houses in our poffeffion, and we make a folemn promise never to bear arms against the republic. Done under the tent, the 29th Pluviose (new style) the 3d year of the republic. (Signed) CHARETTE, FLEURIOT, COUETRES, SAPINAUD, COMARTIN, DEBRUE, GUERIN AINE, CAILLAUD, DESAIGNARD, GOGUET, LEPINOY, SAUVAGET, BAUDRY, GUERIU JEUNE, SOLILLHAC, BEJARRY, DEBRUE JEUNE, PRUDHOMME, REJEAU, DELABORIE, ROUSSEAU, BOSSARD LE JEUNE, AUVINET FILS AINE. A fimilar declaration was made by the officers, compofing the military council of the army of Anjou. (Signed) NOTOUIN, DELAVILLE, DEBAUGE, RONOU, MARTIN AINE, MARTIN LE JEUNE, HIRTAN, MARTIN, ET GIBERT. A third declaration, on the part of the Chouans, was made on the 28th Ventofe. (Signed) COMARTIN, SOLILLHAC, DE SCEPEAUX, DIENSIE, COURLET, ET MENARD. Address of CHARETTE, and the other Leaders, to the Inhabitants of La Vendee, laid before the Convention on the 14th March; 1795. BRAVE inhabitants! Vile seducers, infamous intriguers, ambitious and perverse men, who build their happiness and their enjoyments on the ruins of the public fortune, and who facrifice, without remorse, to the fuccess of their guilty designs, the lives and property of their fellow-men, seek now to miflead you. They impute to our meafures dishonourable motives; they pervert our benevolent intentions; and they give to the treaty, which we have concluded, false and perfidious colours; with unparalleled impudence they circulate reports calculated to infuse into every bofom mistruft, terror, and difcord. To watch over your interefts, to forget our own, to labour for your good, without any personal confiderations-fuch is the glorious taik which we proposed to ourselves; we think that we have not wandered from this honourable line of conduct. Since, however, the malevolent dare yet to raise doubts, and injurious fufpicions respecting our con duct, it is our duty to diffipate them, and to undeceive and instruct you; we shall now fulfil that duty. We are not ignorant, brave in habitants, of the powerful reafons which provoked you to infurrec tion, and which put arms in your, hands. The most deadly blows were aimed at the freedom of your reli gious opinions. New pontiffs and a new worship had been established upon the ruins of your own. In tolerance hunted every where for the guilty, and delighted in seizing victims. The infolent despotifm of the authorities established for your protection the corvées of all kinds, and vexation of every fpe cies aggravated the afflicting pics ture. When the principle of a dan gerous evil is entirely destroyed, the disagreeable consequences, that flow from it ought to exift ne longer. The neceffity of putting an end to the melancholy confe quences quences, at the fame time with the fource of them, is one of your most urgent neceffities, and one of your moft facred duties. The peaceful exercise of your religion is granted to you. You may fecurely make use of this imprescriptible right, which could not be taken from you without a total difregard of your rights. From this moment you are free to offer to the Supreme Being your homage and your gratitude, according to your antient usages. Your unhappy country has been laid waste; fire has confumed your habitations, an unbridled soldiery has exercised on your persons and property the most horrible robberies. But the national convention has folemnly promised to indemnify you for your losses, and to repair, as far as poffible, all the evils occafioned by a system of profcription and in justice. Succours are granted to you to rebuild your cottages. Cattle will be given you to revive agriculture and to procure you the comforts of life. You will not long regret the want of your instruments of labour. You will not hear of taxes, till the period arrives in which your recovered happiness shall afford you the means of contributing to the wants of the state. Let not the disconsolate widow and the infirm father tremble for the fate of their children whom the laws may call to the defence of the republic. No; misfortune and old age will not be deprived of their fupport.