The National Register. — London, England, 1808-02-14 00:00:00

TP ~,..- '""'7 1 411 6 1-{ tiffl it is abundantly evident that no secret article for the partition of the Turkish Empire existed. if it be said that he and Napoleon intended to deceive us into Peace, the more easily to accomplish their desittns upon Turkey, this is absurd. The fact is, that a state of War ati'ords many occasions for surprising a neighbouring state, but a condition of Peace is entirely ad verse to it. - When a large force is already on foot it is easy, by pretending one destination, to accomplish another. But, if a season of Peace, Europe beheld Russia and France conjointly arming, and drawing forces towards Turkey, there would he only one conclusion. it is a verse extraordinary truth, that at the moment of the Treaty of Tilsit, the Emperors Alexander and Napoleon, could they have agreed about the partition of Turkey, possessed advantages for the accomplishment of their object, which there was no probability they would ever agai►, obtain. how easy for them would it have been to have int- posed absolute silence upon Austria, which had no force that could once have faced them, and have been in possession of Cot:- ataatinople before a British army could have approached tit. acene of action ! That they did not act in this manner. at do• moment of unequalled a !vantage, is demonstrative proof, th l : the design was laid aside, because the two Monarchs were stir , they could not amicably settle their pretensions. In regard to a Northern Confederacy against our maritime eLzims, and a secret article to this elect in the Treaty of Tilsit, credulity and prejudice themselves will not believe this after the Intelligence which we have now received. Vt hat is it !hat his Imperial Majesty so earnestl:, urges in the conference, we have previously in-erted, with Lord Hutchinson ?It is Peace. But a Northern Concderacy required War. With what absarlil legations have we been perplexed. Could a Northern Conic*, racy have accomplished any object w hich they had at he at , 8b their business ai to prosecute the War; they would never h ' 1 4pnken of Peace. It is said, however, that the Northern C - federacy was planned, iu ease we should refine to make Pe This is truly autusiag. What indication of this do we find it: the tune or proposals of the Emperor ? What was he to gain-b y 1 it ? Wino ossible consequence could a N (inherit Confederacy have p. „ed, but, at the worst, to render the War a little more expensive on out part ? That it could have had :my such effect as to force us to renounce oar claims, is absurd. In the 'newt time. Russia must have sustained the expence ora %Ind iiak• War t nal ths amino 10:11 of her commerce. We regard it, reXu/ating £h. stispansisit of the conflictiog designs of and France upon the Turkish Etepi re, it C4ll never be centei....• that oui-interest‘ *ere Mortally wounded by such a convention. That, if any article in the Treaty of Tilsit related to the Turkish Empire, it w&.; an article regulating the suspension of the de signs of the contracting parties upon that Empire, is absolutely certain. On no other terms could Peace between them have been contracted. The designs of Russia upon the Turkish Empire,and the designs of France, are opposed' to one another. About the partition of those spoils they never will agree. In that qtteittion too, Austria is more deeply iuterested than any other Power, and will, whenever it comes to be decided, risk even her exist ence, to turn the decision in her own favour. To have agitated the question of the partition of the Turkish Empire, was to kindle anew, instead of extinguishing, the flames of war; and it was only by a , :reeing to day aside these designs for a season that Russia and France could have concluded a Peace. Nor is this the only convincing proof afforded us of this important point. What rational motive could the Emperor Alexander have for urging Peace between this country and France, leel be known that, in conjunction with France, he was about to make on attack upon the Turkish Empire? Was he not absolute]) certain that we should take arms on such an occasion, if not to preserve the Turkish Empire, at least to secure to Austria as large a share of that Empire as possible? Ile could have no motive, therefore, in urging, with so much earnestness, a Peace which must immediately be broken ; and from this circumstance • j,• • )19 1 uL 4110 'F C-3 .Al - 1 - lANAtr' ... _~._._.,,~,,,.,a_.._ .. ~ 411 9 f 4. Eats for f.: ~' `efterefare, H., a point oaceilaiwes.i to certabsty, that no raufede ra.ey, on the part of Russia, was nvditated against Ns at the can• el k ann of the Treaty of Tihit ; we rekartt n too al 'ft point eqaaliy certain, that she would halve opposed herself, if not with arms, at least w ith remonstrances, to an . k. attempt of Ilona.. parte to violate the nekarality of Denmark; t, ~ 1 we retard it as Li t point highly probable, that fionapnrte wc..:ltt not have s io-. !sled it in the face of these remowirances. i In this first conversation, every thing on ''.