Star.
London, England, 1815-12-26 00:00:00

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THE PROTESTAIViS IN PIEDMQW7I

PRIVATE LETTER.
a. LA 'FOUR DE WM, DECEMBER 12.
d• Consternation is in our vallies : we are threatened
by the agents of our King with being robbed of the
little which had been granted to us by the preceding
Governments for the support of our religious worship.
'Pile Court of Turin pretends not to be bound by any
convention on this subject, and professes to do in this
case as in every other, whatever pleases itself, or ra-
ther whatever pleases the cabal of Monks which rules
under its name. In reality, neither the Treaty of
Paris in 1814, nor that lately concluded, makes any
mention of the special protection granted by preced-
ing Treaties, particularly by that of Aix-la-Chapelle,
to the Protestants of the vallies of Piedmont, known
under the name of Vaudois.—Can England, who
formerly acted so generously towards them, have now
changed her system with regard to these eldest sons
of the Evange.ical Religion, whose aversion La the
Roman Church is anterior even to the Reformation
of Luther ? Can this population of 30,((X) souls have
appeared to the Englih Minister an object too unim-
portant to employ his attention amidst the political dis-
memberment of so many nations? We cannot believe it,
.for nothing is trifling which involves a great moral prin-
ciple. However, if at a period when England was far
from that preponderance on the Continent which the
follies of Napoleon have put info her hands ; it at a
neriod in which religious freed im had not yet become
a common maxim with all enlightened Governments,
the British Administration in former days could ob-
tain so great a triumph on this subject, over the pre-
judices of time and place, can any person doubt but
that a single word from your Ministers (whom the
House of Savoy must regard as its restorers) would
have been sufficient to assure, not only to the Vail.
dais, but to all the inhabitants of Piedmont, the free
exercise of their religion ? Since then, negotiators,
supported by so great an influence, did not think
proper to insert in the new Treaties the ancient gua-
rantee to the Protestants of Piedmont, we must sup-
pose that they could not foresee that the Court of
Sardini by declaring every thing null which hap-
pened during its absence, (that is to say, during six-
teen years and more,) would, under this general pro-
claination, rob the Vaudois of all the benefits with
which a paternal Administration had endowed their
church, and of which the French fiscality had not
the hardihood to despoil them.
Deprived of this resource, the Protestants of the
Alps will be obliged again to call upon the liberality
of the English to contribute to the support of their
religion but supposing that they should not be disap-
pointed in their expectations from them, can any Otte
compare this humiliating and precarious situation with
that public and independent support of their wonhip,
and that perfect civil equality which they enjoyed for
so many years before the restoration of the aiedini.in
King ? How much anguish and uncertainty through
Europe might have been put an end to tly a few
words from your Ministers, supported as they are on
this subject by claims so strong and resources so im-
mense I
4 Will they who have done so much for Kings, do
nothing for the people, especially for that portion of
the European people whom the sacred tics of a com-
mon religion, and the recolsection of similar suffer-
ings, bind in so close a manner with the nation whom
they profess to represent ? We hope, and dare be.
fiery, that these great personages partake themselves
of the indignation with which we are penetrated, Audi
will not disdain to add to that glory, assuring their
natural and legitimate rights to those nations whom
they have forced to return under the domination of
their ancient masters."

GERMAN PAPERS.
BRUSSELS, DECEMBER w.

This morning a solemn Te Dame was chaunted in
the church of St. Gudule, to return thanks to Goo
for having granted a peace which has been so ardent-
ly desired for so many years. Al! the public auoo.
rities were present at this ceremony. The second
corps of troops of Brunswick arrived here this
morning.
It is affirmed, that several of the mon remarkable
persons comprehended in the Ordinance of his Ma.
linty the King of France, of July 24, are comin to
seek an asylum in the Netherlands ; among whom
they talk of Marshal Sault and General Vaudamme.

OSTEND, DECEMBER Is.
The last storm which we felt here for is hours,
and which has done so much damage on the coast of
England, where. above 120 vessels have been wreck-
ed or damaged, has been particularly fatal to a very
respectable mercantile house in this town. Two of
its vessels, one coming from the East Indies with a
rich cargo, the other going from Ostend to Lisbon,
accidentally met at sea, and remaine4 at anchor to.
gether for some time, waiting till the storm should
be over, but they were soon parted by the fury of
the winds ; and by a strange fatality, these two
vessels perished in sight of each other, without being
able to afford each ether any assistance. A part only
of the crew of one of them has been saved.
FROM THE RHENNISH MERCURY.
Pllocl.4P:tifils RESPECTING STATES-GENERAL) IN THE
GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN.

