170 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S04. 



created consuls. When her poorer 

 had gone beyond the limits of her 

 territories, when she had to combat 

 nations far removed from the centre 

 of her dominions, even the exces- 

 sive love of freedom could not pre- 

 vent the ruin of the republic, and 

 emperors were elevated to the throne. 

 Fortunate would it have been for 

 tiial treat nation, if the first of their 

 jemperors had, as he had it in his 

 power, made the government here- 

 ditary in his family. The scenes 

 which covered the throne with 

 lilood ; the civil wars which dissolv, 

 ed that vast empire, and precipitat- 

 ed its downfal, would not have sul- 

 lied the page of the history of those 

 masters of the world. On the ruins 

 pf amonarchy destroyed, an attempt 

 was made to substitute a monarchi- 

 cal government. France must have 

 been destroyed, if the genius of 

 Bonaparte had not erected the 

 consulate to precede, for a few years, 

 the creation of the imperial dignity. 

 He is called to this elevated station 

 by the unanimous wish. He had, as 

 fifst consul, the power of perform- 

 ing vast services, and you have seen 

 all his measures attended with a 

 success unexampled in the page of 

 the history of the world- This was 

 sufficient for his own glory, but not 

 enough for the happiness of France. 

 If empires prosper under a great 

 man, the moment which deprives 

 them of their services, mmacesthem 

 with some dreadful explosion, if the 

 same monarch does not substitute in 

 his place, him Mho is to be his suc- 

 ecssor. It is then that ambition be- 

 comes inflamed, and long before am- 

 bition prepares in secret the means 

 of supplanting rivals. Lonji dis- 

 sentions, succeeded by civil wars, 

 agitate the minds of men, disturb, 

 for ages, the uuion of the citizens ; 



and the people are often «o unfortp- 

 nate as not to discern, amongst the 

 rival candidates, the one most wor- 

 thy to receive the sceptre, of which 

 death has bereaved the object ol their 

 regret. What can prevent these 

 disasters ? A constitutional law, 

 which gives the line of succession, 

 and which gives to the family of the | 

 chief the new dynasty. This was 1 

 the object of the nation ; and if the 

 throne were to be the reward of the 

 virtues of the great man called to the 

 imperial dignity, the succession to it 

 by his family, v/onld guarantee to 

 France ages of glory and repose. 



It was observed, by another mem- 

 ber, that absolute monarchy was 

 the most degrading of systems, but 

 that monarchy, connected with the 

 representative system, conciliated 

 political and civil liberty ; and that 

 was the system which Napoleon was 

 about to establish. 



The sitting concluded with the 

 motion declaring th-e discussion to 

 be closed, and that a report should 

 be made on the next day on the ori- 

 ginal proposition. 



Accordingly, on the 3d of May, 

 the tribunate having heard the report 

 of the special commission appointed 

 to consider the proposition made by 

 citizen Curce, resolved, 1st, " That 

 " Napoleon Bonaparte should be 

 " proclaimed emperor of the French, 

 " and, in that quality, be charged 

 " with the government of France. 

 " 2d. That the title of emperor, 

 " together with the imperial pre- 

 " rogatives, should be hereditarj' in 

 " his family, in the male line, and 

 '^ in the order of primogeniture. 

 " 3d. That the constituted authqri- 

 " ties, in forming the necessary re- 

 " gulations for the establishment of 

 " the hereditary power, should 

 " make all due provisions for pre- 

 serving 



