from the pleasure of his Imperial majesty. (Signed) FINKENSTEIN, ALVENSLEBEN, respecting the opening of the ne- The Members of the General Adminisa Upon the question put in the said communication by his high ness, the above-mentioned Imperial minister, we shall not omit to reply, that his majesty charged major-general count Von Goltz, when his majesty sent him some time ago to Basle, concerning the exchange of prisoners, to sound at the same time the sentiments of the French nation, with regard to a peace and the means of obtaining it. The illness and subsequent death of the said count have, however, prevent ed all farther intimations. But nothing has been done in this respect, relative to the Germanic empire, nor could any thing be done, as the king's majesty had to wait in this respect the above-mentioned Impe. rial ratification, the advice of the empire containing propositions of peace, and the further overtures LEGISLATORS, amid the united voices that express the ge neral satisfaction produced by your inviolable attachment to the prin. ciples of liberty, equality, jus. tice, and probity, the administrators of East-Flanders present the homage of their attachment, and express their eagerness to see ef. fected the incorporation of this interesting part of Belgium with the French republic. Yes, legislators, the inhabitants of this fine country are worthy of being French citizens. The love of liberty, that sacred fire which burns in your hearts, burns also in theirs. Frank in their character, energetic in their sentiments, they daily express their joy at the recital of the new tri. umphs, which, in the most rigo. rous season, procured to France the conquest of all Holland. A great number of their countrymen have long since given other proofs of their attachment to the republic. In your armies they have shed their blood for liberty, because they felt its worth, and abhorred every spe. cies of tyranny. They declare, that by releasing them from despotism, you have restored to them their country, which they will cherish for ever; and they feel in their hearts hearts the principles and laws you have proclaimed. They would be at the height of their wishes if these salutary laws were executed - in Belgium. Can you, legislators, refuse them the advantage of participating in the war and the prosperity of the French. Letter from the Representatives of the Legislators, CALLED by the authority of your colleagues, under circumstances of difficulty, to the important and delicate functions of the administration of Belgium, we were to Prussels, Feb. 15. keep two points in view; the glory, the prosperity of the republic, and the happiness of the inhabitants of these provinces. Such were the views of the Belgians who sat among us, such the views of the French who share our labours. Public confidence reposes upon us, and it shall not be deceived. The sound and enlightened part of the people of Belgium have long as pired to a real incorporation with the French republic. They have demanded it more than once, and the reception you gave their demand two years ago, nourished the hope of their seeing the happy day in which they might say with enthusiasm, "We are Frenchmen.." Your colleagues, by their procla mations, have already given to merited contempt divers agents denounced by public opinion, agents whose self-sufficiency and conduct formed so singular a con. trast to republican manners. These proclamations tend to assure to the Belgians subsistence, and whatever is necessary for the preservation of their trade and manufactures. They have put a stop, in a great measure, to the evil of requisitions, and removed Citizen Colleagues, THE central administrators of Belgium request us to transmit to you an address, in which they express in the most formal and precise terms, their wish for a speedy incorporation of their country with the French republic. In doing this, they observe, that they are only the organs of a majority of the people, who are eager to bear the name of Frenchmen, and to be associated in the glory of which that name calls up the idea. We received at the same time an ad dress to the same effect from the commune of Mons. All the communes of Belgium express the same eagerness on this head; they all ardently desire that you would put an end to the state of uncertainty, in which their civil and political existence has fluctuated, since you for the second time rescued them from the yoke of tyranny. We Ovite you to consider in your wisdom their demand, and to pro. nounce a union, which we have promised in your name, and of which we think them worthy to VOL. XXXVII. R moved the impediments to commerce. Hasten, legislators, to complete our regeneration. Bel. gium, has suffered enough. Too long has it vegetated with half its liberty; it is time that it should recover the whole, and resume its ancient station among the Gauls. Pronounce the union, and you will destroy the ramifications of liberticide factions; you will silence the calumniators who insinuate to an honest and industrious people, that sacrifices have been required of them only to replunge them into slavery: you will defeat the hopes of those, who, for the reign of vir _tue, of justice, and the laws, would substitute a justly abhorred system of terror. If the Belgians have : sometimes suffered themselves to be misled by hypocrites, they are not less deserving of your esteem upon that account, for what peoeple is there whose energy has not been paralized at some time or ano. ther by ambitious men or pretendred patriots? To you, legislators, it was reserved to lay the unperish. able foundations of a republic, in which the love of principles will be the sole guide of the citizens. Recollect, however, that the Belgians, destitute of all means, and strong only in their courage, chased Laway their despot while France vas still groaning under her's. While Batavia was receiving chains from an ambitious woman, did not Belgium give the first signal of the glorious revolution which you have accomplished? Did not Belgium, in 1787, give the first commotion to the conductor, whose parts electrified 25 millions of men who now enjoy liberty? Did not 30 battalions of Belgians and Lie. -gois share the perils of the heroes of the republic? No, legislators, you will not suffer this people to be longer without a civil existence. You will not suffer us to be any longer an object of traffic for the tyrants of London, of Vienna, and Bersin. The French people will not make slaves. That generous people, which merits the admira. tion of the universe, is formed to love the Belgians, and to fraternize with them. Why defer proclaim. ing this union? it is then that the people of these countries will see their wounds begin to heal, and that their numerous sacrifices will seem