13S . ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



same policy, which had operated 

 in the change of the government of 

 the Italian republic, was to extin- 

 guish for ever the liberty and in- 

 dependence of Genoa I 



Wchave already seen, that in tlic 

 settlement of the throne of Italy, it 

 ■was stipulated that it should never 

 hereafter vest in the person of the fu- 

 ture French emperor: henceapossi- 

 bility of an entire separation between 

 the two countries in political friend- 

 ship and relations. Contemplating 

 such an event, the annexation of 

 Genoa and its territory to the 

 crown of France was an objc6t of 

 the last importance. Already in 

 possession of Savoy and Piedmont, 

 that of Genoa secured the passage 

 of French armies into Italy, by a 

 road, which, if in the hai\ds of an 

 hostile, or even a neutral power, 

 would be utterly impracticable, and 

 the future dependence of Italy upon 

 France might be rendered, or gra- 

 dually become, doubtful and pre- 

 carious. 



Before such conaiderations the 

 faith of treaties was as nothing in 

 the scale ; and the chief of tlic Li. 

 gurian republic was given to under- 

 stand that he must prepare himself 

 to make, in the iiame of the people, 

 a formal surrciider of their liberties 

 and territory to the French nation. 

 This ceremony took place, with all 

 due solemnit}', at Milan, on the 

 fourth of June, when the doge, in a 

 full convocation of Ihe great officers 

 of state of the new kingdom of Ita- 

 ly, addressed Bonaparte, and so- 

 licited him to grant to the Genoese 

 nation the happiness of being his 

 6ubjc<5ts ! His majesty returned a 

 very long and a very gracious an- . 

 swer ; in the course of which he 

 said, " I will realize your wish — I 

 " will unite you to my great people. 



3 



" It will be to me a new means for 

 " rendering more efficacious the 

 " protection I have always loved to 

 " grant you. My people will re- 

 " ceive j on with pleasure. They 

 " know that, in all circumstances, 

 " you Iwve assisted their arms with 

 " friendsliin, and have supported 

 " them with all your means. They 

 " find besides, with your ports, an 

 " increaseof maritime power, which 

 " is necessary to them to sustain 

 " their lawful rights against the op- 

 " pressors of the seas. You will 

 " lind, in your union with my peo- 

 " pie, a continent. You have only 

 " ports and a marine. You will 

 " find a flag, which, whatever may 

 "be the pretensions of my enemies, 

 " I will maintain, on all the seas of 

 *• the universe, constantly free from 

 " insult, and from search, and ex- 

 " cmpt from (he right of blockade, 

 " which I will never recognize but 

 " for places really blockaded, as 

 " well by sea as by land. You 

 " will find yourselves sheltered un- 

 " der it from this shameful slavery, 

 " the existence of which 1 re- 

 " lu«;(antly suffer with respect to 

 " weaker nations, but from which 

 " I H"ili always guarantee my sub- 

 " jocts." 



W'c have gone to greater length, 

 in the foregoing extract, than is our 

 usual custom, but the opportunity 

 of displaying the insolence, and ar- 

 rogant assunii)tion of the man, was 

 too tempting not to be embraced, 

 and it may also serve as an useful 

 record of the manner in which th» I 

 independency of states, in alliance 

 with France, was terminated at the 

 will and pleasure of the individual tc 

 whom we have adverted. 



Having thus secured, to himself,! 

 personal aggrandizement, to his 

 family the reversion of a new form- 

 ed 



