The Sun. — London, England, 1804-05-18 00:00:00

.ii.IFLT,-MAr it] - HE grand question which has othtple.,l th e at . tention o f the Ttibunaie ha s diverted toibli c at tention from every ohjea. A note, which i t Mon/t rue o f t h e z9th of April; accompanied an n ex he trati of a letter from London of the 24. th of Match, has not however escaped notice—" God knows (says the letter, among other things) when the•expedition will set sail for the other side of the water ; but be assured of this, that, sail when it may, we shall not fail to give a very satisfatiory account of it. The attempt, once made, will never be repeated, and the question, or rathe r the threat, of Invasion, will be decided for ever." These expresaions have given rise to the following para grap h i n the Official Jour nal, i n t h e form of a Note, which is remarkable in more than one passage ‘ 4 We agree perfectly with this good Englishman,, that, let the Expedition once sail, and the question will be decided fur ever. We must.add, however, that we do not understand this assertion in the same sense in which he employs it. We cannot but de. plore the fate of a Country which the faults of its Government have-placed in a situation so critical. W e do not do less justice to the energy and the Immutable feelings of those who are anxious tti defend their Country. The people do their duty in endeavouring to place themselves out of the reach of Invaion. We do ours in seeking to conquer Peace, and a portioraof the patrimony of the o'ts, of which the unbridled ambition of the English Go. vernment wishe s to deprive us.—Absolute masters of the commerce of the world, their ships cover both the Indian and American Seas. They wish further, by the unjust possession of Malta, at once to ex the co mmerce of the Mediterranean.. pel us from That is not in th e i r p ower. They p at to o muchrisk who gras all. We .are als o a poptiloßs Nation. We have a vast e xtent o f coast, ' nurnerims sailors deal of woo d , and a large share of mone, a great. then, i s t h at mad ambition which wishes to What, de prive to; even of the Commerce •of the Levant, which our ancestors from time immemorial have en.: joyed i They very uselessly keep six thousand men on the rock of Malta, which, happen what may, they Bever shall retain. They are on the point of losing Ceylo n for want of a sufficient number of troops to defend it. Of the two Nations, which is that whose ambition knows no reasonable hounds ? s . it the Nation, which by treaty cedes the islands of Ceylon and Trinidad, and consolidates the English power in the Indies, in China and America, or that Lwhich wishes to shut us o ut of all the ports of the ev ant? The English Government deceives the peo. or pie in the v o ssest manne r respediag all that is do ne , that passes in France. They carry this so far as to tell the people that certain intelligence has iteen received o f the Troops at Boulogne having mutinied, that the half of the Garrison at Paris have revnit!d, that the Parisians have shewn a disposition to in. alurredion, because they were prevented from leay. ing their own houses after nine o'clock. All these revolts resemble Mr. T 1 —RAKE'S rebellion in the Four 1--) epartrnents. . When we think proper we will make : h b e ,. d 'elli• If we were not to make if for years, --• success_would only be mdte'secure."—Monsteur. 'tz M4l ' S•—The important plan of the elevation of --,OIVAPARTE4to the Imperial dignity in France, ap. Pears to be. more and more on the,eve of execution. Already the vote has . not only been solemnly pronounced by the Tribunate, but also communi cated on their part to tile Conservative Senate. We are besides already apprized by the answe r of the Vice-Preside nt of the Senate to the Deputies of the Tribunate, that the Senators had anticipated in se-, tret- the communication of the vote of the Tribunate, and have been deliberating for upwards of two months on the means of carrying if into dila. It • ap. pears, then, that a circumstance which was formerly only the ground of report, is now reduced to an absolute certainty, namely, the pesnation o a Senato r i a l Ad dress to the First Consrul,e offering to invest him with the Hereditary Government. of trance, delivered soon after the communicatio n of the original copies of Mr. DitAxe's Correspon The v e il w hi ch covers the deliberations o fo ence, t Senator s h as not yet been withdrawn. It bas he been withdrawn from the proceedins -of not - that other nat i onal authority which will brin g g on the • expened disclosure. tie speedil y expeBed. This disclosure, howe ver , may The Tribunate employed or. this