Gazette Of The United States

BRUSSELS, Jan. 1, 1790.

The following is the Copy of a Letter from the Emperor to General D'Alton, Commander in Chief in the Low Countries, dated Nov. 22. Intercepted by the Patriots.

"I Received, my Gen, this day, by dispatch, your report of the 14th, and I leave you to judge if I have not reason to be surprised, that since the 31st of October, which was the date of your last letter, I have not received from you further reports of the important circumstances and state of the country that is confided to your care. I can say nothing of the events, because I am ignorant of the dispositions that are made; but they appear inefficacious, by the evil growing worse. The permitting the rebels to establish themselves in Flanders, and take Ghent, may be attended by the most troublesome consequences.

"I expect, in your next report, that the troops which arrived effected the purpose. This is not the moment to complain, but to endeavor for the general good, and establishment of order in the provinces.

"I am still ignorant of the effects the different requisitions have produced, and of the evidence against the people of distinction that are arrested, as you have not mentioned either in your reports.

(Signed)
JOSEPH."

Copy of a Letter from General D'Alton to the Emperor, dated Brussels, November 27. Intercepted by the Patriots.

Since my report of the 20th instant, made to your Majesty, the placart of the same date, published the day after, proves that my ideas were just, upon the intentions of Government; the insolence of the people, notwithstanding does not contradict it. Not only the four companies of the regiment of Clairfayt, and two of Vierfit, are detained prisoners at Ghent, and that of Captain Bropore at Bruges, but bands of Patriots are again upon our frontiers. The day after (the 21st) the insurgents, to the amount of many thousands, threw themselves into Turnhout and Hoogstraeten, which they still occupy. The rebels of Flanders are entrenched at Ghent, and many of them joined those in the town of Diest after an action in which they lost two or three hundred men, but obliged Major Broeda, with a division of the regiment of Bender, which he commanded, to retire to Aarschot, with the loss of nineteen men and a piece of cannon.

"The misfortune at Diest was most unexpected by me, and owing to General Count Baillet, who commanded at Louvain, deferring for twenty-four hours the dispositions I ordered to make.

"To parry the danger of the attack upon Louvain, I instantly placed a battalion on the borders of the forest of Meldert, to intercept all those inclining that way.

"General Hopencourt having evacuated Mons without my orders, on the simple requisition of Colonel Blaken, who found himself threatened at Namur, I sent him, with his battalion and squadron to the right of Nivelle, where he now is, and from whence I may order him either to Louvain or to Brussels, as occasion may require.

"The account of the taking of Diest, determined me to assemble a force at Louvain, to drive off the insurgents; and I ordered a battalion of the regiment of Ligne to march to that garrison, and intended myself to take the executive command of four battalions, and three hundred and fifty horse, to force that troop of banditti; but the edict of the 21st inst. required infinite circumspection on my part, and not to cross the negotiations of the Minister, recommended by his letter to the people, of the 25th instant. I enclosed him a copy of the opinions of the general officers, and Colonel de Broe, assembled in council, at my house; but having received an equivocal and verbal answer, I addressed to him a note, a copy of which I enclose for your Majesty, and meeting with a similar answer, I repeated my representation; and the Minister coming to me in company with the Vice Chancellor, M. Crumpipen every reason urged could not make him alter his conduct, notwithstanding the importance of the object, under the pretext, that he should wait the effect of his letter, written the 25th, and the Edict of the 26th; however, I engaged him to make no further concession, which he promised me; I then determined to defer my expedition until the insurgents were informed of the favorable disposition of Government, although I had taken the preparatory and certain measures to reduce them, &c. &c.

"But what was my astonishment to find that the Edict of that day had been printed, and distributed to the public two hours before the Minister declared, in a note to me (the original of which I subjoin to this,) that he would not suffer it to be published, until we had determined upon that point. Such is the situation in which I find myself. and I dare to hope your Majesty will deign to see the defect of that situation. My troops, in garrisons, incessantly occupied in strengthening them, those detached, harassed, by continual marches, and my operations always counteracted, or at least stopped by the shackles of administration. Surrounded by these misfortunes, I received from Colonel Buckim an account a little satisfactory of the first advantage gained over the banditti.

"Your Majesty will find, by the original, that I have the honor to transmit to you, that it is sufficient to shew ourselves to this undiciplined mob to disperse them; and that the insurrection in the country would have long since been smothered, if my advice had been attended to, and above all, if my orders had been obeyed. I expect that my next report will prove to your Majesty, how much I had reason to think, that it is by force alone that these people are to be governed, now that administration are abandoned to the most humiliating concessions.

"In the mean time I have the honor to transmit to your Majesty a copy of a note, I this day sent to the minister; it will, without doubt, prove to him, that I never deviated from the constant and uniform conduct I imposed upon myself, not to take any step without first consulting him; and that I have infinite cause to complain of the incessant obstacles administration throws in my way by visible delays, and other acts, to those dispositions that circumstances require.

"I shall not finish my report, without informing your Majesty, that I believe, notwithstanding all the concessions of Government, the Insurgents will not accede to the propositions, unless the future maintenance of their privileges are guaranteed by other powers.

(Signed)
D'ALTON."