Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/122

84 the orders and balances of its government, have declined in an age of general improvement, and become a prey to any invader—much les would it have forced the world to acknowledge, that the tranlation of near five millions of people, from a republican government to that of abolute empires and monarchies, whether it were done by right or by wrong, is a bleing to them. The partition was projected by the king of Pruia, who communicated it to the emperor and empres. The plague was one circumtance, and the Ruian war againt the Turks another, that favoured the deign; and the partition-treaty was igned at Peterburg, in February 1772, by the Ruian, Autrian, and Pruian plenipotentiaries. The troops of the three courts were already in poeion of the greatet part of Poland, and the Confederates were oon dipered. The partitioning powers proceeded with uch ecrecy, that only vague conjectures were made at Waraw, and that lord Cathcart, the Englih miniter at Peterburg, obtained no authentic information of the treaty until two months after its ignature. The formal notification, to the king and enate at Waraw, was made, by the Imperial and Pruian ambaadors, in September 1772, of the pretenions of their courts to the Polih territory. The remontrances of the king and enate, as well as thoe of the courts of London, Paris, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, had no effect; and the mot humiliating record, that ever appeared in the annals of a republic, is een in the king's ummons—"Since there are no hopes from any quarter, and any further delays will only tend to draw down the mot dreadful calamities upon the remainder of the dominions which are left to the republic, the diet is convened " for