occasion to make • the first communication of this plaa, as tw o y they did of the settlement of the Consulshiears ago terminat e d t h e d a p for lif e , y before yesterday their extraor. dinary Sittings, by the adoption of a decree founded on a previous motion. This decree, which had been proposed that day by the Commission ap. i Poirued to examine the Motion of CURER, after a Jung speech from the Reporter, JAKD PAUVIL- Lk it, was couched in the following terms ri:::Toe Tribunate, considerin g that at the breaking o.ut of the tat,en when the national will had an opportunity of was decl ared avitat the greatest freedom, the general wish and for the He o re t ifie individual unity of the Supreme Power, That the taloill47 Succession of that power ; • tendered the nand ~.,,,,L(l ) ,t , the Bourbons having by their co . forted thern to lose' ArtyriCov rnment odious to the pe,oePtt,e, Nation to seek for a lia'pt)iiilt of its advantages, and . the [tier destiny In a democrath.al form of Government ; T hat Franc e h aving made a trial of different forms of Go . vernihent sisterly , experien ce d froth these trials only, the miseries of Tha • t the State was P ART 1. in the gre a t es t per il , when BoN A , :S S brought back by P rovidence, suddenly appeared tor .J 1 ration • I' l .i , at tinder the Cc,vernment of a single individual; France re""veted tranquillity at hame and acquired abroad the high c,l_O,cgree of consideration and' glory ; i aa t toe plots formed by the House of Bourbon, in con ettesrt svvith a Ministry the implacable Enemy of France, warn ! ahtrance of the rlanger which threatens it, it losing • 13°NA . fr _ ~he continued exposed to the agitation inseparable orn an eleaion; t Fir That t he Consulship f or life, and the powergranted to the s • onsul ot' appointing hi s successor, are not adequate to the tal ntev Lotentien ot intrigues at h ome or abroad, which could Power i to be formed duri ng t h e vacancy of the-Supreine • ; liat in declaring that Magistracy hereditary, conformity is observemoder d a a t t i d o once writhe example t c S . t a r t e e s s se a ( r ti : l i t e t r 7 ,t B c 9 )r .. Thant, to tet It i: d a . tt • t d v,, s ' ti t s p i t w o: I t et t i e b y t i t i io s Nation ex p i :xr-erience, the Na tiotlnow return s to this wish more strongly titan ever, and . expresses it on all sides • That i - ii all ; " olitical et ' i - iti es it has been usual 'for Nations to collier the Suprenic!: Po ' jet . on thoe to whom they owe their safety ; at then France demands for her security a Hereditary • Chief, her gratitude and aiti:ction call On BONAPARTE ; • , That 'Fr ance will preserve all alltime advantages o f t h e Revo by the c h o i ce of a new Dynasttilre y, as mch Interested ti 4 their safety as the o ld one woUl for their destruetion ; That France may expeet from the family of BONAPARTE niore than from any other the maintenalice of the rights and t" P"Plc Mich 611 ' 6. ' 32 th' t""i•t ;Intl' all those inSti.: tutions best calculated to support - them . ; Tilat there is no title more suitable to the glOiy of NA• PAR VE, and to the dignity of the Supreme Chief of the FfeliCll Nation, than the title of Emperor, The exercising the r i g h t given them by the he 2 e cle of the Constitution, have come ; 4 ' r tl ibu A n r a t t i to the following .vote : •• That NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, the First Consul, be pro claimed Emperor of the French, and in that capacity invest ed with the uovernment of the French Reputili c; That the title of Emperor and the Imperial Power be made Hereditary in his, Family in the male line, according to the order of primoitenitti re ; That in introducing into the organization of the Consti tuted Authorities, the modifications rendered necessary by the establishment of hereditary power, the equality, the liberty, and rights ot'the people shall be preserved in all their inte- grity. This vote shall be presented to the Senate by six Orators, who shall explain the views of the Tribunate. The foregoing Decree having been put to the vote by the President of the Tribunate, it was carried by aeclamation, with the single exception of the only Member who delivered his Sentiments against its adoption. Citizen JARD-PAuviLLIERS was named first Orator, to present, the following day, the Vote of the Tribunate. The other five Orators who ate to accompany hinl were chosen by lot. Citizen GALLOIS then made a speech to prove the necessity of the third article of the Vote. This was at length, un the motion of SAHUC, signed - on the Register by the Tribunes present, to the number \ of forty. eight, among