Star. — London, England, 1809-05-08 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. REPORT BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN . AF 'AIRS TO HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR AND KING. 64 SIRE—Your conquering arms had made you master of Vienna ; the greater part of the Austrian provinces were occupied by your armies. The fate of the empire was in your hands. The Emperor of Austria came to visit your Majesty in your camp.— He besought you to put an end to the conflict, be cause so fatal to those who had caused it. He offered to leave you henceforward uninterrupted upon the Continent, that you 'might empl.,y all your force in the u ar against England, and acknowledged that the fate of arms had given you the right to demand all that became you. He swore to you friendship and ctsirnal gratitude. Your Mitjety was affected by this mournful example of the mutability of human affairs; you could not, without deep commiseration, behold that Monarch, once so powerful, stripped of his power and grandeur. You evinced yourself generous at once to the Monarchy, the Sovereign, and the Capi tal. You were able to retain your extensive con quests ; you yielded up the greater part of them. The Empire of Austria arose anew. The Crown was axed upon the brow of its Sovereign. Europe could not behold without admiration this act of magnani mity and generoSity. ‘ 4 Your Majesty did not exact the tribute of gra titude which was due. The Emperor of Austria soon forgot the oath of eternal friendship. Re-esta-. blished on his throne, and assuredly misled by per fidious counsel, he aimed at no other object than to collect once mom his resources, and prepare for a fresh contest, whenever he might renew it with ad- 1 vantage. The war with Prussia soon laid open these insidious designs. Austria hastened to assemble an army in Bohemia, but the victory of Jena frustrated her projects. Still weak, and destitute of men, artil lery, and arms, she deferred to another period the ex— ecution of her hostile plans. " The Treaty of Tilsit ended this war ; the con quering armies of your Majesty which beset the north . of Germany remained inactive ; they surrounded the Austrian territory. Certainly, if ambitious policy had influenced the views of your Majesty ; if the de bilitation of the Austrian Monarchy had been your desire, and if that desire had been the great object of your pursuit, your Majesty, who had no enemy, no possible movement to fear on the Continent, who was at the head of 400,000 men, who occupied the Grand Duchy of Austria, Silesia, and Saxony, all able to act against Austria, your Majesty might have called her to account for her suspicions conduct during the war with Prussia, and for the delivery of Cattaro to the Montenegrins, which by virtue of the treaty of Pres burg was to be surrendered to France. Your Ma jesty slimed yourself indulgent to weakness. Your Majesty gave no ear to your own resentments, nor to the counsel of triumphant policy. Your Majesty ear ziestly desiring a maritime peace, and aiming directly at that end, in order to hasten its attainment, mani fested an eagerness to pat an end to the disputes which were still subsisting with Austria. A treaty was eolirla,ied at Font:tint - ilea:a in October 1807. Your Majesty gave back Drannau, though it was not Austria which put Cattaro into your posses sion. The boundaries of both Empires in Italy were fixed. By means of an exchange the Isonzo became this boundary, which nature herself anticipated in order to prevent all contests. Montefalcone, so im portant for the security of Trieste, was ceded to the Austrians, and this pruved that there was no inten tion of encroaching upon their territory. It was ac knowledged that thei e was no longer any subject of controversy between your Majesty and the Emperor of Austria. From this time there were no demands, no complaints, but all the marks of perfect harmony. Your Majesty thought you might forget a war which Austria had excited without any provocation, and its issue, which had brought honour to the arms of France. You indulged yourself in the hope of a peace which should no more fry interrupted. " The horrible expedition against Copenhagen, and the Orders of Council of the I I th of November, had proved that the English would tolerate no neutral powers their conduct made all Europe indignant. The Emperor of Austria, desirous to evince that he par took of this feeling, recalled his Ambassplor from London, and shut all his ports against the English. Soon after, disturbances burst forth in Spain, at the nstigation of England. King Charles IV. was driven from the throne by his son, who was counselled by the Duke del Infantado and other adherents of Eng land, and whose object was to break the connection between France and Spain. , f Your Majesty was anxious to prevent this dan gerous acquisition by your enemy, and oppo s e t h e i r undei takings. When the unhappy King Charles, deeply afflicted at the blow had received, and the conspiracy of which he had been the victim, was de sirous to resign his rights, your Majesty accepted them in order to restore what Louis the XIV. had effected, and retye the bonds which had for a century preserved the peace between the two countries. The fanaticism if the monks and the intri ties of the Eng lish had put some of the Spanish provinces into a hLae of rebellion. , It was then that that was distinctly seen which had been but half observed before the bat tle of Jena. The ti imes of dissention and war which . 