S30 
LON 
fortune of Europe and that of France, had effected the fall 
of fo many thrones, and caufed fo many revolutions ; that 
members of the family reigning in France fhould be placed 
on foreign thrones; the French government, in fhort, 
that government which for fo many years has fought to 
rule no lefs by dilcord than by force of arms, was to remain 
the arbiter of the external concerns of the powers of Europe. 
“By continuing the negotiations under fuch circum- 
fcances, the allies would have neglefted what they owe to 
themfelves—they would from that moment have deviated 
from the glorious goal they had before them—their efforts 
would have been turned againft their people. By figning 
a treaty upon the principles of the French projet, they 
would have placed their arms in the hands of the common 
enemy ; they would have betrayed the expectation of na¬ 
tions, and the confidence of their allies. 
c ‘ It is in a moment fo decifive for the welfare of the 
world that the allied fovereigns renew the folemn en¬ 
gagement, not to lay down their arms till they fliall 
have attained the great object of their union. France 
lias to blame its government alone for its fuffe rings. 
Peace alone can heal the wound which a fpirit of uni- 
verfal domination, unexampled in hiftory, has produced. 
This Peace shall be the Peace of Europe —no 
other can be accepted. It is at length time that princes 
fhould watch over the welfare of the people without 
foreign influence; that nations fhould refpeCt their mu¬ 
tual independence; that focial inftitutions fhould be pro¬ 
tected from daily revolutions, property ref'pected, and 
trade free. All Europe has absolutely the fame wifn to 
make France participate in the blefflngs of peace—France, 
whofe difrnemberment the allied powers neither can nor 
will permit. The confidence in their promifes may be 
found in the principles for which they contend. But 
whence fliall the fovereigns infer that France will take part 
in the principles that muft fix the happinefsof the world, 
i'o long as they fee that the fame ambition which has 
brought fo many misfortunes on Europe, is flill the foie 
Spring that actuates the government? that, while theFrench 
blood is (lied in torrents, the general interelt is always 
Sacrificed to private ? whence under fucli circumftances 
Should be the guarantee for the future, if fuch a defolating 
fyftem found no check in the general will of the nation ? 
Then is the peace of Europe iniured, and nothing (hall in 
future be able to difturb it.” 
Napoleon never put forth any declaration in anfvver to 
this, in order to throw the odium of breaking off the ne¬ 
gotiations upon his enemies; and, as the papers relating to 
the proceedings at Chatillon ate not, and probably will not 
be, laid before the Britifh parliament, we cannot pretend 
to fay upon what particular points the French emperor 
was fo unreafonable as they fay he was. It is probable 
that he hoped, from his ufual good fortune, to recover 
himfelf by fome lucky flroke; and expeCled that at any 
rate his father-in-law would not abandon him. 
On the 19th of March, immediately after the rupture 
of the negotiations, the French army moved upon Arcis, 
behind which the corps commanded by Gen. Wrede was 
potted. The allies under the prince Schwartzenberg, viz. 
the 3d,, 4th, and 6th, corps, under the prince-royal of 
Wirtemberg, and the 5th under Wrede, with the whole 
■referve, were concentrated on the Aube, near Pougy and 
Arcis, and a general attack was made by the allies on the 
20th, in which the French were defeated at all points, 
with great lofs, and Arcis was retaken. At this juncture, 
Napoleon formed the defperate and extraordinary plan of 
palling between the armies of the allies, and of finking at 
their communications. with the Rhine, intending at the 
fame time to liberate the garrifon of Metz. For this 
purpofe he moved by Chalons on Vitry and St. Dizier, 
his head-quarters being on the 22d at Obcomte, between 
the two latter places. Vitry was held by a fmall Prufflan 
.garrifon, which refufed to furrender. The extent and 
.nature of this project was fully afeertained on the 23d. A 
movement was immediately refolved upon Vitry, to feeure 
DON. 
that place, and to endeavour to cut off the corps of mar- 
flial Macdonald, faid to be on the left bank of the Marne, 
between Chalons and Vitry, to operate a junction with 
the troops under general Winzingerode, which had moved 
upon Chalons, and to unite both armies. 
