our frontiers. In this review, you will doubtless allow due weight to the confiderations, that the queftions between us and certain foreign powers, are not yet finally adjulted; that the war in Europe is not terminated; and that our weftern pofts, when recovered, will demand provifion for garrifoning and fecuring them. A ftatement of our prefent military force will be laid before you by the department of war.

With the review of our army establishment is naturally connected that of the militia. It will merit enquiry, what imperfections in the exifting plan, further experience may have unfolded. The fubject is of fo much moment, in my eftimation, as to excite a conftant folicitude, that the confideration of it may be renewed until the greatest attainable perfection fhall be accomplished. Time is wearing away fome advantages for forwarding the object, while none better deferves the perfevering attention of the public councils.

While we indulge the fatisfaction which the actual condition of our western borders fo well authorizes; it is neceflary that we thould not lofe fight of an important truth, which continually receives new confirmations; namely, that the provifions heretofore made, with a view to the protection of the Indians from the violence of the lawlefs part of the frontier inhabitants, are infufficient. It is demonftrated, that thefe violences can now be perpetrated with impunity. And it can need no argument to prove, that unless the murdering of Indians can be reftrained by bringing the murderers to condign punithment, all the exertions of the go

vernment to prevent deftructive retaliations by the Indians, will prove fruitlefs, and all our prefent agreeable profpects illufory. The frequent deftruction of innocent women and children, who are chiefly the victims of retaliation, muft continue to thock humanity; and an enormous expence to drain the treafury of the union.

To enforce upon the Indians the obfervance of juftice, it is indifpenfable that there fhall be competent means of rendering juftice to them. If thefe means can be devifed by the wifdom of congrefs, and efpecially if there can be added an adequate provifion for fupplying the neceflities of the Indians, on reasonable terms, (a measure, the mention of which I the more readily repeat, as in all the conferences they urge it with folicitude,) I thould not hesitate to entertain a firong hope of rendering our tranquillity permanent. add, with pleasure, that the probability even of their civilization is not diminished by the experiments which have been thus far made under the aufpices of government. The accomplishment of this work, if practicable, will reflect undecaying laftre on our national character, and adminifter the moftgrateful confolations that virtuous minds can know,

I

Gentlemen of the houfe of reprefentatives,

The fate of our revenue, with the fums that have been borrowed and reimburfed, purfuant to the different acts of congrefs, will be fubmitted from the proper departments; together with an eftimate of the appropriations necetiary to

be

be made for the fervice of the enfuing year.

Whether measures may not be advifable to reinforce the provifion for the redemption of the public debt, will naturally engage your examination.-Congrefs have demonftrated their fenfe to be, and it were fuperfluous to repeat mine, that whatfoever will tend to accelerate the honourable extinction of our public debt, accords as much with the true interefts of our country, as with the general fenfe of our conftituents.

Gentlemen of the fenate, and

houfe of reprefentatives, The statement which fhall be laid before you, relative to the mint, will fhew the fituation of that infiitution, and the neceflity' of fome further legiflative provifions for carrying the business of it more completely into effect, and for checking abufes which appear to be arifing in particular quarters.

The progrefs in providing mate. rials for the frigates, and in build. ing them; the ftate of the fortifications of our harbours; the measures which have been purfued for obtaining proper fites for arfenals, and for replenishing our magazines with military ftores; and the fteps which have been taken toward the execution of the law for opening a trade with the Indians, will likewife be prefented for the information of congrefs.

Temperate difcuffion of the important fubjects which may arise in the courfe of the feffion; and mutual forbearance, where there is vious and neceffary for the peace, a difference of opinion, are too obhappiness, and welfare of our coun try, to need any recommendation of mine.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

United States, Dec. 8, 1795.

CHARACTERS.

rity little cuftomary in thofe affemblies; and which was not more the refult of the apprehenfions excited by the impending war, than due to the general refpect and affection borne to Maximilian. Solyman, notwithstanding his age and infirmities, appeared again in the field, as the ally of his Tranfylvanian vaffal; and, at the head of a vaft army, laid fiege to Sigeth. He expired, in the camp, before the capture of that city was effected; and the count de Serini, to whom its defence had been entrusted, obtained an immortal reputation, by the defperate valour with which he long repulfed the affailants. Reduced, at length, to the neceffity of dying, or capitulating with an enemy who violated all compacts, he generously preferred the former alternative; and, rufhing on the Turks, with the fmall remains of his garrifon, perifhed by the fcimitars of the Janizaries. The vizier fent his head to Maximilian, with a contemptuous and infulting meffage, reproaching him for pufillanimity, or inactivity, in not advancing to the relief of Serini. Since the memorable campaign of 1532, when Charles V. had, in perfon, oppofed Solyman, Germany had not fent fo numerous a body of forces to combat the Turks, as that which Maximilian commanded. But the timidity, or prudence, of his generals, who were fill greatly inferior to the Ottoman army, and the recollection of the many unfortunate battles which the Hungarian princes had fought against thofe invaders, induced the emperor to remain upon the defenfive. Selim II. the fon and fucceffor of Solyman, whofe views of conqueft were directed against the Venetians, confented,

