mit with the intention of violating their duties. But tranquillifed by our principles, and proud of the fenfe of the purity and equity of our measures, we accept this refponsibility. We are one for all in the bofom of our councils, and it is in the fame fenfe that we rely not only upon all our own resources, but upon all the members of the Helvetic Confederation. Refponsibility can only alarm those who, breaking the ties which have united for feveral ages the two nations, fhould prepare evils of which hu man prudence cannot calculate the iffue to their authors. Very different fentiments have animated your Excellency dur ing the course of your painful miffion. The executive directory have teftified in the renewal of your credentials their just and honourable fatisfaction. We have no doubt that they will receive with favourable difpofitions the answer which we have the honour to address to your Excellency, after having deliberated in concert with the Helvetic representatives. We pray God to take you into his holy and powerful keeping. Bafle, April 9, 1796. Letter of M. Barthelemy, Ambaffador from the French Republic, to the Canton of Bafle, 20th Floreal, (May 9) 1796, Fourth Year of the French Republic. Magnificent Lords, THE orders of the executive directory of the French Republic oblige me to recall the attention of your honourable canton to the circumstances and motives which dictated the declaration of the directory, I was charged to tranfmit to you, on the 16th of Germinal last, The answer you have made has not been fuch as was expected. Charged with the care of the defence of the territory of the Republic, and of its glory, the executive directory was bound to look forward to events, and to render abortive, by denouncing to you the projects of the enemies of France, and of its republican conftitution. It was bound to invite you to take measures capable of removing its apprehenfions, and mak ing its neutrality refpected; and it has demanded of you what were these measures. If the terms of its declaration were fevere, it was because the object of it was ferious: it was because experience of the attempts and projects of our enemies, already more than once denounced, gave it reafon to conceive inquietude and fufpicion. It was because pofitive reports announced, that thefe projects were about to be renewed. It was because it was then neceffary to be certain, as to the more than equivocal fentiments of many of the Helvetic States, fome of whom had not dreaded to throw a doubt on the existence of the French Republic, by refufing to pronounce on the acceptance of the credentials of its ambaflador, and deferring the epoch of their determination by insulting and ridiculous delays. When a government fo powerful as that of the French Republic is thus unacknowledged; when this neglect is founded on the regard which is thought due to criminal fugitives, whose whole proceedings tend only to harass their country, against which they are in a permanent confpiracy, while their meafures tend only to involve in their fall the States blind enough to be misled by them; when the Swifs Cantons, the ancient allies of France, dare to hold a conduct fo reprehenfible, is it very furprifing that the executive directory should, for a moment, withhold the afpect of kindness, to affume towards you that of inquietude? There are still other confiderations, on which I believe I need not enlarge here. They are, doubtlefs, painful, and belong to the guarantee, that the French Republic expects to find in the fentiments and affections of the governments and people of neutral states. Such are the views which have animated and still animate the executive directory. They expect from you, with the leaft delay, a frank and amicable explanation, capable of diffipating the doubts and reviving in our government the fentiments of goodwill. It has given me orders for my ultimate conduct, in cafe that your answer should not fulfil this end. Anfwer of the Canton of Bafle to M. Barthelemy, Ambassador of the French Republic, May 11, 1796. WE E fee, with real pain, by your Excellency's letter of the 2cth Floreal, that our fentiments feem to be misunderstood, and that we have reafon to apprehend the executive directory of the French Republic may fufpend their difpofitions of kindness towards us. When the war commenced, we declared for a neutrality, to preferve which has fince that time been the conftant object of our cares, of our zeal, and of our solicitude; and no facrifice has been avoided for maintaining it in proportion to the dangers to which it was in certain epochs expofed. Nothing afflicts us more profoundly, than when the fidelity of our conduct and the purity of our intentions feem to be doubted, fince these form the most folid bafis of our happiness, independence, and tranquillity. VOL. III.-PART ii. Tt We We pray your Excellency to affure your government that we fhall never depart from the principles that have been transmitted to us from our predeceffors, and that our greatest ambition is to convey the depofit unimpaired to thofe who fhall fucceed us. This is the firit duty of our fituations, and the true means of conciliating the confidence and the gratitude of our fellow-citizens. It is, however, neceffary to obferve, that fince our letter of the 9th of April, we have not confined ourselves to mere wishes for the maintenance of our neutrality. Our uneafinefs relative to this object having been communicated to the minister of his Imperial Majesty, he has written to us, by order of the Emperor, that certainly he had not the leaft thought of acting, nor of permitting the emigrants to act against the cantons, in any manner which might disturb the