3. fervation of its integrity, and the recovery of the fpiritual and temporal privileges of the feveral states of the empire; but by no means for the fake of intermeddling with the internal conceras of France, or for that of making conquests), will now finally feel itself inclined, after a devastation which has lasted fo many years, to defift in the fame manner from this forced war with the empire, and to co-operate by proper means to effect an equitable, decent, and acceptable peace.. That it is, notwithstanding, not lefs adviseable and expedient to prepare, in cafe the farther continuation of the war fhould become unavoidable, with a general resistance on the part of the empire, which fhall be reinforced as much as poffible, and to prepare for that purpofe, every thing that fhall be required for a future campaign, by virtue of the decrees of the empire, and the more urgent dangers of the country. 4. That in this refpect, the Emperor is to be requested to use his best offices, in the further co-operation of the empire, and with the affiftance of the King of Pruffia, to obtain a previous armistice, which may contribute to obtain a fpeedy and acceptable peace, agreeable to the Germanic conftitution, and correfponding with the ftipulations of the treaty of Weftphalia.* To an Application made to Lord Grenville by the English Conful at Amfterdam, Lord St. Helen was directed to fend the following anfwer. SIR, Hague, 10th October, 1794. ORD Grenville having received a letter from you, in which you state, that in confequence of the progrefs lately made by the enemy on the frontier of this Republic, a general confternation had taken place at Amfterdam, which had produced a confiderable emigration of the inhabitants of that city, and that it might, therefore, be expedient, that some affiftance fhould be furnished by Great Britain to fuch other perfons as might be difpofed to leave that place with their effects; I am directed by his Lordship to inform you, that his Majefty, far from being difpofed to affiit or facilitate any fuch einigration, wifhes to check and difcourage it as much as poffible, confidering it as highly prejudicial to the interests of the Republic, as well as of the common cause. *A paper a Vienna contains the following, as the terms upon which France has agreed a peace may be concluded: I. France will cede the Auftrian Low Countries to a Prince of the Empire. IV. The restoration of the French Welt India Iflands fhall be guaranteed to France. y, Holland to become a free republic, and independent of the Stadtholder. I beg leave to recommend it to you to take every proper opportunity of making known those fentiments of his Majefty, particularly to thefe perfons whofe conduct they may be likely to in fluence. I I am, with great esteem and regard, Sir, Your moft obedient and most humble fervant, (Signed) H. Pye Rich, Efq. Amfterdam. ST. HELEN. From the London Gazette, Jan. 17, 1795. At the Court at St. James's the 16th of January, 1795, prefent the King's Moft Excellent Majefty in Council. HIS Majefty, judging it expedient under the prefent circumftances, to admit into the ports of this kingdom all goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects belonging to the fubjects or inhabitants of the United Provinces, or to any of his Majefty's fubjects who may have goods, wares, merchandizes, or effects in the faid United Provinces, in order that the fame may be preferved in safe custody, is pleased, by and with the advice of his privy council, to order, as it is hereby ordered, that all goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects whatsoever, coming directly from any of the ports of the United Provinces to any of the ports of this kingdom, in the veffels of any country, and navigated in any manner, be permitted until further order, to be landed, and to be fecured in warehouses, under the joint locks of his Majefty and of the proprietors, at the rifk and expense of the faid proprietors, there to remain in fafe cuftody, for the benefit of the proprietors thereof, until due provision fhall be made by law, to enable fuch proprietors to re-export, or otherwife difpofe of the fame. And the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of his Majesty's Treasury are to give the necessary directions herein accordingly, W, FAWKNER, Papers Relative to Neutral Powers. GENO A. Note delivered by Mr. Drake, the British Minister to the Republic of Genoa, dated the 5th of October, 1793. THE HE agitation into which Europe is plunged by anarchy, and the crimes of the men who ravage France, fince the factions have ufurped the reigns of that empire, is too well known to the Serene Republic of Genoa, and it is therefore unneceffary to retrace the picture of them. Not content with having destroyed even the very appearance of good order in their own country, thefe factions have made, and yet make, the greatest efforts for fapping the foundations of all the other governments of Europe, themselves being occupied in establishing principles which invite mankind to rife up against all legitimate authority, and to break all bonds moral and civil. Their intentions in this refpect are recorded in their formal decrees, to give fraternity and affistance to all people who with "to revolt and recover their liberty."-A liberty, commenced and fupported by crimes and cruelties which make humanity fhudder: A liberty, a thousand times more insupportable than the defpotifm the most grievous and bloody of which the history of the world can offer an example ;-a liberty, in fhort, without law, without perfonal fecurity, but characterised by terror, by fufpicion, by the deftruction of the property of individuals, and by the most unbridled licentioufnefs: they have already fought to put their principles in execution in feveral countries. Their declarations of war, not lefs unjust than infidious, made against the King of England as well as against all the other fovereigns of Europe; their different invafions, in contempt of the moft folemn treaties, in Flanders, in Holland, in the empire, in the dominions of the Pope and thofe of his Sardinian Majefty; the fpeedy diforganization of the ancient governments of thofe countries, where they have established no other law than their difaftrous anarchy, furnish