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Proclamation of the King of Naples.

THE long war which fill defolates Europe, which afflicts fo ma ny nations, and costs so much blood, and fo many tears, is not a mere political contest, but a religious war. Our enemies are the foes of chriftianity; not content with deftroying it in the breasts of their own nation, they would alfo banish it from every quarter of the globe, and replace it by atheism or enthufiaftic idolatry. Religion openly reprobates their projects. They aim at the overthrow of all princely government, and to attain this, they difturb the peace of nations, ftimulate them to revolt against their lawful fovereigns, plunge them into the most dreadful anarchy, and fink them in an abyfs of confufion and mifery. Belgium, Holland, and fo many German and Italian provinces have become the wretched victims of their feduction, and thirft for plunder. Thofe unfortunate countries groan and lament, but in vain, under the vain defpotifm of their oppreffors, while the calls of juftice and humanity are unattended to. It was neceffary that religion, the moft powerful obftacle of their horrid projects, fhould be removed and deftroyed, in order that this fence being once broken down, all laws, both divine and human, might be violated without fhame or reserve.

Religion, whilft it informs us of our duties, ought alfo to infpire us with courage. The religious citizen well knows that he was born. for himself and for others; that at the moment of his birth he contracts the obligation to love his native land, to protect it in times of diftrefs, and even to hazard his

life in the defence of the country where he repofes in fafety, and finds a livelihood for himself and his family, especially when that country is invaded by an enemy, who fpares neither law nor property, neither life nor religion; who, wherever he makes his appearance, infults, profanes, and deftroys the churches, breaks down the altars, perfecutes the priefts, and tramples under foot the moft facred emblems of the church of Chrift. It is impoffible that a citizen, devoted to the caufe of religion, fhould remain unconcerned at the dangers which threaten his country; prompted by the impulfe of his confcience, and a proper fenfe of his own welfare, he will haften to its defence, join the military force, and co-operate in a vigorous refistance; he will place his confidence in the God of Hofts, who often ftrikes an unexpected blow, and difperfes his enemies like chaff before the wind.

I myself will fet you the example of zeal and courage; I will put myfelf at the head of my dearly beloved fubjects, affembled for the defence of their country, fully relying on the protection of the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, who guides the counfels of princes, and enlightens their minds, if with fincerity they implore his holy name. Yet at the fame time I fhall neglect no proper means for procuring peace and tranquillity to the people whom Divine Providence has entrusted to my care. But in order to obtain this end, we ought not to neglect the neceffary precautions, that we may be prepared for every event. Negociations for peace fhall occafionally be fet on foot, but they muß be

carried on with arms in our hands, that we may not be obliged to fubmit to deftructive and difgraceful conditions, which this enemy, fo apt to avail himself of the weakness of his adverfaries, might choofe to dictate. For this purpofe lend me your affiftance, ye prelates of the realm, ye who are the depofitaries and firft defenders of our holy religion, and fupport my exertions with a zeal worthy of your apoftolic miffion. Summon the inhabitants of your diocefes to join me and my troops, to repel the enemy, if he should dare to approach our frontiers. Explain to them the juftice and importance of our caufe, and convince them that it is their bounden duty to concur in its defence. Let the voice of the church be heard through her minifters, and invite her children to fupport the caufe of Go, and to offer up prayers to him, that, in his mercy, he may grant us either a juft peace, or a glorious triumph. (Signed) FERDINAND. Naples, May 18, 1796.

Edict of his Majefty the King of Naples and the two Sicilies, addreffed to his Subjects.

We, FERDINAND IV. by the

Grace of God, &c. &c. SINCE the time when peace was interrupted in Europe, we redoubled our care to preferve the public tranquillity, and to put the flate in a fafe condition of defence. We were, therefore, difpofed to aug; ment our land and fea forces, and to raise a confiderable host of brave warriors on the frontiers of this kingdom. We afterwards put ourfelves at the head of our courageous troops. firmly refolved to ufe all

