The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-06-20
THE FALL OF VENICE.
Complete Huniliation Of: the Proud
Oligarchy by Bonaparte,
The French Couqusror Declared tAs n.
habatants . Miserable, Cowardly Feo-
PIE, Oa0e for Liberty - Oeeo.
pAney b. the yre0eA

1o0 CEenco C00Quorof Declared tAo In
Aabstants . Miserable, Cowardly rec
PIE. Uaae for Liberty - Doeu.
pAney b. the TrsaeA
Since the days Of Carthage, NO goy.
erument like that OF the Venetian
ol;9nrchy had existed on the earth. At
its best 1t was dark and remorseless;
with the disappearance of its vigor its
despotism had become somewhat
milder, but even yet no common man
might draw the veil from its mysteri-
Gus, irresponsible councils and live. A
few hundred families administered
the country as they did their private
estates. All intelligence, all liberty. oil
personal independence, were repres>e.i
by such system. The more cnlight-
ened from the mainland, many even in
the city, had felt the influences of the
time, and had long been uneasy under
their government, however smoothly it
seemed to be running.
Now that the earth was qualking un-
der the march Of Donaparte's troops,
that government was not only helpless.
but it actually grew contemplate in its
panic There was, indeed, the most
urgent necessity for q change. The
senate had q powerful feet, three
thousand native troops, and eleven
thousand mercenaries; but they struck
only single futile blow on their own
account, permitting a rash captain to
open fire from the gunboats against the
French vanguard when it appeared.
But Immediately, as if In fear of their
own temerity, they dispatched an en-
bassy to learn the will Of the approach.
ing general. That his dealings might be
merciful. they tried the plan of Modena,
and offered Bonaparte bribe Of seven
million francs; but, as in the case Of Mo-
dena, he refused. Next day, the grand
council having been summoned, it was
determined by q nearly unanimous
vote of the patricians (six hundred and
ninety to twenty-one) that they would
remodel their institutions on demo
cratic lines
Not for q moment did Lallemont and
Vlletard. the two French agents, In
termit their revolutionary agitation in
the town. Disorders grew more fire.
quent. aud uncertainty both paralyzed
and disintegrated the patrician party.
A week later the government virtually
abdicated. Two utter strangers ap-
peared In theatrical way 1T its doors
and suggested in writing to the great
council that to appease the spirit of the
times they should plant the liberty
tree on the Place OF St. Mark and
speedily accede to all the propositions
for iberalizing Venice which the popu-
lar temper seemed to demand. Such
were the terror and disorganization of
the aristocracy that instead of punish
ing the intrusion by death, according
to the traditions of their merciless pro-
cedure, they took measures to carry
out the suggestion. The fleet was dis
mantled and the army disbanded.
by the end of the month the revolu.
ton was virtually accomplished; for a
rising of their supporters having been
mistaken by the great council, in its
pusillanimous terror. for q rebellion OF
their antagonists, they decreed the ab-
clifton of all existing Institutions, and,
after hastily organizing a provisional
government, disbanded. Four thou
sand French soldiers occupied the
town, and an ostensible treaty was
made between the new republic of
Venice and that of France.
This treaty was really nothing but q
pronunciamento of Bonaparte. He
decreed q general amnesty to all Of
tenders except the commanders Of Fort
Luco. who had recently fred on the
French vessel. He also guaranteed
the public debt, and promised to oc-
cupy the city only as long as the public
order required it. By series Of secret
articles Venice was to accept the stipu-
lation of Leoben in regard to territory,
pay an indemnity of six million francs,
and furnish three ships of the line and
two frigates, while, in pursuance of
the general policy OF the French repub-
lie, experts were to select twenty pic
lures from her galleries and five hun
dred manuscripts from her libraries
Whatever was the understanding Of
those who signed these crushing con-
ditions, the city was never again
treated by any European power as an
independent state. Soon afterwards q
French expedition was dispatched to
occupy her island possessions in the
Levant. The arrangements had been
carefully prepared during the very
time when the provisional government
believed itself to be paying the price OF
its new liberties. And earlier still-on
May 81, three days before the abdica-
ton of the aristocracy-Bonaparte had
already offered to Austria the entire
republic in its proposed form as an ex-
change for the German lands on the
left bank of the Rhine
Writing to the directory on that day,
he declared that Venice, which had
been in decline ever since 1.-The dis
covery of the Cape Good Hope and the
rise of Trieste and Ancona, can with
difficulty survive the blows we have
Just given her. This miserable, coward
" people, unfit for liberty, and with
out land or water-it seems natural to
me that we should hand them over to
those who have received their mainland
from us. We shall take all their ships,
we shall despoil their arsenal, we shall
remove all their cannon, we shall
wreck their bank, we shall keep Corfu
and Ancnna for 0t1rselVo6"