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know all the means you ought to employ to preferve liberty and equality, which are the fundamental laws of the conftitution.

Citizens rally at the voice of the delegates of the republic, fince it is in her name, and for her dearest interefts, that they are going to addrefs you.

The ancient government of the colonies had diftinguished three different claffes-the whites, the coJoured people, and the flaves. To thofe different claffes, now united and honoured with the name of French citizens, we are going to fpeak alternately. We shall firft addrefs that portion of the people of the colony, which has moft fuffered under the tyrannic order which has been abolished, and we fhall fay to them: By the republican conftitution, which the French nation has juft adopted, you have recovered your primitive rights; but you must know the proper means to preferve them without trouble, and to tranfmit them without interruption, to your remoteft pofterity. Thofe fhips, the warriors whom they bring to you; all thofe formidable preparations are defigned against the English, who are the moft cruel enemies of your liberty! They dare to indulge the hope of framing new chains for you. See thefe blood-thirty tygers bending fill your brethren under their homicidal whips. We cannot suffer any longer fo difmal an object; join the forces which France fends to you, expel from the territory of the French republic thofe tyrants of mankind, purfue them even to their haunts, and deftroy the laft of them! What! is it not incumbent on you to revenge your bre

thren, whom they keep fettered in the furrounding iflands? Yes, citizens, every thing ought to imprefs you with an implacable hatred for thofe tyrants, whofe moft lucrative trade is, reducing you to flavery, mifery, and death. What can withhold your vengeance? Ruth on this impious race; make it difappear from that facred spot, which too long has been the theatre of its crimes and depredations.

Labour and inftruction, citizens, are neceffary to the preservation of the people, and the conftitution impofes them as a duty upon all citizens. The 15th article of the fecond title contains thefe words. Young men cannot be infcribed in the civic regifter, if they do not prove that they can read, write, and follow a mechanical branch of bufinefs. That claufe, citizens, can and ought to take place only agreeably to the conftitution, after the firft day of the 12th year of the republic.

The manual operations of agriculture belong to the mechanic arts.

Yes, labour and agriculture particularly, is abfolutely neceffary to him who wishes to preferve his rights, and enjoy his liberty. Through labour we procure the neceffary things to our exiftence and enjoyment; through labour only we can preferve our liberty.

Had your ancestors, the inhabitants of Africa, devoted themfelves to the culture of their fruitful lands, they moft affuredly would not have debased themselves by reciprocal bloody wars, of which greedy Europeans have availed themselves to reduce them to the most intolerable and degrad

ing flavery.

What remains for you to do, in order to avoid all the misfortunes which are infeparable concomitants of idleness? Nothing, but to devote your felves to the culture of the rich productions of the colony you inhabit! Many of you have been to France; they will tell you, that the people are there conftantly occupied at useful labours, and agriculture in particular. Imitate that active people, who adopts you as brethren, and you will establish by that means, a trade of exchange with them, which will cement and ftrengthen your brotherly relations.

Inftruction is as ufeful to you as labour; by it you will tranfmit your rights to your children; by it you will learn how to fulfil the duty of good citizens: finally, by inftruction you will attain that degree of morality, which diftinguishes the civilized from the favage man, the honeft from the perverfe citizen.

The government will omit nothing to attain an object fo interefting, and fo worthy of its folicitude. Public fchools will be eftablished throughout all the coJonies; your children fhall there receive inftruction; imbibe a tafte for labour and morals, which are to accomplish their full generation. The republic will extend farther her cares for your children, for the wishes that a certain number of those who shall have produced a greater difpofition and zeal for infruction be fent to France, with the confent of their parents, there to ftudy in a more perfect degree thefe fciences or arts, to which they may have fhewn a more decided inclination.

The fame resources are likewife offered to the children of the whites, and of the coloured people; for the primary fchools, which will be eftablished, will be open to all individuals, born in the colonies, of whatever colour they may be. ALL MEN ARE EQUAL IN

RIGHTS.

