Star. — London, England, 1802-04-12 00:00:00

..11•. , 1 FRANCE. PARIS. APRIL •P IL 8. The Legiflative Body, in its fitting of yelierday, decreed, that a Deputation of z of its Mem bers lbould repair to the Government to exprefs its joy on the acknowledgment of the Legifiative Body. The Deputation being introduced to an audi ence, Citizen LABORDE addrelfed the Confuls in the following manner— ., Cidsen tonfub, " The era care of the French People when attacked, was 'Mary: You have conquered. Their moll earneit wia. after vidtarf. was Peace you have given it them. What glory for the pait ! What hopes foe the future l— oad it is all your work. m Enjoy the fame of that happinefs, for which the Republic Is indebted to you. This is the recompenfe the molt worthy of you. It is fuperior to every other kind of glory. "The Leglllative Body beams to ezprefs to the Government Win at this national recognition." The FIRST Cousin. anfwered— .. impart to the Legiflative Body my thanks for the fend. meets you have expeelltd towards me. Its Sea= commences by the molt bivalent operation that can occupy the Councils of a Nation. fhe entire mars of the people of France are fo- Odious o(a period to rdiginuc quarrels, and the ingseilation of public worship. You will become as unanimous as the Nation in the refult of your deliberations. The people of France will learn with lively fatisfattion that there is not one of Legiaators who has not voted for the peace of their confeienees and the peace of their families, as more important to their happinefs than thole objedis, in the aceomplithaunt of which yes have NI congratulated the Government." APRIL 7. At the audience given on the sth to the Diplo matic Body, Count de MARROFF, Plenipotentiary from the Court of Peterlburgh, delivered his cre dentials, and prefented fevcral Ruffian Noblemen to the FIRST CONSUL. Mr. Jacition, the Brstufh Plenipotentiary, pre fented the Marquis of DOUGLAS, Lord As c If tIIALD HANIILTOII, EatiCowns, Sir ChkRLES BLAGDEN, General Da Born E, Meirrs. LUTTRELL, TRENCH, KINVAIRD, CPGLAUDEN, CURT, CROOK, Kmox, SEYMOUR, CAULFIELD, FORSTER, HIBIERD, CUTH SIERT, MASIMIGISERD, PARKER, Enwim, and Mee sir, Secretary of the Englifh Legation at Amiens. Admiral VILLARFT is appointed Captain Ga sera' of the Wand of Martinico and its Depen- dencies. Captain BlLLlvicca is appointed Commiffary- General for the affairs of trade in Spain. Dupuis, Secretary of Legation at Amiens, is appointed Counfellor of State. The Cutts Comm:. has broken General Cali. Nor, of the Engineers, and difm:fred him the fer. vice, for not having repaired to St. Domingo as he was ordered. APRIL 9. The FIRST CONLUL on the 7th went to the Opera, accompanied by his brother, Citizen p alm+ BONAPARTS. The performance was /phigneeis. The moment the FIRST CONSUL made his appear. ance in his box, loud and incefrant plaudits from every part of the Theatre interrupted the fcene. whei. at,.. Negotiator of Amiens took his place by the fide of the Conful, the plaudits, which had not yet ceafed, were accompanied with exclamations of, Bravo ! bravo Such was the manner in which the public thought proper to manifeft two difline proofs of the fenfe of its attachment and gratitude. LEGISLATIVE BODY. EXTRAORDINARY SITTING OT THE fTH *APRIL. At noon the Minifler of the Interior, with two Meffengers, entered the Palace of the Legiflative Body to receive the Members, and prefide at the opening of this extraordinary legion. The Legiflators having entered the Hall, the Minitler addreffed them, by congratulating them upon the favourable circumftances under which they afembled. He concluded by obferving, that he ftiould immediately acquaint the Government of the meeting of the Legiflatnre. The Affembly being conflituted provifionally, proceeded to the formation of the Bureau,"„ and MARCORRLLR was chofen Prefident, who declared the Ligiflature conftituted.-- ,, I-egiflators (laid he)f in offering to you the juft tribute of my fen fibility for this new tellimony of your efteem and confidence, I regret that a more able orator is not charged to retrace to you thole prodigies of vic tory, which, during three years, have raifed Prance to the summit of glory, and which ecliple the wonders of antiquity. Happy the day when the Conftitution of the year 8 became the regula tor of our political rights. Hiftory will tell future times who was the hero, that at the commence ment of the i9th century knew how to fiem the revolutionary torrent, to secure liberty, and give peace to the world. Peace is no longer a problem! What an epoch, Legifiators, for the renewal of your work! Under what happy aufpices we com mence this extraordinary Sitting. All eyes are turned towards us. From your aural} funflions is expeaed that falutary influence which mnft con folidate the public profperity, of which the magna nimity of Government has laid the foundation we alto will co-operate in this work of profperity. Great interefts are without doubt to be submitted to you in this extraordinary feffion. You, my countrymen, whom the public has counted more than once among the number of her faithful Citi zens, and you, who have kill been called by the Senate to the honour of the national reprefentation, you cannot forget that the happinefs and peace of the nation can reit only on the vrifdomof the laws." After cospanding a long speech, it was ordered by the Leg . f.:at.ve Body to be printed. Lasuaet froke.