a part in it, now takes fuch open meafures of aggreffion againftiFrance, for the purpose of interrupting the pacification of the continent, and

with a view, not lefs evident, of covering the grand ufurpation fhe has fo long meditated.

The undersigned, therefore, do not doubt that the deputation will fee, in this proceeding, on the part of the French government, a farther proof of its pacific fentiments, and an opportunity for the empire, in avoiding a perfonal danger, to acquire additional claims to the friendfhip of the republic.

(Signed)

Raftadt, 31ft January,

Bonnier. Jean Debry. Roberjot.

Note of the French Minifters to the Minifier of the King of Hungary and Bohemia.

HE underfigned minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic exprefs to the count de Lehrbach, minifter plenipotentiary of his majefty the emperor, king of Hungary and Bohemia, minifter of Auftria, their aftonifliment at not having received a reply refpecting the march of the Ruffians; a circumftance which announces loudly that it is against the French republic they are directed.

The French government can no longer bear an uncertainty, which compromifes the dignity and interefts of the republic. The underfigned have been ordered to demand from his majefly the empe-t ror, through the medium of the count de Lehrbach, his minifter plenipotentiary, a pofitive affurance that the Ruffian troops are evacuating the territory of his majefty the emperor and king, and that orders S4

have

have been given in confequence. They defire, that in the pace of fifteen days, reckoning from this day, the 12th Pluviofe (31ft of January), this affurance be given them; declaring that the farther progrefs of the Ruffians will be confidered by the French government as aggreffive; and that filence, or the want.of the affurance demanded by the prefent note, being a manifeft proof that the emperor has acceded to the enterprifes of Ruffia, will be of neceffity confidered by the French, government as an act of hoftility.

The executive directory would receive, with the greateft pleafure, both from the empire and the emperor, fuch a proof of the evacuation of the Aufirian territory by the Ruffians, which could alone announce a frank and firm difpofition both to obferve treaties concluded, and to haften in common the conclufion of that which is negociating at Raftadt.

that arbitrary acts, equally contrary to the right of nations, and the exprefs declaration of the letter of his majefty the emperor, of the date of the 13th of Brumaire, 6th year, to gether with the mournful profpect of the continuance of these vexatious proceedings, have compelled the deputation to fufpend for the prefent the negociations for peace.

The undersigned could the lefs expect fuch a conduct, as a totally different example had been given by the general of the French army, who, paffing the Rhine on the 11th of Ventofe, to refume his former pofition, in conformity to the orders of the French government, paid the moft inviolable refpect to the place where the congrefs was held, the freedom of its deliberation, the safe ty and inviolability of its members, and deprived calumny of every pre

text.

The underfigned have feen with the greatest aftonishment the depu tation reduced to lefs than two-thirds of its members, by feveral of the ftates having recalled their envoys, fo that it was impoffible it fhould come to any refolutions agreeable to the terms of its inftructions. They had fuppofed, that though the ftates of the empire had the undoubted right of changing their fub-delegates at the congrefs, it only appertained to the diet, confidered as a body, to withdraw the powers of the states themfelves.

In this fituation of things and perfons, the undersigned, to whom the executive directory, ever difpofed to peace, has recommended not to leave the place of congrefs till the laft extremity, eager to feize the hope offered them by the deputation of refuming the course of the nego ciations, fince they are only mo

mentarily

mentarily fufpended; perfuaded that the exceffes which have impeded them, will ferve to convince the ftates of the empire of the lively in tereft they have taken to remove the fcourge of war, and in general, all the obftacles which violence or ill faith may oppofe to the peace; confidering befides,

1. That the deputation has for mally declared in its conclufum, and made it the principal motive of its refolution to quit Raftadt, that there was no longer either tranquillity or fafety for the congrefs, whence it refults that it was in an actual state of oppreffion:

2. That the existence of a congrefs between two free ftates ought to depend upon the will of the contracting parties, and can never be fubordinate to the intervention of any foreign force:

They therefore remit to the deputation of the empire the following proteftation and declaration :

The undersigned proteft, 1ft, Against the violation of the rights of nations committed, with refpect to them, by the Auftrian troops, and of which the object is pofitively announced in their note of the 30th Germinal.

2dly, Against the answer which the commander of the Auftrian troops ftationed at Gernsbach has returned to the directorial letter of the 1ft of Floreal; an answer which the deputation, by making it the ground of its deliberation the day before yefterday, has confidered as the expreffion of the general orders of the Auftrian army, and which is conceived in thefe terms:

"To his excellency the baron d'Albini, intimate counfellor of his imperial majefty, and electoral minifter of Mentz, Raftadt.

"I regret much to be under the neceffity, in conformity to my duty, of ftating, in anfwer to your letter remitted to me by counfellor baron Munich, that, in the prefent cir cumftances of the war, in which the fafety as well of the military as of the country requires that patroles fhould be placed at Raftadt and in the environs, it is impoffible to make any fatisfactory declaration relative to the maintenance of the diplomatic body now there: fince the recall of his excellency the imperial plenipotentiary, we can no longer, on our part, confider Raftadt as a place which the prefence of a congrefs protects against hoftile events; and that city, after this, must feel the neceffity of conforming to the laws of war like any other place.

