these alone, the true fupremacy and the fafety of the empire must reft. and the capitulation of the elec- be fully expressed; for, upon tion, fet aside all private contest, and, with a patriotic unanimity, open a deliberation in the diet, for the purpose of appointing a deputation of the empire, composed of as fmall a number of deputies as poffible, to be fent to the first congress which may be appointed for obtaining a peace. These deputies should have full powers as deputies from the empire. The deliberations ought to extend upon these peculiar powers, to be conferred upon their fubdelegates, and lastly upon the inftructions to be drawn up for the conduct of the deputies, respecting the materiale pacis and the modum tractandi, and afterwards a conclufum should be presented to his Imperial majesty, on all these objects: precedents to which may also be found in the antient acts of the diet of the empire. His Imperial majesty waits with the utmost 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 fiates 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 ambailadors 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 instructions given to these peculiar ambailadors, the attachment to, and the union and har mony with his Imperial majesty and the empire, should always The importance and the power of Germany are founded upon the happy concord of the general will of the states, 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 subjected 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 states, in this interesting business of the peace of the empire, will deviate in nothing from Article VII. of the Westphalian 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 imposed upon them by the decifions of the diet respecting the war of the empire, which is still continued, until a convenient, acceptable, jutt, and equitable peace, shall be concluded, in a moft conftitu tional form. The following are the two papers alluded to in the preceding decree. Copy of the Note delivered from the THE.contents of the most humble advice of the empire,addrefied to his Imperial majefty by the general affembly of the diet, in which is communicated 2 communicated its most anxious withes to the chief of the empire, for an equitable, just, decent, and acceptable peace, cannot have remained unknown to the ministry of his Pruffian majesty. His Imperial majesty is of opinion that he cannot manifeft, in a more candid and confidential manner, the constant paternal care for the security and welfare of the Germanic empire, which he has displayed ever since the commencement of his reign in the most indefatigable manner, and fupported by the most extraordinary facrifices of the resources of the archducal house, and which have been acknowledged, in the most grateful terms, by the electors, princes, and states, as likewise his persevering attention with regard to the present critical fituation of the Germanic empire, than it has been done in the most gracious decree of commiffion lately issued to the electors, princes, and states, a copy of which is here enclosed, and from which his Pruffian majefty will farther be pleased to recognize the fentiments of the chief of the empire upon this most momentous concern of Germany, addressed by the general afsembly of the diet of the empire. to Notwithstanding the fincerity of the imperial paternal inclination of his Imperial majesty, to effect the preliminary introduction obtain a peace congenial to the withes of the empire, his Pruffian majesty cannot but perceive the various great difficulties which attend, in the present critical juncture of affairs, the accomplishment of the peace so fervently defired. The more urgent is the care of his Imperial majesty to obtain, by the concert to be opened with his Prussian majefty, on the preliminary introduction of pacificatory means, mentioned in the faid advice of the empire and the imperial decree of commitlion, that fuccouring afsistance and imperial paternal indulgence, which can further this pacific end by the basis of peace, established in the faid advice of the empire, and most gracioufly ratified by his Imperial majesty; especially fince his Pruffian majesty has already previoufly declared to the general affembly of the Germanic diet, that he will use every endeavour to procure to the empire that peace and tranquillity so fervently wished for;" and fince, according to univerfal rumours, his Prustian majesty 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. " respecting the opening of the ne- from the pleasure of his imperial. gociations of peace. His majetty, majetty. our most gracious lord the king, to whom we communicated the con tents, perceived in it, with pleasure, (Signed) FINKENSTEIN, ALVENSLEBEN, HAUGWITZ, the freth proof of imperial pater- Berlin, Feb. 26, 1795. nal care, which is to be revered with gratitudeby the whole empire, fince his Imperial majesty gives his affent and approbation, as chief of the empire, to the expreffion of the general longing defire of the states of the empire for a speedy armiftice and a tolerable peace; and fince his Imperial majesty declares most 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 just as it has been unequally and most unfuccefsfully waged. The Members of the General Adminiftration of East-Flanders, fitting at Ghent, to the National Convention of France, 3d February, 1795. LEGISLATORS, amid the united voices that express the general fatisfaction produced by your inviolable attachment to the principles of liberty, equality, juftice, and probity, the adminiftrators of Eaft-Flanders present the homage of their attachment, and