STATE PAPE RS. 
shakes the state to its foundation. 
All our evils arise from our dissen- 
tions, from the spirit of rapucity, 
the neglect of labour, from refusal 
to pay the contributions, from the 
depreciation of the national mo- 
ney. 
These evils cannot be cured but 
by a contrary regime, by the reci- 
procal esteem of citizens, by their 
eagerness to acquit themselves to 
the public treasury, by the resto- 
ration of industry, by the rigorous 
support of the integral value, and 
-without the least alteration; of the 
money established by the legisla- 
ture. 
The executive directory will 
‘know how to display on this im- 
portant occasion, the whole extent 
of the power deposited in their 
hands; they will make the na- 
tional will, expressed by the re- 
presentatives of the ‘people, be re- 
spected. 
It is to you, good citizens, 
friends of wisdom and liberty ; im- 
mense majority of Frenchmen! it 
is to you that it belongs to second 
the efforts of the government; form 
a sacred league to defend the consti- 
tutional edifice, which rests now 
upon the success of the mandats ; 
repel those who flatter you to draw 
you into a frightful abyss. You 
€an only save yourselves by austere 
truths. What have these operated 
for your good, who have laboured 
hitherto to render you immortal ; 
who have only irritated alternately 
and cherished your passions; who 
have sharpened hatred among you, 
and formed parties? What else 
have they done but favoured your 
external enemies, who long ago 
would have demanded peace of you, 
if they had not been enabled 
to set you against each other, and 
[271 
to make you tear out your entrails 
with your own hands ? 
It is against these externa! ene- 
mies that we must wake the ven_ 
geance of the staté. Cover with 
indignation and contempt their 
eternal advocates; those cowardly 
writers who connect themselves 
with traitors; who have nothing to 
present bat frightful portraits; who 
avail themselves of an obje@ eniy 
to make the citizens miserable, and 
divide to defame them. It is time 
that each of us should be proud of 
being Frenchmen! What are the 
crimes of some miserable men to 
the national glory, men whom na- 
ture has cast upon the territory of 
freemen? view the revolution with 
the same eyes that posterity wilf 
view it; with the same eyes which 
the foreigners whom you combag 
view it. Resume that proud ener- 
gy that produced vittory ; recoils 
le@ your triumphs, and let them 
be the pledge of new triumphs. 
Frenchmen, be assured of this 
great truth; it is, that the safety 
of all and each of you is in the 
rigid execution of the law relative 
to mandats. Already have the 
happy effeéts of their creation been 
felt by the bearers of assignats, 
which increase in value rapidly, 
although it has been pretended 
that it would complete their de- 
preciation. 
Let ro infringement be made 
upon this law, and soon a benefi- 
cent dew will vivify the happy soil 
that nature has adjudged to us. 
France will rise from that deplor- 
able languor, a devouring stock. job. 
bing will cease her ravages, adlivity 
in arts and commerce will succeed, 
the roads and canals will no longer 
be in ruins, the public fun¢tion. 
aries of the state will be indemni- 
fied 
