United States oracle and Portsmouth advertiser — Portsmouth, N.H., 1803-07-09 00:00:00, page 2

, t^*>^ •' * .**™^W ±C-=^ .^ 4fo r -^pq^Hmpxrc/mratf
lute to consolidate the general tranquility of
Europe. The fame motives by which his maj
esty was actuated during the negotiations for
. peace, have since invariably governed his con
du^. As soon as the Treaty of Amiens was
concluded, his Majesty's Courts were open to
the people of France, for every purp^h of le
gal redress ; all fcqueftrations were taken off
their property ; all prohibitions on their trade
which had been imposed during rhe war were
removed, and they were placed, in every re
fpe&, on the fame footing with regard to com
merce and intercourse, as the inhabitants of any
other Rate in amity with his M.jefty, with
which chert existed no treaty of commerce.
To a system of conduct thus open, liberal,
and friendly the proceedings of the French
Government afford the most firiking contrail;.
The prohibitions which hyl been placed on the
commerce of his majesty's fubje&s during the
war, have been enforced with increased drift
nefs and severity ; violence has been offered in -
several in(lances to their vessels and their prop
erty ; and, in no case, hasjuflice been afforded
to those who may have been aggrieved in con
sequence of such a&s, nor has any fatisfadory
answer been given to the repeated representa
tions made by his majesty's ministers or Am
baifador at Paris, Under such circumstances,
when his majesty's fubjeds were not fuffered to
enjoy the common advantages of peace within
the rerricoriasof the Frehch Republic, and the
countries dependant upon it, the French Gov
ernment had recourfc to the extraordinary mea
sure offending over to this country a number
of perlons for the profeffed purpose of residing
in the most confidcrable fca-port towns of Great
Britain and Ireland, in the character of com
mercial agents or coufuls. These persons could
have no pretentions to be acknowledged in that
character, as the right of being so acknowledg
ed, as well as the privileges attached to such a
situation, could only be derived from a com
mercial treaty ; and as no treaty of that defcrip
-tion was in existence between his majesty and
the French Republic.„
There was consequently too much reason to
suppose, that the real ®bje& of their mission
was by no means of a commercial nature, and
this suspicion was confirmed, not only by the
circumftancc that feme of them were military
men, but by the actual difeovery that several of
them were furnifhed with inflru&ions to obtain
the soundings of the harbors, and to procure
military surveys of the places where it was in
tended they Ihould reside. His majesty felt it
to be his duty to prevent thfir departure to
their refpe&ive places of destination, and rcprc
fented to the French Government the necessity
of withdrawing them ; and it cannot be deni
ed that the circumstances under which they
were sent, and the inftrudions which were
given to them, ought to be confidefed as deci
sive indications of the difpoliti<>ns and inten
tions of the Government by whom they were
employed.
The conduct of the French government,with
tefpea to the commercial inercoufe between
the two countries, malt therefore be corfider
ed as ill Suited to a state of peace, and their
proceedings in their more general political re
Nations, as well as in those which immediately
concern his majesty 's dominions, appear to have
been altogether inconfiflen: with every princi
ple of good faith, moderation and justice. ill
majesty had entertained hopes, in confiquence
of the repeated assurances and profeffions cl
the French Government, that they might have
been induced to adopt a fytlem of policy which,
if it had rot inSpired other powers with confi
dence, might at leaf! have allayed their jealou
lies, if the French government had really ap
reared to be actuated by due attention to such
a system; if their dispositions had proved to be
cffentially pacific, allowances would have been
made for the situation in which a new Govern
ment mud be placed after so dreadful and ex
tensive a convulsion as that which has Ever
produced by the French revolution. But his
majesty had unfortunately too much reason n
observe and to lament that the system of vio
lence, aggression and aggrandizement which
characterized the proceedings of the different
governments of France during the war, has
been continued with little dlfguife Since its ter
mination : They have continued to keep a
Bench army in Holland, against the will, and
in defiance of the remonstrances of tme Batavi
an government, and in repugnance to the let
ter of three Solemn treaties. They have, in a
period of peace, invaded the territory and vio
lated the independence of the Swiss nation, in
defiance of the treaty of Lunevillc, which had
Stipulated the independence cf their territory,
and the right cf the inhabitants to chufe their
own form of government. They have annex
ed to the dominions of France, Piedmont, Par
pu, and Placentia, and the island of Elba,with
out allotting any provision to the King of Sar
dinia, whom they have despoiled of the moll
valuable part of his territory, though they were
bound by a solemn engagement to the Emper
or of Russia, to attend to his interests, and to
provide for his establishment. It may, indeed,
with truth be affected, that the period which
has etapfed Since the conctufion of the defini
tive treaty has been marked with one continu
ed Series of aggression, violence and insult on
the part of the French government.
