Dec] 



CHRONICLE. 



183 



I have the noble pride to say no 

 other nation has offered a fairer 

 example, has enabled me to 

 realize these hopes, and they are 

 so. My troops alone occupy all 

 our strong places. One of my 

 sons, who hastened to join in the 

 first transports of joy of our de- 

 livered provinces, hoisted, with 

 his own hands, and amidst the 

 acclamations of my people, the 

 French standard on the ramparts 

 of Thionville. This standard now 

 floats on all the territory of 

 France. The day on which those 

 of my children, who have borne 

 with so much courage the bur- 

 then of an occupation of more 

 than three years, have been deli- 

 vered from it, will be one of the 

 fairest days of my life, and my 

 French heart has enjoyed no less 

 the end of their distresses than the 

 liberation of the country. The 

 provinces which have so painfully 

 occupied my thoughts till this 

 day, deserve to fix those of the 

 nation, which has admired, as I 

 have done, their heroic resigna- 

 tion. 



" The noble unanimity of heart 

 and of sentiments which you ma- 

 nifested when I called upon you, 

 for the means to fulfil our en- 

 gagements, was a brilliant proof 

 of the attachment of the French 

 to their country, of the confidence 

 of the nation in its King ; and 

 Europe has eagerly received 

 France replaced in the rank which 

 belongs to her. 



" The declaration which an- 

 nounces to the world the prin- 

 ciples on which the union of the 

 five powers is founded, suffici- 

 ently shows the friendship which 

 reigns among the Sovereigns. 

 This salutary union, dictated by 



justice, and consolidated by 

 morality and religion, has for its 

 object to prevent the scourge of 

 war by the maintenance of trea- 

 ties, by the guarantee of existing 

 rights, and permits us to fix our 

 eyes on the long days of peace 

 which such an alliance promises 

 to Europe. 



" I have awaited in silence this 

 happy epoch, to turn my thoughts 

 to the national solemnity in which 

 religion concentrates the intimate 

 union of the people with their 

 King ; when receiving the Royal 

 unction in the midst of you, I 

 shall take to witness the God by 

 whom Kings reign, the God of 

 Clovis, of Charlemagne, of St. 

 Louis; I shall renew at the altar 

 the oath to confirm the institu- 

 tions founded on that Charter, 

 which I cherish more since the 

 French, by an unanimous senti- 

 ment, have frankly rallied round 

 it. In the laws which will be 

 proposed to you, I shall take care 

 that its spirit shall be always con- 

 sulted, in order to secure more 

 and more the public rights of the 

 French, and to preserve to the 

 monarchy the force which it 

 must have to preserve all the 

 liberties which are dear to my 

 people. 



" In seconding my wishes and 

 my efforts, you will not forget, 

 gentlemen, that this chai'ter, 

 delivering France from des- 

 potism, has put an end to revo- 

 lutions. I depend on )'our con- 

 currence to repel those pernicious 

 principles, which, under the mask 

 of liberty, attack social order, 

 conduct by anarchy to absolute 

 power, and whose fatal success 

 has cost the world so much blood 

 and so many tears. 



" My 



