STATE PAPERS. 



745 



Speech of the Emperor Napoleon 

 at the opening of the meeting of 

 the Legislative Body. Dec. 3, 

 1809. 



Gentlemen deputies of depart- 

 ments to the legislative body. — 

 Since your last session I have re- 

 duced Arragon and Castile to sub- 

 mission, and driven from Madrid 

 the fallacious government formed 

 by England. I was marching upon 

 Cadiz and Lisbon, when I was un- 

 der the necessity of treading back 

 my steps, and of planting my eagles 

 on the ramparts of Vienna. Three 

 months have seen the rise and ter- 

 mination of this fourth Punic war. 

 Accustomed to the devotednessand 

 courage of my armies, I must ne- 

 vertheless, under these circum- 

 stances, acknowledge the particular 

 proofs of affection which my sol- 

 diers of Germany have given me. 



The genius of France conducted 

 the English army — it has terminated 

 its projects in the pestilential 

 marshes of Walcheren. In that im- 

 portant period I remained 400 

 leagues distant, certain of the new 

 glory which my people would ac- 

 <juire, and of the grand character 

 they would display. My hopes have 

 not been deceived. 



I owe particular thanks to the ci- 

 tizens of the departments of the 

 Pas de Calais and the North. 

 Frenchmen ! every one that shall 

 oppose you shall be conquered and 

 reduced to submission. Your gran- 

 deur shall be increased by the ha- 

 tred of your enemies. You have 

 before you long years of glory and 

 prosperity You have the force 

 and energy of the Hercules of the 

 ancients. 



I have united Tuscany to the em- 

 pire- The Tuscans wore worthy 



of itby the mildness of their charac- 

 ter, by the attachment their ances- 

 tors have always shown us, and by 

 the services they have rendered to 

 European civilization. 



History pointed out to me the 

 conduct I ought to pursue towards 

 Rome ; the popes become sove- 

 reigns of part of Italy, have con- 

 stantly shown themselves enemies of 

 every preponderating power in the 

 peninsula — they have employed 

 their spiritual power to injure it. 



It was then demonstrated to me 

 that the spiritualinfluence exercised 

 in my states by a foreign sovereign, 

 was contrary to the independence of 

 France, to the dignity and safety of 

 my throne. However, as I acknow- 

 ledge the necessity of the spiritual 

 influence of the descendants of the 

 first of the pastors, I could not con- 

 ciliate these grand interests but by 

 annulling the donative of the French 

 emperors 'my predecessors, and by 

 uniting the Roman states to France. 

 By the treaty of Vienna, all the 

 kings and sovereigns of my allies, 

 who have given me so many proofs 

 of the constancy of their friendship, 

 have acquired and shall acquire a 

 fresh increase of territory. 



Thelllyrianprovincesstretch the 

 frontiers of my great empire to the 

 Saave. Contiguous to the empire of 

 Constantinople, I shall find myself 

 in a situation to watch over the first 

 interests of my commerce in the 

 Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and 

 theLevant. Iwillprotectthel'orte, 

 if the Porte withdraws herself from 

 the fatal influence of England; I 

 shall know how to punish her, if she 

 suffer herself to be governed by 

 cunning and perfidious counsels. 



I have w ished to give to the Swiss 

 nation a new proof of my esteem, 

 by annexing to my titles that of 



their 



