6i28 



ANNUAL REGISTEIl, 1805. 



Gentlemen, — The government of 

 Euglaiul, in publishing imperfectly 

 the commencement ot a negotiation 

 with France, has violated the law of 

 nations, and imposed on his majesty 

 the emperor an obligation to make 

 known to France and to Europe the 

 circumstances of the case with all 

 accuracy. — Europe and France will 

 observe to what fresh sacrifices of 

 self love, of every sentiment of vain 

 glory, a noble heart, full of pride, 

 and jealous of its renown, has sub- 

 mitted, in ondcr to spare the eil'usion 

 of human blood, of the blood of his 

 people more endeared to his love. 

 They will perceive that the first war- 

 rior of his age has endeavoured to 

 restore, as soon as possible, to peace 

 and to repose, the existing genera- 

 tions, M'hose tranquillity and happi- 

 ness form henceforth the dearest of 

 hLs wishes, and will constitute the 

 sole glory which he wishes to add to 

 the glory he already has acquired by 

 his military triumphs. These sen- 

 timents, gentlemen, explain at once 

 the thoughts and the actions of his 

 majesty. — And should it be asked 

 how a man, gifted with a character 

 more vigorous, who has proved him- 

 self more enterprising and more dar- 

 ing than the most daring and enter- 

 prising persons recorded in history ; 

 how a roan, in the vigour of impas- 

 ,«i»on«'d yonth, could, in desiring 

 peacr, triumph at once over his re. 

 ■iHombrancos and his hopes: how the 

 general of live hundred thousand 

 brave men conld keep iu subjection 

 the most noble, as well as the most 

 absolute of all the passions, that of 

 renown; — how he conld renounce 

 the glory which he could^fill acquire 

 Ju this career of arms, in which he 

 has encountered only victories : it 

 ifiustlic answered — this man has need 

 fif the tepose and of the happiness 



of the world. — If one asks how a 

 young monarch, incessantly pursued 

 by cowardly enemies, attacked by 

 vile defamers, menaced by assassins, 

 silences his personal resentments, and 

 resolves to present the olive branch 

 to the cabinet that hires his defa- 

 mers, and pays wages to his assas- 

 sins, the answ er is, this monarch is 

 above the passions of common men. 

 If one recollect how Great Britain, 

 braving public morality, and the law 

 of nations, has prostituted her am- 

 bassadors, degraded her most distin- 

 guished soldiers, by the vilest func- 

 tions, by the most shameful missions; 

 if we consider how she employs the 

 treasures of her commerce, acquired 

 in contempt of the law of nations, 

 and of all laws, to pay the fabrica- 

 tors of inleriial machines, to organii-e 

 conspiracies, the traces of which ar« 

 still in the midst of us, and which 

 have excited cries of indignation 

 that re-echo throughout Europe. If 

 we trace out to ourselves such a pic- 

 ture, and ask liow the chief of this 

 great tiation, marked by France and 

 Europe as the avenger of so many 

 outrages, stillcs in his heart the ma- 

 lice and hatred which would prevail 

 in an ordinary soul, we must answer, 

 the man, to whom the great nation 

 has given its crown, aspires, from 

 that moment, only to the title of 

 father of the French. Na- 

 poleon had scarcely ascended the 

 throne, had scarcely gone out of 

 this metropolis, M'here all that is 

 most august in religion had conse- 

 crated what is most solemn in the 

 wishes of the jieople, when his heart, 

 still full of emotion at the public 

 acclamation, inspired him with th« 

 thought of writing to George III. 

 the letter which I am charged to 

 communicate to you. — The emperor 

 had Tery recently takea to Franc* 



tiie 





