Year: 1861

distress; but, by the immortal gods, con.


jure you lay it all aside, and without any


regard to my safety, think only of yourselves


and your families for should the condition of


my ConSulship he such as to subject me to


all manner of pains, hardships and suffering


/ will bear them not only resolutely, but


cheerfully, if by my labors | can secure your


dignity and safety with that Of the people of


Rome, :; have long observed a


spirit of disorder working in the State, new


projects deViSing and pernicious schemes set


on foot ; but never could | imagine that a


conspiracy so dreadful and destructive had


entered into the minds of citizens. =


The mischief is spread wider than most people


imagine. and has not only infected Italy, but


crossed the Alps, and imperceptbly creeping


along, seized many provinces. You can new


er hope to suppress it by delay and irresolu


ton. Whatever course you take, you must


proceed with vigor and expedition.


speak according to my real sense of the mat


ter, for may | never enjoy in conjunction with


you the benefit OF my cOuntry's safety, if the


eagerness which l show in this cause pro-


ceeds from any seVerity of temper (for no


man has less of it), but from pure humanity


and clemency, for | seem to behold this city


the light of the universe and the citaGeI of


all nations suddenly involved in flames. /


figure TO myself my country in ruins, apd the


miserable bodies of slaughtered citizens ly-


ing in heaps without burial. And because


these calamities appear to me in the highest


degree deplorable and dreadful, therefore am


| severe and unreleRting towards those who


endeavored to bring them on US.


If we punish them with the utmost seyeri-
~ we shall be accounted compassionate but
if we are remiss in the execution of Justice,
we may be charged with the greatest cruelty
IN exposing the Republic and our fellow citi-
zens to ruin. Is it possible you
should be afraid of being thought too severe
in the punishment Of SO unnatural and mon
strous a treason, when in reality you have
much more cause to dread the cause of cruel
ty to your country for your too great lepity,
than the imputation of severity for proceed
ing In an exemplary manner against such i'm
placable enemies. But ! cannot, conscript
fathers conceal what | hear. Reports are
spread through the city and have reached my
ears, tending to insinuate that we have not
sufficient force to support and execute what
you shall this day decree. But, be assured,
conscript fathers, that every ything is concerted,
regulated and settled, partly through my ex
treme care and diligence, but still more by
the indefatigable zeal of the Roman people to
support themselves in possession of empire
and preserve their common fortunes. The
whole body of the people is assembled for
your defence the forum, the temples around
the forum, and all the avenues of the Senate,
Are possessed by your friends. This indeed
Is the only cause since the building of Rome,
in which all men have been unanimous, those
only excepted who, finding their own ruin
unavoidable, choose rather to perish in the
general wreck Of their country than fall by
I
separate from the rest, for consider them not
so much in the light qf Lad citizens as of i'm
pacabe enemies


But then, as to the rest, immortal Gods in
what crowds, with what zeal and with what
courage do they all unite in defence Of the
public welfare and dignity? What occasion
is there to speak here of the Roman knights?
who, without disputing your precedency in
rank and the administration of affairs vie
with you in their zeal for the republic; whom,
after dlssensIon OF many years, this days
cause has entirely rec0nciled and united with
you. And if this union which my Consulship
has confirmed, be preserved and perpetuated,
| am confident that no civil or domestic evil
can ever again disturb this State.


The like zeal for the common cause ap-
pears among the tribunes of the excheauer
and the whole body of the scribes, who hap
pening to assemble this day at the Treasury
have dropped all consideration of their pr-
yate affairs and turned their whole attention
to the public safety. The whole body of free
born citizens, even the meapest, offer US their
for where is the man to whom
these temples, the face of the city, the pos
session of liberty, in short this very light are
rot both dear and delightful? Since then,
fathers the Roman people are not
in their 1nol ond dntU fO&-a
it is your part not to be wanting to the Ro
man people,


You have Consul snatched from various
snares and dangers and the jaws Of death;
not for the preservation of his own life, but
for your security. All orders unite i'll opinion,
inclination, zeal, courage and professed
concern to secure the Comm onwealth. Your
common country beset with the brands and
of an impious conspiracy, stretches
out her suppliant hands to you for relief, re-
commends herself to your care, and beseeeh-
es you to take under your protection the lives
of the citizens, the citadel, the capitol, the al
tars of domestic worship. the everlasting fire
of Vesta, the shrines and temples of the gods,
the walls of the city and the houses of the |
citizens. Consider, likewise, that you are
this day to pass judgement on your own lives,
on those of your wives and children, on the
fortunes Of all the citizens, on your houses
and properties. You have Q leader, such as
you will not always have, watchful for you,
regardless of himself. You have, likewise,
what was never known before in case of this
kind, all orders all ranks of men, the whole
body of the Roman people, of one and the
same mind. Reflect hoy this mighty en-
pire reared with so much toll, this liberty es-
with so much bravery, and this
profusion of wealth, improved and heightened
with so much favor and kindness of the gods,
were likely, in one night, to have been forev- |
er destroyed You are this day to provide
that the same thing not only shall never be
attempted, bat not SO much as thought of by |
any citizen.


In one circumstance, indeed, the condi- !
ton of a foreign victory is better than that |