foresee the effect of the privation of certain materials, more especially of cotton, and of ingredients for dying cotton, of which a quantity Has been stored up in France; that which we shall derive from the Levant, and that which, at a more distant period we shall reap from our indigenous culture, not unsuccessfully essayed, will suffice to support, in a great measure, our manufacturers; but in the expectation that some of them may experience privations, we must have recourse, as far as possible, to hemp and flax, in order to provide occupation for those manufacturers who would no longer be employed with articles of cotton. It were desirable that we could circumscribe our consumption within the products of the materials of our own soil, and restrain the unhappy effects of habit and taste contracted for manufactures, that would render us dependent upon foreign countries. The materials for dying may be come scarce, but many of them may be replaced by the productions of our soil. We will dispense with the rest by a slight sacrifice of some colours, which may please, from their apparent greater beauty, with out adding any thing to the intrinsic goodness of the article.-Besides, no small reliance is to be placed on the genius of our manufacturers : it will triumph over those difficulties. the The channels which, in spite of these usurpations, will remain open to importation, may not suffice for consumption of sugar and coffee; these objects of a secondary utility may become scarce; but the great mass of the nation will not suffer from this temporary privation: habits of indulgence too widely indulged will be counteracted and restrained by the rise in the price. And, besides, is it to be supposed that the great nation will allow itself to be intimidated by the privation of some futile enjoyments Her ar VOL. III. mies have endured, without a murmur, the most pinching wants; that great example will not have been held out in vain; and when we have in view to re-conquer the independence of the seas; when we have in view to rescue and redeem commerce from the ruinous acts of piracy that are juridically exercised against it; when we have in view the vindication of the national honour, and the breaking down of those farca caudinœ which England is attempting to erect upon our coasts, the French people will support with the dignity and the courage that belong to their great character, the momentary sacrifices that are imposed upon their taste, their habits, and their industry. The commerce of Europe will soon no doubt, be rescued from oppression. The interests of nations; the honour of Sovereigns; the magnanimous resolutions of the most powerful of the allies of France; the power and wish of the hero who rules over us; the justice of a cause to which Heaven will grant its protection; every motive concurs to decide the contest; nor can its issue remain uncertain. Accept, gentle men, the assurance of my sincere esteem. (Signed) CRETET. SUCCESSION TO THE CROWN OF ITALY. Milan, Dec. 19. "We, Napoleon, by the grace of GOD, and the constitution of the empire, Emperor of the French, and of Italy, decree as follows: Art. I. We adopt for our Son, Prince Eugene Beauharnois, Archchancellor of state of our empire of France, and Viceroy of our kingdom of Italy. 2. The crown of Italy shall be after us, and in default of our children, and male legitimate descendants, hereditary in the person of Prince Eugene, and his direct legi, B $10 Succession to the Crown of Italy.-Second Proclamation, &c. [JAN. tate descendants from male to male by order of primogeniture, to the perpetual exclusion of women and their descendants. 3. In default of our sons and male descendants, and the sons and male descendants of Prince Eugene, the crown of Italy shall devolve to the son and nearest relative of such of the princes of our blood, who shall then reign in France. 4. Prince Eugene, our son, shall enjoy all the honours attached to our adoption. 5. The right which our adoption gives him shall never, in any case, authorise him or his descendants to urge any pretension to the crown of France, the succession to which is invariably fixed. NAPOLEON. A decree of the 20th confers upon Prince Eugene Napoleon, the title of Prince of Venice. Another decree confers upon our well beloved grand-daughter, Princess Josephine, as a mark of our satisfaction to our good city of Bologna, the title of Princess of Bologna." Another decree declares the Chancellor Melzi, Duke of Lodi. After the above decrees had been read, the Emperor made the following speech :-- Gentlemen, Possidenti, Cotti, and Commercianti, I see you with pleasure about my throne. Returned after three years absence, I am pleased at remarking the progress which my people have made--but how many things remain to be done to efface the faults of our forefathers, and to render you worthy of the destiny I am preparing for you. The intestine divisions of our aucestors, their miserable egotism to particular cities, paved the way for the loss of all our rights. The country was disinherited of its rank and its dignity; that country which in more distant ages had carried so far the honour of its arms and the eclat of its virtues. I will make my glory consist in regaining that eclat and those virtues. Citizens of Italy-I have done much for you: I will do much more but on your side, united in heart as you are in interest with my people of France, consider them as elder brothers.