Page images
PDF
EPUB

the Treaty of Amiens, instead of being followed by conc liation and friendship, the natural effects of Pence, had been produ live only of continual and increafing jealousy and mistrust; and that this miftru was now avowed in fuch a manner as mu bring the point to an itine.

He now enumerated the feveral provocations which he pretended to have received from England He placed in the firft line our not ev cuting Mata and Alexandria, as we were band to d by Treaty. In this, he faid, no confideration on earth fhould make tom acquiefce; and of the two he ba' rather fee us in poffeflion of the Fauxbong St. An ine than Malta. He then adverted to the abufe thrown ou againtt him in he English pablic prints; but th 5, he fed, he not to much regard as that which appeared in the French papers publifhed in London.-This he confidered as much more autchievous, foce it meant to excite the county against him and his Government. He complained of the protection given to Geor e and thers of lus defcription, who, inftead of being fet to Can da, as had hen repeatedly promifed, were permitted to remain in England, handtomely perfioned, and conftantly commiting all forts of crimes on the cafts of France, as well as in the interior. In confirmation f this, he told me that two men had within thefe few days been appienen led in Nomady, and were now on their way to Parts, who were hired affatios, and employed by the Rihop of Arra, by Georges, and by Dueil, would be fully proved in a Court of Juf

tice. and made known to the world.

[ocr errors]

"He acknowledged, that the invitation he felt aga nft England mercafed da ly, he cufe e ery wird (I make ufe as much as I can of h's own ideas and expreffions) which blew from En Jacd, brought nothing but enmity and hatred againit him,

"He now went bak to Egypt, and told me, that if he had felt the (mallest inclination to take poffetion of it by force, he might have done it a month ago, by fending 25,000 men to Ahoukir, who would have poff if d t emfelves of the whole Cntry in defiance of the 4000 Brit ihm Alexandria. That in teat f that arrifon being a means f pro ed ng Egy t, it was only furm hing him whapletence for mviding it. Th's be should not do, whatever might be bis defire to have it as a colony, because he did na think it worth the risk fa qur, in which be might perhaps, b confile ed as the aggreffor, and b. wb ch b. fhoud life more than he could gain, fince poner or later Egyet wodd blong to France, either by the falling to pices of be Turt th empire, or by fone arrangem ni with ube Parte.

"As a proof of his defire to maintain peac he wished to know what he had to gain by going to war with England. A

defcent was the only means of offence he had, and that he was de ermmed to attempt, by putting himfelf at the head of the expedition. But how could it be fuppofed, that, after having gained the height on whic' he stood, he would rifk his life and reputation in fach a h zardous attempt, unless orced to it by neceffity, when the chances avere, that he and the greatest part of the expedition would go to the bottom of the fea? H a ke mu h on this fubject, bu never ff- to diminish the danger. He acknonu'dged that there quere one hundred chances to one against bim; but he was dete mind to attempt it, if war should be the confequence of the prefent difcuffion's ard fuch was 'ne difpofition of the troons, that army after army would be found for the enterprife.

"He then expatiated much on the natural force of the two countries. France with an army of 40,000 men, for to this amount, it is, he faid, to be immediately completed, all ready for the most defperate ente prizes; and England with a fleet that made her mistress of the lens, and which he did not think he should be able to equal in lefs than ten years. Two fuch countries by a proper under ftan ing might govern the world, but by their strifes might overturn it. He fard, that if he had not felt the enmi y of the British Government on every occafion fioc the Treaty of Amiens, there would have been nothing that he would not have done to prove his defire to conciliare; participation in indemnities as well as in fence on the Continent; Treaties of Commerce; in fhort, any thing that could have given fatisfaction, and have teft fi d his friendinip. Nothing, however, had been able to conquer the hatred of the British Government, and therefore it was now come to the point, whether we thould have peace or war. To proferve peace, the Treaty of Amiens must be fulfilled; the bufe in the public prints, if not totally fuppreffed, at left kept within bounds, and confined to the Englih papers; and the pro ection fo openly given to his bitterelt enemies (alluing to Georges and perfons of that d fcriptio) must be withdrawn. If war, it was necellary only to fay fo, and to refufe to fulfil the Treaty."

