GENERAL 
ducted with all the attention to 
spectacle which is so important 
an affair in France. A spacious 
amphitheatre was erected in the 
Champ de Mars, covered with an 
awning, under which were seat- 
ed the electors and the military 
deputations (for the constitution 
had been submitted to the sol- 
diers and sailors, as well as to 
the civil portion of the commu- 
nity.) _ Napoleon arrived at the 
lace at one o’clock, accompanied 
by his brothers Joseph, Lucien, 
and Jerome, dressed in Roman 
costume. After the peformance 
of High Mass, one of the de- 
puties harangued the emperor, 
and the arch-chancellor declared 
the acceptance of the new act by 
nearly a unanimity of votes. 
Napoleon then made a discourse 
to the electors and deputies, be- 
ginning with the declaration, that 
as Emperor, consuj, and sol- 
dier, he held every thing from 
the people. He aiterwards took 
an oath ‘to observe the consti- 
tutions of the empire, and to 
cause them to be observed.” It 
was followed by an oath of obe- 
dience to the constitution, and of 
fidelity to the Emperor, pro- 
nounced by the arch-chancellor, 
and repeated by the whole as- 
sembly. Napoleon then descend- 
ed from the throne, and advanc- 
ing to the middle of the Champ de 
Mars, distributed the imperial 
eagles to the troops of the line, 
and the national guards as they 
marched by him, and swore to 
defend them at the hazard of 
their lives, and never to suffer 
foreigners to dictate laws to their 
country. Thus terminated this 
_ ceremony, which passed over with 
the Parisians as a show, and was 
Vou. LVII. 
‘mer occasions. 
HISTORY. [65 
attended with nothing of the en- 
thusiasm manifested on some for= 
It could not but 
be felt that all was false and hol- 
low ; that the change in the go- 
vernment had been effected by a 
military conspiracy originating in 
devoted attachment to a chief; 
that this chief had for many years 
ruled by his sword ; and that his 
boundless ambition had united 
all Europe in a league against 
him, which still subsisted; and 
was about to involve the country 
again in all the calamities of war. 
At the same time the internal 
state of the nation was full of 
‘danger. Theminister of police had 
just announced that insurrection 
had broken out in several points of 
the departments of the West ; and 
troops were required to secure 
obedience at home, whilst all the 
force that could be mustered was 
little enough to meet. the foreign 
storm on the frontiers. Usa- 
nimity was far from prevailing in 
the legislativebody. The chamber 
of peers, composed in great part of 
military men, and nominated by 
Buonaparte, was indeed subser- 
vient to his will; but the cham- 
ber of representatives, in their 
election for president, nominated 
by a considerable majority M. 
Lanjuinais, who had formerly 
distinguished himself by the free- 
dom of his conduct, and had op- 
posed the first elevation of Na- 
poleon to the imperial rank. The 
election was however confirmed. 
When the form of the constitu- 
tional oath was discussed in that 
assembly, voices were heard ob- 
jecting to the clause of ‘fidelity 
to the Emperor,’”’ and proposing 
the substitution of “ fidelity to the 
nation,” but they were silenced 
[F] 
