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peaceably the determination of the first consul; and with that order, that moderation, and that discipline, which have hitherto guided your steps, you will receive, we are convinced, the orders of your superiors, of your general; and even, if it should be necessary, you will return to your residences, in order that our country may not be exhausted by the entrance of foreign troops; that we may not be deprived of the scanty harvest of this year, which we hoped to consume with our children; and that we may not be plunged into indigence and misery. It is only the Helvetic government, directed by its passions and its private interest, that could call in the aid of foreign troops; we, who took up arms only for our country and tranquillity, have no need of troops to attain our object. But, relying on our conduct, we dare to hope, that the first consul of France, who has guarantied our independence, and who has been deceived by false reports, will, as soon as he shall have been informed of the true state of things, take measures, which will secure our honour, and the prosperity and independence of our country. May the Almighty deign to grant this, who has caused us to make an important step towards our future happiness, and crowned our arms with his benediction.

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Constance, Oct. 31, 1802.

My lord,

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received this evening authentic in
formation of the submission of the
diet of Switzerland, assembled at
Schwitz, to the French arms,
lose no time in dispatching the mes-
senger, Shaw, with this intelli-
gence; from which your lordship
will perceive that it only remains.
for me to obey that part of my in.
structions by which I am directed,
under such circumstances, to take
up my residence in the neighbour-
hood of Switzerland, and there to
await his majesty's further orders.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) Frances Moore, The right hon. lord Hawkesbury, &c. &c.

Note addressed, on the 26th of October, by the Diet of Schwitz to General Ney.

T

HE president of the confederated cantons having been required, on the part of general Ner, by his adjutant, M. Bechet, to declare whether the diet would accept the proclamation of the first consul of the French republic, the diet have the honour to observe to the general, that already, on the 15th of this month, they had taken the resolution of delivering up their powers into the hands of their constituents as soon as the French troops should enter Switzerland, having never entertained the design of opposing them by force of arms, Now that the diet

Dispatch from Mr. Moore to Lord is positively informed that the ciHawkesbury. ities of Balse and Berne are ocсиpied by French troops, it no longer delays to dissolve itself; at the same time, they seize this opportunity of declaring to the general, that confortuably to the instructions they have received from their con stituents

Have the honour to inform your lordship, that I arrived here on The 47th instant, and that, having

stituents, which they consider themselves obliged to conform to, they cannot regard the Helvetic govern. ment as established, nor alienate the sacred right which their nation possesses, of forming a constitution for itself, a right which they inherited from their ancestors, and which was confirmed to them by the treaty of Luneville; but, on the contrary, are firmly convinced that the Swiss will never recover their tranquillity and their happiness, but in the exercise of that right.

They pray that the general will place before the eyes of the first consul, this just demand, which is not only the expression of the sentiments of the dict, but of all Swiss who wish well to their country.

Aloys Reding.

Proclamation to the Helvetic People, from the Government of Helvetia.

Citizens of Helvetia,

IN announcing to you, four months ago, that the French troops were about to quit our soil, the council of execution at the same time declared to you, that a constant obedience to the laws, a spirit of confidence and peace, the union of all wishes for the maintenance of the established order of things, could alone protect your independence; while the contrary dispositions, disobedience, tumult and discussions, would infallibly bring back a foreign army. You have not attended to our words, citizens of Helvetia! ambitious men have induced you to embrace the cause of their interests, and their passions; and while one party amongst you roused itself at their calling to overturn the constitutional and national government, the other

