Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/540

 502 Readings in European History But the results of certain articles of the Treaty of Press- burg, which showed themselves immediately after its pub- lication and since that time, as well as the events which, as is generally known, have taken place in the German empire, have convinced us that it would be impossible under these circumstances further to fulfill the duties which we assumed by the conditions of our election. Even if the prompt readjustment of existing political com- plications might produce an alteration in the existing con- ditions, the convention signed at Paris, July 12, and approved later by the contracting parties, providing for the complete separation of several important states of the empire and their union into a separate confederation, would utterly destroy any such hope. Thus convinced of the utter impossibility of longer ful- filling the duties of our imperial office, we owe it to our principles and to our honor to renounce a crown which could only retain any value in our eyes so long as we were in a position to justify the confidence reposed in us by the electors, princes, estates, and other members of the German empire, and to fulfill the duties devolving upon us. We proclaim, accordingly, that we consider the ties which have hitherto united us to the body politic of the German empire as hereby dissolved ; that we regard the office and dignity of the imperial headship as extinguished by the formation of a separate union of the Rhenish states, and regard ourselves as thereby freed from all our obligations toward the German empire ; herewith laying down the imperial crown which is associated with these obligations, and relinquishing the imperial government which we have hitherto conducted. We free at the same time the electors, princes, and estates, and all others belonging to the empire, particularly the members of the supreme imperial courts and other magistrates of the empire, from the duties constitutionally due to us as the lawful head of the empire. Conversely, we free all our German provinces and imperial lands from all their obligations of whatever kind toward the German