PARIS. 
taining expreffions againft Napoleon, which, if uttered 
againft an Englilh fovereign, would have condemned the 
author to long imprifonment, was fold in all the ftiops. 
The Negative Vote of Kergelay was afterwards diffemi- 
nated without control, though it contained this remark¬ 
able fentence : “ I am obliged to protell againft this arti¬ 
cle, becaule I am convinced that the re-eltablifhment of 
this dynaity (the Bourbon) on the throne is the only 
means of giving happinefs to Frenchmen.” 
The editors of a publication, called Le Cenfeur, were 
however brought before the tribunals, for having pub- 
lifhed the following libel on the French army: “If a 
fraction of the people could difpofe of the crown, that 
would loon happen to us which happened to the Roman 
people after the reign of the firft emperors : we Ihould 
have for chiefs none but foldiers, and the reigning family 
would be murdered as foon as it ceafed to be pleafing to 
the fatellites by whom it was furrounded.” This gave 
great offence to the army. To be branded with the de¬ 
grading title of fatellites was more^hair they could bear: 
“ It is an inexcufabie term of contempt,” faid fome of the 
officers to Napoleon, at the public levee; “they are the 
defenders of the nation.” Napoleon, thus appealed to, 
was compelled to interfere. The publication was feized, 
and the editors fummoned before the tribunal; but that 
tribunal had fecret inftruCtions to fuffer the affair to drop. 
This unreftrained licenfe was politic and advantageous. 
It put the public feeling completely to the tell. It de- 
ffroyed the importance which falfehood and calumny 
would have derived from myftery and privacy; and it 
fuffered the friends of the Bourbons, and all the fprings 
and agents of revolt, to expofe and entrap and entangle 
themlelves, without the trouble of any extraordinary ap¬ 
parent exertion. 
Another of the firfl decrees of Napoleon was, the abo¬ 
lition of the flave-trade, a decree in which every bene¬ 
volent mind mufl exult. “ Napoleon, Emperor of the 
French. We have decreed, and do decree as follows : 
i. From the date of the publication of the prefent decree, 
the trade in negroes is abolifhed. No expedition fhall be 
allowed for this commerce, neither in the ports of France 
nor in thofe of our colonies. 2. There fhall not be intro¬ 
duced, to be fold in our colonies, any negro the produce 
of this trade, whether French or foreign. 3. Any infrac¬ 
tion of this decree fhall be punifhed with the confifcation 
of the fhip and cargo, which fhall be pronounced by our 
courts and tribunals. 4. However, the fhip-owners who, 
before the publication of the prefent decree, fhall have 
fitted out expeditions for the trade, may fell the produCl 
in our colonies. 5. Our minifters are charged with the 
execution of the prefent decree. Napoleon.” 
It is evident, that, if Napoleon dared, without pre¬ 
amble or apology, to order, “ From the date of the pre¬ 
fent decree the flave-trade is abolifhed,” and this at a time 
when every confideration required that he fhould con¬ 
ciliate all parties, and lhow that he was determined in 
every action to confult the profperity and happinefs of 
France, the conduct of the former government in conti¬ 
nuing this infamous traffic was .highly difgraceful and 
criminal. 
Another decree contained feveral alleviating regula¬ 
tions relative to the droits rdunis. Thefe, next to the 
confcription, were the greateft grievances impofed upon 
the people by Napoleon’s former government; and it will 
be recollected, that the promife of the abolition of both 
was the grand boon by which the Bourbons courted and 
obtained popularity on their re-entrance into France. 
The pledge for the abolition of the droits riunis w as broken 
by the king’s government; and, notwithflanding the re- 
fiftance and repugnance of the people, this odious and 
oppreffive tax continued to be levied. Napoleon w'as thus 
furnifhed with an opportunity of gaining much credit and 
popularity, by the early attention which he feemed to pay 
to the interefls of the people. Yet Louis, alluding to 
thefe decrees in his Second Declaration from Ghent, May 
Vol. XVIII. No. 1261. 
