micile, as having entered into a connection with the enemy, to the ruin of the country, in cafe it appears, that after the promulgation of the proclamation they have had any knowledge of it, and have not informed the office of conveys and licences within twenty-four hours, or have not informed the adminiftration of the place where they dwell. 4. It is alfo forbidden, under the fame penalties, to the inhabitants of this republic, to accept or pay any bills of exchange drawn from Great Britain. 5. The exact execution of our present serious refolution is confided to our committee for the affairs of the marine, with the particular injunction to neglect no means to watch over fuch an importation, with the authority to eftablith in the neceffary places, either in the towns or in the flat countries, fuch fhall be published and ftuck up. We direct and entreat the fupreme authorities to make the neceifary difpofitions, in order that our prefent object may be duly effected; and more especially to direct all the municipalities in each province, to lend every affiftance to the committee for the affairs of the marine, and to fupport it against all oppofition to the accomplishment of the duties impofed on our committee, by our prefent pro'clamation. 8. This proclamation fhall be fent to the committees for the affairs of the marine, and for the East India trade, in order to ferve as information and advice to them. Done in the national assembly at the Hague, Sept. 16, 1796, fecond year of Batavian liberty. (Signed) J. J. CAMBIFR. D. VAN LAER. extraordinary furveyors, receivers, Proclamation of the States General of or clerks, as they fhall judge neceffary, in order to fulfil our intentions. 6. The committee for the affairs of the marine is qualified, in cafe of the feizure of the effects prohibited in Art. 1. to order de plano (without form of procefs) upon its vefponfibility, the confifcation, and to effect the depofit in the neceffary magazines mentioned in Art. 2. In confequence, in this refpect, the ordinary form of proceeding is fufpended in cafes of frauds committed with regard to the marine rights, and to every contravention of the placards iffued on that fubject, which fhall remain fufpended with respect to thofe who fhall prefent themselves as defenders in the affairs above-mentioned. 7. The prefent proclamation 1 the United Provinces. THE ftates general of the Unit ed Provinces to all thofe who may fee or hear thefe prefents, health and fraternity: Be it known, that in compliance with the with and defire of the Batavian people, and the approbation of the refpective confederates, we have paffed an act, according to which a general national affembly for the adminiftration of fœderal affairs, as well as to form the plan of a conftitution for all the republic, to be submitted to the approbation or refufal of the Batavian nation, thould be convoked and put in activity: that this important work, of fo great an intereft for our country, has been conducted actually, under the divine benediction, by the choice of the citizens having the a conftitution, under the approbation of the whole people as may be proper to regulate and establish its happinefs on a ftable footing, and may also affure ourselves firmly that this affembly will employ the power and authority which have been trufted to it, in fuch a manner as may be neceffary for the fafety and well-being of our country; by means of which all and each will be able to enjoy individual liberty, under the protection of the law to defend their own interefts in union with the general interefts, and to aflift the profperity of the republic to advance in fuch a manner as that he may be restored to her ancient fplendour, and that her importance abroad may be re-established and defended as in former times. We pray and require, therefore, the reprefentatives of the people in the refpective provinces, the country of Drenthe and Batavian Brabant, to publish and affix our prefent proclamation in all places where it is the cuftom to make fuch publication and affixing: we order at the fame time, all and every one whom it may concern, to acknowledge the faid national affembly as fuch, and to obey it according to the act paffed before; and we inform by the prefent, the military as well as others, that as foon as this national affembly fhall be folemnly conftituted, they will pafs immediately into the fervice of the faid affembly, and will be obliged to pay it the fame obedience they have until now owed us; forafmuch as we declare, by our prefent proclamation, publicly and folemnly, that all authority which may have belonged to our affembly will then pafs, with our confent confent, into the hands of the above-named national affembly. Done and decreed in the abovementioned affembly of the lords of the ftates general of the United Provinces, at the Hague, this 19th day of February, 1796. (Signed) By order, Proclamation of the Dutch National Convention for manning the Navy, published at the Hague, March 16. CITIZENS OF THE NETHERLANDS! Dear Countrymen, THE unjust and deftructive war in which we have been involved by the British miniftry cannot but attract our whole attention. It is the first object of our folicitude, that by our courage and prudence in the conduct of it, we may procure an honourable peace, firmly eftablish our freedom, and maintain the independence of the ftate, and the glory of our ancestors. Our navy, under divine providence, is the natural and only means to fet bounds to the immeafurable infolence of the British miniftry, and to defend our country against their treacherous conduct and cruel treatment. To this object the endeavours of the beft patriots have been uniformly directed fince the time when our heavy chains were broken by the afliftance of our French brethren, fince the day when the Stadtholder left the Batavian fhores, the day when we began to breathe a freer air, and were at liberty to exert ourselves for the improvement of the fources of our profperity, our trade, our fitheries, our navigation, our colonies, and, our manufactures. By their navy, fellow citizens, did our ancestors become great. The Batavian flag was known, feared, and honoured in each of the four quarters of the world. Under our late government it was infulted, and became the ridicule of nations. It is therefore our firft duty to restore our marine. The zeal of the committee of marine has done much, where nothing fcarcely had before been done. Its exertions were inceffant. Ent in the prefent state of our navy, all hands feem to have loft the habits, and all hearts the inclination neceffary for the fervice. The Batavian youth are no longer accuftomed to the labours requifite on board the armed fleets of their country. Is our nation then lefs brave, lefs indignant against its enemies; or do we lefs love our native land than in the time of a Ruyter or a Tromp ? -No, fellow citizens, no; far from us be fuch a thought! We rely with confidence on your patriotism, and cannot doubt but you will act with vigour in the prefent critical fituation of our country; for why