Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-09-11
but even in my own capital; and qledsds
soon, not even inmy palace.

every thluS tHattW'S'leoS SoIhS ofl, WltuOue
being able 10 do any thing for my people,
responsible tor all occurrences, without the
power to prevent them or their influence
j should have exposed myself to the COM
plants Of both sides, sand perhaps have oc-
casoned great misiortunes by doing which
] should have betrayed my conscience, my
people and my duty. | have Tor long
time foreseen the extremity to which l am
now reduced, but could not have prevent
ed it without sacrificing my most sacred
duties, without ceasing to have at heart the
interests of my people, and without casing
TO connect my tate with that OF the country.
Now that Holland is reduced to that con-
dition, have, as king of Holland, but
one course to take, and that is to abdicatc
the throne in favor OF my children. Any
other course would have only augmented
the misfortunes of my reign. | should have
perhaps seen often, the peaceable inhab-
tants, victims to contentious ct government,
destroyed at.once. How then could an idea
OF resistance ever enter my mind My
children, born Frrnchmen like myself,
would have seen in a just cause, but which
they would not have believed solely mine,
the blood of their countrymen flow. had
then but one course to take.
" Ny brother, so violently irritated
against me, is not SO against my
children and doubles he will not destroy
what he has done, and deprive them of their
inheritance, since he has nor, nor can have
any subjec. of complaint against one, who
will nor, for long Tune to come, reign him
self, His mother, to whom the regency
arpertains by the constitution, will DO every
thing that shall be agreeable to the emperor
my brother, and viii! succeed better than
myself, who have had th- misfortune never
to be successful in my endeavors OF that
kind and at the conclusion Of maritime
peace, perhaps before, .,my brother, know.
ing the state OF things in this country, the
esteem its inhabitants merit, how much their
welfare accorts with the interests well UNI
derstood Of his empire, will do for this
country all it has right to expect, as the
reward Of its numerons sacrifices to France,
ofits fidelity, and its interest with which it
cannot fail 20 inspire all those who Judge of
it wi,houtprejudIce. Perhaps ana the on
" obstacle TO the reconciliation of this coun-
trv with France and should that be so,
might find some kind of consolation in drag
ping out the remainder OF wandering and
languishixg life at distance from the first
objects of my whole affection, this good peo-
pie, and my son. These are my principal
motives there are others equally power.
full, with respect to which [ must be silent,
but they viii be easily OWNED. The en-
peror, my brother, though strongly preiu-
diced against me, mus! feel that could not
act otherwise. He is great, and he ought
to be Just.
a." AS to you, gentlemen, should be
much more unhappy even than am, if pos
sible. could | imagine that you would not
do justice to my intentions. May the end
of my career prove to the nation and to you,
that | have never deceived you; that had
but one aim, the true interest of my coun-
try; that the faults may have committed
are solely to be attributed to my zeal, which
caused me TO employ not always the best,
but the most practicable means of ovcrcom-
ing the difficulty of circumstances. I had
never proposed to myself to govern ma
ton SO interesting, yet so difficult as yours.
Be, gentlemen, my advocates with the ma
ton inspire II with an attachment to the
prince royal, who deserves it, if may
Judge from his happy and natural DISPOSE
ton The queen has the same interest as
myself. cannot, gentlemen, conclude
without recommending to you in the most
earnest manner, and in the name OF the in.
teress and of the existence OF SO many ia
miles, whose lives and property would
be inaallibly compromised, to receive the
French with the attention, with the kind