204 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1764. 



toge^er, to take the affair into con- 

 sideration, and to send a deputa- 

 tion to the assembly of Franconia, 

 for which the letter of convocation 

 of the elector of Mentz will soon be 

 issued, and of which the opening 

 will very probably be fixed for a 

 very early period. The under- 

 signed ventures to hope, from the 

 sentiments of enhghtened patriot- 

 ism of the two high co-directors, 

 that they will co-operate with all 

 their efforts, for the attainment of 

 so important an object ; and it is in 

 this hope, that he will expect their 

 declaration to be communicated to 

 }iis court. DoHM. 



Declaration of the king of Prussia 

 against the proposition for a gene- 

 ral armament of the inhabitants 

 of the empire^ made in Fed. 1794'. 



I. TTTHEN the proposition for 

 VV a general armament of the 

 subjects of the empire was made, at 

 the assembly of the diet, the king 

 of Prussia represented such essen- 

 tial difBculties against this measure, 

 that he could not have expected 

 that the proposition would have 

 been carried to a conclusuin. 



II. For this reason, his majesty 

 finds himself under the necessity of 

 laying them again once more bc- 

 foi-e the six nearest circles, with 

 this observation, viz. "That if the 

 said circles cannot determine with 

 themselves to withdraw the said 

 condusum, and render it of none 

 effect, he will be forced, however 

 contrary to his inclination, to with- 

 draw his troops, as he cannot ex- 

 pose them to the danger which 

 must necessarily result from this 

 measure. 



III. The reasons that his Prussian 



majesty opposes to a general arma- 

 ment of the inhabitants of the em- 

 pire, are the following, viz, 



1. By employing the peasants 

 against the enemy, agriculture will 

 want hands. 



2. That there are not arms suf- 

 ficient to give to such a mass ot 

 people. 



3. That it is impossible, in so 

 short a time, to teach the manual 

 exercise to the inhabitants. 



4. It has been found, by the ex- 

 perience of the two last campaigns, 

 that the soldiers opposed to the 

 Frencli must be perfectly exercised 

 to make head against them. 



.5. Lastly, independent of the 

 above reasons, it is infinitely dan- 

 gerous, at a time like the present, 

 when the French are watching 

 every advantage to insinuate their 

 principles, to assemble such a mass 

 of men, whose ideas upon forms of 

 government must be various, and a- 

 mong whom consequently dissen- 

 sions might arise, disastrous in their 

 consequences both to the armies,and 

 to the constitution of the empire. 



Declaration of his Prussian majesty, 

 delivered to the states of the Ger- 

 manic circles, assembled at Fra/ik- 

 fort, in Fclruary, 1794. 



T_IIS majesty the king of Prussia 

 -■■ -*■ could not but hear with the 

 highest displeasure, that designs 

 were imputed to him, tending to 

 secularize bishoprics and chapters, 

 to suppress them, and to appropri- 

 ate to himself certain cities of the 

 empire, in order to indemnify him- 

 self for the immense sums which he 

 has expended for near two years, to 

 carry on the war against the French, 

 and to defend against them the 



Germanic 



