Foreign Affairs.
The Bmifh Packet Queen Charlotte, Capt. Fargie,
arrived at New-iotk on Thurjday lajl in 38 daxs
jiom Falmouth, Jht brought London papers to the
9th cj January.
VIENNA, November 25.
r i? no more talk of peace—our
X court is re'olved to facrifiep every thing
rather than yield to France ; besides the 10
battalio is which are already marching, fur
ther orders have been given for 110,000 men.
This immense army will require 15,000 l»or£-
es for the transport of the ammunition* and
provisions, and 30/500 men to conduit the
waggons, to follow the magazines, The
Hungarian army of 72,000 men are already
on their march, and are arrived in the envi«
rons of Vienna. Toe Archduke Palatine
commands them in pet ion. The Diet of Ra
tifoou has now given its coitfent to the triple
quota to be furnilhed by toe different States
of the Roman Empire. The. Elector of Ba
varia has already furnifhed his contingent,
which is to rendezvous at Donauwert, and
from thence to march straight to Manheim.
A courier, which arrived on the 26th of
Kovember from England, brought very im
portant dispatches relative to the mediation
fcettfeen Austria and France, which England
has taken upon her fa If.
Dec. 15. We have accounts that the Porte
It arming against Railia.
M E N T Z, pec. 15.
General Cultino has declared this city to
tie in a state of liege, and has retired to 1 it
with 4:3,000 men, who are determined to de
fend it to the last. The Pruflians and Hes
sians, with the King and the Landgrave at
the head of about 70,200 men, are surround
ing us close, with a formidable train of ar
tillery. Our garrison has made a sortie, in
which the i> ruffians 101 l 15 meu aind two can
nons.
BERLIN, Dec. IJ.
Warlike preparations go on Sere with the
alacrity, and every arrangement is
making for a inoft vigorous campaign, to be
entered upon as early next spring as poflible.
HANOVER, Dec. 17.
The Regency of this Electorate have re
ceived orders from his Britannic niajefty,
our ele&or, to dispatch for the army which
is to be formed in the Empire the contingen
cy of this electorate.
BRUSSELS, Dec. 15.
We have just learned that the day before
yesterday an action took place between the
French and the Aultrians potted on the
Heights of Verviers. The battle was sup
ported with great valor on both fides, till the
imperialists were obliged to give way, leav
ing Rechen and Herve to the French, and
retiring to the woods of Aix-la-Ciiapelie.—
We expect farther details.
PARIS, December 33.
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Wednesday, December 26.
TRIAL OF LOUIS XVI.
It having been decided on Tuesday, in
tortfequence of a request from the Command
ant General of Paris, that the unfortunate
Louis should be brought to the bar the next
morning, at 9 o'clock, the fitting of Wednef
dav commenced at that hour.
Within a few minutes afterwards, the Pre
sident said, " I announce to the All'embly
that Louis and his defenders are ready to ap
pear at the bar. I forbid the members or the
ipeftaturs to (hew any signs of censure or ap
probation. Louis then appeared at the bar,
accompanied Ijy M. M. Lamorignon Mallher
bes, Tronchet, de Seze, the Mayor of Paris,
and the Commandant of the National Guards.
The Pie fide nt said, Louis the Convention
has decreed, that you ihould be definitively
heard to-day.
" My Coanfel will read to you my
Louis,
defence."
M. do Seze then read for some hours the
defence, of which the substance is here given,
as exactly as we can collect it, though the
whole could by no means be contained within
the limits of a newspaper. It began thus:
" Citizen Reprelentatives of the Nation,
the moment is then arrived, in which Louis,
accused in the name of the French people, and
surrounded by the Counlel which humanity
and the law have given him, is about to deli
ver his juftificattnfi.' Even the silence with
■which we are surrounded, informs me, that
the day of jaltice has succeeded to the day of
presumption and pre-judgment. The mif
fortunes of Kings have something much more
affecting and more sacred than those of other
men ; and he who once occupied the nioft
brilliant Throne in the univ«rle, ought to ex
cite the molt powerful You have
called him into the midst of you, and he is
Come, with«alnniefs, with dignity, itrong in
his innonccnce, fuppoiteciby the teftinionv of
a whple life. He has difiovered to you such
to be his thoughts, by diicuffmg, without pre
paration, without examination,charges which
be could n'(t forefee, and offering an extem
porary defence. Louis could only tell you of
his innocence ; I come to piove it. Would
that this circle could increase tffl the whole
multitude of citizen',, who have received a
dreadful imprelfion againll him, could be con
tained in it, that they might form a different
opinion. Louis knows that Europe experts,
with impatience, the judgment which you
shall give; he knows, that posterity will, one
day, inveltigate it j but he considers only his
Contemporaries. Like liinj «ve torget poste
rity, and fee only the present moment."
