the empire, and in confequence of repeated applications made to him by feveral of the moft diftinguished ftates, has done all that laid in his power, in order to open a road by which the whole empire, as well as all the feparate ftates, might arrive at the pinnacle of their wishes. For this purpofe an article has been exprefsly inferted in the treaty of peace that his majefty has concluded with the French republic, which allows, within three months e, any fate of the empire to enter into a negotiation for peace with the republic of France, through the mediation of his majetty. A peculiar agreement has alfo been entered into between the two contracting powers, which establishes a line of feparation and neutrality, tending to ftop the progrefs of hoftilities against all the provinces fituated behind that line, whether under the dominion of his majefty or others, to which fecurity and tranquillity is infured, on condition of their abstaining from all direct and indirect hoftilities. His majefty has also obtained the furrender, on the part of the French republic, of all the prifoners made of the troops of any of the ftates of the empire, who had been taken, in co-operating with his majefty's troops in the different campaigns.

Thefe are the advantages which his majefty is enabled to offer, for the prefent, to the ftates of the German empire: his majefty, therefore, flatters himfelf that they will all be ftruck with the ideas of their most important interefts; and when once a hand is reached to them for peace and reconciliation, will there be any body inclined to reject thefe

antried?

His majesty herewith makes the 3

moft folemn promise to all thofe who fhall immediately apply to France for a negotiation of peace, and at the fame time may be in want of his mediation, that his endeavours thall be employed, to the utmost of his power, in order to procure the moft agreeable negotiation in their favour from the French government.

His majefty will think himfelf happy, his withes completely fulfilled, and his facrifices, made hitherto for the welfare of the German empire, compenfated, if he fucceeds in these endeavours to spread the bleflings of peace ftill farther, and foon to fee the terrors and deftructions of this dreadful war removed from the territories of the German empire, that its citizens may once more be reftored to tranquillity and fecurity, and to the happy exercife of their peaceable duties.

Whatever courfe thefe events may take, and if even the empire is doomed to a continuance of this war, it is his majefty's duty to declare, that by his treaty of peace he is obliged no longer to take any part in the conteft, and never to co-operate in it by any means, whether to fend his contingent, or to pay the fo-called Roman months, which he is obliged fully to renounce, and only to conduct himfelf in the moft punctual and strict neutrality, particularly as, during the three campaigns, his majefy has completely fulfilled his duty of a ftate of the empire, and even done infinitely more than could be required for many future years: 10 that his majelty cannot even rèproach himfelt with any irregularity of conduct on his fide.

His majesty has the fatisfactory conviction

conviction to have contributed to the welfare of the German country, the fecurity of its conftitution, and its tranquillity; firft, by an energetic exertion of a war of three campaigns, which feemed almost to furpats all phyfical poflibility; and of having at laft, by his patriotic care, opened a road for peace.His majefty leaves to the enlightened opinion of his co-itates of the empire to obtain, by this road, the object of their long-continued conteft, namely, tranquillity and fecurity; and hope that they may, for this purpofe, take advantage of the proffered mediation of his majefty, and of the principles of moderation and justice at present adopted by the French republic. (Signed) FREDERIC WILLIAM. Berlin, May 1, 1795.

Proclamation from the National Convention to the Citizens of Paris, May 24, 1795.

Citizens,

THE national convention, whofe moft ardent with is to provide for the wants of the people, and who would long fince have accomplished that with, if the operations of the government had not been checked by the enemies of the public weal, think it their duty, at this moment of trouble and agitation, to point out to the good citizens the conduct which they ought to adopt, and the duties which they ought to fulfil.

Men, notorious for the infamous parts which they have played, under the dreadful reign of the late anarchy, have organized a revolt under the name of infurrection. The other demands which

they connect with the demands for provifions, afford room to doubt whether their object is to complain of our melancholy fituation in that refpect, or to profit of it.

Difpofed to arm thofe in want, whom they irritate by the fears which they affect to entertain, and by the rejection of confidence, they pretend to be aftonished at the unproductive nature of our commerce. Such, citizens, are the men whom you ought to diftruft, and whofe perfidious infinuations and seditions provocations you ought to repel; they offer to your view the dif honourable fignal of revolt, which leads to flavery.

Your courage, and your love for the republic, your active zeal for the fecurity of perfons and property, are a guarantee to the national reprefentation, that you will not acknowledge any other ftandard than that which has fo often been honoured by victory, and which your children, brethren, and friends, love to fee at the head of your phalanxes; that tri-coloured ftandard which, in remote countries, conquered by their intrepidity, prefent to their animated looks the precious and encouraging image of the country.

Citizens, the inftigators of the troubles take good care not to difclofe their fecrets to you; they abhor peace, because it will re-establith abundance and vivify induftry. A treaty of peace was to be figned at Baile on the 16th of laft Germinal. On the 12th they excited revolt. Negotiations entered into with activity and prudence, open to the government a pleafing perfpective, and promife the most fatisfactory refult: these fame difturbers of the public peace endea

vour to ftifle, at its birth, the germ of your profperity, and to break the thread of the political operations of thofe who govern.