—Never, raid he, hes a more brilliant epoch signalized the meeting of the Legif lature. War and its ravages, negociations we b their uncertainties, faitions with their dilaters, all evils and all fears have difappeared. Peace alone reigns over France. The French people, after twelve years of !forms, are about at lan to enjoy and abundance. Let the firft momenta tordinary Sitting be confecratea to joy e ! A *Durand times have thcfe walli ith our acclamations for the fuccefs of and of our Generals. Let us proclaim tecefs more precious to humanity, the all our evils, and the re-union of two WlTillf Duce to the :lobe: 'Hisnoitr to the hero and the Page who has commanded peace by viaory ; and who has finiffied it with moderation ! I propofe a deputation, who Wall be charged to bear to the Government the expref fions of our joy and gratitude. This propofition was adopted. The Members of the New Fifth were then ad mitted to make the promife of fidelity to the Con- Ritution. Three Counfellois of State were introduced— the Citizens RIONIA • RIGNALID, and PORTAL'S. CONCORDAT. • The fitting was opened in form by CHATTALI Minifter of the Interior. _ _ Porraiis prefented the Convention with the Pore, and the Ecclefizftical Laws founded on it. Forums, in a moll interefting and eloquent fpecch, explained the motives of the Government, in forming this arrangement with the Holy See. Our limits do not adMit of any thing like a full tranflation of this rpeecii, but we have endeavoured to lay before our Readers the principal points on which the Orator enlarged. After defcribing the difordered Rate of religion in France revious to the acceffion of the FirftCon ful, he oh ferved that. the affairs of religion then fixed the anxious folicitude of the Government-- In forming any arrangement which fhould have the effeet of reftoring religious tranquillity, the firft queftion that prefented itfelf was, " Is reli gion neceffary to the fupport of a State and to the happinefs of individuals r' In endeavouring to' thew that religion is effential to the Government of nations, the Orator Pets out with allowing every degree of merit to the difcoveries, to the inftruc tion, to the philofophy of modern times. a But whatever are our advantages, (raid he), whatever Rate of perfeaion we may have reached, every good mind is forced to admit that no fociety can exill independent of morals,and that the reftraints of law are infufficient to fecure the exigence of this morality. For what purpofe is it that MagiC trates txift, or that laws were formed ? For what end is it that thefe laws hold out rewards and pu niffiments ? Is it not that man is not guided by his reafon alone, that he is naturally difpofed to hope and to Tear, and that Legiflators have employed this propenfity of his nature to condua him to hap pinefs and to virtue ? Can the utility of religion to fociety then be denied, which holds out fo many promifes, and is fanaioned by fuch powerful threatenings of puniftiment ? The influence of law and morals is infufficient. Laws only regulate certain aaions ; religion extends to every pact of human condua. Laws reach only to the external deportment ; religion regulates the heart. Laws relate only to the citizen • religion lays hold of the man. When we ( pea k of the force of laws, do we confider the principle on which this force is founded. It depends lees on the excellence of the laws than on their power. Their excellence will always be more or lees a fubjel of controverry.— Unqueftionably a law is more durable in propor- tion to its excellence, but its principal merit con fills in its not being an argument, but a decifion, ooh Ample pofition, but a fa&. Of confequence a fyftem of morals founded on religion, has need: foray a degree of force which no fyftem purely philofophical can ever poffefs. The multitude are much more imprefred with what they are com manded to obey than what is proved to them to be right. Men in general require to have their opi mon fixed. They have more need of maxims than of demonftrations." He went on to difcufs the queftion, how far an eflablifhed religion was expedient to the ftability and order of a Rate, and contended that it was confiftent with the julleft principles of policy. By the influence of an eta bliffied religion,he argued that religious fentiments acquire a a charaaer of energy, of fteadinefs, and* of certainty, which they could never derive from the mere influence of fcience. Among the advan tages of an eftabliffiment was to be confidered the union which was formed with external rites and ceremonies. True philofophy, Paid he, reepeas forms.as much as pride defpifes them. There is a difcipline neceffary for condua, as there is an order requifite for ideas. To deny the utility of rites and religious obfervances . in the praaice of morality would be to deny the dominion