554 NAP 
jelly may march to the fupport of his caufe cannot tra¬ 
verse Italy.’ 
“ I perfuade myfelf, my lord, that Y. E. is Sufficiently 
authorifed to Subicribe Such a claufe, and that you have 
no need of a more Special authorization f but, if you fhould 
think otherwise, I Shall requeft of you to require this au¬ 
thority without delay, as you have been good enough to 
promife me to do. Talleyrand.” 
It is probable that the king of Naples had received 
Some intimation of the defign of the French government; 
for the duke of Campochiaro, when he prefented his note, 
informed the Auftrian minister, that he was diredted to 
aSk for a paffage for 80,000 men into France through the 
Auftrian dominions in Italy, who fhould pay for all which 
they confumed. This requeft induced the emperor’s ca¬ 
binet to take meafures for the Security of Italy, and to 
reinforce their troops in that country. 
At this period, alfo, an adtive correspondence was 
carrying on between Naples and the ifle of Elba; but it 
may be doubted whether Joachim was entrufted with 
Bonaparte’s defign of landing in France, As foon as the 
intelligence of this event reached Naples, he called toge¬ 
ther his council, and informed them of his determina¬ 
tion to adhere to his alliance with the emperor of Auftria, 
and to remain faithful to the fyftem of the allied powers. 
An afl'urance to this purpofe was communicated to the 
imperial ambaflador at his court, and alfo to the plenipo¬ 
tentiaries at the congrefs of Vienna. The whole of the 
Neapolitan army was now in movement towards the fron¬ 
tier, and it was announced, that Joachim was immediately 
to follow, and eftabliSh his head-quarters at Ancona. For 
Some days he appeared to be in a Slate of great agitation. 
He held frequent interviews with Some French officers at 
Naples, Several of whom he difpatched to France; but 
he delayed his own departure from Naples, and the ad¬ 
vance of his troops, which was attributed to the news of 
the failure of Bonaparte’s attempt to gain pofTeffion of 
Antibes. In fadt, he Seems to have been under the im- 
preffion of all that doubt and fluctuation which naturally 
attends a man adling a double part, and irrefolu&e which 
fide to take. When, however, the news arrived of Bona¬ 
parte’s entrance into Lyons, he made known that he 
conlidered the caule of Napoleon as his own, at the fame 
time requiring a paffage through the Roman Slates for 
two ot his divifions. The pope protested again!! this 
violation of his territory, and withdrew to Florence. 
On the 19th of March, Joachim arrived at Ancona, 
and put himfelf at the head of his troops. He entered 
the pope’s dominions on the 22d, and with his main body 
proceeded from the Marches to the Legations, where, on 
the 30th, he began hostilities by attacking the imperialists 
potted at Celena, who retired before him. 
On the next day he addrefled the following proclama¬ 
tion to the Italians: “ Italians ! The moment is come 
when great deftinies may be accomplished. Providence 
calls you at laft to be an independent people. One cry 
echoes from the Alps to the Strait of Scylla—the inde¬ 
pendence of Italy! What right have Strangers to rob 
you of independence, the firl! right and bleffing of all 
people? What right have they to reign in your fertile 
plains; and to appropriate to themfelves your wealth, for 
the purpofe of tranl'porting it to countries where it did 
not originate ? What right have they to carry off your 
Ions, to make them. Serve, languish, and die, far from the 
tombs of your fathers ? Is it that nature has in vain 
given you the Alps for a bulwark, and the invincible dis¬ 
crepancy of your charadter, a barrier ftiil more infur- 
mountable? No! no! let every foreign domination dif- 
appear from the foil of Italy. 
