citizens firm in their duty, as the only means of avoiding hoftilities. The inhabitants, by circulating this publication, excited to broils and difturbances, to an infurrection against lawful authority, to the horrors of a civil war, falfe affertions alleged to magnify the pretended injuries, in defiance of all public faith, the invafion of Ruffian armies, with a denounced and alrea dy effected threat of profecuting in their lives and fortunes, all thofe who will not join them against their own country. There is no inftance in the annals of mankind, of one nation, of one government, ufing fuch contemptuous language to another. The above-mentioned declaration breaks and violates all the laws of nations, addrefling Poland not like a fovereign ftate, but as if ifluing arbitrary orders to a conquered province. Whatever fenfation this writing has occafioned to us, to the affembled ftates, and to the whole community, you Polifh citizens, undoubtedly share it all. A few unworthy Polanders (painful reflection) hoftile to their country, provoked against the diet, for not having in its endeavours to raife the republic conformed to their private views, went to Petersburgh, inculpated the diet and the nation; and having applied themfelves to deftroy that work, erected with fo much labour and expence, which conftitutes the freedom and independency of the republic, which reftores the ancient fplendor of the Polish name, and recovers the rank and dignity of our nation in Europe, they have obtained the above-mentioned declaration, and have introduced a foreign army into the country. Their impious efforts, coincided but too well with the interest of Ruffia. It was far from agreeable to the Ruffian government to fee Poland hake off the odious guarantee, to find her fenfible of her ancient anarchy (which reducing her to the loweft degradation, would have brought her to unavoidable destruction) eftablish a firm and lafting government, raife fufficient forces to defend her liberty and independen cy, provide an income equal to the public expenditure; in a word, be come a nation well regulated at home, and refpected by her neigh bours. The confpiracy of those degenerate fons of their country, whom Ruffia calls a legal confederacy, happened conveniently to her views; and drawing from it a specious pretext, fhe enters forcibl our territories, and fupports the confpiracy of thofe detefted citizens, who (according to the tenor of the declaration) have folicited the affiftance of the Emprefs, and now jointly with her armies, do not fhudder to attack the lives and fortunes of their brethren. We acquaint you, therefore, refpectable citizens, in our name and that of the affembled confederate ftates, that the prefent state of Poland is that of felf-defence against the Ruflian power; that Ruffia has declared war against Poland; but at the fame time let us inform you, that, confident of the courage and fpirit of the nation, the more efforts our enemies make to destroy our government and country, the more vigorous will our measures be to repel this foreign invafion. Worthy citizen, the fate of your dear country is now at flake! fuch as you fhall preferve it by your cou rage and virtue, will it pafs to your remoteft remoteft pofterity. You are going to fight in defence of your country, your privileges, your freedom, and your fortunes; in defence of your parents, wives, and children; in fhort, of all that is moft dear to man. We have an army raifed by your zeal and affistance, fupplied with every requifite, which will be your protection. There is an heroic fpirit and courage which promifes to fupport it. Such a noble ardour in defence of the country and national liberties, as is only to be found in free nations, infpires us with the moft flattering hopes. We receive from all parts news the moft confoling to our paternal feelings, with what eagernefs citizens of all conditions, at the call of their country, enlift and join the national army. The love of our country pervades all individuals, and excites their generofity in the public fupport. There is no clafs of citizens who, inflamed with a patriotic zeal, do not contribute, according to their capacity. We have a certain confidence, that the fame gracious Power who has infpired the whole nation with fuch a noble ardour, confidering the juftice of our caufe, and the purity of our intentions, will not refufe his irrefiftible aid. But, above all, refpectable citizens, feek for the fafety of your country in union and firmnefs. We have fufficient ftrength to oppofe our enemy, but nothing can fave us from the effects of divifion and difcord. A foreign war is never fo dreadful to' a nation as the internal difunion of the citizens. Has any power been able to effect any thing against Poland, while all the citizens, joining their King, have boldly ftood forward in defence of their VOL. XXXIV. national laws, immunities, and territory? You will foon hear, dear citizens, the voice of falfehood and deceit; you will receive writings full of treachery and fraud. Thofe whofe blindness and obftinacy have carried them fo far as to make them infenfible to the horror of raising their arms against their own country, and of bringing foreign foldiers against her, will calumniate the prefent government, will create diftruft against us and the virtuous diet, will try to divide and separate