it takes the earliest opportunity of prsenting to your Imperial Majesty, is the only authentic expression of a will already manifested by the nation. This decree, which confers on you a new title, and which after you secures the dignity hereditary to your race, adds nothing. either to your glory or your rights. The love and gratitude of the French people have, for four years, entrusted to your Majesty the reins of government, and the constitution of the state has reposed in you the choice of a successor. The more august denomination decreed to you is then only a tribute which the nation pays to its dignity, and to the necessity it experiences of giving you daily testimonies of respect and attachment, which every day increase.

"How could the French nation find bounds to its gra titude, when you place none to your care and solicitude for it? Preserving the remembrance of the evils which it suffered when abandoned to itself, how could they reflect without enthusiasm on the happiness it has experienced since Providence inspired it with the idea of throwing itself into your arms! Its armies were defeated; it finances were in disorder; public credit was annihilated; factions were disputing for the remains of our ancient splendor; every idea of morality, and even of religion, was obscured; the habit of giving and resuming power left the magistrates without consideration, and even rendered every kind of authority odious. Your Majesty appeared; you recalled victory to our standards? you established order and economy in the public expences. The nation, encouraged by the use made of your authority, resumed confidence in its own resources; your wisdom allayed the rage of party; religion saw her altars raised; ideas of justice and injustice were awakened in the minds of the citizens, when they saw crimes followed by punishment, and virtue signalised and rewarded with honorable distinctions. In the last place, How could the French nation find limits to its gratitude, when you place none to your care and anxiety for its welfare and prosperity. Reflecting on the past evils it has endured, what enthusiastic joy must it feel, since it has been inspired by Providence with the idea of throwing itself into your arms! Its armies had been defeated; its finances exhausted; public credit annihilated; facons disorganizing the public tranquillity; religion and

morality trampled under foot; all was in a state of wild confusion, when you, Sire, appeared; you recalled vic tory to our standards; you established order and economy in our public expences. The nation, encouraged by the wise policy you pursued, resumed its former confidence in its power and strength; we then saw the altars of religion again elevated; the fierceness of party factions was allayed; virtue was signally preserved, and just punishment was inflicted on the perpetrators of vice. It assuredly is the greatest of miracles, that by the splendor of your genius, you calmed the turbulence of a people ever impatient of restraint, and hostile to authority; and in your person made laws to be respected, and authority revered.

"The French people do not pretend to become judges with respect to the constitution of the government of other countries, but with respect to themselves, experience is the best guide; they have for ages tasted the advantages of hereditary power; afterwards they made a short, but painful trial of a contrary form of government, and now, after free and mature deliberation, they make a free use of their rights, in delegating to your Imperial Majesty a power which your interest forbids you to exercise by yourself; they stipulate for future generations; and, by a solemn compact, entail to the offspring of your race, the happiness of their posterity. The former will copy after your virtues, the latter will inherit our love and fidelity. Happy that nation which thus finds, after so much trouble and perplexity, the means of appeasing the tempest of the passions, and gaining unity and tranquillity: happy the Prince who holds his power by the will, the confidence, and the affections of the citizens.

"If it be the principles of our constitution to submit to the sanction of the people, that part of the decree which proposes the establishment of an hereditary government, we have thought proper to request your Majesty to permit that the necessary dispositions should be carried into effect for that purpose; and that for the glory, as well as for the happiness, of the nation, Napoleon be immediately proclaimed Emperor of the French,"

To this sycophantic address, Napoleon replied in terms as follows:

"Whatever can tend to promote the good of the nation is blended with my happiness. I hesitate not to accept that title which you think necessary for the glory of the nation. I, therefore, submit to the sanction of the people that part of the decree which relates to hereditary succession.

"I hope France will never have cause to repent of having conferred such honors upon any family. In all cases my spirit never will cease to be present with my posterity whenever it may cease to merit the love and confidence of the French republic."