"I entreat your excellency, however, to be affured, that except in the cafe of neceffity impofed by the events of war, our military will confider perfonal inviolability as facred; and that, on my part, I will continually, to my utmoft, teftify to you the profound refpect with which I am your excellency's most humble fervant,

(Signed) Barbacfy, colonel." They call, in the name of the French republic, infulted in its rights, the ferious attention of the diet to an act, equally contrary to its own independence, and fubverfive of all the principles hitherto practifed among civilized nations. They expect a juft and full redrefs."

In fine, in confequence of what has been ftated, the under-figned inform the deputation of the empire that in three days they will quit Raftadt; but, willing to give to Germany a last and fignal proof of the forbearance of the French government, and its wish for peace,

they

Governments.

THE

HE news of an exceffive outrage has already refounded in Europe; and the circumftances of a crime the most unheard-of, with which the pages of the hiftory of civilized nations have been stained, are now collecting with horror from all parts. It was at the gates of Rafladt, on the territory of an independent and neutral prince, and in the fight of all the members of the congrels, violently detained in that town, and forced to be no lefs impotent than indignant spectators of a crime which affected them in the deepest manner, and threatened them all, that in contempt of a faered character, in contempt of affurances given, in contempt of every thing which conftitutes humanity, juftice, and honour, the plenipotentiaries of the republic, victims ever to be regretted of the miffion of peace with which they were intrufted, and of the unlimited devotion with which they fulfilled the Inftructions of government, and maintained the national dignity, were massacred in cold blood by a detachment of Auftrian troops. But how much more deteftable do all the

circumftances of this affaffination render it!

Already, in the first days of the month Floreal, the communication of the French legation with the republic had been intercepted; one of its couriers had been carried off, and the fpirited remonftrances of the congrels had only produced an infolent declaration, which made its feparation necessary.

On the 9th Floreal (25th of April), at seven o'clock in the evening, the colonel of the regiment of Szeklers caufed a declaration to be made by a captain to baron Albini, the directorial minifter, that the French legation might leave Rastadt in fecurity. The lame captain proceeded afterwards to the French minifters, and fignified to them an order to depart from Raftadt in twentyfour hours. At eight o'clock they got into their carriages, and were flopped at the gates of the town. So fudden a departure no doubt had not been expected, and the affaffination was not completely organized.

ing.

Another hour was ftill want. An nine o'clock the prohibition against paffing the gates was taken off with respect to the French legation only. The French minif ters demanded an efcort, but the Auftrian commander refused to grant it, and answered in the following terms:-" You will be as fecure on your journey, as in your apart ments." But the legation had fearcely advanced fifty paces, when it was furrounded by a numerous detachment of the fame corps, whofe com mander had juft before promifed every kind of fecurity. The car riages are stopped; citizen Jean Debry, who was in the firft, is forced to alight, and he is afked, "Are you not Jean Debry?".

"Yes,"

Yes," he answers, "I am Jean Debry, minister of France." He inftantly falls to the ground pierced with wounds. The citizens Bonnier and Roberjot are ftopped in the fame manner, and interrogated. They tell their names, and are killed, Roberjot is maffacred in the arms of his wife. The crime being perpetrated, the papers of the legation are carried off, and conveyed to the Auftrian commander. In confidering thefe faithful details, who is there that cannot perceive the premeditation of this aflaffination, and its firft author?

Such a facrilege will doubtlefs only tend to the accumulation of infamy and execration, and should any other punishment be wanting, hiltory referves one for those who have been guilty of the crime. It would be in vain for the court of Vienna to attempt to shake off the dreadful refponfibility that attaches to this accufation. All its previous conduct now comes forward in evidence against it. It will be recollected, that it commenced hoftilities by an outrage of a fimilar nature, in caufing two French ambassadors to be arrested on the territory of the confederacy, who were afterwards thrown into the dungeons of Man

tua.

It will be remembered that the prifons of Olmutz alfo received, and confined for three years, reprefentatives of the people, and a minifter who was delivered up by treachery. It will be remembered, that Auftria was not acquainted with the affaffinations committed at Rome on the French, and that it received and protected the authors of them. It will, finally, be recol lected, that the firft ambassador of the republic at Vienna experienced only outrages and affronts there.

Thefe ftatements are fufficient to imprefs conviction that the affaffination, recently perpetrated at Raftadt, is but the confequence and the horrid completion of the feries of atrocities with which Auftria has aftonifhed Europe, fince Charles the Fifth first furnished the example of ftepping beyond all focial laws, by caufing the ambaffadors, whom Francis the Firft fent to Venice and to Conftantinople, to be maffacred.

The proofs exifting in history, of the indignation which was manifefted at that period by all the European powers, convince us that a crime ftill more execrable will also excite more horror and deteftation.

And when the conftant moderation and boundless generofity of the French republic fhall be compared to the crimes of Auftria; when it fhall be confidered, that even in the midft of the most violent ftorms of the revolution, the law of nations has not received the flighteft injury in France; that the envoy of the Britannic government entered twice into the territory of France, and departed from it free and refpected, although juftly fufpected to have come rather to excite troubles, than to negociate peace; that the minifter of Naples obtained permiffion to return to his mafter, and to continue his journey in a fecure and uninterrupted manner, at the very moment when the French general had repulfed the Neapolitan troops, and when he was informed, that the ambaffador of the republic had been refused paffports to retire by land, and had been compelled to embark at Naples, with a certainty that fuch a meafure was but to deliver him into the hands of the African states; that the cruel treatment to which the French have fallen

victims