Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-11-08
(Signed)
NAPOLEON.
September 4th 1903.

September nth 1903.
SIRE-I have the IL nnor Of laying before
your Majesty the state and sittiation of your
maiesty's ar.uies in Poianl, in Prussia. and
., S'lesia, in Denmark, in .Jal,natia, In Al
bania, in Italy, Naples, anI in Spain I
annex TO il that of your majes,v's armies OF
reserve, at Boulosre, on the coasts, on the
RHINE, and in the iIerior. Your majesty
VIII perceive thar France never before pos
sesscd more numerous or better appointed
armies, and that they were never better
kept IN, or better provisioned
Notwithstanding, however, the different
events which have taken place in Spain,
have occasoned pretty considerable loss,
in consequence of an operation as inconce,-
v4ble, as it is painful, of the division under
Gen. Dupont; your majesty has notified the
resolution you have taken, of assembling
more than two hundred thousand men be-
yond the Pyrenees, without, however, wea-
kening either the armies in Germany, or
shat of Dalinatia. For the attainment Of
this end, levy Of eighty thousand men APP
pears TO be Indispensable. Your majesty
can only take these eighty thousand from
the four classes of the CONSUMPTION of the
years 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909.
II is ascertained by the registers kept in
my Office, that independently of the men
! who have married within these four years,
the CONSUMPTION for these years might fur
nish six hundred thousand. In taking from
that number a levy ofeighty thousand men,
your majesty will have called out only one
lconscript cut of seven, snd the vacancies in
the armies will be filled up with soldiers Of
81, %, and % years of age; that is, with
men iit and prepared to undergo the fatigues
of war.
Ma. has s.
sight, that such an augmentation Of force
would necessarily involve an increase ofex-
ipense OF several millions in the War De-.
partment. 1t is not your maicsty's wish
that should detain your attention with that
object in this report; your Finance MiRis-
ter has taken upon him to make good that
charge, without, IN any wise, increasing the
taxes established by the last law.
il is true, Sire, that the custom observed
OF late years, might to a certain degree, in
duce a par: of your subjects to consider
themselves as released from the duty Of the
CONSUMPTION, from the moment that, upon
the total mass, they had furnished the con
tingent required G.r tue year and under
this point of view, what propose to your
majesty might appear TO require from your
subjects sacrifice; but, Sire, there is M
one but knows, that, by the words OF the
law, your majesty would be authorised Ia
call to your standard the whole Of the con
| seripGon, not only Of the last four years, but
even OF tho antecedent years and even
we're there Questions of real sacrifice.
What sacrifice is it that your majesty has
not right 20 expect frou the love of you,
objects Who among us is ignorant thar
YOUR majesty wholly sacrifices Yourself for
he happiness Of France, and that upon the
ipeedy accomp' sh uent of your hign design,
depend the rcpose Of the world, the future
,Afety, and the re Establishment Of a mari
| .ime peace, witho1f which France can ne.
ver enjoy calm AMI tranquility