; $:T-AT E 
of Italy. What would become of 
the republic if thofe who have re- 
ceived arms only for her defence 
were ‘to interpofe in civil difcuf- 
fions? You are ‘acquainted with the 
volume of addreffes which have 
been drawn up by this army. They 
are marked by an ardent expreffion 
of love for liberty; but they hold 
forth abfurd claims, extravagant o- 
pinions, and criminal projects. The 
firft-fentiments belong to our ge- 
nerous defenders, the others to 
fome factious men who with to fee 
the bofom of their country torn 
even by thofe who are charged with 
its defence. Noyit is not our war- 
riors, but fome ferocious monfters, 
who have conceived the project of 
delivering to the enemy the con- 
quefts acquired by the valour and 
blood of our troops, andtolead them 
back to their Brlies under the 
ftandard of rebellion. Have you 
been.able to read without indigna- 
tion one of thcfe addreffes, which 
_ afferis that the fyftem of royalifm is 
unceafingly purfued in the legifla- 
ture? Does the audacious rebel who 
penned this impious phrafe yet ex- 
iftr Does he exift, and are you 
free? Does the government flum- 
ber, that it has not proceeded with 
vigour againft him? Thefeaddrefies 
‘are at prefent direfted againft the 
legiflature — Directors of the re- 
public, they will foon be directed 
againft you! Wretched! wretched 
is the authority which is fupported 
A bayonets! They always con- 
clude by annihilating the power 
which they have eftablifhed., The 
addreffes have been certified by the 
chief of the etat-majors of the ar- 
my. They have been officially 
tranfmitted to feveral adminiftra- 
tions: they were deftined to otter 
corps of troops; and yet this, it 
/ 2 
PAPERS.’ 303 
is faid, was not a deliberation. 
Doubtlefs it was not; for -had'thefe 
addrefles ‘been deliberated upon) 
they would have been publifhed in 
a camp of citizen foldiers, who 
would have caufed the voice of the 
conftitution tobe heard. If the 
foldiers have not read them, they 
do not fpeak the fentiments ‘of the 
army. The conftitution prohibits 
addreffes in the collective name of 
an armed body, and will a General 
be permitted to violate it? The 
more fervices your generals and 
foldiers have rendered to the coun- 
try, the more you ought to guard 
againft all attempts upon the con- 
ftitution. In a rifing republic do 
not permit the troops to act as if 
they had conquered only for them- 
felves, unlefs you would fee, as 
once was the cafe in the Roman 
empire, your foldiers only obe 
their generals, and ‘never their 
country. It has been attempted to 
perfuade the conquerors of Italy 
that a fyftem of profcription exifts 
againft them. Proferibe them4 
Who would dare to attempt it? 
Who would defire. it? ~ What 
Frenchman’s heart does not glow 
at the recital of their heroic ac- 
tions, which command the grati- 
tude of their country, and cover 
with a veil of glory the dreadful e- 
vents which have tarnifhed the re- 
volution? They were citizens*be- 
fore they were foldiers—they muft 
ceafe to be foldiers to become a- 
gain citizens. 
The Directory inform you, that 
they haye put a ftop tothe circula- 
tion of thefe ‘addreffes, and that 
they have written to the command- 
ers in chief, deploring the circum- 
ftances which had led to’'this vio- 
lation of the conftitutional act. 
Your Committee confider it their 
duiy 