--Always behold the source of our prosperity, the guarantee of our institutions, and that of our independence, in the union of the Italian crown with my imperial crown. SECOND PROCLAMATION OF THE PRINCE REGENT OF PORTUGAL. Instructions to which my royal decree of Nov. 26 bears reference. The governors whom I was pleased to nominate by my royal decree of this present date to govern these kingdoms, during my absence, will have the usual oaths administered to them by the Cardinal Patriarch, and will attend with all solicitude, vigilance, and activity, in the administration of justice, distributing the same impartially, and maintaining a rigorous observance of the laws of this kingdom. They will preserve to the natives all the privileges which had been granted to them by me and my royal predecessors. The plurality of votes will decide on the reports the respective tribunals may lay before them, regulating themselves according to the laws and customs of the kingdom. They will direct literary profes sions, offices of criminal and civil judicature and revenue, according to the forms heretofore practised by me. They will protect the persons and properties of my loyal subjects, selecting for military occupations those who may be deemed worthy thereof. They will endeavour to preserve to their utmost the tranquility of this kingdom, to provide for the troops of the Emperor of the French good quarters, and to supply them with all they may require during their stay in this kingdom, averting every insult that may be attempted, and punishing with rigour any that may occur; maintaining always that good harmony which ought to be displayed to the armies of nations with whom we find ourselves united on the continent. Should it by any occurrence happen, that any of the said govern ors are absent, a plurality of votes will elect a successor. I trust to your honour and virtue, that my people will not suffer inconveniences during my absence; and should it be God's will, that I may meet every one contented and satisfied, reigning among them that good order and tranquillity which should exist among subjects who have rendered themselves so worthy of my paternal care. The Portuguese possessions in South America extend from 32 deg. south latitude, to 1 deg. 30. min. north of the line, being 33 degrees and a half, and the breadth, in one part, equals that extent. Except that portion included in the 1 deg. 30 min. north, called Portuguese Guiana, the whole of this vast territory, having an extent of coast of 2200 English miles, is known by the general name of Brazil. The Portuguese settlement naturally extended along the coast; little is known of the interior, for most of the tribes being Anthropophagi, even the missionaries have been unwilling to penetrate far. The fanaticism of the Portuguese has always proved a strong obstacle to the population of this fine region. Sir G. Staunton computed the whites at 200,000, and the negroes, &c. at 600,000. The whole may now probably be about one million; a population by no means adequate to the extent and fertility of the country. It is divided into three governments, of which Rio Janeiro is the chief, owing to the gold and diamond mines in its neighbourhood. Of the state of industry in the Brazils we have no very minute account. After the discovery of the mines, particular attention was paid to them from the notion then preva lent, that riches consisted in gold and precious stones. Though the soil is very fertile, agriculture appears to be in rather a low state. Da Cunha, bishop of Fernambuco, the latest authority of consequence, informs us, that the province of Rio Grande alone might supply a great part of Europe with wheat, hemp, and other products; and yet it appears, that wheat, rice and flour, are considerable articles of importation into Bahia, which was the most commercial city of the Brazils, till the discovery of the mines gave the superior importance to Rio Janeiro. Several districts produce cotton, indigo, coffee, chocolate, rice, pepper, and the noted Brazilian tobacco. The number of cattle in some of the provinces is prodigious, and they are often slaughtered for the value of their hides. All the provinces, according to the account of Staunton, are advancing fast to opulence and importance. They manufactured of late several of the most necessary articles for their own consumption, and their produce was so considerable, that the balance of trade began to be in their favour. The imports into the Brazils are chiefly linen, woollens, silk hats, wheat, flour, rice, port wine, furniture, oil, cheese, &c. in return for gold, sugar, tobacco, Brazil wood, skins, ipecacuana and other drugs. The trade in timber is a favourite object with Da Cunha, who prefers the negatree, the ipe, the guramirim, and sneupiora, to the best and strongest timber in Europe. Woods for ornamental cabinetwork too, or for the use of dyers, may be procured here in great perfection and variety. Several of the aromatic plants are found here in a truly indigenous state-such as the ginger, turmaric, different species of pepper, American coffee, capsicum or guinea pepper, and the wild cinamon. A variety of medicinal plants also grow here in great abundance, and such esculent plants and fruits as are common to the tropical regions of America. Mr. Lindley's narrative, published in 1805, presents some notices that may be of use in the deficiency of materials on this subject. He says that the bitter, or Seville orange is a native of America. There are great unwrought mines of nitre near Bahia. No vessels, he observes, ought to approach the coast on the south of Bahia within half a degree, as all our charts are very imperfect in that part. The Rio Grande and the adjoining Patavia supply excel, lent timber for the royal docks one kind resembling the teak of In dia; while Brazil-wood, log-wood, mahogany, rose-wood, and others also