contrived to be thrown upon our party. Without doubt, if we were guided by common rules, if we yielded to the hor ror with which we are inspired by the idea of being thought to approve, by our prefence, decrees, to which we are averfe, we would fly without delay; we would, without hesitation, feparate from an Affembly, who have been able to break through principles, which they had been forced to preferve. But in circumftances fo fingular, we can neither aflume common rules, nor our own fentiments as the bafis of our own conduct. When our principles, our honour, may perhaps, in the opinion of a great number, command us to fly, motives more imperious ftill exact of us a painful facrifice, that of remaining in a fituation where we preferve the hope of prevent ing greater evils. Before the calamitous epoch at which we are arrived, we could at least grafp the fhadow of Monarchy, we fought upon the wreck; the hope of preferving it juftified our conduct. Now, the lait blow has been given to monarchy; bur, in addition to that great motive, we were bound by other duties. The Monarch exifts; he is captive; it is for the King's fake that we ought to rally our ftrength; it is for him, it is for his family, it is for the precious blood of the Bourbons that we ought to remain at the poft, where we can watch over a depofit fo valuable. "We will difcharge then this facred dufy, which alone ought to be our excufe, and we will prove, that in our bearts the Monarch and monarchy can Dever be separated. "But while we comply with this urgent dury, let not our Conftituents expect to hear us come forward upon any other fubject. While one intereft only can force us to fit along with those who have raised a mis-shapen republic upon the ruins of monarchy; it is to that intereft alone that we are wholly devoted. From this moment the moff profound filence, on whatever fhall not relate to this fubject, fhall exprefs our deep regret, and at the fame time our invariable oppofition to every decree that may be paffed. “In fine, let our conftituents turn their attention to the circumftances in which we are placed; if, in the prefent moment, we have not gloried in marching foremost in the path of honour, our fituation now imposes both with regard to them and to ourselves, duties which do not go beyond ourselves alone. For us, honour lies no longer in the common track; our fole object is the triumph of the facred cause with which we are entrufted: but let them be before-hand affured, that whatever may happen, to whatever extremities we may be reduced, nothing will efface from our hearts the unalterable oath, which irrevocably binds us to the Monarch and to monarchy. "After these confiderations, which appear to us founded upon the true interest of the nation, and the eternal advantage of the people, effentially dependant on monarchy, we declare to all French men; That, after having conftantly oppofed all thofe decrees which, in attacking Royalty, either in its effence, or in its privileges, have prepared the people to receive without indignation, as without examination, the anti-monarchical principles, to which thefe days of anarchy have given birth: "That, after having defended till the laft moment, Monarchy undermined in its foundations; “That, after having feen its ruin completed by the deliberations of the National Affembly; for to attack the perfon of the Monarch, is to annul Monarchy, to fufpend Monarchy, is, in fine, to deftrov it; "Nothing can authorise us any longer to take part in deliberations, which become in our eyes guilty of a crime, which we do not wifh to participate : "But that Monarchy exifting always in the perfon of the Monarch, from whom it is infeparable; that his misfortunes and thofe of his auguft family, impofing upon us a ftronger obligation always to furround his augufi perfon, and defend it from the application of principles which we condemn; we place our fole honour, our most facred duty, in defending, with all our might-with all our zeal for the blood of the Bourbons→→→→ with all our attachment to the principies which our Conftituents have tranfmitted to us, the interefts of the King and the Royal Family, and their indefeasible rights; "That in confequence we fhall continue, from the fole motive of not abandoning the interefis of the perfon of the King and the Royal Family, to affift at the deliberations of the National Affembly; but being either able to avow their principles, or recognize the legality of their decrees, we will henceforth take no part in deliberations which have not fo for their object the only interefts which it now remains for us to defend. PARIS June 29. 1791." To the above are added the fignatures of two hundred and ninety Members of the National Affembly, the firit being that of the Abbé Maury. Some of them infert additions or reftrictions before their names, as is fometimes done to a proteft in the Houfe of Lords, and all the Nobleffe infert their titles. M. Cazales and M. Clermont Tonner re are not among the subscribers. When the King quitted Paris he left behind him a proclamation addreffed "To all the French," ftating his reafons for withdrawing from the capital. To this an answer was published by the National Affembly, from which the follow. ing paffages are extracted: "France would be free, and the fhall be fo. It is intended to make the Revolution recede, but it recedes not. It is the effect of your will, and nothing can retard its progrefs. It is neceffary to accommodate the law to the ftate of the kingdom. The King, in the Conftiation, exercises the power of the Royal fanction over the decrees of the Legislative body; he is