“ Formerly mailers of the world, you have expiated 
that fatal glory by a fervitude of twenty centuries. Let 
it now be your glory to have mafters no longer. Every 
people mull keep within the limits fixed to it by nature ! 
the fea and inacceflible mountains—thefe are your fron¬ 
tiers.—Never think of paffing them; but expel the fo- 
L E S. 
reigner who paSTes them, and force him to confine himfelf 
within his own. Eighty thoufand Italians at Naples 
liaften to you under the command of their king; they 
fwear never to reft until Italy be free; and they have 
proved, more than once, that they know how to keep 
their oaths. 
“ Italians of all countries ! Second their magnanimous 
efforts. Let thofe who have borne arms relume them: 
let the raw youth accuflom themfelves to handle them; 
let all citizens, friends of their country, raife a generous 
voice for liberty; let the whole force of the nation be 
drawn forth in all its energy, and in every form. The 
queftion to be decided is, whether Italy Shall be free, or 
Shall remain for ages bent under the yoke of Slavery ? Let 
the Struggle be decisive, and we Shall have eftablilhed, to 
a distant period, the happinefs of our fine country—that 
country which, though Still torn and bleeding, is full of 
ardour and Strength to conquer its independence. The 
enlightened men of all countries, the nations which are 
worthy of a liberal government, the princes who are dif- 
tinguiffied by the greatnefs of their charadter, will re¬ 
joice in your enterprife, will applaud your triumphs. 
England—can She refufe you her fuft'rage ?—that nation 
which holds out to all others the model of a national and 
constitutional government; that free people, whofe fineft 
title to glory is to have Shed its blood and treafures for 
the independence and liberty of nations. 
“ Italians ! Having long invited and urged us by your 
wishes, you were furprifed at our inadtion; but the pro¬ 
pitious moment was not come ; I had not yet received 
proofs of the perfidy of your enemies. It was neceflary 
that you Should be convinced, by recent experience, how 
falfe was the liberality of your prefent inafters, how de¬ 
ceitful and lying their promifes. Fatal and deplorable 
experience ! I call you to witnefs, brave and unfortunate 
Italians of Milan, Bologna, Turin, Venice, Brefcia, Mo¬ 
dena, Reggio, and fo many other famous cities, how many 
of our brave warriors and virtuous patriots have been 
torn from their native foil! how many groan in dun¬ 
geons ! how many are victims of unheard-of exactions 
and humiliations! 
“ Italians! You mull put a period to fo many calami¬ 
ties ; arife, and march in the clofeft union. At the fame 
time that your courage Shall afl'ert your external indepen¬ 
dence, let a government of your choice, a true national 
reprefentation, a constitution worthy of you and the age, 
guarantee your internal liberty and protect your property. 
I invite all brave men to come and combat with me; I 
invite all brave men, who have reflected on the wants of 
their country, that, in the Silence of the paffions, they 
prepare the constitution and laws which mult in future 
govern happy and independent Italy. 
Joachim Napoleon.” 
When the news arrived at Vienna of the"attack upon 
the Auftrian troops by the Neapolitans, the emperor 
immediately ifl'ued the following declaration of war: 
“ After the campaign of 1812, the king of Naples left 
the French army, in which he had commanded a corps. 
He had fcarcely arrived in his capital, when he caufed 
overtures to be made to the Auftrian court refpedting his 
intention of combining bis future political proceedings 
with thofe of the Auftrian cabinet. Shortly after the 
campaign of 1813 commenced, on the firlt appearance of 
a favourable profpedl for Napoleon, king Joachim left 
Naples, and again took a command in the French army; 
at the fame time he privately propofed to the Auftrian 
cabinet, his mediation between the allies and the French 
emperor. The glorious j8th of October decided the fall 
of theFrencb empire; the king returned to his dominions, 
and immediately renewed the negotiations that had been 
broken off, refpedting his acceflion to the European al¬ 
liance. He caufed his army to advance, and propofed to 
Auftria the partition of Italy. The Po was to be the 
limit of the two Hates ; Some months elapfed in continued 
negociations with the allies, and in a 110-lefs frequent 
correfpondence 
