and of the fimple but honeft citizens of Carinthia. enlightened citizens of Vienna, are attributed to the Proveditori Battagia, the Republic of Venice fees itfelf under the neceflity of declaring that proclamation forged, and of warning all its faithful fubjets not to be deceived by fuch flanders, or induced to fuppofe that its friendfhip towards the Republic of France is in the leaft changed. The Senate entertains no doubt that the French nation will treat fuch calumnies with the contempt they deferve, and repofe that confidence in the Republic of Venice which it has merited by its irreproachable conduct. No matter! In fpite of England, and the minifters of the court of Vienna, we are friends. The French Republic affures to you the rights of conqueft; let them difappear before the contract by which we are reciprocally bound. You will not join in a conteft which is contrary to your fentiments. You will furnish the provifions which we may want. On my part, I fhall protect your religion, your manners, and your property. I fhall not exact from you any contribution. Is not the war of itfelf horri. ble enough? Have you not already fuffered too much, you who are the innocent victims of others fally? The impofitions which you have been accustomed to pay to the Emperor, will indemnify you for the inevitable loffes attending the march of an army, and the provifions with which you will furnish us. Proclamation relative to the Disturbances in the Venetian Territory. THE conduct of the Republic of Venice, during the commotions in Europe, has always been, and ftill remains, fo perfectly neutral and friendly towards all the belligerent powers, that the Senate did not imagine it neceffary to give the leaft attention to the evil-difpofed who pretended to queftion their fincerity; but, as thefe malignant enemies of the Republic have diffeminated the vileft flanders against the fincerity of the peaceable difpefition of the Republic, in a fabricated proclamation, dated Verona, March 22, in which expreffions injurious to the French Republic VOL. XXXIX. Manifefio of General Buonaparte against Venice. Head Quarters, Palma Nova, 14 Floreal (May 13). WHILST the French army was engaged in the defiles of Styria, and left far behind them Italy and the principal establishments of the army, where only a small number of battalions remained, this was the conduct of the government of Venice:-1. They profited of Paffionweek, to arm 40,000 peaíants, uniting them with ten regiments of Sclavonians, organifed them into different corps, and fent them to different points, to intercept all kind of communication between the army and the places in the rear.-2. Extraordinary commiffaries, guns, ammunition of all kinds, and a great quantity of cannon, were fent from Venice even to complete the organization of different corps of the army.-3. All perfons in the Terra Firma who had received us favourably, were arrefted; benefits and the confidence of the government were heaped upon all thofe who poffeffed a Y furious Legnano, from Caffano to Verona, we had more than two hundred men affaffinated.-9. Two French battalions, wifhing to join the army, met at Chiari with a divifion of the Venetian army, which attempted to oppofe their paffage: an obftinate conflict took place, and our brave foldiers cut a paffage for themfelves, by putting these perfidious enemies to the rout.-10. At Valeggio there was another battle; at Deffengaro another. The French were everywhere the weakest in numbers; but they know well that the number of the enemy's battalions is never counted when they are compofed only of affaffins.-11. The fecond feaft in Eafter, at the ringing of the bell, all the French were affaffinated in Verona. Neither the fick in the hofpitals were refpected, nor those who, in a state of convalefcence, were walking in the streets, and were thrown into the Adige, where they died, pierced with a thousand wounds from ftilettoes. More than four hundred French were affaffinated.-12. For a week the Venetian army befieged the three caffles of Verona. The cannon which were placed on the battery were carried at the point of the bayonet. The town was fet on fire, and the moveable column that arrived in the interim, put thefe cowards to complete rout, by taking three thoufand of the enemy prifoners, among whom were feveral Venetian generals.-13. The houfe of the French conful to Zante was burnt in Dalmatia.-14. A Venetian fhip of war took an Austrian convoy under its protection, and fired feveral fhot at the corvette la Brune.-15. The Liberateur d'Italie, a veffel of the Republic, with only three or four finall pieces of can furious hatred to the French name, and especially the fifteen confpirators of Verona, whom the Proveditori Prioli had arrefted three months ago, as having premeditated the maffacre of the French. 