whom was, joss PH MOREAU, the brother of the General now confined in the Temple. The Member who had formerly delivered his sentiments against the Vote, alone refused to affix his signature. The Officer of the Court having presented to him the pro - ces 'verbal, he merely cast his eye over the contents, and returned it without signing his name to it. We must now eedeavour to explain the manner in which the objettions of CARNOT were refuted, and we cannot do this better, than by giving the express and interesting reply of CAR lON NICAS, at the same sitting. CAR lON NlsAs after, in the exordium of his speech, an. flounced his design of speaking with the greatest moderation, entered on the consideration, of the question, and observed, Citizen CARNOT is af raid that the measures pro. posed (the' nomination of Empetor, and the appoint ment of a Hereditary Succession) amount to nothing short of the total and absolute destruCtion of the Re publie,and that those who support them have either the intention, or are so unfortunate as to give, up liberty and the Country the prey of a Despot. What ! because the First Magistrate shall be called Emperor, and because his power shall be hereditary, shall there no longer exist in France, Liberty or a Country ? Shall we have. no law or, a social compafl, for, according to his opinion, these first wants of a people are in consistent with such a . species of dominion, such a form of the Supreme Magistracy. Thus thought not that zealous Republican J. J. ROUSSEAU, who has fortnal:y declared, that ev , sry legitimate Government, that is, a Government founded on law, is a Republic. What ! is there any man who would'now talk of putting men above law ? What Government is more legitimate than . that which proposes, organizes, and accepts it%elf, which is inconsistent with the liberty, the maturity, and the so!emnity which pre ceded it, which inspired the measures 'which we adopt, and .which presides over their discussion'? Citizen CARNOT is afraid of beholding the return of the ancient Monarchy of France, of feudal and proprietary Royalty. Very little refie&ion is neces sary to shew, that betwixt that species of Royalty, and that which we now propose, there is as great difference as betwixt light and darkness. Royalty began with taking possession of the land, with the seizure of the persons 'of those who inhabited it. The Inhabitants were then bornines potestates addled glebe. It was on these mcnstrous fiaions that the righti, titles, and Jos of the Government of Roy-, alty were founded. The King of the French, such as the' Constituent Assembly wished to ap. point him, the Emperor of the French Republic, such as we npw wish to establish, is neither the proprietor of the soil, nor of those by whom it is inhabited.... He is the Head of the French by .their volUntary choice. His dominion is moral, and no servitude can legally proceed from such a system. Citizen CARNOT seems to believe that the result to which- we now dire our attention has been long beforehand prepared by the FIRST CONSUL, with an art as skilful as a desire constant and indefatiga ble. 00 the contrary, it is a fa6l,- and I call on. those who know it best .t 6: declare' (and there are many who can do so) that the FIRST CONSUL was the last to enter into this sort of holy conspiracy its favour of the country, formed on the 18th Bru maire (Nov. 9,) by a small number, among whom I hAd the honour to be one ; a small number,. which 'successively increased till it became an innumerable multitude—the whole French People, whose wish it is 'now impossible to disobey. It 'is true that the object was at first concealed, that the end in view was disclosed with a certain degree of ad dress, that the precautions necessary to secure .its success were adopted. There were (and. Citizen CARNOT continues among that number) a number of Citizens, the number of which have daily di. minished, who, full of Revolutionary prejudices and errors, had not benefited by the lessons of reflediou and experience, and who were not yet capable of ad mitting truth. It is this' that rendered address neces sary in disclosing the light to a person diseased who has been long deprived of it. In the midst of this adivity of _wise opinions which were advancing to improvement, and of erroneous notions which seemed to take a retrograde course, the FIRST CONSUL shewed a resistance and a reluaance as sincere as for a long time invincible, to the result of which lie perceives the necessity. He was, however, the last to perceive it, and it is only a day since that, compelled by the public voice, you sec him publish those Addresses which six months *ago poured on him from ail parts of the Republic, supported by the warm solicitation of the Ma. •gist rates and Public FunStionaries, and which lie has hitherto ,suppressed. The alarm created by the attempts at assassination againstthe person of the FIRST CONSUL, by the Pros Pea of the frightful evils which would have followed from them, had they taken effeet, have streng t h ene d every resolu tion and hastened every measure. The Ft ItST CoN SU,Lthe glory should is ambitjous th o a ofhe consider power as is zealous for ,it, but it is proper • - glary.