la the month of Odober last his Majesty |
was induced in conftquence of the earned so-I
licitation of the Sw fs nation, to make an effort,
by a representation ito the French government,
to avert the evils which were then impending
over that country. This representation was
couched in the mod temperate terms; and
measures were taken by his majesty for ascer
taining, under the circumstances which then
existed, the real Situation and wishes of the
Swiss Cantons, as well as the Sentiments of the
other Cabinets of Europe. His majesty learned,
however, with the utmofc regret that no dispo
sition to counteract these repeated infractions of
treaties and acts of violence was manifefted by
any es the powers mod immediately interested
in preventing them : and bis majesty therefore
felt, that with refpeCt to these objects, his Single
efforts could not be expected to produce any
confidcrable advantage to those in whose favor
they might be exerted.
It was about this time that the French
government firft distinctly advanced the
principle,that bis majesty had no right to
complain of the conduct, or to interfere
with the proceedings of France, on any
point which did not form a part of the
ftpulalions of the treaty of Amiens.
That treaty was unquestionably founded
upon the fame principles as every other
antecedent treaty or convention, on the
a ff ti ration of the Slate of possession and
of engagements fubfiftiog at the time of
its conclusion ; and if that Slate of posses
sion and of engagements is materially at
tested by the voluntary aSt of any of the
partes, to as to prejudice the condition
on ahich the other party has entered in
to me contract, the change, so made,
may be considered as operating virtually
as a breach of the treaty itfell, and as giv
ing the party aggrieved a right to demand
fitisfattion or compensation tot any sub-
Itautial difference w^ch such a&s may
have effected in their relative titoations ;
but whatever be the principle on which
the treaty is to be canb^rd as founded,
there is indifpotably a general l^w of
nations, which, though liable to be limit
ed, explained, or retrained by conven
tional law, is antecedent to it, and th,t
law or rule of conduct which all Sover
eigns and Oates have bebn actinium d to
appeal, where conventional lull is admit
ted to have been silent. She treaty of
Amiens, and every oilier treaty, in pro
viding for rhe objects to which it is par
ticularly directed, does not therefore im
ply an indifference to all other objects
which are not Specified in its Stipulations,
much less does it adjudge them to be of a
nature to be left to the will and caprice
of the violent and the powerful. The
justice of the cause is alone a Efficient
ground to warrant the interposition of
any of the powers of Europe in the: differ
enceswhich may arise between other (fates,
and the application and extent of thatjuft
interposition is to be determined Solely
by considerations of prudence. Tuefe
principles can admit of no dispute ; but
if the new and extraordinary pretentions
advanced by the French government,toex
ciude his majesty from any right to inter
fere with reSpect to the concerns of other
powers, unless they made a Specific part
of the Stipulations of the treaty of Amiens,
was that whichit was possible to maintain,
those powers would have a right at leatt
to claim the benefit of this principle, in
every case o c difference between the two
countries. The indignation of all Europe
mutt surely then he excited by the decla
ration of the Frehch government, that, in
the event of hostilities, these very powers
who were no parties to lire treaty of
Amiens, and who were not allowed to
derive any advantage from the remon
strances of h;s majesty in their behalf, are
. nevertheless to be made the vdCms of a
war which is alleged to arise out of
the Same treaty, and are to be Sacrificed
in a contest which they not only have not
occasioned, but which they have had no
means whatever of preventing.