M. de Seze then said, that the question
be confiderid in two points of view,
aitker with refpert to Louis bcfcie or after
his acceptance of the Constitution. The Na
tion, he admitted, was tlie Sovereign, and
was tree to give itfelf what fonn of govern
ment it pleal'ed ; but the Nation itfelf could
not exercile its own Sovereignty, and mult,
therefore, delegate it. In 1789 the Nation
thole a monarcbia! government, and decreed
the inviolability of its chief. He then (hew
ed that the forfeiture of the throne was the
only puniihment to which the King, accord
ing to the Constitution, could be fubjeft; and
that it was only for the crimes committed af
ter this destitution, that he could be tried,
like other citizens. . Either the crimes of
which Louis was accused, were held crime»
by the Constitutional Ast, and of course, if
proved, were to be puniihed according to that
Ast, or they were not to- be found in it; and
were, therefore, not to De Buuiflted at all-
H* would, however, adin>t,fur argument's
fake, that the crimes were all proved, and all
mentioned in the Act. What
then was the punilhrilent! The abdication of
the Throne. Bui it might be (aid. that the
nation had already abolifhcd tlie Throne, so
that there was 110 further puniihment ot Lou
is; were new laws to be made, applicable on
ly to one aan, and formed fincethe accusation
itfelf!
If, however, Louis was to be deprived of
bis inviolability as a King, he inuft then, of
course, have the right of being judged like a
Citizen, and in that cafe, where were the pre
fervatory forms of trial decreed for citizens
by the law? Where were tfie Jurors, tfiofe
hoflages for the lives and honor of Citizens ?
Where was the proportion of fuffrages which
the law had so wifely established ? Where that
silent ballot which inciolcd within the fame
urn, the opinion and conscience of thfe Judge ?
4t I speak to you/' said M. ,de* Seze, 44 with
the freedom of a free man ; I search among
you for Judges, and I fee only Accusers; you
would give judgment upon Louis, and you
have accused him ; you would try him, and
you have already expressed your will.
" As to tbe charge of hav ing wished to dis
solve the National .AfTembly* Was it forgot
ten that Louis had convoked it P Was it for
gotten that during 150 years Princes, more
jealous of their authority, had constantly re
fufed that convocation ? Was it forgotten,that
but for Louis—but for the numerous facri
fices tosvhich he had consented, the audienee
could not then be fitting to deliberate upon
the interests of the State ?"
He would not then speak of the Memoir in
whichTallien was said to have the care of pro
ducing a Counter Revolution intruded in
part to him ; but even upon an ordinary tri
al, could it be permitted, that papers taken
from a citizen, without an inventory and uu
fealed, by the invasion of his house, should bfc
produced in the evideuce againil him ? In
some of these papers mention was made of
money which had been expended ; but even if
it was denied that this expence was for pur
poses of benevolence, could it be forgotten
how easily Kings were circumvented and de
ceived ? The plan of a letter to La Fayette
and Mirabeau was spoken of, but this letter
had not been sent; and as to the letter of
thanks to Bouille, the Constituent AfTembly
itfelf had voted thanks to that officer. But
the words werefVill to be uttered which would
immediately overthrow the whole series of
accusations—they were these : . 4i s[ub
to all these circumstances, Louis accepted
the Constitution. The Constitution was the
padfc of alliance between the People and the
King—there was no longer any contention—
the past was forgotten. What had been done
subsequent to this acceptance was now to be
examined.