express their eagerness to fee effected the incorporation of this interefting part of Belgium with Upon the queftion put in the, the French republic. Yes, legiflafaid communication, by his high-tors, the inhabitants of this fine nefs, the above-mentioned imperial minifter, we shall not omit to reply, that his majesty charged major-general count Von Goltz, when his majesty sent him fome time ago to Bafle, 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 subsequent 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 majeity had to wait in this refpect the above-mentioned impexial ratification, the advice of the empire containing propofitions of peace, and the further overtures 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 most rigorous feafon, procured to France the conquest of all Holland A great number of their countrymen have long since given other proofs of their attachment to the republic. In your armies they have shed their blood for liberty, because they felt its worth, and abhorred every species of tyranny. They declare, that by releasing them from despotifm you have restored to them their country, which they will cherith for ever; and they feel in their hearts hearts the principles and laws you have proclaimed. They would be at the height of their wishes if these salutary laws were executed in Belgium. Can you, legiflators, refufe them the advantage of participating in the war and the profperity of the French? (Honourable mention and insertion in the Buletin.) Letter from the Representatives of the People with the Armies of the North, and Sambre and Meuse, to the National Convention. Bruffels, Feb. 15. Citizen Colleagues, THE central adminiftrators of Belgium request us to tranfmit to you an address, in which they express, in the most formal and precise terms, their with for a speedy 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 Frenchnien, and to be associated in the glory of which that name calls up the idea. We received at the fame time an address to the fame effect from the commune of Mons. All the communes of Belgium express 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 existence 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. 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; theglory, the profperity of the republic, and the happiness of the inhabitants of these provinces. Such were the views of the Belgians who fat among us, fuch the views of the French who share our labours. Public confidence reposes upon us, and it shall not be deceived. The found and enlightened part of the people of Belgium have long afpired 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 say with en"thufiafm, "We are Frenchmen." Your colleagues, by their proclamations, have already given to merited contempt divers agents denounced by public opinion, agents whose self-fufficiency and conduct formed so fingular a contrast to republican manners. Thefe proclamations tend to affure to the Belgians subsistence, and whatever is necessary for the preservation of their trade and manufactures. They have put a stop, in a great measure, to the evil of requifitions, and removed R you will not fuffer this people to be longer without a civil exiftence, 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 universe, 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 fee their wounds begin to heal, and that their numerous facrifices will feem light, because they will be sure of reaping the benefit of them. Haften then, legislators, when our inhabitants shall go to learn of your Areopagus hatred of tyrants and love of virtue; when our youth, trained up in republican principles, will early accuitom themselves to fight in defence of liberty and equality. The with of honeft men is to see our deftinies united to those of France. This is our dearest hope, the only fafety of Belgium. Vive la Convention! Vive la Republique. moved the impediments to com- of the republic? No, legislatore, merce. Haften, legiflators, to complete our regeneration. Belgium has fuffered enough. Too long has it vegetated with half its liberty; it is time that it should 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 honest and industrious people, that facrifices have been required of them only to replunge them into flavery: you will defeat the hopes of those, who, for the reign of virtue, of justice, and the laws, would substitute a justly abborred system of terror. If the Belgians have sometimes fuffered themselves to be misled by hypocrites, they are not less deserving of your esteem upon that account, for what people is there whose 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 unperish able 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 trong only in their courage, chased away their defpot while France was still groaning under her's. While Batavia was receiving chains from an ambitious woman, did not Belgium give the first fignal of the glorious revolution which you have accomplished? Did not Belgium, in 1787, give the first commotion to the conductor, whote parts electrified 25 millions of men who now enjoy liberty? Did not 30 battalions of. Belgians and Liegois share the perils of the heroes Done at Bruffels, in the fitting of the 23d Pluviose, (Feb. 11) third republican year. Letter from the Representatives of the French People with the Armies of the North, to the National Conven tion, dated Bruffels, the 8th Ventofe, (26th February) 1795. Citizen Colleagues, I SEND you the with of the city of Antwerp for its union wit the republic. This defire is uttered throughout Belgium, in proportion as we draw near to the opening of the |