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and the capitulation of the elec tion, fet aside all private conteft, and, with a patriotic unanimity, open a deliberation in the diet, for the purpofe of appointing a deputation of the empire, compofed of as fmall a number of deputies as poflible, to be fent to the first congrefs which may be appointed for obtaining a peace. Thefe deputies fhould have full powers as deputies from the empire. The deliberations ought to extend upon these peculiar powers, to be conferred upon their fubdelegates, and laftly upon the inftructions to be drawn up for the conduct of the deputies, refpecting the materiale pacis and the modum tractandi, and afterwards a conclufum fhould be prefented to his Imperial majefty, on all thefe objects: precedents to which may alfo be found in the antient acts of the diet of the empire.

His Imperial majefty waits with the utmolt folicitude and impatience for this conclufum of the diet. However, in virtue of the election capitulation enacted in the year 1790, under the reign of Leopold, the electors, princes, and ftates of the empire, have a right, independent of their faculty of appointing deputies to the congrefs of the peace of the empire, to fend to the congrefs their own ambaladors for their private affairs and individual interefts, which relate to

the negotiation of peace; whilft, at the fame time, they are warned by his Imperial majesty and by the empire, that, in the powers and in the inftructions given to thefe peculiar ambaladors, the attachment to, and the union and har

with his Imperial majefty and the empire, thould always

be fully expreffed; for, upon thefe alone, the true fupremacy and the fafety of the empire muft reft.

The importance and the power of Germany are founded upon the happy concord of the general will of the ftates, loyally united to their chief; as well as its permanent welfare is founded upon the inviolability of the principles, and of the decifions of the diet of the empire His Imperial Majefty himself is fubjected to the laws of the empire; but in his faculty of prefiding as chief, in order to maintain them, he hopes that the electors, princes, and ftates, in this interefting bufinefs of the peace of the empire, will deviate in nothing from Article VII. of the Weftphalian treaty, and that they will regulate their conduct according to the decifion of the diet of April 30, and in the mean time, that they will continue to fulfil the different obligations impofed upon them by the decifions of the diet refpecting the war of the empire, which is ftill continued, until a convenient, acceptable, jutt, and equitable peace, thall be concluded, in a moft conftitu tional form.

The following are the two pa pers alluded to in the preceding decree.

Copy of the Note delivered from the

Emperor to the Proffian Ministry, at
Berlin, by Prince Von Reufs, the
Imperial Minifter, dated Feb. 21,
1795.

THE.contents of the moft humble advice of the empire,addrefied to his Imperial majefty by the general affembly of the diet, in which is communicated

communicated its moft anxious withes to the chief of the empire, for an equitable, juft, decent, and acceptable peace, cannot have remained unknown to the ministry of his Pruflian majefty.

His Imperial majefty is of opinion that he cannot manifeft, in a more candid and confidential manner, the conftant paternal care for the fecurity and welfare of the Germanic empire, which he has difplayed ever fince the commencement of his reign in the moft indefatigable manner, and supported by the moft extraordinary facrifices of the resources of the archducal houfe, and which have been acknowledged, in the moft grate ful terms, by the electors, princes, and states, as likewife his perfevering attention with regard to the prefent critical fituation of the Germanic empire, than it has been done in the moft gracious decree of commiffion lately iffued to the electors, princes, and ftates, a copy of which is here enclofed, and from which his Pruffian majefty will farther be pleased to recognize the fentiments of the chief of the empire upon this moft momentous concern of Germany, addreffed by the general affembly of the diet of the empire.

