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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 instructions, 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 reprefentatives.

Citizens, in thefe circumstances, 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 interefts, 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 themfelyes in a hoftile pofture, 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 detested, but the horror of which falls upon its authors; if humanity révolt against those who fhed blood, who deftroy cities, and lay wafte provinces, without any neceflity; 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 those who unreasonably nourish the fury of war be ferocious monfters, unworthy of the name of men, and not only the enemies of the countries through which they spread devastation, 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 rested your arms, to propose 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 caufe 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 refused, you will maintain the honour and the laws of the republic.

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In the name of the nation, to fulfil its will, to fecure its rights, to preferve 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 absent.

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 de-. fcription, 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 impofing 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 adminiftrations; and that the mi-. nifter at war fhall take every measure for its prompt and effectual execution, an account of which he fhall 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

'HE time is at length arrived, when peace, reftored to the: continent by the wifdom of the Executive Directory and the valour of our brave armies, leaves to the republic, only one enemy to vanquish. 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. it r E

VOL. VII.

You

You remember what has been the policy of the English government fince the commencement of the revolution: it was it that by artifice and manœuvre set 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.

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It was the English government that fowed in France the feeds of trouble, miftiuft, diffenfion; which lavished gold to divide the firft 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 basest treachery, threw into dungeons, or caufed to be affaffinated, your brethren in arms faithful to their country. It was the English who, forced to fly fhamefully, 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 fanaticifin and ariftocracy, credulous men deluded by traitors, who had fold themfelves to that government. It is it, that for the fpace of four years has inceffantly fanned that confuming fire, little caring whether it was profperous or unfuccessful, 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 royalifts 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 still 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 how opens before you: foon will the army of England be affembled 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

fence alone fhall make the enemies tremble, who fhall not long have any barrier to oppose to you.

Adminiftrators, a grand talk is impofed upon you: the works inuft receive a new impulse; activity is about to reign in the arsenals; and the genius of liberty, which has created the French armies, which has produced fo many prodigies, which has triumphed over fo many obftacles, will prefide over the restoration 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 dearest interefts of the republic, depend upon its paternal folicitude; the end of your privation is at hand; your wants and thofe of your families fhall be provided for, and your 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 cause which you are to defend, and you will defend it: be all united in the fame fentiment; let the fame wifh exist in every heart which should be pronounced from every mouth, "Perifh the English government! Live the republic!”

Note prefented from the Ambassador of the Ottoman Porte, respecting the Occupancy of Dalmatis and Istria by the Imperial Troops.

Citizen Directors,

THE unexpected occupancy by the Auftrian troops, of Iftria

and Dalmatia, the reports circulated that his Imperial Majefty propofes to maintain himself in the poffeffion of these provinces, will not fuffer the Ottoman Porte to remain indifferent as to the future ftate 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 himself obliged to explain to the Directory his fentiments on an object which the interefts 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 seen with displeasure a proceeding fo arbitrary, and fo contrary to the interests of the Ottoman Porte, as well as to thofe of the French nation, in

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whose 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 firmness which the Porte has fhown, 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 thould remain under the power of Auftria. The ambaffador cannot think but the Executive Directory will employ all means, and even the force of arms, to oblige the Emperor to relinquish them.

The ties of ftrict amity and alliance which unite the Ottoman Porte to the French nation, require that the Directory should 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 mafter 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 eafy 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 master 'of Dalmatia, to which will neceffarily be united the republic of Ragufa and Albania, Bofnia will be entirely uncovered, and must yield to the first fhock, because it is deftitute of fortreffes, and would be furrounded every where, but on the east, by the Auftrian countries. Epirus, Macedonia, and the other countries as far as the Morea, would run the fame risk. The commerce of the French would be annihilated in the Levant, fince the productions and merchandises of Hungary, Dalmatia, and Germany, could be more eafily and speedily 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 meafures. The French republic will show the fame loyalty and conftancy that it has always done towards its ally the Grand Seignior. Firm in its fentiments, it

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