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us to negociate, as well in our own name as in that of the Germanic body, the preliminaries of peace. We were very well difpofed to act agreeably to thefe defires; but the fequel proved that the foi difant committee of Public Safety, by which the foreign affairs of France then were governed, had very different views from coming to an amicable understanding with the empire, for the purpofe of putting an end to a war into which the empire had been forced, and thus to reconcile themfelves with fuffering humanity by facrificing to peace their paffion of conquest.

All Germany has feen the anfwer of the committee of Public Safety, the contents of which were ordered to be published by our decree of the 19th of November laft.. This piece contains the most manifett proofs of the decided repugnance of France to liften to the pacific overtures defired by the empire, and of the clear determination of this power not to engage in immediate ne gociations, till finding herself in a fituation imperiously to dictate the conditions of peace to the empire, fhe could, to the eternal fhame of the German name, leave her no other part in this meafure but a paffive fubfcription of the treaty. The empire being thus convinced of the refufal of the French government to make a fuitable return to the overtures which had been made, it had no other refource left but that forefeen by the refolution of the 22d of December, 1774, but to affume an attitude which fhould oblige the enemy to grant that peace defired by the head and by the members of the Germanic body, under the conditions announced in the refolutions of the diet.

The Directory, however, which has fucceeded the committee of Public Safety in the management of foreign affairs, has not adopted more moderate fentiments. We find, on the contrary, in all their actions, and all the public papers which they have iffued, the marks of the inflexible obftinacy of a conqueror in flamed with pride by the fortune of his arms. Upon this point we refer to the note addreffed by the French ambaffador to the plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majefty, upon the 26th of May, this year. We remark, with regret, in this note, how much the fpirit in which it is drawn up, the nature and extent of the demands which it contains, and the manner in which they are announced, are remote from a reciprocal defire of peace. We are not mistaken even in confidering this very note as a new proof of the averfion of the French government to enter into negociations with the empire united under its conflitutional head, fince, in effect, if we compare that note with the above-mentioned answer of the committee of Public Safety, we find that both abfolutely announce the fame political maxims; to which we must likewife add, that the note of the Directory demands, as an invariable preliminary of peace, a ftatus quo relatively to the countries

con

conquered by the enemy, and united in virtue of its decree, which cannot in any way be reconciled with the bafis of peace laid down by the diet.

To divide, to conquer, and to rule, is the fpirit of the egotist policy of France. But every divifion infers a diminution of ftrength in the measures of refiftance of the whole, and which muft neceffarily lead to the difmemberment, to the devastation, to the dependance, to the fubjection, and, in fine, more or lefs rapidly, to the decompofition of our refpectable conftitution. Concord, on the contrary, firmnefs, the love of our country, and the faithful obfervance of the laws, are the first duties of fociety; the dearest and more facred duties of every vassal of the empire, when our common country is menaced, in the most eminent and effential object of all political focieties, its fafety and prefervation. Such is the object of the fundamental conftitution of the German empire, which renders all the individual means of refiftance poffeffed by the states of the empire fubordinate to the direction of one fupreme authority, and prohibits in the most forcible manner the conclufion of a feparate peace during a general war of the empire. But, independently of this confideration, it is not lefs certain that it is to act against all experience to reckon upon the very rare inftance of the generofity of the enemy, and to expect only, from their magnanimity and love of juftice, a peace that can be accepted, instead of constraining them to grant it by force of arms. In fine, we find a manifeft contradiction in not ceafing to defire an object, and yet failing to proportion the means by which it is to be attained to the magnitude of the dangers interpofed. The example of the invincible conftancy and vigour with which the enemy exert themselves to execute their plans, ought to afford to the citizens of Germany a fufficient motive of emulation to excite them to the most obftinate refiftance, and to the defence of their political and religious conftitution.

After this faithful difclofure of circumftances we put it to your judgment to decide, whether, however much we are difpofed to reftore peace to the empire, as foon as it can be established on an honourable and folid bafis, it depends entirely upon us to grant this bleffing to Germany; whether it confifts with our authority as chief of the empire to fanction a peace upon whatever terms feparately concluded with the enemy of the empire? In fine, whether at a moment when we have to choose between the dif memberment and the union of the empire, between the diffolution and the establishment of the conftitution, between honour and fhame, whether, in this critical fituation, we are not rather warranted to require, in the name of the country and the conftitution, in the name of all the states which have been pillaged and laid waste, in virtue of oaths ftill fubfifting, and promifes freVOL. V. quently

T

quently and folemnly renewed by the electors, princes, and states of the empire; in fine, by our own examples and the facrifices which we have made for the public intereft, whether, we fay, we are not warranted juftly to require the undivided co-operation of all and every of the ftates of the empire in the defence of a cause fo juft, and for accelerating that peace which is fo earnestly defired by the Germanic states?

