fion which the laft note left in many refpects on their minds. It neither answers their juft expectations, nor the idea which the ought to form of the prudent forefight of the plenipotentiaries of the German Empire. They could, above all, with difficulty exprefs, and will abstain from defining, the fentiment which they experienced in reading the paffage of that paper, where they fo ftrangely allude to the 3d article of their note of 1ft Thermidor (July 20). Who could have thought, that, after an examination of more than twenty days, after fo many fittings, employed, no doubt, in useful deliberation, they fhould have delayed declaring themselves, and should have been filent refpecting one of the most effential and moft precife articles of that note, and which muft be confidered as irrevocable? It is at length time that this ftate of things, that these equivocal delays, fhould have an end. The French government defires peace; its conduct has fheltered its intentions from all doubts; but to attain that object, it has exhaufted every thing that could be expected of its good intentions. The laft propofitions which the underfigned made in its name, are the conditions of that peace. There is then no longer room for difcuffion or delay. The deputation must decide. If they confult only themfelves, if they yield to the purity of their intentions, the choice will be foon made. Let them reflect well, that, in any cafe, thefe delays and thefe refufals will not be advantageous to the Empire, and that the public voice in Germany will approve any determination which fhall avert for ever the fcourge of war. It being impoffible for the minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic not to infift on the whole of what is contained in their note of ift Thermidor (July 19), thofe of 4th Meffidor (June 22), and the preceding, they again demand of the deputation of the Empire a categorical and decifive anfwer on all the points therein treated of. They expect it. They affure M. de Metternich, minifter plenipotentiary of his Majesty the Emperor, of their most diftinguished confideration. BONNIER. JEAN DEBRY. Raftadt, 26th Thermidor (Aug. 14), 6th year of the French republic. Minutes of a Converfation between Count Metternich, Minifter Plenipotentiary of his Majefty the Emperor, and Citizens Jean Debry and Bonnier, Minifters Plenipotentiary of the French Republic at Raftadt, 24th Thermidor (Auguft 11th), between Twelve and One o'Clock in the Forenoon. COUNT Metternich having waited upon Citizen Bonnier, where Jean Debry was prefent, he told them, that the interVOL. VII. 3 P view view which he had the honour to request of them arose from the respect which he entertained for the French legation; a fentiment which he should preferve with pleasure in all the communications he had with them. He added (referring to the note he had tranfmitted to them), he could not ratify the third point of the last note of the deputation of the Empire (that relating to the demolition of Ehrenbreitftein), because the object of it was of too great importance, and too intimately connected with the military department, to allow him to decide upon it immediately. At the fame time he was averse to retard the communication of the other points, in order to prove his readiness to concur in accelerating peace. Citizen Bonnier faid, that the French legation had remarked with furprise the omiflion by the Imperial minister plenipotentiary of an article fo effential as that of the 3d of the conclufum of the deputation of the Empire; that the French legation had demanded a categorical anfwer to all the points of their note; that they entertained the fame defire with the French government to accelerate peace with the German Empire; and that they themfelves, the minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic, infifted that the deputation fhould feriously set about answering the propofitions of the French government, and that the underfigned hould explain himfelf in a precife manner with regard to the 3d article of the laft conclufum. Count Metternich confined himfelf to what he had already faid on this fubject, adding only, that he could not confider a paper as official till it was figned by him and tranfmitted to the French legation. Citizen Bonnier replied, that they, the French plenipotentiaries, would fend their anfwer immediately. Count Metternich obferved on this occafion, that the demand of the French government with regard to retaining the fort of Caffel oppofite to Mentz, had the more furprised him, as it was contrary to the first bafis of peace: that the French government had propofed the courfe of the Rhine as the boundary between empires defirous to avoid all points of contact with Germany, to prevent every cause of war in future, and to confolidate a good understanding between the two ftates: that it was in order to attain that object which the deputation of the Empire fo ardently wifhed, that they had acquiefced in the faid basis, on certain conditions to which the French legation had yet returned no anfwer that by the demand of retaining the fort of Caffel, not only a territorial contact was established, but France would otherwife have a military point, at once offenfive and defensive against the Germanic Empire, and that juftice required that each fhould be mafter within itfelf: that the reafons which the French government had urged to prove the neceffity of demolishing the entrench 4 ments, ments, and the Tête du Pont oppofite Manheim, applied here with additional force, because it is notorious that Caffel has never been an integral part of Mentz, while the Tête du Pont of Manheim had always been a part of that place. Citizen Bonnier replied, that the French legation infifted on its laft propofition, and that the French government irrevocably, demanded the demolition of the fort of Ehrenbreitftein. Count Metternich availed himself of this opportunity to demonftrate to the French plenipotentiaries the little moderation and management which the French government and its agents had always difplayed in their proceedings. He added, that the last proclamation of Citizen Rudler, with regard to the abfent inhabitants on the left bank of the Rhine, was a new proof of this affertion, though Count Metternich flattered himself that fuch a thing as German emigrants would never be talked of. In fpite of the verbal