“ 
\for a peace. 
232 
possible to the whole of the Ger- 
man empire. ‘The latter has even 
expressed. the same general wish, 
having already opened a formal 
deliberation of the diet of the em- 
pire. Whole cireles, and several 
of the most distinguished princes 
of the empire, have even applied 
to his majesty to make a common 
cause with them, and to negotiate 
By means cf the pa- 
triotic zeal of a number of states 
for their own as well as for the ge- 
neral interest of the empire, en- 
sued the celebrated conclusum of 
the diet of Ratisbon, by which the 
empire, with dignity and modera- 
tion, expresses its wish for a peace, 
requesting the interference, for that 
purpose, of the principal head of 
the empire ; and applying, second- 
ly, to his majesty of Prussia, in or- 
der to invite him to co-operate in 
this important enterprize. 
This co-operation of his Imperial 
‘majesty, in which his majesty the 
king of Prussia was only to be the 
secondary, has beendelayed ; and, 
on the contrary, all steps have been 
taken in order to enforce the con- 
tributions of the states to the ar- 
mament for this campaign, how- 
ever weak and hopeless they may 
be; and it seemed to hate taken 
the turn, that notwithstanding the 
solemn declaration of the states of 
the empire in favour of a negotia- 
tion’ for peace, it is condemned to 
continue involved in this unfor- 
tunate war. ; 
His majesty the king of Prussia, 
however, in a war of three years, 
had made*the greatest exertions in 
the defence of the empire, and the 
greatest sacrifices, in order to pro- 
cure its welfare and security, but 
has, after this continued expert. 
ence, found all his efforts fruitless. 
ANNUAL REGISTER; 1793. 
It is impossible for his majesty ta 
sacrifice his existence, or to expose 
his collective states ta destruétion, 
in order to partake of experimen. 
tal and delusive operations in war, 
the best possible result of which 
cannot be equally beneficial with 
a present negotiation for peace ; 
and especially when all that re- 
gards his external and internal in, 
terests, all the sacred obligations 
which his majesty owes to the wel- 
fare of his provinces, who, wishing 
for peace and tranquillity, demand 
pressingly of his majesty for the 
present to renounce a war, the pro- 
gress of which can only produce 
irreparable destruction. 
His majesty, therefore, did not 
suffer the opportunity to pass away of 
commencing a negotiation for peace. 
to be carried on at Basle, between 
his and a French plenipotentiary ; 
his good intentions have been bless. 
ed with a happy success, and his 
majesty is now able to enjoy the 
pleasure of a sovereign—a father 
to his subjeéts; that by this treaty 
of peace he has restored to his 
states tranquillity and undisturbed 
welfare. 
To the German empire also his 
majesty has, in this important) oc- 
currence, displayed his patriotic at- 
tention and particular care. His 
Majesty is not in the immediate 
power of procuring a formal and 
real peace to the empire, for to this 
would be required the principal 
head of that empire, and a dire&t 
authority an the part of all the 
states, to give sufficient legitimacy 
in the eyes of the French govern. 
ment, and particular instruétions 
for the articles of the negotiation. 
In the mean time his majesty, from 
his own humane sentiments, Tre. 
specting the deplorable situation “4 
the 
