1809.] 
AUSTRIA. 
Proclamation by the Archduke Charles to the 
Austrian Army. 
The protection of our country calls us to 
new exploits. As long as it was possible to 
preserve peace by means of sacrifices, and as 
long as these sacrifices were consistent with 
the honour of the throne, with the security 
of the state, and with the welfare of the 
people, the heart of one bountiful sovereign 
suppressed every painful feeling in silence,. 
but when all endeavours to preserve happy 
independence from the insatiable ambition of 
a foreign conqueror prove fruitless, when na- 
tions are falling around us, and when lawful 
sovereigns are torn from the hearts of their 
subjects, when, in fine, the danger of uni- 
versal subjugation threatens even the happy 
States of Austria, and their peaceable fortu- 
nate inhabitants, then does our country de- 
mand its deliverance from us, and we stand 
forth in its defence. 
On you, my dear brother soldiers, are 
fixed the eyes of the yniverse, and of all those 
who still feel for national honours and na- 
tional prosperity. You shall not share their 
disgrace of becoming the tools of oppression. 
You shall not carry on the endless wars of 
ambition under distant climes. Your blood 
shall never flow for foreign fleets and foreign 
covetousness; not on you shall the curse 
alight ta annihilate innocent nations; and 
over the bodies of the slaughtered defenders of 
their country to paye the way for a foreigner 
to the usurped throne. A happier lot awaits 
you ; the liberty of Furope has taken refuge 
under our banners. Your victories will loose 
its fetters, and your brothers in Germany, 
yet in the ranks of the enemy, long for their 
deliverance. You are engaged in a just 
cause, otherwise I should not appear at your 
head. 
On the fields of Ulm and Marengo, whereof 
the enemy so often remind us with ostenta- 
tious pride, on these fields will we renew the 
glorious deeds of Wurtzburgh and Ostrach, 
of Liptingen, Stockach and Zurich, of Ve- 
yona, of the Trebbia and Novi. We will 
conquer a lasting peace for our country ; but 
the great aim is not to be attained without 
. great virtues. Unconditional subordination, 
strict discipline, persevering courage, and 
unshaken steadiness in danger, are the com- 
anions of true fortitude. Only a union of 
will, and a joint ¢o-operation of the whole, 
lead to victory. 
My sovereign and brother has invested me 
with extensive powers to reward and punish, 
I will be every where in the middle of you, 
and you shall receive the first thanks of your 
country from your general on the field, of 
battle. The patriotism of many of the Aus- 
trian nobility has anticipated your wants; 
this is a pledge in the fullest measure, of the 
public gratitude; but punishment shall also, 
with inflexible rigour, fall on every breach 
of duty; merit shall meet with reward, and 
- Austrian Declaration of War. 339 
offence with animadversion, without distinr- 
tion of person or rank; branded with disgrace 
shall the worthless person he cast out to 
whom life is dearer than his and our honour. 
Adorned with the marks ef public esteem, 
will I present to pur Sovereign, tothe werld, 
those brave men who have deserved well of 
their country, and whose names I will ever 
carry in my heart. 
There remains one consideration, which h 
must put you in mind of: the soldier is only 
formidable to the enemy in arms3 civil vir- 
tues must not be strangers to him ; out of the 
field of battle; towards the unarmed citizens 
and peasants, he is moderate, compassionate, 
and humane; he knows the evils of war, 
and strives to lighten them. I will punish 
every wanton excess with so much greater se-= 
verity, as it is not the intention of our mo- 
narch to oppress neighbouring countries, but 
to deliver them from their oppressors, and 
to form with their princes a powerful bond 
in order to bring about a lasting peace, and 
to maintain the general welfare and security, 
Soon will foreign troops, in strict union 
with us, attack the common enemy. Then, 
brave companions in arms! honour and sup- 
port them as your brothers; not vain-glorious 
high words, but manly deeds, do honour to 
the warrior ; by intrepidity before the enemy 
you must shew yourselves to be the first soj- 
diets. 
Thus then shall 1 one day lead you bacle 
to your own country, followed by the respect 
_of the enemy, and by the gratitude of foreign 
nations, after having secured by your arms 
an honourable peace, when the satisfaction 
of our Monarch, tie approbation of the world, 
the rewards of valour, the blessings of your 
fellow citizens, and the consciousness of de- 
served repose await you. 
Cuartes, Archduke, Generalissimo. 
Vienna, April 6, 1809. 
Paris letters of the 16th of April state 
that hostilities have begun with Austria. 
According to an account received by the 
telegraph, Napoleon and his wife arrived - 
at Strasburgh on the 15th, at five in the 
morning. All hope of preserving the 
peace of the Continent is therefore lost. 
Hostilities took place on the 10th of this 
month, on which day the Austrian army 
crossed the frontiers, and entered Ba- 
varia. 
The advance upon the Bavarian ter- 
ritory was notified upon the 9th, to the 
King of Bavaria, by a letter from the 
Archduke Charles, upon which his Ma- 
jesty resolved to leave his capital, and he 
removed to Dellingen, a town on the 
Danube. 
The Austrian troops which were in 
Moravia and Austriaa Silesia,. and the 
most part of those which were in the 
north of Hungary, have filed off for Bo- — 
hemia, 
; The 
