court of Vienna, they still hesitated in believing that the latter wifhed to revive the war. Soon, however, a fact more decifive than all the former ones, left no doubt of the difpofition of Auftria, and confequently afforded a full infight into that of the grand duke. Twenty-five thoufand Ruffians advanced towards Germany; they were to be followed by feveral corps equally numerous. The Ruffian monarch had proclaimed throughout Europe his hoftile defigns against the republic; and whilft his fleets, obtaining leave to pass the straits, intereft the Mediteranean ftates to attack the poffeffions of France, his troops fought a paffage on the continent to attack the troops of the republic: it was at the moment in which the emperor was ftill in a state of peace, in which the empire, neutralized by a fpecial armiftice, was near the period of pacification, that a prince commit ting an aggreffion, that an ally of London and Conftantinople, withing to unite his efforts to theirs, appeared upon the limits of the Auftrian territory; his army was received without any obftacle: it is evident that it was expected. The emperor quits his capital, goes himself to meet the Ruffians, accepts their congratulations, and affociates himself to their projects, by heaping upon them prefents and attention. Struck with the fcandal of fuch a conduct, instructed that the Ruffians were to pafs from the Auftrian territory to the territory of the empire, the directory, ftill repreffing the firft impulfe of the national pride, contented themfelves with demanding explanations from the emperor and empire. The emperor was filent: his plenipotentiary wifhed to deny that he had re ceived the note of the French miề nifters. The deputation of the empire referred to the diet, and the diet to the empire. The march of the Ruffians continued: they traversed Moravia and Auftria: they approach Bavaria and the amicable reprefentations of the republic have not been liftened to more than the intereft of Germany, which is againft this foreign invafion. The moment was then arrived, in which the directory could no longer tem porife, and hold a language which might compromife the national dig nity and the fafety of the ftate. The republic had given peace as foon as it was afked: fhe had exhausted herself in efforts to maintain what the had granted: but it was neceffary, at length, that the fhould know her enemies, and that those who wifhed for war fhould be forced to explain themfelves. Such were the fpirit and object of the two notes tranfmitted, on the 12th of laft Nivofe, to the Auftrian minifter at Raftadt, and to the deputation. A delay was fixed for his imperial majefty to give a categorical and fatisfactory reply, in failure of which, his filence or his refufal would be regarded as a hoftile act. That delay expired on the 27th Pluviose, and no reply is yet arrived. Such, citizens reprefentatives, has been the conduct of the court of Vienna. It is by fuch a fucceffion of facts, that the treaty of Campo Formio, not acknowledged from the commencement, unexecuted on the part of Auftria in feveral of its principal parts, compromised and invalidated daily by hoftile preparations or actions, is at length facrificed to the rapacity of the Ruf fian monarch, and the perfidious combinations of Eugland. It is thus that that the emperor, carried perhaps beyond his own refolutions, compromiles at the fame time the fate of the empire, deprives himfelf of the benefits of a peace begun, and gives up Germany anew to all the chances of a war, in which the emperor and the empire are no more than the auxiliaries of Ruflia. It is thus that, the determinations of the court of Vienna carrying with them thofe of the court of Tulcany, it is not permitted to the directory to separate one from the other. Forced then, in the terms of the declaration made at Raftadt, to confider the filence of the emperor as a hoftile meafure; infructed besides that the Auftrian troops have already made aggreffive movements in Bavaria towards Suabia, the directory, renouncing with regret the hope of maintaining peace in Germany, but fill difpofed to liften to fuitable propofitions for a new and complete reconciliation, inform you, citizens reprefentatives, that they have already taken fuch meatures as they have thought necellary for the defence of the fiate; and propofe to you to declare war againit the emperor, king of Hungary and Bohemia, and against the grand duke of Tufcany. (Signed) Barras, president. Lagarde, fec. general. veffels; and as it is important to put an end to the impediments which have refulted therefrom to the American commerce; after having heard the foreign minifter and the minifter of juftice, they declare, that by, article 4th of the above decree it was not intended that the navigation of American hips, relative to the form of their roles d'equipage, should be fubject to other condi tions than thofe inpofed on all neutral bottoms, by the 12th article of the regulation of 1744, and by article 9th of that of the 26th July, 1788. And this is ordered to be inferted in the bulletin of the laws. Meffage from the French Directory to the Councils of Elders and Five Hundred; October 25th 1799. Citizens reprefentatives, THE HE executive directory haften to announce to you, that the projects of the Anglo-Ruffians, landed on the territory of the Dutch republic, have failed, and that a capitulation demanded by them was figned at Alkmaar, on the 26th of laft Vendemaire (October 18). By the conditions impofed upon them, they are to re-embark as foon as pofiible, and to evacuate entirely, by the 9th Frimaire next (December 1), the Dutch territory, the coafts, ifles, and internal navigation depending on them: the reinforcements which may arrive are not to 'be landed, and are to return imme diately. The batteries of the Helder are to be restored, and the damages repaired, and the parts which have been improved are to remain as they are; all the pieces of artillery which were there are to be given up; there is to be no injury, either by making inundations, cutting the dikes, or obftructing the navigation. Finally, 8000 prifoners of war, French and Dutch, taken anterior to the expedition, and detained in England, are to be given up, independently of the cartel of exchange, which hall continue to be exe cuted. Such are to England the refults of this grand expedition, which was in a fhort time to invade the Batavian republic, and menace even the territory of the French republic. (Signed) Gohier, prefident. La Garde, fec.