4. In the fquares, coffee-houfes, and other public places of Venice, all Frenchmen were infulted, treated badly, and called by the names of Jacobins, Regicides, Atheifts. The French were to leave Venice, and a fhort time afterwards it was prohibited to them even to enter it.-5. The people of Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, were ordered to take up arms, to fecond the different corps of the army, and to begin at length thofe new Sicilian vefpers. It belongs, faid the Venetian officers, to the Lion of St. Marc to verify the proverb, that Italy is the tomb of the French. -6. The priests in the pulpit preached the crufade; and the priefts in the ftate of Venice never fpeak any thing but the will of the government. Pamphlets, perfidious proclamations, anonymous letters, were printed in the different towns, and began to agitate the minds of all; in a ftate where the liberty of the prefs is not permitted, in a government as much feared as it is fecretly detefted, printers print, and authors write, nothing but what the fenate pleafe.-7. All fmiled at firft at the perfidious project of the government. The French blood flowed on all fides. On all the roads, our convoys, our couriers, and every thing refpecting the army, were intercepted.-8. At Padua a chief of a battalion and two other Frenchmen were arrefted. At Caftiglione de Mori our foldiers were difarmed and affaffinated. On all the great roads from Mantua to non, and a crew of forty men, was funk in the very port of Venice, and by order of the fenate. The young and intrepid Haugier, lieutenant and commander of the faid fhip, as foon as he faw himself attacked by the fire of the fort and the admiral's galley, being from both not more than piftol-fhot, ordered his crew to go below. He alone got upon the deck, in the anidft of a storm of grape-fhot, and endeavoured, by his fpeeches, to difarm the fury of his affaffins; but he fell dead. His crew threw themfelves into the fea to swim, and were purfued by fix challops, with troops on board, in the pay of Venice, who cut to pieces feveral that fought for fafety in the open fea. One of the mafters, with feveral wounds, and bleeding in every part, had the good fortune to reach the fhore, near the caftle of the port; but the commandant himself cut off his hand with an axe. On account of the above-mentioned grievances, and authorifed by the 22d title, article 328, of the conftitution of the republic, and on account of the urgency of affairs, the General in Chief requires the French minifter to the republic of Venice to leave the faid city; directs the different agents of the republic of Venice in Lombardy, and the Venetian Terra Firma, to quit it in twenty-four hours; directs the different generals of divifions to treat as enemies the troops of the republic of Venice, and to pull down, in the towns of the Terra Firma, the Lion of St. Marc. Every one will receive, in the orders of the day to-morrow, a particular inftruction refpecting ulterior opera tions. BUONAPARTE. Preclamation of General Buonaparte, Head Quarters, Monte Bello, 11th Mehder, 5th year. THE Cifalpine Republic was for many years under the dominion of the houfe of Auftria. The French Republic fucceeded it by the right of conquest. It now renounces this right, and the Cifalpine Republic is free and independent. Recognized by France and the Emperor, it will foon be equally acknowledged by the rest of Europe. The Executive Directory of the French Republic, not content with employing its influence, and the vitories of the republican armies, to fecure the political exiftence of the Cifalpine Republic, extends its care ftill further; and convinced that, if liberty be the firft of bleffings, the revolution which attends it is the greatest of evils, it has given to the Cifalpine people their peculiar conftitution, refulting from the wisdom of the most enlightened nation. From a military regime the Cifalpine people país to a conftitutional one. That this transition fhould experience no fhock, nor be expofed to anarchy, the Executive Directory has thought proper to nominate, for the prefent, the members of the government and the legiflative body; fo that the people fhould after the lapfe of one year, have the election to the vacant places, in conformity to the conftitution. For a great number of years there exifted no republic in Italy. The facred fire of liberty was extinguifhed, and the fineft part of Europe was under the yoke of ftrangers. It belongs to the Cifalpine Republic to fhew to the world by its wifdom, its energy, and the organization of its armies, Y 2 that that modern Italy is not degenerat- gallant Maniote people, who alone ed, and is ftill worthy of liberty. of ancient Greece have preferved (Signed) BUONAPARTE. Ordinance published at Verona on the Sth of Auguft, 1797. WHEREAS citizen George Giufti continues, notwithstanding repeated admonitions, to revile the popular government and equality; and inftead of ftyling himself citizen, affumes the title of Count; fince he daily boafts to his fervants that he is of one of the best families in