Citizens, this is the moment in which you are going to gather the fruit of fo many painful facrifices; this is the moment in which a definitive government, the only remedy for the prefent evils, is on the point of being given to France, fixed on the bafes of liberty and equality; in this moment, when you are entering the port, your internal and external enemies ex

cite commotions and tempefts, and throw this city and France againft the rocks ftill blood-ftained by anarchy.

Whatever perfidy may attempt, or anarchy undertake, the national convention, who by their courage will always be worthy of their post, will open neither the hall of the jacobins nor the temple. The genius of liberty animates them ; ftrong in the confidence of all good citizens, they will know how to fulfil their functions, and to make an honourable termination of their career. It is painful to us, citizens, to direct your attention in this moment to any other object than that of fubfiftence. Your multiplied and preffing wants affect our fenfibility, and have long occupied our zeal; but can we fpeak of the miferies of fcarcity, without referring to a diforganization which was the cause of it? Can we talk of ills, without referring to those who withed to increase them?

The convention, on their fide, by redoubling, as much as poffible, their diligence and care to provide for your wants, hope to be feconded by the active patriotifm of all good citizens who are the friends

of the laws, of liberty, and of peace, and who are attached by principle to the maintenance of property.

This well-founded hope, doubling its force, prepares fuccefs to the new meafures of government relative to provifions, and will give you abundant refources in the prefent crifis; it will give to your enemies the opprobrium of a defeat, and to the republic the eclat and utility of a triumph.

Subftance of the Emperor's Decree of Commiffion, dated Vienna, May 19th, relative to the preparatory Measures for a Parification, prefented to the Affembly of the Diet of the Empire, at Ratisbon, on the 23d of May, 1795.

IT is well known, that on the 5th ult. a feparate treaty of peace and friendship has been concluded at Bafle, between the French nation and his majefty the king of Pruffia, elector of Brandenburg, and co-ftate of the empire; and that it has fince been ratified by both of the contracting parties:

The prefent urgent period ap. pears to his Imperial majefly to require of him to exprefs his opinion with franknefs and candour, to the electors, princes and states of the empire, and to the German nation at large, in order to diffipate certain doubts and fears, which from ignorance of the real state of circumftances, from misunderstanding, or from other caufes, which have originated in the minds and hearts of mankind, have been spread and inculcated, either by chance or defign, with refpect to the pure and fincere views of his Imperial majefty; in order alfo from his pater

nal

nal affection towards the empire, to unite the electors, princes, and states; and, with an entire confidence in their patriotifin, to concur with them in a conftitutional manner, upon meafures to be taken in this important conjuncture, which may agree with the fundamental rights of the conftitution of the empire, with the fyftem of the independence of the ftates, and with the dignity and integrity of the Germanic body. His Imperial Majefty does not think it neceflary to detail the inftances of his conduct, which prove his clofe adherence to the German conftitution, and his zeal for its fupport, his conftant care and energetic endeavours to preferve and increase the general welfare of the country; fince the whole of his majefty's reign, from his afcending the imperial throne to this moment, has been diftinguifhed by his paternal care and love for the German empire, and by the immenfe facrifices made by the house of Auftria for its defence, and for the fupport of its conftitution. His Imperial Majefty continued to fhew his conftitutional intentions, and the fincere intereft he took in the affairs of the empire, in his quality of its fupreme chief, by approving of the principles laid down in the conclufum of the diet of the 22d of December laft, in order to open a road for a juft and lafting peace, when his Imperial Majefty declared, that he was difpofed to enter into 'preparatory confiderations how to obtain this defirable object; obferving at the fame time, that it was neceflary to invite his majefty the king of Pruflia to co-operate in concert with his Imperial Majefty, in accomplishing this willed-for

meafure, in the manner in which it was propofed in the conclufum of the diet and lattly, by the con ftitutional regard which his Imperial Majefty has always paid to that comnitial decree.

He has given an affurance in his quality as chief of the empire, not only that he will in time give a fpecial information to the general diet of the empire, of the fuccefs with which the preliminary dispo. fitions thall meet; but alfo exprefly invited the diet itfelf to cooperate ultimately in this object, in order to partake of the heavy burthen which his paternal cares for the empire are impofing upon his Imperial majeny that he might, by this ulterior co-operation, receive a more efficacious afittance, in the fame degree as biz paternal conduct exerted itself in the prefent difficult political flate of Germany, which thall always be fincere and active for the wel fare of the empire.

In confequence of this difpofition, which his Imperial majefty manifefted, of ferioufly endeavouring to eftablish the means which tend to procure peace, he did not fail to take the firft ftep in this falutary measure. On the 14th of February, in the prefent year, (the day when the decree of commillion respecting the war of the empire, and the propofal of peace, was prefented to the dictature in the diet of Ratisbon), his Imperial majefty gave orders to his miniters, at the court of Berlin, to communicate the annexed note to the Pruflian ministry.

This note, if confidered through the whole extent of its contents, as well as with regard to the objects to which they relate, and particularly