—A word froM him, a single emotion or that great soul which he could disclose w the Couotry, ,- . will render that truth more evident than all the tails and all the assertions which I could adduce. One day the FIRST Co , i4SU I; spoke with the most prd. found sensibility of the miseries of the .Revolution some one wished to weaken his eMotion,, by a repre sentation of the results of that great crisis, and in conclusion said to lii(n, ‘f it does not belong to you, Citizen FIRST CONSUL,:tO be afflitaed at the RevOlntion ; without it • you would never have been elevated to the rank Which you now hold, and you would never have acquired that immense glory with which you are covered." • " exclaimed BON AP e.RTE, " would to God that France had never heard of me—that - its Govern ment had never been guilty of such errors, and that its people had never experienced such miseries." — No, the - Man whose heart gave birth to these ex pressions which I confide to History, sees, in the aggrandizernent of his: power, only the increase of the means of public happiness. He seeks in his own grandeur only the glory of the Nation. He ac, cepts the rank which is offered to him, and he has not eagerly courted it. There is a certain species 'of ambition which is above certain low views. Citizen C.AgNOt (eolltitut:A CAR lON NISAS) • wishes to alarm us by the exotv.4e of the C/ESARs,. and the disorders of the Rom in Empire. This fear, however, is very ill founded, anti . the analogy by. no means just. On the contrary, the great misfortune and, the capital delea.of the power with which the Caesars were invested, arose from that power not being here ditary ; the privilege of adoption destroyed every thing, and eieaion threw every thing into confusion; and these are precisely the inconveniencies to which the system we now wish to introduce is direaly op --posed. By'persisting in a system nearly similar to that of Rome, Poland has been destroyed. By adopting one neatly similar to nuts, Russia has made a very considerable'step to its consolidation. , Citizen CAROOT has had recourse to the Roman Republic, and has exhibited to us a petted Govern- Merit and liberty at the same time wisely preserv ed in that vast State : without doubt it. hecame great, indeed, but •in proportion as it became • great, did it become also Democratic ! In order to render the Governmettt efiettlive, did they not per ceive the necessity of a • single head ? Citizen CARNOT is-convinced of this truth, and admits the temporary remedy of. the Dit - tatorship—temporary indeed in regard to , the people who intended only to establish it for a short time, but that might become perpetual in the hands of ,an enterprising and ambi tious DiCtator, . a bloody transition from Dernocra tical licentiousness to an Empire undefined and with -1 out a constitution, or in other words, an absolute despotism. Citizen CARNOT urges an objcaion against the hereditary system, which is real, and cannot be eradicated. It is . certain that this species of Go. vernment sometimes makes Nations enter into do mestic interests, and enhance family quarrels. This, no doubt, is. a danger ; but what human institution is without danger ? But these interests have at least some reality, someutility among the people at large, and this danger is less than that to which Nations are often exposed in consequence of espousing the quarrels, and enlisting themselves on the side of the personal passions, quarrels, and interests of their rulers or theit orators. Pr.tioc LES was not an here ditary Prince, but fox an insult offered to Asi.ActA i the Grecian Republic was set on flames. In the best rirnes of the Roman Republic, espousing some. times the interest of a Tribune, and at another that of some other fackitious party, involved the Senate in constant alarm ; and the Senate, sacrificing, the people to their private interests and private quar rels, embroiled them with their offending.and un offending neighbouri. 