the head of the Executive Power, and, in that capacity, caufes the laws to be executed by his Minifter. "If he quits his poft, although carried off against his will, the Representatives of the Nation have the right to fupply his place. The National Affembly has, in confequence, decreed, That the feal of State, and the fignature of the Minifters of Juftice, thall be added to all its decrees, to give them the character of laws. As no order of the King would have been executed, without being counterfigned by the refponfible Minifter, nothing was neceffary but a fimple delegation by the Affembly to authorise him to fin the orders, and thofe only iffued by them. In this circumstance they have been directed by the conftitutional law relative to a Regency, which authorises them to perform the functions of the Executive Power until the nomination of a Regent. "By thefe measures your Reprefentatives have infured order in the interior part of the kingdom; and to repulfe any attack from without, they add to the arny a reinforcement of three hundred thousand National Guards. "Frenchmen! we have no fear in recalling to your memories the famous day of the 23d of June 1789-that day, on which the Chief of the Executive Power, the firft public functionary of the nation, dared to dictate his abfolute will to your Reprefentatives, charged by your orders to form a Conftitution. The National Affembly lamented the disorders committed on the 5th of October, and ordered the profecution of the perfons guilty of them; but, because it was difficult to difcover fome rioters amongft fuch a multitude of people, they are faid to have approved all their crimes-The Nation is, however, more juft. It has not reproached Louis XVI. with the violences that have occurred under his reign, and thofe of his ancestors! "They are not afraid to call to your recollection the Federation of July. What are the statements of the perfons who have dictated the letter of the King with refpect to this auguft act? That the first public functionary was obliged to put himself at the head of the Reprefentatives of the Nation, in the midst of the deputies of all the kingdom. He took a folemn oath to maintain the Conflitution. If the King does not hereafter declare, that his good faith has been furprifed by feditious perfons, he has, of course, announced his own perjury to the whole world! fome inconveniences in his refidence at Pa“The King is faid to have experienced ris, and not to have found the fame pleafures as formerly; by which it is implied, no doubt, that a nation ought to regenerate itself without any agitation, without disturbing, for an inftant, the pleasures and indulgences of Courts. As to the addrefs of congratulation and adherence to your decrees, thefe, they fay, are the work of the factious Yes no doubt-of Twenty-fix millions of the factious! "It was neceffary to re-conftitute all the powers, becaufe all the powers were cor rupted, and because the alarming debts accumulated by the defpotifm and the disorders of government, would have overwhelmed the nation. But does not Royalty exift for the people? and if a great Nation obliges itfelf to maintain it, is it not folely because it is believed to be useful? The conftitution has left to the King this glorious prerogative, and has confirmed to him the only auWould not your reprefentatives have been thority which he should defire to exercife. culpable, if they had facrificed twenty-fix millions to the intereft of one man? "The decrees upon the fubject of peace and war have taken from the King and his Minifters the power of facrificing the people to the caprice of Courts; and the definitive ratifications of treaties is referved to the Reprefentatives of the Nation. The lofs of a prerogative is complained of. What prerogative? That of not being obliged to con fult fult the National will, when the blood and the fortunes of citizens were to be facrificed. Who can know the wifh and the interests of the Nation better than the Legislative Body? It is wished to make war with impunity; but have we not had, under the antient government, fufficient experience of the terrible effects produced by the ambition of Ministers? "Frenchmen all the powers are organized; all the public functionaries are at their posts; the National Affembly watches over the fafety of the ftate; may you be firm and tranquil! One danger alone threatens us. You have to guard against the suf pension of your labourers-against the delay in the payment of duties against any inflammatory measures, which commence in anarchies, and end in civil war. It is to thefe dangers that the National Affembly calls the attention of citizens. In this crifis, all private animofities and private interefts fhould disappear. "Those who would preferve their liberty fhould fhew that tranquil firmness which appalls tyrants. May the factious, who hope to fee every thing overturned, find order maintained, and the conftitution confirmed, and rendered more dear to Frenchmen, by the attacks made upon it! The capital may be an example to the rest of France. The departure of the King excited no diforders there; but to the confufion of the malevolent, the utmost tranquillity prevails in it. To reduce the territory of this empire to the yoke, it will be necellary to deftroy the whole nation! defpotifm, if it pleases, may make fuch an attempt-It will either fail, or at the conclufion of its triumph, will find only ruins!" July 15. The National Affembly paffed a decree, acknowledging the inviolability of the King's perfon. This decree has caused great murmurings, and many factious meetings and mobs in Paris, in so much