larly when he fhall exprefs to you our withes for the profperity of the Helvetic body, our anxioufnefs to concur in whatever may contribute to its fatisfaction, and to ftrengthen the bonds which unite the two republics. Given at Paris under the feal of the French republic, 15 pluviofe, fourth year of the French republic, one and indivifible. REUBEL, Prefident. By the minifter of external relations, CH. DELACROIx. Declaration of the Executive Directory, dated Paris the 16th Germinal (5 April) to the Senate of Bafle. THE executive directory is credibly informed, that last year a plan was formed to attack the French frontiers, by marching the corps of emigrants commanded by the prince of Conde, firft into the Frickthal, and from thence through the territory from Bafle, againft the department of the Upper Rhine, the Mont-Terrible, Doubs, and Jura; that this plan, fo far from being laid afide, is again refumed; and that preparations are actually making to carry it into effect. This plan is fupported by feveral inhabitants of Switzerland, who employ all their intereft and influence to facilitate its execution. The known fentiments of feveral magiftrates of Bafle, and other inhabitants of note, are by no means qualified to appease the folicitude of the directory on this head, it being notorious that they treat with as much averfion the friends of the French republic, as they fhew predilection for what ever concerns the Imperial armies, and the intereft of the emperor. Thus it must be fuppofed, that if, in the execution of that plan, the enemy violated the territory of the canton of Bafle, the magiftrates who compofe the government of this city, would endeavour, by pleading the impoffibility of refiftance, to ward off the confequences of the violated. neutrality of the canton; of course, there does not exift at prefent, fufficient fecurity that its neutrality will be refpected. Under thele circumftances, the directory finds itfelf obliged to declare to the magiftrates of the city and canton of Bafle, that, unless they adopt vigorous, fufficient, and unfufpicious measures for the defence of their own territory, and the maintenance of the refpect due to their neutrality, it is refolved to take every ftep that thall be requifite for the protection of the frontier departments against every kind of infult; and the directory renders them anfwerable for all the unhappy confequences that may refult from the military operations which circumftances may require. Letter from the Sovereign Council of Bafle to his Excellency M. Barthelemy, Ambafador from the French Republic in Switzerland. WE have received, with your excellency's letter of the 16th germinal, (5 April) a paper, coming from the executive directory, and as it appears extracted from their regifters-we pafs over this unufual form, because it is to be fuppofed that it was through mistake that the paper was fo tranfmitted to us, and that without doubt the intention intention of the directory was folely to tranfmit to us, though the medium of the minifter for foreign affairs, the refult of their deliberations. But if the form furprised us, the contents of the paper excited our furprife in a much greater degree; of this our reply will convince your excellency. The executive directory announce to us, that the corps of emigrants meditates an invafion of our territory. It does not belong to us to call in queftion the proofs which the directory fay they have received; we fhall confine ourfelves to obferve, that at the opening of each campaign mention has always been made of a project of this kind, and that nevertheless it has never been carried into execution; so that we are ftill to know, whether the reports that are spread are merely a trick of war, or whether fuch a defign has been renounced either from the uncertainty of decifive fuccefs, or the want of accordance with other events that were to concur with it; or finally, whether, and much more probably, it be, because the emperor, faithful to his engagement to refpect our neutrality, has forbidden the peace of an independent people to be disturbed, who for feveral ages, contented with their limits, have taken no part in the diffenfions of the great powers of Europe. In thort, we can affure you that at prefent the danger, if danger does exift, does not appear to be imminent. The corps of emigrants is at too great a diftance from our frontiers; it does not form a futficient force to dare to attempt an invafion, and we do not perceive yet preparations which are the forerunners of hoftilities, and indifpenfable to the execution of hoftilities The fecond point of the note of the executive directory concerns the defence of our territorry and the demand of a fufficient guarantee. No people can give fuch a guarantee. If belligerent powers, with their fortreffes, their arms, their efforts in every fense, cannot procure the guarantee, that their territory fhall not be violated, much lefs can a neutral ftate procure and affemble forces, whofe mafs would perhaps