-gen. Proclamation of General Buonaparte. Nov. 10, eleven o'clock at night, the difpofition of the force neceffary to fecure its independence. Iowed it, my fellow-citizens, to the foldiers who are perifhing in our armies, and to the national glory, acquired at the price of their blood, to accept of this command. The councils being affembled at St. Cloud, the republican troops guaranteed their fafety from without; but within, affaffins had established the reign of terror. Several members of the council of five hundred, armed with poniards and fire-arms, circulated around them nothing but menaces of death. The plans which were about to be develloped were laid afide, the majority was diforganized, the most intrepid orators were dilconcerted, and the inutility of every wife propofition was made evident. I bore my indignation and my grief to the council of elders, I demanded of them to enfure the execution O divifion reigning among ft all of their generous defigns. I repre a the constituted authorities. There fented to them the maladies of their ger, ger. They fucceeded in bearing ine away. At this time the cry of "Outlaw!" was raised against the defender of the law. It was the ferocious cry of affaffins against the force which was destined to restrain them. They preffed around the prefident, threatened him to his face, and, with arms in their hands, ordered him to decree me out of the protection of the law. Being informed of this circumstance, I gave orders to rescue him from their power, and fix grenadiers of the legiflative body brought him out of the hall. Immediately after the grenadiers of the legillative body entered at the pas de charge into the hall, and caused it to be evacuated. The factious were intimidated, and difperfed themfelves. The majority, releafed from their blows, entered freely and peaceably into the hall of fitting, heard the propofitions which were made to them for the public fafety deliberated, and prepared the falutary refolution which is to become the new and provifional law of the republic. Frenchmen! you will recognize, without doubt, in this conduct, the zeal of a foldier of liberty, and of a citizen devoted to the republic. The ideas of prefervation, protection, and freedom, immediately refumed their places on the difperfion of the faction who wifhed to opprefs the councils, and who, in making themselves the moft odious of men, never cease to be the most contemptible. (Signed). (Counterfigned) Buonaparte. Berthier. Letter from the Minifter for foreign Affairs, to the foreign Agents of the Republic. IN Paris, November 12. N tranfmitting to you, citizens, the law enacted by the legiflative body in its late fitting of the 19th of November, I announced to you, that the confuls of the French republic immediately took into their hands the reins of government. The conftitution of the 3d year, the produce of very imperfect experience, and of the influence of fome tranfient circumftances, was on the point of perishing under its internal defects, and the paffions of men. Too often violated by the higheft authorities, folicited by every pallion in its turn, and incellantly infringed by them all, it had ceated to command the refpect of Frenchmen, and to prove falutary for the republic. It therefore became necellary to fave the principles on which it refted, from perifaing along with it. A grand impulfe on every mind could alone rally round the fame object, the wifes and the hopes of citizens, harmonize a'l the powers, revive all the fources of the public ftrength, and excite an energy. unanimous, vigorous, and truly republican, for its direction. That impulfe has been given; and all the authorities, now of a proper temper, powerful from their concert, and the confidence repofed in them by the nation, are going to labour efficatioufly in the execution of the grand work which the deftinies of the republic impofe upon them, to organize order in all the parts of the adminiftration, refiore internal tranquillity, and procure a folid and beneficial peace. The oath, citizens, prefcribed for you to take, is a proof that the bases on which the hopes of Frenchmen, and the happinets of future genera tions.repose, remain untouched. The men placed at the head of the government have given fufficient pledges to liberty; their names command refpect and confidence enough to convince France and Europe, that these bases will be guaranteed, both against the attempts of external enemies, and the fhocks of faction. The confuls of the republic, in authorizing you to continue the functions which you now fill, have charged me to inform you, that I have notified their inftallation to the foreign agents refident at Paris. You will find fubjoined a copy of my circular note. They have alfo charged me to defire you to addrefs to the government at which you refide, a notification of the powers with which they are invested, and of the hopes of wifdom and concord with which they are animated. You will take care to add, that, to procure for Europe a folid and honourable peace, it is neceffary that the declaration with which I conclude my circular note to the foreign agents thould be ftrongly felt, and that the faith in the loyalty, power, and juftice of the government of the republic, fhould be every where equal to the fincerity of the wishes which it will not cease to entertain for peace, and to the fidelity with which it is unalterably determined to maintain its engagements. I tranfmit to you the formula of an oath to be taken by all the agents, political and confular, of the republic, and alfo by the French citizens refident in foreign ftates, or temporarily abfent from their country. I invite you to communicate to the agents in concert with whom you act, the letter which I write to you. They will adminifter the oath to fuch of their fellow-citizens as fhall be Paris, 21ft Brumairė (12th Nov.) HE conftitution of the third THE year has perished. It knew not how to protect your rights, or to fupport itfelf. Multiplied attacks deprived it for ever of the respect of the people. Heinous and ambitious factions divided the republic between them. France at length approached to the last term of a general diforganization. The patriots have made them- ́ felves heard. Every thing that could injure you has been removed. Every thing that could ferve you, every thing that remained pure in the national reprefentation, is united under the banners of liberty. Frenchmen! the republic, thus re-established and replaced in Eu rope in the rank which he never fhould have loft, will proceed to realize all the hopes of citizens, and will accompany its glorious deftinies. Take with us the oath which we have made, "to be faithful to the republic, one and indivifible, founded on equality, liberty, and the respresentative fyftem." By the confuls of the republic, (True copy) Sieyes. Hugues Bernard Maret, fec.-gen. |