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Proclamations, Manifeftos, &c.

Manifefto of the French Nation, decreed by the National Affembly, December 29, 1791, and ordered to be delivered by the Minifiers to all the Courts in Europe.

"A

Ta moment when, for the first time fince the epoch of their liberty, the French people may fee themselves reduced to the neceffity of exercifing the terrible right of war, their reprefentatives owe to Europe, to all mankind, an account of the motives which have guided their resolutions, and an expofition of the principles which direct their conduct. The French nation renounces the undertaking of the war with the view of making conquefts, and will never employ her forces against the liberty of any state. Such is the text of their conftitution; fuch is the facred vow upon which they have connected their own happiness with the happiness of every other people, and they will be faithful to them.

But who can confider that a friendly territory, in which exifts an army waiting only the profpect of fuccefs for the moment of attack?

"Is it not equivalent to a declaration of war, to give places of strength not only to enemies who have already declared, but to confpirators who have long fince commenced it? Every thing, therefore, impofes upon the powers eftablished by the conftitution for maintaining the peace and the fafety of the public, the imperious law of employing force against rebels, who, from the bofom of a foreign land, threaten to tear their country in pieces.

"The right of nations violated-the dignity of the French people infulted-the criminal abufe of the King's name employed by impoftors to veil their difaftrous projects-their dif truft kept up by finifter rumours through the whole empirethe obstacles occafioned by this diftruft to the execution of the laws, and the re-establishment of credit-the means of corrup tion exerted to delude and feduce the citizens-the difquiets which agitate the inhabitants of the frontiers-the evils to which attempts the most vain and the most speedily repulfed may expose them-the outrages, always unpunished, which they have experienced on the territories where the revolted French find an afylum-the neceffity of not allowing the rebels time to complete their preparations, or raife up more dangerous against their country-fuch are our motives. Never did more

just

juft or more urgent exift. And in the picture which we have drawn, we have rather foftened than over-charged our injuries. We have no occafion to roufe the indignation of citizens in order to inflame their courage.

"The French nation, however, will never cease to confider as a friendly people, the inhabitants of the territory occupied by the rebels, and governed by princes who offer them protection. The peaceful citizens whofe country armies may Occupy, fhall not be treated by her as enemies, nor even as fubjects. The public force of which the may become the depofitory, fhall not be employed but to fecure their tranquillity and maintain their laws. Proud of having regained the rights of nature, fhe will never outrage them in other men. Jealous of her independence, determined to bury herself in her own ruins, rather than fuffer laws to be taken from her, or dictated to her, or even an infulting guaranty of thofe fhe has framed for herself, fhe will never infringe the independence of other nations. Her foldiers will conduct themfelves on a foreign territory as they would on their own, if forced to combat on it. The involuntary evils which her troops may occafion fhall be repaired. The afylum which the offers to ftrangers fhall not be fhut against the inhabitants of countries whofe princes hall have forced her to attack them; they fhall find a fure refuge in her bofom. Faithful to the engagements made in her name, she will fulfil them with a generous exactnefs; but no danger fhall be capable of making her forget that the foil of France belongs wholly to liberty, and that the laws of equality ought to be univerfal. She will present to the world the new fpectacle of a nation truly free, fubmiffive to the laws of justice amid the ftorms of war, and refpecting every where, on every occafion, towards all men, the rights which are the fame to all.

"Peace, which impofture, intrigue, and treafon, have banished, will never cease to be the first of our wishes. France will take up arms, compelled to do fo, for her fafety and her internal peace, and we will be feen to lay them down with joy the moment fhe is affured that there is nothing to fear for that liberty-for that equality, which is now the only element in which Frenchmen can live. She dreads not war, but she loves peace; the feels that she has need of it; and fhe is too confcious of her strength to fear making the avowal. When, in requiring other nations to refpect her repofe, fhe took an eternal engagement not to trouble others, the might have thought that she deferved to be liftened to, and that this folemn declaration, the pledge of tranquillity, and the happiness of other nations, might have merited the affection of the princes who govern them; but fuch of thofe princes as apprehend that France would endea ver to excite internal agitations in other countries, fhall

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learn

Proclamations, Manifeftos, &c.

Manifefto of the French Nation, decreed by the National Affembly, December 29, 1791, and ordered to be delivered by the Minifters to all the Courts in Europe.

Ta moment when, for the first time fince the epoch of

"Alaimoment, when, fnch people may fee themselves of

duced to the neceflity of exercifing the terrible right of war, their reprefentatives owe to Europe, to all mankind, an account of the motives which have guided their refolutions, and an expofition of the principles which direct their conduct. The French nation renounces the undertaking of the war with the view of making conquefts, and will never employ her forces against the liberty of any state. Such is the text of their conftitution; fuch is the facred vow upon which they have connected their own happiness with the happiness of every other people, and they will be faithful to them.

"But who can confider that a friendly territory, in which exifts an army waiting only the profpect of fuccefs for the moment of attack?