Notwithstanding the fincerity of the imperial paternal inclination of his Imperial majefty, to effect the preliminary introduction to obtain a peace congenial to the withes of the empire, his Pruffian majefty cannot but perceive the various great difficulties which attend, in the prefent critical juncture of affairs, the accomplithment of the peace fo fervently defired. The more urgent is the care of

his Imperial majefty to obtain, by the concert to be opened with his Pruflian majefty, on the preliminary introduction of pacificatory means, mentioned in the faid advice of the empire and the imperial decree of committion, that fuccouring affiftance and imperial paternal indulgence, which can further this pacific end by the bafis of peace, established in the faid advice of the empire, and moft gracioufly ratified by his Imperial majefty; efpecially fince his Pruffian majefty has already previoufly declared to the general affembly of the Germanic diet, "that he will ufe every endeavour to procure to the empire that peace and tranquillity fo fervently withed for;" and fince, according to univerfal rumours, his Pruflian majefty is reported to have already made fome overtures for an attempt to negotiate a peace, the more intimate knowledge of which might perhaps facilitate the good offices of the chief of the empire.

While the undersigned, accredited Imperial minifter at this court, has the honour to make this communication to the royal Pruffian miniftry, by the fupreme command of his Imperial majefty, he recommends himfelf, &c. &c. VON REUSS.

(Signed)

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majetty.

refpecting the opening of the ne- from the pleafure of his imperial. gociations of peace. His majetty, our most gracious lord the king, to whom we communicated the contents, perceived in it, with pleafure,

(Signed)

FINKENSTEIN,

ALVENSLEBEN,

HAUGWITZ,

The Members of the General Adminif tration of Eaft-Flanders, fitting at Ghent, to the National Convention

of France, 3d February, 1795.

the freth proof of imperial pater- Berlin, Feb. 26, 1795. -nal care, which is to be revered with gratitude by the whole empire, fince his Imperial majefty gives his aflent and approbation, as chief of the empire, to the expreflion of the general longing defire of the ftates of the empire for a fpeedy armiftice and a tolerable peace; and fince his Imperial majesty declares moft gracioutly his readiness to make the preliminary introduction to the falutary end, which becomes even more, and, in all refpects, the only and fureft remedy to fave the Germanic country, after the refult of a war, as equally juft as it has been unequally and moft unfuccessfully waged.

Upon the queftion put in the, faid communication, by his highnefs, the above-mentioned imperial minifter, we shall not omit to reply, that his majefty charged major-general count Von Goltz, when his majefty fent him fome time ago to Baile, concerning the exchange of prifoners, to found at the fame time the fentiments of the French nation, with regard to a peace and the means of obtaining it.-The illness and fubfequent death of the faid count have, however, prevented all farther intimations. But nothing has been done in this refpect, relative to the Germanic empire, nor could any thing be done, as the king's majesty had to wait in this refpect the above-mentioned impesial ratification, the advice of the empire containing propofitions of peace, and the further overtures

LEGISLATORS, amid the united voices that exprefs the general fatisfaction produced by your inviolable attachment to the principles of liberty, equality, jul tice, and probity, the adminiftrators of Eaft-Flanders prefent the homage of their attachment,' and exprefs their eagerness to fee ef-. fected the incorporation of this interefling part of Belgium with the French republic. Yes, legiflators, the inhabitants of this fine country are worthy of being French citizens. The love of liberty, that facred fire which burns in your hearts, burns alfo in theirs. Frank in their character, energetic in their fentiments, they daily express their joy at the recital of the new triumphs, which, in the moft rigorous feafon, procured to France the conqueft of all Holland great number of their countrymen have long fince given other proofs of their attachment to the republic. In your armies they have fhed their blood for liberty, because they felt its worth, and abhorred every fpecies of tyranny. They declare, that by releafing them from defpotifm you have reftored to them their country, which they will cherith for ever; and they feel in their

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hearts the principles and laws you have proclaimed. They would be at the height of their wishes if thefe falutary laws were executed in Belgium. Can you, legiflators, refufe them the advantage of participating in the war and the prof perity of the French? (Honourable mention and infertion in the Buletin.)

Letter from the Reprefentatives of the People with the Armies of the North, and Sambre and Meufe, to the National Convention.

Bruffels, Feb. 15.

