604 
fatlo the chief magistrate, or first 
consul of France. He has been re- 
cognized by us in that character, 
and in that character we made 
peace with him. | Is it possible then 
that such a publication can be in- 
nocent or inoffensive ? 
He then goes on to state—‘¢ But 
he is advanced to such a point, that 
he looks no more towards glory, but 
to his own security, and that he 
esteems nothing honourable, but 
what conduces to the preservation 
of hispower. It is thus that he has 
organized a company of Mamelukes, 
as they are called, composed of 
Greeks, Maltese, Arabians, and 
Copts; a collection of foreign ban- 
ditti, whose name and dress re- 
calling the mad and disastrous Egyp- 
tian expedition, serve to cover him 
with shame; but who, not speak- 
ing our language, nor having any 
point of contact with the army, 
will always be the satellites of the 
tyrant, his mutes, his cut throats, 
and his hangmen.. 'That tranquillity 
then, and that Jeisure adorned with 
liberty, which many good men pre- 
fer to an honourable resistance, 
exist not. I*renchmen, it is at this 
moment that you must resolye to 
serve or to command, to receive 
terror or to inspire it, Are we 
not reduced to extremity? What 
human institution can stop the ty- 
rant ?” ’ 
He states, that the ‘¢ laws, jus- 
tice, the finances, the administra- 
tion, the sovereigns of Europe; in 
fine, the liberty and the life of the 
citizens, are all in the power of 
one man. You see, at every mo- 
ment, arbitrary arrests, judges pu- 
nished for having acquitted citizens, 
individuals put to death after having 
been already acquitted by a lawful 
sentence, and sentences of death ex- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
torted from judges by threats. Re- 
mains there for men, who would 
deserve that name, any thing else to 
do, but to avenge their wrongs, or 
to perish with glory ???—And then, 
detailing a great number of other 
circumstances, which reflect on the 
character and credit of the first con- 
sul; he concludes with this indig- 
nant piece of irony. —** If you 
would enjoy peace and concord, 
approve ofall the revolutions, and 
all the murders that have taken 
place in the republic ; sanction the 
laws that have been imposed on 
you; receive tranquillity with sla- 
very, and shew to posterity, by 
your example, that a man may 
make himself master of the Roman 
people, by causing them to spill 
their own blood. As for me, if 
I have ever sought. to be any thing, 
it is in order to defend the liberty, 
and the dignity of the people, and 
the sacred rights that our fathers 
have left us. J have never sought 
to make a disgraceful fortune, and 
L have preferred the storms of a 
liberty, difficult of attainment, to 
the deadly tranquillity of slavery. 
If you are of my opinion, French- 
men, present yourselves ; and after 
having invoked the assistance of the 
gods, name Camille your consul, 
and your chief in the bold enter- 
prize of the recovery of your li- 
berty.” 
Gentlemen, having read_ these 
passages to you, let me ask you, 
whether I characterize this publica- 
tion too strongly, when I describe 
it to be not only a gross libel against 
the chief magistrate of France, but 
a direct exhortation to that coun- 
try to rebel against him? That is 
the character | ascribe to this pub- 
lication. 
With regard to the other two 
publica~ 