His Majelty judged it mod expedient
under the circumstances wbichthen affect
ed Europe, to abstain from a recurrence
to boftillties on account of the views of
ambition and alts of aggression m.mi
felled by France on the continent ; yet
an experience of the character and dis.
pobtons th the French,government could
not fail to impure His Mejetty with a
sense of the necelKiy of increased vigi
lance in guarding the rights and dignity
of his crown, ano in protesting the in
tereftsof fit people.,
Whilst ths Majesty was actuated by
these Sentiments, he was called upon by
the French Government to evacuate the
dime! of Mafia. His Majesty has mani
feded, from the moment of the Signature
of the Definitive 1 react, an anxious dis
, onfition to carry into full effect the ftipu-
Iri n.s f ;he treaty of Amiens relative
to that ill id. As foonas he was inform
ed that an tlection of a Grand M Iter had
nken pl., cO, under the ampicesol theEch
>eror of Ruffin, and that it had been a
- iced by the du% rent priories afiembled
it St. Peoufburg, to ; ^knowledge the
>erfou v bom the Court of Rome Ihunkf
elett out 01 t° the ufo had been named
ty them to be Grand Mailer of the order
u St. J dm, HR majeflj pfopofed to the
fretci Go- e.-umenijoiire purpose of a
-voiding any ddhendits v Inchinight arise
n the execut on of tie arrangmerit, to
ickuo Hedge that election to be valid :
mcl when, n the mon h of Angnff the
French government applied to iris majefly
o permit ilte Neat o itan troops to be
ent to the Island of Malta, as a prelmi
n my meafiue for preventing any unnecef
, Gry delay,lns M qflh consented without
definition to tins propofol, and gave di
regions for the ammfiion of the Neapoli
tan troops into the ifhmd. His majesty
bad thus Sheer n Ins disposition not only to
throw no obstacles in the way of the ex
ecution of the treaty,but on the contrary,
to facilitate the execution of it by every
means in his power. His M.jetty cannot
how ever, admit that any period Since tl e
conclusion of the treaty of Ameins the
French government had any right to call
upon him, in conformity to the Stipula
tions of that treaty, to withdraw bis for
ces from the Island of Malta.
At the time when this demand was
made by the French Government, several
of the mofl important Stipulations of the
arrangement refpe&ing Malta remained
unexecuted : Tie election of a Grand
Mailer had not been carried intoeffe &—
I The ioth article had Stipulated that the
indpendence of the il|and Should be placed
under the guarantee and protection of
Great Britain, France, Austria, Russia,
Spain and Prussia.
The Emperor of Germany has acceded to
the guarantee, but only on condition of a like
accession on the part of the other powers Speci
fied in the article. The Emperor of Ruffu
had refufed his accession except on the condi
tion that the Maltese language Should be abro
gated; and the King of Prussia had given mo
answer whatever to the application which had
been made to him to accede to the arrangement.
But the fundamental principle, upon the exist
ence of which depended the execution of the
other parts of the article, had been defeated by
the changes which had taken place in the con
stitution of the Order Since the conclusion of the
Treaty of Peace. It was to the order of St.
John of Jerusalem that his majesty was, by the
firft Stipulation of the tenth article, bound to
refiore the inland of Malta. The order is de
fined to conSiS I of those languages which were
in exigence at the time of the conclusion of the
treaty; the three French Languages having
been abolished, and a Maltese language added
tothe infticutiofl. The order consisted, there
fore, at that time, of the following languages,
viz. the languages of Arrogan, Caftile, Germa
ny, Bavaria, and Russia. Since the conclusion
of the Definitive Treaty, -the languages of Ar
rogan and Caftile have been Separated from the
Order by Spain, a part of the Italian language
has been abolished by the annexation of Piedmont
and Parma to France. There is a Strong reason
to believe that it has been in contemplation to se
questrate the property of theßavarian language,
and the intention has been avowed of keeping,
the Ruffian languages within the dominions of
the Emperor.
Under these clrcuh&n; s the Order of St.