tranquillity of their territory. We have prepared our fignals and our alarm guns, which, on account of the armistice and the winter season, had been neglected; and it is generally known that by these means a very great force can be affembled in a few days. We have exercised our troops, and they are ready to march on the firft fignal. They will be added to the contingents of the other cantons which af femble in our's, and are directed to redouble their vigilance in the pofts confided to them. The reprefentatives of the Helvetic body, deputed to us for confidering the state of affairs, for acting in the name of the whole confederation, and informing their conftituents of every danger which may approach our States, allow no means to escape them of confolidating the repofe of the common country. We have written to our co-allies, to remind them of the treaties which unite us, and we have received the unanimous affurance that all are ready to fly to our affiftance and defend our frontiers. We conclude, by praying your Excellency to tranfmit those details to the directory; and, above all, to fortify them against the exaggerated reports that an excess of zeal may have occafioned. 1 GENEVA. The following are Articles of the Concordat agreed upon among the different Parties in Geneva, as well as the Refolution taken by the Syndics and Council on this Subject. Art. I.RESPECT to the law, obedience to the magiftrate, engage both parties united, to maintain the government at the risk of their lives, with difpatch, and entire readinefs, as often as neceflity fhall require it, to fupprefs every act of in infubordination or violence; to caufe the legitimate authority to be refpected, and the free and impartial administration of justice and the laws. II. A full and entire abrogation of all the fentences pronounced by the revolutionary tribunals, and the fincere and loyal abjuration of all public and perfonal vengeance passed against any individual whatever. Such perfons fo prescribed, may reft affured of an inviolable afylum in the bofom of the union of all the citizens, for which we now labour, and of which we fhall give an example.This furely fhall be pronounced by the nation, as the first article of the preliminaries upon which that union fhall be founded. III. A fincere mutual return, and inviolable attachment of both parties thus united in the three fundamental principles, already confecrated by our primitive laws, and the prefent conftitution; namely, political equality, removal from public offices, and the feparation of powers. IV. The citizens who have hitherto expreffed a dislike to the revolution of 1792, declare, "That with refpect to the new legiflation, now in a state of formation, they will confine themselves in demanding that a more moderate application fhould be made, with respect to the removal from office, and the feparation of the powers, than that which exifts at prefent; as alfo the re-establifhment of the forms of our ancient government, which are not incompatible with the three fundamental principles announced above. The citizens attached to the revolution of 1792, acknowledge that these demands accord with the true interefts of the Republic, and receive that declaration with pleasure; they confider it as inviolable and fecret, and declare, on their part, that they will formally adhere to it. V. The Affembly decreed, that this addrefs fhall be printed, made public, and fent to the fyndics and adminiftrative council, defiring, that, in their wisdom, they will inceffantly confider of the means adapted to the public intereft, and of folemnly confecrating the reciprocal engagements contained therein. (Signed) L. A. CONSTANTINE BLANC. Geneva, 31st August, 1795, Fourth Year of the Genevefe Equality. Extract from the Registers of the Adminiftrative Council.-Monday, August 31, 1795, Fourth Year of Genevefe Equality. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. JAMAICA. Speech of his Excellency the Right Honourable the Earl of Balcarras, to the Houfe of Assembly of Jamaica, met on the 24th of September, 1795, pursuant to Proclamation. Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Assembly, THE urgency of public affairs has put me under the neceffity of calling you together at a very early feafon of the year. The unfortunate infurrection which has taken place among the maroons of Trelawny town is the immediate caufe of my now affembling you. Thefe infurgents have committed the most daring acts of unprovoked rebellion. I have every reason to believe that hoftility has long been premeditated at the inftigation of the convention of France, whofe object it undoubtedly is, to throw this ifland into a ftate of anarchy and confufion. I have ordered the several documents to be laid before you. The evidence contained therein marks in a strong manner the defigns, the progrefs, and the expectations of the enemy in fomenting internal commotions. By the bleffing of Providence, this confpiracy has been frustrated before it had ripened into maturity. Their plans of raifing a rebellion might have produced a cooperation of the most dangerous tendency, and the early intimation we have obtained thereof is truly fortunate. The precipitate and infolent conduct of the rebellion gave the advantage of acting with celerity and vigour; for had I permitted hem to gain time, and to manage the war according to their arangements, and thofe of their fupporters, this ifland would have been undone, and the inhabitants must have submitted to a dominion fimilar to that now exercised in feveral of the windward iflands. The valour and conduct of his Majefty's forces have fecured every advantage that could be obtained by regular manoeuvres. The |