foon after his acceffion, to renew the truce between the two empires, upon terms favourable to the house of Auftria. The Tranfylvanian prince was not included in the treaty, and continued his hoftilities, or depredations, for feveral years: but they were at length terminated by his renunciation of the title of king of Hungary; which article formed the bafis of an amicable agreement, and reftored tranquillity to thofe defolated provinces.

The benign influence of the qualities and virtues, by which Maximilian was peculiarly diftinguithed, was more fenfibly felt in the empire, and in his hereditary German provinces, where he appeared, in his proper and natural character, as the father and legiflator of his people. The internal repofe of Germany fuffered a temporary interruption, from the inflexibility and mifguided adherence of John Fre derick II. duke of Saxe Gotha, to Grumbach, whofe acts of vio lence had already excited univerfal indignation, under the reign of Ferdinand. The duke, fon to the magnanimous and unfortunate elector of Saxony, depofed by Charles V. after the battle of Muhlberg. perfifted, in defiance of the imperial mandate, to afford a retreat and protection to this invader of the public peace. Moved by confiderations of compaffion and friendhip, the emperor warned him of his error, pointed out to him its confequences, and exhorted him to avert the inevitable punishment, by delivering up Grumbach. But John Frederick, who, to a contracted understanding joined the wildes fanaticifm, and the most unlimited credulity, perfifted to grant him an afylum in his palace and capital.

Maximilian

Maximilian was, therefore, reluctantly neceffitated to lay him under the ban of the empire; and Auguftus, the reigning elector of Saxony, principally charged with its execution, befieged him in the city of Gotha. He was reduced to a furrender, carried prifoner to Vien na, and, after being expofed to the view of the populace, in a ftate of ignominy and degradation, he was finally detained in captivity till his death. Grumbach fuffered, by the hand of the executioner, together with feveral of his adherents, or accomplices. Some flight disturbances, in the electorate of Treves, and in the duchy of Mecklenburg, were the only circumftances, befides, which invaded the profound quiet enjoyed by Germany, under Maximilian

Encouraged by fo favourable an afpect of public affairs, and yielding to the benignity of his difpofition, he ventured on a ftep, which places the fuperiority and expanfion of his mind in the most confpicuous point of view. The ftipulations contained in his coronation-oath, when elected emperor, as well as the articles conftituting "the peace of religion," on which alone the ftability and maintenance of the Catholic faith depended, fettered him in kis imperial capacity, and permitted him to make no infringement whatever on thofe points. But, as archduke of Auftria, he poffefled a power of relaxing the feverity of the laws which denied liberty of confcience to his Proteftant fubjects. Notwithstanding the remonftances of the Spanish emballador, in the name of his fovereign, Philip II. and in defiance of the menaces of Pius V. who filled the papal chair, Maximilian

gave the firft voluntary example of religious toleration to Europe, by permitting the nobility and equeftrian order, in Auftria, to celebrate publicly the ceremonies of their worship, in their caftles and houses, as well as on their eftates. This indulgence was, however, ftrictly limited to the two claffes above mentioned; and neither extended to the people at large, nor even to the inhabitants of cities; who vainly endeavoured to fhake the emperor's determination on the fubject, or to elude his vigilance. In the prefent century, when the minds of men, enlarged and humanized by philofophy, are become familiar with toleration; and when the most bigotted European nations admit fome fpecies of religious freedom; a permiffion fo circumfcribed in its operation, as that granted by Maximilian, may not appear to merit any extravagant elogiums. But, the actions of men are not only to be appreciated by the eternal laws of rectitude and juftice; they muft be, in fome measure, likewife, referable to the modes of thinking, received by their contemporaries, and generally adopted. On every fide, Maximilian law only the moft intolerant bigotry. The Netherlands, and France, were defolated by their respective fovereigns, in order to extinguish he refy, and to fpread the unity of the Catholic faith. Even among the Proteftants themselves the most rancorous and fanguinary animofities prevailed, to the fubverfion of all mutual good offices. Servetus was committed to the flames at Geneva, by Calvin, for fome fpeculative dif ference of opinion on abftrafe points of theology; and the Lutherans regarded with horror the doctrines [*A 2]

incul