224 
Outrages committed by the Papal goverp- 
ment. The French army met with no 
impediment ‘on the part of the Pope’s 
foldiers; but fome unfortunate peafants, 
feduced by miffionaries, dared to fhew 
themfelves. They were foon difperfed by 
force, and afterwards ‘* enlightened by 
a manifefto of General Berthier.” At 
length the inhabitants of Rome, who had 
not participated in the crimes of: their 
priefts, obliterated them by a folemn dif- 
avowal. The people feparated their 
caufe from that of the guilty, and ex- 
acted juftice from their own government. 
General Berthier arrived under the walls 
of Rome, and remained there a few days, _ 
waiting the deliberations of the inhabi- 
tants. On the 15th of February, the 
anniverfary of the 22d year of Pope Pius 
the VIth, the French General entered the 
capital; and foon after the people re- 
paired to Campo Vaccino, where they 
drew up a folemn a¢t of their refumption 
of the ‘rights of fovereignty, which was 
figned by. feveral thoufands of the Roman 
Citizens. ‘ 
his public a&t ftated, that the Roman 
people, oppreffed for a long time by the 
government of priefts, a ‘true pelitical 
montter, attempted feveral times to throw 
Off its yoke; that the fecret magic of {u- 
perftition, intereft, and armed force, com- 
bined againit its efforts, had rendered until 
that moment its exertions wielefs; but 
that, at lenoth, the government had fallen 
of itfelf, in Y confequence of a fuccefiion of* 
weaknefs and infult, of meannefs and of 
pride ; that the Roman people, dreading 
to behold either an horrible anarchy, or a 
Vitiated tyranny to take its place, had col- 
le&ed all their courage, and confolidated 
all their firength, to _preferve the State 
from all the etfects of that diffolution; 
and, alfo, that they determined to claim 
their rights of fovereignty. 
“That in fupprefling, abolifhing, and 
annihilating the civil and political go- 
vernment of priefts, the people conftitute 
themfeives the free and independent fove- 
Yejon: that they had refumed every exe- 
cutive and legiflative authority 5 ; and that 
they were about to execute them by their 
reprefentatives, according to the rights of 
man, which are impreler ipti ible; agr eeably 
to the ee of j juftice, truth, “liberty, 
and equality : that, by virtue of this aét, 
all political and civil power exercifed by 
the Pope, was provifionally transterred to 
the departments, and the members named 
by the people; at the head of whom were 
five confuls, invefted with the fame autho- 
rity as the former congregations of ftate. 
Fur ther, this. public act contained the 
“pomination \of al] the other, magifivates 
' Public Affairs. — Ttaly. 
prefects, PE and officers of all the = 
fional government. 
The provifional depaetauent of the po- 
lice in Rome, immediately upon the chai 
of government, addreffed a proclamation 
to the people, in which, after having dwelt 
upon the corruption, bafenels, and ' tyran~ 
ny of the Papal government, whofe de- 
vouring avarice debafed the coin, granted 
impunity to all kinds of monopoly, and ~ 
reduced all clafles to the impoffibility of 
fubfifting, they announced, that the new ~ 
government were employed i in remedyin 
thofe diforders ; ; and that they would im- 
mediately caule to be opened the Mont de 
Prete, where all kinds of property would 
be fately protected: they alfo enjoined all 
the citizens to wear the national cockade, 
confitting of white, black, and ‘red rih- 
bons. The Papal arms were every where 
ordered to be aa All the orders of 
knighthood, gold keys, titles of nobility 
and pre-eminence were prohibited, as con- 
trary to equality; and liveries were alfa 
{upprefied, as difgraceful to humanity. 
The French army, it is added, by the 
regularity of their difcipline and beha- 
viour, foon removed the prejudices which 
the people had imbibed from falfe reports, 
refpeing their being pillaged and vio- 
lated. Thefe finifter. impreffions were 
erafed, by the frank reply of General Ber- 
thier to the act of the Roman people: he 
told them that the French nation did net 
carry ona flave tr ade, and that they were 
fo tar from felling the people of other 
countries, that they were their deliverers. _ 
SWITZERLAND, 
While one part of the army, who had 
fo often been led to vigtory by the re- 
pee general Buonaparte, were tak- 
e pofleffion of the capital of Rame, and 
Ae se the manes of Brutus, of Cato, 
of Cicero, and other ancient ¢cham- 
pions of liberty, under the French ge- 
neral Berthier, another part of it were 
fixing the banzers of liberty and equality 
upon the ruins of the Ariftocracies of 
Berne and Fribourg. The adherents of the 
lords of Berne refilted the entrance of the , 
French troops, and blood has been fhed. 
The French army in Helvetia entered 
Berne on the 5th of March, with General 
Brune at their head. Previous to this, 
the troops under General Pigeon, after 
gaining a fignal victory at Sevenech, on 
the ae had purfued the remainder o 
the fanatic bands of oligarchy, even to 
the dates of Berne. Soleune had fur- 
rendered to the French arms. five days 
before, The fame day the enyirons of Fri- 
hourg were occupied by- the trocps undér 
General Pigeon. The city being fum- 
moned, an vantwer was returned ‘by the 
ist egies 