party became, by its silence, an accomplice in the civil war. What is the result? A few weeks have scarcely passed, when the French troops, ten times more numerous than they were last spring before their departure, penetrate into your cantons; they take from you the arms which you have turned against your government, and thus declare to all Europe that you are at once incapable of remaining at peace, and unworthy to protect yourselves. Tell us then, citizens of Helvetia, to whom you owe the return of these troops? Is it to the senate and to the council of execution, whose fault was, on the contrary, to con sent too soon to their departure, and whose whole study latterly tended to prevent, by a frank and loyal acceptance of the mediation of the chief consul, the evils which we had to fear from his indignation ? or is it to the insurrectional authorities, to the assembly which dignified itself with the name of the confederate diet of Schwitz? to that assembly which, rejecting the con ditions of the proposed mediation, promising to dissolve itself, and notwithstanding continuing its intrigues, announcing peace, and keeping the soldiers under arms, wishing, that a foreign force might enter the country, that they might have it in their power to say, "we yielded only to force?" Miserable vanity! which gratifies itself at the expense of a whole nation; wretched ebullition of pride! calculated to precipitate the country into complete ruin, and which it would have done, if the generosity of the chief consul had not equalled his power; notwithstanding all the efforts of his enemies, and of yours, he had not still persisted to wish your welfare. Xx4

How

However, citizens of Helvetia! the council of execution is informed of it; the members of that seditious assembly, and the committees which it had established in the cantons, not content with having consecrated, in formal protestations, their foolish pretensions, still seek to mislead the people respecting their real situation, to spread false hopes of foreign succour, to frighten them by menaces, and to belie the intentions in which the Helvetic government addressed itself to the chief consul, to invite him to make himself the supreme arbiter of our differences. But we will answer these men, that they likewise have invoked that mediation. The letters of the chiefs of the little cantons to the chief consul, and to the ministers of France; the plans of constitution on which they openly called for their good offices; the sending deputies to Paris, are so many proofs of the desire which they had of interesting the French government in their cause. It was only when the first consul had previously demanded and exacted the cessation of a war which armed citizens against citizens, and brothers against brothers, that they rejected the mediation solicited by themselves, and which they then artfully turned for the purpose of increasing the number of their partizans. We will tell them again, that if we have called for the mediation of the first consul, it is because, of all the powers called by their position to take an interest in the destinies of Helvetia, France is the only one which has recognized our independence, consecrated, by its means, in a solemn treaty: the only one which can exercise over us an influence of protection and support. The history of Switzerland

for five centuries, our revolution, and the years which have succeeded it, sufficiently prove how much it is our interest to follow the political system of France. It is this truth which, engraved on the hearts of our ancestors, protected the cradle of the confederation; and we, citizens of the Helvetic republic, have a thousand times more reason still to be convinced of it. Lastly, we will say no longer to these men, for they will not understand us, but to the nation itself, that the equality of rights amongst the cantons, the abolition of hereditary privileges, the liberty of the citizens, being a deposit placed in our hands to be preserved at any price, it was not permitted to us to waver respecting calling for the mediation of the only government which can preserve to us these principles. Thus, our conduct in this respect has been only the necessary consequence of the national will, expressed in favour of these same principles at the time of the acceptance of the constitution. Such is the answer which the council of execution owes to that part of the accusations of its enemies. With regard to the other accusations by which it is attempted to raise against them a factious hate, they despise them, well knowing that they cannot cite a single family of which it has caused the ruin, or a single person in whom the rights of a citizen have been violated. It is, on the contrary, for having been too indulgent, too confident in the justice of its fellow-citizens, too little severe, in short, that it has experienced misfortunes. The insurrectional authorities ordered in four weeks ten times more arrests, odious inquests, and measures of rigou of every kind, than it had ordered

during the whole course of its existence. Citizens of Helvetia! you will be required to furnish extraordinary contributions for the support of the troops which your insurrecfion have caused to enter your country. Submit yourselves to a necessity which you cannot tax with injustice; open your hearts to dispositions of fraternity and social order; it is the only means of abridging the period of your misfortunes. Show yourselves, in short, worthy to be called a nation, and you will become one. Bonaparté only desires to have still the power of interesting himself in your destinies. For us, citizens, thanks to the care of this generous mediator, our task will soon be finished. Returned into the class of private individuals with those who have so cruelly calumniated our conduct, we shall be always ready to answer their imputations. Henceforth there is no sacrifice to which we are not resigned, if it can only be profitable to our country.

