198 
name of the French nation, and 
in virtue of the powers delegated 
to him by the constitution. 
II. The King shall be invited to 
demand of the Emperor, whether, 
as head of the House of Austria, he 
intends to live in peace and good 
understanding with the French na- 
tion, or whether he renounces all 
treaties and conventions directed 
against the sovereignty, independ- 
ence, and safety of the nation? 
III. The King shall be invited to 
declare to the emperor, that in case 
he shall, before the Ist of May 
next, fail to give full and entire sa- 
tisfaction upon all the points above- 
stated, his silence, as well as every 
evasive or dilatory answer, will be 
considered as a declaration of war. 
EV. The King shall be invited to 
adopt the most efficacious measures 
to put the troops in astate to take 
the field upon the first orders they 
may receive. 
On the 28th of January the King 
sent the following Answer to the 
Assembly. 
I HAVE examined, gentlemen, 
the invitation, in the form of a de- 
cree, which you. caused to be pre- 
sented to me on the 15th of the 
present month. It is to me alone 
that appertains the right of preserv- 
ing foreign connexions, or conduct- 
ing negotiations ; nor can the le- 
gislative body deliberate upon war, 
but on a formal and necessary pro- 
_ position from me. 
Without doubt, you may demand 
of me to take into consideration 
whatever interests the national safe- 
ty and dignity; but the form which 
you have adopted is susceptible of 
important observations. T will not 
now develope them, The weight 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1702. 
of present circumstances requires 
that I should rather be solicitous to 
preserve an agreement in our sen- 
timents than constitutionally to 
discuss my rights. I ought, there- 
fore, to make known to you that I 
have demanded of the Emperor, 
more than a fortnight since, a posi- 
tive explanation on the principal 
articles whichare the object of your 
invitation. I have preserved to- 
wards him that decorum which is 
reciprocally due between powers. 
Should we have a war, let us not 
have to reproach ourselves with any 
wrong which might have provoked 
it. «A certainty of this can alone 
assist us to support the inevitable 
evils it brings with it. 
I know it is glorious for me to 
speak in the name of a nation which 
displays so much courage, and I 
know how to put avalue on this im- 
mense means of strength. But what 
more sincere proof can I give of my 
attachment to the constitution, than 
that cf acting with as much mild- 
ness in negotiation as celerity in 
our preparations, which will permit 
us, should necessity require it, to 
enter into a campaign within six 
weeks. The most uneasy distrust 
can find in this conduct only the 
union of all my duties. 
I remind the Assembly, that hu- 
manity forbids the mixture of any 
movement of enthusiasm in the de- 
cision for war. Such a determina- 
tion should be the act of mature re- 
flection ; for it is to pronounce, in 
the name of the country, that her 
interests require her to sacrifice a 
great number of her children. 
I am nevertheless awake to the 
honour and safety of the. nation, 
and [ will hasten, with all my pow- 
er, that moment, when I can in- 
form 