It has been formerly noticed in this Journal, how
the wishes orthe inhabitants of Baden, to see a Con-
stitution of States-General introduced among them,
have been repulsed; and with what mean timidity the
agents of the Goiernment, from the consciousneu of
a bad cause, have endeavoured to put down the
movement by measures of Polico, and by secret pro-
mises and threats.

means of tem" of the most respottable of their hocly,
amqng wham were Colonel Zyllenhard and Baron
Gemmingham, they resolved to transmit a represen-
tation, setting forth the necessities of the country, and
praying the convocation of the States. The Depu
cation went, was well received, and had the promiie
of a speedy introduction of a representative C')usti-

_
tation.
It was natural, as all these proceedings were
licly known, that the third estate should also feel a
wish to express their opinions at such a conjuncture,
and particularly that they might have legitimate
means of becoming acquainted with the necessity of
those taxes which pressed with most severity lips:
them. With this v;ew, some of the most respectable
inhabitants of Heidelberg were commissioned by a
.number of their fellow citizens to wait upcn the
Counsellor of Justice, Martin, Professor of Laws in
the University there, to request of him advice, and
to point out how they might act in the most legal
manner on such an occasion.
The Professor, like a =dente peaceable man, re-
marked, that such a petition ought not to proceed
from a few citizens. but from a maknity of them;
also, that the description of the situ 'firm and wants
of the country was not proper for such an address,
" but that it should rather be the work of the f Inure as-
sembly of the States—and, therefore, that it was ad-
visable to confine the petition to a prayer for the con-
vocation of such States. He then engaged to draw
up the sketch of an address in, this spirit, which
might be submitted to the approbation of the trojn.
rity of an assembly legally called together. The
apilicants were all agreed opqn this point, upon
which the Professor drew up an address to the fol.

lowing effect :
It bet forth the necessity of convoking an assembly
of the States, who might truly and faithfully describe
the various evils under which the country laboured.
It reminded the Sovereign that this was the course
which, in similar situations, had actually been pur-
sued by the Hanoverian, Hesse-Cassel, Wurtemberg.
and Nassau Governments; and that his Royal High-
ness had himself declared to the Congress at Vienna,
' his intenion of introducing a representative constitu-
tion into his States. Foully, it set forth, that the act
of Confederation for Germany, of the tith Jure, ex-
pressly stipulated, that in all the States of the Con-
federation a representative constitotion should he es-
tablished. It was agreed, that a potiion this effect
should be signed, and that every other town or com-
mune that chose to adhere to it, sheeld chose two
persona for the purpose of forwarding objects.
PARIS.
I have lately been in the Museum. The packing
up is finished. and it begins to 10.-k a 'Ale ()racily
there. Of the 1500 pictures 250 remain, nio.tly of
the French school. Of the statues. about the hall
are there ; namely, those of the liorgliese gallery ;
then, what was in the Royal Palaces, and, as it seems,
some things from Rome, as fur example, die fine She
Wolf, the Hermaphrodite, one of the red ch.irs on
which the Pope sat, &c. It is mice:tam wh4l:ce these
remain here.
In the last public sitting of the Institute, :hey nude
a terrible lamentation over these sad events. Mr.
Lebreton, perpetual Secretary of the Class ef the
fine Arts, said. 66 OM; losses are irreparable. It is for
history to decide on the justice or injustice w:lich has
caused them, and to judge of the forms wt:ich have
accompanied them." After this little elpectoration,
he assumed the tone of virtue and even of pi i.!e—
-" History will not say that our nation, which had en.
riched itself with these master-pieces. shewed itself
unworthy to possess them. Let us at least ennoble
our misfortunes by the persuasion that it was not me-
rited." Then he chewed how they had always been
goodnatured and pious ; how they at first took merely
the statues and pictures ceded by the Treaty of To-
lentino, though it would have beet; so easy to take
all the rest. Besides, they had given the SoveiciAns
time to have them copied—" a nob', wad delicate at-
tention which has not been shewn us, who had set the
example of it."
That is just what vexes then, that they could not
gat time to copy them. • With their copying, they
would have finished on the same day as Procus, who
is making the brazen trumpets for tie day of judg-
ment, of which Lichtenberg says, some were bespoke
of him thirty years ago. They could copy Oh pil-
lars of Aix-la-Chapelle, but the innocents iii this case
preferred the originals.
Then he described how Commissioners, estimable
men, had been sent to Rome to direct the removal of
these treasures, which took a whole year—how they
came to Paris—bow a great Vaudeville de Paris was
given at the Champ de Mars, at which the Authorip
ties, &c. attended 4! to celebrate this apotheosis."—'
61 What," says he, 66 could Athens have done more
in the time of Pericles el
Then came a period in which he touched upon us
a little. 66 Before Victory abused the right of the
strongest, which it always does in the end," and then
another aimed at the Noble Lord, who latelysaid • it
was good that the French had received a moral les-
son which might ease them of their inclination to
steal the works of art. 64 It was not from them that
it was proper to take the text to give us harsh les-
sons," and every body applauded, and was con-
vinced with the orator, that great injustice had been
d
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galleries. Still more easy would it be to copy the
sithttaew world,
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and so
drthldbe madee,ywchoicuhldwmboyuakidFenerbaegci athiinetmheofirenehasnotndmightMuseumiotrabi ,
e be
artists,
called
projects the Frenchets
will probably
probably he executed in part,
and unless the want of money hinders them, I am
convinced that in a fey, years they will have a charM-
-I,l* Museum again, and will persuade themselves and
others that gothing eittaordinaiy has happened.