766 
Yorr political independency has 
been guaranteed by France, Russia, 
and the Sublime Porte. These power- 
ful nations, united together by the 
bonds of the truest friendship, are oc- 
cupied, in concert with yourmost en- 
lightened and most virtuous fellow- 
citizens, to give you a form of go- 
vernment suitable to your situation, 
and the genius of your inhabitants. 
Wait with confidence and modera- 
tion the result of these important 
operations, and be assured that you 
will see the end of your ills, and the 
beginning of your prosperity. All 
exaggerations of political opinions 
are inimical to the general prospe- 
rity: absolute democracy, always 
tempestuous, sacrifices to yain chi- 
meras the security, the property, 
civil liberty, and, in short, all that 
constitutes the happiness of a state: 
aristocracy, which is not moderated, 
is always tyrannical: and the eleva- 
tion of a small number of families is 
preferred to talents and to virtue. 
In order that a government may be 
prosperous, it is necessary that it 
should have in its formation a happy 
combination of the advantages of 
different forms of government ; the 
power and promptitude of monar- 
chy, the vigilance and intelligence 
of aristocracy, and the vigour and 
elevation of democracy; that the 
citizens may find the security enjoyed 
under the first, the tranquillity of 
the second, and the equality of the 
rights, fixed by the laws, which are 
found in the third. 
Recollect, that the man who forms 
a part of society, only preserves 
the liberty of doing that which is 
not prejudicial to the rights of others ; 
and that equality only consists in 
the exact execution of the laws, 
and in the protection which they 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 180s. 
afford to every member of the po. 
litical body, As the quarantine pre- 
vents communication, I beg you 
will communicate this my letter to — 
all the authorities, and also to the 
principal inhabitants, 
I avail myself of this opportunity 
to assure you of the sentiments of 
esteem and consideration which I 
entertain for your person. 
Liberty. Equality. 
Corfu, 29th Frimaire, 11th Year 
of the French Republic. 
The Adjutant Commandant Romieu, 
Commissary General of Commer- 
cial Relations, and Chargé @ Af- — 
Saires to the Republic of the Seven — 
Islands, to the Vicar General of — 
the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman — 
Churches at Corfu. { 
with the — 
Mr. Vicar General, 
I hasten to inform you, 
greatest joy, that I have just re- 
ceived the express orders of my go- © 
vernment to place the church of the 
Roman religion in the republic of 
the Seven Islands, under its special — 
protection. I make this communi. 
cation to the prince of the senate. 
This proof of the good will of the 4 
French towards this church, will be 
a powerful motive, Mr. Vicar Ge- 
neral, for addressing, through the 
faithful in your communion, the 
most ardent vows to heaven for 
the prosperity of the lives of its 
consuls, in the same way as the Ro- 
man churches practise in the French 
republic. 
With the most distinguished con- 
sideration, Mr. Vicar General, I 
have the honour to salute you. 
(Signed) A. Romien. 
A true Copy, 
Spiridion Foresti. 
CHARACTERS. 