-What, could the republic resolve to deprive misfortone of its support, and respectable old age of its prop? no: the nation dispenses with your going to protect the frontiers, and only 2 imposes upon you the easy task of labouring in your fields to affift in the nourishing her defenders. You have furnished, for the fubsistence of armies, the fruit of the sweat of your brow, and your œconomy. We have given you receipts for it; the national convention will pay the amount. What remains for you to defire? what disquiets can still agitate hearts so long torn, it is true, by resentment and misfortune? will you fear being oppreffed anew by authorities unworthy of your confidence ? Dismiss your fears, brave inhabitants; let security re-enter your minds, and drive thence horrible despair. The men whose odious yoke you dread with reason; the men who are as much the enemies of their country as your enemies, will no more be the depofitories of power which they abused so cruelly. The representatives of the people will confult us on the choice of men to replace them; we will point out to them persons known to you; persons who have acquired your esteem and our's; persons who, to sweeten your existence, are ready to facrifice their pleafures, their fortunes. Could you then think, brave inhabitants, that we are capable of basely betraying your interests? after having fupported them with so much ardour, ought you to fear for a moment that we are capable of giving the lie to the conduct we have constantly held? Ah, if thefe injurious sentiments proceeded from your hearts; if we were to impute them to jealoufy and malevolence, how muft our hearts be for ever afflicted! how should we support the shocking 04 idea, V idea, that in wishing to make men. happy, we had only made them ungrateful. But what, are not your interests our interefts? are not our friends, our wives, our children among you? do not our poffeffions join your fields? yes, undoubtedly; and however precious may be these connections, think not that they have furnished the motives which have determined our conduct. We have thought only of you, we have facrificed every thing for your happiness; and in establishing it on a fure and durable foundation, we have referved only to ourselves the ineftimable advantage of being the witnefles of it. (Signed) CHARETTE, FLEURIOT, SAPINAUD, Extract from the Register of the States General of the United Provinces, Jan. 18th. WE have heard the report of Meffrs. de Grotenray, and other deputies for military affairs; we have also examined a letter from his highness, dated from the Hague this day, and stating, "that, as from the situation of the republic his highness forefees the fate that awaits the country, in cafe the enemy penetrate further, and as he is unwilling to be an obstacle to the making of peace, he has taken the refolution to retire for a time out of the country; he hopes that their high mightinesses will not difapprove of this step, and he prays that the Supreme Being will beftow his blestings upon the provinces, and restore them to their former profperity. "His highness protests that he has done every thing in his power for the good of his country. He expresses his regret that he has not been able to do more for the general good; and he afferts, that if circumstances permit him to be again useful to his country, their high mightinesses shall always find him ready to exert his utmost endeavours. He concludes by informing the States General, that his two fons, who have received permiffion to refign their military commands, will leave the country with him." The States General having taken the above circumftances into their confideration, and having confidered that the existing circumstances require immediate measures, and that the ordinary forms of difcuffion and deliberation cannot be followed, decree previously, that what shall be done and refolved upon, in the present pofture of affairs, is not to be confidered as a precedent; without any prejudice, therefore, to any ulterior deliberation, it is determined, that information thall be communicated to the commanders of regiments and corps in the service, as well as to all governors and commanders of towns and places occupied by the troops of the State; that the prince of Orange and Naflau has absented himself for some time, and that the princes of Orange, his fons, have been difcharged from the command of the army. All colonels, or commanding officers, as well as governors and commanders, are therefore to address themselves provifionally to the council of state of the United Low Countries on the fubjects of those orders which they have hitherto received from the faid princes. It is also decreed, that the private fecretary of his highness, Larrey, fhall be written to, to fend immediately to the council all letters addressed to his highness on military affairs. Extract from the Records of the Deliberations of the States General of Monday, Jan. 19, 1795. THE counsellor penfionary Vanden Spiegel has communicated to their high mightinesses a letter which he received from the stadt holder, written on board the pink Johanna Hogenraat, off the road of Schevelling, dated January the 18th, with the note annexed thereto, worded as follows: -"Sir, "I was informed, by Mr. D'Eughuyza, of the answer received from Paris. Since his departure, I