light, because they will be sure of reaping the benefit of them. Hasten then, legislators, when our inhabitants shall go to learn of your Areopagus hatred of tyrants and love of virtue; when our youth, trained up in repub. lican principles, will early accustom themselves to fight in defence of liberty and equality. The wish of honest men is to see our destinies united to those of France. is our dearest hope, the only safety of Belgium. Vive la Conventim! Five la Republique ! This Done at Brussels, in the sitting of the 23d Pluviose (Feb. 11), third republican year. Letter from the Representatives of the French People with the Armies of the North, to the National Convention, dated Brussels, the 8th Ventose (26th February), 1795. Citizen Colleagues, I SEND you the wish of the city of Antwerp for its union with the republic. This desire is uttered throughout Belgium, in proportion as we draw near to the opening of the the campaign, and this ought to assure you of its sincerity. Men will not brave tyrants, at the mo. ment they present themselves to impose new chains upon them: they will not defy them, as it were, to their face, without an ardent love for liberty, and without a firm resolution to perish in its defence. Therefore the national convention has only to declare itself, and 40,000 Belgians are ready to unite themselves with the triumphant armies of the republic, to give the last blow to the impious coalition which dares to misrepresent it. Health and Fraternity. PERES. The Representatives of the People with the Army of the North, and Sambre and Meuse, in a Letter from Brussels of March 7th, 1795, wrote to the Committee of Public Safety as follows : BRUSSELS is tranquil, peace and content reign throughout Bel. gium. If any cries are heard, they are those of immediate union with the republic. I do not think it necessary to punish as seditious, the authors of such sentiments. The Belgians, at first alarmed by the military contributions which were required and the various requisitions which were made, now confess that the law of conquest was mildly exercised. In short, the salutary regulations of the committee of public safety, which had facilitated the payment of the contributions, which have restored the hostages to their families, which have broken the fetters of commerce, which have erected for the first time, in this despotic coun try, the noble institution of trial by jury; all these benefits united tend to conciliate the affection of all persons, by convincing them that the French republic is as gene. rous as it is powerful, and as bene. volent towards the people as terrible towards despots. Such are the Belgians, and when they are represented to you in an unfavourable light, it is only to induce you to maintain that barrier which has existed between you and them; but soon shall you overthrow it, and the people of both countries shall join heart and hand to combat tyranby and defend liberty. Health and Fraternity. (Signed) PERES. Address of the Magistrates of Antwerp to the National Convention of France, read on the 2d of March, 1795. REPRÉSENTATIVES, AT length all our sufferings will be ended. The benevolent decree of the committee of public safety, dated the 22d Pluviose, tranquillizes all hearts. Disposers of our destiny, you manifest unequivocal intentions to ascertain it for ever. All the inhabitants of our commune present you the just tribute of their gratitude. From all parts of our provinces the people, rejoiced at the sight of your exploits, admire the happy change you have just effected. Yes, citizens, all Europe, plunged in the horrors of fanaticism, hy. pocrisy pervading all hearts, despotism seated upon thrones, govern. ing with an iron rod in his hand, made of all Europe one unhappy family, enslaved by the arbitrary will of a species of individuals, whose R2 whose birth and distinguished origin seemed to entitle them to give laws to their equals. Nothing less than a magnanimous nation could subdue and disappoint the numerous plots which the declared enemies of the public good incessantly fonent against her-who may at length uproot the ancient tree of feudality, of despotism and tyran. ny, and cause the tree of liberty to flourish in its place. We begin to breathe: a happy fraternity, a beneficent liberty, a perfect equality will be the immu. table basis of our future felicity. Delighted with her happiness, which we presage from this auspicious fraternity, we can form no other wishes but to consolidate them by a happy union of our provinces, already reviving at the prospect of prosperity with that nation which alone was able to effect their feli. city. It is this union alone which can give a durable happiness, which you have thus procured us; it is by means of this union, and under its auspices, we shall see plenty revive amongst us; it is this only that can make commerce flourish, which formerly was the inhe. ritance of the inhabitants of our provifices; and the free navigation of the Seheldt will restore to our citizens that abundance which was only banished from us by our inability to draw it from its source. You have broken our chains; complete our happiness by uniting us to you. Being become your brothers, and forming but one fa mily with the glorious nation you represent, we shall for ever bless your exploits; and, safe under the shield of your victories, we shall no longer fear the despotism of those tyrants, under whose terrible yoke we have groaned; and the nation, freed by your invincible troops, sharing with you the fruits of liberty, will become a nation of brothers and friends. - Long live the French republic over the face of the whole globe! This was referred to the committee of public safety. Letter from the Magistrates of Brussels, read in the Convention on the 9th of March, 1795. Representatives of the French People, THE city and district of Brussels, represented according to the ancient forms, by us, the great coun. cil, and by the nine nations consisting of the corporations of this commune, have freely declared by acclamation, their unanimous wish to be united with the French re public. Our deputies carried it to the committee of public safety on the 2d August last: persuaded that it will be found in the records of that committee, we request you to attend to it. If we are desirous of forming part of the French re public, it is because we think ourselves worthy of participating her glory and her happiness. Vive la Republique! Vive la Convention! A similar letter was read from Liege. Substance of a Rescript of the Emperor, dated Vienna, 22d April, 1795 and presented by the Imperial Minister to the Minister of the States of the Germanic Empire, at Ratisbon, on the 4th of May, 1795. THE ministers of his Imperial majesty are charged to declare, in the |