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Three dollars per annum.
Volume I.J
\ Bordeaux, April 9.
Observations on the declaration of the
Congress of Vienna , under date of
1 3th of last month:
It is pretended that the Congress
of Vienna declared, on the News
of Napoleon Bonaparte’s entrance
into France, that all the powers
were ready to give to the king of
France, or any other government
which might be attacked, if requi
red, every afiiftance necessary to
rcarore public tranquility. It is e
vident that this declaration is found
ed on various l'uppofitions, then
considered as tads which, not
proving so, and never can be real
ized, entirely changes the polition
of things':
1. That the king of France was
Hill on uis throne, and had not re
nounced the defence ot Ins crown
and country.
{ 2. That the French nation was
forcibly invaded agaiuft her incli
nations, and implored the affilt
ance of her allies.
3. Tnat the public tranquility
was duturbed, and that the inter
vention of foreign powers was ne
cessary to restore it.
4 That other governments
might be attacked and exposed, by
the fall of the family which ruled
France.
Tne whole of their suppositions
are talfe.
1. Louis 18th is no longer
on his throne, or now in France
——the business is not, there
fore, to maintain him in thepoffef
fion of bis authority ; it will be to
reitore it to him ; not to prevent a
rev ilution, but to produce one in a
country, already firm and tranquil.
The powers with, fay they, that the
Jpublic peace Ihould not be troubled,
an j mat the people Ihould not a
gain be involved in the confufion
and diltrels of revolutions. —This
principle may have led them to de
clare again!! the Emperor Napole
on, on the firft news of his land
ing, and when they only viewed
him as a rival uncertain of success,
attempting a throne peaceably oc
cupied by another; when they
might have thought that a struggle
in which the parties were doubtful,
might disturb the general peace,
and again plunge France and Eu
rope into revolutionary troubles and
misfortunes.—But the emperor is
now in full and undisputed posses
sion. It is in disputing this poffef
lion, in supporting Louis 18th
(who has become a Pretender) that
these troubles and misfortunes will
be brought back.
2 The French nation is not in
vaded in a way to alk or even ac
cept the afiiftance of the allies.-
Not a gun has been fired, or a drop
of blood shed ; resistance has not
been attempted. The Bourbons
and their followers found them
selves too few to adopt a single mea
sure of defence or precaution
They have fallen because they were
without support; and the edifice
of their ephemeral government had
neither basis or foundation The
Empgror has subdued nobody. If,
when he was peaceably seated on the
THE FRIEND AND MONITOR.
PUBLISHED (weekly) BY JOHN K. M. CHARLTON.
WASHINGTON, (Geo.) FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1813.
■ ..hi*,:. •- 4 •‘" x
throne, fix, eight, or ten years ago,
he had wilhed to travel from Paris
to Cannes, he could not have tra
velled more favorably or rapidly.
The afiiftance which the powers
offer to the French nation, is of no
more consequence to her than it is
to the king of France to accept it,
and the French nation does not
want it. The pretended afiiftance
will be an attack—these offers of
afiiftance will be a declaration of
war against the whole nation ; a
declaration, which will recal to
the nations of Europe the Crusade
of 1792, and be followed with the
fame result.
3. The powers are equally de
ceived in supposing the public
peace is threatened, and their in
terference necessary to restore it.
There are no symptoms of tumult
or civil war in any quarter ; the
princes of the house of Bourbon
are well convinced of it. The
duke cf Bourbon has left La Ven
dee, and the Duchess of Angou
leme fled from Bordeaux. The
ancient dynasty his discovered in
every part of France their inability
to defend, as well as impoflibility to
restore it. What would be the
nature of a foreign interference a
mong a nation perfectly united?
a voluntary and unprovoked ag
greflion; an interference which
would destroy the tranquility that
now exilts. The fubjeXs of these
powers, still fatigued with twenty
years’ war, would not be deceived.
I bey would fee the objeX was to
set Europe once more in flames for
a single family, who, when reltored
to its inheritance, through rivers of
blood, could not hold out for a
year. They would alk if all the
European nations were doomed to
facrifice their peace, industry, wel
fare and lives in favor of a fugitive
family, always rejeXed, and always
deserting the post they would re
store them ?
4. Finally—The fear that other
governments might be attacked or
exposed by the fall of the family
whose career has just terminated, is
equally chimerical.
The emperor has declared that he
will not interfere in the affairs of
any nation, and does not wifli to
have his restoration accomplished
by anew war. The treaty of Pa
ris may be regretted by him, as it
is by all Frenchmen, because a
more firm and vigorous government
would have undoubtedly obtained
less difgraceful terms. But this
treaty exists; it is not the work of
the emperor ; he is not to blame,
nor can his glory fuffer by it.
This Treaty is the basis of the actu
al position of Europe. France
wiflies peace—her limits are mark
ed out —the emperor will not ex
ceed them, unless forced to do it
by them being encroached upon.—
No government is therefore threat
ened or exposed; there are do
cauies or pretexts for declaring war
against France.—She has in no way
changed her relative (landing with
other nations. The ruler is differ
ent, but the connexions are the
fame. Such are the refleXions
VIRTUE, LIBERTY, AND SCIENCE.
which have occurred to us on the
declaration of the Congrels ; more
general considerations confirm
them.