•r part of the Etn.. peror breathes a spirit of friendship towards this country. lits is first antioui to,justify to us the Peace which he had =de. He appeals to our Minister, whether even 1w did not account the Peace, which had been concluded, necessary to I{ tis in. lo the cmo s t em ph at i ca i man n e r did th a t Mi n i s t e r pronounce hi s opinion n unison with that of the Emperor. Compelled, by imp er i ous .ttect3sity, to make a Peace for himself, his good offices were in• terposed immediately to accomplish Peace bet %%Teo us and our I s o penly; not (according to the jolt diAinction which he made ! Wm:elf) in the ,spirit of vanity, hut in that of friend hip, since . he regarded Peace as equally eonducis 0 to our interests, and to those of the other nations of Europe ; and slave he kii,w that terms, which he considered both teas:to:tide and l:oimorabl r . (6, which, he emit.' appall to our Minister hims,•if, w ere .reasonable and honourable, would be otkred by our enemy. "Nothing, too, can afford a greater indication of simplicity awl sincerity, than the manner in which the Emperor answers the . ohjbrt ion of Lord Hutchinson repecting the shortness of the filar offered for our acceptance of the mediation. It a pi., ar." , libarlc, that the limitation of the r-riod, on w !deli sn inw•lt sttess was laid in this country', had been regarded by the Em peror, as a mere formality, an,! of no importance wha t-oever. tt the momeat of this conference, it appears a certainty a ImoFt as strong as a ease of such a nature admits, that Russia was e a . tirely the friend of this country : and the probability was great that she would much sooner again be the enemy of France, than f Ahe enemy of England. Her friendship with ('ranee was com pelled ; of course ungrateful, and likely to last no longer than the necessity was urgent. All that#.7lr and of France, which had precipitated her I nto the conte-i 01 , 1 vanainut:, but was more reasonable than cver. !.itvi 5 P had itsv quarrel, but that of too feeble a c, , -- :' ,, 7 • tie of ar:iert 4'ennection re;:lained unbroken ; and I.tugl.,nd was still the g:,,•:(1 resource against the terror of her treat continental anta;:.oni.i. • • She might still, in a very imp;•rtant sense, have been regarded no the Ally of England. Such, it appears with the strongrA ev ! (fence, svet• the r.iationi bet weca Russia and which remained after the Treaty of Tilsit. I low deploralele and Mighty was the change affected by the ati,o•'.:. On Copo.Hgeib, 'the second conference with the Empe:•or, inson stated the details, a memorable and ••trikie:!. •,,roof:-- " Intelligence, said his Lor•! , Iii;), of the rc-ttlt of the attack on Copenhagen arrived at St. l'en•r-l'ott•e:11 on 28th of A t'u't. On the •Ith of September ! sate tl:e Luiperor a se emed time at Kamirostria. " His Imperial :::liesty Iwpnn the I . lmyrr , al ' ion by fishing me, what I thought of our attat• upon Copeolia4en ? " I replied, that I v. as entirely ig:lorant .:r the ei..enpv:taue. l 4 which had occasioned that attack, but that I bore': the Adst.:- Idstr;ttion iu l'aitland could justify OlvMSch - vc, atel pr.eve ti) tho Norld that the Danes were on the eve ef joining all their fincei it) the French, to male common c :c against England. " His Imperial Nlajesty told me in rep! . y., that it was hobos. sible for me to be of that ()plaint). if I would recoil...rt. the re ptated conversations which had ta,r n place between UF, 0,1 the saliject of Denmark, at Harlem Lein, in which he told the that he and u-cd every effort in his pir. , .er to bring forward the Cre‘vit Prime of Den:narti, and to ioduee him to join the coalition +?.a.letst France; the answers of the Prime had always been ex plicit and uniform, that It^ had maintained fur many years ft item of pcutratity, is which he wus determined to persevere, t• the he governed dad float ished and prosperca ~ " ler it ; and that no consideration Ciould ever induce him to . trtrt from it.-- His Imperial Maje - sty added, that I must he acquainted i;:a tile dccibiou of character w'alch belonged to