STATE PAPERS. 
Pruffian regency, and which the 
fenate have juft rendered public; 
they invite them, in confequence, 
to wait quietly for the iffue, and not 
to expofe themfelves and their fa- 
milies to danger by ufelefs refift- 
ance, and a too exalted patriotic 
zeal. 
The fenate having thus fatisfied 
the defireof the burghers, by con- 
fiding to them for a time the care of 
the gates, expect that they will re- 
member the promife they have made 
to abftain from ali exceffes and pre- 
cipitate fteps, and leave entirely to 
the magiftrate and fupreme tribunal 
of the empire, the care of termi- 
nating this affair. 
Subftance of a Letter addreffed by the 
Elector of Saxony to his Majefty the 
King of Pruffia, relative to the late 
Differences fubjifting between that Mo- 
narch and his Neighbours in Eranco- 
nit. 
FAR from meaning to decide 
‘upon, or to call in queftion the va- 
didity of the pretenfions of your 
Majefty to the rights of fovereign- 
ty, which, in later times, have been 
enjoyed by feveral of your neigh- 
bours in Franconia, reputed, in 
confequence, to be members of the 
Equefirian Order of the empire, I 
think it my duty to fuppofe, from 
the known equity of your Majetty, 
that you will not determine to af- 
fume thefe rights without imparti- 
ally examining your pretenfions, 
-and that all the fteps which are 
taken refpecting the principalities 
of Franconia have been directed by 
juftice, and a defire to pave a way 
(for youand your eleétoral houfe, 
and for the advantage of the fub- 
jects of Franconia, fuffering from 
the differences that have arifen re- 
357 
fpe&ting the fovereignty) which 
may lead to a diftinét and amicable 
conciliation of all their refpective 
rights.. Your Majefty, however, is 
too enlightened not to be convinc- 
ed, that, after all the laws which 
have been made, pretenfions to 
rights which are not united with 
the poffefiion muft be previoufly 
referred to the judge, and decided, 
in order to be able to come at the 
enjoyment of them; and thatthe 
arbitrary depofing of him who is 
actually in poffeffion, cannot be ap- 
proved by any one. In truth, it 
cannot be doubted, that if your Ma- 
jefty had employed meafures of ne- 
gotiation with the different powers, 
it was much to be feared that the 
bufinefs would not have been fpee- 
dily terminated andarranged. But 
this confideration was not fufficient 
to {et you above all the laws againft 
arbitrary power, which are fo falu- 
tary in themfelves, and fo inter- 
woven with the fpirit of the Ger- 
manic conititution. We can no 
longer accufe the fupreme tribtnals 
‘of the empire with partiality and 
injuftice: if they exercife their 
functions agreeably to the laws by 
which they fhould be guided, and 
if they apply them to the actions 
and conduct of your Majefty, the 
confequences which will refult from 
it will be felt. Your Majefty has 
been revered with reafon by a great 
part of the empire, as one of the 
firft defenders of the conftitution; 
and what matter. of affliction will it 
not be for every ftate of the em- 
pire torn from the country, if that 
confidence, which is founded upon 
veneration, is weakened by the new 
fteps taken in Franconia! I leave 
to your Majefty’s wifdom to de- 
cide, whether thefe premature fieps 
will not lead them to form very cu- 
ZL 3 3 rioug 
