HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



175 



^' law of heretlifary suecession. I 

 '• hope France will never repent of 

 " having surrounded with hu- 

 *' nours my family. In all cases 

 *' my spirit will cease to be present 

 *' with my posterity, the day on 

 *' which they shall cease to deserve 

 " the love and coutidence of the 

 « Great Nation." 



But as the measure of adulation 

 •was not yet quite filled, the senate 

 requested an audieuceof her majesty 

 the empress, and, on being admit- 

 ted, the president addressed her as 

 follows : 



" Madam, we have just presented 

 *' to your august spouse the decree 

 *' which confers on him the title of 

 " emperor, which establishes the 

 *' government hereditary in his fa- 

 *' mily, and associates future gene- 

 *' rations in the happiness of the 

 *' present race. A very agreeable 

 *' duty remains to be performed by 

 *' the senate — that of oftering to 

 *' your imperial majesty the hon^age 

 *' of its respect, and an expression 

 *' of the gratitude of the French. 

 *' Yes, madam, fame proclaims the 

 *' good which you are constantly 

 *' doing ; it says, that being always 

 " accessible to the unfortunate, 

 '' you employ your influence with 

 *' the chief of the state only to re- 

 '' lievc distress, and that to the 

 '' pleasure of obliging, your ma- 

 '' jesty adds that amiable delicacy 

 *' which renders gratitude sweater, 

 *' and the kindness more valuable. 

 '' This disposition presages, that 

 *' the name of the empress Jose- 

 '' phine, will be the signal of con- 

 *' solation and hope, and as the 

 *' virtues of Napoleon wiU always 

 *' serve as aa example to his suc- 

 " cessors. to teach ihem the art of 



" governing nations ; the living re- 

 " membrance of your goodness, 

 " will teach their august consorts, 

 " that the care of drying up tears, 

 " is the most effectual means of pre- 

 " serving an empire over all hearts. 

 " The senate thinks itself happy in 

 " the opportunity of being the first 

 " to salute you empress, and he 

 " who has the honour of bei»g its 

 " organ, takes the liberty to hope, 

 " that you will deign to reckon 

 " him among the number of your 

 " most faithful servants." 



The " organic senatus consult um" 

 was then proclaimed by the empe- 

 ror, it consisted of 151 articles, 

 forming a totally new coiistitulion; 

 As the insertion of the whole of 

 this curious performance would 

 cause too groat an interruption in 

 the thread of our narrative, we 

 shall, in this place, limit ourselves 

 to the substance of the jirincipal 

 points relating to the emperor and 

 his family, and refer our readers, 

 who may be desirous of further in- 

 formation on that head, to another 

 part of this work*. 



The government of the republic 

 shall be confided to Napoleon Bo- 

 naparte nndcr the title of emperor, 

 and justice shall be administered in 

 his name by officers appointed by 

 him. 



The imperial dignity shall be he- 

 reditary in the family of Bonaparte, 

 in the direft line of descent by or- 

 der of primogeniture to the exclu- 

 sion of females. 



The power is given to Bonaparte, 

 provided he have no male issue, to 

 adopt an heir from amongst the chil- 

 dren and grand children of his bro- 

 thers, provided they have attained 

 the age of eighteen years. On the 



Vid« " State Papers," p. 664, 



failure 