that martial law has been proclaimed, and a number of the rioters have been killed by the National Guards. The fentiments of thefe malcontents may be known from the following petition, which certain Commiffioners from the Jacobins were employed, on the 19th, in perfuading the multitude to fign. No lefs, it is faid, than 40,000 names have been fubfcribed to it: PETITION to the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. The underligned Frenchmen, members of the Sovereign, confidering that in quef tions involving the fafety of the people, it is their right to declare their fentiments, in order to enlighten and direct their reprefentatives; there never was any question of more importance than that which relates to the King's flight; that the decree of the 15th of July appoints no measures to be pursued L VOL. XIV. No. 79. with regard to Louis XVI.; that, in order to obey this decree, it is neceffary quickly to decide the fate of that individual; that his own conduct ought to afford the bafis of this decifion; that Louis XVI. after having accepted the Royal functions, and fworn to defend the conftitution, deserted the post entrusted to him; protested by a written declaration, figned with his own hand, againft this very conftitution; attempted by his flight and his direction to deprive of effect the Executive Power, and to overturn the conftitution, in conjunction with perfons at prefent accused of that attempt: that his perjury, his flight, his proteft, without recurring to the other criminal acts by which they were preceded, accompanied, and followed, amount to a formal abdication of the conftitutional crown entrusted to him: that the National Affembly have so decided in poffeffing themselves of the Executive Power, fufpending the powers of the King and detaining him in arreft; that fresh promifes on the part of Louis XVI. to obferve the conftitution cannot afford to the nation a fufficient fecurity against a new perjury, and a new confpiracy. "Confidering likewife, that it would be as degrading to the majefty of the offended nation, as injurious to its interefts, henceforth to entrust the reins of empire to a fugitive, loaded with the complicated guilt of perjury and treason: "Demanding formally and specially that the National Affembly receive in the name of the nation, the abdication made on the 21ft July by Louis XVI. of the crown, which had been delegated to him : ENGLAND. BIRMINGHAM, JULY 14. It having been known that a number o gentlemen were to meet to celebrate the anniversary of the French Revolution, a number of riotous perfons affembled, and after the company had difperfed, began to break the windows, and afterwards to fet fire to the houfes of those whom they fuppofed friends to the French Revolution, and in particular to thofe of the diffenters. The moft terrible outrages were committed, which lasted several days, till fome parties of military arrived in the town, and the people became quiet. Dr Priestley, Mr Taylor of Mofeiy Hall, Mr Humphreys, Mr Ryland, &c. were the principal fufferers. The damage done is eftimated at 400,000l. Five or fix of the rioters loft their lives by the falling of Mr Ryland's house while they were drinking in the cellars. Dr Priestley ofcaped My late Townfmen and Neighbours, AFTER living with you eleven years, in which you had uniform experience of my peaceful behaviour, in the attention to the quiet fludies of my profeflion, and thofe of philofophy, I was far from expecting the injaries which I and my friends have lately received from you. But you have heen mifled. By hearing the diffenters, and particularly the Unitarian diffenters, continually railed at, as enemies to the present Govern ment in Church and State, you have been lel to confider any injury done to us as a meritorious thing; and not having been hetter informed, the means were not attended to. When the object was right, you thought the means could not be wrong. By the difcourfes of your teachers, and the exclamations of your fuperiors in general, drinking confufion and damnation to us (which is well known to have been their frequent practice), your bigotry has been excited to the highest pitch, and nothing having been faid to you to moderate your pallions, but every thing to inflame them; hence, without any confideration on your part, or on theirs, who ought to have known, and taught you better-you were prepared for every fpecies of outrage; thinking that whatever you could do to fpite and injure us, was for the fupport of Government, and efpecially the Church. In deftroying us, you have been led to think, you did God and your country the moft fubftantial fervice. Happily the minds of Englifhmen have a horror at murder, and therefore you did not, I hope, think of that; though, by your clamorous demanding of me at the Hotel, it is probable that, at that time, fome of you intended me fome perfonal injury. But what is the value of life, when every thing is done to make it wretched? In many cafes, there would be greater mercy in dispatching the inhabitants, than in burning their houfes. However, I infinitely prefer what I feel from the Spoiling of my goods, to the difpofition of thofe who have mifled you. You have deftroyed the most truly valuable and useful apparatus of philofophical inftruments that perhaps any individual, in this or any other country, was ever poffeffed of, in my use of which I annually spent Jacge fums, with no pecuniary view whatever, but only in the advancement of science, for the benefit of my country and of mankind. You have deftroyed a library correfponding to that apparatus, which no mo deftroyed manufcripts, which have been the refult of the laborious ftudy of many years, and which I fhall never be able to recom pole; and this has been done to one who never did, or imagined you any harm. I know nothing more of the hand-bill, which is faid to have enraged you so much, than any of yourfelves, and I disapprove of it as much, though it has been made the oftenfible handle of doing infinitely more mifchief than any thing of that nature could poffibly have done. In the celebration of the French Revolution, at which I did not attend, the company affembled on the occafion only expreffed their joy in the emanci pation of a neighbouring nation from tyranny, without intimating a defire of any thing more than fuch an improvement of our own Conftitution, as all fober citizens, of every perfuafion, have long wifhed for.