fhould we conceal that fuch is our fituation, when to make it known muft procure the remedy? Our fhips, which are very numerous, and more than fufficient to fecure us a fuperiority in our feas, and to cut off from the enemy all fupplies of provifions and ftores from the north, and thus compel them to peace-our fhips are in want of men. The recruitings proceed with langour, and the measures hitherto taken have had little effect. Nor should this excite our wonder: they were of a partial nature, and not in confequence of the expreffion of the will of the affembly, reprefentative of the whole Batavian republic. This will is now made known: known: fupported by you it fhall deliver our country. Let the people be called together in all the towns and villages of the Netherlands. Let the example of Haerlem be proposed to them; that town fo zealous for liberty, that it has already raised two hundred young men for the navy. Let all the conftituted authorities remind the Batavian youth, that their country looks up to them for her defence; they will not be deaf to her call. The time of oppreffion is paft. The fleet of the republic is under the command of true patriots, who do not confider their comrades as flaves, but as fellow citizens.The attention of the reprefentatives of the people will be continually directed to provide for the wants of the mariner, and they will confider the rewarding of heroism and faithful fervice, as the most pleafing part of their great labours. Let, therefore, fathers exhort their fons; fifters, their brothers; and the people in general, the youth of the country, to acts of heroifm, and to engage in the naval fervice, to maintain the honour of the Batavian flag, and defend their native land. When they thall thus nobly have fulfilled their duty, they will find their reward in our tender care for them and their relatives, in the approbation of every noble mind, and the congratulations and gratitude of all their countymen. VAN DE CASTEELE. Manifefto against Great Britain, by the National Affembly reprefenting the Batavian Nation. THE Batavian nation, once more unjufily attacked by the kingdom of Great Britain, has just taken up arms. This nation, fo often ill treated, oppreffed, trod upon, and pillaged, under the matk of friendthip, now animated and excited by liberty, and at length breathing for the first time after fo long an interval, refumes the primitive energy of its brave and valorous character, courageoufly rears its head, and will no longer fuffer its profperity to be undermined by envious neighbours. It will no longer allow itfelf to be dragged in the duft; and it will ceafe to be the fport of the infamous and ambitious minifters of England, who, by the dazzle of piratical treasures, blind the English nation, which fancies itfelf to be free, with respect to the terrible calamities they have brought on Europe, and on the whole of the human race. Batavian people will defend their rights and their independence; they will fave their country from the ruin by which it is threatened. The Will Europe ftill doubt, that the Batavian republic has not rightfully drawn the fword from the fheath, when the is conftrained to a juft defence? Will Europe ftill doubt that the Batavian republic has been led to the very brink of utter deftruction, by the difaftrous policy of the fame ministry? Will Europe ftill doubt that the regene rated Batavian republic will not, with the help of its illuftricus ally, vigorously repel the arrogant domination of the English cabinet, and will not confolidate the liberty fo dearly and periloufly acquired, at the expence even of all by which the is interested? When England attempted, by American colonies, which the had the force of arms, to fubjugate her driven to a juft infurrection, and when adopted to put a stop to thefe unprecedented injuries, without, however, breaking with the kingdom of Great Britain, was employ→ ed by their high mightinefles.-This mode confifted in joining with all poffible speed the alliance of the three northern powers, concerted by the emprefs of Ruffia, and deftined to protect, by the force of arms, the rights of the neutrał nations, each of them more or less violated by England. when the fcourge of war extended as elsewhere, our neutral territory. to other empires, the ftates general The only mode which could be of the united provinces were careful to obferve a firict neutrality; they did not fuffer Dutch veffels to tranfport any other commodities to America, thofe excepted which were declared free by the exprefs terms of treaties. The most efficacious precautions were carefully taken to prevent war-like ftores from being conveyed to the American coJonies, as well as to prevent any fraudulent commerce from being carried on withthem; precautions which did not a little fhackle and injure our own commerce to the West Indies. It availed the republic, however, but little, to obferve the conditions of treaties with exactnefs, as to what was by them prohibited; the English minifters confulting merely their temporary convenience, went fo far as to difpute what these very treaties allowed; they would not fuffer the republic to enjoy thofe very advantages of treaty which England hertelf had enjoyed in a fimilar cafe; but violating the rights of nations, they condemned the cargoes as prizes to the crown, and employed the materials in the royal arfenals; other veffels were forfeited by the arbitrary fentences of partial courts of juftice. The privateers and armed hips of England, feeing that their piracies were legalized, multiplied their depredations, and the merchant veifels of Holland daily became the victims of their brutalities. Finally, the atrocities of the British minifters were carried to fuch a point, that they no longer refpected the flag of the ftates, but carried a convoy of Dutch veffels into the ports of England, declaring fhips richly laden to be lawful prizes, and violating, as well in Europe Their high mightineffes, we fay, would have acceded to this treaty, had not an obftacle been thrown in the way by the perfidious machinations of the English cabinet. This was the fignal which led England to break every tie, to diftribute letters of marque for making repiifals on the inhabitants of the republic and their poffeffions, and to declare open war against the United States. A miniftry to which all means were alike, could not want pretexts for that purpose. It was not at the fame time difficult for their high mightineffes to demonftrate the frivolity of all thefe pretended grievances; but what purpofe could this aufwer with a rapacious, obftinate, and unjust ministry, which was defirous to revenge on a peaceable ally the lofs of the British colonies, and to appeafe, for a time at leaft, by the booty obtained by an unforeseen attack, the murmurs of the English nation? It was foon after learned, that the fquadrons and armed veffels of England captured, by virtue of orders already furnished, the Dutch veffels they fell in with beyond feas, without the fallett fufpicion on our fide, and against the faith of treaties. |