afford more umbrage than it would infpire fecurity. Befides the expence of fuch a force, and the provifions that it would require, are above our means, which the circumstances of the times weaken more and more. But there is another kind of guarantee, which we deem more fure than a great affemblage of troops; it is the firm refolution of all the governments of Switzerland, not to depart from the principles of neutrality which they have inherited from their ancestors, and of which all our neighbours have a pofitive conviction; it is the facred word, which the members of the Helvetic body, either feparately or united, in folemn diet, have given. It is the local difficulties that would attend a paffage through our territory, without being exposed to a certain lofs from the measures of prudence, which the attacked canton might take, and without renouncing every hope of retreat, by the arrival of contingents from our confederates as zealous to avenge the outrages offered to neutrality, as religious in the obfervance of the duties of neutrality. It is the difpofitions taken to be warned warned in time of every fpecies of danger, to circulate the alarm, and to be in a condition even to repel and punish aggreffion when the danger thould have made its appearance. Finally, it is the experience and the fuccels of thofe difpofitions, during four years of a war the moft bloody of which modern hiftory has preferved the remembrance. We proceed to the accufations, which the executive directory have made against certain magiftrates and private perions of our canton and of the other fates of the Helvetic body. So vague an accufation, and of fuch a kind, is probably without example. The moral perfon of the fovereign in republics is manifefted only by refolutions emanating from the council of the ftate, and not from the particular opinions of individuals; and whatever be the difference of opinion amongst the latter, there is a firft opinion, which is as general as it is effential and fundamental; it is the love of our country, and the deep and univerfal conviction, that neutrality is the bafis of our political exittence. It unites all minds, all counfels, all governments. We invite the executive directory to confider here only the affembly. We are to be gained by proceedings of juftice, benevolence, and friendhip; our hearts are to be alienated by indefinite reproaches and random fufpicions. What if these fufpicions thould perhaps be founded only on documents, dictated by men, whofe reprehenfible views either of vengeance or malevolence, of ambition or cupidity, fhould have led them to exaggerate what is infignificant, to blacken what is innocent; and to difguife what our political actions in their true point of view would difclofe? Finally, the executive directory render us refponfible for the fatal effects which may refult from military operations. Governments, we know, are refponfible for the faults which they commit with the intention of violating their duties. But tranquillited by onr principles, and proud of the fente of the purity and equity of our meatures, we accept this refponfìbility. We are one for all in the bofom of our councils, and it is in the fame fenfe that we rely not only upon all our own refources, but upon all the members of the Helvetic confederation. Refponfibility can only alarm thofe who, breaking the ties which have united for feveral ages the two nations, fhould prepare evils of which human prudence cannot calculate the ifiue to their authors. Very different fentiments have animated your excellency during the courfe of your painful mition. The executive directory have teftified in the renewal of your credentials their juft and honourable fatisfaction. We have no doubt that they will receive with favourable difpofitions the anfwer which we have the honour to addrefs to your excellency, after having deliberated in concert with the Helvetic reprefentitives. We pray God to take you into his holy and powerful keeping. (Signed) The burgomafters and council of the city and canton of Baile. Bafle, April 9, 1796. Letter of M. Barthelemy, Ambaffad r from the French Republic, to the Canton of Bofle, 20th Flareal, (May 9) 1796, Fourth Year of the French Republic. Magnificent Magnificent Lords, THE orders of the executive directory of the French republic oblige me to recall the attention of your honourable canton to the circumftances and motives which dictated the declaration of the directory, I was charged to tranfmit to you, on the 16th of germinal Jaft. The answer you have made has not been fuch as was expected. Charged with the care of the defence of the territory of the republic, and of its glory, the executive directory was bound to look forward to events, and to render abortive, by denouncing to you, the projects of the enemies of France, and of its republican conftitution. It was bound to invite you to take measures capable of removing its apprehenfions, and making its neutrality respected; and it has demanded of you what were