240 
respecting the opening of the ne- 
gotiations of peace. His majesty, 
our most gracious lord the king, to 
whom we communicated the con. 
tents, perceived in it, with pleasure, 
the fresh proof of Imperial pater. 
nal care, which is to be revered 
with gratitude by the whole empire, 
since his Imperial majesty gives his 
assent and approbation, as chief of 
the empire, to the expression of the 
general longing desire of the states 
of the empire for a speedy armistice 
and a tolerable peace; and since 
his Imperial majesty declares most 
graciously his readiness to make 
the preliminary introduétion to the 
salutary end, which becomes even 
more, and, in all respects, the only 
and surest remedy to save the Ger- 
manic country, after the result of 
a war, as equally just as it has been 
‘unequally and most unsuccessfully 
waged. 
Upon the question put in the 
said communication by his high. 
ness, the above-mentioned Imperial 
minister, we shall not omit to reply, 
that his majesty charged major-ge- 
neral count Von Goltz, when his 
majesty sent him some time ago to 
Basle, concerning the exchange 
of prisoners, to sound at the same 
time the gentiments of the French 
nation, with regard toa peace and 
the means of obtaining it.—The 
illness and subsequent death’ of the 
said count have, however, prevent- 
ed all farther intimations. But no- 
thing has’ been done in this respect, 
relative to the Germanic empire, © 
nor could any thing be done, as the 
king’s majesty had to wait in this - 
respect the above-mentioned Impe- | 
rial ratification, the advice of the 
empire containing propositions of 
peace, and the turther overtures 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
from the pleasure of his Imperial 
majesty. 
(Signed) Finxenstern, 
ALVENSLEBEN, 
Havuewitz. 
erliny Feb. 26, 1795. 
The Members of the General Adminis« 
tration of East-Flanders, sitting at 
Ghent, to the National Convention 
of France, 3d February, 1795. 
LEGISLATORS, amid the 
united voices that express the ges 
neral satisfa¢tion produced by your 
inviolable attachment to the prin- 
ciples of liberty, equality, jus. 
tice, and probity, the administfa- 
tors of East-Flanders present the 
homage of their attachment, and 
express their eagerness to see ef: 
fected the incorporation of this 
interesting part of “Belgium with 
the French republic. Yes, legisla« 
tors, the inhabitants of this fine 
country are worthy of being French 
citizens. The love of liberty, that 
sacred ‘fire which burns in your 
hearts, burns also in theirs. Frank 
in their charaéter, energetic in their 
sentiments, they daily express their 
joy at the recital of the new tri- 
umphs, which, in the most rigos 
rous season, procured to France 
the conquest of all Holland. A 
great number of their countrymen 
have long since given other proofs 
of their attachment to the republic. 
In your armies they haveshed their 
blood for liberty, because they felt 
its worth, and abhorred every spe= 
cies of tyranny. They declares 
that by releasing them from despo-~ 
tism, you have restored to them 
their country, which they will ches 
rish forever; and they feelin their. 
hearts 