you, knowing that they cannot refift your united ftrength and endeavours. Arm yourselves with fortitude and virtue, and give proof of fuch unanimity, fuch concord, in the defence of your country, in refifting perfidy and deceit, as you have demonftrated in accepting, in voluntarily fwearing to maintain this happy conftitution; and lately on the fame occafion in the expreffion of your patriotic fentiments, fo dear to our paternal feelings. They who have brought a foreign army against your country deferve your vengeance, and not your confidence. That army which comes for the purpofe of deftroying your government, prepares only the return of your former flavery instead of liberty. You have already experienced at how dear a rate Ruffian protection is obtained. Vio lently carrying off from our refidence, and during the diet, fenators, minifters, and nuncios; the contemptuous treatment of our nobility, the violation of property, the oppreffion of towns, the feizure and forcible tranfportation of peafants and their families; and finally, the difmembering of the republic;thefe are the effects of the guarantee impofed upon us by Ruffia! And Y can ean you expect any thing better at prefent from this power? As foon as Ruffia has feduced you, the will renew the ancient wounds of your country; fhe will renew all our miffortunes. The nobility and citizens will only feel the heavier preffure of a newly enforced yoke, for having dared to become free and independent; the poor villagers, our labourers, and hufbandmen, whom the law (benefiting all the Polish inhabitants) has received under its protection, will be driven in numbers from their fertile fields into defert waftes; and laftly, the partition of the republic, and the final extinction of the Polish name, will be the fatal confequence of the difunion of Polanders. Citizens and dear countrymen, this is the advice and warning you receive from your King and father, and from the confederate states of the republic. But your virtue, the love of freedom, fo natural to every Polander, affures us that fraternal concord will unite you in the defence of your country; that, infpired with the fame fpirit which guides your King and father, you will affemble under him, and will make a rampart impenetrabie to all the attempts of the enemy. In the prefent convulfive ftate of the republic, you plainly perceive that it is improper either to put an end to the diet, or to diffolve the confederation, without endangering the fovereignty and freedom of the nation. There remained, indeed, but little to accomplish; but in the moment when action is required, when we go in perfon to head a nation entrusted to our care, peaceful deliberations must be fufpended. From this motive we, with the affembled confederate fates of the republic, find ourselves ob liged to terminate the prefent fittings, and to prorogue the diet and confederacy to a more diftant period. The writing presented by the Ruffian minifter, under the name of a declaration, does not acknowledge the prefent diet; it treats it with contempt, though distinguished by a double reprefentation, and the univerfal will and confent of the nation;-confequently it infults the will of the whole nation, which has not only delegated its power to this diet, but by a voluntary oath, and a univerfal expreffion of thanks, has given the moft folemn fanction to its proceedings. The dignity, then, of the fupreme national authority demands the continuation of this diet: the invafion of foreign troops cannot be reconciled with the freedom of dietines; and the remembrance is but too recent of those unfortunate diets, when the election of nuncios was carried on under the influence of foreign arms:-the nation ftill deplores their fatal confequences, and fpeaks of them only with horror. To guard the republic against fimilar violences, it is neceflary that the fupreme authority should exift in this diet, which was freely affembled, and whofe falutary works received a general approbation at the laft dietines (acting with equal freedom) throughout the country. Befides, the negotiations with his Serene Highnefs the Elector of Saxony, are not yet brought to a conclufion. The final arrangement cannot be determined but by the fupreme power of the diet. The moment will at last arrive, when Heaven, merciful to our prayers, will reftore us peace and tranquillity; and and the prefence of a diet in its full power will be neceffary. And as the Ruffian declaration infifts up-. on a meeting of a new diet, which being controuled by a foreign army, would only be fubfervient to the commands of Ruffia, fo the prefervation, integrity, laws, liberty, and independence of the republic, require that the fame diet, a diet truly free, fhall continue its care and deliberations. You fee, citizens, what is your fituation; you see what measures your King and diet undertake for the common fafety. Let the defence of your country engage all your thoughts and attention; let the ftricteft peace and union prevail amongst you in fuch a critical moment as this; follow your King, your father, your commander; follow him whom you have raised to the throne from amongst yourselves, and who, in his advanced age, is going with you to expofe his life in the common defence of his country. Let us encourage each other by words and examples; let us boldly which even thou alloweft to free and