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tuents, the republic ought to be fatisfied. Intereft, dignity, cha racter, all are folemnly confecrated in this treaty-immenfe poffeffions joined to our territories-conquefts over which humanity rejoices. The magnanimity which characterizes the French people fhows itself in the limits which have been marked out for the Cifalpine republic, in the declaration required from the Emperor that he acknowledges the Batavian republic, and in the compenfations which it was determined he fhould make to the Duke of Modena. We fhall not proceed to the particular examination of each article, because, in ftating to you the principal objects of the treaty, we have combined and analyfed those parts which are intimately connected, and which cannot be feparately difcuffed. With refpect to fuch articles as are detached from the whole, we conceived that we ought likewife to avoid the fatigue of giving them in detail. Thofe, indeed, which are really feparate, are, for the most part, mere forms of ceremony, which you may have remarked in the preceding treaties fubmitted to your approbation, and which the cabinets of Europe hold in veneration. In refpect to thofe articles which may appear infulated in the treaty, though connected with the fecret conditions, as we are ignorant of their precife relation to thofe conditions, we thought it would be wholly useless to enter into long and difficult fpeculations which might probably lead us aftray, and which, at beft, could furnish us with only hypothetical conjectures. The Directory have already given too many proofs of their folicitude for every thing that can be dear to us as reprefentatives and as citizens, to withhold from them that confidence which the fuccefs of their negotiations requires they fhould enjoy. The Directory, fo fcandaloufly accufed of being averfe to peace, have now fhown to France and the whole world whether they, or their calumniators, have prolonged the horrors of war. We will confefs, citizens colleagues, that, on the firft view, one of the articles of the treaty had alarmed your committee. It is Article IX.by which it is ftipulated, that the fequeftration put upon the effects of the inhabitants and proprietors of the ceded countries, on account of the war which is now about to terminate, will be entirely taken off. But, after maturely weighing and deliberating upon these difpofitions, which are common to all the treaties of peace which you have approved, your committee are convinced that they can have no relation to the emigrants. In reality, an emigrant being civilly dead, and his effects being not merely fequeftrated, but by the fole act of his emigration confifcated and efcheated to the republic, he cannot be included in the number either of inhabitants or proprietors. Befides, that article mentions only the individuals whofe effects have been fequeftrated on account of the war. This reafon, which must have principally applied only to foreigners poffeffed of property in the ceded terri

torics,

tories, is not the fame with that which influenced the 'confifcation of the effects of the emigrants. Thus, under any point of view, the benefit of this difpofition cannot be applied to thofe parricides, with refpect to whom France has converted into an irrevocable profcription that temporary banishment to which they were cowardly and traitorously devoted. This article must be confidered as the lefs liable to the interpretation which for a moment gave fome uneafinefs to your committee, that no pofitive expreffion in it clafhes in the fmallest degree with the letter of the conftitution. This difpofition, therefore, must be confidered folely as an amney granted to the inhabitants of the conquered countries, for their errors of opinion; it has not, and cannot have, any other object. What ftill further juftifies the opinion of your committee, is the 19th Article, which is more amply explained. It is there faid, that the unalienated property, moveable and immoveable, of their royal highneffes the Archduke Charles and the Archduchefs Chriftiana, in the countries ceded to the French republic; that the property of the Archduke Ferdinand, contained in the territory of the Cifalpine republic, will be restored to thefe princes, under the condition of felling them within three years. There cannot, therefore, remain the fmallest doubt in regard to the real meaning of thefe ftipulations. This explanation will, doubtlefs, be fufficient to remove every objection to a treaty which is on the whole advantageous and honourable to the French people. Now, not only does Europe no longer contest its own fovereignty, but it alfo recognises that of the people to whom the French nation has imparted that boon. Thus the French people have, at once, afferted their own liberty, and created that of others. Citizens colleagues, the number of our enemies, formerly fo confiderable, is now reduced to two-Portugal and England. The firft, in refufing to ratify the treaty which we had granted it, has rather yielded to the dread of military execution threatened by England, than to any fentiment of perfonal hatred, or that of vain refiftance. The Queen of Portugal well knows that it is beyond her power to alter the deftinies of the French republic, or to retard their courfe. In respect to England, we know which of the two, France or England, has molt reafon to dread the continuation of hoftilities. That oppreffive miniftry who retain her people in the chains of infupportable fervitude, and in the horrors of a diftrefs which is the forerunner of bankruptcy, fhall foon fee the free colours of the French nation floating on her Downs. Buonaparte, who has brilliantly fupported in Italy the characters of general and negotiator, is expected by the army of England. At that name, reprefentatives of the people! your hearts have often expanded with hope, and as often beat with gratitude. I do not imagine that the cabinet of St. James's will expofe itself to the invasion

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which menaces its territory. The valour of our foldiers, the talents of our generals, and the great number of the difcontented, who would lay open to us the road to London, will bring back the British minister to a fyftem more adapted to the nature of exifting circumstances. But whatever be the epoch of a general peace, let us haften to prove, by the ratification of the treaty with the Emperor, that we lay down with pleasure those arms which we were compelled to take up.

Speech of the Minister of Marine to Mr. Swinburne, the Commiffary for English Prifoners at Paris, on his Audience of Leave.

