214 BONAPARTE CREATED EMPEROR. to them the love of their duties, obedience to the laws, and the practice of all the christian and civil virtues. They will call down the benedictions of Heaven, upon the nation, and upon the supreme chief of the state. I write you this letter, that, as soon as you have received it, you will cause Veni Creator and Te Deum, to be sung in all the churches of your diocese, &c. &c. He also enjoined upon the clergy, the use of the following form of prayer. "O God, the protector of all kingdoms, and especially of the French empire, grant unto thy servant Napoleon, our emperor, that he may know, and further the wonders of thy power, to the end that he, whom thou hast appointed our sovereign, may be always powerful through thy grace." The important measure of re-establishing the monarchy, in the person of Bonaparte, at least a measure, apparently important, for if he was already Sovereign in fact, he was not in name, nor was the principle of hereditary succession recognized, this measure, which equally gave a finish to the revolution, and to the fortunes of Bonaparte; which restored all the external images, and the real evils of monarchy, that had recently been regarded as so abhorrent, to the national feeling, and against which it had waged war, for fifteen years, met with no opposition but from the solitary voice of the patriot Carnot, always true to his republican principles. This must be regarded as conclusive evidence, of the change which had taken place in public opinion, and of the entire destitution of independence in the constituted authorties; but principally of the latter, who were the mere creatures of Bonaparte, as much the instruments, which he used to carry into effect his plans, as the tools of a mechanic, are the implements of his trade. It might justly have been said of the French revolution: "How chances mock, And changes fill the cup of alteration, A decree was passed, providing for the ceremony NEW COALITION MEDITATED. 215 of the coronation, which was to take place in November following; and in May, the event was communicated to the diet at Ratisbon, and the different foreign courts. But before these new honours were to be worn, they were again to be won in the field. The ill-fated destinies of Europe, by which its plains were enriched with human blood could scarcely, "Find a time for frighted peace to pant, And breathe short winded accents of new broils." The war spirits of England, had again agitated the hostile element throughout Europe; and formed another coalition against France. The seizure of the duke d'Enghien, and the outrageous and shameful violation of the territory of the Elector of Baden, as it was called, were among the causes which were made use of to work upon the prejudices, inflame the passions, aud enkindle again, the flames of war throughout Europe. But it afterwards appeared that the Elector of Baden, was officially acquainted with the intention of the French government to seize the Duke and other emigrants in his territory, and that he might have taken steps for their security, or signified to them their danger, in season for them to have made their escape, if he had been disposed to have done it. At the commencement of the year 1804, before hostilities had actually broke out, Bonaparte addressed a letter written with his own hand to the king of England, in person, in which, in a most energetic and powerful manner, he urges the necessity of peace and the folly of renewing hostilities. He said "he thought it no disgrace to take the first step towards conciliation, in a moment which afforded the most favourable opportunity to silence the passions, and listen only to the sentiments of humanity and reason. He abjured his majesty not so deny himself the pleasure of giving peace to the world, nor to leave that delightful task to his children. Another coalition would only increase the preponderance and continental greatness of France." "The world," he observes, "is sufficiently capacious for our two nations to exist in it; and rea 216 LETTER TO the king of england. son is sufficiently powerful to discover means of reconciling every thing, when the wish for reconciliation exists on both sides." "Peace," he observes, "had always been his first wish, although war had never been inconsistent with his glory." He concludes: "If your majesty would but reflect, you must perceive that the war is without an object, and without any presumable result to yourself: Alas! what a melancholy prospect! to cause two nations to fight only for the sake of fighting." To this eloquent, feeling and enegetic appeal, a cold and formal answer was returned, not by the king but by lord Mulgrave, secretary of state for foreign affairs, which ended the negociation. Having made the necessary arrangements for the approaching contest, before he left Paris, he delivered an address to the senate, making known his sentiments, and expresses himself in the following animated and energetic language. "I am just leaving my capital, to place myself at the head of the army, to carry speedy succours to