Done at Berne, Nov. 3, 1802.

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The General in Chief to the Minister of the Marine.

Head Quarters at the. Cape,
Feb. 9.

Leave to admiral Villaret to give you the details of our passage. We made cape François on the 29th of January, and the different squadrons from Brest, L'Orient, and Rochefort, were here united. The Syren frigate, which the admiral had sent to Guadaloupe, came to inform us of the insurrectional movements which had taken place in that colony.

On the 30th, general Kerverseau was detached with a large squadron to Santo Domingo. On the 31st, the admirai sent for pilots to Monte Christi. These pilots assured us, that Toussaint was disposed to reécive us in a friendly manner.

Feb. 1. Rear-admiral Latouche having on board his squadron a division of the army under the orders of general Boudet, steered for Port Republicain (Port-au-Prince), in order to occupy the southern district.

2d. Captain Magen, having on board of his division general Rochambeau, with a body of troops, steered for Fort Liberty (Fort Dauphin); but the calm prevented him from entering the port.

3d. At seven o'clock in the morning he effected his disembarkation at Mancenille; 600 men had just landed, and put themselves in order of battle, when a cloud of blacks poured down upon them, calling out, "No whites! No whites!" In vain did our men make signs of fraternity to them; it was necessary to attack them. They were soon routed and dispersed.

General

1

General Brunet, who commanded The advanced guard, entered with the fugitives into the forts of Ance and Bouque, and took them hand to hand, after a desperate resist ance. At the same instant, captain Magen entered the roads, and was received by cannon-shot from the fort. The blacks, however, were soon compelled to fly, and our troops threw themselves into the ships' boats, and entered by the embra

sures.

At Fort Liberty (Fort Dauphin) and the neighbourhood, we found 150 pieces of eamon. We found among the papers of the commandant of the place, an order of Toussaint to sink the vessels which approached, and to hold out to the last extremity. The fifth light infantry maintained its former reputation. Generals Rochambeau and Brunet, and captain Magen, greatly distinguished themselves. Citizen Lachatre, aide-de-camp to general Rochambeau, a captain of carabineers, and twelve soldiers, were killed, and forty wounded.

I have requested admiral Villaret to make captain Magen a rear

admirał.

On the second I arrived with the admiral and the main body of the army before Fort Piccolet. I conformed myself to the general plan of the expedition. Two frigates carried the proclamation of the first consul. A cutter approached the battery of Piccolet, made its way through the fire, and anchored in the road, although the buoys had been taken up.

At three o'clock, Langes, a man of colour, who acted as captain of the port at the Cape, came on board the admiral. He told us that general Christophe had sout a courier to

Toussaint, to request orders, and that till the arrival of an answer, he would meet the squadron with cannon, burn the city, and massacre the whites.

I replied to general Christophe: and citizen Lebrun, aide-de-camp to admiral Villaret, carried my letter. A deputation of the municipality of the Cape arrived during these transactions, conjuring me to take pity on the unfortunate situation of the inhabitants. I could easily perceive, from what they told me, that the lot of these wretched people was decided; that they wished to gain time, but that the affair could only be determined by the sword. In this cruel alternative there remained with me only one plan to be pursued; which was, to disembark, at some leagues from the Cape, and to march to the heights behind the Cape, while general Rochambeau gained the heights of St. Suzanne, Dondon, and Grande Rivière. I was certain by this measure to save the beautiful plantations which surround the Cape, and I had even hopes of saving that beautiful and important city.

A calm retarded the course of the light vessels, on board of which I had embarked. At three o'clock I arrived at Port Margot. The debarkation was effected near that at Limbé, The enemy had a battery there, and received us with a discharge of artillery; but our soldiers rushed on shore with so much ra pidity, that they sustained no loss. I afterwards set forward to put my designs in execution. All the settlements were deserted. The settlers had taken to flight. They had been made to believe the most absurd and opposite reports. They had been told that the squadron was composed

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