'lle. pretext for a foreign War was never wanting when the Senate dreaded the approach of civil broils, and the blood o the people continued to flew. This brings me to the considerations which Citi zen CARNOT urged, by way of anticipation, as far as regards our relation with Foreign Powers. Sure ly it is only necessary to employ the - slightest de gree of common sense, to see that they will a thou sand times prefer a Government analogous . to their own, to a Government always menacing, because the principle of its establishment .would be opposed, and. consequently inimical. The Government of an individual has for its guarantee abroad, the wisdom, the maturity, the experience of the Prince; there is neither wisdom, maturity, nor experience in a Prince certainly liable to change; and that eternal effer vescence of popular Governments, a prey to every passion, eternally menaces and agitates the interests of surrounding States, and confounds all the relations of external politics. This recalls to my recollettion the observations of the profound and prophetic re mark of a Statesman (M. In MERCI ARGENTEAU), • the Minister of Use House of Austiia, who, about the time of the greatest revolutionary convulsions, was asked,whether, if he thought seriously that with German arms he could replace the BOURBONS on the throne, he la ould not rather prefer leaving the Re public quiet to govern itself, as those then in power judged most expedient i " We know well (answered this wise Politician) that we cannot make France ac cept masters whom she has determined not to receive. We know, also, that raw and inexperienced as her ar miesare,they will more thanonce beat our Ttoops,and cause dreadful loss. We will support these reverses, and we will continue to fight, sometimes advancing and sometimes retreating, according to the varieties of fortune. At the end of some years, a General or a Politician must necessarily arise in France, who will _seize on the Government, who will reduce every thing to regular order, and with him shall conclude a Peace." That would be impossible ; it would be frivolous with a Revolutionary 'Species of Govern. ment, which would for ever threaten to set Europe in flames. I confess that this Statesman appears, to me more sagacious, more wise than our Colleague, who proposes to 'us seriously the example of the United States of America. It is not now for the first time, that this example has been held forth, and it is not for the first time that it has been combated. After the shameful and perfidious flight of the late King to Varrennes, VA. DISK proposed in the Constituent Assembly the ex ample of the American Government, and invited that Assembly to give to France a similar Consti tuion. J4RRERE spoke against this proposition. ;TT - • , Why wactlits so - Miieh to he-fregretted n f r:3 Deeettiveral prosCiiption's pot preserved; and IOgI4 he not now repeat With that facility of elor i nfr4:. T which we have all so mtich admire It; by I sufficientlx remember his arguments and his woritg to repeat than to our Colleagues ? If I reeo'lea rightly, he said, t t a population thinly sca ttered oh I most extended soil—a new people on a new lan a people, whose auivity will for a long period satisfied by numerous and easy means of subsis:enee —a state insulated on a vast hemisphere, surrou"u. ed by impenetrable forests and vast seas; can never be brought into comparison with . a people' stirroww_ ed by enterprising and restless Nations, itself te.,t less and entt.rnrizing; like all those popnlotis and. civilized States, among which the meails of provi.: sion are dear and 'scarce in,proportion to their luk ury .and population." Consider what he sai,4 little, and that the impression made by, it on the Constituent Assembly WAS SO power..ui, that nor .4 word more was said plaj i residental or Federal G,_ vernment. , The public disclosure of the grand ,projea of, the day has not been unfavourable to the Fuads: The -5 per Cents. have risen to 56 francs ; the funds of the Bank de France, 1075 francs. • MAY. 6.-r-Yesterday the Tribunate had an Extra.. ordinary Meeting. They assee)led fur the purposd of hearing the Report of the Deputies who had car ried their opinion to the Senate. The Chief of the Deputies, JARn.l'AuvitAt E RS, communicated iu the Tribun6s the Speech he had addressed to the Senators, with the .answer they had given.