John cannot be coatide; d as that body to
which, according to the ularonsof the trea
ty, the island was to b : id ; and the funds
indilpeufably necessary Fc its support, and for|
the maintenance of the independence of thel
blind, have been near!, u not wholly fcqueft-j
cred, Even if this had arifeu from circumftanc-|
1 es which it was not in the power of the contrail- ;
"T parties to the treaty to contfoul, his Majef-I
ty would nevertheless have had a right to defer [
the evacuation of the iflind by his forces, until|
such time as an equivalent arrangement hadl
been concluded for the preservation of the inde-I
pendence of the Order and of that Island. But
if these changes have taken place in consequence I
j of any a<fts of the other parties to the Treaty ; I
I if the French Government Shall appear to have;
I proceeded upon a system of rendering the Or-/
I der, whose independence they bad Stipulated, in
-Icapable of maintaining that independence, his
; Majefty's right to continue in the occupation|
lof the island, under such circumstances, will
I hardly be contested. It is indisputable that thel
I revenues of the two Spanish language's have
been withdrawn from the Order ty his Catho-/
lie Majesty; a part of the Italian language has
in fadt been abolished by France, through the
uojuft annexation of Piedmont,.and Parma, and
Placentia, to the French territory. The Elect
or of Bavaria has been instigated by the French
Government to sequestrate the property of the
I Order within his own territories ; and it is cer-
Itain1 tain that they have not only fanttioned but en-
I couraged the idea of the propriety cf Separating
the Ruffian languages from the remainder of|
the Order. - j
As the conduct of the Governments of France
and Spain have, therefore, in some instances di
radlly, and in others indirectly, contributed to
I the changes which have taken place in the Or-
I der, and thus destroyed its means of Supporting
litsI its independence, it is to those governments,
I and not to his Majesty, that the non-eXecytion
; of the tenth article of the treaty of Amiens /
I mull be ascribed,
I Such would be the just conclusion if the tenth
I article of that treaty were considered as an ar
rangement by its-ls. It mud be obferved,how
ever, that this article forms a part only cf a ;
Treaty of Peace, the whole of which is con
ne&ed together, and the Stipulations of which
:muft, upon a principle common to all treaties,
, be confirmed as havioga reference to each other.!
,His Majesty was induced by the treaty of ;
peace co consent to abandon and to ref.ore to
the Order of St. John the island of Malta, on
condition of its independence and neutrality.'
But a further condition which must neceffarily|
be supposed to have had considerable influence|
with his Majesty in inducing him to make foI
important a concession, was the acquiescence of|
the French government in an arrangement for !
the security of the Levant, by the eighth and !
ninth articles in the treaty Stipulating the in- 1
tegrityof the Turkilh Empire, and the indepen-'
dence cf the lonian Islands. His Majesty has,
however, Since learnt, that the French Gov
ernment have entertained views hostile to both
these objects; end that they have even suggest
ed the idea of a partition of the Turkish em
pire. These views meg now be manifeft to all
the world from the official publication of the
report of Colonel Sebafliani, from the conduct
cf that officer, and of the other French agents
io Bgypt, Syria, and the Inman Elands, and from I
the diftina admission of the First Consul him
felf, in his communication with Lord Whit
worth. His Majesty was, therefore, warranted
in considering it to be the determination of the
French Government to violate those articles of
the treaty cf Peace, which Stipulated for the
integrity and independence of the Turkish em
pire, and of the lonian Islands, and confeqeuntly
he would not have been juftified in evacuating
of the Island of Malta, without receiving some
other security, which might equally provide
for these important objects. His majesty ac
cordingly feels that he has an inconteftiole claim
in ccnfcquence of the conduct of France Since
the treaty of Peace, and with reference to the
D,:6s whi^b made part of the Stipulations of
that treaty, no refufe, under the present circum
stances, to relinquish the poffeflion cf the island
of Malta.
Yet notwithstanding this right so clear and
and So unquestionable, the alternative presented
by the French Government to his Majesty in
language the most peremptory and menacing,
was, “ The evacuation of Malta, or the renew
al of war."
If the views of ambition and aggrandizement,
which have thus been manifested by the French
Government Since the conclusion of the treaty
of peace, have in so very particular a manner at
tracted the attention cf bis Majesty, it has been
equally impossible for him not to fee!, and not
to notice the repeated indignities vpich have
been off red by that Government to his Crown
and to his people.