Sir,

I AM as fenfibly affected as my colleagues, at not being able to terminate with you an operation that you have fo well begun, and which has acquired for you claims to the esteem of the true friends of humanity. You have proved by your conduct and your proceedings, that the war which divides two,nations, made to esteem each other, cannot diminish in your mind the neceflity of cherishing men, and of affifting the unhappy. Accept my thanks: I entreat you to accept them, both as citizen and ás minifter. I fincerely hope, that upon your return to London, you will triumph over your enemies, and that your government will give you their confidence. It is for the cause of humanity that I form this with. Sir, you carry with you our regret: and if the efteem of men, whofe principles you have been able to appreciate, can be any indemnity to you, you may rely upon mine and that of my colleagues, whofe organ I am pleased with being.

Frederick William the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Pruffia, Margrave of Brandenburgh, Antichamberlain, and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Sc. to the French Republic, and in her Name to the Citizens who compofe the Executive Directory.

Great and dear Friends,

PROVIDENCE having difpofed of the days of the King,

my father, who departed this life the 16th of this month, and having called me to the throne of my ancestors, I hasten to announce to you this double event; perfuaded that you will take part in the lofs I have fuftained, and that you will intereft yourfelves in my advancement to the rule over the Pruffian tates. I-fhall take the greatest care to cultivate and cement the harmony which I find fo happily eftablished between the two nations; and

upon

upon this I pray God to keep you, great and dear friends, in his

holy care.

Your good friend,

FREDERICK WILLIAM.

Berlin, 17th Nov. 1797.

GEORGE R.

Additional Inflructions to the Commanders of all our Ships of War and Privateers that have or may have Letters of Marque against France, Spain, or the Subjects of the United Provinces, inhabiting within any of their Countries, Territories, and Dominions. Given at our Court at St. James's, the 20th Day of November 1797, in the thirty-eighth Year of our Reign.

WHEREAS we have thought it expedient that permiffion

fhould be given to veffels belonging to the fubjects of his Catholic Majefty, having not more than one deck, to trade between the free ports established in the island of Jamaica, and alfo in the Bahama islands, and the Spanish colonies in America, according to the regulations of the feveral acts for establishing free ports in our West India iflands, notwithstanding the prefent hoftilities: And whereas we have thought it expedient, that notwithstanding the faid hoftilities, permiffion fhould likewife be given to any British veffels navigated according to the laws now in force, to trade between the faid free ports in the island of Jamaica and in the faid Bahama iflands, and the Spanish colonies in America, provided fuch British and Spanish veffels as shall trade between the faid free ports in the island of Jamaica and the faid Spanish colonies, fhall have a licence from the governor or commander in chief of our island of Jamaica; and that fuch British and Spanish veffels as fhall trade bétween the free ports in the Bahama iflands and the faid Spanish colonies, fhall have a licence from the governor or commander in chief of the Bahama illands; and provided fuch British and Spanish veffels fhall import into the free ports of Jamaica and the Bahama iflands, fuch goods only as are hereafter enumerated, viz. wool, cotton wool, indigo, cochineal, drugs of all forts, cocoa, tobacco, logwood, fuftick, and all forts of wood for dyer's ufe; hides, fkins, and tallow, beaver and all forts of furs, tortoife-fhells, hard wood, or mill timber; mahogany and all other woods for cabinet ware; horfes, affés, mules, and cattle, being the growth and production of any of the colonics or plantations in America belonging to the crown of Spain; and all coin or bullion, diamonds, or precious ftones, coming from thence; and provided fuch British and Spanish veffels fhall export from fuch free ports, only the faid goods and commodities; and alfo rum, the produce of any VOL. VII.

G

British

British island, and negroes, which fhall have been legally imported, and alfo all goods, wares, merchandifes, and manufactures, which fhall have been legally imported, except mafts, yards, or bowfprits, pitch, tar, turpentine, and all other naval or military ftores, and tobacco: The commanders of our hips of war, and of thips commiffioned with letters of marque, are hereby required and enjoined not to detain or moleft any fuch Spanifh veffels or any British veffels trading between the free ports in the faid iflands and the Spanish colonies in America, provided they are bona fide employed in carrying on their trade conformably to the refpective regulations herein above defcribed, and have a licence for that purpose from the governor or commander in chief of the faid iflands refpectively; and in cafe fuch fhip fo licenfed fhould be captured and brought into any port, through mifapprehenfion or breach of our order, our courts of admiralty and vice-admiralty are hereby required to liberate the fame, as being under the protection of our fpecial commiffion.

By his Majesty's command.
(Signed)

PORTLAND.

Proclamation of the Executive Directory to the French People, dated the ft Frimaire (21 Nov.).

ΤΗ HE interefts of the republic call you to a last triumph. After the innumerable battles from which you have returned victorious, it yet remains for you to reduce the first, the most obftinate and, cunning of all your enemies,

The Executive Directory is defirous of a general peace; it wishes for it, for your fake, and for the fake of Europe. But during a year and more a faithlefs enemy has led aftray all the cabinets of Europe by vain projects, propofing peace in a loud voice, fecretly fomenting war, affecting to extinguish with one hand the torch which it lights with the other; fending with parade pacificators, and repelling in effect all overtures which alone could tend to pacification. This enemy you know: your indignation can devife and name it. It is the cabinet of St. James's. It is the most corrupting, and the moft corrupted, of the governments of Europe: it is the English government.

It is not alone against the liberty of France that that government directs her confpiracy; her confpiracy is against the whole world. Ah! too long has that perfidious cabinet troubled, fubjected, defolated all parts of the world. Speak, Americans! fay who are directly or indirectly your true rulers. Unfortunate Indians! fay by what deteftable art has that government establithed her tyranny among you? And you, Europeans, more unfortunate ftill, innocent inhabitants of the plains of Franco

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