the means in our power, and even to facrifice our royal perfon. Thefe effective preparations, added to lawful and becoming fteps to obtain peace, give us hopes that our dominions will forth with enjoy tranquillity. At the fame time we ought not to conceal, that in order to gain the propofed end of our defigns, it is abfolutely necessary to double the faid preparatious for the defence of the flate, and the acceleration of a lafting and honourable peace, and to ftation a still greater force than the present on the frontiers of our kingdom. We addrefs ourselves to all the claffes of our beloved fubjects, and hereby do require them to contribute with all their power to the fpeedy augmentation of the army ftationed in cantonments. We expect, amongst others, that the brave young men who have enrolled themselves

for the defence of religion, the throne, and the country, will now repair without delay to the frontiers, in order to put themfelves under our immediate and personal command, with their brave comrades; and we hope that in confequence of this, other volunteers will, in greater number, repair to the cantonments, that we

may

bring together a formidable army, and be enabled to fecure the fafety by a permanent peace or by brilliand tranquillity of the ftate, either ant victories.

Done at Naples, Sept. 12, 1796.

Proclamation iffued at Petersburgh, re

lating to Dutch Ships.

WE, count Alexander Nikolazenwitfch, do hereby give directions for the immediate releafe and departure of all the Dutch veffels,

together

THE empreis was already informed, through the public prints, of the treaty of peace concluded between Spain and the French, and the unpleasant fenfations which this unexpected and difagreeable tranfaction had produced in her Imperial majefty's mind, were greatly increafed when this intelligence was confirmed by the minifter of his catholic majefty. The emprefs, however, has during the new connection which fo happily fubfifts between her and his catholic majesty, met with too many opportunities of learning the true fentiments of that prince, not to be thoroughly convinced that the concurrence of the moft imperious circumstances can alone have determined him to act in direct oppofition to his principles. No doubt it has been for him a tak infinitely hard, to enter into negotiations with thofe, who with their own hands murde ed the chief of his illufirious family, and to conclude a

peace with thofe difiurbers of the tranquillity and fafety of all Europe. No one knows better than her Imperial majefty to value and appreciate all the difficulties and obftacles, which his Catholic majefty mat have had to furmount, before he could prevail upon himfelf to adopt a meafure, which to all appearance has been brought about through the most urgent neCeffity, and the moft threatening danger.

Her Imperial majefty being at a lofs to account for the motives

which can have determined his Caintereft from that of the coalition, tholic majesty thus to infulate his on, that notwithstanding this fudcannot but perfevere in the opiniden change, his Catholic majesty will continue fincerely to interest himself in the fuccefs of the ope rations of the evangelic powers; and to far from throwing any obftacle in the way of the new meafures which thofe powers inay find it neceflary to purfue, rather fupport them by every means, which the fyftem of neutrality he may, perhaps, think proper to adopt, does not preclude.

His Catholic majefty cannot yet have forgotten the high importance: of the caufe for which the coalef-, ced powers are contending-to reftore order and tranquillity, to lead the nations back to a fente of their duty, and to thield all Europe from the most dangerous infection.-Thefe are the important motives which have induced the coalefced powers to unite their counfels, and exert their joint efforts to render them triumphant.

It is for this purpofe, that the three courts have juft now, by means of a folemn treaty of alliance, P4 frengthened

ftrengthened the ties by which they were united. Their reciprocal intereft is therefore fo intimately connected and interwoven, and their determination fo firm, that it would be impoffible to obftruct the operations of one of them, without forcing the others moft warmly to embrace his caufe. Of this defcription is especially the fituation of her Imperial majefty with refpect to the king of Great Britain; fo that in cafe of need, her Imperial majefty would be obliged to affift and fupport him to the utmoft extent of her power, but fortunately fuch connections fubfift between his Catholic majefty and the king of Great Britain, in confequence of feveral treaties renewed in the year 1793, as can never ceafe to be dear to his Catholic majefty, and neither the conveniency nor ufefulness of which can have been leffened by a change of affairs produced by the moft imperious circumftances.

This important confideration, in addition to that which proceeds from the favourable difpofition of his Catholic majetty towards the common caufe, cannot but render her Imperial majetty perfectly eafy with respect to the conduct which his Catholic majefty is likely to purfue. Her Imperial majefty is of opinion, that it will be both candid and fincere, and it would be painful for her to fuppofe, that in any cafe whatever, his Catholic majefly could favour meatures, tending to obftruct and oppofe the avowed purposes of the three allied

courts.

