Encore of Europe: Gameplay Thread

[Donerail]

A Speech to the National Assembly:
On War and Treason

My friends, our Republic stands at a decisive point in our history. The Archduke of Austria claims that the kings of Scandinavia and Prussia seek to destroy our way of life and dismantle our country. The King of Prussia, for his part, claims the Archduke was willing to entertain such an invasion. These parties now see themselves at war over the Bavarian succession, and it is our troops who stand capable of determining the outcome.

While truly wicked in its own right, this plan for partition sought the assistance of a more pernicious element — reactionary forces in our midst, trained and supplied by these hostile foreign powers. It is the right of all free people of this Republic to believe what they wish, and to speak their minds freely — it is this characteristic that sets our nation apart from the rest. As a result, we will not seek to prosecute the individual citizens who simply oppose our form of government.

For traitors and foreign agents, however, there are no such protections. Our investigation has uncovered a plot designed to facilitate the destruction of our country. Inhabitants of this land were promised that sabotaging our war effort and enabling the victory of foreign powers would bring about the return of the monarchy.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Their plan was not a change of leadership — their plan was partition. These misguided citizens were hoodwinked by a hostile foreign power into supporting their efforts to destroy not only the Republic, but Poland itself as a free and independent state. To those who value living free from the yoke of some foreign conquerer, I pray that you see the error of your ways and immediately quit your role as useful idiots in the game of foreign powers.

Our first priority is the defense of the Republic against both its external and internal foes. We shall begin by rooting out those reactionary forces who sought to assist our enemies by sabotaging our soldiers in time of war. We value highly freedom of speech, and no man who did nothing more than print a broadsheet shall see serious repercussions. But free expression does not protect treason, and those involved in the plot shall experience the full consequences of their crime.

When it comes to the present war over the Bavarian succession, then, we are largely uninterested in the matter of the next ruler of Bavaria, and do not seek involvement in a war that may consume the continent. Should we determine that a foreign power has been forging ties with subversive organizations in our realm, however, we shall make every effort to seek retribution for the harms that have been visited upon us, regardless of that country’s place in the ongoing conflict. We shall remain neutral for the moment, but all hinges on what we may discover.

[Donerail]

On Poland

The King of France is pleased to announce the signature of this treaty with thr president of the Republic of Poland.

The King of France, for the record, never took part into this "supposed" partition plan of Poland.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

May god bless us in these trouble times

xLouis XVI

xPresident Tadeusz Kościuszko

[Donerail]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

x Frederick William II, King of Prussia.

x Tadeusz Kościuszko

[Donerail]

A Speech to the National Assembly:
On the Abolition of Guilds, Now Before the Assembly

My countrymen, for too long has our Republic contended with a second-class status among the nations of Europe. In centuries past, that status was conferred by antiquated and backward political institutions, institutions that we have together succeeded in abolishing. Now, however, that status is reflected not in politics, but in economics. While other nations race to develop new technologies and discover new riches, our economy lies stagnant, hindered again by antiquated institutions.

I speak, of course, of the guilds. This system of organization, while perhaps necessary in past times, is increasingly obsolete today. By placing artificial limits on who can become a master, and by privileging sons of masters above all others, the guild system stands opposed to a system in which crafts are performed by the most talented. The concept that every man should stand on his own worth, and not be unduly privileged by the happenstance of his birth, is foundational to our Republic. By permitting the continued existence of the guilds, we choose a Republic in our political life, yet shrink from our duty and permit the persistence of an aristocracy in the marketplace.

And the possibilities, should we act today, are without limit. An economy free of the guild system is one in which new products, ones which cross the historic boundaries between trades that the guilds continue to enforce, can be created. A new age of collaboration between workers shall flourish, with the ultimate beneficiaries both the common people, who shall see their standard of living increased, and our Republic, which would be able to compete with any nation, in the most exotic markets.

There is some concern that this measure will lead to the unemployment of many journeymen and masters, but this is not so. By preventing masters from having more than one shop, and by limiting the number of journeymen and apprentices in any given place, the guilds act to limit the number of workers in any one trade. The end of the guilds does not mean the end of these trades — quite the contrary. Many trades cry out, demanding more workers, but the regulations of the guilds prevent more men from becoming tailors or hammermen to answer this call — and so long as the current masters can sell their goods at the price they wish, they have no reason to hire more men. Passing today’s legislation and doing away with the guild system would open up many more jobs to deserving men — and, should there be any further concerns, I would remind the Assembly of our ongoing construction and improvement of highways, bridges, navigable canals, harbors, and other such creations that facilitate commerce, in which any man may find work.

And note as well what this legislation does not do. The workers do not lose their right to associate together — indeed, it is this cooperation which the law seeks to encourage. Indeed, all we seek to do is to abolish those charters and regulations that allow a few guild-masters in the same trade, or of the same profession, to profit at the expense of the common people and, indeed, at the expense of the Republic itself.

[Donerail]

VERY ORIGINAL PACT, DO NOT STEAL:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

X Joseph II Hapsburg

x Tadeusz Kościuszko

[Donerail]

The Polish-Lithuanian Republic gladly recognizes the Republics of Brazil and Louisiana, and commends the flourishing of republican thought in the New World. We also request to establish an embassy to the Kingdom of Quebec.

