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tions, they would content them felves with moderate indemnities. Thefe two points, the ceffion of the left fide of the Rhine, and the principle of fecularization being agreed on, the deputation of the empire requested to be informed of the total amount of the loffes to be indemnified, and what other pretenfions the French had to ftate. The principal of thefe, fpecified in a note, delivered by the French minifters, on the 3d of May, were, that the navigation of the Rhine fhould be common to both nations; the fuppreffion of the right of tolls; the equalization of custom-duties on. both fides the river; that all the iflands in the Rhine fhould be left in poffeffion of the republic; that the navigation of the rivers, which empty themselves into the Rhine, and alfo that the navigation of the great rivers of Germany, particularly the Danube, fhould, in like manner, be free to both nations; to retain poffeffion of the fort of Kehl, and, to a certain extent, the territory adjacent; to demolish the fortrefs of Ehrenbritftein, which was ftill held in close blockade; and Caffel, as forming a part of the fortifications of Mentz, already given up to the republic, to remain likewife in its poffeffion. The amount of thefe and other propofitions was, in fact, to open a free entrance for the French troops into Germany, in cafe of war, and the extenfion of the principles and intrigues of the republic. in times of peace, by the command of the whole internal navigation of Germany and Hungary, from the Rhine, even to the Euxine and Baltic. But thefe, inordinate as they were, did not define and limit the full extent of the demands of the republic, which ftill rofe on every

conceffion. The French plenipotentiaries, July 19th, faid, "The first object of the negociation, was the ceffion of the countries fituated on the left bank of the Rhine. Then followed the mode of indemnity, by the means of fecularization. But the determination of thefe queftions did not preclude the confideration of others.

There were other propofitions which they had to make, which were nothing more than the natural effect of the progreffion of ideas; a fucceffive difplay of a regular plan, which they had already announced. Of thefe propofitions the principal were, an immediate abolition of the tolls, and staple duties, and alfo of the corporation of boatmen, who were in the poffeffion of certain privileges, inconfiftent with the perfect freedom of navigation; and that in the treaty of peace a special claufe might be inferted, by which a ftipulation fhould be made for the ceffion of Frickthal, and that all the rights which the German empire might claim on that territory, fhould be relinquifhed to the French republic. On the note containing these fentiments and propofals, the deputation of the empire obferved, that the negociation would never attain a fixed point, if the conditions of peace, already agreed on, fhould be continually interrupted by new propofitions.

It was impoffible that two parties could confide in each other, who had agreed to the fecret articles of the treaty of Campo-Formio, and who meafured their rights only by their power. The public articles of that treaty were continually violated by the French. The augmentation of troops was complained of on both fides. The emperor watch

ed,

ed, with jealoufy, the motions of the French, and the French thofe of the emperor. The negociation was continued, particularly on the part of the former, more from the view of gaining time, and acting according to circumftances expect ed, or merely contingent, than from any fincere hope or defire of pacification. The plans purfued in Italy and Switzerland prove, that the genius of the republic was ftill bent on war and conqueft: which were not only fuited to the temper of fo great a part of the nation, but which feemed indifpenfably neceflary for the fecurity of the adminiftration and the ftability of government. But, befides this general or national intereft, that all things fhould be left or thrown, as much as poffible, into uncertainty and confufion. The directory, and their agents, were indifputably influenced, in their conduct at Raftadt, by a regard to their own private and perfonal interefts. So profound was the corruption of the rulers of France, at this time, that they did not hesitate to offer their protection to different parties, to fale, at Raftadt, as in other places. From the time that the principle of indemnities and fecularizations was agreed on, they had the most abundant means of practifing on the hopes and fears, the cupidity, jealoufy, and refentment of ftates and princes. A kind of lottery was eftablished of principalities, bifhoprics, abbacies, and various other acquifitions and exemptions, in which the prizes were difpofed of, chiefly by the favour of the French directory. A principle of the most flagrant injuftice and rapacity pervaded all ranks and degrees from France, Auftria, and

Pruffia, down to the fmalleft imperial city, or other member of the empire.