In 1813 and 1814, the sove
reigns leagued againlt France, iup
ported by the opinion ot their lub
jeXs, because the fomenter ot the
war had succeeded in making them
believe it was their mtereit to op
pose the pretensions of France.
France has no longer any preten
sions that need alarm them. The
emperor catne out of bis retire
ment with anew iyftem both inter
nal and external. He reiinquilhes
the idea of the Great Empire in tbe
one case, and merely wuhes a tree
constitution in the other.
No experience is loft. After
fourteen years ot miraculous luc
cefs, the emperor touna hunlelt
stopped in his career by me Euro
pean movement in favor o i the
peace and indepenaenue ot nations.
After a year’s local Government
the Bourbons touna themieives
forfaken oy the national reeling
which required guarantees. its
duration in France or in Europe,
then depended upon mm wno
would relpeX that independence in
Europe and would give that hoerty
to France. The emperor can have
no other objeX. iiis new iituation
impresses upon his government a
new charaXer.
Genius has Itruggled against the
Human Race. Ihe latter nas tri
umphed. Cunning has attempted
to deceive, but its tricks nave been
discovered and dilcpucerted.—
There is no ether relource except
ing in natural truth and good laith.
The Emperor now wilhes, there
fore, every thing that foreign pow
ers ought to wilh or France require.
If they attack him, they me no
longer in the iituation ot 1813.
Their weapons will be broken or
turned dgainit themfeives.
If the Emperor is attacked, he
will no longer be in the lituation ot
1814. Thole who then kept tnetn
felves aloof will rally round him.
The caui'e of their apathy then will
become an additional one for their
zeal at the present time.
Let them not be deceived. The
greater part of the molt zealous ot
the defenders ot the Bourbons, at
this last period, defended them m
order to eftablilh liberty over their
weakness. This wcaknefs in ex
ceeding the idea which they had
formed of it has destroyed their
hopes. But the principles which
they cherished are proclaimed by
the very power which they lo much
dreaded—This power lecures the
representative fyltein, the reiponfi
bility of agents, theabfence ot des
potism, personal liberty, the free
dom of the press and tree worffijp.
They will not hesitate in rally
ing round this standard.
If the Bourbons had only wish
ed to have nationalized their go
vernment ; they would have (till
reigned. The emperor national
izes his government; it is immov
able.
It is, therefore, against the na
tional will, the powers will aX in
[Payable half yearly .
attacking France—but they must
know the result. To proceed :
The powers cannot think them
feives obliged to maintain Louis
XVIII. on the throne, who is no
longer there. They cannot impose
upon the nation afiiftance which
they will not accept of. They
have no right to interfere in a tran
quility which exists without them.
They have no government to de
fend, for none is attacked.
The question then is this:—A
great brave and powerful nation has
changed her ruler in favor of one
who promises to govern her as she
desires. She believes in his pro
mises. A foreigner has nothing to
fay in the business. We refpeX his
independence : let him refpeX ours.
He has no right to attack it and
experience has (hewn that when
we are united, it is in vain.
Journal de Paris.
DARTMOOR PRISON.
By the cartel fliip Maria Chri(li
ana, from Plymouth, the Editors
of the Mercantile Adveitifer have
received the following intelligence :
On board the Maria Christ:- }
ana , June 3,1815. 3
To the Editors of the Mercantile Ad
vertiser.
Gentlemen,
The agent at Dartmoor Prl
fon, J. G. Shortland, on the 4th
April, absented himfelf from the
depot for nearly two days, contra
ry to the inflruXions of the Trans.
port Board- During his absence
the contraXor attempted to enforce
on each prisoner one pound of re
fute feabread, inflead of the unfual
allowance of bread. However they
waited until about 6 P. M. on that
day, when 150 or 200 of the pri
soners forced their way into the
Market lquare* ft he deputy agent
immediately complied, and ordered
! the ulual allowance to be served,
and we thought the affair ended :
but on the 6th about the fame hour,
iome unthinking boys, for want of
better employment, were picking
the wall of the inner prison yard ;
when, to the aftoniffiment of near
ly the whole of rhe prisoners, the
above agent Shortland had by his
orders alarmed the garrison. The
prisoners then colleXed with afton
ifhinent, not knowing what was
tfie matter, at such unexpeXed a
larm; and while thousands flood
gazing, and enquiring the reason
of so ludden a change, the above
Shortland had taken the troops un
der his charge, & had them drawn
up to commence a fire on the pri
soners. Unluckily the market
square gates were forced, not with
an intention to oppose the military,
or Shortland’s designs. On feeing
this he commenced afire on those
that flood nearest to them. Howe
ver, the prisoners made the best of
their way to their prisons without
making the leaf! resistance, to el
cape’ the criminal and flanking fire
that was then kept up from the
troops on the surrounding walls
and square of the prisons.
There was one killed and several
[Number 25.