If a difference of fentiment manifefted in your letter of the end of last month was the cause to us of confiderable anxiety, it was not long before our tranquillity was restored, by the news that when the dangers of war approached your ftates, you did not allow yourselves to be betrayed by fear, nor by the dictates of a deceitful policy, into any unconftitutional measures; but that, on the contrary, animated by fentiments of honour, and by a courage worthy of a German prince, you oppofed the danger with which you were threatened with the most effectual means of refiftance, both by fending against the common enemy a great part of the garrifon of Stutgard and Louifburg, and by giving inftant orders to put the militia of Wirtemberg immediately in motion, who made a body of 12,000 men, in general well difciplined. Accept upon this subject the affurances of our Imperial fatisfaction and fincere regard. Thefe difpofitions, fo worthy of you, infpire us with the confidence that no confideration will hake your fentiments, and that, weighing conscientiously the duties which, as a ftate of the empire, you have to discharge to us and to the law, you will perfift in your patriotic refolution to continue, till the re-establishment of a general peace for the em pire, to fupport the common caufe with all your force. By thefe means you will not only render effential fervice to Germany, but to the immortal honour of your house: you will deferve to have your name enrolled in the annals of Germany among those princes who have most contributed to its luftre.

Declaration of the Elector of Hanover to the Diet of Ratisbon, upon the Subject of the Imperial Refcript of the 17th of October, 1796, (26th Vendemiaire) concerning the Roman Months.

THE

HE Hanoverian minifter declared to M. de Hengel, the Imperial commiffary, that the Imperial minifter has directly requested his Majefty, the King of Great Britain, elector of Hanover, to furnish a fresh and marked proof of his attachment to the Germanic conflitution, by giving a great example, and by labouring efficaciously at the diet of Ratifbon, not only to fix on a fufficient quantity of Roman months, but to pay immediately his quota.

There

There has been declared at the fame time, that it was neceffary that the Roman months fhall exceed one hundred. His Britannic Majefty has replied confidentially to his Imperial Majesty, that he would not, nor could anticipate the refolutions of his coeftates; and that he was about to be placed in circumstances which did not permit him to accede to what was demanded of him ; that fince the laft Roman months were granted the fyftem of war had abfolutely changed; the different states of the empire had made a feparate peace, to avoid the total ruin with which their country was menaced; that others had embraced a neutrality, in order to protect their fubjects; and that the profperity which the latter enjoyed proved that they had obtained a falutary end; that the whole face of affairs had totally changed; and that the relations of his Britannic Majefty, in his quality of elector and prince of the empire, were known, and oppofed the Imperial demands; that he could not in confequence consent to the furnishing of new Roman months for the continuation of this calamitous war, much lefs to contribute directly, because the negociations begun at París, which promised a happy termination for the tranquillity of Europe, and which were known to his Imperial Majefty, would oblige his Britannic Majefty to avoid any step that might caft an unfavourable colour upon his perfonal character.

I.

Decree publifhed at Modena on the 18th of October.

EVERY fpecies of feudal jurifdiction is from this moment

abolished.

II. The feudal officers of every kind and rank fhall be confirmed until the new order of the committee of government, who fhall preserve them or fupprefs them after information taken upon them.

III. All feudal rights and revenues received under the ancient government, or to be received, fhall remain until the new order in the national treafury.

IV. With refpect to the odious privileges of hunting and fishing, the committee will immediately publish a proclamation to fatisfy the general impatience to see them fuppreffed.

V. The allodial rights fhall remain to the founders in abfolute property.

VI. Whatever concerns the immediate abolition of fiefs, and of every feudal jurifdiction, shall extend to infeoffments made under a burthenfome title.

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Report made on the 27th Vendemiaire (Of. 18), to the Council of Elders, by Lafond de Ladebat, upon the State of the National Treafury, and upon the Amount of the Receipts and Expenses of the Fourth Year, as given in Roederer's Journal of the 29th of

October.

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833,333 1,083,333

5. The minifter valued at 150,000,000 in each (6,250,000l. fterling), the amount of the arrears of the contributions and public revenues, and at 150,000,000 national property, which may ftill be difpofed of, befides the milliard deftined for the defenders of the country.

6. The whole of the quotas of the forced loan amounts to a fum of 432,893,884 franks (18,037,2451. fterling), upon which there are still due 231,172,252 franks (9,632,1771. fterling).

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7. The

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