While the French plenipotentiaries paid fo little regard, on the whole, to the rights of the empire, they affected a particular concern for the interefts of the free imperial cities of Bremen, Hamburgh, and Franckfort. They demanded, that thefe cities might preferve their political existence, and be confirmed and maintained in the plenitude of their conftitutional independence, The deputation of the empire, with regard to this point, acknowledged, "that the prefervation of thefe, as well as of all the other commercial cities, was highly interefting to the commerce of the whole empire. All these free and independent cities, they obferved, formed the third ftate of the empire, and on that açcount, as well as from their rightful conftitution, were under the protection of the laws. The deputation of the empire confidered it as an eflential duty to attend to the maintenance of the imperial states, and the Germanic conftitution, and to comprehend, in the wifh expreffed by the minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic, all the ftates and members of the empire in general." The intervention of the French, in behalf of those towns, was not only unneceflary and impertinent, but in the higheft degree violent and imperious. It corref ponded to the fecret efforts of the plenipotentiaries to fow the feeds of jealoufy and difcord among the different ftates and members of the empire: particularly to a rumour they were at pains to circulate, that the flourishing cities of Bremen, Franckfort, and Hamburgh, were coveted by certain potentates, from

whole

whofe grafp it was, by the powerful mediation of France alone, that they could be protected. Whether the reports, which were fpread at the time, of money being fent to Paris, for the private pocket of the directory, by all of thofe towns, were well founded or no, it is certam that a formal embafly was fent to the French government, by the fenate of Bremen, to folicit their influence for obtaining the fuppreffion of the ancient toll of Elsflet on the Wefer, as being a very great interruption to its commerce with Bremen That toll formed a very confiderable part of the revenues belonging to the courts of Oldenburgh, who, in return, had for ages kept up certain embankments which were neceffary for the navigation of the river. The generality of the deputies in the diet of the empire appeared to be perfectly indifferent to the juft rights of Oldenburgh: but they were ftrenuously defended by the Auftrian, Hanoverian, and Saxon minifters. And the deputation, in a note of the eighteenth of October, declared, "that as the toll at Elsflet, which had been guaranteed to the counts, now dukes of Oldenburgh, by the tenth article of the treaty of Munfter, was collected in a port of Germany, which had not been taken poffeffion of in the courfe of the war; and, as the deputation of the empire, did not poflefs the power of determining upon this object, it muft be left to the French government to conclude, with the ducal houfe of Holftein Oldenburgh, fuch an arrangement as might, in fact, be beneficial to commerce." In another note, dated the twenty-first of November, the deputation farther declared, in reply to the con

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tinued demands of the French plenipotentiaries, "That they were not qualified to enter into any engagement on that fubject, inafmuch as the legation of Holftein Oldenburgh had offered to the diet, very ferious reprefentations against any fuppreffion or reftriction of the faid toll; declaring, at the fame time, in very pofitive terms, that it was not in the power of the duke himfelf to cede an object of fuch importance, without the confent of thofe who had a hereditary right, which was equal to his, to the duchy of Holftein Oldenburgh; particularly the crowns of Ruffia, of Sweden, and of Denmark. The Danish legation had formally acceded to this declaration, which had fince been ftrongly fupported by that of Pruffia." The French plenipotentiaries replied, "That there could not be a doubt but the losses, refulting from a ceffion of the toll at Efsflet, would be indemnified in the fame manner as all those which the actual pacification fhould occafion.” But the deputation infifted, that as the minifters of Holstein Oldenburgh, of Denmark, and of Pruffia, had repeated, in writing, to the deputation of the empire, their determination to oppofe any fuppreffion of the tolls of Elsflet, it would be altogether fuperfluous to enlarge farther on this object. This was deemed ftrong and inexpugnable ground. There was no other than this, or fuch as this, that could be fafely refted on: no fecurity or protection in the Germanic conftitution. All the German ftates and princes therefore, at this time, that had not entered into collufions and fecret agreements with the French republic, was arranged around either the emperor, or king of Pruffia, who

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began now to be confidered and, afterwards, affumed the character of protector of the neutrality of the north of Germany. From the moment it was feen that the courts of Vienna and Berlin could not draw together, and to the fame point, every ftate of the empire followed their example and their fortunes.

At the opening of the congrefs, the afcendency of France bore down all oppofition: Pruffia had efpoufed its interefts; and Auftria, influenced by private views and engagements, had fometimes hufhed into filence thofe remonftrants againft the claims of France, whofe rights of fovereignty were to be made the facrifice of peace. But the fresh prêtenfions of the French, which have been already mentioned, after the ceffion of the left fide of the Rhine and the admiffion of the principle of fecularization, appeared fo extravagant to both thefe great powers, that they determined to oppofe them: a refolution, in which they were confirmed, or, rather, perhaps, to which they were excited, by that coalition againft France, which quickly followed the naval victory of the Englifh at Aboukir. The imperial ininifter, who had, at firft, fupported the pretenfions of the French to the left bank of the Rhine, on the principle repeatedly fiated, was the first that raised a standard of oppofition to their new requifitions, and afterwards determined refift ance, though the interefts of Pruffia were in oppofition to thofe of the emperor; though the king had declared that he would obferve the moft exact neutrality, his minifters thought themselves equally obliged to proteft againft the new preten

fions of the French plenipotentiaries.