Bit the conduct of Bonaparte expreffes itfelt till more grafsly; and Lord Whitworth, in his difpatch of the 14th of March, gives the following account of it, as it happened at the court of the Thuilleries:

He accoft-d me evidendy under very confiderable agitation. He began by afking me if I had any news from England. I told him that I had received a letter trom your Lordship two days ago. He imme. diately faid, " And fo you are determined to go to war?" "No!" I replied, "we are too fenfible of the advantages of peace."-"Nous

avons,"

580 Correfpondence between Great Britain and France. [June,

[ocr errors]

avone," faid he, "dejà fait la guerre pendant quinze ans."-As he feemed to wait for an anfwer, I obferved only, "c'en eft dejà trop."-" Mais," faid he, faire encore quinze années, et vous m'y vous voulez la forcez."-I told him, that was far from his Maicfty's intentions. He then proceeded to Count Marcow and the Chevalier Azara, who were ftending together at a little diftance from me, and faid to them, "Les Anglos veulent la guerre; mais s'ils font les premiere à tirer l'épcé, je ferai le dernier à la remettre. Ils ne refpectent pas les través. Il faut dorenavant les couvrir de crêpe noir."-He then went his round. In a few minutes he came back to me, and refumed the converfation, by fomething perfonally civil to me. again. "Fou quoi des armemens? Contre He began qui des mesures de précaution? Je n'ai pas un feul vaiffeau de ligne dans les ports de France. Mais fi vous voulez armer, j'armerai auffi: fi vous voulez vous battre, je me battrai auffi. Vous pourrez peutėtre tuer la France, mais jamais intimi. de"-" On ne voudroit," fand I, "ni l'un ni l'autre. On voudroit vivre en bonne intelligence avec elle."-"Il faut donc refpecter les traité," replied he; "malheur à ceux qui ne refpectent pas les traités; ils en feront refponfable à toute l'Europe He was too much agitated to make it adviftable for me to prolong the converfation; I

ABSTRACT
FRANCE.

[ocr errors]

therefore made no anfwer; and he retired to his apartment, repeating the laft phrafe.

"It is to be remarked, that all this paffed loud enough to be heard by 200 people who were prefent; and I am perfuaded that there was not a fingle perfon who did not feel the impropriety of his conduct, decency, on the occafion," and the total want of dignity, as well as of

In thefe State Papers his Majefty's Minifters Kave made out a fair and ftrong cafe, clearly manifefting the great modera. tion and forbearance of the Brit th Goaggreffion and menace, with which the vernment, under a continued fyftem of French Republic have infulted this country. The declaration of his Majefty is fuch as dignity it moß ably justifies. It is a fimple becomes a great nation, whofe faith and narrative of recorded facts, that convinces the understanding, without any delufive aid, drawn from argument or abstract find the fophiftry of the Chief Conful mireafoning. In the negociation itself, we ferably opposed to the plain dealing of an English Plenipotentiary; demonftrating through the whole little more than the irritability of a coarfe and ungovernable werknefs of his own judgment, and the temper! Even in his affectation to deprecate a rupture with England, he has not fare with her was predetermined in his mind.. the ordinary policy to difguife, that war

OF FOREIGN

STATEMENT OF THE NEGOTIATION. The Paris Journals of the 21st May contained the French Official Statement on the fubje&t of the war. The Papers confift of a communication to the Senate of a Note fent by Talleyrand to Lord Whitworth on the 13th, together with a Meffage of Bonaporte to the Three Affemblies, on the fubje&t of his Lordship's departure. They occopy fix fheets of the Moniteur, and are principily compofed of the difctions antecedent to the Treaty of Amiens.