inconteftable proofs of it. The principal powers of Europe have at length united themselves to stop the progrefs of a contagion which leads to the deftruction of all focial ties. Their first efforts have not been without fuccefs; and the prefent fituation of France, the forces employed against it promise the most happy termination. If any power from fentiments of prudence or fear has not yet been able to exprefs its adherence to fo good a caufe, (the object of which is the preservation of religion, government, and the lives and property of all honeft individuals) the fame motives exift no longer, and the allied powers, who have already made fuch great facrifices for stopping the progrefs of the French, have a right to require the neutral powers to join them. In other times and in other circumstances, neutrality might be laudable, but in this moment it is not poffible; for no state whatever can remain an indifferent fpectator, much lefs one having connexions with the deftroyers of France, without being reputed an adherent to their deteftable principles; without exciting the refentment and the just fufpicions of other states, and above all of the ftates their neighbours; without having its territory regarded as a peftilential focus which receives and preferves in its bofom the enemies of the whole universe; and confequently without running the risk of vengeance which would be but too well founded, and furnishing motives for reviving old claims which it is for the intereft of the Serene Republic fhould be forgotten. It is, then, time that all governments, that all honeft men should unite and immediately take firm and vigorous measures for preventing their own deftruction; for in circumstances so critical, if the good remain timid and inactive, it is to be feared that the law will be without energy, and that the fuperiority may change to the fide of the wicked. It is under the veil of a perfidious friendship, that the agents of those who themselves have feized the fupreme power in France, feek to undermine the foundations of the governments where they live, and to feize the first favourable opportunity to bring about a revolution equal to that which has spread devaftation and ruin over a country formerly fo flourishing, the Serene Republic cannot be ignorant of the fecret plots of those who are permitted to refide in the city and territory of Genoa, who, as agents of that atrocious faction, carry on a dark correfpondence with the evil minded perfons of Piedmont of Milan, and of Lombardy, and audaciously use the most perfidious manoeuvres to feduce the citizens even of Genoa, where they are already permitted to act the mafter, violating the rights of the people in the port, outraging with impunity all thofe who will not become their accomplices, and infringing the moft facred laws of nations. It is unfortunately but too true that they have found means to gain partizans among fome people who might have been expected to be very far from nourishing fentiments fo little compatible with the honour and the interefts of their country, and fo irreconcileable with the form of the government under which the Republic has flourished for centuries; but these perfons ought to know that the firft authors of a revolution are almost always its first victims. It It is, then, from these confiderations and to teftify the true and fincere intereft that the King my mafter takes in the prefervation and profperity of the Republic, that the undersigned minifter plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majefty invites the Serene Government to repel the dangers which menace it; to co-operate with the allied powers in re-eftablifhing order, and a permanent peace in Europe; to cut all ties whatever with the prefent rulers of France, and to drive from its bofom all their agents and adherents. No motives of fear can prevent the Republic from declaring itself; for the undersigned affures it of the protection of the powerful fleets of the King his master. The naval forces that the selfftyled National Convention of France had lately at its difpofal, are no longer in its power, nor can they again lie in the hands of the Convention in any change which can happen. The flags of England, Spain, and Naples fly without the leaft interruption in all the Mediterranean, and a part of the naval armaments of the two first powers are already in the port of the Republic, ready to fupport its decifion; and all the combined forces, if wanted, may directed to the fame purpose. The Republic never pronounced on a more important question. In adopting the propofitions now made it has all to gain and nothing to lofe its government; its commerce; the fortunes of Genoefe individuals will be fecured from the system of robbery and deftruction that the abettors of the Convention with to propagate. All the ports of Italy and thofe of France which are, or may be under the protection of the allies, will be opened to it: it will conciliate by this the affection of all the powers in Europe, particularly of England, and of that for which it ought to have the dearest friend hip as having formed the bafis of its public profperity, and the riches of its inhabitants. A neutrality, on the contrary, which by the pofition of the Republic tends neceffarily to feed the war, and to prolong calamity, is for the allied powers a fituation even more alarming and infinitely more prejudicial than a state of decided hoftility: the Republic, then, will rather join thofe powers than raife difcuffions greatly prejudicial to commerce, (on which depends its political existence,) and expofe itfelf in the end to incalculable misfortunes. The underfigned has the honour to request the fecretary of state to prefent his refpectful homage to the Serene Government in communicating the fentiments expreted in the prefent note.-He flatters himself that the Serene Republic will receive them as the most complete proof of the love of the King his master, and of his Majesty's defire to perpetuate and confolidate the harmony and good understanding which have fo long exifted between their refpective ftates: he makes no doubt that the Serene Republic will anfwer by an immediate decifion precife and conformable to the opinion that his Majefty entertains of its juftice, prudence, and wifdom. |