The tide was now turned and the tone of the oppofite parties reverfed. The French made one conceffion after another; the deputies of the empire flood firm; and thofe of the leading powers manifefted a difpofition rather to rife in their demands than fall. The depu tation acquiefced, however, in the principal bafes that had been propofed for pacification. They ceded, to the French republic, the countries on the left bank of the Rhine. They acknowledged the Thalwagg, or middle and navigable ftream of the Rhine, as the boundary of the empire. They admitted the dif tribution that had been propofed of the iflands; the free navigation of that river; the maintenance of the towing paths; the re-eftablishment of commercial bridges, and the conftruction of new ones, provided their neceffity fhould be acknowledged; and that the confent of the emperor and empire fhould be obtained for erecting them. The deputation renounced all the rights of the empire to the Auftrian Low Countries and to Savoy, as well as to confiderable fiefs of the empire in the Cifalpine republic. It refolved that the fortifications of Ehrenbritftein, fituated on the right bank of the Rhine, fhould be demolished. For the fecurity of Mentz it confented to give up the land of St. Pierre, though fituate en the right fide of the Thalwagg. It did not refift the propofition, that the empire fhould not conftruct new fortifications at Kehl and Caffel, within a diftance of three thoufand toifes. And, laftly, the deputation of the empire charged itfelf with the particular debts, as well as thofe contracted

contracted for fupporting the war of the empire, of the ftates on the left bank of the Rhine, which were to be indemnified on the right bank. But, the French plenipotentiaries, though, among other ceffions, they agreed that the laws refpecting emigrants fhould not be applicable cither to the countries now ceded to France, or to Mentz, infifted still, that they fhould remain in full force, with refpect to the countries which had been already united, and which now formed French departments, and refused to withdraw the troops to the left fide, till a pacification had taken place. They infifted, likewife, on the ceffion of the Frickthal, the toll on the Wezer, and the acquifition of the ifle of Buderich, oppofite Wefel: the continued poffeffion of which ifle, for the fafety of that town, had been refolutely claimed by the minifters of Pruffia; and they declared, in a note of the fixth of December, that if, within feven days, the deputation of the empire fhould not have given and tranfmitted to them a categorical and fatisfactory anfwer, relative to all the points ftill in conteftation, their powers would ceafe. A majority of the deputation agreed, without any farther conditions, to the French propofitions. But the minifters of Auftria, Saxony, and Hanover, contending against all farther ceffion, and particularly with regard to the four points of the emigrants, the toll on the Wezer, the ifle of Buderich, and the Frickthal, declared that they would never relax from the refolutions they had formed. The two laft, feeing that the majority of the deputies gave way, protefted against their vote and left the chamber. The count of Lehr

bach, the Auftrian plenipotentiary, remained, but entered the fame proteft, and declared, that the contingent of Auftria was ready to march, in order to protect the empire from farther aggreffion. This declaration was a pretty certain proof how the negociation would terminate. The approach of the Ruffians had overturned all that had been effected towards peace, in the Auftrian councils and those of the other states that adhered to Auftria, On the other hand, the fame circumftance produced an oppofite effect on the cabinet of Berlin, jealous of an alliance between the two empires. It was in confequence, probably, of this difpotition in Pruffia, that the deputation of the empire, on the tenth of De.. cember, were compelled, in confe quence of the categorical anfwer demanded to the French ultima tum, to fubmit their opinions, and declared that they acceded to all the articles propofed by the French minifiers. But, in making this declaration, they expreffed their hopes that fuch points, as yet wanted more mature examination and farther inveftigation, would be left for definitive regulation till the formation of the articles of peace. The Pruffian minifters, at the fame time, addreffed a note to the depu→ tation, ftating, that the king, their mafier, unwilling to throw any farther obftacles in the way of peace, by new oppofition in the critical ftate in which the empire the ftood, and expofe it to new dangers, acceded to the vote of deputation; referving to themfelves the power of recommending, likewife, the interefts of Pruffia, at the con-. clufion of the peace. The conclufum, remitted to the imperial com

missary.

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