of fenfible notions over beings, not purely intelleaual, it would be to deny the exigence ofthe empire of habit. A religion purely abftraa or intelleaual can never become a national or popular religion. Can a re ligion which fhould addrefs nothing to the fenfes or to the imagination, preferve its empire over the human heart ? If nothing unites thofe profeC fing a common faith, would there not in a few years be as many religions as there exift individu als ? Have not ufeful truths need of being confe crated by falutary inftitutions I" The juflnefs of the(e views he illultrated by an appeal to hiftory, and !hewed that if ever there has been any (table belief in the exigence of a Goo, if there has ex ifted any uniformity of opinion refpelting the na ture and dellination of man, it had only exifted among thole adopting one fyftem of worffiip, and united by the tics of an eftabliffied religion. By religions inftitutions, he maintained, could the great truths of religion alone be preferved, and it was by there that the great fociety of mankind was placed under the fpecial protection of the great Author of Nature. He next contrafted the effeas of Religion and Atheifm on the happinefs of fa ciety. The fcepticifm of an Atheift, he remarks, tends as much to di(connea mankind u Religion to unite them. It does not make them tolerant, but renders them difpofed to turn every thing fa cred into ridicule. It difrolves all the ties which unite men together; it dries up the fprings of fen fibility, and Rifles all the rpontaneous emotions of nature ; it ftrengthens }}elf love, and makes it de generate into gloomy felCintereflednefs ; it fubfti lutes doubts for truths ; It gives new vigour to the paffions, and is weak in T . efifting error ; it in. epires pretenfions wiihout giving additional light. From licentioufnefs of op inions ii leads to 'ken tioufnefs of condua ; it hardens the hart ; it de ftroys every endearing tie ; it annihilates civil fo e-joy. Superftition and fanaticifm have tlrir ori gin in tie imperfeaions of human nature. With a ftiely imagination, with a feeble itidgmeni, or a contra4ted (grit, an individual mithe fuperfti firma ;so wk.r flirt as w ria thnr•-• enmiedtea with Religion. It is not at all a contrailion for an individual to be at once impious and fuperfti ti on:. We might produce as inftances of this the infidels of the middle ages, and Come Atheills of our times. On the other hand, every opinion, re• ligious, political, or philofophical, may create en thufiafts and fanatics. Mere points of grammar have endangered a civil war, and contefts have been begun in nations about the choke of a rope dancer. It is not fair, then, to impute to reli gion thofe evils which have exifted independent of at, or which would continue to exift even if it were abolifhed. Men in general have need of faith to prevent them from being credulous ; they require a form of external worfhip to preferve them from fupernitions ; an eftablilbed religion is the only barrier which can protea us againft the torrent of falfe opinions of a more or refs dangerous kind, which the delirium of human teafon would in. vent. Let us not fear the return of fanaticifm. 7 -. Our manners, our illumination feeure us againft its approach. We honour literature, we cultivate the fciences by Mewing proper relpeet for religion; we may be philofophers without impiety, and im pretred with fentiments of religion without fanati. cifm." He combats at length the pofition, that Religion has been produaive of diforder and mi. fay to mankind. Thoth crimes from which this ! mifery originates he traces to their fource, and thews that they could not with the fmalleft degree of reafon be afcribed to religion, but were the of ea ' of caufes over which even religion had no complete control. On the importance of public inftruetion he expatiates with much ability and eloquence, and , contends that without the aid of religion this molt interefting objea could never be accomplithed.— " Science, exclaimed he, can only be the portion of a few, but with Religion inftruaion may be gained without being learned. It is Religion which difclofes to man every interefting and ufeful truth, without either the means or the labour of painful refearch." On this point he quotes the featiments expreffed by the Members of the feveral depart-I ments and affemblies of the Republic, all of whom deplore the decay of national inftruaion, and earneftly urge the neceffity of making religious fentiment the ground-work of the education of youth. He fays, "it is religious ideas which have contributed more than any other circumltance to the civilization of mankind. It was by the atrift ance of religious ideas that the &ft' Legiflators fought to moderate and to (often the paffions and affections of the human heart." He inuftrates his ideas by referring . to the laws of all the great Legiflators of antiquity, who founded their rules for the education of youth on the grand bats of religion. He extends his views on this fu1409 and prefents an interefting piaure of the effeas of religion in preferving the peculiar habits of focial life. He defcribes