-And though, in anfwer to the grofs and unprovoked calumnies of Mr Madan and others, I publicly vindicated my principles as a Diffenter, it was only with plain and fober argument, and with perfect good humour. We are better inftructed in the mild and forbearing spirit of Christianity, than ever to think of having recourfe to violence; and can you think fuch conduct as yours any recommendation of your religious principles, in preference to ours? You are fill more miftaken, if you imagine that this conduct of yours has any tendency to ferve your caufe, or to prejudice ours. It is nothing but reafen and argument that can ever fupport any fyftem of religion. Anfwer our arguments, and your bufinefs is done; but your having recourfe to violence, is only a proof that you have nothing better to produce. Should you deftroy myself as well as my houfe, library, and apparatus, ten more perfons, of equal or fuperior fpirit and ability, would infantly rife up. If thofe ten were deftroyed, an hundred would appear; and believe me, that the Church of England, which you now think you are fupporting, has received a greater blow by this conduct of yours, than I and all my friendshave ever aimed at it. Befides, to abufe those who have no power of making refistance is equally cowardly and brutal, peculiarly unworthy of Englishmen, to fay nothing of Chriflianity, which teaches us to do as we would be done by.In this bufinefs we are the fheep, and you the wolves. We will preferve our character, and hope you will change yours. At all events, we return you bleffings for curses; and pray that you may foon return to that industry, and those sober manners, for which the inhabitants of Birmingham were formerly distinguished. I am, Your fincere well-wisher, mey can purchase, except in a long courfe of London, July 19. } But what I far more, you have 1791 J. PRIESTLEY. The July 13. The first General Court of the Sierra Leona Company was held at the London Tavern. Sir John Call was voted into the chair, and after confirming fome.preliminary bye laws, which had previously been agreed upon by a Committee, they proceeded to the choice of the following thirteen Directors :-Granville Sharp, Efq.-Henry Thornton, Efq.--John Kingfton, Efq.-William Wilberforce, Efq.-Sir Charles Middleton, Bart.-Philip Sanfom, Efq.Jof. Hardeafble, Efq.-Vickeris Taylor, Efq-William Sandford, Efq.-George Ernst Woolff, Efq.-The Rev. Thomas Clark fon--Samuel Parker, Efq.--and Mr Tho. Eldred. SCOTLAND. The French Revolution was celebrated at London, Edinburgh, and the other principal towns, both in England and Scotland, Extract of a Letter from Lerwick, Shetland, without any disturbance. 20th June. "Such a fortnight of weather I never re The following address has been read in member; almost a conftant ftorm; fo much all the Catholic Chapels in London : To all the FAITHFUL, CLERGY, and LAITY of the LONDON DISTRICT. "Dear Brethren, "At length the day is arrived, when I may congratulate with you on the greateft of bleflings-the free exercise of our holy religion. "A humane and generous legiflature has feen the oppreffion under which we have laboured, and, by an act worthy of its enlightened wisdom, has redreffed the grievances of which we complained. "As our emancipation from the preffure of penal laws muft awaken every feeling of a grateful mind, haften to correfpond on your part with the benignity of Government. Hafen to give our gracious Sovereign that teft of loyalty which the legiflature calls for, and to difclaim every principle dangerous to fociety and civil liberty, which has been erroneoufly imputed to you. "Continue to perform a uniform virtuous line of conduct; giving no offence to any man, that our miniftry be not blamed. Provide things good, not only in the fight of God, but alfo in the fight of all men, and let an univerfal benevolence ever characterise you in the eyes of your fellow-citi zens. L 2 fo, that there has been no intercourfe with the North Iles. There is the most melancholy accounts from the fishing boats; a certainty of the lofs of eight boats and their crews; many other boats loft; feveral people have been wafhed overboard by the fea, and taken up. Mr Sanderfon has loft three boars and their crews, and half of another boat and crew; Mr Pruce of Urie, one; Mr Edmonton, one; Mr Chyne, one; and another North Maving boat. The accounts we have are, that there are 54 men drowned, and above 150 fatherlefs children left. God help them! Their profpects are deplorable. The feverity of the weather and northerly wind has deftroyed every fort of vegetation in the country, and very foon there will not be a ftone-weight of meal to fell in Lerwick." For the unhappy widows and orphans of thefe unfortunate people, fubfcriptions were fet on foot, and feveral liberal collections made in Edinburgh and other places.. |