The report of Colonel Sebafliani contains the
molt unwarrantable insinuations and charges
against his Majesty's Government, against the
officer who commanded his forces in Egypt, and
against the British army in that quarter. The
paper cannot be considered as the publication
of a private individual; it has been avowed,
and indeed bears evidence upon the face of it,
that it is the official report cf an accredited a
gent, published by the authority of a govern
ment to which it was addrefled, who thereby
have given it their express fanaion.
This report had been published a very Short
time,when another indignity was offered to this j
country in the communication of the FirftCon
ful of France to the legislative body. In this
communicarion be presumes to affirm, in the
character of Chief Magistrate of that country,
" That Great-Britain cannot Singly contend a
gainst the power of France,-" an affection as
unfounded as it is indecent, disproved by the
event of many wars, and by none more than by
theft of the war which has been recently con
cluded. Such an affection, advanced in the
most Solemn official a& cf Government, and
thereby meant to he avowed to all the Powers
of Europe, can be considered in no other light
than as a defiance publicly offered to his Majes
ty, and to a brave and powerful people, who
arc both willing and able to defend his just
rights, and those of their country, against eve
ry insult and aggression.
The conduft of the First Consul to
his Majesty's Ambassador, at his audi
ence, in presence of the Ministers of most
of the Sovereigns and States of Europe
furnifhes another inllance of provoca
tion on the part of the French Govern
ment which it would be improper not
to notice on the present cccafion, and
the subsequent explanation of this trail
faction may be considered as having the
effed of aggravating instead of pallia
ting the affiont.
At the very time when his Majesty
was demanding fatisfaftion, and expla
nation on feme of the points above
mentioned,the French Minifterat Ham-
burgh endeavoured to obtain the infer,
tion in a Hamburgh Paper of a mod
gtofs and approbrious libel against his
I Majefty, arid when difficulties were
I made refpe&ing the insertion of it, he
I availed himfeh of his official chara&er of
I MinifteroftheFrench republictorequire
I the publication of it by orderof hisGov
jeinment in the Gazette of the Senate of
' '',"'o°"°' With this requisition, so made,
I the Senate of Hamburgh were induced
i to comply ; and thus has the indepen
dence ol chat town been violated, and
1 a free State made the instrument, by
;the menace nf the French Government,
I ofpropogating throughout Europe,up
on their authority, the mod offensive
and unrounded calumnies against his
' Majefty and his Government. His
I Majesty might add to this lift ofindig
jnities,the requisition which the French
;Government have repeatedly urged,
that the laws and constitution of his
country Should be changed relative to
the liberty of the press. His Majesty
might likewise add, the calls which the
french Government have, on several
occafions,made upon him to violate the
laws of hospitality with refpe& to per-
I sons who had found an asylum within
I his dominions, and against whose con
duf tno charge whatever has at any
time been Substantiated. It is impossi
ble to reflexion these different proceed
ings, and the course which the French
Government have thought proper to
adopt refpeding them, without the
;thorough conviction that they are not
the effeft of accident ; but that they
form a part of a system which has been
adopted for the puapofe of degrading,
, vilifying, and insulting Lis Majesty and
his Government.
Under all these insults and provoca
!tions, his Majesty, not without a due
jfenfe of his dignity, has proceeded with
every degree of temper and .moderation
to obtain fatisfa&ion and redress, while
i he has negleded no means, confident
I with his honour and the fefety of his
Idominions, to induce the Government
I of France to concede to him, what is in
;his judgment, absolutely necessary for
:the future tranquility of Europe. His
; efforts in this refpe& have proved a
bortive, and he has therefore judged it
necessary to order his ambassador from
Paris. In having recourse to this pro
ceeding, it has been his Majesty's ob
jed to put an end to the fraitlefs' dif
cuffioris which have too long subsisted
between the two Governments, and to
close a period of suspense peculiarly in
-Ijurious to the fubjeds of his Majesty.
