S70 F R A 
•Italian, Helvetic, and Batavian, republics, and left them 
at liberty to chool'e their own governments. Any mea- 
fures, therefore, which tend to compel thefe dates to 
chool'e a government, conftitution, or fovereign, other- 
wife than according to their free will, or otherwife than 
is confident with the maintenance of a real political inde¬ 
pendence, is a breach of the peace of Luneville, and it is 
the duty of Audria to complain of fuch a violation. 
“ The maintenance of general tranquillity requires that 
each power diould confine itTelf within its own frontiers, 
and refpedt the rights and independence of other dates, 
whether drong or weak. That tranquillity is troubled, 
when any power appropriates to herlelf a right of occu¬ 
pation, protection, or influence, when that right is neither 
founded on the laws of nations or on treaties; when (he 
(peaks after peace of the right of conqued ; when (he em¬ 
ploys force and menaces to prefcribe laws to her neigh¬ 
bours, and compels them to fign treaties of alliance, con- 
ceflion, fubjugation, or incorporation, at her will. 
“ Under fuch circumdances, it 'becomes necedary for 
other powers to arm, to fupport each other, and to join 
in maintaining their own, and the general fecurity. Thus 
the military preparations of the court of Vienna are pro¬ 
voked by the’preparations of- France, as well as by her 
neglect of all means, of fecuring and maintaining the ba¬ 
lance of power, and future tranquillity. On the contrary, 
French armies were rapidly alfembled in Italy, without 
any regard to the promifes given that no military prepa¬ 
rations fhould take place in that country. An encamp¬ 
ment of thirty thoufand men in the plain of Marengo, was 
fpeedily followed by another encampment of iorty thou¬ 
fand men on the frontiers of the Tyrol and Aubro-Vene- 
tian provinces. His majedy thus found himfelf under the 
jieceffily of providing, without delay, for his own fafety. 
He was now convinced th.it his pacific, friendly, and mo¬ 
derate, fentiments were not met by Inch fentiments on 
the part of his tnajedy the emperor of the French, as to 
permit him any longer to neglect taking the necelfary 
meafures for alferting his jud tights, and maintaining the 
dignity of his empire. 
“ This is the caufe of the prefent armament. The fame 
difpofitions, however, which made his majedy fo anxious 
to avoid a recurrence to fuch meafures, have alfo deter¬ 
mined their precife ohjedt. The emperor arms not with 
hodile views; he arms not to operate a diverfion againd 
a landing in England. Befides, the execution of this de- 
fcent, after two years menaces, does not feent to be exadtly 
calculated fopthe moment when France provokes Audria 
and Raffia, by enterpriles which have no relation w hat¬ 
ever to the quarrel with Great Britain. The emptror 
arms for the maintenance of the peace exiding between 
him and France. He arms for the maintenance of thofe 
pacific dipulations without which his peace would become 
illttfory, and to attain that jud equipoife which depends 
on the moderation of all the powers intereded, and w hich 
is calculated to fecure the balance and the permanent tran¬ 
quillity of Europe. 
“ The dep by which his majedy has at the fame time 
invited all the courts intereded to renew the negociations 
which have been broken od, is directed to the lame ob¬ 
ject. Fhe unexpected rejection which his interpolition 
has experienced on the part of hi* majedy the emperor 
of the French, does not prevent him from renewing that 
invitation. And as a demondration of the rectitude of 
the fentiments entertained by the two imperial courts of 
Audria and Rullia, it is hereby formally declared in the 
name of botla ; — 
“ That they are ready to enter into a negociation with 
Fi'Snte, for maintaining the peace of the continent on ihe 
mod moderate terms which are compatible with the ge¬ 
neral tranquillity and (ecurity : 
“ That, whatever (hall be the iffiue of the negociations, 
1 and even diould the commencement of hodilities become 
unavoidable, they at the fame time pledge tiiemfelves to 
abdain from every proceeding tending to interfere with 
N C E. 
the internal concerns of France ; or to alter the date of 
podeffion, and the lega/ly-ex iflirtg relations in the German 
empire ; or, in the flighted degree, to injure the rights or 
intereds of the Ottoman Porte, the integrity of whole do¬ 
minions they are, on the contrary, prepared to defend to 
the utmofl of their power. 
