Star.
London, England, 1816-11-18 00:00:00

LETTER TO MIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR.

" 13zatIx JULY SO. 1764.

The oppression under which the States and the
inhabitants of the Dochy of Wirtemberg have long
groaned, has risen to such a height that [ can no
longer refrain from writing to your Imperial Majesty,
in order to draw your attention to the subject. The
Duke of Wirtemberg, on his accession to the Govern-
ment, bound himself by acts, solemnly confirmed by
oath, to hold sacred the recesses and compacts of the
'lWirtemherg Diet, and consequently not to govern
the country but according to the compacts, to impose
no new tax without the consent of the States, and to
make no change in the state of religion. All the
compacts and liberties of the Duchy are confirmed
by the Roman Emperors and the Corpus Evangeli.
cornm, as well as his Majesty our late father, in par-
ticular; together with the Kings of Great Britain and
Denmark, who took on themselves the guarantee of
the engagements entered into by the Duke Charles
Alexander. But the present Duke seems, for some
years past (doebtksi at the instigation of evil Coon-
tillon) Iry bindlibnaelf whirle by the flesiasitmiew
of the Country as by his own engagements, and to
desire to govern wholly by his own will, of which
the following may serve as proofs:

44 1. The Duke has for many years pad extorted
from his States most enormous Isms, as they would
not consent, in last year's Diet' to the arbitrary main-
tenance of a military force wholly disproportioned to
the state• of the kingdom. He has, within a few
months, arbitrarily, and without the concunence of
the States, imposed an exorbitant poll tax, far exceed-
ing the ability of the country ; and in now seeking
to compel, partly the consent of some of the inhabi-
tants,—partly the actual payment by the harshest
military measures, and by unheard of corporal punish-
ments sad fines, by which the whole country is filled
with tempr and desolation.

" 2. The Duke has entirely withdrawn the very
considerable ecclesiastical property. dedicated to
pions establishments, from its destination, the partici.
patios in public burdens, and from superintendence
of the States, and einployei it for his own use and
wholly foreign purposes, which is a direct contraven-
tion of the Augsburg religious engagements.
" 3. He bas burdened as well his own domains as
the church property which does not at all 10esig to
him and the whole country, will' such a'cud ofi

Oat it is sled rithoritr sit %bole value of thellitticrl mention but those
fel of the irothenterable grievances of the States of
•
Wirtemberg, as being the principal, and in the con-
Aldine, and hopp that your Imperial Majesty will be
thereby induced to cause all the complaints of the
said States to be laid before you, and determine upon
them according to your offke as Supreme Judge.
" On my side I could not be indifferent to the sad
fate of the Duchy of Wirtemberg, since, as Elector
of the Empire—as guarantee of the Wirtemberg re-
venation, sod as a relation and friend of the Ducal
House of Wirtesnberg. I hold myself bound to take
particular interest in the maintenance of so conside.
rable a country of the Empire. With these sentiments
I last year sent a friendly and temperate letter of
advice to the Duke, but as I received only an answer
filled with vain words end offensive expressions, and
the evil in. the Duchy of Wirtemberg grew daily
worse, I agreed with the Kings of Great Britain and
Denmark, as joint guarantees of the Wirtemberg
,reversation, that each of us should seed an Ambas-
sador to Wirtemberg again, to make to the Duke a
friendly and energetic remonstrance, and induce him
to pursue a more temperate conduct, and to observe
the Constitution of the country. We bad the more
hopes of succeeding, as your Majesty's Ministers at
Vienna promised my Ambassadors at Vienna and
Frankfort, also to send somebody to Stutgard, seri-
ously to speak to the Duke. But now I -learn with
regret, that the Duke has scarcely deigned to give
audience to the Ambassadots of the three Crowns;
that he left the capital, and ordered his Privy Council
to enter into no discussions with the Ambassadors I
mean time the exaction in the country is not only
continued, but doubled, so that the burden of the'
subject begins to grow insupportable.
.4 I therefore justly regret that your Majesty's Am.
bassador has not thought himself authorised to sup-
, port still more the representations of our Ambassa-
dors; and as no moderate resolutions can now be
expected from the Duke, I hereby, in the most friendly
manner, request your Majesty, as head of the Em-
pire, to curt yourself in favour of the Duchy, which
is on the brink of ruin, and to give the States of Wit.-
Isenberg a Protedoriest, that they may be able to bring '
forward their complaints in safety, and at the same
time to issue to the Duke an energetic Mau/am Jr
sort aaft sluggard* et ds railroad* is /wistaria natant,
and to give a respectable Member of the Empire the
Commission of maintaining it. Your Imperial Ma-
jesty will by this, by no means act against your
engagements as Emperor (your Coronation oath),
since the said Pretecteriew and Madam are secured,
not only by the States of W irtemberg, but also by
the guarantee of the Wirtemberg Reversation ; and
.here is no cans nab ei olre/stionis, but it is quite noto-
rious, and the entire welfare of the Duchy depends
on it ; nay, even troubles might arise.
4. Your Imperial Majesty, as the head of the Em-
pire, is bound to prevent this, and to employ all
lawful means to save from approaching ruin this im-
portant member of the Empire. Your own consi-
deration and dignity are interested, and I therefore
myself, from all these reasons, and still More from
your justice, generosity, and humaaity, hope that
you will not hesitate to grant•my well meant request
to take the States of Wirtemberg under your protec-
tion, to maintain them in their rights and privileges,
and set due bounds to the unjust and ruinous pro-
ceedings of the Duke and his evil counsellois."
Exchange oa Loaders. U. S.