my allies. I tremble at the idea of the blood that must be spilt in Europe, but the French name will emerge with renovated and increased lustre. What promises I have made to the French people I have fulfilled, and the French people have more than performed every engagement they have made with me. They will, at a moment so important for their glory and mine, persist in asserting the name of the Great People; a name with which I greeted them in the midst of the fields of death and glory." He concluded in these words: "Frenchmen! your emperor will dischage his duty; my soldiers, and the senate will also discharge theirs." This was the 23d of September, and at that time the French troops were rapidly advancing towards the scene of action. The French army was estimated at 140,000 men, and consisted of six corps; the first under marshal Bernadotte, the second under Marmont, the third under Davoust, the fourth under marshal Soult, the fifth commanded by marshal Ney, and the sixth by marshal Lannes. COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. -217 The Austrian general Mack had under his command an army of 90,000 men. Bonaparte, as soon as he arrived at the seat of war, issued a manifesto, charging the third coalition to the gold and intrigues of England. Hostilities were commenced on the 7th of October, at Donawart, the Austrians attempting to defend the bridge at that place, and to stop the advance of marshal Soult. The Austrian main army under Mack, after being considerably reduced by partial actions, entrenched themselves at Ulm, when on the 15th they were attacked, and so dreadfully beaten during three days fighting, that he was obliged to capitulate on the 17th. The archduke Charles, who was in Italy, with an army of 75,000 men, made great exertions by forced marches to join Mack; but did not arrive until that general had been obliged to surrender, with his whole army. Being too weak to oppose Bonaparte, the Arch-duke moved towards Vienna, where he arrived on the 12th of November. Russia having joined Austria in the war, the confederates determined to risk every thing upon the issue of a general engagement. On the 2d of December the memorable battle of Austerlitz was fought. The action commenced at sunrise, and in less than one hour the left wing of the confederates was entirely cut off; which was the forerunner of their total defeat. The loss of the allies was estimated at one fourth of their whole force, with all their artillery and baggage. The field was covered with wounded, the number of which was so great, that they could not all be dressed until two days after the battle. The forces of the allies engaged in this action were about seventy or eighty thousand, principally Russians, and the French were estimated at eighty thousand. Previously to this action, the arch-duke, who had an army of seventy-five thousand men, opposed to Massena, on the Adige, alarmed for the safety of the capital, hastened to attempt to relieve it. But he was closely pursued by Massena, and the fatal blow was struck before he was able to afford any assistance. The battle of Austerlitz led to an armistice, which was followed by the treaty of Presburg, concluded on the 26th of December. The conditions of the treaty were humiliating to Austria. The Emperor acknowledged Bonaparte as king of Italy, and acknowledged the new dignity of the electors of Bavaria and Wirtemburg, whom Bonaparte had created kings; ceded the Venetian territory, and all his possessions beyond the Alps; and his possessions in Franconia, Suabia, and Bavaria, were divided between the king of Bavaria, the king of Wirtemburg, and the elector of Baden. The total cessions of Austria were estimated at 1279 square miles, containing a population of more than two millions and a half, and an annual revenue of sixteen millions of florins. The next morning after the treaty of Presburg was signed, Bonaparte issued a proclamation from his headquarters at Vienna, declaring that the Neapolitan dynasty was at an end. Having destroyed the third coalition and conquered a peace, Bonaparte set off for Paris, but stopped at Munich to attend the marriage of his son-in-law, Eugene Beauharnois, to the daughter of the king of Bavaria. Arrived at his capital, on the 2d of March 1806, he opened the setting of the legislative bodies,. by a speech in which, he inveighed against England, for having fomented the late war and coalition, which he had successfully destroyed, and added to the glory of France. Russia had been obliged to retreat to her own territories, and Austria had been saved by his clemency. The commencement of the year 1806, was characterized by a change in the British ministry; after the death of Mr. Pitt, it was impossible for the ministry to maintain their posts, and Mr. Fox and his friends, formed a new administration. On the elevation of Mr. Fox, long regarded as the friend of peace, and considered by his political opponents as the friend of the French revolution, and of Bonaparte, an attempt was made at negotiation. M. Talleyrand proposed, to conclude a treaty, on the |