The Sun.
London, England, 1815-04-11 00:00:00

Justify that series of opratiotas snarled the last years

of his reign. -
He acmes rat of treason ! I ask where is its reward? I
re:ieoled with contempt every sort of personal advantage

1 Which was offered to we, .and placed myself voluntarily in the
situation of the whole army. Had I any particular atreetion
for the House of Bourbon ? Whence could I derive it,—l
who only entered or. active life a short time before that family
ceased to govern France? Whatever opinion I might have
formednf thesuperioi mind of the King, of his goodness, anp
of that of the .Princes, it was very far from the reality: this
chants which is foimd when near them was unknown to site,
and could' not give birth to those sacred engagements which
now bind me to thern, and which theirpresent misfortunes, so
little merited, bind still closer-1 sacred engagements, for to
11 men who have hearts testimonies of regard and esteem are a
thousand times more valuable than 'gifts and beacfactions.—
What was, then, the motive of ray actions? Ass ardent love
of ins cuttatry, which has all my life been the master of my
heart and alisorbed alt 11,y ideas. I wished to save France
from destruction; I wished to preserve it from cOmbinations,
which would have brought on its ruin: frosts those so fatal
combivations, the fruit of the most strange illusions of pride,
and so often renewed in Spain, in Russia, and in Germany,
and which threatened a ft ightful catastrophe' which it was
necessary instantly to prevent.
• A strange and mournful fatality prevented our deriving
from the‘return of the house of Boarbon all the advantages
which were hoped from it fur Prance ; but, however, we owe
to them the speedy end of a fatal war, the deliverance of the
capital and of the kingdom, an administration mild and pa-
ternal, and a tranquillity and liberty which were unknown to
us. Some days more, and this liberty, so dear, so necessary
fur all Frenchmen, had been consolidated for ever.
The foreigners, it is said, were lost without resource, and
it is I who ant accused of having saved theM. lam their sa-
viour! I who always fought them with as much energy as
tonstancy, whose zeal was never coofed for a moment. I
who, after having attached eny name to the most brilliant suc-
cesses of the campaign, had already once preserved Paris by
the combats of aleaax and- Lisy.. Let us tell him, him who
gave such powerful aid to the foreigners in their operations,
and rendered useless the devotedness of so many good soldfers_,
and intelligent Officers; he was the person, she alto whit
300,000 men wished to guard and occupy Europe froni the
Vistula to the Cattaro and the Ebro, while France had for its
defence scarcely 40,000 soldiers hastily collected,—and the de-
liverers of France are those who, as by miracle, saved it from
the crusade directed against it, and secured the return of
230,000 men scattered throughout Europe, and of 150,000
prisoners who now constitute its force and power.
I have served the Emperor Napoleon with zeal, constancy,
and devotedness during all my career, and I only separated
myself from hint to save France ; and when one step farther
would have precipitated it into the abyss Nvhich he loal Open-
ed. No sacrifices were too great where the question, wag the
honour and safety of my country; and yet how many circum-
atarees.render them sometimes painful and melancholy !
Who has shown mote than I have, a denial of personal inte-
rests, and has been more governed by the general interest ?
Who ever has exhibited a greater example in suffering, in
danger, in privations ; who has she'wn in all his life snore
disinterestedness than I have ? My life, is pure, it is that of
a gOod citizen, and they would attach infamy to it.! No; sa
maityhonourable actions in so long a course of years, falsify
to such,a degree this accusation, that those whose opiuion is
of any value will always refuse to believe it.

- -
Whatever be the jestiny reserved fur me, whether my
whole life shall pass tinder proscription, or I shall' be permit-
ted still to serve my country; whether I shall be recalted,"or
whether I shall he driven trolls its bosoni, my wishes for its
glory and its happiness will never vary, for the' love of soy
country has been, and will always be the passion of my heart:
• and the King has well understood my sentiments, and done
justice to the rectitude of my intentions, wheys he ,deigned to
add to my arms the device Putriw lotus ct ul iquc, which in a
few words descrihLs the history of my whole lite.
Ghent, April 1, 1815. "Marshal-the Duke of,RAGUSA,