To you, Citizens, whom a barbarous cuftom had made formerly proprietors of flaves, we fhall obferve, that in confequence only of the moft ftrange fubverfion of what is known under the name of justice and humanity, the most facred rights of man had been forfaken in the former order of things, which allowed them to be reduced to the most infufferable and abjec flavery; we fhall tell you that a ftate fo contrary to nature, though apparently favourable to your interefts, was of too violent a nature to laft long. How could the mafter thake off the thought of the dangers with which he was incetfantly threatened? Does not the experience of ages and nations, tranfmitted by hiftory, inform us, that tyranny has always fallen a victim to its own crimes? Uodoubtedly, fix hundred thoufand flaves, unjustly and cruely tortured, in almost every inftant of their lives, could not afford a great degree of fecurity to the fmall number of their mafters. They were moft affuredly disturbed by the most cruel enormities.

Inftead of the violent ftate in which lingered the late proprietors of flaves, liberty and equality, which flow from the conftitution, offer to them nothing but true enjoyments, and perfect fecurity to their lives and fortunes.

In addrefling thole formerly dif tinguished

tinguished as whites, and people of colour, without poffeffions, we would fay to them, that in a free ftate, all hands ought to be employed; that every one ought to make a choice of a kind of labour which, in concurring to the general welfare, would procure to the labourer not only existence, but the conveniencies of life; that the colonial fyftem being altered, they muft no more establish their hopes of fortune on SLAVERY, for it is FOR EVER ABOLISHED on the whole territory of France. Let every one, therefore, make the beft of his induftry, devote himfelf to agriculture. Let not any ill founded fhame keep him in inactivity, which is as dangerous to himself, as it is ruinous to the common weal. Let him be convinced, that no occupation debafes man; let him know, that with the wifeft people of antiquity, agriculture was confidered as the firft of all occupations. Let them, therefore, renounce that ftate of vagrancy which the laws of the republic will punish.

In fine, we would repeat to them, that as all the inhabitants of the colony from this inftant will form but one clafs, every citizen will have the fame rights, and enjoy the fame advantages; and that the republic eftablishes no other diftinction among them, than thofe of virtue and vice, of talents and ignorance.

In the name of the republic, in the name of humanity, in the name of the facred love of our country, we invite all citizens to concur with us in the refioration of order and agriculture; we invite them to forget their refpeétive wrongs and quarrels, to make it now their fole

bufinefs to expel the enemies of the republic from the territory they have invaded, and foon to repair the evils and devaftations which have been occafioned by hatred, paflion, and civil war.

Done at the Cape, the 25th Floreal (May 15) the fourth year of the French Republic; one and indivifible.

The prefident of the commiffion,

SANTHONAX.

The general fecretary,

PASCHAL.

Proclamation of the Executive Di rectory to the Armies of the Sambre and Meufe.

NEW cries of war are heard on the banks of the Rhine. What rage is it thus goads on our cruel enemy, who, amidft his difatters and our triumphs, has the temerity of breaking an armistice which he himfelf demanded, and you granted him, in hopes of a speedy peace?

Guided by the ferocious English, he receives their gold and contempt as the price of his fubmiffion, and of the blood of his bravest warriors. Let then the republican bayonet reach the tottering thrones of the monsters coalefced against the human race, and ftrike terror into their bofoms! let your irrefiftible valour within a few days put a period to that ftruggle of the liberty of the people against tyranny, which has lafted but too long; and let the haughty defpots, who fill dare to fight againft that liberty, at laft bow fubmiflive at the afpect of the republican banners!

May 29.

Proclamation by General Buonapart and Commiffary Salicetti, dated the 30th of Floreal (19th May). THE

THE French republic, while it has fworn hatred to tyrants, has fworn fraternity to nations.

This principle, fanctioned by the conftitution of the republic, is as much a principle of the army. The defpotifm which for fo long a time has held Lombardy under its yoke, has been the caufe of great calamities to France; but the French know that the caufe of king, is not the cause of the people. The victorious army of a monarch are infolent, and fpread terTor among the nations where they carry their victories; but a republican army, though forced to carry on a deadly war against the kings with whom it contends, promifes friendship to the people whom its victories deliver from tyranny. Refpect for the perfons and property, and refpect for the religion of the people, are the fentiments which actuate the government of the French republic, and their victorious army in Italy. Of this the good order which they have obferved from the firft moment of their entry into Lombardy, is no unequivocal proof.

