336 
citizens firm in their duty, as the 
only means of avoiding hostilities. 
The inhabitants, ‘by circulating this 
publication, excited to broils and 
disturbances, to an insurrection a- 
gainst lawful authority, to the hor- 
rors of a ciyil war, false assertions 
alleged to magnify the pretended 
injuries, in defiance of all public 
faith, the invasion of Russian ar- 
mies, with a denounced and alrea- 
dy effected threat of prosecuting 
in their lives and fortunes, al] those 
who will not join them against their 
own countrys: 5 
There is no instance in the an- 
nals of mankind, of one nation, of 
one. government, using such con- 
temptuous language to another. 
The above-mentioned declaration 
breaks and violates all the laws of 
nations, addressing Poland not like 
a sovereign state, but as if issuing 
arbitrary orders to a conquered 
province. 
Whatever sensation this writing 
has occasioned to us, the assem- 
bled states, and to the whole com- 
munity, you, Polish citizens, un- 
doubtedly share it all. A few un- 
worthy Polanders (painful reflec- 
tion) hostile to their country, pro- 
voked against the diet, for not hav- 
ing inits endeavours to raise the re- 
public conformed to their private 
views, went to Petersburgh, incul- 
pated the diet and the nation ; and 
having applied themselves to destroy 
that work, erected with so much la- 
bour and expence, which constitutes 
the freedom and independency of the 
republic, which restores the ancient 
splendor of the Polish name, and 
recovers the rank and dignity of 
our nation in Europe, they have 
obtained the above-mentioned de- 
claration, and have introduced a fo- 
reign army into the country. Their 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1702. 
impious efforts, coincided but too 
well with the interest of Russia. 
It was far from agreeable to the 
Russian government ‘to see Poland 
shake off the odious guarantee, to 
find her sensible of her ancient an- 
archy (which reducing her to the 
lowest degradation, “would have 
brought her to unavoidable destruc- 
tion) establish a firm and lasting go- 
verment, raise sufficient forces to 
defend her liberty and independen- 
cy, provide an income equal to the 
public expenditure; in a word, be- 
come a nation well regulated at 
home, and respected by her neigh- 
bours. The conspiracy of those 
degenerate sons of their country, 
whom Russia calls a legal confede- 
racy, happened conveniently to her 
views ; and drawing from it a spe- 
cious pretext, she enters forcibly 
our territories, and supports the 
conspiracy of those detested citizens 
who, (according to the tenor of the 
declaration). have solicited the as- 
sistance of the Empress, and now, 
jointly with her armies, do not 
shudder to attack the lives and for- 
tunes of their brethren. 
We acquaint you, therefore, re- 
spectable citizens, in our name and 
that of the assembled confederate 
states, that the present state of Po- 
land is that ‘of self-defence against — 
the Russian power ; that Russia has 
declared war against Poland; but at 
the same time let us inform ‘you, 
that confident of the courage and 
spirit of the nation, the more ef- 
forts our enemies make to destroy 
our government and country, the 
more vigorous will our measures be 
to repel this foreign invasion. 
Worthy citizens, the fate of your 
dear country is now at stake! such 
as you shall preserve it by your cou- 
rage and virtue, willit pass to your 
remotest 