11::d arisen in the south, inspired Austria with the hope that the moment was come when the treaty of Presburg might be annihilated. She armed herself, and a system was carried into effect, which though professing to be therely defensive, produced those nu merous battalions with which Austria now threatens . Germany, The m hole population was summoned. The Austrian Princes ran from province to province disseminating proclamations, as if the monarchy were in danger of being overwhelmed by an enemy. As soon as yarr Majesty heard of these move ments, your Majesty caused remonstrances to be made, altogether in the spirit ci peace, which the Ambassa- ' dor of Austria could not mistake. Being returned from Bayonne to Paris, your Majesty declared your .sentiments in p:rson, to that Ambassador, in a con versation which all Europe has re-echoed, and which allowed no doubt to remain any where concerning your pacific designs. With as much sincerity and good faith as generosity and earnestness, your Majesty represented to M. von Metternich, that these arma ments, begun wit Lout reasonable cause, and inconsi &rawly continued, would draw after them a war, contrary to the will of your Majesty and the Emperor of Austria, and even of his Ministers likewise, in case they should adopt his pacific view. Of so great ef fect is the inspiring a people with feelings, which they who have suggested them can no longer repress, when once they have been raised. " Perhaps,. Sire, it would have been wise policy, at that instant, to have obliged Austria to disarm, threatening her with the whole force of the victorious armies which snrrounded her on all sides. Your Ma jesty would certainly have done this, had you not, in full confidence on your alliance with Russia, lent an ear to the suggestions of that Power which hoped that Austria would be brought back to sounder policy and more pacific dispositions. Besides, the Austrian Mi nister, at that time, assured your Majesty, that no results would arise from these armaments. The Em eror of Austria wrote to your Majesty, to testify his pacific inclinations. Baron Von Vincent, who brought that letter, repeated that protestation. Your Majesty believed in the sincerity of this declaration. You gave the Emperor Francis the most solemn assurances of your pacific purposes in the letter which you wrote to him immediately on your return from Erfurt.— At the same time that your Majesty, with so much sincerity, repeated these assurances, so well calculat ed to banish all fears. as well as all motives forarming on the part of Austria, your Majesty invited the Princes of the Confederation to break up from the encampments w hich they had formed. Your Majesty evacuated the towns of Silesia ; 200,000 of your troops left Germany. " But it was in vain that your Majesty displayed all this confidence. Your just expectations were dis appointed. The military preparations were continued in Austria, with greater zeal ; notwithstanding the severity of the season, the exercise of the militia was continued. The harbour of Trieste was opened to the English; ships of war accompanied Austrian vessels, and conducted them to Malta, and those from Malta conveyed the English goods to the Le vant. The Spanish insurgents were kindly received at Trieste. The Austrian Minister in Spain became the agent of the Junta in spreading their correspond ence in foreign countres. The Austrian dominions had swarmed with lampoons against France ; the newspapers,of that country had circulated false intel ligence concerning the affairs of Spain. The writers had published a full narrative of the defeat of the French at Roncevalles; doubtless lamenting that the Government of your Majesty should exhibit the won ders of Charles the Fifth's reign, and not his splendid d►sasters. Together with these menacing and hostile measures were added marks of ill will, which were suited to point out the end of these armaments, as well as the spirit of the system which Austria adopted. " Such were the reports which your Majesty re ceived from Spain : that country you had subJued. —The numerous Spanish armies were scattered like dust. The English were busied in effecting their re-• treat, and this retreat trent before your Majesty ex posed it to imminent peril. One of those accidents to which the events of war gave rise brought to your Majesty's knowledge the negociation of the Spanish Junta with the Austrian Government, and the pro mise of Austria to assist the Junta with 100,000 men, a promise made, without doubt, with no immtion to fulfil it, and merely