The news is welcomed in Bastia. In Orezza, on September 23, 1790, during a consultation, a motion to solemnize the date of November 30 was passed unanimously. Paoli is elected Chief of the National Guards
On July 14, 1790, Pascal Paoli landed in Macinaggio, setting foot on his homeland for the first time after twenty years of exile in London.
Triumphantly welcomed in Rogliano, he is escorted to Bastia as the undisputed leader who returns to power. Presented to the National Assembly, and received by Louis XVI, he was appointed President of the Directory of the Department of Corsica.
From July 20, contacting ” his dear compatriots He calls for union, but the Corsica he finds is no longer quite that before Ponte Novu. The Revolution roars in Paris, and all of Corsica calls itself revolutionary.
Since the decree of November 30, 1789 initiated by Saliceti, the island is now ” integral part of the French Empire ”, And Mirabeau pleads for the exiled Corsicans who fought for freedom to return to their country. Paoli welcomes that.
In a letter read to the National Assembly on December 19, he expressed his satisfaction: “ It was with transports of lively joy that I learned what the National Assembly has done for my country … By bringing my expatriate compatriots to this island, it has attached a considerable number to the constitution. of individuals who will defend it to the last drop of their blood. »
However, the integration of Corsica into the French Empire triggered the protests of the Republic of Genoa, which considered it to retain its sovereign rights.
« The decree of November 30, 1789, contrary to a well-established legend, does not regulate anything. Firstly because the Minister of Foreign Affairs Montmorin negotiates behind the scenes with the Genoese ambassador Spinola the return of Corsica to Genoa under the conditions stipulated by the treaty of 1768, against the reimbursement of expenses, estimated at more than 30 million. of books. The sum could be loaned to the Serenissima by England. »(1) Confused situation where some – including Robespierre – wave the specter of a neighboring power seeking to take control of the island, as in Sampiero’s time.
As soon as it spread across the island, the news of Corsica’s integration into the French Empire was greeted with enthusiasm, especially in Bastia where festivities were organized on December 27: ” While the bishop intoned the You gods, all the bells of the city, the cannons of the ramparts, the salutes of the troops were heard, and, leaving the cathedral, Varese and Caraffa, the podestà of the city went to the place where a fire of joy had been placed surmounted of a flag where the arms of France were united with those of Corsica and the city of Bastia. » (2)
November 30 declared “national holiday”
The population thus expresses its joy at seeing the threat of the Genoese tyranny that the ambiguity of the Treaty of Versailles still left hovering away. However, two months later, as the decree was still not ratified, Saliceti returned to the charge: ” The people, still uncertain about their fate, still fear that it will be ceded to the Republic of Genoa. He is French and does not want to be anything else. »
The king signed the decree on February 3, 1790, while Genoa officially revolted by asserting its secular rights over Corsica. « Nevertheless, the year 1790 begins in doubt because the Genoese Senate obviously refused (December 1789) to recognize the validity of the decree and immediately sent to the Constituent Assembly a memorandum read from the tribune on January 21, 1790 … But in the heat of the debates, Barnave makes use of his extraordinary oratorical talent and leans with all his might on the wish expressed by the inhabitants of Corsica to form an integral part of the French monarchy. » (3)
Despite the protests in Genoa, Corsica became French with the endorsement of the consultation of September 23, 1790 in Orezza.
Speaking in the gallery at St. Francis Convent, Pietri di Fozzano asked in a motion to ” solemnize (solenizzare) the day of November 30 when the National Assembly reinstated us in our rights and declared us an integral part of the French Monarchy. The Assembly adopted this motion unanimously and instructed the Directory of the Department to have this deliberation published in all the municipalities of the island. ». (4)
Under the presidency of Pascal Paoli, the electoral assembly also asks ” cancellation of concessions and deliberations in favor of Marbeuf and other officers of the time of the conquest. Finally, November 30 is declared a national holiday ». (5)
At the same time, the general, elected by a unanimous vote commander of the National Guards, is celebrated at the rostrum by Pompei in these terms: “ He who once knew how to claim freedom, today deserves to be entrusted with the honor of protecting it. Thus, the consulta intends to remunerate him financially and to erect a monument to him which will recall his unwavering commitment to the fatherland.
However, Paoli, although sensitive to this mark of respect, rejects the idea: “ Allow me to live among you as a simple citizen, and that I continue to present my services to you. My fortune is sufficient for my needs, and will exempt me from being in charge of this people exhausted from having undergone so many years an oppressive administration. “(6) Touched by this” generous refusal “, The assembly of Orezza decides that a sum of fifty thousand francs be withdrawn from the budget of the department,” so that General Paoli can benefit from it in the public interest, or in whatever use he deems appropriate, without accountability ».
As if embarrassed by a monument to his glory and during his lifetime, Paoli answers modestly: “ The most gratifying monument for me is the one you have raised for me in your hearts. Do not lavish praise on citizens until their careers are over. ”(7) Beyond that, the Assembly deliberates in favor of building a statue for General Paoli.
(1) Antoine-Marie Graziani. Pascal Paoli father of the Corsican homeland. Tallandier. (2) Antoine Franzini. A century of Corsican revolutions. Vendémiaire. (3) Michel Vergé- Franceschi. History of Corsica. Editions du Félin. (5) Jean-Marie Arrighi and Olivier Jehasse. Histoire de la Corse et des Corses. (4, 6, 7) Bulletin de la Société des sciences. The history of Corsica during the years 1790-1791.
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