" The Constitution had not ordered the
guarantee of the King for the Ministers ; but,
on the contrary had commanded the refpon
iibility of the Ministers for the King ; and
even if the Constitution was forgotten, the
King and his Ministers could not be both ac
cused for the fame a<fts. Louis had been ac
cused of delay ing the execution of the decree
relative to Avignon—the Minister Oeleffart
had been accuTed of the fame thjng. Louis
had been accuted of not communicating in
telligence of the Treaty of Pilnitz ; but was
not that the province of.the if
it hadheen a public in {tea d of a secret tranf
aftion ? He had been reproaehed with the
troubles of Nimes, Jales, and other places ;
but was the King to be answerable for all the
troubles of a great Revolution ? The account
given by Narboune was laid to the charge of
Louis ; but had not the National Afl'cmbly
itftlf declared, that Narbonne carried with
him the regrets and the confidence of the Na
tion ? ahe surrender of Longwy and Verdun
weie imputed to him ; but were not the in
habitants of these places the guilty persons ?
And who had appointed the Cpmmander of
Verdun, who chose rather to die than to
yield ?—Was it not Louis
M. dc Seze pursued his speech with much
perspicuity, contending and (hewing, that ei
ther Louis had no of the circum
ttances with Which he was charged, or that
they were not crimtiya! ; or that he could not
be held responsible for them ; or that, if ie
jfponfible, the punifliment could.not justly, or
even lawfully be greater thau the deposition.
With refpeft to ftie affair of the 10th of
August, he argued, that the King had made
no preparation for the defence of his own Pa
lace ; that the condi tut ion al magistrates {vera
with him, and that one of those read the arti
cle of the law wMch authorized the oppofitiQn
of force to force ; that when he was invited
to the AffemblV, he went there, and that, the
battle did not commence till an hour after
ward*. It trad been fa id by many deputies in
the Convention, that thfcy had aflifted in pro
ducing the events of that clay : If then, they
had been premeditated, how couid Louis be
accused of them ? Louis, who had never given
a sanguinary order; who, at Wetmes, chofc
ratliqr to return a captive than to expjfc the
-310-
life of one man ; who, on the 2oth of June, re
futed evpry fort of defence, and chose rather
toreinairi alone in the midst of his people • —
Louis, of whom history would be heard to fay,
that during a reign of twenty years he had
borne only an example of moderation,jultice He
economy ! who h-)d abolished servitude in his
domains ; who, when the people wiihed for
liberty, gave it to them ?
Tliere was liere some murmur ; but the
Counsel went through several other articles
of the accusatory ast, which it is less materi
al to notice here, and admonilhed the Conven
tion that history would judge their judgment.
At the conclufmn of the speech Louis role
and said, " Citizens, the means of my de
fence have beenjult exiled to you j I (hall
not relume them. In speaking to you, per
haps, for the last time, I declare that ijiy con*
science reproaches me with nothing. My de
fenders have laid only the tiuth.
" My heart is torn when I perceive mylelf
fufpefted of having wiihed to (hed the blood
of the people, and especially of being the au
thor of what palled on the loth of Augull.
I avow, that the multiplied proofs of my love
for the people seem to me fufficient to remove
me from this charge,and prove,that I have not
feared to expose myfelf that blood might be
lived."
The President presenting a note to Louis,
asked him if he knew the writing ?
Louis—No.
Prelidert—Do you recollect these live keys?
Lonis—l Cannot immediately recollect
them : I know I returned some to Thierry
when I was at the Convent of the Feuillans,
but cannot positively fay that these are the
fame.
President—Have you nothing else to fay in
your defence?
Louis—No.
Pref>dept-»-You may withdraw,
Lou's and his Counsel withdrew,
The AfTembly remained silent some mi
nutes, when Manuel addrelTed thejn as fol
lows,:
4< Citizens, I require Louis's defence to be
deposited in the Court as well as his accusation,
and that it, as well as every other proceeding,
should be printed, distributed in less than 24
hours to the members of the AfTembly, and
<ent to the different departments. I move
likewise, that we adjourn this business fdr
three days."
Geniffeux and Thuriot, demanded that the
defence of Louis should be signed by him and
his Counsel.—Decreed.
Dahern—lt is the practice of every tribu
nal, after having the defence of the acrufed,
to pass immediate judgment. I demand that
the nominal appeal shall be immediately tak
en on this question : Shall Louis fuffer death,
or shall he (Loud applause from the
Tribunes.)