When Bonaparte was in the confidence of Barras, he married Josephine, a lady who was the discarded mistress of the latter. She was now elevated by the decree of the senate to the rank of Empress; and the deputation waited upon her in due form with the following address, which was presented by Cambaceres :

“MADAME,

We have just presented to your august spouse the decree which confers on him the title of Emperor, which establishes the government hereditary in his family, and associates future generations in the happiness of the present race. A very agreeable duty remains to be performed by the senate, that of offering to your Imperial Majesty the homage of its respect, and an expression of the gratitude of the French. Yes, Madame, fame proclaims the good which you are continually doing; it says, that, being always accessible to the unfortunate, you employ your influence with the chief of the state only to relieve distress; and that, to the pleasure of obliging, your Majesty adds that amiable delicacy which renders gratitude sweeter, and the kindness more valuable. This disposition presages, that the name of the Empress Josephine will be the signal of consolation and hope; and as the virtues of Napoleon will always serve as an example to his successors, to teach them the art of governing nations, the living remembrance of your goodness will teach their august consorts, that the care of drying up tears is the most effectual means of preserving an empire over all hearts.

"The senate thinks itself happy in the opportunity of being the first to salute you Empress ; and he who has

the honor of being its organ, takes the liberty to hope that you will deign to reckon him among the number of your most faithful servants."

Thus by the creative genius of one man, after oceans of human blood had been spilt in a contest for a republican government, which was more sanguinary and tremendous than any the annals of history record, was the French nation brought back to its ancient form of go vernment, and a new dynasty established in the person of Napoleon, invested with higher rank and greater power than any of the monarchs of the house of Bourbon..

CHAP. X.^

Inauguration of Bonaparte in the Imperial Dignity. Address of the President of the Conservative Senate to the Emperor.

ALL Europe was astonished at the extraordinary event which France now exhibited; the versatility of the French character was strikingly evinced. A nation that had sworn eternal enmity to monarchy; who instituted crusades against all the kings of Europe, now submitted its neck to a foreigner, and bowed tamely beneath the yoke of one who had plainly and unequivocally demonstrated that it was not easy, nor the burden now imposed light: no man but Napoleon Bonaparte could have achieved such a wonderful change in the political system of government of more than twenty millions of people. We have more than once observed, that Bonaparte had carefully studied the temperament and character of the French people; indeed it affords a wonderful proof of his great political talents, that he alone of all the popular characters of the French revolution, was enabled to mount to a dazzling height of splendid dignity and supreme authority, and to maintain that authority with despotic rigor; and yet be idolised by those whom he had cajoled out of that freedom for which they had

for a long series of years been fighting. Napoleon was now proclaimed amidst the loud acclamations of the people, and the sounding of trumpets, Emperor of France. His brother Joseph, now created a prince, was made Grand Elector of the kingdom; Prince Louis, another brother, had the ancient office of Constable of France, conferred upon him; and the two consuls, the wretched tools of Napoleon, were promoted to high and dignified situations, Cambaceres being made Archchancellor of the empire; and Lebrun Arch-treasurer.

It was decreed, that the Salic law should be revived, which excluded all females from the crown. It was, therefore, ordered, that in case of Bonaparte's having no male heir, he was at liberty to adopt one from among' the children, or grand-children, of his brethren, in case any such should have attained to the age of eighteen years.

Napoleon_made it his uniform practice to secure the affections of the military, knowing full well, that alone would give stability to his throne; hence his companions in arms shared in the honors which he had obtained; Kellerman, Bernadotte, Mortier, Soult, Augereau, and other Generals, were raised to the rank of Marshals of the empire, and estates assigned them proportionably to their dignity. Napoleon was too great a politician not to observe, that religion was essential to every estab lished government; he viewed it, (and many free-thinkers have done the like,) as an useful engine of state policy: all religions were indifferent to him; he had paid the same homage to the prophet of Mecca, when in Egypt, as he did to Jesus of Nazareth, when in France; as his interest biassed him, such were his religious sentiments; at one time a Mussulman, at another a Roman Catholic: it being equally indifferent with him, whether he held correspondence with the pretended successor of St. Peter, or with Mahometan priests; he had been eye witness to the deplorable scenes which ill-fated France had preented to view when the Christian religion was abrogated; it was wise and sound policy which dictated to him to make the concordate with the Pope; and France being now again under the dominion of the holy see, and the elevation of the new Emperor being announced to the French bishops, the Pope's legate