But though the provocations which his
Majesty has received, might entitle him
to larger claims than those which he
has advanced, yet anxious to prevent
calamities which might thus be exten
ded to every part of Europe, he is Hill
willing, as far rs is confident with his
own honour, and the intereds of his
people, to afford every facility to any
just and honorable arrangemen t, by
which such evils may be averted. He
has therefore no difficulty in declaring
to all Europe, that notwichftanding all
the changes which have taken place
since the Treaty of Peace ; notwithstan
ding the extension of the power of
France, in repugnance to that treaty,
and to the spirit of peace itfelf, His
Majesty will not avail himfelf of these
circumstances, to demand in compensa
tion all he is entitled to require, but
will be ready to concur, even now, in
an arrangement by which fatisfa&ion
fnall be given to him, for the indigni
ties which have been offered to his crown
and to his people, and substantial secu
rity afforded against further encroach
ments on the part of France.
His Majesty has thus didinaly and
unreservedly hated the reasons of those
proceeding to which he has found him
felf compelled, >refoit: he is actuated
by no difpofiuon to interfere in the
internal concerns of any other state ; by
no projects of conquest and aggran- '
dizement ; bur solely by a sense of
what is due to die honour of his Crown c
and the interests ofhis people, and by :
an anxious desire to obftrud the further 1
progress of a system, which if not refif- :
ted, may prove fatal to every part of
the civilized world.
- [DOCUMENT No\Bg 4 t
PARIS, FEB. 21, 1803.£
TO LORD HAWKESBURy—MY LORD,'
My latt despatches in which 1 gave your £
Lordflnp an account of my conference c
with M. de Talleyrand,was Scarcely gone, I
when 1 received a note from him,inform- r
ing me that the First Consul wished to'
convene with me, and desired I wouldl
come to him at the Thuillertes at nine?
o'clock. He received ne in his Cabinet, I
with tolerable cordiality, and, after talk-£
ing on different Subjects tor a few min-<
tites, he detired me to fit down, as lee
himfelf fit on the other fide ot the table, r
and began. He told me, that he felt it<
necessary after what had passed between 1
me and M. de Talleyrand,that he Should, ■
in mod clear and authentic manner,make
known his sentiments to me in order to it
their being communicated to his M jef- °
ty ; and he conceived this would be more e
effeftually done by himfelf than through L
any medium whatever. He feid, that'll f
was a matter of infinite disappointment b
to him, that the Treaty of Amiens, in- <
(lead of being followed by conciliation S
and friendfllip, the natural tfit&s ofh
Peace, had been productive only of con-b
tinual and increasing jcaloulv and mis- v
trust ; and that this uidrult was now a- 1
vowed in such a manner as must bring ^
the point to an issue. li
He now enumerated %e several provo
cations which he presented to have re
ceived from England. He placed in the
firft line our not evacuating Malta and
Alexandria as we were bound to do bf
treaty. In this he hid that no cerJide
ratiou on earth fhoibld make him acqui
esce ; and that of the two he had rather
fee us in possession of the Fauxbeurg St-
Antoine than Malta. He then adverted
to rhe abtife thrown out againi thim in
the English public prints ; but this he
laid, he did not so much regard as that
which appeared in the French papers
published in London, This he considered
as much more mifehievous, since it was
mean? to excite this Country against him
and & Government. He complained cf
the protection given to Georges and 0-
thers of his description, who instead of
being sent to Canada, as had been repeat
edly promised, were permitted to remain
in England, handsomely petitioned, and
conflantly committing all forts of crimes
on the coasts of France, as well as in the
interior. In confirmation of this, he told
me, that two men had within these few
days been apprehended in Normandy, & -
were now 011 their way to Paris, who
were lured affaUius, and employed by the
Buhop of Arras, by the Baron de Rolie,
by Georges, and by Drubell, as would be
fully proved in a Court of Justice, and
made known to the world.
He acknowledged, that the irritation
he felt againtlEngland increased daily,
became every wind fl make life as much
as I can of his own ideas and expressions)
which blew from England brought noth
ill% but enunt, orO banevi against him.
He now went tock to Egypt, and told
me, that it he h.w irk the nailed incli
nation to take pufieuhm of it by force, he
might nave done it a month ag<>, by fend
ing 25 000 men to Aboukir, who would
have pofletfed themfehes of the whole!