The President desired silence.
It was proposed that Louis ihould be imme
diately conduced back to the Temple.—De
creed. 1
Ba/Jre. —I demand that judgment should be
patted on t,ouis before we adjourn. (Loud
clapping from the fralleries.)
Lanjuinais.— I rife to oppose the motion of
Bazire. The time of cruelty is parted ; fays he,
no longer let decrees be forred from us. Is it
wished that wc should deliberate without hav
ing had lime to consider the defence ? Is it
wished that Louis the last should be judged by
the conspirators of the famous day of the lOih
of August ?
(The mountain uttered dreadful cries, and re
quired that the Speaker should be sent to the
Abbaye prison.)
Lanjuinais insisted that the members of the
Convention could not be at the fame timeaccu
ftrs and ditpenfeis of the law. He demanded
the report of the decree, which declares that
Louis fhail he judged by the Convention; and
that they (hould confine themfelvcs to taking
proper precautions till they ihould decree by
what tribunal Louis {hould be judged.
The tiial was interrupted by a letter from the
defenders of Louis XVlth, in which they ob
served, that the speech pronounced in favor of
the Prince, digested in haste, and filled up in
different parts with fcratcbes and alterations,
ought not to be considered as the copy of that
which Ihould be made public. The Counsel
therefoie demanded a fight ol the proofs before
it was published, which was accordingly
granted.
Lecointre demanded an arrest of judgment
for three days.
Dubem wiihed it to be fettled without ad
journing. (Loud applause from the tribunes.)
We are judges, and not hangmen, exclaims
Kerfaint, give us time to examine. (Hi Acs.)
The President put the vote of adjournment.'
Loud cries from the inhabitants of the Moun
tain, the cut-throats oi the Convention who sur
rounded the chair, reproved and threatened the
President. The gallei ies joined them.
Juhcn reproached the President for having
held a conversation with MaHherbes, and he
propol'ed that he (hould quit the chair. The
President was enabled after some difficulty to
explain and juftify himlelf. He offered to give
up the chair to Barrere.
In ike midifc of this confufion, a deputy ex
claimed, we wish the definition of the tyrant
of the countiy, hut at the fame time we are not
willing jo be surprised. Another exclaimed,
that it had been moved in the Parliament of
England, whether an ambassador ihould be sent
U> influence ihtsectnfolrations of ihc Convention.
The Convention, fays Ducos, ought no iftore
to attend to the ravings of Buikr* than to the
manifeftoa of the Duke of ttiunfwick.
At lrngtft Couthon prop"fed a decree, which
was adopted almost unanimously, c< That the
idifcuflion (Vtould remain open,and that all other
bufinels being laid a fide, the Convention should
entirely apply thcinfelves to thr affairs of Louis
Capet, till (entente {hould be finally parted on
him."
were proposed, and frefti tu
mults enfucd. Pction wished to speak, but he
was intenupted by cries. The liberty of {peak
ing was however granted hici by a <Jcccee.—
"We will n<M have Petio,., opIB j„ ,
edßoutnot. Th* Bindiiu from thi
lW ° h^ d J Cd m< ' mbe » "" '!« let.
P«fed them, and ,h« , 10 , b.came P ,, r „|. •
P.eWent obtained a,M dcLd Pnia
Thi. deputy, ,fte r eomplain.n. that „
utterly imputable f OI h,„ '„, ! 01c " [h '
bune without fubjramg h, m ™?„ the mod
7 ' infilled tliat the decre*
* »>
■hr""' ,d
The unhappy Louis hi,f CWWn
with rot the
Redding ,e„, a, he fpokr. H.mfctfS
Counsel weir heard very
COMMUM or
Lotii. came down from the 1 a™!"* S .
pad 9; he exprrfTVd some unelKncf,
Raid to the manner u, which his c..u„f r | .
be conveyed to the Conv< „ii„„. Hethei,
ed to the coach, and observed v. " ~Z
tiort the detachment of cavaliy of the i"
school that had been /ormed since hi. £
ment. When he was tc the carnage, he to
a part ,n the convention, v h,ch h d t u °„
upon literature, and particularlv on
attthors. One of his attendant, f.id, he did ,
ike Seneca, a, h„ excetave love of rich,, f
rafted too much with hi. pretended philoW
anil that he could not be pardoned for hav,
dared to oalhate the crimes of Nero in the £
This reflect.on did not appear to affect him
Speaking of L.vyLouis said, that he took 1
peafure m composing lo„ R wh,ch«
tainly never had been pronounced but in ,
tt, of Tac'tus.' 8 W " V " y diffett " l f '°
h . c w ->' »Ti»fd in the room where I
was to wait till he was introduced, he found h
counsel retired w,th them into a comer, „
conversed with them in private till he wascallt
to appear at the bar, and alter his defence he „
turned into the fame apartment whtre tv,
been r< reived t>n arrival.