to feed the courage of the insur gems with deceitful hopes; finally, as if PROVIDENCE which so visibly watches over your Majesty, or ra ther over France, which has conducted you through so many dangers, and in so wonderful a way every where attended you in your progress, were itself de sirous to unveil the disloyalty and treachery of those who did not yet dare to avow themselves your ene mies, the declaration of the King of England of the 16th of December fell into your hands. In this your Majesty read these remarkable expressions : And if among the nations which groan under the tyranny of French alliance, or among those which maintain against France • a doubtful and precarious independence, there should be any • which even now are balancing between the certain ruin of a pro ' longed inactivity, and the csntingent dangers of an effort to save themselves from that ruin ; to nations so situated, the delusive • prospect of a peace between Great Britain and France could net • fail to be peculiarly injurious. Their preparations might he re ' lased by the vain hope of returni ig tranquillity, or their purpose shaken by the apprehensin of being left to contend alone.' " Thus it was England herself who warned your Majesty concerning the preparations of Austria._ These preparations were to frustrate what the two Emperors had done to effect the maritime peace._ Your Majesty could no longer doubt that you were threatened with another war. The pledge given at Erfurth was violated. Austria armed herself against her benefactor. Your Majesty had to reflect upon what you owed to your people and your -allies. With grief you abandoned the pursuit of the English. May your Majesty's Minister, who is now the interpreter of the c,mmon sentiment, and that mode of thinking which is founded on the victories of 15 years, with which nothing can be compared, be permitted to add, that however great the successes of your Majesty's Gelerals may have been, wh.tever abilities they may have displayed, your Majesty, had you in person been able to head your armies, might have expected still greater success : not one Englishman should have returned to England. Your Majesty made this sacri fice to the security of your dominions ; you returned back to Valladolid in order to issue the last comtnands which the safety of Spain required; wrote from thence to the Princes of the Confederation of the Rhine, in order that they might equip themselves and furnish their contingents ; a measure which the fears they had already expressed to pur Majesty had long rendered necessary ; and your Majesty repaired to Paris. K Your Majesty made a new endeavour to avoid this war, which you had not given rise to ; you called for the interference of the Russian Minister of Fo reign Affairs, who was at that time in Paris. " This Minister, having been instructed by your Majesty, visited the Austrian Ambasador. He pro posed an arrangement. by which the three Empires should be united by a triple guarantee, and which secured to Austria the integrity of her territory by the guarantee of Russia against the enterprises of France, and that of France against the enterprises of Russia ; and in like manner the guarantee of Aus tria was accepted by the other two powers. It is un. pleasant to be obliged to declare that these proposals ky M. de Romanaoff had no effect. But your Ma jesty ever hoping in the good success (f these your endeavours, and unable to conceivethat the blind zeal 'which had been ozcited by a party in Austria, sold to England, could Rifle the voice of wisdom in. illus, triOUS persons and true friends to that country, did I not put your troops into motion,. nor the divisions of the troops of the Rhenish League, nor those which your Majesty had in the interior of France, and which being intended for naval objects or the' maintenance of the colonies, had partly received orders to march to this destination. a Austria no longer kept herself within bounds.— She had been preparing the fencibles during eight months ; she had called them forth and provided a new army. In the middle of February orders were issued to set them in motion, and to bring all the troops to the frontiers ; the whole Monarchy was un der arms. Long before Austria had made war upon France at Constantinople ; she had already effected a reconciliation between England and Turkey ; finally, she was about to declare herself openly. " In the mean while the Cabinet of Vienna main tained a profound silence. Since the Treaty of Fon tainbleau, it had made neither remonstrance nor com plaint. Your Majesty had cause for complaint, in the murder of your conrier in Croatia ; in the insults offered at Trieste to French officers ; in acts of vio lence committed against some of your Italian sub jects. You patiently waited the redress 'of these grievances, when the Austrian Minister, on the 2d of March, came and announced to me, that the Empe ror, his master, had given orders that his troops should be put upon the war establishment. lie assigne.a, as the reasons for this measure, the rep )rt transmitted from Valladolid to the Princes of the Confederation of the Rhine, and the return of your Majesty to Paris. " Your Majesty charged me to answer, in a note, in which I confined myself to the remark that there was, in fact, between the two Courts, no source of difference, and merely asked what it was that Aus tria required, and in case she v as disposed to recede, I announced again the wish of your Majesty, that Vie nations of Europe might enjoy 411 the blessings of peace. M. Von Metternich endeavoured, in his an swer of the 12th, to make it appear that it was the armament of your Majesty, which had made that of Austria necessary; just as if your Majesty had taken up arms against Austria at the moment you evacuat ed Silesia and the Duchy of Warsaw, and that '200,000 of your troops had proceeded from Germany to Spain. _ _ It was then that your Majesty renounced all your projects against the. English, and the expedition against Sicily, for which the. King of Naples was prepared ; and the embarkations which had been made at Brest, Boulogne, Flushing and Toulon, wcye all laid aside. Every thing was suspended and the troops of your Majesty directed their march towards Germany ; those too of the Confederation of the Rhine were set in motion. " No, it was by no means because France had taken up arms, that Austria made her armaments ; but on the contrary because she thought France was en feebled by another war, and deemed this a favourable moment for regaining her ancient influence. Austria makes war, because, without a doubt, she expects to gain by it; she makes war, without any ground of complaint, *ithout preceding it by any demand, any proposal, or leaving any alternative ; she makes war at a moment when your Majesty, far from yourself promoting it, has manifested nothing but good will towards her, and wishes for her peace and welfare; at the very moment when yonr Majesty had of fered to be the guarantee of the integrity of her territory; at the very moment that the Emperor Alex ander himself, even while he declared to the Ans.; trian Minister his disapprobation of the conduct of the Cabinet at Vienna, renewed his ofFers to guarantee that integrity against France. Austria makes war upon France and Russia—upon the two empires which had offered her their protection ! It is, there fore, not for her own security that she has had re course to arms. The treaties which her necessities had established, are no longer laws for her own con duct. She says they were made in moments of tlis aster, as if renunciations which victory had enforced were not binding upon honour and good faith ; even when the generosity of the conqueror did not excite gratitude. Every generous action has been disregard. ed, every duty violated. Your Majesty has received the tidings that the Austrian army has crossed the Inn. They have begun the war. A letter from the Austrian General announces to the French Comman. der that he is advancing, and that he shall treat any one as an enemy who opposes his progress. 66 Your Majesty knows, that in order to avert these inconsiderate commencements of war, your Majesty has done all that foresight and moderation could dictate. Your Majesty was desirous to spare your people new disquietude, and humanity a bloody con flict. But as the spirit with which Austria has at all times been animated, has rendered it the political maxim of that Power to interpose a lasting obstacle to the maritime peace, it is perhaps by no means to be lamented that she herself has produced the crisis which can remove that obstacle. The maritime peace can not be secured till the continental peace be first im moveably established, and until the English have utterly lost all hope of disturbing it by their gold and their intrigues. Be this at least the result of this new war! Your Majesty cannot be jealous of the power of Austria. You do not desire her annihila tion, but, since no - other means are left, may you by your arms reduce her substantially to the condition of a pacific Power. Peace is the conquest of which your Majesty is most worthy, for it is that you most de sire. Sire ! Your people will support you in this new conflict. The astonishing foresight of your Majesty, which enables you to undertake a new war, with add ing the least to the burthens of the State, is profoundly felt by a people full of gratitude and sensibility, who admire what is great, are the defenders of what is just, and who glow with military ardour. " Perhaps new exertions may be necessary to secure the success of your arms, should they anticipate your wishes. The self-devotion of your subjects will be conformable to the love and admiration they bear to wards their illustrious Sovereign. (Signed) ' CHANIPAGNY, " Minister for Foreign Affairs." " Paris, March 12, 1809." PARIS, APRIL 22. The Austrian Ambassador, Count Metternich, has claimed his passports, and sets off this day on his re turn to Vienna. The Duke of Montebello, General Andreossi, and the Grand Duchess of Baden, the Princess Stephanie, have al;rived at Strasburg. ATTACT IN BASQUE (From the Moniteur of the REPORT TO THE MINISTER OR MARINE C On board the Ocean, 1. " In my last of the 9th I had the honk enemy's force, anchored in Basque Roads., the line, six frigates, eleven brigs, and •" On th 10th shere arrived also sixteen sl be transports or fire-ships. I struck top.) when the wind was N. W. the frigates r of his Majesty lay in two lines, in order b]e front might be presented to the fire-i ed by a boom 800 to;ses long About si and I gave to each Captain the liberty to stances, for the safety of his vessel. 