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#Post#: 20627--------------------------------------------------
Napoleon's Proclamation to his Troops (1796)
By: Long Knives 88 Date: February 6, 2016, 4:22 pm
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SOLDIERS! You have precipitated yourselves like a torrent from
the Apennines. You have overwhelmed or swept before you all that
opposed your march. Piedmont, delivered from Austrian
oppression, has returned to her natural sentiments of peace and
friendship toward France. Milan is yours, and over all Lombardy
floats the flag of the Republic.
To your generosity only do the Dukes of Parma and of Modena now
owe their political existence. The army which proudly threatened
you finds no remaining barrier of defense against your courage.
The Po, the Tessino, the Adda, could not stop you a single day.
Those vaunted ramparts of Italy proved insufficient; you
traversed them as rapidly as you did the Apennines. Successes so
numerous and brilliant have carried joy to the heart of your
country! Your representatives have decreed a festival, to be
celebrated in all the communes of the Republic, in honor of your
victories. There will your fathers, mothers, wives, sisters, all
who hold you dear, rejoice over your triumphs, and boast that
you belong to them.
Yes, soldiers, you have done much; but much still remains for
you to do. Shall it be said of us that we knew how to conquer,
but not to profit by victory? Shall posterity reproach us with
having found a Capfia in Lombardy? Nay, fellow soldiers! I see
you already eager to cry “To arms!” Inaction fatigues you! and
days lost to glory are to you days lost to happiness.
Let us, then, begone! We have yet many forced marches to make,
enemies to vanquish, laurels to gather, and injuries to avenge!
Let those who have sharpened the poniards of civil war in
France, who have pusillanimously assassinated our ministers, who
have burned our vessels at Toulon—let them now tremble! The hour
of vengeance has knolled!
But let not the people be disquieted. We are the friends of
every people: and more especially of the descendants of the
Brutuses, the Scipios, and other great men to whom we look as
bright exemplars. To reestablish the Capitol; to place there
with honor the statues of the heroes who made it memorable; to
rouse the Roman people, unnerved by many centuries of
oppression—such will be some of the fruits of our victories.
They will constitute an epoch for posterity.
To you, soldiers, will belong the immortal honor of redeeming
the fairest portion of Europe. The French people, free and
respected by the whole world, shall give to Europe a glorious
peace, which shall indemnify it for all the sacrifices which it
has borne the last six years. Then, by your own firesides you
shall repose; and your fellow citizens, when they point out any
one of you, shall say: “He belonged to the army of Italy!”
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