Rome; and, what is much worse, continually inveighs against the popular government; the faid citizen George Giufti is hereby fentenced to pay 100 fequins; which money fhall be appropriated to erect a column to liberty in the GreenMarket. This fentence fhall be read to citizen Giufti in the prefence of all his fervants and domeftics, by the fecretary of the municipality, to inftruct the whole family in the true principles of liberty and equality. Approved by General Verdier, French Commandant in the province of Verona. Letter of General Buonaparte to the Chief of the Maniotes, dated Milan, 12th Thermidor, (July 30th) THE council of the French Republic at Triefte has acquainted me with the attention your Lordfhip had fhewn in fending a deputation to intimate to me the defire you had to fee in your ports fome French veffels, and to be in any refpect ufeful to the brave French foldiers of 'the army of Italy. The French efteem the fmall but their liberty. In all the circumstances which may occur, they fhall ever give proofs of their protection, and a particular care to favour their veffels and their citizens. I beg your Lordship to receive with kindness the bearers of this, who have the strongest defire to fee more nearly the worthy defcendants of Sparta, who, to be as renowned as their ancestors, wanted only to appear on a larger theatre. The firft time that any of your relations have occafion to vifit Italy, I beg you to recommend them to me. I fhall feel a real pleasure in giving marks of the esteem which I entertain for you and your compatriots. (Signed) BUONAPARTE. From the Vienna Court Gazette, THE prefent war, of which the unavoidable confequence has been the deftruction of fo many lives, has given the greatest uneafinefs to his Imperial Majefty from the time of his first acceffion to the throne. Penetrated with a fense of his duty, and compaffion for his fubjects, and animated with a wish to reftore plenty and profperity to all his hereditary states, his Majefty has never ceafed to devife fuch means as might put an end to the calamities of war; and it was with the utmoft regret that he faw all his endeavours fruitlefs, and himfelf in confequence obliged to exert his utmost force to defend his states and faithful fubjects against the attacks of the enemy. Anxious to fpare the blood of his fubjects, his Imperial f Imperial Majefty ftill wifhed for peace, even in the moment when his arms were moft fignally victorious. His Majefty has now likewife given in charge to the underfigned, the Prefident of Lower Auftria, to communicate to the public the most pofitive affurance, that he is now employed in the most earnest manner in haftening the conclufion of a peace. But though his Majefty will neglect nothing which may procure the bleffings of a fpeedy peace to his hereditary ftates, he trufts with confidence, that fhould the enemy, dazzled by the changeable fortune of war, contrary to what we would hope, arrogantly reject all reconciliation, or infift on extravagant conditions, and fuch as are difgraceful to the Auftrian nation, every faithful fubject, mindful of the duties to which he has fworn, will exert his utmost efforts to obtain peace by a courageous defence of his country, and will contribute all in his power to preparations which the extreme emergence may render neceffary for the fafety of the capital; and that the brave inhabitants of Vienna will fhew no lefs courage and loyalty than their glorious ancestors, who, under Ferdinand and Leopold I, on the walls of their city, fought and conquered for religion, their Sovereign, their country, and their honour. FRANCIS COUNT SAURAU, Prefident of Adminiftration in Lower Auftria. Vienna, April 4th, 1797. Declaration of the Emperor at Vienna, an the 15th of April, 1797. COUNT Saurau, Prefident of the administration of Lower Auftria, has published a proclamation, by or. der of his Imperial Majefty, fignifying, that though his Imperial Majefty cannot, for obvious important reafons, undertake the defence of his capital in his own perfon, he has taken all the necellary measures, and caufed every provifion to bo made under his ow infpection, for its defence. His Imperial Majefty likewife expreffes his hope that the enemy will at length confent to ac. cept more equitable terms, and fee in their proper light thofe which his Majefty has propofed; they are fo franied, as they only can be, without derogating from the dignity of his Imperial Majefty, and the honour of the nation he has the happinefs to govern. His Majefty, however, confides in the affiftance and fupport of all his faithful subjects; and trufts that, fhould the enemy proceed to extremities, they alone, by the Divine affistance, will be the victim. His Majefty likewife gives notice, that whatever damage may be done to the city or fuburbs by the preparations neceffary for defence, or the affaults of the enemy, fhall be repaired, after the reftoration of peace, from his Majefty's private property. |