Proclamations, Manifeftos, Correfpondence, &c. THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. Addrefs of the Citizens of the Town and Country of Aux Cayes, to the Commiffion of the French Government for the Leeward Islands, fitting at the Cape. Citizens Commiffaries, HOW Ow much are our feelings hurt, on defcribing to you the unhappy and terrible events that have taken place in the town of Aux Cayes, from the 10th to the 15th inftant, which have fucceffively and rapidly agitated the whole fouthern part, unto the extreme quarters of the weft, thereunto annexed! We cannot conceal from you, that thefe difafters have their origin in the im prudent, arbitrary, and vexatious meafures of your colleagues, particularly thofe of General Desfourneaux, which had no other tendency than the fubverfion of the union and fraternity enjoyed for more than three years by a people living like friends and bro-. thers. When your delegates arrived, this country was covered with the rich productions of nature; the plantations were full of la.. bourers, the towns full of workmen, and commerce flourished; the whole prefented the image of happiness. This profperity was the work of General Rigaud. It is to the wisdom of that chief we owe the entire confidence that reigned between us; it is that brave, and firm defender of liberty and equality, who has always fupported us in perfect harmony, by putting the laws of the republic that were known to us in force; who, commendable for his Civic and moral virtues, has protected us against our internal and external enemies. The chiefs of the civil adminiftration, and all the military and civil chiefs under their command, equally contributed to our felicity. But all is deftroyed; for the delegates, undoubtedly deceived by evil inclined people, had interrupted the union and tranquillity we enjoyed. VOL. VI. B General General Desfourneaux, fince his arrival, has completed the total fubverfion of this town, as he did that of Port-au-Prince, in the month of March 1794. After having kindled the torch of difcord between us, he has escaped, taking with him his base accomplices and the delegate Rey, leaving us a prey to the horrors of a civil war, that had been only appeased by the arrival of General Rigaud, fighting at the time the enemies of the republic in the diftrict of Irois. Without his prudence and folicitude, the town would have been facrificed to flames and pillage, and the citizens would have maffacred one another. Circumstances do not permit us to enter into more ample details. We refer them to a time more calm, when we will acquaint you and all France with our misfortunes and their origin. As to the prefent, we have but one request to make of you, namely, that which has been already addreffed to you in a decree of the popular council under date of the 14th; that of the delegation which has recalled, at the fame time, General Rigaud to the head of the government; and, finally, the addrefs of the citizens to the faid General, praying that the powers may be replaced in his hands until the Legislative Body and the Executive Directory of France fhall have been informed of the events, and takea measures to prevent their return. This, citizens commiffioners, is the wifh of the citizens of the town of Aux Cayes, and of the planters in its neighbourhood, as well as the whole fouthern department, and of the western diftricts. Do not deceive yourselves in the fame. If violent meafures fhould be adopted in the prefent convulfed ftate of things, they would unavoidably. occafion the total overthrow of this precious part of the ifland. The ftorm roars yet. Leave us in the port where we have juft found our falvation. We conftantly proteft to you, that, faithful to the French republic, we will never acknowledge any other laws; our profesfion is too well known by the mother country, and by our zeal and firmness in oppofing our enemies, by our means for defending our country, to admits of any doubt of our fentiments being any other than truly republican. Health and respect! Aux Cayes, 18th Fructidor, 4th year of the PROCLA PROCLAMATION. The Congress of Cifpadana to the People of Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio. I THE firft ftone of the foundation of your infant liberty was laid in the congrefs held at Modena laft October, thanks to the invincible French nation, which not only was fo generous as to reftore to you your natural rights, but alfo to enable you to exercife them, in order to fecure your future exiftence; it was in this view you formed the bonds of a friendly confederation, which nothing could untie: you alfo wifhed for the means of drawing those bonds ftill clofer, in order that the ftructure, once begun, might rife great and majeftic. In fine, you called us to the congrefs of Reggio, and we, ftrong in your commands, were proud of being able and authorised to give our concurrence to an enterprise worthy of the honour of Italy, and which will be the admiration of future ages. Citizens, the congrefs is eager to inform you that your wishes are fulfilled, and that you are henceforth but one people, or rather one family. The following is the tenor of the refolution. "A motion having been made in the congress to form the four nations into a republic, one and indivifible in every respect, fo conftructed, that the four nations may only form one people, one fingle family:" "The congrefs having put this motion to the vote with each nation, they have all accepted it." The people of Reggio were witneffes of the publication of this decree, in the fame manner as we were witneffes of their joy. Our brave brethren, who came from the Tranfpadanian regions to fraternize with us, took part in the univerfal joy. May they imitate us, fince we ardently with it, and may they form fo clofe an alliance with our republic, that tyranny may henceforth lofe all hopes of again enflaving Italy! It seems as if something would have been deficient in the general enthusiasm, had not our invincible deliverers been present at fo folemn an act. Citizen Marmont, fent exprefsly by the commander in chief to watch over the fafety and liberty of our union, assisted at the congrefs, and faw in us, and the whole people affembled, brothers not unworthy of the love of his generous nation. He took it upon him to give an account of this glorious event to the commander in chief. We could have wished you all to have been present in that happy moment, certain that your joy would have joined in unifon with that of your brothers; but if distance of place deprived us of this double, joy, we make you amends for it, by imparting to you that glorious event, before your delegates B 2 return return again to their country. People of the republic of Cifpadana, the great epoch is already marked. Reject far from you all ancient quarrels, and that rivalship which was fomented by ambition and defpotifm. Liberty, equality, virtue, let these be your mottos. The powerful republic which has invited to the great work of liberty, will protect you, doubt it not, with all her forces; flavery is flying from these countries. The tyrants to whom you were an object of derifion, fhudder and turn pale. The eyes of the whole world are fixed upon you, and Italy anxiously expects that you will restore to her that pristine splendour which made her once refpected by all nations. (Signed) Prefident. C. FACCI, MACCHI, Secretaries. LAMBERTI, LEONELLI, Reggio, 10 Nivofe, first year of the Republic of Cifpadana, one and indivifible, December 30, 1796 (old ftyle.) PROCLAMATION To the Second Divifion of the Army of Breft, defined against Ireland. Republicans, THE Executive Directory in the hope that General Hoche will have effected a defcent, directs the army to hold itself in readinefs to go and join him. The national honour, the interests of liberty, and the deftiny of the republic, command the accomplishment of a great enterprise against Ireland. It ought to be dear to it, it ought to be feconded with enthusiasm by all good French men. The Executive Directory have spoken in the most energetic manner upon the fubject; they have directed me to testify their fatisfaction to fuch of the corps of the army (among which the legion des François is particularly diftinguished), as, forgetting fome moments of fuffering and privation, have given by their wifdom a new proof of their devotion, and by their generous impatience to be landed on foreign fhores where glory calls them, the certainty of that fuccefs which they well know how to obtain there. Excited, without doubt, by the manoeuvres of the enemies of the republic, which (government know) have fought, and still feek, to mislead the army deftined for the expedition, the troops of the 94th demi-brigade, embarked on board the fhip la Conftitution, and thofe of the 24th demi-brigade, embarked on board the frigate la Coquille, have behaved in a manner |