If the victorious French confider the inhabitants of Lombardy as brethern, the latter ought to entertain a reciprocity of affection. The army muft purfue its victories, and drive entirely out of Italy that defpotifm which has held Lombardy in chains. The indepen dence of this country, and its good fortune, depend upon the fuccefs of the French enterprizes. Lombardy then ought to fecond them by all the means in its power. To affure the march of the troops provifions are neceffary, which they cannot receive from France,

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from, which they are feparated; they ought to find then these in Lombardy, where they are making their conquefts. The rights of war give them fecurity for obtaining them, and friendship ought to be eager to offer them.

Twenty millions of French money are impofed as a contribution for this purpofe; the divifion will be made among the different provinces of Auftrian Lombardy. The terms of payment, which admit of the leaft poffible delay, will be fixed by particular instructions. It is certainly a moderate contribution for fo fertile a country, particularly when we reflect upon the advantages which must refult from it. The divifion might have been fettled by agents of the French government, and this mode would certainly have been reafonable; but the French republic, not wishing to referve to itfelf this right, has left it to the local authorities, and to the affembly of the ftate. It only points out to you, as the bafis upon which you ought to levy this contribution, that it ought to be proportionably divided among thofe provinces which formerly paid impofts to the tyrant of Auftria, and that it ought to fall upon the rich and the ecclefiaftical bodies, who too long thought themfelves privileged, and with ftood all taxation; do not opprefs the poorer clafs. If fome requifitions be made in kind, the general in chief, and the commiffary of the govern ment, declare, that there fhall be no furcharge upon the contribution. They will afterwards fettle the price of the articles required, which they will pay to the venders with the produce of the contri

bution

bution fixed as above, or with the receipts which they will give, inftead of ready money.

Proclamation of Commissary Salicetti.

ART. 1. THE Council eftablished on the 9th May laft by the archduke, at the moment of his flight, on which he devolved, by an edict, the exercife of the fupreme power, is fuppreffed. The prefident of the fupreme tribunal, the two prefidents of appeal and of the first inftance, and the prefident of the magiftracy, who were appointed by the archduke to compofe this council, are prohibited from continuing their functions.

2. The general council of decurions, concentrated into privileged claffes, whofe functions were referved for extraordinary occafions, having become ufelefs by prefent circumftances, is alfo fuppreffed; and the fame prohibition is extended to the nobles and patricians who compose it.

3. The magiftracy, known by the name of magiftrat politique de la chambre, whofe complicated functions having alío become ufelefs, tend only to throw obftacles in the way of the fimple courfe of government, is likewife fupprefled; and those who exercifed the office are forbidden to affemble, except it be to replace, after receiving other inftructions, the members of this body, when their functions fhall be rendered fubfervient to the happiness of the people.

4. The authorities thus fupprefsed fhall be provifionally replaced by a military agency, compofed of citizens Maurin, Reboul, and Patrain.

5. The affembly of the ftate,

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compofed of thirteen members, to whom the government of all Lombardy is committed, is provifionally retained in the functions allotted to it by its inftitution. It shall exercise these functions in the name of the republic of France, under the inspection and controu! of the military agents to whom it fhall be accountable.

6. The municipal adminiftrations are alfo retained in all the communes of Lombardy.

7. The municipal affembly exifting at Milan, compofed of thirteen members and a fyndic, is alío provifionally retained under the name of the municipality of the town of Milan.

8. The commandant of the fort of Milan fhall be prefident of the municipal council, and fhall exercife in it a military police, and alfo all the functions delegated by the French laws to the comman dants of forts in a state of fiege.

9. The members compofing the municipality of Milan are Francois Vitcanti, Antoine Caccianini, Galeas Serbelloni, Felix Laticada, Charles Bignami, Antoine Corbetta, Fidele Sopranfi, Gatean Porro, Pierre Verri, Jofeph Violtini, Jean Baptifte Sommarina, Paul Sangiorgio, Antoine Crespi, Cæfar Pelagata, Charles Ciani, Charles Parea.

10. The acts and deliberations of all the authorities created or preferved by the present decree, fhall be in the name of the French republic.

Proclamation by Buonaparte, Commander in Chief of the Army of Italy, to his Brothers in Arms, dated HeadQuarters at Milan, Prairial 1, (May 20.)

SOLDIERS,

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