[Donerail]

A letter from President Tadeusz Kościuszko to the Vicar of Christ, Benedict XVII, as published in the Polish press

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Donerail]

Trade Agreement between the Polish-Lithuanian Republic and the Sublime Porte

You must be logged in to read this quote.

xTadeusz Kościuszko

[Donerail]

The Polish-Lithuanian Republic is proud to recognize the independent Republic of Brazil. May liberty flourish across the world!

[Donerail]

Proclamation on Languages
In order to encourage all citizens of the Republic to participate fully in public affairs, I encourage the National Assembly to recognize Ruthenian, the third most common language of the public, as an official language of the Republic, co-equal with Polish and Lithuanian. While it would substantially tax the resources of the Republic to translate all documents into every specific tongue found within our borders, the addition of Ruthenian ought to satisfy most concerns about accessibility. Latin, French and German shall maintain their recognized status as languages of diplomacy, with select documents available in those languages.

The business of governance in any given area shall be conducted in the official language that bears the closest resemblance to the spoken tongue of the area. In Latvia, for instance, the language so closely mirrors Lithuanian that a few weeks of study is said to allow any Latvian to develop a competent command of Lithuanian. The relationship between Ukrainian and Ruthenian is far closer, with a knowledge of one said to confer a knowledge of the other. I hope this addition will satisfy the concerns of the public, and allow them to participate fully in the affairs of state.

x Tadeusz Kościuszko

Addendum
Given that the Estonian language bears little relation to any of the other tongues of the Republic, local functions should be permitted to continue in Estonian, provided that all official documents be translated into one of the official languages of the Republic, and provided that all schools offer some period of instruction (typically the later years) in one of the official languages.

[Donerail]

I, Tadeusz Kościuszko, President of the Polish-Lithuanian Republic, hereby extends an offer to serve as an impartial mediator in the present schism within the Catholic Church. Above all else, the Church must not be allowed to fall into schism and disunion, as so grievously wounded the Church in 1378. While I recognize His Holiness Benedict XVII as the legitimately elected Vicar of Christ, elected twice in Rome, I bear no enmity towards those who have chosen to recognize Gregory, and have permitted those parish priests who have recognized the Archbishop of Albani as the head of the church to remain in their posts. They are not servants of Satan, but merely good men temporarily in error—and we, as mere men, have all erred in our sincere efforts to serve Jesus the Christ.

While repairing the present wounds of the Church is not a simple undertaking, I believe the Habsburg Emperor, the Bourbon Kings, the King of Bavaria, and the other men who have failed to recognize Pope Benedict to fundamentally be servants of Christ led astray. This present dispute must not be allowed to jeopardize the existence of the one holy Catholic Church, and I have faith that, if gathered together in good will, Almighty God will act upon the consciences of all men so gathered to preserve His Church on Earth. To this end, we invite the leaders of the Catholic nations of Europe to gather in Częstochowa, in the shadow of the holy monastery of Jasna Góra, that we may bring an end to the present strife and ensure the eternal continuation of the Catholic Church.

[Donerail]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

x Tadeusz Kościuszko, President of the Republic

[Donerail]

I, Tadeusz Kościuszko, President of the Polish-Lithuanian Republic, hereby extends an offer to serve as an impartial mediator in the present schism within the Catholic Church.

As a result of the present security crisis in Europe, this summit is hereby canceled. Given the recent wave of assassinations, we cannot risk the instability that would come if an assassin successfully targeted a large gathering of the world's leaders. While we are confident of our ability to provide security against such violence, we respect the prudence of various heads of state in their desire to be as secure as possible in these troubled times.

[Donerail]

Statement on the Old Nobility

All former citizens who wish to return to the Polish-Lithuanian Republic are welcome to come back home, provided they are willing to swear an oath declaring their support for the Republic, and the principles under which it operates. Specifically, if they are willing to renounce all allegiance to any king or prince under the Sun, and swear that they shall defend the Republic and its laws against both its foreign and domestic enemies, they shall be permitted to return and take their place among the Republic’s citizens, with no titles or privileges marking them as any more — or any less — than any other citizen.

Tadeusz Kościuszko

[Donerail]

A Letter to the Faithful of the World
On the Future of the Church

The Catholic Church has suffered intensely as a result of the recent fighting in Italy. Rent with division even before the conflict came to its climax, the burning of Rome has destroyed so much of the Church's priceless art, culture and history.

Restoring the Church is a monumental task, yet it is the task incumbent upon those Catholic heads of state who find themselves standing amidst the rubble today. I am proud to announce that, along with the Habsburg Emperor and the Bourbon Kings of France and Spain, we have reached a general agreement to ensure the continuing unity and glory of the Catholic Church in the years to come.

The first priority shall be re-establishing a Papal state in the historic regions of Latium and Umbria, along with some portions of the Marches. Such a state will guarantee the independence of the Papacy in European affairs, free of the machinations of temporal rulers. This will, of course, include an international effort to rebuild the city of Rome.

As for the Papacy itself, re-establishing the unity of the Church following a period of rival claimants is of the utmost importance, particularly given the loss of a number of cardinals in the recent events in Rome and Avignon. A general conclave shall be held in the city of Assisi, in the Papal state, at the Papal Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi — the highest church in the Papal state to remain relatively undamaged. We trust that the new Pope elected at this conclave shall command the support of Catholics across the world, and that God will guide the conclave in choosing the candidate best suited to the task of restoring the Church.

Your brother in Christ,
x Tadeusz Kościuszko, President of the Republic of Poland-Lithuania