The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-28
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
NAPOLEON TO THE FRENCH.
tEFoa tAe Lendon Statesman.)
Paris, Oct. 9, 1915

Paris, Oct. 9, 1915
The following is the translation of
an address to the French people,
which is generally circulated IN
France, and which is believed to be an
authentic document written by Napo-
leon on board the Beuerophon:
The EAaehinations of treason have
obliged me to separate again from
you; but victims of the same treason,
Il lament only your misfortunes!
1T coveted the sceptre but to sway
1t for your glory and welfare! The
knowledge of my devotion to your
honor and prosperity excited the ha-
Nred of the S5vereigns of Europe. Had
I sought only to reign without regard
10 the interests of my people, I should
have established within their eyes the
legitimacy sof my title to the throne.
Had agriculture been neglected, had
manufactures 1anguished, had debt
degraded then I had assured the
friendship Of rival potentatess had
cfrc1zm scrfbed the prosperity of the
empire. to the establishment of its
palaces, or sacrificed the majesty OF
the throne to the preservati ton of the
royal authority then my dynasty
might have been possessed of the in
glorious inheritance
THE Sovereigns of Europe confed-
Grated against me as Legislator
whose establishments nurtured and
animated the talents and industry of
the community of which had been
elected the Chief Magistrate, and they
prescribed my person as the shield of
the power and independence of the
stat The enemies of a revolution
which had trfumphed over the abuses
which occasioned it, and mercenary
traitors msersib1e to the ca1a1nities OF
an invaded country, associated their
-
and to make you believe that war was
my poIicy-peace the boon which the
governments of Europe solicited from
France Unwilling to sacrifice the silr
lustriOus remnant of your defenders,
thus isoh+ed from their country,
yielded to the wishes Of your repre-
senfatfvess and, to consumnnate your
security, surrendered myself into the
hands Of my enemies =
History offered no example where
repose and independence were the re-
wards of submission; but many of in
dfvidna1 devotion to the hopes of ma
toni Since the fatal moment when
France annOunced that she ceased to
combat for her liberties and safeties,
what nnfgurtunes, crimes, and humil-
fations, have devastated and degraded
the empire War with all its devaS-
tat1ons, conquest with all its vio1encess
tyranny with all its abuses, and sub
1vheimed yUul Outrage and perfdy9
have out-stepped even my forebo dingsI
The perfdy of Austria which uncov-
cred my line and occasioned my dis
asters in Russia=which bartered Po-
land, violated the Military Convention
OF Dresden, and negotiated but to be-
tray, the perfdy of Prussia whose
monarchy I preserved, when cowardice
and treason had undermined its
throne; of Russia, whose civil mill
OF systematic contempt of faith and
ed turpitude obliged me to fight at
Leipsic for preservation and not con-
quest Of Switzerland, who for a pal
try bride, sold the tranquility of her
citizens the safety of her country. and
the sanctity OF her neutrality; of Eng
land, whose sophisrns have annihi1at-
ed public law, and whose poiey, since
the era of Pitt, had unblushing1y sub
stftufed power for principle, and expe-
dent for jusHce!-not the recollection
Of All these recent perhdies had pre-
pared me for those which have-now
been enulous1y perpetra1ed by Sever
eigns, who professed that they bore
their arms against France only SO
long as I was seated ON her throneI
The most IawIess barbarians have new
er manifested such contempt Of sol
ernn engagen ents- The darkest ages
have never presentd such scnes of
treachery and licentious direction Of
force in an unresisting country
(Continued-1