with much feeling the effea of thofe days of reft which the Chrillian fyftern has prefcribed. " Apart from our cities it is the (pink of religion which preferves the fpirit of fociety. The inhabitants affemble and fee each other on days of repofe. By mutual intercourfe the habits of mutual affeaion are contrafted. The youths who with to render themfelves diftinguifh ed adopt an innocent luxury which tends more to (often than to corrupt their manners. After the fevereft toils, inftruaion and relaxation are at once experienced. Auguft ceremonies ftrike the fenfes and intereft the heart ; religious exercifes prevent the dangers which could not fail to arife from inactive indolence. At the approach of re ligious folemities families are united in the molt endearing bonds of affeetion ; former enemies are reconciled, even the wicked experience fomething like remorfe ! Take Religion from the heart of man, and by what will you replace it If it is not preoccupied by good, it mutt afford a place for evil. The mind and the heart cannot long continue void." Theft, he goes on to obferve, were the principles on which the Government acted in the plans they had formed for reftoring religions tranquillity to France, He Rates the circumftances under which Chriffianity appears to have the belt claims to fupport, and the Catholic fyftem is to be the eftablilbed religion of the French people. He expatiates at much length on the beneficial effeas of the Chrillian Religion . in accelerating the civilization of all thofe countries where its influence has been felt. He afcribes to its influence many of the ben efforts of genius in the various departments of literature and fcience. "The Watery influence of the Chriffian Religion in all the countries into which it has been intro duced has been noticed by all When. If the com pals has opened to us the different regions of the world, it is Chriflianity which has made them the feats of civilization. It may be Paid that Chrif tianity has been abufed. But what is the inftitution which has not been ruble& to abort ? What is the good which has ea-kited without a mixture of evil ? What is the nation, what is the govern ment, what is the public body, who is the indi vidual who could fuftain the fpecies of examina tion to which the Chriflian Priett is expofed ?" He goes on to notice, that among thofe nations where Chriftianity was eftablilbed, the arts and fci ences had flourifhed in the greaten fplendour. Its influence he notices in every department of litera ture and the arts. He defcribes its natural pre cepts and religious doctrines, and points oat in them all that is moil interetting in the religion of I nature, or in the profoundeft dtkoveries of philo fophy, attended with a clearnefs and precifion which philofophy had never been able to reach.— " If nations (lays he) or individuals entertain clearer notions than prevailed in the 'days of So crates or Plato, on the great truths of the being of a Goo,'of the immortality of the human foul, of a Bate of future retribution, to what are we in debted for it, but to Chriftianity ?" After alluding, to the inftitution of the Christian Priefthood, he elks, " Is there any religion better adapted to the fituation of States and to the policy of Govern ' menu ? This religion prefents nothing purely la. cal, nothing which can limit its influence to a par ticular country, or to a particular age. It difeo vers itfelf ail the religion, not of a particular people, but of the great family of mankind—not as the religion of a country, but as the religion of the world. After having therefore recognized the utility cad °malty, of reli g ion in general ; the French Government could not reafonably abjure Chriflianity, which, beyond all other eftahlithed religions, is that-which is the bell adapted to our religion and our manners." He is at pains to fliew that this determination of the Freifth C yernment is by no means inconfifient with pixy, or contrary to the molt enlarged principles of tr._ leration. The ideas which they have adopted, while they will have the effea of refloring influence of religious fentiment in France, he. contends, partake in no degree of the higotrv, or the perfecution, of an ezclufive fyftem of reh gion. He Rates with conliderable perfpicuity the difference betwixt giving proteElion to a religion, and rendering it exclutive and domineering. Tc, protea a religion was to place it under the fuppor: of the laws, to prevent it from being molefted, to guarantee to thofe who profelfed it the enjoyment of their fpiritual rights, equally with that of tht fecurity of their perfons and property. In the fimple fyftem ofproteaion, there was nothing exclufive ; many religions might be protedted—all might receive fupport. Having laid down this general principle, he argues very much at large on the arrangement which the Government had adopted with refpea to the Reman Catholic worfhip ; he contends, that though from the at tachment of the French people to the Catholic re ligion, this would be the prevailing fyflem,yet that every fpecies of perfecution would be avoided. that all would be left in the full