Citizen Colleagues, THE central adminiftrators of Belgium requeft us to tranfmit to you an addrefs, in which they exprefs, in the most formal and precife terms, their with for a fpeedy incorporation of their country with the French republic. In doing this, they obferve, that they are only the organs of a majority of the people, who are eager to bear the name of Frenchmen, and to be affociated in the glory of which that name calls up the idea. We received at the fame time an addrefs to the fame effect from the commune of Mons. All the communes of Belgium exprefs the fame eagerness on this head; they all ardently defire that you would put an end to the state of uncertainty, in which their civil and political exiftence has fluctuated, fince you for the fecond time rescued them from the yoke of tyranny. We invite you to confider in your wifdom their demand, and to pronounce a union, which we have promifed in your name, and of which we think them worthy to VOL. XXXVII.

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Legislators,

CALLED by the authority of your colleagues, under circumftances of difficulty, to the important and delicate functions of the adminiftration of Belgium, we were to keep two points in view; the glory, the profperity of the republic, and the happiness of the inhabitants of thefe provinces. Such were the views of the Belgians who fat among us, fuch the views of the French who fhare our labours. Public confidence repofes upon us, and it fhall not be deceived. The found and enlightened part of the people of Belgium have long af pired to a real incorporation with "the French republic. They have demanded it more than once, and the reception you gave their de mand two years ago, nourished the hope of their feeing the happy day in which they might fay with en"We are Frenchmen." "thufiafm,' Your colleagues, by their proclamations, have already given to merited contempt divers agents denounced by public opinion, agents whofe felf-fufficiency and conduct formed fo fingular a contraft to republican manners. Thefe proclamations tend to affure to the Belgians fubfiftence, and whatever is neceffary for the prefervation of their trade and manufactures. They have put a ftop, in a great measure, to the evil of requifitions, and reR

moved

moved the impediments to commerce. Haften, legiflators, to complete our regeneration. Bel-' gium has fuffered enough. Too long has it vegetated with half its liberty; it is time that it fhould recover the whole, and refume its ancient ftation among the Gauls. Pronounce the union, and you will deftroy the ramifications of liberticide factions; you will filence the calumniators who infinuate to an honeft and induftrious people, that facrifices have been required of them only to replunge them into flavery you will defeat the hopes of thofe, who, for the reign of virtue, of juftice, and the laws, would fubftitute a juftly abborred fyftem of terror. If the Belgians have fometimes fuffered themselves to be mifled by hypocrites, they are not lefs deferving of your efteem upon that account, for what people is there whofe energy has not been paralized at fome time or another by ambitious men or pretended patriots? To you, legislators, it was referved to lay the unperifhable foundations of a republic, in which the love of principles will be the fole guide of the citizens. Recollect, however, that the Belgians, deftitute of all means, and ftrong only in their courage, chafed away their defpot while France was ftill groaning under her's. While Batavia was receiving chains from an ambitious woman, did not Belgium give the first signal of the glorious revolution which you have accomplished? Did not Belgium, in 1787, give the first commotion to the conductor, whofe parts electrified 25 millions of men who now enjoy liberty? Did not 30 battalions of. Belgians and Liegois fhare the perils of the heroes

of the republic? No, legiflater, you will not fuffer this people to be longer without a civil exittence, You will not fuffer us to be any longer an object of traffic for the tyrants of London, of Vienna, and Berlin. The French people will not make flaves. That generous people, which merits the admira tion of the univerfe, is formed to love the Belgians, and to fraternize with them. Why defer proclaiming this union? it is then that the people of these countries will fet their wounds begin to heal, and that their numerous facrifices will feem light, because they will be fure of reaping the benefit of them. Haften then, legiflators, when our inhabitants hall go to learn of your Areopagus hatred of tyrants and love of virtue; whea our youth, trained up in republican principles, will early accuítom themfelves to fight in defence of liberty and equality. The with of honeft men is to fee our deftinies united to thofe of France. This is our deareft hope, the only fafety of Belgium. Vive la Convention ! Vive la Republique.

Done at Bruffels, in the fitting ot the 23d Pluviose, (Feb. 11) third republican year.

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