The emperor of Ruflia and the king of Pruflia left 
Troyes the 20th, and had their quarters at Pougy. The 
emperor of Auftria moved his quarters on the 19th to Bar- 
fur-Seine, with all the cabinet-minillers, and came on the 
a 1 ft to Bar-fur-Aube. On the evening of the 23d, the army 
broke up from Pougy ; and, having marched by Ramerne 
and Dompierre, aflembled at day-break near Sommepuis ; 
but the corps of marfhal Macdonald had eroded the 
Marne the preceding day, before it could be intercepted. 
—On the 24th, the junction with Gen. Winzingerode v.as 
effefted at Vitry and Chalons; and theSilefian army came 
within reach of co-operating with the grand army. On 
the 25th, Gen. Winzingerode, with his own and feveral 
other corps of cavalry, being left to obferve the enemy, 
the united allied force began its movement by rapid and 
continued marches on Paris. 
The corps of marfhals Mortier and Marmont were found 
at Vatry and Sotnmefous, and were driven back with lofs, 
and purfued in the direction of Paris. On the 25th, the 
emperor of Ruflia, the king of Pruflia, and prince Schwart¬ 
zenberg, were at Ferre Champenoife, and on the 26th at 
Treffaux. Field-marflial Blucher was at Etoges on the 26th, 
and continued to march on Meaux by Montmirail. In 
the courfe of that week not lefs than 100 cannon and 9000 
prifoners were taken, with feveral general officers. At the 
affair near Ferre Champenoife, colonel Rapatel, late aide- 
de-camp to general Moreau, was killed, while exhorting 
the French to furrender; and colonel Neil Campbell, who 
had been with the advanced Ruffian corps in all the affairs 
fince his return from the fiege of Dantzic, was feverely 
wounded, having been run through the body by a Cofac, 
w ho miftook him for an enemy. 
On the 27th, the head-quarters of the allies were at 
Coulomiers, and the Silefian army reached Meaux. On the 
28th, head-quarters at Quincy. Bridges were prepared at 
Meaux and Triport. The Silefian army advanced to Ciaye, 
in front of which village a fevere action took place, in which 
the French were repulfed. On the 29th, the emperor of 
Ruflia, the king of Pruflia, and prince Schwartzenberg, 
crofied the Marne at Meaux; and the French, being flill 
in poffeffion of the woods near Ville Parifis and Bondi, 
were attacked and driven beyond Bondi towards Pantin ; 
the head-quarters were eftabliflied at the former of thofe 
places. Field-marflial Blucher the fame day marched in 
two columns to the right, pointing upon Montmartre 
through Mory, Draucey, and St. Denis. 
It appears that, during the night of the 29th, the corps of 
marfhals Mortier and Marmont entered Paris. The garri¬ 
fon, which previoufly was aflembled in it, was compofed of 
a part of general Gerard’s corps, under general Compans, 
and a force of about 8000 regulartroops and 30,000 national 
guards, under general Huiin, the governor of the town. 
This force, under the command of Jofeph Bonaparte, 
took up a pofition, the right on the height of Belleville 
occupying that town, the centre on the canal de l’Ourque, 
the left towards Neuilly. This pofition was ftrong, from 
the interfered nature of the ground on its right. The 
heights of Montmartre commanded the plain in rear of the 
canal of l’Ourque, and added.rtrength to the pofition of 
the French. 
The difpofition of attack for the 30th was, the prince- 
royal of Wirtemberg, forming the left, inarching upon 
Vincennes; general Reiffsky upon Belleville; the guards 
and ref’erves upon the great chauffee leading from Bondi 
to Paris. Marfhal Blucher was to march upon the chauf- 
fees from Soiffons, and attack Montmartre. All the at¬ 
tacks fucceeded : Gen. Reiffsky poffefTed himfelf of the 
heights of Belleville; the troops under his orders particu¬ 
larly diflinguifhed themfelves in the different attacks made 
by them. The village of Pantin was carried at the point 
of 