1 nisi and fifth division of the flotilla to row gui during the night, but the wind blew so, the boats were able to reach that station them put back. I also sent an Officer Commanding Officer in the Isle of Aix, enemy, from their manceuvres, soemed saves of the high winds and the flood tide us; he' atiswvie.l that he should be prepared half past eight o'clock four English ship! westward of the van of the line ; trey , peared to be intended for beacons to thi was so high that it would have been of place the ships broadside to. V About nine o'clock a great explosion took placed boom, which was followed by two more. A brig or h:e 7 „ stopped by a part of - the boom, and afterwards a number • brigs and three-masted ships advanced in sail in full flart.e',., were kept off some time by the boom, but they at length through, and approached my line. The first came doss to Regulus, and fell on board her starboard side, while a secohd, also in flames, ran on board the Ocean. I had ordered the ca`4,, to be slipt, and in case of necessity to be cut, to avoid compt.:e destruction. So soon as the fire ship came close to the bow-split the Ocean slipt her cable, but the fire-ship rapidly approaching a•. the Ocean drove, though I clapped the mizcm a-bsck, I resolved to cut the cable which 1 had out to the N. W. in orde: to swing off by the cable to the S. W. which accordingly had tie dssired effect. " 'l'he fire-ships followed in succession, and came in f,lll against the whole of our line, and particularly against the which was in the centre, and one of them hooked in the star. board quarter gallery, in spite of all my efforts to prevent it appeared to be all over with his Majesty's ship, as glut flakes of fire fell upon her from stem to stern, but the Ere-ship, having fortunately considerable way, cast loose. She, ntiver theless, hooked a second time, but upon this occasion she wet also got free ; until at length her bowsprit caught under our cat head. It now became necessary to have recourse to cutting, but the heat was so violent, that no one for some time could go near her. At length, however, some brave fellows volun teered their services, jumped on the sprit-sail yard and the bows, and saved the ship, though the effort cost live of them their lives. " Scarcely were we rescued from a danger so imminent, and thrice repeated, when other vessels assailed us. 1 had, however, the good fortune to escape also from them. " - The enemy directed against our fleet three infernal machines, and 33 fire-hips, Including brigs, three-masted vessels and sloops, besides two sail of the line. All his Majesty's ships and Ligates owe their escape from the attack of the fire ships entirely to their slipping their cables. " The Capitaine de fr •gatte Llssilour, who consmande•d the Ocean, in the abs•rnce of Captain Rolland, and my Aldo de camp Perron and Gaspard, displayed the coolest fortitude. The cers conducted themselves well, and the crew throughoat perfectly orderly. NI. Delmas, Sub-Commissary of the Fletr, never left the deck. It is a pleasure to me to have to confer secs well-earned praise. • (Signed) " ALLENEIND." The Marine Prefcct has since given notice, that three ships of the line, and one ariurd en flute, were stranded ; and it being in:• possible to get them off, they were set tire to after the crews had been landed. The enemy, by next flood-tide, made from preparations for a second attack with fire-ships and bomb ketches, but they were driven off with great loss, and they were unable to prevent the squadron from coming in to repair its da mages. Such then, arc the means which an enemy, so much superior la the number of their vessels, have not been ashamed to put in ea:- cution! !ley did not fight, but sent in infernal machines fhir will proclaim themselves conquerors, whereas they art only in- cendiaries. The mode - of using fire-ships is universally known ; but tLe idea of cowardice attached to the employment of them had causA them to be renounced by all nations. 