diet of the empire. The declaration made on the 14th inftant, on the part of the Emperor, to the three colleges of the empire, contains, amongst others, the following paffage : The states must have acquired the moft perfect conviction from many events, especially from the hoftile fentiments expreffed by the enemy against the integrity of the empire, that it is become unavoidably neceffary to make greater efforts, and to lofe no time in ftraining every nerve to support his Imperial Majefty in the generous patriotic refolution of employing all his forces for the welfare of the Germanic empire, and the prefervation of its conftitution, with all poffible vigour, and with farther facrifices of his refources. The Emperor then demands of all thofe ftates who with for the farther protection of the imperial arms, the fpeedy furnishing of their quintuple contingent of troops, who are to join the army of the empire without delay; to furnish alfo the contingents in money, and the arrears of the Roman months, in order that the effective force may be feasonably known before the opening of the impending campaign, which is to be carried on with the greatest energy. The Emperor concludes his declaration by ftating, His Majefty the Emperor and King, confidering the immenfe efforts of the enemy, and the viciffitudes of the war which have hitherto taken place, will find it impoffible to avert the hoftile dangers which threaten the Germanic conftitution, and the profperity of certain diftricts of Germany, unless his co-ftates will grant him the most active fupport. THE French army does not come into your country to conquer it, nor to effect any change in your religion, manners, or customs. It is the friend of all nations, and particularly of the brave people of Germany. The Executive Directory of the French Republic have fpared no pains to bring to a termination the calamities which defolate the Continent. Refolved to be foremost in the accomplishment of this plan, they fent General Clarke to Vienna, as a Plenipotentiary, to commence negotiations for peace; but the court of Vienna refused to hearken to them: it has ever been declared at Vicenze, through the medium of M. St. Vincent, that it. did not acknowledge the French Republic. General Clarke demanded a paffport, to go to speak to the Emperor himfelf; but the minifters of the court of Vienna, dreaded, with reason, that the moderation of the propofitions which he was charged to make, would influence the Emperor to conclude a peace. These minifters, corrupted by English gold, betrayed Germany and their prince, and are as reluctant to negotiation as the perfidious iflanders who are the horror of all Europe. I Inhabitants of, Carinthia! know it, you deteft, as much as us, both the English, who are the only gainers by the exifting warfare, and your minifter, who is fold to them. If we have been at war for fix years, it is contrary to the wishes of the brave Hungarians, of the enlightened 1 and of the fimple but honeft citizens of Carinthia. enlightened citizens of Vienna, are attributed to the Proveditori Battagia, the Republic of Venice fees itself under the neceffity of declaring that proclamation forged, and of warning all its faithful fubjects not to be deceived by fuch flanders, or induced to fuppofe that its friendship towards the Republic of France is in the leaft changed. The Senate entertains no doubt that the French nation will treat fuch calumnies with the contempt they deferve, and repose that confidence in the Republic of Venice which it has merited by its irreproachable conduct. No matter! In fpite of England, and the minifters of the court of Vienna, we are friends. The French Republic affures to you the rights of conqueft; let them difappear before the contract by which we are reciprocally bound. You will not join in a contest which is contrary to your fentiments. You will furnish the provifions which we may want. On my part, I fhall protect your religion, your manners, and your property. I fhall not exact from you any contribution. Is not the war of itself horri ble enough? Have you not already fuffered too much, you who are the innocent victims of others folly? The impofitions which you have been accustomed to pay to the Emperor, will indemnify you for the inevitable loffes attending the march of an army, and the provifions with which you will furnish us. Proclamation relative to the Disturbances in the Venetian Territory. THE conduct of the Republic of Venice, during the commotions in Europe, has always been, and ftill remains, fo perfectly neutral and friendly towards all the belligerent powers, that the Senate did not imagine it neceffary to give the least attention to the evil-difpofed who pretended to question their fincerity; but, as thefe malignant enemies of the Republic have diffeminated the vileft flanders against the fincerity of the peaceable difpofition of the Republic, in a fabricated proclamation, dated Verona, March 22, in which expreffions injurious to the French Republic Head Quarters, Palma Nova, 14 Floreal (May 13). WHILST the French army was engaged in the defiles of Styria, and left far behind them Italy and the principal establishments of the army, where only a small number of battalions remained, this was the conduct of the government of Venice:-1. They profited of Paffionweek, to arm 40,000 pealants, uniting them with ten regiments of Sclavonians, organised them into different corps, and fent them to different points, to intercept all kind of communication between the army and the places in the rear.