- twa Speeches 'composed the whole Report. After . which the President of the Tribunate adjourned the' Sitting till the 2.M. of May. When the result of the deliberations . of the Tribunes was presented to the Senate, on • the e r th instant,. the lViotion had. been again amply discussed. The Speech which Citizen JArtD.PAUVILLI gRs had delivered on that occasion, was a recapitulation of all the prominent arguments that had beeh• at first bn , ught_forward the Tribune CuRIS F., and afferwatd", elucidated and enforced in various ways by his Colleagues. i lee • following,is the interesting Answer which the Vice, President of the Senate made to the Deputation of the Tribunes: "Citizens Tribunes ; this day will form a remark . able xra. It is the day on whidi ; you are called .nr, for the first time, to•exercise with the Conservaiive Senate, the republican and popular privilege ,v1):' r I!. ~1 the fundamental laws of the Constitutionhavede legated to you. You could not exercise this prL•ro_ gative at a more favourable moment ; or apply it 'to an objeet of more importance than tNe oresent. , .tizens Tribunes, you express to the Trustees of the . National Rights a wish truly national. I cannot remove the veil. which conceals for a Lillie the labours . of the Senate. on this. infryttatir subjea. I must In form you, however, iri the Mean that since the 6th Germinal (March 27), the Senate has direct_ ed the attention of the First Magistrate to the'sarne subjed. The Senate had previously soun,led the public opinion, and had announced it to the Govern. • ment. But you will resume your advantages and pri. vileges, when you observe thatiwhatwe.have been thinking of in silence for two months, the peculiar nature of your institution, and the •place you hold . in the Constittition, has enabled you ist once to sub. mit t o discussion in presence of the people. -You have served at once the -Peryle and the Govern. menu, by disclosing and entorcing. - ths opinion, pregnant with so many advantages, and at first secretly cherished in the bosun ,of this assembly,: ' where you _have now so gloriously reported it.— The happy development which you have , .given op t e h n_ is great idea, procures to the Senate, ,hicii ed the Tribune to you, the satisfa(tion of being able to congratulate themselves on their choice, and to, approve what they have done. In your% public speeches we have fotrukl the basis of our opinions.. Like , you, Citizens "fribuoes, we do , not wish the return of the BotiaßoNs, because ,we do • not wish a; counter-revolution, which is the oniy • benefit we could derive from those unfortunate ex-- iles who have carried xi:11 thena:DeSpotism, lity, -Feudal Tyranny, Slavery and Ignorance and ‘ who, still to augment their crimes, have encouraged.. the hope, that a return to Francemight he food by the way of England. I,:ke you, .Citizens Tri bunes, we wiss to raise a new'Dynasiy, .because we wish to secure to the French People ail ,their rights - which they have reconquered, Tad Which the follY Of their Enemies would take from them. Like. ou, Citi. zens Tribunes,we wish Liberty, Equality, and Know.. ledge, may no more have a retrograde motion. I do not speak of the great man called upon by his glory, to give his name to the age in which he lives, and who • ought to be called ?n by our wishes to consecrate to us his family and existence. - It is not to himself, it is not to us that he ought to dev o t e himself.— What you propose in the ardour of enthusiasm, the Senate will consider with cool deliberation, " Citizens Tribunes, we are the corner stone of the social edifice; but it is the Government of an Hereditary Chief that must constitute the key stone of the arch. You -repose in your bosom the wish, that this arch-may be at last consolidated. In re ceiving this wish the Senates does. not forget that what you solicit is not so much a change of the state of the Republic, as a means of perfeCting and establishing it, and this certainly is what we ,ate must interested in, In this National Temple the Constitution ought to repose in some measure on the God Torminus. If we are induced to interfere in any respect with this sacred compad, the guardian ship of which is entrusted to usb. It is only to a dd to its strength and to extend its duration." - If those gnarded explanations of the Senate are to, be credited, public curiosity must in some measure be satisfied. A corner of the veil at least which covered the Communications between the Senate , and• Government has been now removed. The Ad dress of the Senators to the FIRST CONsUL of the 27th of March, the favourable Answer of the FIRST CoNsut. the 25th of April, and another Address of the Senate of the 4th of May, are published in the Moniterir of this day. To.morrow morning at nine o'clock the Eighth Day's Drawing of the Lottery will commence at Cover's Hail. The Ninth Day will he Tuesday next, when the first-drawn Ticket will, he entitled to Five Thousand Pounds ; and un Wednesday the 23d the Lottery finishes.