He w« very une»fy J bout frit courrffl t
Srze, who wa« in a fate of perfpir«iian_l ou
alked if there was no of pmcurir
him a change of linen, oblerving thai ieh,
fpokcn more than two hoiiri.
On his return in the mayoi'a coick, he w
31 calm and serene at if he had hfeo iqa vn
coitimori situation. A» he pasted before il
place where frrrmerlv Oodrf' the barr»c|ti «/ t l
French goard», he remarked wrttr iftom'fhmti
tht superb taou/e that it qpw titded oa ib
ground,
He said in pleasantry to the secretaire Greflit
jvho had hi» hat on in the carriage, " the la
time you came you had forgot your hat; y c
have been careful to-day."
The procurator of the comtrtnne findinghiir
felf a little indilpofed, the converfatioi tartit
on the hofp'rtals of Paris. Louis wade son
rcfleflions on the cxpencei of thn/e houses, in
on the different plan* which had hern forme
concerning them ; he carried hii
further, and exprefTed a wifli that there waior
in facj) feftion.
The secretaire seemed to be concerned for hi
fellow-citizens who formed the guard
carriage, and who were walking in the mut
and having saluted lome of his acquaintance
Louis Taid to him* <{ Are those citizens of you
?"—" No, thev are fomc of the membn
of the jreneral co ncil of the 10th of Auguf
whom I fee with pleasure."
The mayor holding his fnuff-box in his hanc
we asked him for it, to examine his wife's pit
tiire; weobferved that Che *as much hawifomr
rhan her pitture. Louis defircd to look at i
He took the box, and said that th
mayor was a hapov man to poflcfs fomethinj
better than the picture. He enquired of wha
department was the mavor, and how long h
had been married. On his paflage fomecrie
were heard Fermr.z Us fenetres. Louis said
C'ejl abominable. Chaumet informed hirn that ii
was a measure of fafety the general council hac
taken. " I thought," said Louis, 44 they Cried
vxvela Fayette, which would be folly."
There were some cries of a la Guillotine
which did not at all difcornpofe him.
Louis arrived in his apartment about 3 in tlx
afternoon.
Pari* is at this time as calm a* the prefenl
circuraftances vrlJudifut of. The people ar<
more occupied by the decree relative to tty
family of the Bourbons than with the fate ol
Louis.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FRIDAY, February 11.
Mr. Heifler, of the committee on enroll"
bills, informed the Houle, that the two bill
signed yesterday, have been laid before the Pre
sident of the United States, for hi> approbatiol
and signature.
A memorial was read from Arthur St Clair
praying an adjustment and fettleirentof an at.
count, presented by him to the late Board o!
Treafiiry—Refsred toMeff. Fitzfimons, Thatch
er and Hindmatr.
A memorial from Jolin Rofs was read, pay
ing the settlement of an old account —Rcfcrrec
to Mess. Gerry, Huger and Tucker.
A bill, fixing the time for the next anmii!
meeting of Cqngrefs, was twice read, and 01
edto be engrofied for a third reading.
A till, concerning bail proccfs and colt! 0
fees, in the Jud.cial Courts of the United StaW
was twice read, and committed for Mond J
next—lOO copies to be printed in the interim.
A memorial of Hugh Hughes was read, tm
rcfered to the Secretary of the Treasury.
A message from the Prefidcnt, by Mr. Lot,
informed the House, that two bills one in ft
of Joseph Henderfon, the other m favor _°: 11
mas Wilhart, have received his approbation
f ' S A'petition of Hannah Martin wa. wj
fraying th* renewal ol a 101 l cettifi' a'e
the table.