-2. Extraordinary commiffaries, guns, ammunition of all kinds, and a great quantity of cannon, were fent from Venice even to complete the organization of different corps of the army.-3. All perfons in the Terra Firma who had received us favourably, were arrested; benefits and the confidence of the government were heaped upon all thofe who poffeffed a furious hatred to the French name, Legnano, from Caffano to Verona, and especially the fifteen confpirators of Verona, whom the Proveditori Prioli had arrefted three months ago, as having premeditated the maffacre of the French. 4. In the fquares, coffee-houses, and other public places of Venice, all Frenchmen were infulted, treated badly, and called by the names of Jacobins, Regicides, Atheifts. The French were to leave Venice, and a fhort time afterwards it was prohibited to them even to enter it.-5. The people of Padua, Vieenza, and Verona, were ordered to take up arms, to fecond the different corps of the army, and to begin at length thofe new Sicilian vefpers. It belongs, faid the Venetian officers, to the Lion of St. Marc to verify the proverb, that Italy is the tomb of the French. -6. The priests in the pulpit preached the crufade; and the priests in the state of Venice never fpeak any thing but the will of the government. Pamphlets, perfidious proclamations, anonymous letters, were printed in the different towns, and began to agitate the minds of all; in a state where the liberty of the press is not permitted, in a government as much feared as it is fecretly detefted, printers print, and authors write, nothing but what the fenate pleafe.-7. All fmiled at firft at the perfidious project of the government. The French blood flowed on all fides. On all the roads, our convoys, our couriers, and every thing refpecting the army, were intercepted.-8. At Padua a chief of a battalion and two other Frenchmen were arrefted. At Caftiglione de Mori our foldiers were difarmed and affaffinated. On all the great roads from Mantua to we had more than two hundred men affaffinated.-9. Two French battalions, wifhing to join the army, met at Chiari with a divifion of the Venetian army, which attempted to oppose their paffage: an obftinate conflict took place, and our brave foldiers cut a paffage for themselves, by putting these perfidious enemies to the rout.-10. At Valeggio there was another battle; at Deffengaro another. The French were everywhere the weakest in numbers; but they know well that the number of the enemy's battalions is never counted when they are compofed only of affaffins.-11. The fecond feast in Easter, at the ringing of the bell, all the French were affaffinated in Verona. Neither the fick in the hofpitals were respected, nor those who, in a ftate of convalefcence, were walking in the streets, and were thrown into the Adige, where they died, pierced with a thousand wounds from ftilettoes. More than four hundred French were aflaffinated.-12. For a week the Venetian army befieged the three caftles of Verona. The cannon which were placed on the battery were carried at the point of the bayonet. The town was fet on fire, and the moveable column that arrived in the interim, put thefe cowards to complete rout, by taking three thousand of the enemy prifoners, among whom were feveral Venetian generals.-13. The house of the French conful to Zante was burnt in Dalmatia.-14. A Venetian fhip of war took an Auftrian convoy under its protection, and fired feveral fhot at the corvette la Brune.-15. The Liberateur d'Italie, a veffel of the Republic, with only three or four small pieces of can non, non, and a crew of forty men, was funk in the very port of Venice, and by order of the fenate. The young and intrepid Haugier, lieutenant and commander of the faid fhip, as foon as he faw himself attacked by the fire of the fort and the admiral's galley, being from both not more than piftol-flot, ordered his crew to go below. He alone got upon the deck, in the midst of a storm of grape-fhot, and endeavoured, by his fpeeches, to difarm the fury of his affaflins; but he fell dead. His crew threw them felves into the fea to fwin, and were purfued by fix challops, with troops on board, in the pay of Venice, who cut to pieces feveral that fought for fafety in the open fea. One of the mafters, with several wounds, and bleeding in every part, had the good fortune to reach the fhore, near the caftle of the port; but the commandant himfelf cut off his hand with an axe. On aecount of the above-mentioned grievances, and authorifed by the 22d