"Is it not equivalent to a declaration of war, to give places of ftrength not only to enemies who have already declared, but to confpirators who have long fince commenced it? Every thing, therefore, impofes upon the powers established by the conftitution for maintaining the peace and the fafety of the public, the imperious law of employing force against rebels, who, from the bofom of a foreign land, threaten to tear their country in pieces.

"The right of nations violated-the dignity of the French people infulted-the criminal abufe of the King's name employed by impoftors to veil their difaftrous projects-their dif truft kept up by finifter rumours through the whole empirethe obftacles occafioned by this diftrust to the execution of the laws, and the re-establishment of credit-the means of corrup tion exerted to delude and feduce the citizens-the difquiets which agitate the inhabitants of the frontiers-the evils to which attempts the most vain and the most speedily repulfed may expose them-the outrages, always unpunished, which they have experienced on the territories where the revolted French find an afylum-the neceffity of not allowing the rebels time to complete their preparations, or raife up more dangerous against their country-fuch are our motives. Never did more

just

juft or more urgent exist. And in the picture which we have drawn, we have rather foftened than over-charged our injuries. We have no occafion to rouse the indignation of citizens in order to inflame their courage.

"The French nation, however, will never cease to confider as a friendly people, the inhabitants of the territory occupied by the rebels, and governed by princes who offer them protection. The peaceful citizens whofe country armies may occupy, fhall not be treated by her as enemies, nor even as fubjects. The public force of which fhe may become the depofitory, fhall not be employed but to fecure their tranquillity and maintain their laws. Proud of having regained the rights of nature, fhe will never outrage them in other men. Jealous of her independence, determined to bury herself in her own ruins, rather than fuffer laws to be taken from her, or dictated to her, or even an infulting guaranty of thofe fhe has framed for herself, fhe will never infringe the independence of other nations. Her foldiers will conduct themselves on a foreign territory as they would on their own, if forced to combat on it. The involuntary evils which her troops may occafion shall be repaired. The afylum which the offers to ftrangers fhall not be fhut against the inhabitants of countries whofe princes hall have forced her to attack them; they fhall find a fure refuge in her bofom. Faithful to the engagements made in her name, she will fulfil them with a generous exactnefs; but no danger fhall be capable of making her forget that the foil of France belongs wholly to liberty, and that the laws of equality ought to be univerfal. She will prefent to the world the new fpectacle of a nation truly free, fubmiffive to the laws of justice amid the ftorms of war, and refpecting every where, on every occafion, towards all men, the rights which are the fame to all.

France

"Peace, which impofture, intrigue, and treafon, have banished, will never cease to be the first of our wishes. will take up arms, compelled to do fo, for her fafety and her internal peace, and we will be seen to lay them down with joy the moment fhe is affured that there is nothing to fear for that liberty-for that equality, which is now the only element in which Frenchmen can live. She dreads not war, but she loves peace; the feels that she has need of it; and she is too confcious of her ftrength to fear making the avowal. When, in requiring other nations to refpect her repofe, fhe took an eternal engagement not to trouble others, the might have thought that she deferved to be liftened to, and that this folemn declaration, the pledge of tranquillity, and the happiness of other nations, might have merited the affection of the princes who govern them; but fuch of those princes as apprehend that France would endea ver to excite internal agitations in other countries, fhall

D

learn

learn that the cruel right of reprifal, juftified by usage, con demned by nature, will not make her refort to the means employed against her own repofe; that fhe will be just to those who have not been fo to her; that he will every where pay as much respect to peace as to libery; and that the men who ftill prefume to call themselves the mafters of other men, will have nothing to dread from her but the influence of her example.

"The French nation is free; and, what is more than to be free, fhe has the fentiment of freedom. She is free; fhe is armed; fhe can never be reduced to flavery. In vain are ininteftine difcords counted on : fhe has paffed the dangerous moment of the reformation of her political laws; and the is too wife to anticipate the leffon of experience; the wishes only to maintain her conftitution, and to defend it.

"The divifion of two powers proceeding from the fame fource, and directed to the fame end, the laft hope of our enemies, has vanished at the voice of our country in danger; and the King, by the folemnity of his proceedings, by the franknefs of his measures, fhews to Europe the French nation strong in her means of defence and profperity.

"Refigned to the evils which the enemies of the human race united against her, may make her fuffer, fhe will triumph over them by her patience and her courage; victorious, she will feek neither indemnification nor vengeance.

"Such are the fentiments of a generous people, which their representatives do themselves honour in expreffing. Such are the projects of the new political fyftem which they have adoptedto repel force, to refift oppreffion, to forget all when they have nothing more to fear; and to adverfaries, if vanquished, as brothers; if reconciled, as friends. These are the wifhes of all the French, and this is the war which they declare against their enemies."

Decree of War against the King of Hungary and Bohemia, April 20, 1792..

HE National Affembly, deliberating on the formal pro

"Tpofition of the King, confidering that the court of Vienna,

in contempt of treaties, has continued to grant an open protection to the French rebels; that it has excited and formed a concert with feveral powers of Europe against the independence and fecurity of the French nation:

"That Francis 1. King of Hungary and Bohemia, has by his notes of the 18th of March and 7th of April laft, refufed to renounce this concert.

"That

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