Send round all these articles by sea to Rosetta: and as the Nile is now upon its increase, they will find no difficulty in passing up that river to Cairo. I am anxious to hear of your health. I hope it will be speedily re-established, and that you will be soon in a condition to come and join us. I have written to Louis* to set out for Rosetta immediately, with all my baggage. Since I wrote this, I have found in a garden belonging to one of the Mameloucs, a letter from Louis-this convinces me that one of your couriers has been intercepted by these people. Health. BONAPARTE. however urgent the wants of the army may be, they must learn to bear them. * His brother. He alludes to Boursienne's letter, see No. XIV. No. X. Au Quartier général du Caire, BONAPARTE, Membre de l'Institut National, Général en Chef, au Général de Division, KLEBER. VOUS ous trouverez ci-joint, Citoyen Général, copie de l'organisation provisoire de l'Egypte. Vous nommerez le Divan, l'Aga, la Compagnie de 60 hommes qu'il doit avoir avec lui. Vous ferez faire l'inventaire de tous les bien, meubles et immeubles qui appartenaient aux Mamelouks. L'Intendant et l'Agent Français vont se rendre incessamment à leur poste. Vous ferez faire la levée de tous les chevaux pour la remonte de la cavalerie. Je vous prie de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour maintenir la tranquillité et le bon ordre dans la province d'Alexandrie. Salut. BONAPARTE. 1 1 (Copie.) Au Quartier général du Caire, le 9 Thermidor, an 6. BONAPARTE, Membre de l'Institut National, Général en Chef. ORDONNE. Article Premier. Il y aura dans chaque province de l'Egypte un Divan composé de 7 personnes, chargés de veiller aux intérêts de la province, de me faire part de toutes les plaintes qu'il pourroit y avoir; d'empêcher les guerres que se font les villages entre eux, de surveiller les mauvais sujets, de les châtier en demandant la force au Commandant Français, et d'éclairer le peuple toutes les fois que cela sera nécessaire.. Article 2. Il y aura dans chaque province un Aga des Janissaires qui se tiendra toujours avec le Commandant Français. Il aura avec lui une compagnie de 60 hommes du pays armés, avec lesquels il se portera partout où il sera nécessaire pour maintenir le bon ordre, et faire rester chacun dans l'obéissance et la tranquillité. Article 3. Il y aura dans chaque province un Intendant chargé de la perception du Miri et du Feddam, et de tous les revenus qui appartenaient ci-devant aux Mamelouks, et qui appartiennent aujourd'hui à la République. Il aura chez lui le nombre d'Agens nécessaires. Article 4. Il y aura auprès du dit Intendant un Agent François, tant pour correspondre avec l'administration des finances, que pour faire exécuter tous les ordres qu'il pourroit recevoir, et se trouver toujours au fait de l'administration. Head Quarters, Cairo, July 27. BONAPARTE, Member of the National Institute, Com mander in Chief, to the General of Division, KLEBER. ANNEXED to this, Citizen General, you will find a copy of the provisional organization of Egypt.* We scarce know whether this famous code, which we do not yet despair of hearing some enlightened senator call "a masterpiece of human wisdom and integrity," be most distinguished for its folly or atrocity. The people whom Bonaparte loudly professes he came to relieve, are to have the liberty of paying the taxes which they paid to the Mameloucs, to an Intendant assisted by a company of fusileers, in the shape of agents, who, if they (the people) do not appear fully sensible of the blessing thus thrust upon them (as, God knows, may very innocently be the You will name the Divan, the Aga, and the company of sixty men which he is to have with him. You will cause an inventory to be taken of all the goods, moveables and immoveables, which belonged to the Mameloucs. The Intendant, and the French Agent are on the point of repairing to their posts. You will order a general levy of horses to be made, to remount the cavalry. I entreat you to take every precaution to preserve tranquillity and good order in the province of Alexandria. Health. BONAPARTE. "to case!) are, in the words of this great constitution-monger, enlighten them!” The reader will find more on this head in our Introduction, to which we willingly refer him. To say the truth, we are glad to escape from the subject, as we contemplate with no agreeable feelings, the spectacle of a man (though that man be Bonaparte), thus ignorantly and wantonly, and barbarously playing with the happiness of a nation, which never injured, perhaps never heard of him, or his rapacious masters. One consolation yet remains, and we honestly confess that we have not Stoicism enough, to deny ourselves the gratification of enjoying it by anticipation. Egypt is the last country that Bonaparte will ever insult with the mockery of liberty: he has run his career of impiety and deceit, of pillage and desolation : "The sun sets on his fortunes red and bloody, "And everlasting night begins to close him." |