200 
Majesty shall make to the conduct 
which is due from me to the great 
interests of the French nation—to 
its glory, and to the safety of the 
unfortunate victims of that war 
with which a powerful combination 
threatens France. Your Majesty 
cannot doubt that I freely and vo- 
luntarily accepted the constitution. 
—I have sworn to maintain it—my 
repose and my honour are insepara- 
bly connected with it—my fate is 
linked with that of the nation, 
whose hereditary representative I 
am, and which, in spite of the ca- 
lumnies thrown out against it, me- 
rits, and shall always possess, the 
esteem of all nations. 
The French have sworn to live 
free, or to die.—I am pledged by 
the same oath. 
The Sieur de Maulde, whom I 
send as Ambassador Extraordinary 
to your Majesty, will explain to 
you the means to avert those cala- 
mities of war which threaten Eu- 
rope. With these sentiments I re- 
main, &c. &c. 
(Signed) Louis. 
Proclamation by the King of the 
French for the Maintenance of 
Good Order on the Frontiers. 
THE King communicated tothe 
National Assembly the note deliver- 
ed on the 21st of December last to 
the Ambassador from France to his 
Imperial Majesty. ‘his note ex- 
presses the fear that, before the ma- 
nifestation of the national will, and 
even contrary to the wish of the na- 
tion, the territory of the German 
empire would be insulted by the 
French. For these reasons the Em- 
peror ordered his generals in the 
low countries to march to the assist- 
ance of the Elector of Treves. The 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
King feels how much such an alarm 
might prove offensive to the French 
people. Europe is in peace; and 
certainly the French who remain 
faithful to their country and their 
King, will not deserve the reproach 
of having disturbed its repose. Be- 
sides, who could believe that the 
French would violate the rights of 
nations and the faith of treaties, by 
considering as enemies those men 
against whom war had not been so- 
lemnly declared ?—French loyalty 
repels with indignation a suspicion 
repugnant to propriety. He is ne- 
vertheless, aware, that perfidious 
suggestions, that manceuvres adroit- 
ly concerted, may occasion some 
differences between the inhabitants 
or the troops of the respective fron- 
tiers, and that inconsiderate provo- 
cations may be productive of acts 
truly hostile.— But to frustrate these 
manceuvres it is sufficient to point 
them out. The King therefore re- 
commends to the administrative bo- 
dies, and to the generals, to employ 
all their efforts to prevent the ef: 
fects of the means which may be em- 
ployed to irritate the impatience of 
the people, and the ardour of the 
army. Frenchmen, in the present 
momentous crisis, it depends upon 
you to give a memorable example 
to Europe ; strong in the goodness 
of your cause, proud of your liberty, 
let your moderation, and your sub- 
mission to the law, make you re- 
spected by your enemies. Know, 
that to wait the signal of the law is 
in you a duty; that to anticipate it 
will be acrime. The King, in the 
name of the French nation, aims at 
a satisfaction which has equally for 
its object justice, the right of nati- 
ons, and the interest of all Europe. 
If the King has made warlike pre- 
parations, it was because he Te 
the 