The

note of Talleyran! mentions the astonishmentexcited in France by the King's Mcffage, and denies that any formidable armaments exified in the ports of the Republe. The answer of Lord Hawkesbury on the 15th March, to a demand for an explanation, is termed vague, ageretfive, and abfolute; while that of the French Mifer, on the 29th of March, was as pacific as it was moderate. A view is then progref fely taken of the different points in difpute, and the correspondence which they occafored; the refult of which is, that all the demands of our Maitry for ffacon," &c. are confidered by the French Government to be vague, equivocal, and to have excited the utmost furprize; while

OCCURRENCES.

we are accused of a premeditated intention to violate the Treaty of Amiens. praife is beftowed upon Lord W. for his Much it is infifted, that, for fix weeks after the moderate fentiments and proceedings; but King's Meilage, announcing the dependance of an important negotiation, nothing projects prefented by Lord W. relative to of the kind had even commenced. The Malta are noticed in their turn, as well as the aufwers returned to them; but it is affeited, that the French Government thought the conduct of the Emigrants unworthy of their notice. Much argument is used, to fhew that, by a compliance with the withes of England, France would be degraded ard generated as to the facrifices which might debafed; and the most extravagantideas are hereafter be demanded by the former, if the latter were to be weak erough to grant Conful, however, it is added, was not to what is at present required. The First be provoked into a war, because he knows though the bafis of the British ultimatum its evils better than any man in existence; prefented a feries of pretenfions, always increafing in proportion to the moderation of the French Government. This Paper concludes with expreffing the determination of having the right to violate any point of a the latter never to acquiefce in England's

Treaty

1803.]

Abstract of Foreign Occurrences.

Treaty into which he has entered; and that, as the English Government has given he fignal for war, it only remains for the Republic to confide in the juftice of its caule and the God of Battles. DECLARATION of the FIRST CONSUL, in a MESSAGE to the SENATE, the LEGISLATIVE BODY, and the TRI"Saint Cloud, May 20.

BUNATE.

"The Ambaffador of England has been recalled: Compelled by this circumftance, the Ambaffador of the Republic has quitted a country where he could no longer hear the language of Peace. At this decifive moment, the Government fubmits to your view, and it will tubmit to the view of France and of Europe, its first relations with the British Miniftry, the negotiations which were terminated by the Treaty of Amiens, and the new difcuffions which feem to finish by an abfolute rupture. The prefent age and pofterity will there fee all that it has done to put an end to the calamities f war, ard with what moderation and what patience it has laboured to prevent their return. Nothing has been able to interrupt the courfe of the projects formed to rekindle difcord between the two nations. The Treaty of Amiens had been negotiated amid the clamours of a party hottile to peace: fcarcely was it concluded, when t was the object of bitter cecfore. It was reprefented as fatal to England, because it was not difgraceful to France. Soon after, alarms were dilleminated; dangers were pretended, on which was established the neceflity of a ftate of peace, fuch as to be a permane it fignal ew hostilities. There were kept in reterve, and hired, thofe vile miscreants who had torn the bofom of their country, ad who were intended to tear it anew. Van calculations of h tred! We are no longer that France which was divided by factions, and buffeted by forms; but Fance, restored to internal tranquillity, regenerated in her admini ration and her laws, and ready to fall, with her whole weight, upon whatever foreign State may dare to at ack her, and to unite with the banditti whom an atrocious policy would once more cft upon her fhores to organize pillage and affifination. At length an unexpected Melage, all at once, terrifies Engind with imaginary arm men's in France and Batavia, and fpetes the exiftence of important difcuffions which divideo the two Governments, while no fuch difc thion was known to the French Government. Immediately formidable armaments took place on the coalts, and in the ports of Great Britain; the fea is covered with her ships of war; and it is in he midst of these preparations that the Cabinet

[blocks in formation]