517 
2, 1815, is pleafed to fay, that “ The ufurper begins to 
abolifh things which have been long fince abolifhed.” 
Soon afterwards another meafure was adopted which 
reflected credit on the new government. Carnot addreffed 
a memorial to the emperor, defcanting on the ineflimable 
advantages of elementary inftruftion, when bellowed on 
the lower claffes of fociety, and flating that there were 
in France two millions of children deflitute of primary 
education : “ I do not fpeak,” fays he, “ of that educa¬ 
tion which forms half-philofophers, or men of the world; 
but fuch only as will form good artifans and moral men, 
by affording the elements of indifpenfable knowledge, 
good habits, and refpeft for the laws.” He concludes 
with a high eulogium on Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancafler, for 
whofe fyltera he lolicits the patronage of the emperor. 
Napoleon immediately iffued the following decree. 
“Confidering the importance of education for improving 
the ftate of fociety ; confidering that the methods hitherto 
ufed in France have not attained that degree of perfection 
which it is poffible to reach, and defiring to place this 
branch of our inflitutions on a level with the intelligence 
of the age; we have decreed, and do decree, as follows : 
1. Our minifter of the interior fhall invite around him the 
perfons who deferve to be confulted, as to the befl me¬ 
thods of primary education ; he fhall examine and decide 
on thofe methods, and direct the experiment of fuch as 
he fhall deem preferable. 2. There fhall be opened at 
Paris an experimental fchoolof primary education, fo or¬ 
ganized as to ferve for a model, and to become a normal 
fchool to form primary teachers. 3. After fatisfaftory 
refults fhall have been obtained from this fchool of expe¬ 
riment, our minifter of the interior fhall propofe to us 
the meafures calculated to enable all the departments to 
enjoy the advantages of the new methods which fhall 
have been adopted. Napoleon.” 
Thefe afls of Napoleon aftonifhed and confounded the 
fuperficial politicians of every nation. They had expeCted 
and wifhed that the diClatorfhip which he had eftablifhed 
by ufurpation would have been fupported by terror. 
Their conclulion fuited with the character of Napoleon, 
but it was inconfiftent with the policy which his peculiar 
circumltances and neceffities demanded : for, whatever 
might be his private wilhes and defigns, he faw, at prefent, 
an infuperable obftacle oppoled to his ambition and im- 
petuolity. Thefe furious and infane burfts of paffion, by 
which he had tarnifhed the luitre of his former achieve¬ 
ments, were repreffed by the influence of his advifers, 
and the difficulties which furrounded him. 
Meanwhile the fouth of France continued in a ftate of 
oppofition to the new government. The dukeot Bourbon, 
the mod popular of all the French princes, except per¬ 
haps the duke of Orleans, betook himfelf to La Vendee, 
to endeavour to roufe the dormant affections of the friends 
of royalty in that diftriCt. The people were difpofed to 
l’econd his views; but he had to contend with the prompt 
and vigilant adminiftration of Napoleon. On his arrival at 
Beaupriere, he fummoned the inhabitants, and, powerfully 
and fuccefsfully appealing to their beft feelings, engaged 
them to {'auction a proclamation requiring every man from 
eighteen to fifty years of age to take up arms in the royal 
caufe. Great numbers immediately flocked to his ftan- 
dard ; but they were unarmed and undiicipiined, and, ere 
they could be rendered effective, the troops of Bonaparte 
advanced againft them. The general of Napoleon, a Cling 
under the exprefs orders of his mailer, to avoid as much 
as poffible the dreadful appeal to arms, difpatched a herald 
to the duke, to remonftrate with him on the folly of op- 
pofing his raw and hafty levies againft the veteran troops 
which were marching upon him, and offering an amnefty 
to his followers, and paffports for himfelf and all who 
chofe to accompany him, if he would abandon theenter- 
prife. After mature confideration, the duke was con¬ 
vinced of the inutility of refiftance; and, receiving lafe 
conduft for himfelf and forty of his officers, proceeded 
to Nantes, -where he embarked. 
6 Q 
The 
