22] 
which had transformed the ancient 
Greeks and Romans intoheroes, and 
had, in latter ages, revived the arts 
and sciences in the republics of Ita- 
ly, had, while nearly banished from 
the face of Europe, still existed in 
St. Marino, where, by the wisdom of 
the government, and the virtue of 
the people, it had beenpreserved for 
centuries. The French too, he said, 
after a whole age of knowledge, had 
at length perceived their own slavery, 
and asserted their freedom. But the 
powers of Europe, thutting their 
eyes to the interest of mankind, had 
confederated against the liberty of 
France, and thought to partition it 
among them. ‘The Frenchwere as- 
sailed on all their frontiers; and 
what most aggravated their calami- 
ties, many of their own countrymen 
United with the enemy to distress 
them. But they stood firm in the 
midst of all dangers, and gradually 
overcame all their enemies. Some 
were glad to relinquish the confede- 
tracy, and others were compclled to 
sue for peace. Jealousy, pride, and 
hatred, kept together their remain- 
foes. The French had, in the 
Course of the present campaign, de- 
stroyed four Austrian armies; but 
the enemy still rejected peece. The 
commissioner then assured the pec- 
ple cf St. Marino of peace and 
friendship on the part of France. 
Were any of their possessions to be 
disputed, or any adjacent territory 
necessary to their well-being, they 
might freely apply to the good ot- 
fices of the republic. 
The answer to this address was re- 
spectful and temperate. After ex- 
pressing thosesentiments of admira- 
tion, at the valour and heroism of the 
French general and his army, to 
‘which they were justly entitled, the 
citizens of St. Marino modestly de- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1797. 
clined those offers of addition to 
their small territory, which had 
been made by the French commis- 
sioner, telling him, that simplicity 
of manners, and the enjoyment of 
liberty, were the best inheritance 
transmitted to them by their ances- 
tors; and that, content with their, 
mediocrity, they dreaded aggran- 
disement, as dangerous to their 
freedom. The only request they 
would make was the protection of 
France. 
The moderation and prudence of 
the inhabitants of this little republic 
was justly rewarded by the munifi- | 
cence of the French commander, 
He presented it with four pieces of 
cannon, in the name of the French 
republic, He exempted their pos- 
sessions in the Romagna, from all 
contributions, and refused the ten- 
der of paymert for a considerable 
quantity of corn, of which he ge- 
neously made them a donation. 
\ Buonaparte had not only signa- 
lized himself by feats of arms; he 
had equally succeeded in that object 
which was requisite for the com- 
plete attainment, of the purposes ef 
his expedition. These were to revo- 
lutionize the minds of the Italians, 
the better to fit them for those 
changes in their various govern- 
mehts, that would assimilate them 
to the system established in France. 
Republican principles had taken 
forcible root in many, if not in most 
of those places subdued by the 
French, or rather, torn from their 
former owners, for the emancipa- 
tion of the nations, to speak the 
language of these as well as of the. 
Trench themselves, who boasted 
that, contrarily to the practice of 
crowned heads, they conquered for 
the benefit of mankind at Jarge, and 
sought no other emolument from 
their 