difcoursed with the officers of the marine, and the pilot of the pink: I fubjoin you their replies; by which you will fee that it is impoffible to land any where else but in England; and, as there exists no armistice, it cannot be required of me, that I should be wandering on the feas, in expectation of the fuccess of the deputies of the assembly of the States of Holland, sent to the French general, who, in my opinion, will not prevent the arrival of the French at the Hague: I will make then one of the ports of England; and as foon as I can possibly do it, I will go on board of one or other ship of the States, which I suppose are at Plymouth. "I hope, fir, to write to you from thence, in order to inform you of the place I landed at, and the pro vince I shall withdraw to. Excuse my bad writing, for I write this lying in the cabin. I am, with esteem, fir, Your devoted servant, (Signed) W. PRINCE OF ORANGE." "PS. I hope, if circumstances will permit, to return to one or other of the provinces, or even to the Hague, and to receive some intelligence concerning the success of the deputies sent this day." Questions put by the Prince of Orange, William the 5th, Stadtholder, Captain and Hereditary Admiral General of the United Provinces, to the under-written, on the 18th of January, 1795, in the evening. Quest. 1. WILL it be poffible at this moment to make one of the ports of the republic? Anfw. There is not the leaft poffibility; the wind is east, the passages are obftructed by the ice, and the pink not strong enough to be exposed in the icicles. Quest. 2. Is there any possibility of landing any where else, but in England? Answ. No; the same impoffibility exifts for all other ports, on account of the ice; the Elbe, the Weser, as well as the Eastern and Western Ems, are so much incumbered with ice, that none of their ports can be entered. Quest. 3. Will it be prudent to remain here at anchor; and by taking this refolution, is there no danger to be foreseen? Anfw. The weather is now favourable, but if the wind fhould shift about to the weft, which is often the cafe at the turn of the tide, and if the weather grows tempeftuous, there would most probably be fome danger if it was refolved to go afhore again; besides, we should be exposed to the attacks of the enemy, if they should come from the road fide with armed veflels. (Signed) J.O.VAILLANT, ship's captain. G.VAN. HEIDEN, lieutenant of the navy. (Lower) The mark of JAN Roos, pilot of the pink called Johanna Hogenraat. General Daendels' Proclamation to the Dutch inviting them to furrender. Head Quarters at Leerdam, the 28th Nivofe (1-th Jan. 1795) Third Year of the Republic. THE representatives of the French people require of the Dutch nation that it thall fet itself free: they do not wish it to submit to the conquerors; they do not wish to compel the acceptance of aflignats, but only to ally themselves with it as a free people: that Dordrecht, Haerlem, Leyden, and Amfterdam; that all the province of Holland make in this manner the revolution, and inform the reprefentatives of it by their deputies at Bois le Duc. The General of Divifion. I reclamation of the Revolutionary Committee of Amsterdam. Brave citizens, WE G. Pruys, S. Wiseleus, J. J. A. Goges, J. Thoen, D. Von Laer, J. Ondoup, E. Vandensluis, P. Duereult, J. Van Haffen, P. J. B. P. Vander Aa, forming your revolutionary committee, hail you with vows of health and fraternity. By the mighty aid of the French republic, and by your own energy, you have caft off the tyranny which oppreffed you. You are once more in possession of your rights. YOU ARE FREE, YOU ARE EQUAL! Your tyrants have fled from their posts. Fellow-citizens, you may follow with confidence and security your ufual avocations. Your perions, your properties, shall be protected. We propose to you to name as your provifional representatives the following burghers. Be affured that they will watch over and protect your rights, your interefts, and your liberties. The citizens whom we propose are-N. Van Staphoerst, J. Van Bieterse, A. P. Leyden. G. Titfing, J. Van Eys, W. Vander Vuurfi, J. Teuffet Junia, J. W. J. Van Dam, S. Bos, G. H. de Wilde, H. T. Kate, Karel d'Amoer, H. Van Caftrop, R. I. Schimmelpenning, N. Breukelaar, G. Vander Zoe, D. Vanaken, J. L. Hendras, M. Van Maurick, J. Galdberg, J. Van Lang. Chuse, fellow-citizens, these patriots as your representatives, that, in the name of the people of Amsterdam, they may forthwith enter upon the administration of your affairs. We once more hail you, worthy fellow-citizens. By your own patriotism, with the aid and under the guidance of such reprefentatives, order, tranquillity, and happiness, will reign in this city. The Frenchmen 1 |