enjoyment of the rights of confcience and the freedom of opinion. Every kilt principle of policy fuggelled the expe. diency of an arrangement with the Holy See,which would put an end to religious divifions, and fatisfy the wifhes of the French people. But the fa:ne principles condemned perfecution every form, and recommended freedom of worfhip in all the , latitude which liberty claimed as its due. On this I point, of the expediency of conforming to the wilhes of the French people in the ellablifliment of the Ca. tholic fyftem, he enters into a variety of arguments, all, however, only tending to illuftrate the general principles be had formerly flated. From this he proceeds to an explanation of the feveral regula. tions,which,by the arrangement with the Holy See, had been formed. This part of the fpeech will, how ever, be beuerunderftood by a perufal of the arrange. ment itfelf. He obferves " that the French Govern menthas treated with the Pope, not as a foreign Po tentate, but as the Head of the Church univerfal, of which the French Catholics form a part. It has agreed with him on the terms according to which the Catholics than continue to exereife their religion in France. Such is the object of the Convention en tered into betwixt the Government and Pius the, VII. and of the (peel& articles of thisCoavention. The French Prote flan ts have no Chief, but they have minifters and paftors ; they have a difcipline, which is the fame in the different perfuafions ; fuitable ia- Rruftions have been fixed upon, and according to thefe the fpecific articles of thefe different leas have been fettled." He concluded, after Come farther explanations of the Convention, in the following terms "By the nature of things religious inftitu. Lions are thofe which unite mankind moll forci bly together ; thofe which molt uninterruptedly prefent themfclves in all the fituations of life; thofe which fpeak molt fenfibly to the heart ; thofe which afford the greatelt confolation under all the inequa lities of fortune, and which alone can render tole rable the dangers and the injuftice infeparable from the focial (tate. In a word, they are thofe which in offering fupport to the wretched, and prefent. ing to the criminal the profpedt of repentance, belt deferve to be confidered as the means of fuccour to our weaknefs. How deeply interefted, therefore, is the country in holding out proteftion to religion, fine it is more efpecially by the influence of reli gion that fo many individuals defined " to bear the heat and burden of the day" (till continue at- tached to their country. " Citizen LegiUators, all the true friends of li berty will blefs you for having afpired to the prac. tice of thole grand maxims which the experience of ages has confecrated, and which have uniformly fecured the happinefs of nations and formed the ftrength of empires." RIGNAVD DIE ST. JUN D'ANCIELY then prefent. ed and read the Convention and the Laws founded upon it. Pao ?OM Law.—,The Convention concluded at Paris, the 26th Meffidor, year 9, ( July :5, iBoi ), between the Porz and the French Government, the ratifications of which were exchanged at Paris the 23d Fruaidor, year 9, (September to, rSot ), together with component articles of the faid Con vention, and the articles regulating the worfhip of the Proteftant Seas, which are as follow,fhall be pro. claimed and executed as laws of the Republic : CONVENTION 1111TVIERN THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND HIS HOLINESS THE POPE, PIUS VII. RAT'. PIED THE 23D TRUCTIDOR, TEAR 9, (lOTH SIP. TIMM, 1800. The Oust Cowsul. of the French Republic, and his Holinefs the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII. stave named as their refpeftive Plenipotentiaries ; T 11.2 CHILI CONSUL, the Citizens JOSEPH BONA ! PARTE, Counfellor of State; CRETET, Counfeilet of State; and BERM sa, Do . aor of Divinity, Curate of Saint Land d'Angers,furnifhed with full powers: His Holinefs, his Eminence.Monfeigneur HER cuLa Comsexvi, cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Deacon of St. Agathe ad Subberam, 11:q Secretary of State ; JOSEPH SPINA, AECllbilllOp (if Corinth, Domenic Prelate to his Hands, Awn dant on the Pontifical Throne, and Father CA s ELL I, his Holinefs's Advil - a on Points of Theology, in like manner furnithed with full powers in due form —Who, after exchanging their full powers, have concluded the following Convention :--- CONVENTION BETWEEN THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND HIS HOLINESS THE POPE, PIUS VII. The Government of the Republic acknowledges that the Catholic, Apoßolical, and Roman Re• 1i on,' is the religion of the great majority of French Citizens. His Holinefs, in like manner, acknowledges that this tame religion has derived, and is lik rive the great& benefit and the greateft . from the eftabliihment of .the Catholic wt France, and from being openly profeffed Confuls of the Republic. . --matt being mutual saw* tranquillity an of this extraor and gratitude refounded witl our armies, an to.day a fuec cdfation of al wrest node. neugcs MIL ikely to de- fplendour worfhip in fled by the g made, in