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strengthened the ties by which they were united. Their reciprocal intereft is therefore fo intimately connected and interwoven, and their determination fo firm, that it would be impoffible to obftru&t the operations of one of them, without forcing the others most warmly to embrace bis caufe. Of this defeription is especially the fituation of her Imperial majesty with respect to the king of Great Britain; fo that in cafe of need, her Imperial hajefly would be obliged to affift and support him to the utmost extent of her power, but fortunately fach connections fubfit between his Catholic majesty and the king of Great Britain, in confequence of -feveral treaties renewed in the year 1793, as can never cease to be dear to his Catholic majefty, and neither the conveniency nor usefulness of which can have been leffened by a change of affairs produced by the molt imperious circumftances.

This important confideration, in addition to that which proceeds from the favourable difpofition of his Catholic majefty towards the common caufe, cannot but render her Imperial majefty perfectly eafy with refpect to the conduct which his Catholic majefty is likely to purtue. Her Imperial majefty is of opinion, that it will be both candid and fincere, and it would be painful for her to fuppofe, that in any cafe whatever, his Catholic majefty could favour measures, tend. ing to obftruct and oppofe the avowed porpofes of the three allied

courts.

You, fir, will adopt the most proper means officially to communicate to the miniftry of his Catholic majesty the tenor of this difpatch, and to make it the fubject

of a conference you are to request of the Prince of Peace.

(Signed) COUNT OSTERMAN.

The Anfower of his Excellency the Prince of Peace zo M. de Bulzow, dated Santa Cruz, March 17, 1796. 1 HAVE received your letter of the 22d of Februrry, with ☛ copy of the dispatch, which you, Sir, have received from your court by the laft courier from London, and must return you in answer, that the King, my mafter, has with much pleasure learned the friendly terms, in which, on the part of her Imperial Majefty, he has been acquainted with the close alliance concluded with the courts of Vienna and London, which cer tainly cannot have been the result of the circumstances which existed in Poland, at the time when the forces of her Imperial Majefty might have been employed at a point, where all thofe monarchs who united for the prefervation of their existence, and the mutual fupport of their rights, rallied. At that period, the King, my matter, gave the frongeft proofs of his grief at the misfortune of a beloved coufin, and forefaw that his dominions were drawing near that univerfal corruption, which refults from madnefs without bounds. He waged war against tyrants, but was unable to learm who they were, for he did not know, following the capricious diftates of their levity, who were the good Frenchmen that defended: the cause of their king. He was. only able to difcern, that bute a few, victims of their fenfe of honour, were his true adherents, who followed him to the grave. The defire of the King, my mafter, was, however, fo earnest, that:

not

notwithstanding the ill-founded hopes held out by the combined powers, he profecuted the most vigorous and most expenfive war. There was no fovereign but the King endeavoured to prevail upon, by the moft advantageous propofals, to join his Majesty; notwithstanding this requeft was addreffed to the Empreis at different times, fince the laft months of 1791, and during the year 1792, by M. de Galvez, Spanish minifter in Ruffia, and M. de Zinowief, who refided in the fame quality at Madrid, but especially in October 1792, and December 1793, when M. de Amat, then Spanish chargé d'affaires at Petersburgh, and foon after M. de Oris, minister of his Catholic Majefty, had long conferences on this fubject, the former with count Ofterman, and the latter with count Betborodko. Notwithstanding all this, there did not exift the least circumftance which promised an active co-operation on the part of the Empress, nor does it appear that the occupation of Poland could have prevented her from co-operating in favour of the common caufe. It was under these circumstances that the King, my mafter, no doubt from fear and apprehenfion of finifter confequences for his kingdom, refolved to make peace, convinced, that if he were left without assistance in the war, that fupport, which might be promifed him for the attainment of peace, would prove ftill lefs efficacious. This is the true fituation of Spain, and his Catholic Majefty obliges himself to fulfil whatever he has promised for the benefit of the common caufe, in which at the fame time he must, for the future, decline participa

tion in any measure, which has no certain and confiftent object. (Signed)

THE PRINCE OF PEACE. Note fent by Baron de Budberg, Chargé d'Affairs from Ruffia, at Stockholm, to the Foreign Minifters, relative to the non-admission of M. de Schwerin, who went to Petersburg for the Purpose of notifying the marriage about to take place between his Sawedish Majefty and the Prin cefs of Mecklenburg Schwerin.