affurances given by him (Citizen Bonnier) and his late colleague, Citizen Treilhard, the undersigned still believed that this proclamation left fome doubts with regard to the obfervance of this principle; and that accordingly he had thought himfelf bound to communicate it to the deputation of the Empire, flattering himself at the fame time, that this provifion of Citizen Rudler was fufceptible of a favourable interpretation; but that he had been particularly ftruck on perufal of the deliberation of the central adminiftration of Mont Tonnere, relative to the fame fubject, which would oblige him to fubmit the matter to the minifter plenipotentiary of the French republic, in order that it might be remedied. Count Metternich thought likewife, that he could not pafs over in filence the official intelligence of the augmentation of the French troops on the right bank of the Rhine; he communicated to the minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic the circular letter of the commandant of Mentz. The underfigned remarked, that this step was perfectly repugnant to the ftipulations made at the time of the armiftice, not to pafs the lines traced out for the two armies; that the army of the Empire had fcrupuloutly obferved this engagement, and was ftill behind the banks of the Lech. Citizen Jean Debry faid, that all the public papers spoke of the news of war, and the preparations that were made; and that the movement of the French troops was a measure of precaution. The underfigned replied, that the warlike difpofitions alluded to, were unknown to him, and that the army of the Empire was in cantonments. Citizen Jean Debry repeated the affurances that the French government really wifhed to conclude peace with the German Empire, and to confolidate it. 3 P 2 The The underfigned withdrew, after referring to what he had advanced in the courfe of this converfation. (Signed) The COUNT de METTERNICH. Raftadt, 12th Auguft. IN confequence of orders from the court of Vienna to the Imperial minifter to confent to no new conceffions to the French, he fuppreffed the 3d article in the note of the deputation of the Empire of the 7th of Auguft, relative to the demolition of Ehrenbreitftein, before it was delivered to the French minifters, According to the inftructions to the Empire, the refolutions of the deputation are of no effect unless they are agreed to by the Auftrian plenipotentiary. 16th Auguft. THE French plenipotentiaries demanded from the Count de Metternich, the, Imperial minifter, his declaration in writing upon his refufal to fanction the laft conclufum of the 7th of Auguft, feeing that his inftructions would not allow him to do so before the return of a courier whom he had dispatched to the court of Vienna. Raftadt, 3d Fructidor (16th Auguft). THE underfigned minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic, justly furprised that their note of the 26th Thermidor last has not as yet produced any known effect, and in their love for humanity, impreffed with a lively fenfe of the imminent danger of this ftate of inactivity to which the faid note has conduced, require the deputation of the Empire to explain itself instantly, categorically, and separately, upon all the points in difpute, announced in the notes of the 1ft Thermidor, 4th Meffidor, and others preceding. While they give this further proof of their formal wish and laft perfevering effort of the French republic for peace, they declare the deputation must remain refponsible for the confequences in which further delays may involve it. (Signed) BONNIER. Conclufum of the Deputation of the Empire of the 17th Aug. 1798. THE deputation of the Empire have feen by the last overture which the Imperial commiffion made to the directorial minifter, in his note of the 17th Auguft, the contents of a converfation which took place on the 11th between the Imperial minifter ple nipoten nipotentiary and the French legation. As it refults from it, that the French minifters continue to infift upon a formal reply to their note of the 26th Thermidor, and that they await that reply, the deputation of the Empire are of opinion that the following anfwer fhould be given to the faid note: The deputation of the Empire have been fatisfied on finding in the last note of the French minifters plenipotentiary of the 26th Thermidor, new affurances of the conftant difpofitions of the government to accelerate peace, as well as their confidence in the equally pacific fentiments of the deputation. But they were at the fame time difagreeably affected at feeing that a fimple mifunderftanding had given rife to the idea manifefted in that note, that they could have paffed over fub filentio in their reply, one of the most important articles of the note of the 1ft Thermidor. The deputation of the Empire, always convinced of the advantage refulting to negotiation by writing, when all the points are difcuffed at once, and not partially, have not failed to reply to the 3d article of the note of the aft Thermidor, which is the principal point in queftion here, as well as to what is faid in the 2d article, relative to the ifle St. Pierre and the deputation replied in the following manner on the 7th Auguft. [The 3d article of the conclufum of the 7th Auguft, which we have already given, was here inferted.] As the Imperial minifter plenipotentiary referved himself to make an immediate declaration relative to that decifion upon the 3d article, the deputation of the Empire confine them felves folely at present to communicate this ftate of things, adding the affurance that they will continue in future to do all that shall be in their power to accelerate the negotiation. The deputation of the Empire request the Imperial commiffion to tranfmit as foon as poffible, by means of a note, as is cuftomary, the reply to the French legation. Raftadt, Auguft 24. THE Count Metternich, at the reiterated folicitations of the deputation of the Empire, transmitted on the 21ft to the French minifters the conclufum of the 7th of Auguft, in its original ftate, by reftoring the article relative to the demolition of Ehrenbreitstein, but without giving it his fanction. Anfwer of the French Minifters. THE underfigned minifters plenipotentiary of the French republic, for carrying on the negotiation with the German Empire, have received the note of the deputation of the Empire, which was tranf |