too common in our days, I mean that noify and irafcible fierce, nefs which, in a diplomatic character, can never be viewed as an aufpicious d fpofition; be measured and guarded in all your actions; and never be unmindful that impetuofity is not strength. It is my intention, citizens, to be more regular and frequent in communicating to you the views and notions which a correfpondence with you may fuggeft; increafe, therefore, your vigilance and punctuality. The object of the prefent is more particularly to form between the agents of the French diplomacy, an active and zealous confederacy against the last enemy whom the republic has to fubdue, and thus to meet and accomplish the views of the Directory. Your first and leading object must every where show how little the English cabinet is worthy of confi dence, Exert all your endeavours, citizens, in this main object of your labours. You must, doubtlefs, meet with great difficulties, but you will, and know how to furmount them-be not dif heartened the army of England will remove and smooth away the obstacles that oppofe you. The country keeps a fond and careful eye upon you. By exactly conforming to the spirit of the prefent, you may look for a fure fupport to the union and wifdom of the Executive Directory, and to the friendly and benevolent intentions of the minifter who now addreffes you, by a fpecial order of the Directory. Health and fraternity. The Minister of foreign Relations, TALLEYRAND PERIGORD. Meffage from the Executive Directory to the Council of Five Hundred on the 4th January. Citizens Representatives, THIS day the proper officers proceed to feize all English merchandise being in France, or introduced into its territories in contravention of the law of the 10th Brumaire. Such is the first act by which, fince peace has been given to the continent, the war, long declared against England, at length begins to affume its real character. The French will not fuffer this power, which every where introduces its manufactures, and takes nothing of foreign industry in return, longer to enjoy the fruits of its wicked fpeculations, Since it had to fear the capture of its veffels, it has bribed foreign captains to take on board English merchandife, and to introduce them by artifice and fraud into other countries, and particularly into the French republic. Neutral powers must have perceived, that by this conduct their merchants were taking part in the war, and lending fuccour to one of the belligerent powers. Neutral powers powers ought to have perceived that England, in eizing the fhips of other powers bound for France, and fuffering the circulation of none but their own manufactures, looked to an exclufive com A law of the marine, and a regulation made in 1704; declare all fhips, in which fhall be found English merchandise belonging to enemies, lawful prize. Thefe regulations should be extended; the intereft of Europe requires it. The Directory thinks that it is urgent and neceffary to make a law to declare that the ftate of veffels, fo far as concerns their quality of neutral or hoftile, fhall be determined by their cargo, and that the cargo fhall not be protected by the colours; and confequently, that every veffel found on the fea, having on board the produce of merchandifes of England, or of her poffeffions, for her cargo, either in the whole or in part, fhall be declared a lawful prize. It would be ufeful alfo to declare at the fame time, that the ports of the republic shall be shut against all foreign veffels which fhall have entered in their paffage into thofe of England. The Execu tive Directory requires of you, citizens reprefentatives, to adopt those measures. No neutral or allied power can be mistaken in their object. The infallible effect of this meafure is, to raise the value of the produce of their foil and of their industry, to increase the profperity of their commerce, to reject every thing coming from England, and influence effentially the termination of the war. Such are the motives which induce the Executive Directory to invite you, citizens reprefentatives, to take the object of this meffage into your immediate confideration. (Signed) BARRAS, Prefident. Proclamation of the Executive Directory to the French Nation. Citizens, Paris, 17th Nivofe, Jan. 6, 6th Year. THE legiflative body has this moment confecrated the patriotic vow offered up to the Directory by the merchants of Paris, by publishing the law relative to the English loan. The Executive Directory is now about to recall to your minds the motives which ought to intereft every individual in the fuccefs of this measure. Citizens, conquerors of Europe-there only remains to triumph over one enemy, whofe dominion is over the fea, and whofe power pretends to fhut you from it. The agriculture of France, its commerce, its industry, all is wrefted from you by the English, who block up your ports. E Ye in particular, French traders, manufacturers, ye who are employed in the maritime departments and in the great communes, fecond by your zeal the example which has been fet by the merchants of Paris. Do you hear the minifter of Great Britain, who informs you, with the moft vain-glorious infolence, that the trade of England is, with refpect to that of France, as the proportion of eighteen to one; that the imports and exports amount in France but to 400,000,000, whilft thofe in England exceed seven milliards? Have you a moment to lofe in putting a period to the calcula tions of British avarice? France has been compelled temporarily to facrifice its credit to the fuccefs of the war. Now victory ought to repay thofe facrifices, and reftore at once that portion of wealth and rank which the extent of its territory, its population, its coafts, and its rivers, entitle it to hold among commercial na tions. Most efteemed merchants, think of this! Lay, the foundation of your riches on the credit of the nation. You behold the government prohibiting English goods and merchandises, whilst it is eager to open new fources for French induftry. The cause is your own. What you do to promote the war, you do for yourselves, for the fuccefs of your trade, for the intereft of your families, and for the benefit of your pofterity. Citizens of every degree, think what great effects will refult from the efforts you are about to make to humble and punish the cabinet of London. For ages has England troubled the repofe of Europe its restlefs genius has tormented the whole continent from which it imagines itself invincibly feparated. Frenchmen, teach this ifle that it is not inacceffible because it is infu-. lated, and destroy within its bofom thofe miferies which it has extended to your own dwellings. England once vanquished, a perpetual peace will be firmly established, and the balance of Europe will remain invariable; for the French republic, too mighty to be attacked, will have no inducement to attack others: it will be too powerful to be actuated by ambition, and it will not feel the defire of going beyond its limits.