THE Empress having given orders to M. the Count d'Öftermann, to acquaint the Swedish ambaffador, that the miffion of M. de Schwerin not being agreeable to her Majesty, he could not be admitted; the chargé d'affairs (M. de Budberg) has received orders to declare that the motive of this refufal was founded as much on the unfriendly proceeding of the Regent, as on the principles of his political conduct with regard to Ruffia. Both the one and the other being diametrically oppofite to thofe ties of affection, of friendfhip. and of good neighbourhood, which originally have been the basis of this fort of miffions, and which have never been adopted between courts that were not united by fimilar ties, or being fo, have not taken care to cultivate and fulfil the duties of them. That this was the situation, as to Russia, in which Sweden had been placed, fince the Duke de Sundermania, who holds the reins of government, not content with having formerly infulted her Majefty the Emprefs, in endeavouring to furprize her by infidious and delufive overtures and propofitions, entered into a public treaty with the French affembly, with those men who

folemnly

folemnly infulted the memory of the late King, by erecting a monument to the memory of his execrable affaffin. That her Majefty the Emprefs was neither ignorant of the motive nor the object of thofe treaties. That it was notorious that the Regent had recently received from the French a fum of money to be employed in armaments, and that he was now in full negotiation with them for a treaty of alliance, the principal ftipulations of which are directed againft Ruffia; fo that her Majefty the Emprefs had every reafon to expect an approaching rupture on the part of Sweden, unless the King's coming of age, (which, happily for the repofe of that kingdom and of the north, was an event not far diftant,) fhould put a flop to it, and thereby avoid this lamentable extremity.

Tenor of the Letters of Convication addreffed by the King of Pruffia, as Duke of Magdebourg, and of the Duke of Brunswick, as Co-Director of the Circle of Lower Saxony, to the different States defined to enjoy the Advantages of the Neutrality. We, by the Grace of God, Frederic William, King of Pruflia, &c. Charles William, Duke of Brunfwick, &c.

THE apprehenfion of a speedy opening of a new campaign with France, and the new dangers to which Germany will be expofed by the chance of a war that has already been fo fatal to her, have determined us, the King, in confequence of our folicitude and patriotic attachment, and in confequence of the pacific relations which we maintain with France, to diftribute as much as poffible to our co-eftates of the north, the ineftimable bleffing of repofe and fecurity

from the troubles and misfortunes of war; that is to fay, as far as these ftates will on their part accord with our intentions, which are of general utility. To this end negotiations have already been entered into with the French government, relative to a new line of neutrality, and in order to be able with the more efficacy to affure that neutrality, and to afford protec tion and fafety to the ftates comprifed within it, we, the King, are ready to march a confiderable army; and we, the Duke, have alfo taken a refolution to reinforce that army with, our troops, the Electoral Court of Brunswick Lunenburg having alfo manifefted the fame intentions. Thefe combined, troops being therefore to protect the neutrality of the north of Germany, it is as juft as it is abfolutely indifpenfable, that they should be provided and provifioned by the Rates which thall enjoy this advan-. tage, and that each, individually, fhould haften in proportion to its means, to procure them the neceffary provifions. But this object requires on account of the urgency of circumftances, the most speedy. difpofitions. The most proper means for attaining this end is by the convocation of a common and extraordinary affembly of all, the Upper States of the Circles of Lower Saxony, with the States of the Lower Rhine and of Weftphalia, as well as of the other States that shall be comprised in the line of neutrality, in order that we may be able to deliberate upon this fubject, and to regulate the diftribution of the maintenance of the troops upon an equitable footing, proportioned to the faculties of each flate; for on the speedy furnishing. of the objects neceflary for this

maintenance will alone depend the maintenance of the common fafety of the north of Germany."

Thofe, therefore, whofe territory is comprised in the faid line of neutrality, and which, confequently, will enjoy the benefit of this protection, being principally implicated in this cafe, we have, in our quality of Prince and Director of the Circle of Lower Saxony, addretled to them conjointly the prefent Letter of Convocation, in order to unite them to affemble, by their deputies, furnished with the neceffary inftructions. on the 20th of the month of June, in the town of Hildefhein. We have no doubt that they acknowledge, in its full extent, the urgency of the cafe, and of the actual conjunctions, as well as of the importance it is to procure to the north of Germany fecurity and repofe; and that in confequence they will adhere and contribute every thing that can attain the common end, fufficiently in time to avoid being furprifed by danger.

We, the King, fhall depute to the common affembly of the States, our intimate Counfellor Von Dohm, directorial minitter to the Circle of the Lower Rhine and Weftphalia, and plenipotentiary to the Electoral court of Cologne, furnished with neceffary powers; and we entreat, very amicably, this affembly to give from this time faith and confidence to all that he may propofe on our part, upon the fubject of the affairs in queftion.