these measures. If the terms of its declaration were fevere, it was because the object of it was ferious: it was because experience of the attempts and projects of our enemies, already more than once denounced, gave it reafon to conceive inquietude and fufpicion. It was becaufe pofitive reports announced, that thefe projects were about to be renewed. It was because it was then neceffary to be certain, as to the more than equivocal fentiments of many of the Helvetic Gates, fome of whom had not dreaded to throw a doubt on the existence of the French republic, by refusing to pronounce on the acceptance of the credentials of its ambaffador, and deferring the epoch of their determination by infulting and ridiculous delays. When a government fo powerful as that of the French republic is thus unacknowledged; when this neglect is founded on the regard which is thought due to criminal fugitives, whofe whole proceedings tend only to harafs their country, against which they are in a permanent confpiracy, while their measures tend only to involve in their fall the states blind enough to be mifled by them; when the Swifs Cantons, the ancient allies of France, dare to hold a conduct fo reprehenfible, is it very furprifing that the executive directory thould, for a moment, withhold the afpect of kindness, to affume towards you that of inquietude? There are ftill other confiderations, on which I believe I need not enlarge here. They are, doubtless, painful, and belong to the guaran tee, that the French republic expects to find in the fentiments and affections of the governments and people of neutral states. Such are the views which have animated and ftill animate the executive directory. They expect from you, with the leaft delay, a frank and amicable explanation, capable of diffipating the doubts and reviving in our government the fentiments of good will. It has given me orders for my ultimate conduct, in cafe that your anfwer fhould not fulfil this end. clared for a neutrality, to preferve which has fince that time been the conflant object of our cares, of our zeal, and of our folicitude; and no facrifice has been avoided for maintaining it in proportion to the dangers to which it was in certain epochs exposed. Nothing afflicts us more profoundly, than when the fidelity of our conduct and the purity of our intentions feem to be doubted, fince these form the moft folid basis of our happiness, independence, and tranquillity. We pray your excellency to af fure your government that we fhall never depart from the principles that have been tranfmitted to us from our predeceffors, and that our greatest ambition is to convey the depofit unimpaired to thofe who fhall fucceed us. This is the first duty of our fituations, and the true means of conciliating the confidence and the gratitude of our fellow-citizens. It is however, neceffary to observe, that fince our letter of the 9th of April, we have not confined ourselves to mere wishes for the maintenace of our neutrality. Our uneafinefs relative to this object having been communicated to the minifter of his Imperial majefty, he has written to us, by order of the emperor, that certainly he had not the least thought of acting, nor of permitting the emigrants to act againft the cantons, in any manner which might disturb the tranquillity of their territory. We have prepared our fignals and our alarm guns, which, on account of the armiftice and the winter feafon, had been neglected; and it is generally known that by thefe means a very great force can be affembled in a few days. We have exercised our troops, and they are ready to march on the firft fignal. They will be added to the contingents of the other cantons which affemble in our's, and are directed to redouble their vigilance in the pofts confided to them. The reprefentatives of the Helvetic body, deputed to us for confidering the ftate of affairs, for acting in the name of the whole confederation, and informing their conftituents of every danger which may approach our ftates, allow no means to escape them of confolidating the repofe of the country. We have written to our co-allies, to remind them of the treaties which unite us, and we have received the unanimous affurance that all are ready to fly to our affiftance and defend our frontiers. We conclude, by praying your excellency to tranfmit thofe details to the directory; and, above all, to fortify them against the exaggerated reports that an excess of zeal may have occafioned. Official Note, tranfmitted by Mr. Wickham, Minifter Plenipotentiary from his Britannic Majefty to the Senate of Berne, the 26th of June, 1796. MAGNIFICENT AND POWER- IN confequence of the refolution agreed to and published by your fate, refpecting all the French indifcriminately who have taken refuge in your country, feveral of the heads of families of thefe unforturate victims to their attachment to the ancient laws of their country, have addreffed themfelves to me, to obtain the means to repair to England, where they hope at last |