Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Capture Of Malta, And Subversion Of Its Government.
CAPTURE OF MALTA , AND SUBVERSION OF ITS GOVERNMENT .
IK order to make a shew of justice , and at least to offer something by way or extenuation of their system of plunder , it was , that on the first of July the Directory sent a message to the Councils , in which it was ^ affirmed that the government of Malta had , for some time , shewn itself hostile to France . It afforded , said they , proteftion to emigrants , and received the soldiers ot Conde ' s army ., „ ' -, •» , J . J In a Manifesto of the icth of October , l 793 > the Grand Master declared French vesseland that he
that the ports ofthe island should be shut against s , should recognize the Ambassador but . as a Charge d'Affaires of the King , without saying a word ofthe Republic : he declared he could not , nor would not recognize it . This was the ground of complaint against the Grand Master . - , On the prh of June , of tlie present year , a request was made by the i < rencn General for waterwhichit is affirmed was refused bthe Grand Master ,
, , , y who , ironically declared , that he could not admit but two ships into the port . This probably was a previously concerted scheme between the French and'the Grand Master . . On the 10 th of Tune , the French General landed some troops ; early in the
morning Malta was invested , and the town cannonaded . The besieged made a sally , in which General Marmont , at the head of the 19 th brigade , took the standard of the Order . On the irth , the Knig hts surrendered the town and port , and renounced their property in the Island to the French Republic . ' In the Island the French found great treasures , besides 1200 pieces or cannon , 40 , 000 musquets , 1 , 500 , 000 rounds of powder and other ammunition . 6 after ofseveral months
What Soli man was unable . to effect in 155 , a siege - ; what his' successors have not been able to accomplish , though goaded by numerous insults which were offered to the Ottoman flag , Buonaparte executed in a few hours ; but not without well-founded suspicions of having tampered with the Grand Master and some of his adherents , who , from motives of interest , delivered up the Island into the hands of the French . On the 6 th of Jul a Ragusan shiconveyed from Malta to Leghorn 54
y , p passengers , consisting principally of Maltese Knig hts . The Grand Master , . and seven other Knights , probably his confederates , had taken then- departure for Trieste some weeks before , under convoy of a French frigate . For the future provision of the Grand Master , the French engaged to secure him a principality in Germany , of the yearly value of 300 , 000 hvres . The following Manifesto of the Grand Priory of Russia , and the answer of Paul I . will further illustratethis subject .
MANIFESTO . ' WE have given up to public indignation the odious crime which put Malta into the hands of the French ; ' we have promised to pursue the authors as far as our just resentment could reach thein . We this day proceed to fulfil the duty imposed upon us by honour , and we only deferred so long , because we waited for the most ample information , ' in order to pronounce , with 11 knowledof the cause a fact of such importance . It is grievous for us to
ge ,, upon denounce as one of the prime promoters of the ruin of our Order him whom our suffrages charged , scarcely a year ago , with the care of its preservation ; bi . it when an event , the cause of which could not exist but in the most criminal improvidence , in cowardice , or in perfidy , testifies loudly against him ; when the voice of probity itself accuses him ; when , in fine , Ins own silence furnishes a decisive presumption against him , let us not hesitate to de-VOL . xi . 3 Y
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Capture Of Malta, And Subversion Of Its Government.
CAPTURE OF MALTA , AND SUBVERSION OF ITS GOVERNMENT .
IK order to make a shew of justice , and at least to offer something by way or extenuation of their system of plunder , it was , that on the first of July the Directory sent a message to the Councils , in which it was ^ affirmed that the government of Malta had , for some time , shewn itself hostile to France . It afforded , said they , proteftion to emigrants , and received the soldiers ot Conde ' s army ., „ ' -, •» , J . J In a Manifesto of the icth of October , l 793 > the Grand Master declared French vesseland that he
that the ports ofthe island should be shut against s , should recognize the Ambassador but . as a Charge d'Affaires of the King , without saying a word ofthe Republic : he declared he could not , nor would not recognize it . This was the ground of complaint against the Grand Master . - , On the prh of June , of tlie present year , a request was made by the i < rencn General for waterwhichit is affirmed was refused bthe Grand Master ,
, , , y who , ironically declared , that he could not admit but two ships into the port . This probably was a previously concerted scheme between the French and'the Grand Master . . On the 10 th of Tune , the French General landed some troops ; early in the
morning Malta was invested , and the town cannonaded . The besieged made a sally , in which General Marmont , at the head of the 19 th brigade , took the standard of the Order . On the irth , the Knig hts surrendered the town and port , and renounced their property in the Island to the French Republic . ' In the Island the French found great treasures , besides 1200 pieces or cannon , 40 , 000 musquets , 1 , 500 , 000 rounds of powder and other ammunition . 6 after ofseveral months
What Soli man was unable . to effect in 155 , a siege - ; what his' successors have not been able to accomplish , though goaded by numerous insults which were offered to the Ottoman flag , Buonaparte executed in a few hours ; but not without well-founded suspicions of having tampered with the Grand Master and some of his adherents , who , from motives of interest , delivered up the Island into the hands of the French . On the 6 th of Jul a Ragusan shiconveyed from Malta to Leghorn 54
y , p passengers , consisting principally of Maltese Knig hts . The Grand Master , . and seven other Knights , probably his confederates , had taken then- departure for Trieste some weeks before , under convoy of a French frigate . For the future provision of the Grand Master , the French engaged to secure him a principality in Germany , of the yearly value of 300 , 000 hvres . The following Manifesto of the Grand Priory of Russia , and the answer of Paul I . will further illustratethis subject .
MANIFESTO . ' WE have given up to public indignation the odious crime which put Malta into the hands of the French ; ' we have promised to pursue the authors as far as our just resentment could reach thein . We this day proceed to fulfil the duty imposed upon us by honour , and we only deferred so long , because we waited for the most ample information , ' in order to pronounce , with 11 knowledof the cause a fact of such importance . It is grievous for us to
ge ,, upon denounce as one of the prime promoters of the ruin of our Order him whom our suffrages charged , scarcely a year ago , with the care of its preservation ; bi . it when an event , the cause of which could not exist but in the most criminal improvidence , in cowardice , or in perfidy , testifies loudly against him ; when the voice of probity itself accuses him ; when , in fine , Ins own silence furnishes a decisive presumption against him , let us not hesitate to de-VOL . xi . 3 Y