HISTORY OF EUROPE. 





*» to us his family and existence. 

 <' It is not to himself, it is to us, 

 " that he ought to devote himself. 

 ** ^^^^at you propose in the ardour 

 " oC enthusiasm, the senate will 

 *' consider with cool deliberation. 

 " Citizens tribunes, we are the 

 " comer stone of the social edifice, 

 " but it is the government of an he- 

 <' reditary chief that must constitute 

 *' the key-stone of the arch. You 

 *' repose in your bosom the wish 

 <* that this arch may be at last con- 

 ■" solidated. In receiving this wish, 

 *' the senate does not forget that 

 *' what you solicit is not so much a 

 " change of the state of the repub- 

 ^* lie, as the means of perfe(;;lin^ 

 *' and establishing it, and this cer- 

 *' tainly is what we are most inte- 

 *' rested in. In this national temple 

 *^ the constitution ought to repose, 

 *' in some measure, on the god 

 *' Termimts, If we are induced to 

 *' interfere in any respeft with this 

 *' sacred compact, the guardianship 

 *' of which is intrusted to us, it is 

 *' only to add to its strength, and 

 *' to extend its duration." 



The senate then replied to Bona- 

 parte's speech of the 25th April, 

 in an address signed by the vice-pre- 

 sident Francois de Neufchateau, 

 ISIoreau de Galles, and Joseph 

 Cornudet, secretaries, and the chan- 

 cellor of the senate, Laplace. But 

 AS it is of great length, and contains 

 no new matter, we forbear its inser- 

 tion. 



This measure was finally adopted 

 by the senate of the 18th May, on 

 which day a decree, donominated an 

 " Organic Senatus Consultum''^was 

 passed, conferring the title of em- 

 peror on (he first consul, and esta- 

 blishing that dignity hereditary in 

 his family. It was likewise decreed, 

 Aat the niPiubers should immediate- 



ly repair to St. Cloud, to commu- 

 nicate this decision to Bonaparte. 

 They accordingly set out at the 

 close of the sitting, escorted by a 

 body of troops. 



The senate were admitted to an 

 audience on their arrival, and their 

 president, consul Cambaceres, pre- 

 sented the " Senatus Consultum'' toi 

 Bonaparte, accompanying it with 

 an oration. 



" Sire, the decree which the se-. 

 " nate has passed, and which it 

 " takes the earliest opportunity of 

 " presenting to your imperial ma- 

 " jesty, is only the authentic ex- 

 " prcssion of a will already mani- 

 " tested by the nation. This de- 

 " cree, which confers on you a nevr 

 " title, and which, after you, se- 

 " cures the dignity hereditary in 

 " your race, adds nothing to your 

 " dignity or your rights. The lore 

 " Und gratitude of the French peo- 

 " pie have, for some years, eutrust- 

 " ed to your majesty the reins of 

 " government, and the constitu- 

 " tions of the state reposed in you. 

 " the choice of a successor. The 

 " most august denomination, de- 

 " creed to you, is then only a tri- 

 " bute which the nation pays to its 

 " own dignity, and to the necessity 

 " it experiences of giving to yow 

 " daily testimonies of respcdt and 

 " of attachment, which every day 

 " increase. How could the French 

 " people find bounds to their grati- 

 " tude, when yon place none to 

 " your care and solicitude for them ? 

 " Preserving the remembrance of 

 " the evils which they suflered when 

 '* abandoned to themselves, how 

 " could they rcfle('^, m ilhout enthu- 

 " siasm, on the happiness they have 

 " felt since Providence inspired 

 " them with the idea of throwing 

 " thcmsiclvcs into your arms? Their 



'• armiM 



