HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



[41 



CHAP. IV. 



Firsl Measures of Ihe Consular Government. — Proclamalioiisby theLcgis- 

 lalive Body. — And by the Chief Consul. — New Oath to be taken by all. 

 public Functionaries. — Letter to the foreign Ministers of France. — 

 Written Defences of the Revolution of St. Cloud, and the Provisional 

 Government. — Letter from the Chief Consul to the Army of Egypt. — 

 Conciliatory Conduct of Buonaparte. — Professed Spirit of the new Go- 

 veniment. — Odious Laws repealed. — Measures of Finance. — Of police 

 and internal Government. — Mercy extended to various Classes of Men. 

 —Marine and Commerce. — A new Constitutioji. 



IHE consular government were 

 anxious, above all things, and, 

 in the first place, to confirm their 

 authority by the confidence and at- 

 tachment of the French nation; and 

 these they endeavoured to gain by 

 good words and good actions, with- 

 out, however, relaxing from that 

 vigour, or even from such a degree 

 of severity as might be necessary to 

 maintain order and subordination 

 among so numerous and infl ammable 

 a'people. Proclamations explaining 

 the causes of the recent revolution 

 %vere published and sent to the ar- 

 mies, the departments, and all the 

 principal divisions or classes of the 

 citizens. The moment that the pro- 

 visional government was agreed on, 

 an address was published from the 

 legislative body, dated at St. Cloud, 

 the tenth of November, 1 799, to the 

 French people, briefly stating the 

 reasons which had determined them 

 to seek an asylum from the revolu- 

 tionary government, in the arms 

 of a constitution which promised, 

 at least, some repose. For the pur- 

 pose of arriving more speedily at 



this end, a provisional government 

 had been instituted ; and they ex- 

 horted allFrenchmen to rally around 

 their magistrates, and the soldiers 

 of liberty to pursue the course of 

 their victories, which would be fol- 

 lowed by peace, and those honours 

 and rewards reserved for their glo- 

 rious labours. Buonaparte, in the 

 character of commander-in-chief, 

 issued a proclamation on the same 

 day, dated eleven o'clock at night, 

 in which he gave an account of the 

 state of parties and public affairs, 

 and of his own conduct, from the 

 time of his return to Paris to the 

 present moment. In the conclu- 

 sion, he says, " the factious were 

 intimidated, and dispersed them- 

 selves. The majority, released from 

 their blows, entered freely and 

 peaceably into the hall of sitting, 

 lieard the propositions which were 

 made to them for the public safety, 

 deliberated and ])repared the salu- 

 tary resolution, which is to become 

 the new and provisional law of the 

 republic. Frenchmen ! you will 

 recognize, without doubt, in this 