` This we may affure you of triumph over the English, and yon give peace to yourfelves and your defcendants. You bestow it even on the whole human race. Your battles will be the laft that shall be fought. It is you who will stop the career of military glory, and in future the heroes of France will have no rivals to contend with. But it is not fufficient to talk to you of glory. The French revolution, diverted from its courfe by so many obstacles, endeavours to recover its fource. We ought never to forget that the principle on which it fet out was philofophy, its object liberty; and that its defenders have, above all, taken up arms for the happinefs of nations. You defire to overthrow the dominion of the the cabinet of London, but you do not wish to enflave the Englith. After the infallible fuccefs of the arms of the republic, the people of England rely on you for relief from thofe enor-. mous taxes which weigh down the inhabitants of its cities and the cultivators of its fields. Hafte, citizens, to convince this nation that you separate it from that hatred alone due to its oppreffors. May Frenchmen, ever loyal, and ever invincible, become in England at once the conquerors of the miniftry and the faviours of the citizens-the vanquishers of the court, and the liberators of the people. Do not believe that the English, if free, would hefitate to demand a glorious peace. The English themfelves compare the machiavelifm of their own government to the loyalty of the French republic. They have themfelves admired the moderation of the French republic in its treaty with Auftria. They know that in the struggle which their government forces them to renew, whatever may be the event, the chances are decidedly against England. If France is victorious in its first attack, the government of Great Britain falls under the weight of an immenfe debt. If any reverse of fortune retards your fuccefs, the Englifh will fee that nothing can abate your courage, or weary your perfeverance. The longer the efforts of France fhall be prolonged, the more will its debt for indemnity accumulate, and Europe knows that debt must be paid fooner or later. What in fact has been the refult of that formidable league which the cabinet of St. James's organizes against you at Pilnitz? They have forced you to fight for your independence. They have difputed with you the poffeffion of Belgium; you have, in defending it, conquered Lombardy; by defending Lombardy, you have made the Rhine the limit of France. The war commenced against you in 1792, at forty leagues from Paris—in 1797 you terminated it within thirty leagues of Vienna. Every impediment thrown in the way of peace has given the signal for new victories. O Frenchmen, of every defcription, the English have done you effential injury! Their cabinet has excited your internal difcords; it is that which has raifed Europe against you it is that which has armed you one against another. Turn your arms against it; march to London. There you will extirpate the cause of your miferies. At London you will find peace abroad, and the end of your troubles. Having no other enemies to conquer, you will only have to think of founding your republic on the bafis of repofe and happiness. You have run a long career; another ftruggle yet remains, and the object is attained. Certain precautions already announce victory. The power of enthufiafm has no limits in France. To prophefy your fuccefs, meafure your will. Your enemies have but one hope, which is, to agitate your minds, if they can, to difcourage you, and to difunite you. It is in your own minds. they wish to fight with you. In other refpects you have nothing to fear. Prove to them by the effect that you are actuated but by one fentiment. Let every one be eager to contribute to a great national undertaking; let every one, according to his refources, interest himself in the propofed fubfcription. May your eagernefs to fill this loan be a pledge of that terrible rapidity with which the expedition will be carried on; and be affured, that even at the report of this unanimous movement, the cabinet of London will be already vanquished. The Executive Directory decrees, that this proclamation fhall be printed, pofted, read, and publifhed in all the communes of the republic. It fhall be inferted in the bulletin of the laws. The minifters of juftice and the interior are to give an account of its publication to the Executive Directory. (Signed) P. BARRAS, Prefident. LIBERTY, EQUALITY. The Commiffary of the Executive Directory at the municipal Adminiftration of the Canton of Calais, to the Inhabitants of that Can Lon. Citizens, THE victorious French republic no longer apprehends danger from its enemies without. The coalition being deftroyed, leaves England exposed to her mercy; that power alone, after having fupported each of the vanquished powers in their turn-after having rent France with inteftine commotions, will now fuftain the whole weight of her indignation and of her vengeance. The money which the has lavifhed, and which the yet continues to lavifh, will not fave her from the fword of the republicans, and it is this fword which will foon avenge the caufe of all Europe, of violated principle and of liberty trodden under feet. Its corrupt and tyrannical government will give place to that which the people of England, worthy, no doubt, of freedom, fhall fubftitute to it, and before the trees fhall have their firft leaves on them, the tri-coloured ftandard, floating on the British foil, fhall remind them of what they were and what they ought to be. But in the moment of fixing for ever the deftinies of the first republic in the world, the government, turning its attention to home, is no longer difpofed to leave the internal enemies of the ftate any reafon to hope for fuccefs, and is determined to deftroy them; |