688 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



ment itself, upon an impartial con- 

 sideration of the case, could not fail 

 to see. — Whilst the undersigned ac- 

 quits himself of this duty towards 

 the Austrian cabinet, he must like- 

 wise, in compliance with the strict 

 injunctions of the emperor his master, 

 add, that nothing but the sincere 

 •wish of restoring peace to Europe, 

 actuates his conduct upon this occa- 

 sion ; that Russia will manifest the 

 most conciliatory disposition in any 

 negotiation for peace, and adopt 

 every measure that may promote its 

 happy completion ; and his imperial 

 majesty solemnly declares, that he is 

 ready to recal his troops, as soon as 

 the much desired security of all the 

 states of Europe shall be obtained. — 

 His imperial majesty formally invites 

 his imperial royal and apostolic ma- 

 jesty to join in the measures which 

 he has adopted ; and the undersign- 

 ed is fully authorized to concert 

 with the Austrian cabinet every 

 thing connected with the present im- 

 portant state of affairs. 



Second Declaration of the Court of 

 Vienna to the French Court ; trans- 

 mitted from Vienna to Paris on 

 the 3d of September, 1805. 



The court of Vienna yields, with- 

 out delay, to the request which the 

 emperor of France has made of a ca- 

 tegorical explanation respecting the 

 motive of its preparations. The 

 court of Vienna has no other motive 

 than that of maintaining peace and 

 friendship with France, and securing 

 the general tranquillity of the conti- 

 nent. It has no other wish than that 

 the emperor of the French may en- 

 .tertaiii corresponding sentiments. — 

 The maintenance of peace, however, 

 between two states, does not merely 

 2 



consist in their not attacking each 

 other. It depends not less, in rea \ 

 lity, on the fulfilment of those trea- 

 ties on which peace is' founded. 

 That power which transgresses in so 

 essential a point, and refuses to at- 

 tend to the reclamations to which such 

 a conduct gives rise, is as much the 

 aggressor as if it openly and unjust- 

 ly attacked the other party. — The 

 peace between Austria and France 

 was founded upon the treaty of Lu- 

 ncville. One of the articles of that 

 treaty, stipulated and guaranteed 

 the independence of the Italian, 

 Helvetic, and Bataviafi republics, 

 and left them at liberty to chuse 

 their own governments. Any mea- 

 sures, therefore, which tend to com- 

 pel these states to chuse a govern- 

 ment, constitution, or sovereign, 

 otherwise than according to their 

 free will, or otherwise than is con- 

 sistent with the maintenance of a 

 real political independence, is a 

 breach of the peace of Luneville, 

 and it is the duty of Austria to com- 

 plain of such a violation. — A wish to 

 maintain reciprocal friendship, to 

 acquire confidence, to secure the 

 public tranquillity from great dan- 

 gers, may, under critical and delicate 

 circumstances, induce the reclaim- 

 ing party to adopt precautions, to 

 shew great moderation in complaints, 

 and to defer the discussion of them 

 to future negotiations. This con- 

 duct docs not imply any contradic- 

 tion ol the stipulations of the treaty ; 

 but that power which goes farther, 

 which refuses all explanation, which 

 avoids all mediation, and employs 

 menaces instead of the means of re- 

 conciliation, forgets as much the 

 laws of friendship, as the sacred 

 rights of peace. — The maintenance 

 of general tranquillity requires that 

 each power should confine itself 



within 