581

of London demands of France the abroga-
tion of a fundamental article of the Treaty
guarantees; and they cefpifed the fanctity
of Amiens. They wanted, they faid, new
of Treaties, the execution of which is the
to each other.
firft of guarantees which nations can give
In vain did France invoke
that faith which has been fworn; in vain
nations; in vain did the confent to that her
did the appeat to the forms received among
eyes to the aual non execution of the ar-
ticle of the Treaty of Amiens, from which
England pretenced to rele de herfelf; in
finitive refolution until Soain and Batavia,
vain was the wing to delavking a de-
both of them contracting pre, could
bare manifefted their difpoffion. In vain,
diation of the Powers who had been invited
in fhort, did the propofe to request the me
to guarantee, and who, in effect, did gua-
rantee the opulation required to be abro-
gated. Every propofition was rejected, and
the demands of England became more im.
perious and more abfolu'e. It was not in
the principles of the Government to yield
bend the majesty of the French people to
to menace; it was not in their power to
laws prefcribed to them with forms fo
has ghty and fo new. Had they done fo,
England, the right of annulling, at her
they would have confecrated, in favour of
fole pleasure, all the tipulations which
authorized her to demand from France
bind her toward France. It would have
new guarantees, on the flightest alarm
pretend; and hence two new principles
which the might have thought proper to
of Great Britain, by the fide of that by
would have been placed in the public code
which the has difinherited the other na-
tions of the common fovereignty of the
feas, and fubmitted to her laws and to her
The Government stopped at the limit
regulations the independence of the flag.
The negotiation is interrupted, and we are
traced out by its principles and its doties.
ready to fight, if we are attacked. We
fh li at least fight for maintaining the faith
of treaties, and for the honour of the
French name. Had we yielded to a vain
terror, we should foon have had to fight to
repel new presenfions; but we should fight
difhonoured by a previous weaknets, fallen
in our own eves, and degraded in the eyes
of an enemy which thould have once made
us bend to her unjot pretenfions
nton will repole i sef in the confcioul:
nefs of it-ftrength, whatever injuries the ene-
my may do us in plices where we thall not
have been able t p event them or to reach
them. The refult of this cot it will be
juftie of our cause, a se
fuch as we have a right to expect from the
warriors.
he couge et our
"The Fra Con u,

(Signed)
"The Sere ary of State,
(Signed)

The

BONAPARTE.

MARET."

Extrat

Extract from the Regifler of the Deliberations of the Government of the French Republic, May 22 1803

The Government of the Republic, having heard read, by the Minister of Marine and Colories, a Dfpatch from the M ritime Pif &t at Breit, dated this day, announcing that two English frigates had taken two French merchant veffels in the Bay of Audieine, without any previous declaration of war, and in manifeft violation of the law of nations,

I. It is prefcribed to a'l Commanders of fqurons or naval divifions of the Republie, Captains of its ships and other veffels of war, to chafe thofe of the King of England, as well as thofe vellels belonging to his fubjects, and to attack captive, and conduct them into the ports of the Republic.

II. Commiffions will be delivered, in courfe, to thofe French privateers for which they are demanded.

III. All the English from the age of 18 to 60, or old g any commiffion from his Britannic Majefy, subo are at prefent in France, fhall immediately be conflituted prifoners of war to answer for thofe Cit zens of the Republic who may have been arrested and m. de prifoners by the veffels or fubjects of his Britannic Majesty, previous to a y declaration of war.

The First Conful, (Signed) BONAPARTE. [Such an open vielason of the laws of holp tabty agaft harmless stra gers, not refp. nfible for the conduct of their native Government, has only been equalled by the proceedings of Robespierre; but fuch is the prefen fate of things m Frence. that not a file objection dare be made to this or any other part of the conduct of the Government.]