“ Finally,- that the fentiments of Great Britain are con¬ 
formable with thofe herein expreffied, and that (he has 
difplayea the fame moderate difpofition for the refloration 
of peace between her ancLFrance.” 
To thefe declarations, Bonaparte, on the 23d of Sep¬ 
tember, pub 1 idied his final refolves. fie therein infids 
on the uniform difpofition of France to maintain pacific 
meafures with Audria; and, as evidence of the fail, he 
i:.dances many aggreflions on the part of the emperor 
of Germany, which he had borne in filence for the fake 
of peace. 
“ He has not complained of the immediate extenfion of 
territory on the right fide of the Piave, againd the acqui- 
fition of Lindau, againd all the other acqui fit ions made by 
Audria in Suabia, and which, fubfequently to the treaty 
of Luneville, have materially altered the fmiation of the 
neighbouring dates in the interior of Germany ; he has 
not complained of the debt of Venice not having been 
difcharged, contrary to the fpirit and the letter of the 
treaties of Campo Formio and of Luneville; he has not 
complained of the denial of juflice, experienced at Vienna 
by his fubjedts of Milan and Mantua, none of whom, 
notwith Aanding their formal dipulations, have been paid 
their demands ; neither has lie complained of the parti¬ 
ality with which Audria has recognifed the right of block¬ 
ade, w'liich England fo monflroufly arrogates to herfelf; 
and, when the neutrality of the Andrian flag was fo often 
violated, to the injury of France, he was not provoked by 
this condndt of the court of Vienna, to make any com¬ 
plaint ; thus making a facrifice to his love of peace, in 
prefej ving (ilence upon the fubjedt. 
“ Twice able to deprive Audria for ever of one half of 
her hereditary dates, far from diminifliing her power, he 
had increaled it. If he could have placed no reliance 
upon her gratitude, bethought he might upon her ho¬ 
nour. He gave her the dronged proof of confidence he 
podibly could, in leaving his continental frontiers dif- 
mantled and ungarrifoned. He flands judified, therefore, 
in his complaints of the deceitful and illufory condudt of 
the court of Vienna in her pretended negociation, till, at 
lad railing the mafk, die became the apologid of England; 
and by announcing that die would open her dates to two 
Ruffian armies, die plainly acknow ledged the confederacy 
into which l)ie had entered with Ruflia in favour of Eng¬ 
land. All further explanation, therefore, with the court 
of Vienna having become impoffibie, an appeal to arms 
was the only means that were compatible with honour. 
Let England exult that (he has at lad found allies; htr 
joy will be of fliort duration, and the day is not far diflant 
when the lights of nations fliall be avenged. 
“ The emperor, obliged to repel an unjufl attack, that 
he has laboured in vain to prevent, is under the neceffity 
of fufpendifig the execution of his firfl defigns. He has 
withdrawn from the brink of the ocean thofe old troops 
fo often victorious, and he marches at their head.. He 
will never lay down his arms until he (hall have obtained 
full and entire fatiSfaCtion, and complete fecurity, as well 
for his own eflates as for thofe of his allies.” 
In aid of the impending exigencies, a new confcripfion 
of eighty thoufand men was ordered to take place, with 
a view of recruiting the armies, and fupplying the wade 
of war. This confcription was to be enforced wi ll all 
the rigour of penal law'. Evafion and defertion would be 
condrued into treafon againd the date, and the mod ig¬ 
nominious punifliments denounced againd fuch as were 
backward in joining the armies. When (his decree had 
palLd the legiflative atfembly, the emperor, the day be¬ 
fore he quitted Paris to join the army, delivered the fol¬ 
low iitg (peecli: 
44 Senators 