title, article 328, of the conftitution of the republic, and on account of the urgency of affairs, the General in Chief requires the French minifter to the republic of Venice to leave the faid city; directs the different agents of the republic of Venice in Lombardy, and the Venetian Terra Firma, to quit it in twenty-four hours; directs the different generals of divifions to treat as enemies the troops of the republic of Venice, and to pull down, in the towns of the Terra Firma, the Lion of St. Marc. Every one will receive, in the orders of the day to-morrow, a particular inftruction refpecting ulterior opera tions. BUONAPARTE. Proclamation of General Buonaparte, Head Quarters, Monte Bello, 11th Meffidor, 5th year. THE Cifalpine Republic was for many years under the dominion of the house of Auftria. The French Republic fucceeded it by the right of conqueft. It now renounces this right, and the Cifalpine Republic is free and independent. Recognized by France and the Emperor, it will foon be equally acknowledged by the reft of Europe. The Executive Directory of the French Republic, not content with employing its influence, and the victories of the republican armies, to fecure the political existence of the Cifalpine Republic, extends its care ftill further; and convinced that, if liberty be the first of bleffings, the revolution which attends it is the greateft of evils, it has given to the Cifalpine people their peculiar conftitution, refulting from the wifdom of the most enlightened nation. From a military regime the Cifalpine people pafs to a conftitutional one. That this tranfition fhould experience no fhock, nor be expofed to anarchy, the Executive Directory has thought proper to nominate, for the prefent, the members of the government and the legiflative body; fo that the people fhould after the lapfe of one year, have the election to the vacant places, in conformity to the conftitution. For a great number of years these exifted no republic in Italy. The facred fire of liberty was extinguished, and the fineft part of Europe was under the yoke of ftrangers. It belongs to the Cifalpine Republic to fhew to the world by its wifdom, its energy, and the organization of its armies, H that modern Italy is not degenerat- gallant Maniote people, who alone ed, and is ftill worthy of liberty. of ancient Greece have preferved (Signed) BUONAPARTE. Ordinance published at Verona on the 8th of August, 1797. WHEREAS citizen George Giufti continues, notwithstanding repeated admonitions, to revile the popular government and equality; and inftead of ftyling himself citizen, affumes the title of Count; fince he daily boafts to his fervants that he is of one of the best families in Rome; and, what is much worfe, continually inveighs against the popular government; the faid citizen George Giufti is hereby fentenced to pay 100 fequins; which money fhall be appropriated to erect a column to liberty in the GreenMarket. This fentence shall be read to citizen Giufti in the prefence of all his fervants and domeftics, by the fecretary of the municipality, to inftruct the whole family in the true principles of liberty and equality. Approved by General Verdier, French Commandant in the province of Verona. Letter of General Buonaparte to the Chief of the Maniotes, dated Milan, 12th Thermidor, (July 30th) THE council of the French Republic at Triefte has acquainted me with the attention your Lordfhip had fhewn in fending a deputation to intimate to me the defire you had to fee in your ports fome French veffels, and to be in any respect ufeful to the brave French foldiers of the army of Italy. The French efteem the finall but their liberty. In all the circumstances which may occur, they fhall ever give proofs of their protection, and a particular care to favour their veffels and their citizens. I beg your Lordship to receive with kindnefs the bearers of this, who have the ftrongeft defire to fee more nearly the worthy defcendants of Sparta, who, to be as renowned as their ancestors, wanted only to appear on a larger theatre. The first time that any of your relations have occafion to vifit Italy, I beg you to recommend them to me. I fhall feel a real pleasure in giving marks of the efteem which I entertain for you and your compatriots. (Signed) BUONAPARTE. From the Vienna Court Gazette, THE prefent war, of which the unavoidable confequence has been the deftruction of fo many lives, has given the greatest uneafinefs to his Imperial Majefty from the time of his first acceffion to the throne. Penetrated with a sense of his duty, and compaffion for his fubjects, and animated with a wifh to reftore plenty and profperity to all his hereditary states, his Majefty has never ceafed to devife fuch means as might put an end to the calamities of war; and it was with the utmoft regret that he faw all his endeavours fruitless, and himself in confequence obliged to exert his utmoft force to defend his ftates and faithful fubjects against the attacks of the enemy. Anxious to fpare the blood of his fubjects, his Imperial |