rational beings-to defend that country which thy Almighty power has fo often protected, and which even now thou haft refcued from the brink of deftruction, by the fpirit of thy wifdom and councils! A faithful King and nation implore thy affiftance, and will praise in hymns of gratitude thy providence and mercy. Wishing that this our address may the fooner reach the public knowledge, we recommend to all ordinal commiffions of the palatines and diftricts, to infert this circular letter in all public records: likewise to have it read from all the pulpits, and published in all the parishes and churches four following Sundays. Warfar, May 29th, 1792. The Anfwer of the Republic of Poland to the Declaration delivered at Warsaw, May 18th, 1792, by M. de Bulgakow, Envoy of Ruffia. HE declaration which M. Bul encounter all dangers in fupport of T gakow, envoy extraordinary our laws and liberty; let us conquer all difficulties and dangers by our courage and fortitude. Let every man confider, that on the prefent fate of the republic depends his own, that of his children, and his lateft progeny.-Thou, God of armies, God of our forefathers, who feeft the innocence and the juftice of our caufe, who knoweft the purity of our intentions, infufe and maintain the fpirit of union and concord in the Polish nation! Grant fuccefs to thofe arms whofe object is not to thed blood for the fake of ambition, unjuft fpoil, or dominion over others, but folely to defend our national laws and liberty, and minifter plenipotentiary of her Majefty the Emprefs of all the Ruffias, delivered at Warfaw on the 18th of laft month, while it prefents a ftate of things unexpected, and calculated to imprefs with fentiments of grief a free nation, the friend of peace and of juftice,folely occupied in providing for her own confervation, fafety, and independence, offers at the fame time, in the feries of motives alleged in fupport of its refult, a confideration very capable of softening the afpect of confequences afflicting to humanity, which on the first view feemed attached to that declaration. It is, that the impulfe by which it was dictated, equally foreign, undoubtedly, to the known magnanimity of her Majefty the Emprefs, as to the true character of the facts alleged as the reafons of it, bear the invisible stamp of unfavourable impreffions; the work of a dexterous and interested impofture, which affuming the mafk of civic zeal, has found means to furprite the confidence of a fovereign, whofe heart it knew acceffible to the impofing voice of patriotifm. A connected and explanatory narrative of the objects fet forth in that declaration, will be fufficient completely to difpel the falfe light under which malevolence has endeavoured to represent the moft fimple details, for the purpose of diftorting them. Can it be potible that the afcendancy of truth unveiled, fhould find no accefs to the equitable spirit of her Imperial Majefty? The liberty and the independence of Poland, thefe two effential attributes of her political exiftence, are recognized by the declaration itfelf, to be the objects of all her neighbours in interefting themfelves in her affairs. The confirmation of them has also been the guide, the limit of all the wishes and the efforts of the prefent diet. To flew to the eyes of all Europe, as well as to thofe her Majefty the Emprefs, that the national liberties, far from having been infringed or facrificed to the ambitious views of a pretended ruling faction, receive, on the contrary, in the late laws, wife combined powerful fafeguards against all ufurpation, a fimple expofition of the progrefs and the refults of the labours of the prefent affembly fhall fuffice. It will exhibit the whole equally free from the vice of illegality charged upon it, as from characters incompatible with republican principles. Convoked under the happy auf pices of the public fpirit, whofe energy was foon difplayed, the prefent diet commenced its operations with all the favour of the national opinion. This advantage pointed out the epoch of useful reforms; and it was feized with ardour. But to be efficacious, fuch an enterprise was ill adapted to the duration and forms of an ordinary diet. The ne ceffity was felt of transforming it into a confiderable diet - a mode known and ufeful, even on lefs important occafions. The happy effects of this meafure foon demonstrated its propriety. The harmony, the active progrefs of the deliberation, a fpirit of fraternity daily more and more apparent, announc ed a revolution happily effected in the national ideas and difpofitions. The public voice applauding the patriotifm that centered all efforts in the public good, encouraged the legiflators to give to their labours a greater degree of latitude than the tenour of the act of confederation, prepared in the first fermentation of indefinite ideas of ameliora. tion feemed to embrace. From the natural connexion of the different parts of adminiftration, a partial reform could have produced only refults incomplete or incoherent. The adminiftration of juftice, the finances, the police, public force, all equally demanded the enlightened eye of examination, and were fully inveftigated. The general approbation followed close upon and juftified every reform that was made. A fecond choice of reprefentatives, founded on the expiration of the biennial term, im preffed |