The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Warsaw, May 8.

"The uncommon Motion and Dispatch of Couriers which was observed amongst the Ministers of the three united Powers this Day se'nnight, we are now informed, was occasioned by the Answer which the above Ministers received from his Majesty, on their Request, at an Audience, when they petitioned the King, in the Name of their Imperial and Royal Masters, that his Majesty would be pleased to sign the Division of Poland amongst them, as he is at the Head of the new general Confederacy, whose Example the rest of the Members of this Confederacy would be obliged to follow, by which an immediate End would be put to the present War, internal Peace would likewise be restored to the Empire, and every Dispute in Europe would be settled; but, in Case of his Refusal, their Masters, whose Views only are to promote a general Peace and Harmony, as well within as without this Empire, would find themselves obliged to take other Measures to execute their Intentions, and to make Use of the political Right to oppose Force by Force, and Violation by Violation. But his Majesty, according to his Firmness and Intrepidity, and according to his Duty to his Country, which intrusted him with the Protection of its Laws and Liberty, made them the following Answer: That he is by no Means inclined to be guilty of that black Crime of High Treason; that he never will put his Hand to sign the Division of the Country whose Protector he is; that not the Risk of losing his Dignity, nor even his Life, could force him to betray his Nation and Country to everlasting Shame, and fix an eternal Stain on the Name of a King; no flattering Hopes, nor threatening Fears whatsoever, are able to bring him off from this Resolution; and that not the Ambition of reigning over a vast Empire is the Cause of this Resolution, but his real Zeal and Love towards Right in general, and the Law of Nations in particular, is the only Cause of his declining to put his Seal of Truth and Right to a Falsity and Usurpation; that, had he found their Pretensions just, he would have nobly testified the Truth, and openly ceded the Throne which he possessed unjustly; but as he finds the most undoubted Right on the Side of his Country and Nation, he not only will refuse to sign the Division of the Empire, but will also publickly protest against it for ever, and call aloud to all the Princes of Europe, 'Come ye and protect the ancient Laws of Nations; if ye remain silent, if ye permit an open Breach of those Laws and Rights, though but in trifling Matters, know then that your Thrones will shake in Time, as nothing but Force will take Place in Lieu of Right, and the civilized Nations of Europe will be reduced lower than Savages.' If the united Powers have an undoubted Right to possess this Empire, why do they pretend to be their own Judges? Why do they not lay their Pretensions before the impartial World, or leave it to those who are Guarantees to Poland, or to any other impartial Jury? Must such a Right be decided by 100,000 Men with drawn Swords in their Hands? Let the Consequence be what it may, he never will sign the Division of Poland; but, according to the Duty becoming a Prince, in Defence of his Country, he publickly protests against it, and declares it a tyrannick Breach, and a publick disturbing of Nations, &c. This Answer was sent by the Ministers to their respective Courts, requesting farther Instructions, which we expect very anxiously."