abound. The principal commercial city at present is Rio Janeiro. The harbour is capacious and excellent; the surrounding country is fertile, and abounds in cattle and sheep. The shops are full of Manchester goods and English prints, and there are manufactures of sugar, rum, and cochineal. It may be of some importance to state, that though the province of Rio Grande is the rich est of the Brazils, the river is little navigable on account of the shoals. The adjoining province of San Cata riną, therefore, serves as a mart for the productions of Rio Grande, by its excellent harbour, which is the best in the country after that of Rio Janeiro. With respect to the European settlers, they are described as gay and fond of pleasure. They eat without knives or forks, and roll the meat and vegetables into balls: the ladies without ceremony search for vermin in each other's hair, and their usual dress is a single petticoat over a che mise. It is acknowledged by the Portuguese themselves, "that Bras zil, considering the number of years it has been colonized, the space which it occupies, and the inhabitants it contains, exhibits the greatest deficiency of genius and curiosi ty of any quarter of the globe."There is a remarkable want of subordination, especially among the white servants, so as not to be exceeded by the jacobin epoch of France. They admired the French generals and conquests, and, accor ding to Mr. Lindley's account, entertained an antipathy against the maritime power of England, which they considered as administered with too much insolence and contempt of other nations! The youth, in pa ticular, were imbued with republican notions, and ridiculed their own subjection to Portugal --a re port confirmed by Staunton. Mr. Lindley also states, that they wish much to get rid of their dependence on Great Britain, to which they bear considerable enmity. The most curious circumstance relating to the state of manners in Brazil, is the conduct of a set of miscreants, called Paulists— a society of free-booters in the Southern part of the country. United by equal want of religion and morals, the first inhabitants of the town of St. Paul formed a republic, like that of robbers in a cavern. Malefactors of all nations and colours formed about a hundred families, which gradually rose to a thousand, the government shall have adopted a The Paulists declared themselves a free people. All strangers who did not bring certificates of having been regular thieves were refused admittance into the colony. The first trial of a citizen, was to make an excursion and bring in two Indians as Virtuous actions were prisoners. carefully punished with death. Supplied with fire arms from unknown quarters, they carried devastation into the Spanish possessions. Where they suspected that force would not avail, they assumed the gowns of the Jesuits, and preached with the most holy fervour to the Indians, on the advantages of religion, and on the heinous offences of murder and robbery, particularly warning them against those devils the Paulists. Having gained the confidence of the Indians, they inveigled them into places where they could easily seize them as prisoners. At last, however, the state was corrupted by the introduction of a few virtues, and the city was yielded to the Portuguese monarchy. Da Cunha contradicts the theory of Montesquieu, on the effects of climate, and asserts, that the Indigenes of the Brazils are capable of great mental and corporeal exertion, of which he gives some instances. This writer states a circumstance which sets in a strong light the narrow policy of the Portuguese government. In the vicinity of the mines, salt is necessary, not only for man but for the cattle, and yet this article is farmed to an individual, and a vast commerce of fish, which swarm on the coast of Brazil, is thus interdicted.--The Portuguese army in Brazil amounted only to 8000 regulars, and 20,000 militia. It is generally believed that the conquest might have been effected by 5000 European troops. The country, upon the whole, seems to have improved very slowly, notwithstanding its natural advantages. But when 'more liberal policy, and industry is left unfettered, it may soon become a rich and powerful empire. On the 2d of September the commander of the British forces summoned, for the last time General Peymann to surrender the Danish ships of the line, on the before-mentioned conditions, and in an amicable manner; declaring, that the horrors of a bombardment would be the immediate consequence of a refusal, and that it must fall on the heads of those in whose power it was to avert the evil by a single word. The commandant persisting in his refusal, a bombardment, which had been preparing for three weeks, was now inevitable: but, unacquainted with its dreadful consequences, the most part of the inhabitants were not much in dread of it; a great many of them even fancied that the threatenings of the English would never be carried into effect. It is with the utmost grief that I am going to describe the horrible scenes which the bombardment of Copenhagen has displayed: I know very well that similar horrors are, unfortunately, the unavoidable consequences of war; but no man is master of his feelings, especially in the first transports of his grief. Shame to the world!' I said to myself, when, about half past seven in the evening, I heard the thunder of the mortars breaking out, and saw a large rocket flying like an arrow through the streets, and killing, in its way, a poor innocent child, who stood at a window opposite my house! O Britain! I cried out in despair, queen of nations! mother of such noble and manly sons! is this thy work!' |