1 hey formed no part t,f the system of naval wars ; and when, in the 17th century, softie adventurers made use of 'them, those miscreants were disavowed by their Governments, and a shameful death awaited them if they were taken. It is well worthy of the present Governm:nt of England to renew the use of fire-ships, to add thereto inferna' machines, to augment, with unparalleled ra,ge, all the means of destruct on which a feeling of general shame had exploded, ana all', to expend such large• sums in a disgraceful operation, the winzh has so little answered the horrible expectation, which i: had excited. • It is estimated that in ships, bombs, powder, fire-works, Stc. this operation must have cost more than ut tra:tcs. PROCLAMATION BY THE KING OF BAVARIA. " Without a declaration of war, without any previous expla• nation, our territory was an the 9th of this month invaded, acd we vsv-e compelled to leave our capital, which is possessed by the Austrian troops. " This attack on the rights of nations will be punished. The Sovereigns of the Rhenish Confederacy, supported by (heir mighty Protector, shall maintain their independence, and, by victories, reply to the trinicherous Proclamation which is circulated in Ex• varia, and which endeavours to subvert the rights of Sovereizcs, by exciting every where a spirit of disallection, and to produce the destruction of all social order. " People and soldiers of Bavaria, you know with what zeal we have loved you. You know that your happiness has beta the constant object of our care. You know also that since the freaty ot Presbergh, which confirmed your political existence, you have already hal reason to rejoice at the new relations subsisting be tween us and the Powers of Europe. " People and Soldiers of Bavaria—Austria seeks to arm:l.:late your. independence, reduce your strength, and diminish your poa sesstons, under the pretext of freeing you. The people of the allied States are not, however, ignorant of the new and dangerous influence which it has endeavoured to establish . , and the obvious consequence of which would be the restoratiou of the arbitrary power of which the Archdukedom of Austria had assumed under the title of bead of the German Empire. It is our Throne which is threatened to be overthrown. It is the Bavarian name whica is to be extinguished among nations. " In this attempt it is wished to make you parties, under the pretext of zeal for your property. Your territory is destined tc be the reward of your enemies—for in their osieutativn they du not conceal their object. They wish to dismember your country, and to establish in it Barons dependent on the Court of Vienna. " Their base anti senseless purposes shall be detested : fur th:s we have the pledge of the fidelity of our people, of the couraie of our soldiers, ot the genius and protection of our mighty ally. " In this great contest, in which justice will triumph over f:te temporary abuse of power, and through which Bavaria shall linally obtain that consolidation which will place her for ever in security against the attacks of a jealous neighbour, yon will support with your wishes and your efforts, our arms, and those ot your great Ally. We shall soon return to our capital. At the sight of the Illustrious Protector of our Confederacy, oar enemies will fade away, and the war which they now again commence, shal, Lisa that in 1 605, be carried into their own territories; but measures shall then be taken to prevent their any longer disturbe:g tae Continent, and making t heir neighbours the victims of the int t iguts of their Cabinets. (Signed) " MAXIMILIAN JOSEPH. " Dellingen, April 17." ROTTERDAM, MAY 2. Paris letters of Friday, the 28th of April, have be... 11 received, the contents of which are as follow Ye terday evening the glorious victory obtained over the Austrians was announced by firing the guns. At the different theatres the intelligence was communicated in time terms : 4 , A letter from the Prince of Neufchatel, dated the 23d of April, at noon, on the field of battle, states, that the battle of Ratisbon has been much more ad: vantageous than that of ,fes a ; and that the army c• F!' • ti C f I tl ei tl a 0 t; nl n ti sc c( fr v; 1 in le CI 0 1 al tc sti al fe • w 'ii EYE ROADS. the 23d April.) :L CY ADMIRAL AI.I'AMA:•,„, 1, 12th April, Aix R.:ads. honour to mention that ths. toads, consisted of (levet: of ud thirty-two trantr:or-...---, en ship which apnea:eta ts c top -masts. On the 11th, tea neared the Isle—the f e . rder that the smallest polsr- ire-ships. They were flank- t sun-set it still blew hard. to aet according te drcant: made a signal for the fourth v guard in front of the e.: e; so strong, that but a few ref .tion, and the greater part c.f cot to General Brouarti, tie ix, to acquaint him that the med disposed to avail thtra- tide to make nu attrat prepared fur therm Ships came to anchor to :h e bey had fire signals, and ap- o the fire-ships. The of no use to give order, to osion took place more. A brig or I.:e afterwards a number of tr:L. din sail in full flame',., warty m, but they at length Lroke. The first came doss to :I:: board side, while a secor4l, an. I had ordered the ca'd.. : to be cut, to avoid con:Oise came close to the bow-spirt e-ship rapidly approaching a• the miztem a-back, I td out to the N. W. in order which accordingly had the :session, and came in Ell! sail articularly against the Oee:::, of them hooked in the 43r. I my efforts to prevent it Majesty's ship, as great rn to stern, but the Ere-ship, ay, cast loose. She, never. •