to accelerate the happy moment, in which, in concert with the legislative body, they fhall be able to reduce the armies to a peace establishment, reward the heroes who compose them; and, after having confecrated their valour by monuments and fêtes worthy of their triumphs, circulate throughout all their cantons the true republican fpirit, with which the armies have been conftantly animated, by fending back to their homes all fuch of the defenders as fhall have a right to return to them. But you fhall judge of it yourselves the hour is not comeyet a few moments more, and the French republic, triumphant, confirmed, and.every where recognised, fhall enjoy the repose which the will procure for the world. Decree of the Executive Directory, 5th Brumaire (26th Qctober), the 6th Year. HE Executive Directory refolves as follows: THE 1. There fhall be affembled, without delay, upon the coafts of the ocean, an army, which shall take the name of the Army of England. 2. Citizen general Buonaparte is appointed general in chief of that army. It shall be provifionally commanded by citizen Defaix, general of divifion, who, for that purpose, fhall immediately repair to Rennes. 3. The minifter of war is charged with the execution of the prefent arret, which fhall be. inferted in the Bulletin des Lois. (Signed) REVEILLIERE LEPAUX, Prefident. LAGARDE, Sec. Gen. Subftance Subftance of the Speech of Citizen Monge on prefenting the Treaty γου The liberty of Greece was unable to refrit the treasures of the king of a petty nation, fcarcely emerged from her bafeness. The means of corruption poffeffed by the tyrants of India are much more extensive than thofe of the King of Macedon. For a much longer period has the government of England fuccefsfully employed that inftrument which has fo much disgraced it; and whatever be our virtues, it would be prefumptuous to believe that we are lefs corruptible than the citizens of Sparta or Athens. The English government and the French republic cannot therefore exift to gether! You have spoken, and already our terrible brigades begin to brandish their victorious (words, and Scipio is at their head. Did I poffefs in my country that authority with which his fignal patriotic fervices and brilliant virtues invested Cato at Rome, I fhould, notwithstanding, fay to the first magiftrates of the republic "Deftroy a government which has corrupted the morals of the whole world; but preferve a people to whom Europe is indebted for a great part of its knowledge. "Do not opprefs a people who have given Newton to the world-a people refpectable for their perhaps unparalleled patriotif, and worthy of a better government. Elevate the government to the dignity of the people: perfect that liberty which they idolize, and reitore them to the free exercife of their natural virtues. Let the English nation continue to exift with glory— Let it be the rival of the French nation; but let the emulation of the two countries be to contribute to the progrefs of knowledge, and to the perfection of the human mind; and may there be no other rivalship between us than for the happiness of the world!" Speech of Citizen Reveilliere Lepaux, Prefident of the Directory, to GLORIOUS for the republic are thofe days whereon the cry of victory inceffantly refounds in this hall. Delightful is that moment when the voice of peace is heard, particularly when it is fucceeded by confequences equally beneficial and brilliant. What a concatenation of marvellous events have occurred fince the period when reafon first called us to declare our independence, until the moment when peace is about to fix its feal to the revolution! Powerful 1 |