STATE PAPERS. 



211 



tbey concern us. — Since that pe- 

 riod the mass of the enemv, which 

 hns orecipitated itself on Belgium, 

 rendering your danger more pres- 

 sin:^, ii becomes more necessary to 

 employall heraeansin your power, 

 and to check the operation of that 

 mass b> all the force which it is 

 possible to coUtct and combine. 



Our armies have suffered, and 

 stand in need of a l3r;je number of 



O 



recruits; and although wehave seen 

 with as much satisfaction as grati- 

 tude, the sacrifices which you have 

 evinced a wish to make, in order to 

 excite our subjects to enter into vo- 

 luntary engagements, we cannot 

 conceal from you that, as this re- 

 source has been hitherto unproduc- 

 tive and unavailing, our army will 

 perhaps be no longer in a condition 

 to employ, against an enemy who 

 makes such eti'orts to invade these 

 provinces, that resistance and those 

 offensive measures which have hi- 

 therto preserved them. 



It would be superfluous to recal 

 to your recollection, that hitherto 

 our hereditary states have furnished 

 the major part of those who have 

 defended you, and undoubtedly our 

 Belgic provinces, so flourishing, so 

 populous, and so interested in the 

 success of the war, which unhappily 

 may be attended with their annihi- 

 lation and total ruin, will not be 

 backward in furnishing men to as- 

 sist in the defence of those provin- 

 ces. 



It is at the presentmnment, while 

 the period is not yet elapsed, that 

 we address ourselves to you for an 

 object more important even than 

 tliat contained in our dispatch of the 

 .30th April ; we demand for our 

 army, from all the provinces, a levy 

 of men, and we are persuaded that, 

 penetrated with the necessity of sa- 



tisfying so just a demand, you will 

 only pause on the mode of carrying 

 it into execution. We do not hesi- 

 tate to propose to you, that which 

 is most conformable to reason, to 

 justice, and to the general interests 

 and exigencies of the moment, viz. 

 An equitable assessment on all the 

 districts, each of which shall be di- 

 rected to furnish ohj man in every 

 hundred, as far as regards its ge- 

 neral population, and five men in 

 every hundred capable of bearing 

 arms. 



It is to this demand (hat we im- 

 mediately expect your consent, and 

 your most eflicacious concurrence, 

 leaving, howe\er, to your choice 

 the best means of satisfying it, at 

 the same time informing you, that 

 this extraordinary levy is so neces- 

 sary, and so pressing, that if in the 

 execution of it you stand in need of 

 our sovereign authority, we are dis- 

 posed to grant it to you in the most 

 extensive manner. 



You have, it: is true, offered se- 

 veral times to raise some new corps, 

 but we have con^dered that it would 

 take too much time to organize 

 them, and to train them to the mili- 

 tary exercise and evolutions; while, 

 on the other hand, men, mingled 

 among soldirr , will immediately 

 render iy> that service which we ex- 

 pect frem them. 



You cannot dissemble — your fu- 

 ture existence depends perhaps on 

 the speedy execution of such an 

 increase of foce — you see your 

 enemies multiply at all points of 

 your frontiers, while our armies 

 moulder away by our victories, and 

 by those glorious contests which 

 they are forced so frequently to 

 maintain. — Besides, the efforts that 

 you will make in this respect, can- 

 not be a grievous burthen on a 



P 2 countr'? 