You, fir, will adopt the most proper means officially to communicate to the miniftry of his Catholic majefty the tenor of this difpatch, and to make it the fubje&t

of a conference you are to request of the Prince of Peace. (Signed)

COUNT OSTERMAN.

The Answer of his Excellency the Prince of Peace to M. de Bulzow, dated Santa Cruz, March 17, 1796. I HAVE received your letter of the 22d of Februrry, with a copy of the dispatch, which you, Sir, have received from your court by the laft courier from London, and muft return you in answer, that the King, my mafter, has with much pleasure learned the friendly terms, in which, on the part of her Imperial Majefty, he has been acquainted with the clofe alliance concluded with the courts of Vienna and London, which certainly cannot have been the refult of the circumftances which exifted in Poland, at the time when the forces of her Imperial Majefty might have been employed at a point, where all those monarchs who united for the prefervation of their existence, and the mutual fupport of their rights, rallied. At that period, the King, my mafter, gave the ftrongest proofs of his grief at the misfortune of a beloved coufin, and forefaw that his dominions were drawing near that univerfal corruption, which refults from madness without bounds. He waged war against tyrants, but was unable to learn who they were, for he did not know, following the capricious dictates of their levity, who were the good Frenchmen that defended the caufe of their king. He was only able to difcern, that but a few, victims of their fenfe of honour, were his true adherents, who followed him to the grave. The defire of the King, my mafter, was, however, fo earnest, that

not

notwithstanding the ill-founded hopes held out by the combined powers, he profecuted the moft vigorous and most expensive war. There was no fovereign but the King endeavoured to prevail upon, by the most advantageous propofals, to join his Majesty; notwithstanding this requeft was addreffed to the Emprefs at different times, fince the last months of 1791, and during the year 1792, by M. de Galvez, Spanish minifter in Ruffia, and M. de Zinowief, who refided in the fame quality at Madrid, but especially in October 1792, and December 1793, when M. de Amat, then Spanith chargé d'affaires at Petersburgh, and foon after M. de Oris, minifter of his Catholic Majefty, had long conferences on this fubject, the former with count Ofterman, and the latter with count Befborodko. Notwithstanding all this, there did not exist the least circumftance which promised an active co-operation on the part of the Emprefs, nor does it appear that the occupation of Poland could have prevented her from co-operating in favour of the common caufe. It was under these circumftances that the King, my mafter, no doubt from fear and apprehenfion of finifter confequences for his kingdom, refolved to make peace, convinced, that if he were left without afliftance in the war, that fupport, which might be promised him for the attainment of peace, would prove ftill lefs efficacious. This is the true fituation of Spain, and his Catholic Majefty obliges himself to fulfil whatever he has promised for the benefit of the common cause, in which at the fame time he muft, for the future, decline participa

tion in any measure, which has no certain and consistent object. (Signed)

THE PRINCE OF PEACE. Note fent by Baron de Budberg, Chargé d'Affairs from Ruffia, at Stockholm, to the Foreign Minifters, relative to the non-admiffion of M. de Schwerin, who went to Petersburg for the Purpose of notifying the marriage about to take place between his Swedish Majefty and the Princefs of Mecklenburg Schwerin.

THE Emprefs having given orders to M. the Count d'Östermann, to acquaint the Swedish ambaffador, that the miffion of M. de Schwerin not being agreeable to her Majefty, he could not be admitted; the chargé d'affairs (M. de Budberg) has received orders to declare that the motive of this refufal was founded as much on the unfriendly proceeding of the Regent, as on the principles of his political conduct with regard to Ruffia. Both the one and the other, being diametrically oppofite to thofe ties of affection, of friendfhip, and of good neighbourhood, which originally have been the bafis of this fort of miffions, and which have never been adopted between courts that were not united by fimilar ties, or being fo, have not taken care to cultivate and fulfil the duties of them. That this was the fituation, as to Ruffia, in which Sweden had been placed, fince the Duke de Sundermania, who holds the reins of government, not content with having formerly infulted her Majefty the Emprefs, in endeavouring to furprize her by infidious and delufive overtures and propofitions, entered into a public treaty with the French affembly, with thofe men who

folemnly