The National Register.
London, England, 1815-10-15 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL

OCT. 15.

to consummate your security, I surrendered myself into
the hands of my enemies.
44 History offered no example where repose and indee
pendetice were the rewards of submission ; but many of
indevdual devotion to the hopes of a nation! Since the
fatal moment when France announced that she ceased to
combat for her liberties and safeties, what misfortunes,
crimes, and humiliations have devastated and degraded the
empire —War, with all its devastations, conquest, with
all its violencies, tyranny with all its abuses, and sub-
jection with all its shames, have overwhelmed you !
Outrage and perfidy have outstepped—even my forebod-
ings ! The perfidy of Austria, which uncovered my line,
and oc asioned my disasters in Russia—which bartered
Poland, violated the Military Convention of Dresden, and
negociated but to betray ; the perfidy of Prussia, whose
monarchy I preserved, when cowardice and treason had
undermined its throne ; of Russia, whose civil, military,
and political history is a series of systematic contempt of
faith and equity ; of Bavaria, whose unparalleled turpi-
tude obliged me to fight at Leipsic, for preservation, iiipd
not for conquest ; of Switzerland, who, for a paltry
bribe, sold the tranquillity of her citizens, the safety of
her country, and the sanctity of her neutrality ; of Eng-
land, whose sophisms have annihilated public law, and
whose policy since the sera of Pitt had unblushingly sub-
stituted power for principle, and expedience for justice!—
not the recollection of all these recent perfidies had pre-
par,,d me for those which have now been emulously per-
petuated by Sovereigns, who professed that they bore
their arms against France only so long as I was seated on
her throne !—The most lawless barbarians have never
manifested such contempt of solemn engagements. The
darkest ages have never presented such scenes of trea-
chery licentious direction of force in an unresisting
country.
" The miserable King who was content to surrender
France as their prey ! has even his wrongs to plead ! The
mock of his sway desecrates the divinity of hiS right, and.:
he trembles least the vengeance of the nation should sweep:.
him and the despoilers from the soil before the work of:
ruin is accomplished.
44 Frenchmen ! you are now told, that not only my
ambition, but your concurrent spirit of conquest, de- '
wands punishment; even the acquisitions of former Sove-:
reigns and epochs are now cited as your crimes ! And by
whom arc these charges advanced? By Sovereigns whose,.
empires have been formed by successful encroachments mi.
the independence :ad existence of neighbouring States ! ,
What was Russia in the beginning of the last century ?
How became the Elector of Brandenburgh 'Monarch of a
powerful kingdom ? Has Austria absorbed no kingdom
-e-dismembered no provinces, and does she now hold no
domain by the sole tenure of force ? 'Look at the map of
FAtrope--Has Prance only usurped ? Do all the States
recognised independent, even by the Treaty of 'Westphalia,
exist ? Look round the globe--See the English flag Cy- i
ing in every quarter, in countries where religion, laws and'
language are dissonant. Has she not subjugated the
greater part of Asia? Is she not still endeavouring to for&
the ramparts that separate her from China ; and has she
net been waging a second war to recover her influence on
the American Continent ? Our ambition was security.
IT England had not aspired to the dominion of three quar-
ters of the globe, i should have tempOrized with the un-
friendly Councils of Spain ;,--ifitustia had not vattiti-
oned Poland, and aimed at empire in Germany, 1 never

663

should have proposed to repulse her from the Vistula to
the Volga... Europe has acknowleged the baneful in-
fluence of .England's usurpations ; the blood that has
flowed for the last 25 years has flowed at her purchase;
and Europe will further rue the event.of a struggle that re-
moves the ascendency of a civilized people ft r the domino.
tion of Northern Barbarians. You are accused of having
preferred war to peace, so long as war was .successful :
and.your answers are those—who first warred against
your Revolution ; who violated the Peace of Amiens, and
violated it with shameless disdain of truth ; who rejected
negociations repeatedly offered, or broke them off when
conciliation was practicable ; who made the war of which
you are now the victims? Ls it not a war of their own de-
cree ? I regretted your sacrifices, I was moved to vindi-
cute your indignities, but I adopted the policy of peace—
the will of the nation, and I respected it as the bond be-
tween me and my people. Frenchmen! posterity will
judge how far I am responsible to my country for the
events of our military efforts. They will decide when the
records are them, whether I could have mastered fortune;
—but my love for France, my gratitude for her confi-
dence, and devotion to her welfare, can never be sub-
ject to suspicion. To France I one my existence, and
the consciousness of that claim has confirmed the right of
nature. Frenchmen ! I am still your Emperor ! but 1
hold the Crown for my son and your interests.—lfis suc-
cession can alone ensure the fruits of your efforts against
a dynasty whose reign is identified with your slavery. Fo—
reign force may support the throne of a Parricide _King,
but the power of 30 millions of Frenchmen is not to be,
permanently subdued. Yon have acquired mournful, hut
useful experience. Ton now are convinced that alms alone
can redeem you from vassalage and ignominy. Cherish
the brave men who have fought your battles—they will be
the pillars of your array, and they will conduct you to

victory.
" On the rock where I am doomed to pass my future
days, by the disloyal sentence of your enemies, shall
yet hear the echo of your triumph, and hail in the loom of
its horizon. the flag of your independence!"