A co fiderable number of troops have ben marched into Calais, and quartered along the adjacent coat. The chief commond of all the forces in that part of the Republics to be given to Gen. Maffen, for th avowed parpole of invading England. [That every pollible exertion will be made ag inft us, we entertain not the fmallest debt; but, roufed, as the ener gies of Great Britain now are, in a caufe that must be dear to every honeft heart, to dubt of the fucce s of her efforts, would be to render her unworthy the high name and character that the at prefent bears.]

the one

Bruffels, June 16. Among he different hodies of troops which have lately arrived on the coaft between Dunkirk and H vre, are two demi-brigades of the line named the Trible, and the other the Invincible, from their exploits in he campaigns of Germany and Italy.

The Fift Confil has ordered a circular leter to Meft eurs the Are bthops and Bops of France, defiring them to offer ap players to God for the fuce fs of his aimis against the pe fidicus English!

A Mandate of Cardinal Cambaceres, Archbishop of Rouen, is couched in fuch blafphemous as well as adulatory terms as are truly shocking; let the following brief ex racì f ffice:

"We are perfuaded, that the Sovereign Arbiter of the Destiny of Empires will favour our caufe; and that he will refufe to our enemies his Divine Prote&ion, without which the mof formidable preparations for war can only be attended with the most fignal defeat. That he will avenge the fanctity of treaties, of which he was appealed to as the guarantee, as well by our adverfaries as our felves. However, as we are not ignorant that God wires we fhould implore thofe favours his paternal heart burns to grant, intreat of him, moft dear brethren, that we may conquer the enemy that provokes us, and moderately use our victory. Let us demand of him, partico larly, that the MAN OF HIS RIGHT HAND, the man who, by his direction and by his orders, has done fo much for the re eñablishment of his worship, and who propofes to do fo much more, may CONTINUE TO BE, like Cyrus, THE CHRIST OF PROVIDENCE; that he may watch over his life, and cover hm with his wings; that he may fh eld his auguft per fon from the dangers he my meet in combit, and thofe he has to fear from the envy of his detrac tos, on account of his merit; from the wicked, because his object is to do good; from impiety, because he is fupporting relig on; from policy and from foreign pal fions, because he is the fift mai of a great State, and that the happiness of the empire he governs is effentially united with his prefervation.”

HANOVER.

Hanover, May 28. A Proclamation is just published by our Elector, ftating that the differences between the Crown of England and France are of fuch a nature, that they concern only the former, and can in no ways relate to his Majefty as Elector, and a State of the Germanic Empire. His Majefty, in that particular quality, abides by the Treaty of Lunev lle, and has a right to expect that that Treaty will procure perf & faf ty for his Germanic States, in a war foreign to the Empire. The preparations he has made are therefore merely defenfive; and his Majesty, in his quality of Elector, will take no part in the war.

Gen. Mortier, having heen informed of the King of E pla d's Proclamation, res pled to it by the following: Edward Mortier. Lieutenant general, Cam mander in Chuf to the Inbubitants of the Elorate of Hanover.

"Hanoverians-A French army is entering your territories. It come not with the intent on of spreading co ft rnation throughout the country, hut to refuge that part of the Continent which you inhabit

from

from a Government hoftile to the repofe of Europe, and which prides itself in trampling under foot all the principles of the law of nations and civilized fociety. The Firft Conful, faithfully adhering to the fentiments of moderation and humanity for which he is as eminently diftinguished as for his political and military virtues, has exhaufted in vain every poffible means of conciliation, in order to prevent a rupture. The King of England, in violation of the moft facred engagements, has forfeited the fath of his fignature, by refusing to evacuate Malta, which he was folemnly bound to do by the Treaty of Amiens; he has given the fignal of hostilities; and henceforth remains alone refponfible, before God and man, for the calamities which the fcourge of war may inflict on the States that are under his domination. I am informed that Proclamations, diet ted by the blindelt rage, have been addreffed to you, to engage you in a conteft in which you Beware of an 2@ugit to take no concern. aggreffion that would be both mad and fruitless, and of which you only would be the victims. Hanoverians, I promile you fafety and protection, if, looking to your true interefts, you feparate your c ufe from that of a Sovereign, who, by buriting a'under all the bonds of good faith, has thereby released you from the attachment which you may have imagined that you owe him. The most rigid discipline thall be observed among the troops which I command. Your perfons, your property, thail be respected; but, in return, 1 fhall require that line of conduct from you which I have a right to expect from a peaceable people.

