repeated applications made to him by several of the most diftinguished states, 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 states, might arrive at the pinnacle of their wishes. For this purpose an article has been exprefsly inferted in the treaty of peace that his majesty has concluded with the French republic, which allows, within three months

e, any ftate of the empire to enter into a negotiation for peace with the republic of France, through the mediation of his majety. A peculiar agreement has also been entered into between the two contracting powers, which establishes a line of feparation and neutrality, tending to stop the progress of hoftilities against all the provinces fituated behind that line, whether under the dominion of his majesty or others, to which security and tranquillity is insured, on condition of their abstaining from all direct and indirect hoftilities. His majesty has also obtained the furrender, on the part of the French republic, of ali the prisoners made of the troops of any of the states of the empire, who had been taken, in co-operating with his majefty's troops in the different campaigns. These are the advantages which his majesty is enabled to offer, for the present, to the states of the German empire: his majefty, therefore, flatters himself that they will all be struck with the ideas of their most important interests; and when once a hand is reached to them for peace and reconciliation, will there be any body inclined to reject these untried?

His majesty herewith makes the 3

who shall 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 most agreeable negotiation in their favour from the French government.

His majesty will think himfelf happy, his wishes 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 till 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 security, and to the happy exercise of their peaceable duties.

Whatever course these events may take, and if even the empire is doomed to a continuance of this war, it is his majesty'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 most punctual and strict neutrality, particularly as, during the three campaigns, his majesty has completely fulfilled his duty of a ftate of the empire, and even done infinitely more than could be required for many future years: to that his majesty cannot even rèproach himself 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 security of its constitution, and its tranquillity; first, by an energetic exertion of a war of three campaigns, which feemed almoft to furpass all phyfical poßibility; and of having at last, by his patriotic care, opened a road for peace. His majesty leaves to the enlightened opinion of his co-itates of the empire to obtain, by this road, the object of their long-continued contest, namely, tranquillity and fecurity; and hope that they may, for this purpose, 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, whose 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 respect, or to profit of it.

Disposed to arm those in want, whom they irritate by the fears which they affect to entertain, and by the rejection of confidence, they pretend to be astonished at the unproductive nature of our commerce. Such, citizens, are the men whom you ought to diftruft, and whose perfidious infinuations and seditious 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 security of perfons and property, are a guarantee to the national representation, that you will not acknowledge any other standard than that which has so often been honoured by victory, and which your children, brethren, and friends, love to fee at the head of your phalanxes; that tri-coloured standard which, in remote countries, conquered by their intrepidity, present to their animated looks the precious and encouraging image of the country.

Citizens, the instigators of the troubles take good care not to difclose their secrets 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 perspective, and promise the most fatisfactory result: these same difturbers of the public peace endeavour to stifle, at its birth, the germ of your profperity, and to break the thread of the political operations of those who govern.

Citizens, this is the moment in which you are going to gather the fruit of so many painful facrifices; this is the moment in which a definitive government, the only remedy for the present 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 tempests, and throw this city and France againft the rocks still blood-stained by anarchy.

Whatever perfidy may attempt, or anarchy undertake, the national convention, who by their courage will always be worthy of their poft, 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 fensibility, and have long occupied our zeal; but can we speak of the miseries of scarcity, without referring to a disorganization which was the cause of it? Can we talk of ills, without referring to those who wished 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 seconded by the active patriotism of all good citizens who are the fiiends

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 fuccess to the new measures of government relative to provifions, and will give you abundant resources 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.

Substance of the Emperor's Decree of Commiffion, dated Vienna, May 19th, relative to the preparatory Meajures for a Parification, presented 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 majesty the king of Pruffia, elector of Brandenburg, and co-state of the empire; and that it has fince been ratified by both of the contracting parties.

The present urgent period ap. pears to his Imperial majefty to require of him to express his opinion with frankness and candour, to the electors, princes and ftates of the empire, and to the German nation at large, in order to diffipate certain doubts and fears, which from ignorance of the real ftate of circumstances, from misunderstanding, or from other causes, which have originated in the minds and hearts of mankind, have been spread and inculcated, either by chance or design, with respect to the pure and fincere views of his Imperial majesty; in order also from his paternal

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 constitutional manner, upon measures to be taken in this important conjuncture, which may agree with the fundamental rights of the conftitution of the empire, with the system of the independence of the ftates, and with the dignity and integrity of the Germanic body. - His Imperial Majefty does not think it neceffary 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 preserve 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 diftinguished by his paternal care and love for the German empire, and by the immenfe facrifices made by the house of Austria for its defence, and for the fupport of its conftitution. His Imperial Majefty continued to thew 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 conclufam of the diet of the 22d of December last, in order to open a road for a juft and lafting peace, when his Imperial Majesty declared, that he was disposed to enter into 'preparatory confiderations how to obtain this defirable object; obferving at the fame time, that it was peceffary to invite his majesty the king of Pruffia to co-operate in concert with his Imperial Majesty, in accomplishing this wished-for

meafure, in the manner in which it was proposed in the conclufum of the diet and latily, by the conftitutional regard which his Imperial Majefty has always paid to that commitral 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 difpofitions thall meet; but alfo exprefly invited the diet itself 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 majedy: that he might, by this ulterior co-operation, receive a more efficacious affittance, in the fame degree as biş paternal conduct exerted itself in the prefent difficult political state of Germany, which shall always be fincere and active for the welfare of the empire.

In confequence of this difpofition, which his Imperial majefty manifested, of ferioufly endeavouring to establish the means which tend to procure peace, he did not fail to take the first step in this falutary measure. On the 14th of February, in the present year, (the day when the decree of commillion respecting the war of the empire, and the proposal of peace, was presented to the dictature in the diet of Ratisbon), his Imperial majefty gave orders to his minifters, at the court of Berlin, to communicate the annexed note to the Pruffian 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