5:24 
PARIS. 
The Aim of five millions was voted by parliament to 
be divided between Auftria, -Ruffia, and Prufiia; and 
2,500,000!. between the fmaller powers. There were all'o 
forne other arrangements concluded between Ruflia, Hol¬ 
land, and Great Britain; by which the latter had to pay 
an additional fum of 2,500,000b making all together 
10,000,000b 
The exertions of the continental powers were now as 
unbounded as John Bull’s generofity. Every road was 
thronged with troops battening by forced marches to the 
Sambre and the Rhine. The Pruttians were particularly 
aflive in equipping their troops for the field ; and the king 
publilhed a very energetic and earned: addrefs to his people 
to attift him once more againft his bitter enemy. Would 
lie had been as much in earneft as to fulfilling the pro- 
inifes he made to them atthattime ! 
Napoleon was not remifs in preparing the means by 
which he expected to be able to defend and fupport him- 
felf. Thefe means were of two defcriptions: in the firfl: 
place, he endeavoured to raife as large a military force as 
pofiible; and, fecondly, he ufed the molt ftrenuous exer¬ 
tions to route the people in his favour. His minifters 
were, undoubtedly, men of great talents; and fome of 
them men of great influence with the people. The col¬ 
lecting and equipment of the army were committed to 
the care of Carnot and Davouft. The regular army at 
this time confifted of between 3 and 400,000 men, of 
which about 100,000 were afl'embled on the frontiers of 
Belgium, 40,000 on the Rhine, 30,000 at Chamberry, 
10,000 in La Vendee, and about the fame number at 
Bourdeaux. The remainder were diftributed in garrifons, 
or were on march to join their different corps. It has 
appeared furprifing to many that the French army was 
not more numerous, particularly as upwards of 300,000 
prifoners had returned to France during the year 1814. 
It is, however, eafily accounted for. The Bourbons, 
finding that the difpofition of the troops were hoftile to 
them, and alfo that the finances were not fuflicient to 
fupport a numerous army in time of peace, had taken all 
the means in their power for reducing it. For that pur- 
pofe all the young foldiers were difcharged ; and a vaft 
number of foreigners, fuch as Italians, Germans, Dutch, 
and Belgians, after the treaty of Paris, were picked out 
and nfligned over to their refpeflive fovereigns. By this 
means the French army, which, on the abdication of 
Bonaparte, confiffed of upwards of 400,000 men, was 
reduced before the end of the year to 175,000. The ex¬ 
ertions of Bonaparte and his minifters, therefore mutt 
have been great, to have added, in the ffiort fpace of two 
months, 200,000 men to the army. Indeed, there is 
every reafon to believe, that, if the allies had not been 
quick in their preparations, a few months more would 
have fwelled the numbers of the French army to a moll 
enormous amount. 
The pr> Lent amount of the French army, it is evident 
from the ftatement which we have given of the oppoling 
force of the allies, was by no means adequate to the fup¬ 
port of Bonaparte, even if France had been tranquil and 
well-difpofed towards him. But this was far from being 
the cafe. In the weft, particularly in La Vendee, the 
royalifts were very numerous and daring. They were 
headed and encouraged by La Roche Jacquelin, of a 
family long noted for hatred to the revolution and at¬ 
tachment to the Bourbons, anil one of the perfons ex¬ 
cepted out of Bonaparte’s general amnefty. For the pur- 
pofe of producing a counterbalance to the royalifts of 
Brittany, a federal compact was propofed to the five de¬ 
partments of that province, of perfons devoted to the 
emperor and the national caufe, who were to form a part 
of the national guard. Accordingly, confederacies were 
formed in feveral parts of Brittany, the members of 
which profefl'ed “ to confecrate all their means to the 
propagation of liberal principles; to fupport the public 
(pint during the prefent crifis, and to oppofe all diforders; 
to maintain public fecurity in the interior, and to march 
to all places in the provinces which might be threatened 
by foreign and domeftic foes ; to employ all their influ¬ 
ence and credit to keep each other in the line of his duty 
to his prince and his country; to bear fuccour effeftually 
and promptly at the firfl: requifition of the public autho¬ 
rity ; to defeat all plots againft the conftitution and the 
emperor; and to lend one another mutual afliftance and 
proteftion according to events.” Emiflaries wereLent 
into the fuburbs of Paris, to induce the inhabitants to 
enter into fimilar confederations, and thus to fet a patri¬ 
otic example to the other cities of the empire. The in¬ 
vitation was quickly obeyed, and 15,000 men foon enrolled 
themfelves and demanded arms. Similar confederacies 
were formed in many other parts of the empire. Indeed 
the general feeling of the people, though their enthufiafm 
was confiderably abated, was evidently in his favour. 
They fufpedled and feared him ; but they feared yet more 
the return of their former matters, backed by theLorce of 
united Europe. The new proprietors efpecialiy felt that 
their fecurity was infeparably connected with the caufe 
of Napoleon. 
The aflembly of the Champ de Mai, which had been 
poftponed from time to time, was at length appointed to 
be held on the iff of June ; fo that, after all, it was nei¬ 
ther a Champ de Mars nor a Champ de Mai. However, 
the month of June, 1815, will ever be remarkable in the 
annals of hiftory, (or the important events which were 
crowded into it. 
On the day appointed every thing was done that could 
render the fpedlacle folenin and impofing ; and, though 
all the deputies from the departments had not arrived, 
yet the tout enfemble was grand, and fuch as muft have 
anfwered, in fome degree, the real objeft which Napoleon 
had in view. “Every thing that could intereftand ele¬ 
vate the foul ; the prayers of religion ; the compatt of a 
great people with their fovereign ; France represented by 
the flower of her citizens, agriculturifts, merchants, ma- 
giftrates, and warriors, collefled around the throne; an 
immenfe population covering the Champ de Mars, and 
joining in vows for the great objeft of that magnificent 
ceremony ; all excited the moil: ardent enthufiafm, of 
which the moll memorable epochs have left us the recol- 
ledlion.” Such is the language in which this fpe&acle 
was defcribed in the official papers of the French govern¬ 
ment. But, even granting that this was a fair and unex¬ 
aggerated defcription, what could be inferred from it 
relpefting the views or feelings of the French people? 
How often had they before, during the revolution, dif- 
played an enthufiaffnat leall equal to that which they were 
now reprefented to feel ! 
The emperor’s throne was erefted in front of the Mili¬ 
tary School, and in the centre of a vaft femi-circular in- 
clofure, two thirds of which formed on the right and 
left grand amphitheatres, in which 15,000 perfons were 
feated. The other third, in front of the throne, was 
open. An altar was erected in the middle : further on, 
and about a hundred toifes diftant, was another throne, 
which overlooked the Champ de Mars. Eighty-feven 
banners decorated the inclofure, bearing the names of the 
eighty-feven departments. The national colours mingled 
with thefe banners, and every vacant fpace was occupied 
by the imperial eagles furrounded with garlands of flowers 
emblematic of peace. The Hoping banks which arife 
round the Champ de Mars, were crowded with people, 
and its immenfe plain was filled with cavalry. On the 
preceding evening, a deputation of the colieges met to 
collect and call up the votes. Eleven departments and 
feveral regiments had not made any returns. The gene¬ 
ral refult of the votes received, gave 1,288,357 for the 
additional a< 5 l, only 4207 againft it: one fourth of the 
negative votes proceeded from the department of the 
Cotes du Nord. 
Napoleon left the Tuileries foon after eleven o’clock, 
in 