Country in defiance of the 4000 British
in Alexandria. That instead of that Gar
rison being a means of protecting Eni ft .
it was only lurnfhing him with a pre
tence for invading it— This he should not
do, whatever might be his delire to bate
it as a Colony, be^aufe he did not think
it worth the rifgue of a War, in whi^h
he might, perhaps, be conGdered as the
ag rilfor, and by which he thoulo lose
more than he should vain, face Jocner or
later Egypt would bel^tg t, France richer
by the 'falling to pieces of the Tttrkifa Em
pire, or by JGate a* raHg<rße?it with the
Porte.
As a proof cf his desire to maintain
Peace, he wished to know what he had
to gain by going to War with England.-*.
A defeent was the only means of offence
he had, and that be was determined to
attempt, by putting himfelt at the head
of the expedition. But how could it be
supposed, that after having gained the
height on whichle flood, he would rilk
his life and reputation in such a hazard
ous attempt, uulefs forced to it by neces
sity, when the chances were that he and
the greeted part cf the expedition would
go to the bottom of the sea. He talked
much on this labjeft, but never affected
to dimmifb the danger. He acknowledg
ed that there were one hundred chances
to one against him ; but still he was de
termined to attempt it, if War fhotild be
the consequence of the present difcu&m;
and that such was the difpolition of thy,
troops that army after army would be
found for the enterprize.
He then expatiated much on the natu
ral force of the two Countries. France'
with an army of 480,000 men, for to this
amount, it is, he said, to be immediately
completed, all ready for the most defpe
ratc enterprize ; and England with a fleet
that made her mjftrefs of rhe fees, and
which he did not think he should be able
to equal in less than ten years. Two such
Countries by a proper underftending, ,
might govern the world, but by their
flriles might overturn it. He said that
if he had not felt the enmity of the Bri
''"' G'' ver '"" e "' ° n every creation since
the Treaty of Aminis, there would have
been nothing that bo would not have done
to prove his delire to conciliate ; partici
pation in indemnities,as well as influence
on the Continent ; Treaties ofCommerce ;
in Ihor;, any thing rtet could have given
fatitakion, and have teflified his friend
fhip. Nothing, however, had been able
to conquer the hatred of the British Gov
ernment, and therefore it was now come
to the point, whethei we lhou!d pave
Peace or War. I 0 preserve Peace, the
Treaty of Amiens mill be fulfilled, the
abide of the public prims, if not totally
fnppicled, at lead kept within bounds,
and confined 10 the En lifh papers; and
the proreclion so opt.ly given to his bit
territ enemies (alluding to Georges, and
persons of that description) must be with
drawn, If War, it was neceflaf, to fay
to, and to refufeto fulfil the treaty. He
now mate the tour of Europe to prove
to me, that in its present state, there was
no power with which we could coalesce
for the purpose of making W r against
France ; confequenily it was our interest
to gain lime, and it we had any point to
gain, renew the War when circumftances^
were more favourable. He said, it wa,
not doing him justice to suppose, that he
conceived himfelt above the opinion of
his Country or of Europe. He would not
rilk uniting Europe againit him by any
violent aft of aggi elfiou ; neither was he
so powerful in Erance as to persuade ter ,
Nation to War, tudefs on good group/
He said, that lie bail not chadded the t,
geripes, from his nnwillingnefs to excite
the jealousy of otiici Powers but he hop
ed that England, Kutta,and France,would'
one day feel that jit was their inti-rest to
(leftroy such a ruff of thieves, and force
them to lire rather by cultivating their
land tnan by plunder.,
In the little I said to him, for he eave
in the course of two hours, but very°few
opportunities of faying a word, I confin
ed myfelf ftrittly to the ifor of your
Lordfhip' sirdirudions. I urged them in
Gme manner as I had done to M. de Tal
leyrand, and dwelt as Wrongly as I could
n the sensation which the publication of
SeiMfliaDi's report had created in En^- '
land, where the views of France towards
EgvpC mutt always command the utmost
vigilance and jealosy— He maintained
that what ought to convince 1# of his de-^
fire of Peace, was on the one hand tie
little he had to gem by renewing the