STATE OPAPE RS. 259 
tanks of people;—thus the very 
sources of power and prosperity 
have disappeared ;—and_ thus have 
both its military force and its’ poli- 
tical consequence fallen.— Thus has 
vanished the 80,000,000 which St. 
Domingo produced; the resources 
which the ports of France derived 
from this commerce; the’sale that 
this grand establishment yielded to 
her commodities and to her manu- 
factures; the nursery it was for her 
seamen. Ina word, the fortunes 
of 20,000 families, and the em- 
ployment of several millions of men, 
are lost, 
To purchase liberty at the price 
of so many losses, so many misfor- 
tunes both public and_ private, is 
doubtless paying very dear for it. 
But what liberty is it? Can any 
exist without a protecting authori- 
ty? And was there ever a time that 
this people, wliose liberty and-even 
Sovereignty are so cried up, were 
Tess free and less masters of their 
actions than now?—Were indivi- 
duals ever less certain of preserving 
their property, their lives, and their 
honour? Was there ever seen, 
even in Nero’s days, such devasta- 
tion, such inquisitorial examina- 
tions, so many oppressive shackles, 
so many violations of the most sa- 
cred sanctuaries, so many massacres 
of citizens? Are the 30,000 assas- 
‘sins who have signalized the reign 
of democratic tyranny, proofs of 
the reign of liberty?—Oh! too cre- 
dulous Frenchmen! Oh! too un- 
happy country! while we are de- 
sirous of abolishing the cause of the 
evils which overwhelm you; when 
we are marching against the base 
faction which has given rise to them; 
when we unite our armies with the 
forces of powers whose assistance we 
have implored against your tyran- 
nical oppressors, can you look upon 
us as your enemies ?—No, noj you 
behold in us fellow-countrymen, 
who wish to ‘become your deli- 
verers. 
The two sovereigns with whose 
assistance we are advancing towards 
you, have declared, through their 
hero, the commander’ in chief of 
their armies, ** That they have no 
other object in view but the welfare 
of France, without meaning to en- 
rich themselves at her expence by 
conquest: that they do not mean 
to interfere in the internal govern- 
ment of the kingdom; but that they 
wish solely to liberate the King, the 
Queen, and the royal family from 
their captivity, and preserve to his 
Most Christian) Majesty that secu- 
rity necessary to enable him to do, 
without danger and without obsta- 
cle, what he may think fit for secur- 
ing the happiness of his) subject 
according to his promises.” 
These gerierous, these magnani- 
mous declarations, in which the 
Kings of the house of Bourbon, our 
august cousins; our much-honour- 
ed father-in-law, the Nestor of So- 
vereigns; the heroine of the north, 
our sublime protectress; and the 
young heir of the unfortunate Gus- 
tavus, whose bloody tomb we all 
bathe with our tears, equally parti- 
cipate, insure to these illustrious 
confederates the immortal palm due 
to the defenders of a cause which 
is at the same time the cause of 
Kings, of good order, and humani- 
ty; and at the same time shew you, 
O Frenchmen, that the forces which 
we join are for you rather than our- 
selves ; that they are only formida- 
ble to guilt; that they will attack 
nothing but obstinate rebellion ; 
and that by coming over to us, ra- 
ther than resist their superiority, 
RQ you 