EDW. MORTIER."

A

with the whole of the magazines, are to be
delivered up to the enemy; all fonds have
been fequeftrated, and the effects belong-
ing to the King of England are placed en-
tirely at the difpofal of the invaders; the
Hanoverian troops are to retire behind the
Elbe, and not to hear arms against France
The military
during the prefent war.
force, at the time of the Fren h invafion,
confifted of 30,000 men; but it had no one
fortified place of strength fufficient to ar-
reft, for any confiderable time, the pro-
grefs of an inv fion.-In one part of Gen.
Mortier's letter, he fays he is m..fter of the
whole country, and in particular of the
Mouth of the Elbe and Wefer. He adds-
"I have iffued order to feize all the veffels
The Duke of Cambridge,
on those rivers.
fon of the King of Egland, and Governor
of Hanover, thought proper to take him-
felf away before the battle, and to retreat
by poft. He had inde-d previously pro-
mifed to die with the levy en male. It is
probable he will have embarked before we
reach the mouth of the Elbe."-[This ati r
tion the honour of our King and his family
demands of us to contradict, and to main-
tain that the Duke of Cambridge did not
take bimfelf away before the battle. He was
with, and comm nded, the Hanoverians
during the two fkirm thes that took place
on the 1st and 2d of this month, in which
both parties had fone wounded, and one
or two men killed. On the evening of the
2d the Duke received an exprefs from the
Regency, requesting his prefence at Ha-
nover, on busiefs of the utmost impor-
tance. His Royal Highness, in confequence
of this mell ge, immediately attended.
After being formed that all hopes of af-

that the Regency were on the point of figning a capitulation, they begged his Royal Highnefs would not lofe a moment in refigning, and quitting the country, as otherwife he must be made a prifoner of war They thanked his Royal Highness, with tears in their eyes, for having ftaid with them till the laft moment of hope, but intreated him, as he could not polibly then be of the malleft fervice, not to expofe his perfon unneceffarily.]

By a letter from Gen. Mortier, addreffed-fitt.nce or mediation were at an end, and to the Minitter of War in Paus, dated from his Head-quarters, Nieub rgh, June 4, it appears, that the ELECTORATE OF HANOVER WAS SURRENDERED to the French on the 34 inft. by CAPITULATION. partial affair took place between the French and Hanoverians on the ad inft. at Borsten, in which the Hanoverian line was broken by the enemy, who took on the occafion a number of prifoners. On the following day, as the invaders were on the point of forcing the paffage of the Wefer, the Regency lent Commithioners to the French General, whofe ficit propofal was promptly rejected. A Convention was then entered into, by which a total furrender of the country was agreed to by the CommifLioners. The French General is to make what changes in the Government, and le, y what contributions he may think proper; the authority of the Regency is fufpended; the French cavalry is to be remounted, and the army to be paid and clothed at the expence of the Electora e; the artillery, to the amount of 1000 pieces, the arm, to the number of 100,000 Hands,

His Majesty had just repaired his palice at Hanover, and fumptuously furnuned it for the refidence of the Duke of Cambridge, to the amount of 50,000l. Gen. Mortier is the prefent poffcifor.

The French are stated to have intimated to the Regency of Hanover, that if the States will renounce their al: giance to their prefent Sovereign, and receive in his ftead the Duke of Mecklenburgh Schwerin (a relative of the Emperor of Ruffi), the Chief Conful will withdraw his troops, and exert his good offices to obtain for them an extenfion of territory, and confiderable commercial advantages. In the event of

fuccefs,

« PreviousContinue »