April 22. ROYAL PRUSSIAN EDICT. Frederick William, by the Grace of God, &c.

WE have fignified to the ambaffador of the French republic, Caillard, by a note from our ca

binet miniftry, that we will permit fuch national Frenchmen, who refide in our dominions as our tearporary fubjects, (Subditi tempararii) and who have real right to the protection of the French nation, and with to preferve thofe rights, to get their names infcribed in a regifter which will be opened for that purpofe by the faid ambaffador, but in fuch a manner, that all thofe fubjects fhall, the fame as before, remain our temporary fubjects, (Subditi temporari:) that they likewife fhall fubmit to our laws, ordinances, and jurifdiction, and not make the leaft pretentions to any immunities granted by the law of nations only to ambaffadors, and the perfons actually belonging to emballies.

We have further given orders to inform the faid Caillard, that the national Frenchmen, qualified as above, are at liberty to wear the French national cockade in our dominions, but the wearing of the faid cockade is hereby rigidly forbidden to all other perfons. therefore refults from thefe premifes:

It

That the wearing of the cockade thall be confined to Frenchmen of the afore-mentioned defcription, together with the ambaflador, and the perfons belonging to the embally.

2. That national Frenchmen fhall all be entitled to have their names regiftered, the regiftering to relate only to their connection with France, and to leave them fubject, as before, to our laws, ordinances, and iurifdi&tion; as our temporary fubjects.

3. That all perfons belonging to the French colonies cftablished in our dominions; farther, all French. men in our fèrvice, by oath of allegiance

allegiance and duty, even if they do not belong to the above-mentioned colonies; as likewife all those in general who are described by this article as our perpetual fubjects, (Subditi perpetui) fhall not have a right to have their names infcribed in that regifter, or to wear the French national cockade.

Berlin, 16 July.

Declaration of the King of Pruffia, put against the Gates of the City of NuTemburg, July 5.

HIS majefty the king of Pruffia, our most gracious Lord, makes known by this public notice to all magifterial perfons, burghers and fubjects, and moft gracioufly declares, that in taking poffeffion, by virtue of the judgments of the Aulic council of the empire, given in the years 1583 and 1587, refpecting his territorial fovereignty, as far as the gates of the Imperial city of Nuremburg-all private property fhall remain inviolate: no perfon be oppofed in the exercise of his well-acquired rights and privileges, but that he rather fhall be protected therein by his Majefty; and every poffeffion fhall quietly remain in the enjoyment of all territorial and feudal impofis and duties.

His Majefty will only exercife the rights of fovereignty to him beJonging, and grant farther to the inhabitants of the fuburbs of Nuremburg, his fovereign affurance, that they and thofe who belong to thein, fhall be exempt from all military duty and levy.

In other refpects, every one is hereby cautioned to demean himfelf quietly and calmly, and to fhew the more respect to the military, as they will obferve the belt difcipline on their part, and avoid every excels.

By his majefty's moft gracious

and fpecial command.

HARDENBERG.

Anfpach, July 3d, 1796.

Nuremberg, August 16. Submission of the Imperial City of Nuremberg, to the King of Pruffia.

OUR magiftrates have, under the prefent circumftances, applied to the Pruffian minister of ftate, Baron Von Hardenberg, teftifying to his excellency the general with of the citizens to live in future under the beneficent laws of his Pruffian majefty. His excellency did not hesitate to intercede for us with the French commander in chief, general Jourdan, to obtain a fixed contribution in lieu of all requifitions, which has been granted accordingly until the pleasure of the French Directory fhall be known. In other refpects, Baron Von Hardenberg made anfwer to our deputies, that it was beneath the dignity of his fovereign to take advantage of our prefent fituation, that his majefty would defer making known to us his real fentiments till we fhall be fully at liberty to announce our wishes according to the forms of our present conftitution. Declaration delivered to the Magiftrates of Nuremberg on the 29th of September, 1796, by the Pruffian Minifter, Baron Von Hardenberg, relative to the Propofal of its being united with the King's Dominions.

THE underfigued has the honour in the name of the king, his moft gracious mafter, to declare to the most worfhipful the magiftrates and burghers of the city of Nuremberg, that the proof of confidence and attachment which it gave to his majefty, by the voluntary offer of fubmitting to his fceptre, made in fo folemn and decided a manner, has been received by his majesty

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